Indi Kristjansson set to travel to Costa Rica
Indi will be leaving on Wednesday, February 29 for an 11 day trip to Costa Rica; he will be traveling with Darcey Dube of Kingdom Harvest Ministries. The purpose of the trip will be to participate in a regional conference, meet with regional directors and to minster in various places in the country. As he travels the country he will be able to gather firsthand information on the needs in Costa Rica and make vital contacts with those who need humanitarian aid.
Costa Rica
Update on Romania container
The container we sent to Romania and was held up in customs due to medical equipment regulations has been re-routed to Moldova a small country to the north east of Romania and is expected to arrive on Monday February, 27. After a lot of paper work and many phone calls it seems to be near completion. It will be received in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
Container Troubles in Romania
A container that was sent on October 27, 2011 has been delayed due to custom regulations in Romania. It was to go to Crihalma (Brasov region) for Albert Enns. It arrived in early January and was due to clear customs by the 9th. However, upon arrival we were made aware of new import rules concerning medical equipment.
Two weeks ago we were given the choices to either destroy the equipment, have the container sent back to Canada or find another country to take the supplies. Given the cost of these choices we have decided to send it to Cahul in Moldova, a small country bordering Romania. Currently it is in the port city of Constanta, Romania and we are hoping that it will be released tomorrow, (February, 3).
This is an example of some of the many problems that can arise when shipping containers overseas. The cost is not limited to the shipment but can run thousands of dollars over in these cases. Please continue to pray that the doors will be open for this one to make it safely to a place it can be used. Our next container will also be sent to Romania, pray that it will not experience the troubles of our latest shipment.
constanta, port city of romania
Central America Devastated by Torrential Rain
The wrath of Mother Nature ripped through Central America in October, as torrential rains, landslides and flooding killed at least 105 people.
El Salvador and Guatemala were the hardest hit, while Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica suffered extensive damage to homes, roads and crops.
Road washed out
Regional meteorologists reported that as much as 120 centimeters (47 inches) of rain accumulated in the past week in some areas – three times the monthly average for the season. More than 700,000 people in Central America have been displaced by weather-related events so far in October.
tico times
The following link is for a Youtube video, unfortunately it is in Spanish but you can see what has happened and how devestated the region has become.
Central American Flooding Video
Many rivers overflowed their banks
GEMS will respond to this humanitarian crisis but we need your help. There are immediate needs in this region and we are going to send several containers. Each container we send costs $10,000 and we want to raise enough to send two as soon as possible.
Global Emergency Missions Society
c/o Indridi Kristjánsson, Director
2870 Crossley Drive
Abbotsford, BC
V2T 5H3
Needs in Chile and Haiti
When earthquakes struck Haiti and Chile last year, GEMS was able to send much needed supplies. As time passes, the attention of the world drifts, but dire needs still remain. We’ve been asked to send a container to each country. All the goods have been donated and collected. We are waiting for partners to finance the transportation. We need $7000 for each container, a total of $14,000.
Desks for St. Vincent
Layou Vocational School was started by Pastor Noel Clarke in Layou, St. Vincent about 20 years ago. His goal was to provide vocational training for teenagers throughout the island. Many of the students had difficulty with High School and were not able to continue through to a university education. This school prepares the student to enter the workforce and be self-sufficient in years to come.
Over time the original metal structure became unusable. Two years ago the school was closed, but God graciously provided for it to be rebuilt and during this past year the building is completed.
This school is a great benefit to the teenagers of St. Vincent. Pastor Noel Clarke holds a very close personal relationship with the Ministry of Education. They fully endorse the school and pay for salaries for the teachers. The school is a strong blessing to the community.
The problem was that the school could not be held until school desks became available. Last June GEMS located desks and in cooperation with Seeds International shipped them from Alberta in August. The used desks were free, but shipping cost $8400.
To get the desks to the school as quickly as possible, we shipped the container before the funds were raised.
Please consider helping with this need.
Laptops
We are in great need of two new or near new laptop computers to be used for office work and for traveling to promote the work of GEMS. If you can contribute finances or the actual computers, it would significantly help us both in administration effectiveness and in sharing what GEMS is doing around the world.
Chileans look to GEMS for help
The Chilean Emergency Committee in Vancouver, BC has asked GEMS and our team of volunteers to help with aid to their earthquake and tsunami stricken country. The local communities in Vancouver and Victoria are setting up temporary collection depots and organizing fundraisers. In addition to funds, the following goods are needed: non perishable food (should have at least 6 months of shelf life), baby formula, medical supplies, diapers for adults and babies, blankets, tents, sleeping bags, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, home tools (including nails & screws), kitchen utensils in working order, winter clothing in good shape, school supplies, toys, power generators.
These goods will be brought together and shipped from our Langley depot.
January 15, 2010 (see news links for further information): Yesterday GEMS got a call from an organization in Vancouver already working in Haiti asking for help. And today we also got a call from another organization in the Kamloops area with a similar request. Both of these organizations have workers already on the ground in Haiti who fortunately were spared. But according to them the situation is just horrible as so many people have died while others are wandering the streets aimlessly without any water, food or shelter. The roads are also impassable especially to the outlying areas where these organizations work, and anxiety and fear are growing rapidly. We at GEMS want to respond to this plea and as a result we will be working with these and other organizations already established there by sending aid to Haiti as soon as possible. Our aid package includes two 40-foot cargo containers with emergency relief goods such as construction material, food, clothing and medical supplies. We will also be shipping PUR water solutions to purify the already contaminated water in the city of Port Au Prince and surrounding areas. In order to do this we need your help. First, please pray for the well-being of all the Canadian and international workers there as well as all the many nationals that are now suffering in Haiti. Second, please help us with funds that are necessary to ship those containers and other aid that we plan to send to Haiti. Third, we will also need non perishable food such as dehydrated soup mix, rice, powered milk, medical supplies and more. What we need most at this point are the funds for shipping. For every dollar donated by individuals in Canada marked for humanitarian relief in Haiti the Canadian government has promised to match that gift with an equal amount. Please help us to meet these needs as the situation is very dire.Aid For Earthquake Victims in Chile
While not as severe as the recent earthquake in Haiti, the one that hit Chile on February 27 has displaced an estimated 1.5 million people. GEMS has already received pleas for help and preparations are being made for shipping much needed supplies. Fundraising efforts are underway in Victoria and Vancouver, BC. If you can help, please do. In addition to funds to help with shipping costs, there is a need for:
Urgent Need in Haiti
As most of you are aware of already, a major earthquake struck the capital of Haiti earlier this week, causing tremendous damage, chaos and hardship for the people there. The latest estimate is that approximately 60% of all houses are in ruins or severely damaged and no less than 50.000 people may have died already with many more wounded and homeless without food and shelter. Rescue teams from around the world are working frantically around the clock to help as best they can.
CBC News
BBC News
CNN
We are a group of individuals who believe that ordinary people do make a difference when they work together. We are committed to bringing relief to people hurt by both poverty and disasters at home and around the world: Global Emergency Missions Society.
