“When the devastating earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, native Daniella Sisson, married only a month to a Shreveport man, was awaiting papers to go through so she could join him here.

At the same time, three members of Shreveport’s First United Methodist were in Haiti to check on the welfare of children at an orphanage the church sponsors.

Shreveport friends and relatives of the four hope they’ll all make it out of Haiti, where about a third of the 9 million residents were impacted by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, leaving the impoverished country with possibly thousands — even perhaps 100,000 — dead and basic essentials nonexistent. U.S. military help is being readied, with a 2,000-member Marine unit on the way or leaving soon. A State Department official said there are reports of at least three American deaths in Haiti, but only 100 of the estimated 45,000 Americans living there had been able to verify they were OK.

The three Shreveport church members are going to try to leave Haiti today, said Mark Sorensen, husband of member Nycki Sorensen. Also on the trip with her are Hubert Debo and missionary Britney Winn. Mark Sorensen is director of college and young adult ministries and the the contemporary worship service at First United Methodist. He heard from his wife, a teacher at A.C. Steere Elementary, on Wednesday afternoon via a satellite phone that probably was borrowed. Previously, he had only received a text message about 5 p.m. Tuesday that the group was OK.”

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