Haiti Missions

Friday, May 4, 2012

We left Petit Goave this morning and headed back to Port-au-Prince.  It is a beautiful, although exciting, drive.  We have discovered that the horn is the most essential part of a Haitian car, so if it works you are good to go.  Apparently each type of honk has a different meaning that everyone seems to  understand.

This was our cultural day, so we took time to do some sightseeing and learn more about Haiti.  We drove past the Presidential Palace, which is still in collapse from the earthquake.   Next we went through The Muse du Pantheon National Museum (a museum of Haitian history).  This country has such a fascinating past.  We learned about their history with Spain and France, of slavery, and eras of kings and queens (in the 1800′s one king bankrupted the country by paying $50,000 for two crowns.  The king’s crown is on display at the museum; the queen’s crown was stolen by the French.)  One of our favorite displays was the anchor from the Santa Maria when Columbus was shipwrecked on this island.  Another interesting fact is that dogs were brought to Haiti by the Spanish and used in attacks.  Haitians to this day do not think fondly of dogs, which explains why you see so many on the streets, but few of them are pets.

Lunch was at the Epi-Dour…our first air-conditioning in a week!  Many of us ordered a  cheeseburger and french fries, and some even had ice cream for dessert.  Finally, we took a drive to The Overlook, a spot on a mountain where you can see the ocean and the city of Port-au-Prince below.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

Now, we are relaxing before dinner.  Tomorrow morning we will be heading home,  It has been a remarkable week full of memories that will surely last a lifetime.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Today was the last day of work on our mission projects in Petit Goave.  Tomorrow we head back to Port-au-Prince.  Our week, by the numbers:

324 flouride treatments for the students

160 man hours of construction at the Brakeman School

58 pastors and lay leaders in attendance at CHE training

9 team members

2 interpreters

1 unforgetable week

I (Kathy) asked each team member to give a final thought about the week.  Here’s what they had to say:

Jan: The people of Haiti are a gracious and giving people and it’s been a joy and a privelege to share time with them.  Going on a mission trp changes me.  And if I go back changed, then perhaps I can change someone else.

Mary Beth:  I was taken by the CHE participants’ passion, enthusiasm and dedicatation to improving the lives of those in their communities.  One participant said: “We thank you for the enormous thing that you are propogating in the country because it’s something that has a lot of value for the community.  We don’t have the words to thank the trainers.” Lucson and Elizabeth (CHE trainers) were amazing.

Kris:   I am once again struck by the pride, optimism, spirit, and joy of the Haitian people.  We were blessed to make many new connections and friendships.  Patrick, one of our interpreters, worked alongside our construction crew, swinging buckets of concrete and hauling cinderbloacks.  Kathia, one of the teenage students at Brakeman with a beautiful smile and an exuberant personality, met up with me several times each day and we would talk in English and Spanish. These are just two of the many people I will keeMp in my heart after I leave Haiti.

Kathy:  The whole experience in Petit Goave was awesome.  One of my favorite experiences happened today.  The CHE participants were singing prior to the training today and I recognized the song as “This is My Story.”  So as they sang in Creole, I started singing along in English.    I love being reminded that no matter what our background or country, we all praise God and love our God in the same way.

Todd (our Team Leader):  My highlights:  Terrific fellowship with a great team.  Great progress on the construction project. Long-term impact of the dental flouride project.  Nightly devotionals that helped broaden my perspective.  Many of us have jobs where the tasks of the day seem far removed from the results of those tasks.  To be working at the school while it was in session, to see those smilings faces, and to know that our work would have a direct impact on their lives and the lives of future students was such a meaningful feeling.  It was immediate gratification of the very best kind because of those kids.

Craig:  My initial reaction was sensory overload.  The smells, the congestion, the landscape, the trash, the destruction, the poverty, the dogs, pigs and goats running wild made me ask why am I here?  Then afer the first day walking back and forth to the school,it was clear.  It’s the people  the kids smiles, the workers friendliness, the translators becoming close friends.  We are here for the people.

Rudy:  It was another great trip spent with the people of Petit Goave, Haiti.  I believe we are moving forward in building our relationships with the community & the Methodist church in Haiti.  It was once again awesome to see how this experience has changed the perspective of those who went on the trip & especially those going for the first time.  There are so many things that create the mission experience…some of which can be explained & some that cannot.  Some of us came on the trip not knowing another person & came home with a team of friends.  That is what this experience does.  If you are reading this blog & have not been on a mission trip, you are really missing out.  It is an experience that cannot be duplicated.  We are blessed once again for our efforts to serve God with our hands & feet.

Rudy Sr.:  This was an incredible experience!  Each member of our team inspired me in his or her unique way…to be a better Christian, a better missionary, and a better person.  And to serve the Lord outside of my comfort zone.  I have been challenged to do more and I am confident the Lord will provide me the necessary strength.

Kevin:  This is the second time in Haiti for me.  I fell in love with the Haitians last year and promised I’d return.  It was an easy promise to keep.  The future for Haiti lies in the hands and hearts of the Haitian children.  from the children I have seen at the school, in the streets and at church, it is clear to me Haiti has a bright future.  The children are filled with excitement, wonder and hope…the essential elements for a renewed nation.

And our two CHE trainers had thoughts to share as well:

Lucoson – (CHE trainer; Haiti resident):  Thank you for all the support you give Haiti.  In the way that I see, the people are interested in taking the CHE training which is a tool to change peoples’ lives in the community and especially people in the church for holistic development, fully complete without missing a part.  I will continue to put myself at your disposition to give everything that I know as a trainer so I can help you put a program on its feet.  God bless you.

Elizabeth – (CHE trainer; United States resident: full-time missionary in Haiti):  It was a pleasure and a privilege to be with you and your team this week.  The vision seminar was truly a great experience – the participants were so engaged and interested and lively with a huge desire to learn and serve through communities.  Thank you for making this possible!

Tuesday, May 2, 2012

What a great day we had in Peit Goave.  After a night of rain & thunder, the morning light made way to sunshine.  We got up a bit earlier today so we could be at the Brakeman school prior to the start of the school day.  We arrived in time to see the students in their yellow shirts & grey skirts/pants line up to sing, pray & raise the Haitian flag.  Some of the team had the experience to witness this the other day and suggested that it was a ‘must see’.  It was amazing as the young voices filled the school yard as they do every morning.

Following the raising of the flag, we prepared to conduct teeth sealant treatment on the younger students under 12.  The process started with the comedy team of Kevin, Kathy & our translator Patrick going in the classroom with a large tooth brush & large teeth to demonstrate how to properly brush teeth.  The children were all eyes as Kevin moved about the room.  The team also spoke about sugar consumption and showed how much sugar they would consume if they drank a 500ml (almost 16oz) regular Coke each day.  Once the classroom training was complete the students filed single file in groups of 5 to the rest of us in the courtyard where we would apply the teeth sealant.  We learned basic Creole phrases like “tilt your head back” so we could reach the upper molars.  The children were adorable….even the criers who were scared to death what the ‘blancs’ were going to do to them.  I think Rudy Sr. had the most criers so we asked what he was doing to them!    At one point during the training in one classroom, Rudy Sr. headed in to the kindergarten classroom connected to the training classroom and ran around the tables ‘fist bumping’ each of the kids as they howled with laughter.  As I took in this experience, I thought of the song “Take me in to the beautiful” by Cloverton.  Take a listen on Youtube if you have not heard it.

The condition of the students teeth varied considerably.  There were mouths with no apparent problem areas to students with huge decay.  We did what we could to slow decay in those troubled teeth.  We ended up treating about 200 students today.

Following the treatment, the construction team headed to the site above the school yard to start work with our Haitian counterparts who were already at work.  Progress has been moving quickly since Monday.  Additional rebar supports were erected for the walls.  The team worked extra this afternoon until almost 5pm as they were in a critical phase of starting to mix & pour concrete for the supports.  This involves hauling water, cement material, sand, etc. in buckets to the 2nd floor where it is mixed on the ground.  Wood 2×4 supports were attached to the rebar to hold in the cement until it cures.  The team returned to the guest house very motivated & happy with the progress of the project.  We dream of the day that these classrooms will be used as a computer lab.  The July team from Resurrection is targeting erecting the wireless internet mast & cables into the new structure.  The school will be one of the few at that time in Haiti to have access to the internet & the world.  As an example, we had a discussion with one of our interpretors last night about what happened on 9/11.  A somber discussion but one from someone who really did not know.  Maybe that was a good thing??  But it shows how information is critical to knowledge about the world.

I (Rudy) had the opportunity to go to the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) training this morning.  The group had grown from 30 something yesterday to 58 attendees.  The word has gotten out in the community about the program and the interest is growing.  Even with the training being conducted in Creole, the use of our translator proved excellent as we were able to keep up with the discussion.  Some of the morning focused on defining “community” and how they worked together and the afternoon sessions touched on community health.  One example given to the attendees was the purification of water.  With Cholera being a returning problem this spring, simply taking a clear soda bottle, filling it with unfiltered water & placing it on the roof of their house in the sunlight for the entire day will kill all of the bacteria & make it safe to drink.  This program will train people to be health advocates for their community & will conduct programs, conduct house visits & help improve the health life of community individuals.

I had a chance to speak with Pastor Christian who leads the Petit Goave League of Pastors & he was extremely pleased with the conference and has already indicated the community will support advanced training in the coming months.  This is a critical step in creating a sustainable program that will eventually not be run by foreigners but by the Haitians themselves.  As we continue to select future projects in Haiti, we look for those sustainable efforts that give a ‘hand-up’ but not a ‘hand-out’.  It is critical to the future of Haiti.

Following the CHE seminar, the CHE team went for a quick driving tour of downtown Petit Goave.  One of the stops was the PG eye clinic.  One of our translators, Jean Claude (who was actually a translator for my team in May 2010), was buried alive while serving in the eye clinic translating for some American nurses.  He was buried for several hours but managed to free an arm and stick it up out of the rubble.  Once he was dug out, he immediately went to a local U.N. base and told them Americans were buried in the building which help focus a search effort to get them out.  Unfortunately, both nurses passed away from their injuries enroute to Miami.  This was only his second time visiting the site since the earthquake in 2010.  Right next to the building that collapsed is a building used for eye surgery.  We were able get access to tour the clinic which has not been used since the earthquake.  The building is still standing however it was interesting as it is a place where time stopped.  The rooms have been left just as it was when the earthquake struck.  There was paperwork on the desks, syringes on the tray tables and other open meds tools used for procedures.  It was interesting & eery.  There are other buildings still be used on the property & the plan is to rebuild this clinic & reopen.

Tomorrow is the final day of the CHE training and we believe will be a great day of progress on the job site.  As I sit here typing at 6:30pm ET, I hear the sounds of children playing, motorcycles humming, roosters crowing, dishes being washed & Creole being spoken.  Mary Beth & the rest of the team shares the table with me as they are writing thank you notes in Creole to each attendee of the CHE training.  It is a note of encouragement & thank them for their time & dedication & our hope for them & the future training.

As with other teams I have been on, this team is awesome!  As Craig (his first mission trip) stated, “It is amazing that so many successful people of all backgrounds can humbly come together and serve without conflict in a way of selflessness”.  I cannot say enough about this awesome team.

Thank you for your thoughts & prayers for us as we serve in Haiti.  We are blessed with this opportunity to step out of the boat into the deep water.

Blessings to you from the team in Haiti.

Rudy, Mary Beth, Kathy, Rudy Sr., Craig, Kevin, Jan, Kris & Todd

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

In Haiti, it is Labor and Agricultural Day  — a national holiday — which meant the kids were out of school.  However, the construction team continued work at Brakeman.  This morning we worked on the first floor classroom of the auditorium, clearing out the dirt, rock and concrete still there from when the support pillars were built for the second floor.   We got into a groove with a bucket brigade, and had five buckets going at once.  Great teamwork!  In the afternoon, we continued work on the second floor.

The construction project provides employment for local Haitian workers.  Today’s quote of the day comes from the foreman who thanked our team saying “You help our project but you also help our bellies.”  It feels good to do the physical work here, but it feels amazing to know that we are helping the Haitian workers feed their families.

Other members of our team attended the first day of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training.  CHE is a ministry based on Jesus’ Great Commission.  CHE is designed be sustainable by sharing the gospel, teaching disease prevention and promoting healthy living – spirtually, physicially, emotionally and socially.  35 pastors and lay leaders from communities near Petit Goave attended today’s training, and more will join us tomorrow.  It was a spirit-filled group!  The training will continue through Thursday.

Finally, we want to recongize our two interpreters who have traveled with us this week — Patrick and Jean Claude.  Both are remarkable young men who have become valued members of our team.  We rely heavily on them and are thankful for their translation skills, insight and patience.

It is raining now as we say Bon Nwit!  (Good Night!)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Today our construction team members worked at Brakeman School, sifting gravel from sand and carrying 250 cinder blocks up steep stairs to the second floor of the auditorium.  Which brings us to our quote of the day by one of the men:  “By the end of this trip I’m going to have buns of steel!”  It was a joy working alongside other Haitians as we begin building this space which will eventually become a computer lab.

Other team members provided dental education to several classrooms of children, ages 8 to 12.  This involved a very large pair of plastic teeth, a very large toothbrush and 122 beautiful smiles.  With a bag of rice, we showed the children how much sugar they would consume drinking one bottle of coke a day.  We then applied flouride treatments to the children’s teeth.    Many of them have great teeth, but some were full of cavities and we were sad to know the pain this may be causing them now or down the road.  We will do more flouride treatments on Wednesday morning.

Tonight’s devotional was based on a line from the Covenant Prayer:  “Put me to doing; put me to suffering.”  We had a great discussion about personal suffering vs. suffering for others.  We suffered (mildly) in the heat, but that passed quickly and was easy compared to the suffering we see others going through here.  We hope during this week we are able to make life better for our friends here.

Favorite memory of the day:  Seeing the children in the schoolyard this morning – lined up shortest to tallest – singing and pledging allegience to the Haitian flag as it was raised.  We will make sure we arrive early enough tomorrow to be a part of that again.

Tomorrow, construction will continue and some members of our team will be a part of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training.  More on that later.

Good night from Haiti!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The team was up early again today for the drive to Petit Goave, where we will be staying at Pastor Maude’s house until Friday.   We worshiped this morning at the Methodist Church and heard a beautiful version of Chris Tomlin’s “Here I am to Worship” in French.  It’s awesome how songs transcend borders. President Paul extended a warm welcome, and Todd, our Team Leader gave an eloquent greeting from the Church of the Resurrection.

After lunch we took a walk to the beach and past the Brakeman school where the construction team will begin work tomorrow.  During the walk, Kevin provided our Quote of the Day:  “Don’t follow me; I may be going the wrong way.”  (He was).

Wonder what meals are like in Haiti?  At lunch we had a very “American” meal of pizza and sodas and tonight we had a delicious Haitian meal of rice and beans, fried okra and plantains, lasagna, chicken and cake.   We will be well-fed this week!

Tonight we are worshiping with COR online as Molly Simpson preaches from the Leawood campus.  As Pastor Adam would say…How cool is that??

Favorite memory from Craig:  On our walk, we saw a man with his son (we estimated him to be about 7) outside of their home.  The father had a book in his hand and was instructing his son who was writing on a broken blackboard.  ”In an area where people are living in tents, it was incredible that this was important to the father.  When we asked, the father declined to have his son’s picture taken.  He saw his son’s education as his responsibility and didn’t think he was doing anything special.  My parents, who were educators for 30 years would love that scene.”

April Haiti Team – Todd, Mary Beth, Kevin, Rudy, Rudy Sr., Jan, Craig, Chris and Kathy

Bonswa from Haiti!

We have arrived safely at the Methodist Guest House in Petionville.  Since many of us have been up since 3:00 a.m. we are a sleepy group and will likely call it an early night.

Many of us have been to Haiti before and were struck by the progress that has been made.  Much of the rubble has been removed and new buildings constructed in their place.  We saw kids playing soccer and basketball, and it seemed that there is some normalcy returning.  Although there is still much to be done, it made us feel hopeful for the future of the Hatians.

Tomorrow morning we will drive to Petit Goave, attend worship, and prepare for our week ahead.

Please remember us — and those we will serve alongside this week — in your prayers.

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(first picture by Shari; all others by Jay)

Welcome to Haïti, indeed.

Relative quiet of l’Église Méthodiste d’Haïti compound in Petit-Goâve; mostly bird calls, some faint traffic noise: 111209_005

Traffic and pedestrians in downtown Port-au-Prince, near the Champ-de-Mars: 111209_012

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Boisterous students at College Bird in Port-au-Prince: 111209_020

Letting the photos tell our story. Uploading as time and bandwith permit. First batch is from Sheri.

(photos by Sheri)

View southwest from upper floor of bibliothèque; prototype Homes for Haiti house used as storage building is on right.

Boss Serge spreading mortar on upper floor of bibliothèque.

Doug and Boss Serge doing masonry work on upper floor of bibliothèque.

Rowing on Canal de Sud, with Île de la Gonâve in background.

Barb dancing, much to Cherelinda's amusement.

Haiti and US workers posing on upper floor of bibliothèque. L-R: Shari, Boss Serge, Carol, Kathleen, Jay, Ann, Samantha, Barb, Doug, Cherelinda, Marc-Anny, Samuel.

Boss Serge and Samantha.

Scaffolding inside bibliothèque.

Chickens at worksite.

(photos by Kathleen)

Artwork inside gazebo at public park in downtown Petit-Goâve.

East side of Pastor Maude's manse in early morning.

Barb explaining where we came from to primary school class at College Brakeman.

Carol with primary school students at College Brakeman.

Fresh-caught fish at the beach in Petit-Goâve.

(photos by Barb)

Students walking home from school in Petit-Goâve.

View westward across Baie de Petit-Goâve; elevation of headland is > 400 m.

Fishing on Canal de Sud.

Boat on Canal de Sud.

Boats in Baie de Petit-Goâve.

Samuel's family posing on upper floor of bibliothèque.

(photos by Jay)

Primary school student at College Brakeman, in uniform.

Doug bending wire for concrete reinforcement at worksite.

Boss Serge and Samuel working inside bibliothèque.

Learning to play frisbee, with Barb instructing.

Frisbee became popular very quickly.