Late Friday afternoon, Austinite Elizabeth Pang received an e-mail which she and dozens of others considered to be an answer to many prayers.
Pang finally heard from her parents who are doing missionary work in Haiti for the first time since an earthquake rocked the country to its foundation earlier this week.
"I have never understood joy in the midst of suffering, but now I do. The caring I have seen, the help we have received from the Haitians, the evening songs and prayers are wonderful," said Suzi Parker, in an e-mail sent to her children and her home church in Austin, The University Presbyterian Church, near U.T.
John Parker, 70, a civil engineer and his wife, 66-year old Suzi, a computer programmer, built a nursing school in Leogane, outside of Port au Prince, about six years ago.
The Austinites returned to Haiti in September, this time to take care of a guest house at a hospital.
"The hospital is still standing. John and I are fine. Administration collapsed under the guest house and our apartment collapsed under the story above," said Suzi Parker in her e-mail.
Suzi said her husband was stuck under rubble for four hours after the quake but only John suffered a cut on his head.
Like most of the 12,000 villagers in Leogane, the Parkers are now sleeping outside.
The greatest concern for the Parkers and their children back in the states is the fact that no help has reached Leogane and the situation is getting desperate.
"My friends can't imagine how I shouted down about twenty looters in the guest house. Righteous indignation works wonders as does a tiny bit of pushing people to get out", said Suzi Parker. "The injuries we have seen at the hospital are enormous. Skulls exposed. One woman died in the yard. Another woman's leg was cut vertically to the bone with muscles showing", added Mrs. Parker.
The wife and grandmother wrapped up her e-mail by saying this: "The people will survive, though many will die. Please pray for us and pray that we in the hospital can be of help to the people here."
