PCCR News and Updates

Morocco 🇲🇦 During the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to assist with building shelters. I have enjoyed meeting and working with people from quite a few countries, and especially working with the locals. We have a group of Moroccans who speak English fairly well and are great assets to our build teams. It is wonderful to be able to communicate with the villagers through them, and to learn their local culture and interests. In every town, we are greeted with the same warm hospitality, nearly every shelter we build, the new owner treats us to tea and often a meal. I have come to expect as many as half a dozen meals during the course of a day. Although the language barrier makes communication somewhat difficult, they clearly express their thanks for our help. I have been reminded time and again that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. I have learned so much in the short time I have been here, and am incredibly grateful for the experience. #Morocco #MoroccoEarthquake #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Haiti Update: For everyone who has been following along with the work in Haiti: The director of the work in Haiti, Andy Faller, will be traveling to the US for a weekend of presentations. He’ll be speaking about the work and the new organization that is being set up to take on the work that PCCR has done in Haiti. If you’re in the area, you’re invited! Presentation schedule: December 1st | 7:00 PM Zion Christian Fellowship 15474 Georgia Road Middlefield, Ohio 44062 December 2nd | 6:30 PM. Augusta, West Virginia The exact location still needs to be confirmed December 3rd | Service starts at 10:00 AM Redeemed Christian Fellowship 300 Burkholder Drive Ephrata, Pennsylvania 17522 If you’d like to have Andy speak at your church, there still is an opening on Sunday evening. For questions and comments, contact Andy Faller at 330-979-4830 #Haiti #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Morocco 🇲🇦 Sources are saying that approximately100,000 children have been affected by the earthquake in Morocco. After you meet these kids, they aren’t just a number anymore, they become little people with faces and souls that you can’t forget. Some having survived the earthquake alone, leaving them with trama and shell-shocked faces. And other kids, you wouldn’t know they experienced theearthquake. They are full of life and energy, always tugging at our hands so we spin them around one more time or play one last game. As I write this, I’m reminded of the picture of Jesus holding the little children. Jesus holding the little boy who lost his parents and siblings, Jesus holding the little girls that want to dance and play, Jesus holding the baby that was just born, Jesus holding all these 100,000 children that have been affected.

About us… Plain Compassion Crisis Response (PCCR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit humanitarian aid organization that was formed in the fall of 2014 as a response to the refugee crisis in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. As an organization, our vision is to demonstrate God’s love by providing relief in areas of disaster that are not publicized widely and/or hard to access. Our mission is to equip our volunteers with training and leadership skills needed to make a greater impact on the field and deploy them to areas of disaster. #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #USDisasterResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Morocco 🇲🇦 The recent weeks have been quite busy. Last week, we built a total of 64 shelters in two different villages. In the one village, I was told that they usually get between 1 and 1.5 meters (39.7" - 59") of snow. With many of them living in non-insulated tents and firewood being scarce, I can only imagine how cold it gets. The insulated shelters that we are building are easier to keep warm and can handle the snow without a problem. When starting the process of building shelters at a new village, it usually involves having the locals help with building a few shelters before they have a good understanding of the process. A build team typically consists of 2-4 experienced people and 2-3 local villagers. Working side-by-side with the locals has been a great way to learn more about their culture and make new friends. As a sign of appreciation, some villages will kill and cook a goat for us. Watching them kill the goat made me think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, so that we could have salvation. I’m sure it wasn’t a pretty sight. I feel a new level of appreciation for the food we’re served, knowing the sacrifice that has to be made by the goat and the work that it takes to prepare it for us. I am thankful that I get to work with these people and will miss much when I leave. #Morocco #MoroccoEarthquake #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Haiti 🇭🇹 In October of 2022, PCCR responded to the crisis in Haiti, and out of the food distributions and the work in prisons emerged a need for a long-term solution for Haiti’s prisoners. There isn’t a single halfway house or any rehabilitation programs available for prisoners in Haiti. A five-year long judicial crisis in the country has created some of the worst overcrowding that Haiti has ever seen. Many inmates, including minors, have been imprisoned for years without formally being charged with a crime. But due to our focus being on crisis response rather than long-term, we were seeking to hand the work over to others. After considering other options, a new organization has been established under the leadership of Andy Faller: Haiti Prison and Rehabilitation Ministry - Transforming prisoners through love and discipleship The vision of HPRM is to create a US based organization that partners with the broader conservative Anabaptist community to reach those who are imprisoned in Haiti, and also to reach beyond the prisons by creating a re-integration program for those newly released from prison. Andy has been the director of the work in Haiti for the past year and has many years of experience with the Haitian culture and missions, including the pitfalls of aid gone wrong. He is now directing the work under this new organization and we’re excited to transfer everything regarding Haiti into his care. #Haiti #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Morocco 🇲🇦 In the rugged Atlas Mountains, where communities have faced the harsh aftermath of an earthquake, we have been able to provide warmth, safety and hope by building insulated, winter-proof shelters for the resilient Berber people. Construction has been well underway the past month with our building capacity increasing every week, ensuring more and more families will have a warm, safe place to call home this winter. It’s also not just about providing shelter, but empowering the local communities. We’ve been actively involving the locals in the construction process, training them and sharing the skills and knowledge that will benefit them in the future. It’s been a great privilege to work with them. With each visit to their welcoming villages, we’ve been embraced by their warmth and gracious hospitality. Their peaceful, friendly nature and community spirit is truly inspirational. Thank you all for your prayers and support in this project.. While we cannot share everything... I will assure you God is working here. I believe many good things will continue to unfold in the years to come, as seeds that are planted, grow and flourish. #Morocco #MoroccoEarthquake #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Haiti 🇭🇹 I had the opportunity to take a short trip to Haiti and see some of the work we are doing there. We visited one of the prisons and saw the living conditions of the prisoners there. One thing that stood out to me is how grateful they are to Andy and us, for giving them food. Many of them said “We would not be alive, if Andy didn’t bring us food. Thank you for the food and God bless you!“. It was a blessing to see the respect and gratitude they had towards Andy and PCCR for what we’re doing for them. There is nothing but gratitude from them for what we’ve done and the improvements to the prison that we have help them with. Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to do what we did in the prisons in Haiti! From Chad Martin, Chairman of the Board #Haiti #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Did you know… The country of Morocco has 31 different ethnic people groups. Twenty-seven of them are considered unreached people groups, according to the Joshua Project. There are roughly 37 million people in Morocco. 99.6% of the population practices Islam. While Morocco’s constitution guarantees everyone the freedom to practice their religious affairs, the criminal code prohibits conversions to other religions than Islam and activities like evangelism are punishable. How do we bring hope to these people, in this situation? By building shelters for them. I imagine being in their place… the earthquake has already killed thousands, but winter is coming and the loss will continue as family members and friends succumb to sickness and the cold. But in the face of all the pain and heartache, God’s heart for them is demonstrated and they have hope again. They can survive the winter, and will see another spring… live to build another home. People never forget how you made them feel and it’s my prayer that they will remember the love that God has for them through what we did, and that they would be impacted so deeply that they will find Jesus, and in him, everything else.

Haiti 🇭🇹 It has been five weeks now since the border to the Dominican Republic has been closed, cutting off all import and export. Simple foods like eggs are next to impossible to find, and even if you have chickens, there is no longer any chicken feed or ground corn to feed them. The prices of items we can find are sometimes twice as expensive as they were even a few weeks ago and this severely worsens the hunger crisis here. We also see the effects of it in the prisons. Many of the prison staff express that they don’t know what they would be doing if it wasn’t for the help that we are able to offer. They remain very grateful for the help we bring. Pray for Haiti 🙏🏼 #Haiti #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Our newsletter is being mailed today! So much has happened since the last newsletter went out. A dedicated 501(c)3 is being formed to serve the long-term needs of Haiti’s prisons, with a vision to create Haiti’s first half-way house and discipleship program for inmates who have been impacted by the prison ministry of the past year. A massive earthquake in Morocco left thousands of people exposed to the winter weather in the mountains and unable to survive until spring returns and they can rebuild. We’re networking with other organizations to set up winterized shelters and sanitary facilities. Due to security concerns, we cannot post this newsletter online. Instead, please enter your address in the link below to receive a copy in mail. https://plaincompassion.org/elementor-landing-page-9598/ Thank you for your understanding as we work to keep our volunteers and partners safe in difficult circumstances.

Ukraine 🇺🇦 Since the beginning of the project in Ukraine, we’ve been assessing the crisis to ensure that the resources go where they are needed and don’t cause a secondary economic crisis by making the communities dependent on aid. In late August and September, it became clear that we need to change our operations. The front lines are becoming more defined and aren’t moving much, which means that there are fewer civilians in those areas. They eventually evacuate, or end up as casualties from the constant bombing. The places that are more easily accessible are stabilized and have a steady stream of aid, or are not depending on incoming aid anymore. Taking all of this into consideration, we’re pausing the work in Ukraine for the winter. We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and be ready to engage if the need arises. Meanwhile, the remaining work is being continued by our trusted military chaplain Leonid. We will continue to provide resources for him to carry it out and when spring arrives, re-assess the situation to make the best decision moving forward. Thank for you for your support to the Ukrainian civilians caught in middle of the war. We ask for your prayers as we monitor the situation and consider how funding is spent in the future. #Ukraine #UkraineWar #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #HumanitarianCrisis #Hope #PCCR

Our staff team is growing! Meet Trevor Kilmer, our new US Response Director. “I grew up in Missouri but currently live in Pennsylvania. I have served as a volunteer with PCCR in Haiti and Ukraine and I’ve learned a lot along the way. When I’m not traveling I enjoy spending time with friends and family, riding dirt bikes and editing videos. I’m thankful to be a part of the PCCR staff, and I look forward to working with the volunteers in the field.” We are happy to have him with us! #CrisisResponse #InternationalCrisisResponse #USDisasterResponse #HumanitarianAid #hope #PCCR

Ukraine 🇺🇦 A mother and her daughter, living in a small town too close to danger. They spend most of their time together in a deep dark basement that is crammed at max 6 people. I have seen them twice now, about five months apart. The first time was just like the last, we went to their secluded home, and brought a few essentials on our last stop of the day. The daughter greets us with so much kindness that shows the love she continues to hold in her heart, despite her surroundings. We look at the destruction that has occurred right outside their place of rest, and question why they choose to stay? “It’s their home, where would they go?” They only have each other and the neighbors that also choose this way of life. My heart hurts thinking of their decision, but not as much as it throbs when we walk downstairs into the dark basement. There we find the mother of this brave woman, who has been bedridden for quite some time. Chaplain Leonid comes to the right of her bedside and takes hold of her hand and reads her scripture. A picture-perfect scene, as he had done months before. He shares the gospel with her for a second time, she seems more open to it, there is laughter, and sadness as he tries to convince them to leave. Tears run down my face as I try to say goodbye, perhaps forever, to this old woman who reminds me of my mother, who laid in a hospital bed a few months before. Her daughter grabs my hand, and we share a moment of understanding for each other, it’s almost as if she knows what I’m thinking. Even if the language barrier wasn’t present, we didn’t need words to express our hearts. Saying goodbye is a hard thing, I just pray they choose the truth of Jesus and everything he offers so I can say hello again to my new friends, in a much better place. #Ukraine #UkraineWar #InternationalCrisisResponse #HumanitarianAid #HumanitarianCrisis #Hope #PCCR