Caleb Thompson and Andrew Pratt are native Long Lakers, both 29 years old; they attended Long Lake CS and respectively attended Binghamton University and the West Point Military Academy. Andy served six years as an officer in the army, including two tours in Iraq as a Tank Platoon Leader and six months as a supply officer. During the latter assignment, Andy was responsible for coordinating the movement of a large amount of equipment and supplies onto ocean vessels for transport from Kuwait to Germany. Caleb currently owns his own construction business and has a professional background in the field, having trained for four years under a Master Builder in Washington State. He has been on three missions’ trips in the past three years, including one to the La Gonave Base this past November.
Andy and Caleb have been lifelong friends and have backpacked over 25 countries together in their adult life. They hunt, camp and have collectively spent months in the Caribbean on various trips. They are critical thinkers who understand the gravity of the situation and environment they are about to enter into, and are well prepared to meet the challenges they will face there.
The day of the Haiti earthquake they felt led to find a practical means to bring relief to the suffering there. The Long Lake Wesleyan Church has been supporting a mission led by Pastor Dan Irvine on the island of La Gonave. During his November trip, Caleb established personal communication with the members of the base there, and contacted Pastor Irvine after the earthquake. Dan confirmed that his need was great and the details of the situation highlighted that the need for urgency was even greater than the news media indicated. Andy and Caleb have been in constant contact with shipping companies and currently have a shipper and bulk food supplier standing by to act immediately upon on a phone call and receipt of payment. The Wesleyan District, Pastor Paul James and Skip Trembley, were highly responsive and provided solid leadership and a concerted fundraising effort. Upon receiving the go-ahead from the Church, Andy and Caleb will schedule the shipment, head to Florida to facilitate it, ride that same boat to St. Marc and help Pastor Dan get the contents to his base. Christopher Thompson, Caleb's Father, has been working alongside Caleb and Andy throughout, and will serve as the communications link between this effort in Haiti and our support base back here.
Ships from Miami will leave on the 26th and 28th and the plan is in place and ready to be executed. There is no reason why 45,000 pounds of much needed food cannot be in La Gonave by early February if funding is met by this Sunday.
Where is our help going?
