Mason Students Survive Earthquake in Haiti, Hope to Return Before Classes Start
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Ten students from George Mason University who survived the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti are hoping to return to campus before classes start.
The students were on a mission trip with McLean Bible Church’s college ministry called The Gathering.
McLean Bible Church communications director AnnieLaurie Walters said the church hopes to evacuate the students from Haiti as soon as possible.
The goal is for the students to be back to Mason before classes begin on Tuesday, but Walters said she is not sure if that will happen.
A statement released by the church said, “We anticipate the team will return to the U.S. as soon as the airport in Port au Prince reopens to the public.”
Evacuations from Haiti have been slow. The earthquake severely damaged the control tower at the Port-au-Prince Airport. The airport in Port-au-Prince has since reopened, but with limited space and fuel supplies, the capacity of the airport has limited relief efforts.
The Haitian government temporarily transferred control of the airport to the United States to help restore operations and facilitate relief efforts. Under U.S. control, the airport may be able to accommodate more flights and evacuations.
Church leaders are declining to give interviews about the incident until all the students have returned safely because, as McLean Bible Church communications director AnnieLaurie Walters acknowledges, things can still go wrong. The Church wants to make sure that everyone has returned safely before commenting.
The group had been working in the town of Petit-Goave – about 30 miles west of the capital Port-au-Prince and about 15 miles from the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
The students were working with World Hope International, a non-profit organization based in Alexandria, Va. According to the organization’s website, World Hope International is “a faith-based relief and development organization alleviating suffering and injustice through education, enterprise and community health.”
On this trip, the Associated Press reports that the group was helping “build latrine shelters as well as run Bible classes for Haitian children.”
In a blog on the website, the CEO of WHI Karl Eastlack asks for prayers for the college group in Haiti, for the organizations 60 staff members and families in Haiti, and for the people of Haiti as World Hope plans its response to the earthquake.
The devastation and destruction in Haiti is widespread. One Haitian official estimated that 50,000 bodies had already been found and the death toll could hit 200,000.
All the Mason students working on the island survived and are not hurt.
“Church officials are in contact with the team and everyone is safe,” a press release issued by McLean Bible Church said. “No one has been hurt, they do have access to food, water and shelter.”
A report by the Associated Press said that the parents of one student on the trip received a text message about three hours after the earthquake saying the group was safe. The AP also reports that the group is “sleeping outdoors at a mission about 40 miles west of Port-au-Prince as a precaution against aftershocks.”
In an email sent to the Mason community, Vice President of University Life Sandy Scherrens acknowledged the Mason students who survived the earthquake and talked about the devastation in Haiti.
“The loss of life, injuries and destruction as a result of the earthquake in Haiti saddens all of us,” Scherrens wrote. “The devastation will have long-lasting consequences for this country and its people.”
Scherrens encouraged students looking to help in the relief efforts to make contributions to the Red Cross or look for more information online.
At least one Mason organization is planning a fundraiser to aid the earthquake relief efforts.
Mason’s chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority started a Facebook event called “GMU Unites for Haiti” to advertise their cause. They plan to sell blue and white wristbands that have “GMU SUPPORTS Haiti 2010” printed on them.
According to the Facebook event, the sorority hopes to sell at least 400 wristbands.
“But with the size of our school, we CAN do better than this!!” the group writes. “Let's show everyone the strength George Mason University has in coming together to help others when a great disaster strikes the less fortunate.”
Connect2Mason will have more information about the GMU students in Haiti as it becomes available.
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Read the full text of the statement issued by McLean Bible Church:
“The Gathering, McLean Bible Church’s college ministry, does have a short-term missions team of students who attend George Mason University serving in Petit Goave, Haiti this week. The team was already in Haiti working in partnership with World Hope International when the earthquake hit. Church officials are in contact with the team and everyone is safe. No one has been hurt, they do have access to food, water and shelter, and the World Hope Country Director for Haiti is with them. We are in contact with the parents of the students on this team and will remain in contact with them until the team has safely arrived at home. We anticipate the team will return to the U.S. as soon as the airport in Port au Prince reopens to the public.”
Read the full email sent by Sandy Scherrens, Vice President of University Life:
"The loss of life, injuries and destruction as a result of the earthquake in Haiti saddens all of us. The devastation will have long-lasting consequences for this country and its people.
Many of you are asking how you can assist with the relief efforts. At this time, we can provide you with the following information from the White House web page, http://www.whitehouse.gov. Contributions can be made online to the Red Crosshttp://american.redcross.org/
As on-campus relief efforts become available, we will inform the university community.
Currently, we are aware of ten Mason students who are in Haiti. We know they are unhurt and trying to secure transportation home.
If you are aware of any members of our community who have been affected by the earthquake, please contact Sandy Scherrens, Vice President for University Life at sscherre@gmu.edu."
Read University President Alan Merten letter to the Mason community about the earthquake:
"The recent earthquake that struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, serves as a reminder of the fragility of human life and how important it is to join together at a time of great crisis and massive suffering. As far as we have been able to ascertain, no George Mason University students or faculty members were in Haiti on university business at the time of the earthquake. However, we have received reports of individual members of our community who were there for reasons of their own. As far as we know, none were injured.
National and international efforts are underway to provide needed and timely assistance to the citizens of Haiti. Many are asking how the Mason community can be part of this important relief effort. At present, a list of donation options is posted online at http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti. Through this web site, the university stands ready to provide additional information on how you may provide assistance as information becomes available.
Any help you can provide will be of enormous benefit to the Haitian people. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by this tragedy.
Sincerely,
Alan G. Merten
President, George Mason University"
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