UPDATED: In Haiti, with the Children of the House of God Orphanage

23 January 2010 | Alexander Carpenter

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On January 12, as he heard about the Haiti earthquake, Tim Wolfer, a student at Pacific Union College, posted a message on Facebook: "Anyone want to help a poor documentary filmmaker get to Haiti?"

One can still see the Facebook comments. Friends offered to donate $20 here and there. Then an anonymous donor contacted Tim through an intermediary and gave him two round trip tickets. Within days, Tim (pictured on right) and his friend, Ivan LaBianca (pictured on left), a student at Andrews University, were on their way to the Dominican Republic whence they crossed the border into Haiti.

They are currently helping at the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage in Port-au-Prince.

Picture by Ivan LaBianca. He writes, "Gerdy Verne feeds one of the younger orphans at the House of the Children of God Orphanage. Both have American families waiting for them, but they have not been able to get visa clearance to be evacuated."

CNN's Larry King and Fox News have been covering the story of that orphanage, where the future of over one hundred children has been in limbo.

In addition, Fox News Field Producer Kathleen Foster has been providing brief updates on the status of the orphans at Maison des Enfants de Dieu.

For His Glory Adoption Outreach tells us they are now heading to customs to be processed. It could still be a while before they come face to face with their parents, but for these 82 kids the hardest part is over. 30 more to go tomorrow!

Here is a picture taken by Ivan LaBianca of Tim Wolfer filming during a Larry King Live uplink with Soledad O'Brien at the orphanage.

And via a live Skype connection, here's Tim and Ivan being interviewed on The Harvest Show, a Christian television program.

The most recent news is that eight-two of the orphans will be airlifted out.

Kim Harmon, President of For His Glory, a Texas-based ministry that runs the orphanage, writes:

All paperwork has been completed for 82 children from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage and they have clearance to travel to the United States. These 82 children are scheduled to depart Port-au-Prince airport on Saturday, January 23, 2010, at around 11:00 a.m. on an aircraft bound for Florida. Those children with Colorado adoptive parents in this first group, will continue on to Colorado, accompanied by a medical team from the Colorado Children's Hospital. Orphanage staff and representatives of the U.S. ministry, For His Glory Adoption Outreach (FHG) will continue to work with U.S. Embassy officials for humanitarian parole and travel clearance for the remaining eligible children. FHG hopes that these children will receive their clearance sometime on Saturday, January 23, 2010, with a departure date and time still to be determined

UPDATE:

On Saturday night, Tim Wolfer and Ivan LaBianca arrived in Orlando, along with eighty two orphans.

Chris Blake - Mon, 01/25/2010 - 08:06

Union College's International Rescue and Relief (IRR) program has been in the news often, and lately four students and John Thomas, IRR coordinator, have worked for days in Haiti.

You can reference numerous articles through "Lincoln Journal Star Union College students in Haiti"

Eric Scott - Mon, 01/25/2010 - 14:24

I went with Tim to New Orleans a while after Katrina to volunteer and to shoot some "six months later" video. He, of course, had been there at the beginning too. His passion and talent is inspiring.

"Rational people argue both sides"

Myris - Fri, 01/29/2010 - 20:45

God Bless each one:

The labor of love that have been done since the Haiti earthquake have been with out a doubt what Gos have call each one of us to do for our brothers and Sisters specially in Haiti.

Good bless each one of the volunteers in a rich way.

Kishah Michel - Wed, 02/03/2010 - 12:40

Tim and Ivan:

This is wonderful! Thank you so much for caring and for taking the time to serve! May God continue to bless you! I really wish I could have gone with you to help! I am praying for you guys!

-Kishah

Mohd Asyraf - Wed, 01/12/2011 - 23:57

I am a muslim, and i would like to say to all the ones who work tirlessly in helping these children, both local and those from overseas in taking care of them in those exreme conditions, May Allah bless you all.

I pray for you all.