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