Hopes Dashed by Baby Doc

It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to announce postponement of my medical mission to Haiti.

Things were really looking on the up-and-up with the streets of Port-au-Prince finally settling down after the first round of elections, the ebbing of the cholera outbreak, and the securing of our "safe" air transport in-country. As things were, there was always going to be risk...but hey, it was all about doing the greater good and acceptable levels of risk. However, with the unexpected arrival of long-deposed Haitian dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier, destablization potential is once again very high. Whether the Haitians feared his iron rule or revered him as a strong leader, matters can decompensate very fast in an already

With today's most recent news and the email from Pastor G, it's just not fair to keep the people worried about me. Haiti could go from calm to a cauldron of civil unrest in the blink of an eye. I could get trapped there- or worse. Volunteers, as the State Department memo I blogged about stated, are being robbed, kidnapped, and killed. And when it comes to recovery efforts, individual unaffiliated volunteers like myslef are last in the rescue pecking order.

As far as the money raised, I offer up options for my generous donators. Write or call me and I will be happy to return your donated funds. However, note the email from Pastor Geordany today:

Dr. Eric,

Sorry to say, our country is not safe enough for you to come.
It will be better to watch on God,s will. Let,s pray and wait.
Please, If God puts in your hands some money to help our children, send it to me as soon as you can before the next trouble in Haiti. Maybe the banks will be closed.
It,s better to send it via MoneyGram and send me exact code number.
More details soon. Try to do the best for us please. God bless.

Your sincere friend,
Pastor Geordany

If you could see in your heart to allow me to transfer the remaining funds to the orphanage for food, supply and gas purchses, we would all be grateful. You just have to let me know. I promise to take a picture of the wire transfer receipts and post it, in the spirit of full disclosure.

I will write more when I know more about future travel plans to Haiti.

Your Friend,

Eric