Mission Love Seeds heading to Haiti

WANT TO HELP?

To donate, call Carroll at 850-865-1055 or Snuggs at 850-830-2331. Monetary donations can also be made at www.missionloveseeds.org and are tax deductible.

When Barbi Carroll founded Mission Love Seeds in 2004, it was her dream to help children around the world. The organization has helped the children in the Philippines, families in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina and local residents.

Now, God has opened the door for them to spread their love to help some children in Carrefour, Haiti, just outside Port-Au-Prince.

“Since starting Mission Love Seeds, it's always been my dream to help the children of Africa and Haiti,” Carroll told The Log. “This has been in my heart. I have not been able to take my eyes off CNN. I knew God would send Mission Love Seeds, just not this soon.”

Destinites Lisa Snuggs and Earl Baumgardner will join Carroll when she leaves Monday, Feb. 8 to fly to the Dominican Republic. From there, it will be an 8-hour drive to reach orphans in Carrefour. While there, the group will live in tents.

Their destination is a makeshift orphanage where the staff cares for 35 children — 21 girls and 14 boys, ages three to 15. But the number of children is increasing daily.

“The orphanage is run by Diakonos International Organization and had 20 children before the earthquake,” Carroll said. “They help who they can, but hundreds keep coming and have had to be turned away because they have no food, clothing and water. Although their building is not pancaked, like in Port-Au-Prince, it is cracked and not safe to live in. The children are sleeping outside, and many were hurt by falling debris.”

Carroll expects to see in Haiti much of what she saw when Mission Love Seeds was one of the first responders into Pearlington, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina.

“Going into Mississippi the first time was like a war zone,” she said. “But this will be much worse. We have been told to prepare ourselves for the odors — the smell of death, destruction.”

Last Friday, the Destin-based mission sent enough money to buy food for the children for one week. Now they will take supplies from Destin and buy food for the children in the Dominican Republic.

“We only have a short time to collect supplies, but we have faith that God will provide,” Carroll said.

Supplies needed include flashlights, batteries, children’s vitamins and aspirin, Neosporin, Band-Aids, bars of soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, diapers for 3-year olds, baby powder, shampoo and hair grease/oil sheen for black hair.

Clothing, gently used and clean or new, and shoes are also needed in small sizes.

“We need the community’s prayers because this is a big undertaking for us,” Carroll said. “We need to go and see for ourselves, see what the needs are and what we can do to help. We hope to also visit other orphanages. And people can know that all donations, supplies and money, will be used in Haiti.”