DERUYTER --
When news of an earthquake on Haiti came out, Kristy Springer and her family turned on the TV and hoped for news about their mother, Linda Springer, and two other missionaries from the Madison County Village of Deruyter. The three were in Haiti for a missionary trip and had arrived just hours before the quake shook the island nation.
There was no news for the first few days but Kristy finally heard from her mother just as she was getting ready for bed on Wednesday night.
"About 1:49, my phone went off and I picked it up and it was a text message from my mom," said Kristy Springer.
The message was just three simple words. "We are OK" but it was everything that Kristy and her family had hoped to hear. Her mother didn't have phone service but she was able to text. She told them the missionaries were unhurt even if the village they were staying in was destroyed.
"They're sleeping in the streets on mattresses, they don't have shelter," said Kristy Springer
After the initial relief, Kristy learned that her mother has the only working phone in the missionary group. Since rescue efforts hadn't made it to them yet, family in Deruyter were their only source of information
"We've been trying to be on the computer, watch the news, find out any information we can to pass along to them that might help," said Kristy Springer.
Linda was also using her cell phone to text families from Florida to Maine and let them know the missionary group was OK.
"We've never been so glad we taught her how to text a couple years ago," said Kristy Springer.
Kristy says her mother is concerned about the injured Haitians and that her village is running out of medical supplies.
"They're surrounded by death and it's hard to see it and know there's nothing you can do to help them. They're frightened and sleeping in the streets and there's nothing we can do here."
The phone service briefly opened up and Kristy was finally able to have a brief phone conversation with her mom Thursday morning. It's still unclear if it will be days or weeks before Linda Springer and the other missionaries can come home to Central New York.
Kristy's sister will be hosting a fundraiser at her restaurant "Kalzonies" at 207 E. Jefferson Street in Syracuse on Saturday. All proceeds from 5 to 9pm will go to her mother's missionary group.
