Church unsure of team’s safety in Haiti

RUSH COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Members of St. Luke's United Methodist Church and Milroy United Methodist Church in Rush County arrived in Haiti for a mission trip the day before the earthquake.

At one point they got word everyone was okay, but hours later those hopes were dashed.

Inside Milroy United Methodist Church, John Paul Fowler waits for word.

His wife Chantel is part of a nine person mission team who began their work Monday at an orphanage in the Haitian village of Fondwa, 45 miles outside Port Au Prince.

"It's just hard. I've got three little kids," Fowler said as he choked back tears. "My oldest son, he's almost 14. He went last year with my wife, so he understands the seriousness of it and he knows what it's like there, so he's really worried. My other two kids, they're 11 and seven. They know what happened, but they really don't understand."

Shortly after speaking with Fowler, Milroy's pastor reported some good news out of Congressman Mike Pence's Office.

"Someone from our missions in northern Indiana did talk with the St. Luke’s people last night after the earthquake and they said that they were okay," said Rev. Valerie Wilson. "That's all we know. God answers prayer."

David Williamson's wife Jamalyn is on the trip. They're both associate pastors at St. Luke's. He said he believes God put them in Haiti for a reason.

"I think the most important thing they can do too is just bring back eyewitness accounts of what happened and bring a spotlight to an area that really needs a lot of help," said Williamson.

24-Hour News 8 later learned the initial report that came out of the congressman's office turned out to be a false alarm. There's still no word on how they're doing.

Not only was the group planning to help fix up a school and orphanage, they were planning on delivering Christmas presents to that orphanage. But when they arrived, the airlines had lost their luggage.

Wednesday night a prayer vigil is planned in the church in Milroy at 7 p.m.