Back with more news for you today. It's amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were...

'King's Speech' Takes Top PGA Award, Shakes Up Awards Race

Officially dubbed the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, the PGA prize went to Speech producers Iain Canning, ...   Read More...

Voices from Haiti: New book reflects on tragic earthquake

... chockfull of pictures and inserts. Written by Major Allen Satterlee of the Salvation Army, Voices From Haiti Vault is of a definite Christian bent, ...   Read More...

Haiti one year later

(WTVA) - In a lot of cases, the pictures out of Haiti today look the same as they did one year ago just after the earthquake hit. Hundreds of thousands of ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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'Baby Doc' adds new twist to Haiti latest woes - Yahoo! News

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier ensconced himself Monday in a high-end hotel following his surprise return to a country deep in crisis, leaving many to wonder if the once-feared strongman will prompt renewed conflict in the midst of a political stalemate.

Duvalier met with allies inside the hotel in the hills above downtown Port-au-Prince and spoke publicly only through emissaries, who gave vague explanations for his sudden and mysterious appearance — nearly 25 years after he was forced into exile by a popular uprising against his brutal regime.

Henry Robert Sterlin, a former ambassador who said he was speaking on behalf of Duvalier, portrayed the 59-year-old former "president for life," as merely a concerned elder statesmen who wanted to see the effects of the devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake on his homeland.

"He was deeply hurt in his soul after the earthquake," Sterlin said. "He wanted to come back to see how is the actual Haitian situation of the people and the country."

Duvalier — who assumed power in 1971 at age 19 following the death of his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier — still has some support in Haiti and millions are too young to remember life under his dictatorship. But his abrupt return Sunday still sent shock waves through the country, with some fearing that his presence will bring back the extreme polarization, and political violence, of the past.

"Part of what he does by getting back into Haiti is bring back the old battle lines," said Jocelyn McCalla, a political analyst and former director of the National Coalition for Haitian Rights. "People are going to start talking about being pro- or anti-Duvalier ... It intensifies the instability."

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a Twitter post that the U.S. was surprised by the timing of Duvalier's visit. "It adds unpredictability at an uncertain time in Haiti's election process."

President Rene Preval, a former anti-Duvalier activist, made no immediate public statements on the former dictator's re-emergence, though he told reporters in 2007 that Duvalier would face justice for the deaths of thousands of people and the theft of millions of dollars if he returned.

Human rights groups urged Haiti to prosecute Duvalier for widespread abuses.

Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said he is aware of the accusations but that an arrest is unlikely anytime soon. "We want to be a government that respects the law and to arrest somebody you have to a judiciary process," he said.

At the moment, at least, there are no pending charges against the former dictator. In fact, National Police for a time guarded him at the upscale Hotel Karibe before withdrawing, leaving security to hotel guards and a few U.N. peacekeepers stationed outside.

The government of France, where Duvalier has spent most of his exile, said it had no advance notice of the trip.

"We were never informed" of his departure, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told The Associated Press.

Bobby Duval, a former soccer star who was starved and tortured during the 17 months he was held without charge by Duvalier in the notorious Fort Dimanche, was outraged that Haitian authorities didn't immediately arrest the former dictator. He recalls seeing people beaten, tortured and executed by being clubbed in the back of the neck.

"He is a murderer and a thief," said Duval, who now runs an athletic training school for children. "A country that has no memory will repeat its same mistakes. I thought we were past that but I guess not since he hasn't been arrested yet."

Duvalier formed part of a father-and-son dynasty that presided over one of the darkest chapters in Haitian history, a period when thuggish government secret police force known as the Tonton Macoute stifled any dissent, torturing and killing opponents.

He came back on an Air France jet in a jacket and tie to hugs from supporters, waving to a crowd of about 200 as he climbed in an SUV and headed to a hotel with Veronique Roy, his longtime companion.

Later, Duvalier appeared on a balcony of the Karibe Hotel and waved to supporters and journalists outside. Roy told reporters at one point that "Baby Doc" would stay only three days in Haiti and was asked why he had returned now. "Why not?" she replied.

Once a teenage ruler, Duvalier is now a large, stocky man with graying hair. He sometimes seemed disoriented as he faced the crowd, as if he were struggling to keep his eyes open.

His return comes as the country struggles to work through a dire political crisis following the problematic Nov. 28 first-round presidential election.

Three candidates want to go on to a second round meant for two. The Organization of American States sent in a team of experts to resolve the deadlock, recommending that Preval's candidate be excluded — and the arrival of Duvalier has at least briefly overshadowed speculation about how the government might respond. OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza was scheduled to be in Port-au-Prince to meet with Preval on Monday.

The country meanwhile is dealing with a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 3,500 people since October and more than 1 million people are living in crowded, squalid tent encampments after their homes were destroyed from the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.

At one of those camps, there was some enthusiasm for Duvalier's return.

"I don't know much about Jean-Claude Duvalier but I've heard he did good things for the country," said 34-year-old Joel Pierre. "I hope he will do good things again."

But the human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issued statements urging Haiti to hold Duvalier accountable for the torture and killing of civilians during his 15-year rule.

"The Haitian authorities must break the cycle of impunity that prevailed for decades in Haiti," said Javier Zuniga, a special adviser at Amnesty International. "Failing to bring to justice those responsible will only lead to further human rights abuses."

Brian Concannon, director of the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, said Duvalier's return certainly has the potential to further disrupt the country amid an electoral crisis and the stalled quake reconstruction.

"It will energize his supporters, many of whom have histories of substantial political violence. The failure to arrest him will be even more disruptive, as it will send a signal of impunity for political violence," said Concannon, a former lawyer for President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was ousted in 2004 in a violent rebellion.

Haitians danced in the streets to celebrate the overthrow of Duvalier back in 1986, heckling the tubby, boyish tyrant as he drove to the airport and was flown into exile in France. Most Haitians hoped the rapacious strongman had left for good, closing a dark chapter of terror and repression that began under his late father in 1957.

But a handful of loyalists have been campaigning to bring Duvalier home from exile in France, launching a foundation to improve the dictatorship's image and reviving Baby Doc's political party in the hopes that one day he can return to power democratically. To their advantage is the fact that half the people in the country are younger than 21 — and weren't alive during Duvalier's rule.

Duvalier has been accused of pilfering millions of dollars from public funds and spiriting them out of the country to Swiss banks, though he denies stealing from Haiti

But there have been repeated suggestions Duvalier faces money problems. Swiss lawmakers in September approved a bill that would make it easier for the country to seize cash stashed by deposed dictators. The SDA news agency reported that Haiti would receive about $7 million seized from Duvalier.

The return baffled Haiti experts and has thrown the country's entire political situation into question.

Immediately speculation began about whether exiled former President Aristide also might return.

Aristide's attorney in Miami, Ira Kurzban, said the ousted former president, who remains popular in Haiti, wants to come back to his homeland.

"His position is that he's always had a right to his return," he said.

Crowley — the State Department spokesman — said in a Twitter post that "We are not aware of any plans for former President Aristide to travel to Haiti."

_______

Associated Press writer David McFadden in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Laura Wides-Munos in Miami contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS name of Duvalier spokesman to Sterlin instead of Sterling)

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Hey Readers! I've been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below...

Dreams of Haiti Yield Bold, Diverse Visions

But the sculpture doesn't stop there, inviting viewers to participate in the feast by adding their own offerings — “coins, flowers, pictures or well-wishes ...   Read More...

NGO seeks support to rebuild in Haiti

To show a different side of Haiti, Plan hired freelance photographer Natasha Fillion to teach Haitian youth about photography so they could take pictures ...   Read More...

A Haitian entrepeneur's unusual scheme for attracting attention to his food cart

John Brecher writes:As pictures of Haiti's problems appear every day in our image feeds, it's refreshing to see this man's eccentric enterprise. ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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Ok so you might find the next few links interesting. These are from around the web, just random snippets that I've picked up in my reading, but I found some very cool information in them. You might too. Here goes...

Jean Claude Duvalier Haiti Pictures

Haitian former President Jean Claude Duvalier, also known as 'Baby Doc', arrives to the Karibe Hotel in Port-au-Prince ...   Read More...

Couple gets 'Hands-On' in Haiti recovery

The pictures can't ever do it justice. There were tent camps, make-shift homes. “There were kids running around in the street with no shoes and no clothes. ...   Read More...

In pictures: Haiti one year after the earthquake

Cambridgeshire charities are still working with victims of the Haiti earthquake, one year after it struck on 12 January 2010. This photograph, taken in ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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'Baby Doc' says quake brought him back to Haiti - Yahoo! News

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier says it was the devastating earthquake that brought him back to Haiti.

Duvalier says he wants to help with the reconstruction from a quake that destroyed much of the capital. He made a brief speech Friday at a rented guest house. It was his most extensive public statement since his surprise return to the country where he faces a potential trial for corruption and human rights violations.

Duvalier said he feels "profound sadness" for anyone who believes they were harmed by his regime.

He did not say how long he intends to stay in Haiti.

The former dictator known as "Baby Doc" was deposed nearly 25 years ago in a popular uprising.

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I hope you've been enjoying my posts lately. I thought I might do something different today and rustle up a few bits of info from around the WWW. These are some of the news items and blog posts that have been popular over the last few weeks. Leave me your thoughts.

Hamptons for Haiti Benefit Pictures

Alex Young attending the Hamptons for Haiti: Wings Over Haiti Benefit at East Hampton Studios in Wainscott on January ...   Read More...

Brooklyn Gallery Shows Images Of Life In Haitian Tent Cities

He also shot pictures of Haitians reacting to the destruction of the presidential palace and captured their daily routine of collecting water. ...   Read More...

Day in pictures: 20 January 2011

A vendor in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, still largely in ruins after last year's earthquake, sets out his stall of colourful artwork. ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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Hey Readers! I've been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below...

Jared Leto News: Help Haiti, 30StM frontman posts more Haiti pictures

30 Seconds to Mars singer and actor Jared Leto has been spending some of his down time in Haiti. Pictures posted by the 30StM frontman revealed a country ...   Read More...

Mission to Haiti program planned

His talk will include pictures and stories about the people they met, and the area where they worked and traveled. He plans to return to Haiti this spring. ...   Read More...

Haiti quake: A year later, journalists look back

His words and pictures appear in an audio slideshow on NewsHour's website. The Times' coverage of Haiti over the past year can be found at latimes.com/haiti ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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Duvalier: I came to take part in reconstruction - Yahoo! News

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier ended his silence, telling Haitians he returned after 25 years in exile because he wanted to participate in the reconstruction of the earthquake-shattered country.

The 59-year-old ex-strongman, speaking in a faint voice in his first public comments since arriving in Haiti on Sunday, told Haitians and reporters that he was ready to face "persecution" and had timed his return to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.

"When I made the decision to come back to Haiti to commemorate this sad anniversary with you, in our country, I was ready for any kind of persecution," Duvalier said Friday. "But I believe that the desire to participate by your side in this collaboration for the national reconstruction far outweighs any harassment I could face."

Since his stunning return to Haiti, the man known as "Baby Doc" had largely remained holed up in a luxury hotel and in a private residence, his isolation feeding speculation as to exactly why he had come home.

He did not field any questions during Friday's address, leaving that to three American consultants — including former U.S. congressman and presidential candidate Bob Barr — and one of his Haitian lawyers.

The former leader, who ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986 through terror and the regime he inherited from his father, returned to the shattered nation. He soon found himself facing an investigation by a Haitian court for corruption, embezzlement, torture, arbitrary imprisonment, crimes against humanity and other allegations.

His motives for returning have been a source of debate and confusion. Some believe he had a desire to unlock Swiss bank accounts that contain the last remnants of his squandered fortune. Others speculate that he is gravely ill, or that he is a pawn in someone else's game — Haiti's current president, the United States or France — to influence Haiti's current electoral crisis.

Duvalier did not address any of those topics, other than to say it was his choice to return. He appeared to be in imperfect health, slurring his speech at times in a near-whisper, apparently unable to move his neck and walking with a shuffle.

Much of the speech was a throwback to earlier times. He spoke in French, the colonial language used by presidents until after his ouster, dropping in only occasional words of Haitian Creole.

He referred to his arrival Sunday at "Francois Duvalier International Airport" — which carried his father's name until his fall from power. It is now Touissant Loverture International Airport, named for the leader of Haiti's late 18th Century revolution.

About Haiti's past, Duvalier expressed sympathy primarily for his partisans "killed, burned, grilled, tortured by 'Pe Lebrun'" — the Haitian slang term for placing a tire around someone's neck and setting it on fire — or who lost their property in revenge against his regime following his ouster.

"And all under the glare of cameras around the world," he added.

As for those tortured, imprisoned, killed and exiled under his rule he offered "my profound sadness toward my countrymen who consider themselves, rightly, to have been victims of my government."

He ended with a declaration "imitating Martin Luther King" in which he envisioned a day when "all Haiti's children, men and women, old and young, rich and poor, from the interior and from the Diaspora, can march hand in hand without exclusion to participate together in Haiti's rebirth."

As he shuffled off, the Americans — Barr, longtime Duvalier family adviser and attorney Ed Marger and Snellville, Georgia, attorney Mike Puglise — arrived with Haitian lawyer Reynold Georges to take questions while a band waving Duvalier's red-and-black party flag played outside.

Barr called Duvalier's speech "profoundly moving."

Marger, who handled most of the queries, said they were there to help Duvalier collect undelivered reconstruction funds promised by the United States and other countries at the March 31, 2010, U.N. donors' conference. He said Duvalier could manage them more effectively than former U.S. President Bill Clinton and distribute them more justly than current Haitian President Rene Preval.

The men said they would be paid if Duvalier is able to collect those funds.

On the ex-dictator's health, Marger said he appeared to be suffering from a "stiff neck."

As for the accusations about the abuses under his regime, Marger said: "Are there atrocities in Haiti? You bet your life. Is (Duvalier) responsible for them? I don't know."

Amnesty International reiterated Friday that Duvalier should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of Haitian law.

"There is no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity. Jean-Claude Duvalier therefore must be brought to justice for these acts," said researcher Gerardo Ducos. "He must remain in the country as long as the investigation is taking place."

But many Haitians, too young to remember his time in power, reacted more favorably to the ex-dictator's speech.

"He came to do good things for us. This country doesn't function anymore," said Kevins Felicie, a motorcycle driver born four months after Duvalier boarded a U.S. plane for exile. "It wasn't me that was hurt by him, or even my dad — but my grandfather. He didn't do anything to me."

___

Associated Press writer Jacob Kushner contributed to this report

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How about these right... I think you'll find the following nuggets of wisdom particularly insightful. Leave your comments below. Check out the second one in particular...

Day in Pictures - January 19, 2011

Omar Abdullah and Buddhadeb meet P. Chidambaram, another school in the USA terrified by a shootout, Haiti's ex-dictator returns to his homeland. ...   Read More...

Chuck D Speaks on Behalf of Haiti

... many moving pictures, multiple videos, and a variety of speakers and artists involved in the ongoing relief of Haiti and its people. ...   Read More...

Haiti one year on - in pictures

More than 230000 are believed to have died in the earthquake in January, and more than 1 million remain homeless. A cholera epidemic broke out in autumn, ...   Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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On January 12 a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake struck the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti, bringing widespread death and destruction to the western hemisphere's poorest nation. The earthquake killed at least 200,000 people, injured at least 300,000 others, leveled at least 250,000 residencies, and destroyed or severely damaged at least 30,000 commercial structures. It was Haiti's largest and most destructive earthquake in more than 200 years.

Beyond the statistics, the human suffering is amongst the most heartbreaking the world has seen in some time - the break-up of families, the orphaned children, the lack of food and water, the emotional and physical pain, the fight for daily survival.

This tragedy, however, has born witness to the generosity of Americans once again and others throughout the world who have given of themselves financially - donating roughly $528 million as of late January. But long before the earthquake put Haiti on the world radar screen, it stood out for its dismal standard of living. For generations Christian missionaries have come to do what they could. They were there on January 12 before the bottom fell out. A few of them even made the ultimate sacrifice. If we have missed anyone please let us know so they can be honored for their sacrifice.

Featured below are their stories of devotion and achievement which inspire us all.

Reverend Sam Dixon

The Reverend Sam Dixon travelled the world to further Christ's mission. He was in Haiti on January 12 to find ways to improve health services for the poor people there.

His career began in 1975 when he entered the ministry in his native North Carolina. He served there for more than 20 years. He then went to work for the Board of Global Ministries, serving as a staff member of the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR). In 1998 he took charge of UMCOR's field operations unit, where he confronted issues involving local health care, refugees, agriculture, small business development, and orphaned children.

In 2001, he became the executive director of the United Methodist Development Fund. In 2003 he was elected head of the board unit on evangelization and church growth. There, he oversaw programs on missionary education and relations with mission partners.

He had served as UMCOR's top executive since 2007.

He believed Christians could better resolve problems by working with others. His decision to coordinate relief efforts with Muslim Aid of London drew some criticism, but he stood by it, believing this kind of collaboration better served those who needed aid the most.

"You could not be in his presence and not have a sense of his passion for his faith and his work," according to Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

Rev. Dixon's body was pulled from the rubble of what was the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, 55 hours after the earthquake on January 12. He was 60.

He leaves behind his wife Cindy and four adult children -- Christy, Amy, Josh, and Molly - and his mother, three sisters, and two grandchildren.

Reverend Clint Rabb

The Rev. Clint Rabb was in Haiti along with Rev. Dixon and Rev. James Gulley to find health care solutions for the Haitian people.

His life was all about helping those who needed it most.

"Clint Rabb was a tough and fearless advocate for the least and most vulnerable of God's children," said Bishop Joel N. Martinez, the interim general secretary of Global Ministries. "He travelled the world encouraging volunteer ministry in his service on behalf of Christ and the church. He gave his life for others and we celebrate his faithful witness."

A native of Hunt County, Texas, northeast of Dallas, Rev. Rabb began his ecclesial career in 1974 with the Goliad United Methodist Church. Early in his career he served in various ministries in the San Antonio and San Angelo areas of Texas.

He joined the Global Ministries in 1996. His work took him to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and central Asia. He developed the "In Mission Together Church to Church Partnership Program," bringing together congregations, annual conferences, volunteer efforts, and mission staff.

He had directed the Mission Volunteers Ministries since 2006. This unit partners with regional and jurisdictional volunteer networks under the auspices of the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVM). The UMVM stations volunteers throughout the world, often in the field of health.

In this role, Rev. Rabb also promoted the Individual Volunteer programs and mission opportunities for retired people.

He died in a Miami hospital on January 17, five days after the earthquake. He had been meeting with Rev. Dixon and three others at the Hotel Montana when the earthquake struck. He was found alive, but his life could not be saved.

He leaves behind his wife, Rev. Suzanne Field-Rabb. He is also survived by eight children, Maury Rabb, Tyler Rabb, Ginny Scheuch, Travis Payne, Daniel Payne, Andrew Payne, Mathew Payne, Clare Payne, and three grandchildren.

Jeanne Acheson-Munos

The Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos and her husband Jack were sent to Port-au-Prince by the Free Methodist World Missions (FMWM) in March 2004 to serve as career missionaries.

In addition to teaching at Haiti's Bible School, the Institut Biblique Methodiste Libre, "They worked alongside the national church to develop and strengthen the conference, pastors, church leaders, and members," the FMWM said in statement.

The daughter of a long-time Indianapolis pastor, Rev. Acheson-Munos met Jack in high school. They married and lived most of their lives in Indianapolis. They became missionaries out of a desire to help needy people find Christ and improve their lives.

"Jeanne's deepest desire was that Haiti, the Pearl of the Antilles, would shine again," the FMWM stated.

Her "desire was for this whole country to be transformed by God's love and God's grace and she was determined, if not single-handedly, to make this happen," said John Hay, Jr. of FMWM. "So we hope that, in spirit at least, and by inspiration for others, that will happen for their country."

Rev. Acheson-Munos was in her third floor apartment with Jack at the time of the earthquake. The building collapsed, killing her. Jack was pulled from the wreckage six hours later and survived.

Eugene Dufour

Eugene Dufour was in Haiti as a volunteer of the FMWM and the Friends of Haiti Organization (FOHO).

FOHO primarily builds churches. But through the years it has undertaken a number of projects in Haiti, including building parsonages, canteens, a self-help store, a quest house, retainer walls, schools. It has undertaken well drilling, dental, medical, educational, and pastoral projects.

A native of Clio, Michigan, Dufour had volunteered in Haiti twice before. His friend Kenny Voller recalled picking him up from the airport after his first trip to Haiti.

"He talked nonstop all the way home, five or six hours, with tears running down his face," said Voller who also ministered in Haiti on a number of occasions. "'Those poor people,' that's all he could say. It tore his heart. He's seen the worst."

Dufour served as an active Craftsman for Christ, helping to build churches and ministries. He worked in construction in Miami for Haitian churches.

"Whether it was across the street or across the ocean, wherever it was, Gene was always there," said Dale Woods, another friend.

Dufour is survived by his wife Dolly and adult children.

Dufour, 64, was killed with his friend from Michigan, Merle West, when the FOHO headquarters collapsed in the earthquake. The two men, who spent winter months in a Christian retirement community in Lakeland, Florida, had landed in Haiti only an hour earlier.

Merle West

Merle West of Mt. Morris, Michigan, was the president of FOHO, a member of Craftsman for Christ, and a volunteer for the FMWM. In these roles he came to Haiti on January 12.

He had ministered in Haiti many times dating back to 1978. He also worked in construction in Miami for Haitian churches.

"The Lord put Haiti on Merle's heart 30 years ago," his friend Kenny Voller said. "That's what Merle lived for. Very seldom did you have a conversation with him that Haiti did not come up."

"Merle was about others - that was his life, others," said Greg Ennis, another friend. "Merle had a profound influence on the lives of others, that was evident."

West was 72 at the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy and adult children.

Benjamin Larson

Benjamin Larson of La Crosse, Wisconsin was a fourth-year student at the Wartburg Theological School in Dubuque, Iowa. He was in Haiti to teach at the Evangelical Lutheran Church to complete a January term project.

Along with his wife Renee and his cousin Jonathon Larson, Benjamin was also in Haiti to "help with the new Haiti Lutheran Church," according to a statement issued by the First Lutheran Church of Duluth where his mother, the Rev. April Larson, is the pastor.

His father is the Rev. Judd Larson, the interim pastor at Duluth's Our Savior's Lutheran Church.

Corinne Denis served with Larson in the seminary and first met him at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa when they were both undergraduate students. She said that when he headed the college's student-led worship service, he looked forward to singing so much that he could be heard "singing in the stairwell before he got there."

Renee said that just after the earthquake, "He was singing, not unusual for Ben who loved music. I told him I loved him, and that Jon and I were okay, and to keep singing. But the singing stopped after he sang 'God's peace to us we pray.'"

Larson, 25, died in the collapse of the St. Joseph's Home for Boys. He had been staying there with Renee and Jonathon, both of whom survived the collapse.

In addition to his wife and his parents, he is survived by three older siblings.

Jean Arnwine

Clara Jean Arnwine, 49, of Dallas, Texas, volunteered to go to Haiti last month along with 11 other members of the Highland Park United Methodist Church. They arrived three days before the earthquake.

The group included four employees of Texas Retina Associates, Arnwine's employer of many years. They were in Haiti to provide free eye care service. The group included Dr. Gary Fish and Dr. Kenneth Foree who, with his wife Lila, had run the church eye care clinic in Haiti for more than 30 years.

Arnwine's husband of 30 years, David, said she eagerly agreed to join the group.

"She was excited. She was thrilled. She started calling everyone she knew to donate glasses."

"She loves a project that benefits someone else," Dr. Fish said.

Her experience in Haiti had been all she expected it to be. Alex Paz, Arnwine's coworker at Texas Retina Associates, said "She was very happy to be there. She was ready to come back next year."

The earthquake leveled the eye clinic in Petit Goave, a village west of Port-au-Prince where Arnwine and four members of her team were working. Her coworkers survived their injuries. Her injuries, however, were more extensive. She died three days later.

In addition to her husband, she leaves behind two children, son Ashley Ryan Arnwine, 29, and daughter Merilee DeAnne Arnwine, 27.

Yvonne Martin

Yvonne Martin, 67, a retired nurse from Elmira, Ontario (Canada) landed in Haiti only 90 minutes before the earthquake. She was among a group of seven volunteers with World Partners and the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada.

On this her fourth Christian mission to the island nation, she and her group had planned to provide humanitarian aid in the northern part of the country.

She looked forward to it, having come to love the Haitian people and their culture.

"She was growing her love for Haiti. This was her retirement plan, to fundraise, learn Haitian Creole, and go back," said her son Luke.

She had just left her fellow missionaries to change clothes when the earthquake leveled the building she was in. Her body was found the next day.

She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Ron, and her sons Luke, Dean, and Terry, their wives, ten grandchildren, two brothers, and a sister.

Molly Hightower

A month after graduating from the University of Portland, Molly Hightower, 22, of Port Orchard, Washington, came to Haiti in June 2009 to pursue her passion of caring for children left behind.

She volunteered on behalf of the Catholic-affiliated organization, Friends of the Orphans. She provided physical therapy when needed and comforted disabled and abandoned children. Many of them were both disabled and abandoned -- autistic children, children with Down Syndrome, and others whose disabilities made them unwanted by their parents.

"She poured everything she had into the children, everything she had into these little ones who might not know love otherwise," said Father Craig Hightower, her uncle and Gonzaga University priest.

"She grew up in a household full of pictures and stories (of the people they helped)," another Uncle John Hightower said. "She wanted to answer the call and help the poorest of the poor."

At the time of the earthquake she was in her apartment on the fifth floor of a seven-story building in Petionville. Her body was found in the wreckage on January 15, three days after the earthquake.

She is survived by her parents, Mike and Mary, her sister Jordon, her brothers Zach and Sean, and a host of other relatives.

Joseph Serge Miot

In addition to playing a leading role in the Roman Catholic Church in his largely Catholic nation, Joseph Serge Miot, 63, the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, will be remembered for playing a leading role in Haitian society.

Ordained a priest in 1975 and appointed Coadjutor by Pope John Paul II in 1997, he became the ninth Archbishop of Port-au-Prince in 2008.

He used his power to stridently oppose the corruption that has plagued his country, wherever it was, whether it was in the lower, middle, or upper-most echelons. This meant challenging the political system, including the prime minister on occasion.

He wanted to create a more just political system. So he started a school for Christians to learn about politics and prepare for political activity.

He formed an alliance to help the poor of his country become more productive and better able to rise above the crippling poverty that has diminished the quality of life for generation-after-generation of Haitians.

As a philosophy professor at the Port-au-Prince Seminary of St.Jacques, "He was a demanding and understanding priest," who emphasized that "Being a priest is not a profession, it is a mission," said the Rev. Michel Menard.

Monsignor Miot's body was found among the rubble in his office the day after the earthquake.

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Jeffrey J. Rodman is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Certified Grants Specialist (CGS). He is an experienced grantwriter, fundraiser, nonprofit executive, and public speaker who operates Here-4-You Consulting and Grant Writing providing consultation for grant writing and funding development to Christian ministries and Churches worldwide.

Jeffrey has supervised a team of writers, researchers, editors, and administrative staff in providing consultation for grant proposal writing, nonprofit development, and fundraising in almost every state and a dozen foreign countries and has worked on proposals to Federal, State, and Local government as well as to Foundations, Civic groups, and many others.

Jeffrey received his BS and his M.Ed. from George Mason University. He has written 100's proposals, secured millions of dollars in funding, and maintains a funding rate of nearly 80%. He has successfully managed over 25 different grants as a grant administrator and has also served as a grant reviewer on a state, federal, and local level as well as on foundation review panels. Jeffrey is an experienced speaker and is a Certified National Trainer for programs in Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Jeffrey is heavily involved in his church particularly in areas concerning growth, outreach, and finance. He is involved with a number of local and national ministries including Street Wise Ministries, Teens Opposing Poverty, and the True Lies Media Discernment Ministry.

Although Jeffrey grew up in New York, he has lived in Virginia since 1996 where he and his wife, Terri home school their five children, Alexandra (12), Mackenzie (8), Christian (6) Kaitlyn (3), and Abigail (born 02/10/2010).

Here-4-You Christian Grant Consulting
Jeffrey J. Rodman, CFRE, CGS, M.Ed.
President & CEO
Website: http://www.npfunds.com
Blog: http://npfunds.com/blog
Phone: 1-866-HERE-4-U-1

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