I am planning to travel to Haiti in March on a mission trip and in order to do that I need to raise funds to support that mission trip. I am planning to be in Port-au-Prince for two weeks, the first week working construction and the second week working at medical clinics. The cost of this trip will be roughly about $3000, which covers travel, room, board; as well as monies to help purchase supplies, hire local translators, and provide transportation in country.
I would greatly appreciate it if you might consider helping support my continued work in Haiti with any amount you feel comfortable or through prayer if you are not able to support me financially. And I don't mean that second part lightly. Traveling to Haiti can still be tough emotionally on me, even in my 5th year. Smells, sounds, sights bring back a flood of memories from the previous years that are sometimes tough to relive. Prayer support, regardless of financial support is critical.
If you are able to help support my trip you can either send contributions directly to me (contact me and I will get you my address) or to the church with which I travel. Contributions are tax deductible. The address of the church is:
Union ChurchThank you.
C/O Jonathan Wright-Gray
P.O. Box 7028
Ocean Park, Maine 04063
(Please put "Haiti" and my name in the memo of the check.)
David
Postlude Haiti 2014
Written April 2014 on the way home from Haiti
Two and 1/2 weeks is a long time to be away from the family I love. It burdens my wife and my children. I can't thank them enough for allowing me this time every year to do mission work in Haiti.
I missed moments I can't get back. William coming in third in varsity long jump as a freshman. Christine's artwork for class and her humor. Chatting with Emily on Skype with the family while she continues classes in Virginia. Being there to help and support Aimee when she had a fender bender in the parking lot.
When I look back at this trip to Haiti, it is different than past trips. I learned many new things, but it feels that with each new fact I found a disappointment. For example, by visiting "Be Like Brit" orphanage (http://belikebrit.org/) I learned that orphanages in Haiti are meant to, by law, keep the children in touch with the community from which they came. Be like Brit does this through monthly visits back to the child's home village. As far as I can tell the other orphanages do not, at least none that I have visited. Community and family is important in the Haitian culture and this means that most of the orphans are being deprived of this; of knowing Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and in some cases parents and siblings. This is more troublesome when you think that it might be these connections that could help sustain them (physically and emotionally) when they are forced to leave the orphanage because of their age.
This pattern kept repeating itself for me on this trip and it saddens my heart and is discouraging.
Another discouragement this year seemed to be the continued lack of caring for one another. Directly after the earthquake this could be more easily explained as people were in survival mode, but it is now 4 years on and at a macro level this still exists. "It is important that I get ahead, even if I have to push others down". I saw this in the clinics as people would try to get ahead of each other even if it meant the other person might not get care. Most of the cases seen were not life or death. Most were skin rashes, colds, and common pains; solved by simple creams, vitamins, and tylenol. But people wanted these even if it meant someone with more need had to go without.
To be fair, this wasn't universal. I also saw great signs of love and care. I saw the translators we work with share their lunches with people waiting in line for clinics and even saving some of it to take home to their family. I saw people greeting each other; young helping the elderly. But it is still shocking how many are still in survival mode.
I learned that in voodoo to get power you must take it from someone else. I can't help wondering how this evil has shaped Haitian culture as it is so ingrained in some areas.
I don't mean to paint with such a broad brush. In retrospect it was likely a very small percent or even just a few individuals. But they stick in my mind and heart and sadden me.
I continue to pray through these thoughts. It is something I must work through. I pray that it does not harden me. I pray that it does not alter my relationship with Haiti. Amen.
