Harrison back from Haiti, interviewed on St. Louis radio, TV (by Pr. Charles Henrickson)

Rev. Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, has returned from Haiti and, along with medical team coordinator Jacob Fiene, was interviewed Wednesday on St. Louis radio and TV. Click here to hear the KMOX radio interview. Click here to see the KTVI television report. Here is a transcript of the TV report:

Kirkwood Relief Team Returns From Haiti With Chilling Stories
Lutheran Group Treated Patients, Distributed Food, and Prayed

By Chris Regnier FOX2now.com
January 27, 2010

KIRKWOOD, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) – They helped save lives in Haiti. Now, a relief team from the Kirkwood based Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is just back from Haiti. And they are telling incredible stories of what they witnessed. The team did everything from treating patients in hospitals to handing out food to praying with desperate people.

“I’ve never seen anything like this- personal trauma and injury in one place,” said Pastor Matthew Harrison of the Synod. “It was mass pandemonium,” added Harrison.

Harrison heads up the world Relief and Human Care Department at the Synod. He was one of about 20 people on the team that just returned from a week in the earthquake zone. Many of the team members were medical professionals. Among them- doctors, nurses and paramedics.

They spent much of their time at the Good Samaritan Hospital about 40 miles from Port -Au-Prince. All kinds of injured people were brought there. Jacob Fiene coordinated the medical team.

“At first it was a bit overwhelming especially when I was able to grasp the volume of the patients,” explained Fiene.

He added, “It was non-stop. The first three days most people were getting three to fours of sleep at night.”

Harrison prayed with a lot of people. He told us about his experience with one little girl who was hurt.

“She was just grabbing and holding onto my cross. I didnt speak Creole and finally somebody came by who could speak the language. I said what shes saying. He said she wants you to take her away from here,” explained Harrison.

Harrison says the need in Haiti will continue for a long time. And his teams will be there. He said, I just know its our duty to help and to love people in need.

Of the 20 or so members who were on the team, close to half of them are from the St. Louis area.

The Synod is preparing to send another team to Haiti this weekend.

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