Haiti 2014 Postlude and Raising Funds for 2015

It has been almost a year since I last visited Haiti. What follows is some thoughts I wrote about last years trip as I traveled home. But, before I get to that I have a request.

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 Church
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.)

Thank you.
David

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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.

Early Morning, A Flat Tire, and Mountains Beyond Mountains

Catch Up

It has been a while since I have updated this blog. I still have a few entries left from last years trip (including the one below) that I will transcribe over the next couple of weeks. As many of you know I have been making an annual trip to Haiti for the last 5 to 6 years. What many of you may not be aware of is that while I am not in Haiti I continue to communicate with my Haitian brothers and sisters.

Additionally, thanks to some generous donors, it has been possible to provide some support to the Easy English Club as well as help out an individual. For the Easy English Club, it was possible to provide them with a tablet. This tablet was made in Haiti so it helped support a Haitian owned business and the idea was to enable the club to rent it out to club members in the hopes that it would generate some level or revenue (however small) for the club.

As I begin to prepare for my next trip in Haiti in April / March of next year I will soon be sending out requests for financial support for the trip. If you are able, please support this trip, in any amount, so that I am able to continue to provide what little aid I am able with our Haitian family and let them now they are not forgotten.

Early Morning, a Flat Time, and Mountains Beyond Mountains

(transcribed from an entry written April 8th 2014)

My flight out of Port-au-Prince was at 9AM. This meant that the plan was to leave the United Christian International (UCI) site at 3:30AM as it a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive to the airport in Port-au-Prince. It is better to have extra time than not. So it was early to bed, which meant I was unable to say a proper goodbye to everyone. I was, however, gifted with a mission trip t-shirt from the Canadian group complete will a maple leaf. I will wear it proudly.

Sleep was not easy. I often get anxious before travel and the coming day meant travel on roads in the dark that are barely passable, in places, in the light of day. I was originally meant to be driven by Alfred, but was informed that plans had changed as Alfred had to drive his sister to the hospital and she was not doing well. Please pray for Alfred's sister, Alfred, and their family.

I had set my alarm for 3AM, packed everything in one bag, and then was off to sleep. By 2:45AM I figured it wasn't worth the charade any more, so I quietly got dressed and headed out to the common room to wait. I figured that getting ready would chew up enough time that it would soon be time to go ... nope, only took 10 minutes ... drat.

The common room quite dark and my flashlight had gone missing the previous week so all I had was my iPhone in flashlight mode and anyone with an iPhone understands how quickly that chews up battery. As I had a long day ahead and was concerned about battery I sat quietly in the dark listening to the night.

30 minutes can seem like a long time sitting in the early morning dark when you are prepared and ready to travel. It was also hot in the common room, so I wondered outside to where it was cooler, but still quite dark.

Turns out that a very dark outside Haiti, in an unfamiliar place can be a little scary. Where those dogs I saw running between the trees or something else? They really looked like bobcats? Does Haiti have bobcats? Someone said Haiti has only non-poisonous snakes. Was that a mango falling? Stop! Wow, the starts are really quite amazing. Drat, it is only 3:05. Back into the common room and the protection of the screen door. (This outside then inside process was repeated several times).

3:30, no sign of anyone.

4:00, still nothing, starting to get that anxious traveller feeling. Trying to remember that it is "island time", God is in control, and it will all work out. Quick prayer. Calm.

Somewhere between 4:00 and 4:30 Jean Jean came out and let me know that Alfred was just about here and there is plenty of time. Alfred? I hope his sister is OK. Felt a little bit guilty for taking him away from his family. Quick prayer. Calm.

A quick goodbye to Jean Jean and Kristie (hope they went back to sleep) and we were off. To be honest, I felt better with Alfred because I had been told that he is the beast and on a dark, sketchy road you want the best.

The drive, while bumpy, went fine and true enough Alfred seemed to know the location of every pot hole, mud hole, rock and how to avoid them. Way to go Alfred!

I was surprised how many people, animals, and spools of cable (NatCom) were on the road at this hour. The people stayed on the side of the road, the goats and dogs moved out of the way. The spools of cable pretty much stayed put in the middle of the road, but Alfred expertly maneuvered around them.

We cleared the river (yes we had to drive through a river) and miles of dirt road in record time and were finally on the paved portion of the road. Nothing could stop us now and I would surely make the flight with ease.

Pop! Psst!

A shared look, an uh-oh, and we pulled to the side. I quickly asked "Got a space?" Alfred indicated he did and we hopped out to change the blown tire. About 30 minutes into the 3.5 hour drive and now we had to go the rest of the way with no spare.

Got it God. Depend on you. You have control. Quick prayer, an inside laugh, "got to love Haiti", and calm.

The rest of the trip to the airport when without incident although my iPhone battery was now about 50% as I used it as a flashlight as we, well as Alfred, changed the tire.

Alfred pulled into the airport a quick "non, mercy" to the guy who wanted to carry my one bag 10 feet for a tip. A quick "mercy" and "au revoir" to Alfred and I was off.

Through ticketing, immigration, first security check point, upstairs, second security check point, sit. Still almost an hour before boarding ... drat ... coffee.

Mountains Beyond Mountains

There was a book titled "Mountains Beyond Mountains" written about Paul Farmer and his work through Partners in Health. The phrase "mountains beyond mountains" is from, as I recall, an old Haitian saying and refers to the fact that there will always be more problems, so solve today's problems and don't be too frustrated when tomorrow's problems appear (sound familiar).

This phrase kept coming to my mind as we drove from Caimen to Port-au-Prince. First because physically there always seemed to be more mountains to cross before we could get to Port-au-Prince. Second, because I kept creating and becoming burdened by problems that really didn't exist if I would just rely on God and give God space to do what he does instead of keep thinking that I was in control. This is a persistent problem of mine and its root is pride.

God, thank you for Alfred, his skill, his humor, and his easy going style. Please watch over his family and especially his sister. Thank you for my time in Caimen, for Jean Jean, Kristie, Tona, and Kari. Thank you for the groups from Iowa and Canada. Please bless them all. Bless Kari as her birthday is Wednesday. May it be joyful and may it be in community. Thank you for safe travel and for bringing me back to my family. Forgive my pride. Amen.

University and Community Life In Caïman

The university at the United Christians International (UCI) site is quite beautiful and is a microcosm of university life any where in the world. A testament to how God is using JeanJean's and Kristie's ministry in Caïman, Haiti. The students attend classes, gather in groups to chat or study, eat, play, and relax. There are strict rules about male / female interactions. They are meant to stay separated unless they are in class or in a common area. This is to help the students comply with a no dating policy, that is based on Haitian culture and custom as well as helps students focus on studies which can often cost families a large percent of their income.

While walking the campus I had the opportunity to meet and talk with several students including "Middleson Peter". I am not sure that is how his name is actually spelled and I resisted asking him if he was actually the middle child. Middleson is studying agriculture and hopes to return to his home village of Heche when his education is complete so that he can start a farm on his family's land, teach his brothers what he has learned, and, of course, "be the boss".

I also met JeanJean's nephew, Fredenson, who is studying to become a pastor, as well as other students that were studying economics, biology, and chemistry. As I said, pretty much like any campus anywhere.

Once thing that struct me about JeanJean's and Kristie's ministry at UCI is the sense of community. There are no boundaries between them and everything that happens at UCI and in the surrounding village. It is not a "day job"; they are simply intertwined with and part of the community in Caïman.

Let me try to put that in context to ministry and mission in Port-au-Prince as well as short term missions trips. There are several medium and long term missionaries in Port-au-Prince that I have met. Some live in the hills above Port-au-Prince about 30 to 45 minutes by car from their primary mission site. They drive to the mission site in the morning, serve, and then drive home in the evening. This is by no means meant to imply they love those they serve less or their work is any less important or valuable. But, I do think that it means that they are not as tightly bound to the community in which they serve as they do not suffer along with those they serve when there are dangers in the night, food shortages, etc. I think this is an important distinction and I think this "returning to home" is a trait some medium and long term missionaries share with short term missionaries. They come to those they serve and then return to their place of safety. In contrast, JeanJean, Kristie, and their daughters (Tana and Kerri) are simply part of the community.

I take back my previous statement. To be brutally honest as I sit here and think about it, I do think JeanJean, Kristie, Tana, and Kerri are serving how God intended, "to become one with those you serve". To truly honor and understand the day to day, the night to night, the pain, the suffering, the shortages, the fear, the joys, the frustration, successes, and blessings.

God, thank you for JeanJean, Kristie, Tana, and Kerri. Please continue to guide them, care for them, protect them, and bless them so that they may continue to bless others. May they continue to shine the light of Christ in Caïman and beyond. Thank you and them for welcoming me to their home and returning me safely to mine. Amen.

Iowans, Canadians, and Networks ... Oh My

"Your from Canada? You can sing that Canada song for us then." That was the comment from one of the members of the mission team from Iowa. In response the Canadian team looked dumbfounded all pondering the same question, "the Canada song?". I suggested that perhaps what was meant was "Oh Canada", the Canadian national anthem. From there several comments followed including, "We only sing that at hockey games" and "Only if you sing that American song first".

All aside, there was lots of cross border jousting happening in Caïman; all in good fun. Including my gaff about the national symbol of Canada being the "oak" leaf. Followed by verbal stumbling, "I mean the maple leaf, or whatever". The Canadians didn't let me forget that for the rest of my time in Caïman. Each gave as good as they got and much laughter was had.

There were three groups at United Christians International (UCI) while I was there: a group of six from Iowa (with which I hitched a ride earlier from Port-au-Prince to Caïman), about 10 from Sardis British Columbia, and myself (a team of one).

The group form Iowa were doing Vacation Bible Schools at several locations, distributing food packages, distributing Bibles, and even purchased three goats which will be distributed to families with need (with a commitment that the first offspring be donated back for another family).

The group from Canada were doing construction, getting a well running, participating in youth groups, providing dental care to the university students, and distributing sports equipment and tools.

And there was me. I was still not quite sure why I was there, but welcomed and included by both the team from Iowa and Canada in extraordinary fashion. Both groups showed me the true spirit of Christ in action and prayer; for that I am extremely grateful.

Because I needed to head to bed early on the day I left Haiti, as I had to leave very early the next morning (think dark-thirty), I was not able to properly say goodbye to everyone from the Iowa and Canada teams. For that I apologize. If you are from one of those teams and you are reading this please take this as a grateful goodbye, thanks, and God bless your work and your travel. A special thanks to Zoli and Rod for the conversations and prayers.

Before I left Haiti I did find some practical work. The university at UCI has a computer lab which looked pretty much like it had been moth balled; mostly because, I think, it has no internet access. There are a group of people working to change this, so I was able to provide some on site recognizance.

The lab has about 30 to 40 desktop computers, some with ethernet cards, some with WIFI, an 8 port ethernet switch, a box for a WIFI access point (no actual device), a UPS (still in the box), and 200 AMPs worth of circuit breakers.  Using the UPS I was able to determine the the power to the university was 81 to 97 volts at about 57.4 Hz. You can see the lab in 360 degree here.

The university is meant to be getting a new internet connection from NatCOM. It looks like NatCOM has almost completed the cabling to the university. But, it seems to be terminated in the dirt and no one knows if or where it enters the building or if it is actually connected to any equipment. NatCOM was supposed to complete this installation the week before I arrived at UCI; this roughly translates in Haitian time to maybe some time the following week, or the week after, or the week after that.

I have to admit if felt good to have something practical to do. I don't believe this was the sole purpose God had me at UCI, but it was a small way to contribute.

The Other Side Of The Mountain (The Conversion)

The United Christians International mission in Caïman, Haiti is run by JeanJean and Kristie Mompremier. Kristie is from Iowa and married JeanJean who is from Caïman area. When we arrived in Caïman Kristie informed us that a local woman, who is a witch doctor, was ready to renounce witch craft (voodoo), accept Jesus Christ, and burn her voodoo artifacts.

At about 4pm we loaded the trucks and headed to the woman's village, which was not far away. UCI had started a nutrition center in this village. This is a center and program in which UCI provides meals for the children of the area. The nutrition center was an 8 posted structure with a corrugated metal roof and without walls. It was at this nutrition center that we were meant to meet the woman.

When we arrived we learned that the woman had gone to the market but would return shortly. We sat on the benches of the nutrition center, read some scripture, sang, and generally prepared for what was to come.

There were a couple of local women that JeanJean introduced. They were both x-witch doctors who had come to Jesus. The both gave their testimony, which were similar.

They came to be witch doctors after their husbands died. Their husbands were witch doctors and they sort of "took over" the business when they died. The spoke of the darkness of voodoo and how they had been paid to cast curses including curses that caused death.

They also spoke about the area and how voodoo once controlled the Caïman area. They stated that at one time it was not safe for a child to walk through this area alone as witch doctors would take them to "use" them, or parts of them, in voodoo rituals. They stated that since JeanJean had brought the love of Jesus to the area a light had come to remove the darkness.

Eventually the woman arrived. Her nick name was "Nanu" and her real name was "Amaz". The group circled around the woman with JeanJean and about 3 other local men from UCI directly next to Nanu. The group laid hands on Nanu and JeanJean began to pray over the woman and demand, in the name of Jesus, that the daemons leave.

About 5 minutes into the prayer Nanu let out a loud scream and started to physical fight against JeanJean and the others while the rest of us backed up a little. She tried to get away from JeanJean while shouting "Mwen pa vle!", which translates to "I don't want!". JeanJean continued to hold on to Nanu by the arm as she thrashed around and kicked. JeanJean called for someone to get his Bible and he began to read from Psalms.

After the reading from Psalms JeanJean began to call Nanu. At first she did not seem to respond and continued to fight, but eventually she calmed down and responded to her name. This was the signal to JeanJean that the demons had left her. JeanJean asked that she pray on her knees the confession prayer.

It was at this point that I happened to look at JeanJean's face and noticed that he was dripping in sweat. This caught my eye because during all my time in Haiti I have never really seen a Haitian sweat, let alone see them dripping in sweat; even when they are doing difficult construction work.

To be honest I am not quite sure what to make about what happened. I am naturally a skeptic and the whole situation was quite foreign to my north American context. In my context the spiritual battle between good and evil is relatively abstract compared to this experience.

After we got back to the UCI complex we did a bit of a de-brief. JeanJean said that this experience was typical, while some were more violent. This is when he walked through the experience describing what was taking place at each phase, the Creole, as well as what he was doing and for what signs he was looking.

JeanJean also gave us a bit of a Haitian education. He told how the Haitian revolution started at a voodoo ceremony in the north of Haiti and spread south. He spoke how this helped ingrain voodoo in the Haitian culture and psyche. He spoke how voodoo requires that to gain power it must be taken from someone else. It was quite interesting and allowed me to look at the situations I have seen in Haiti through a different lens.

As I sat pondering this experience back at UCI, I wondered why I felt God had called me to extend my trip to Caïman. I had no agenda at UCI; no plans. Was I sent there to experience this conversion? To see the spiritual battle manifested in the physical world? What should I have been learning? How should I be growing? I sat and listened. I tried to be open to God's voice and his urging.

The Other Side Of The Mountain (The Trip)

University at UCI

I left the Port-au-Prince guest house at about 9:40AM for the airport. Two members of the Hungarian Baptist Convention volunteered to drive me as the normal van and driver were being put to use taking the kids from the orphanage to the beach for the day. A beach day for the kids is something that Jonathan, the 22 year old missionary from Virginia, had wanted to do before he left. The ride was uneventful, but I was grateful for the ride and all the help the Hungarian team have given us this past week.

I was meant to travel to Caïman, an area just outside the town of Pignon; about 3.5 hours by car from the Port-au-Prince airport. I was hitching a ride with a mission team coming in from Iowa. This team was from the home town of Kristie, who married JeanJean and now they both serve the Caïman community. Again, very grateful for the ride.

This was the part of my trip for which I was the least prepared. I had very little money left and was traveling to a new location with people whom I had just met. And I was still not sure why God put it in my heart to visit this mission. I was anxious and nervous; but in complete dependence on God.

View on the way to UCI

The ride itself was long, uncomfortable, and without incident. What struck me was the change in Haiti as we climbed north of Port-au-Prince and up into the plateau region. The gray of the city unfolded into a lush green landscape of grasses, palms, trees, lakes, rivers, and life. There was breathtaking views that I had never imagined in Haiti. It was unexpected and caught me off guard. I was staring out the window in confusion and awe ... it was beautiful.

Agricultural Fields at UCI

After the paved road ended and just before the dirt road became un-passable we turned off and into the United Christians International (UCI) campus. At first glance the complex was very impressive and quite large. It houses a church, elementary school, university with male and female dormitories, and a village to house professors. Often professors live too far from the university so they must live separately from their families while they teach.

Elementary School at UCI

Time did not afford us a full tour of the complex, but on the shortened tour we saw the fields used for their agricultural program and the elementary school. What most impressed me about their elementary school is that all the teachers hold elementary education credentials. This is not something universal in Haiti and I would put forth it is actually rare for a school. Often teachers in schools have little to no training, let alone credentials.

The tour was cut short because there was a voodoo witch doctor that had decided to renounce voodoo and accept Jesus Christ. The plan was to pray over here and after she accepted Jesus Christ she was going to burn her voodoo artifacts. That story is for another entry.

Catching Up

I keep meaning to write about many things that have happened, but then life happens and I don't get to it. But if I don't get it done soon then it will just get harder. So hear goes:

• Last Saturday 3 of our group left for home; Brian, Jenna, Maureen. Each of these people had special gifts and they each made the construction week a joy:
• Brian - has the gift of giving pure joy to children and receiving the same joy in return without actually being aware he is doing it.
• Jenna - has the gift of sharing love and hope with children with special needs. 
• Maureen - has the gift of teaching and advancing education for the children
• Also last Saturday 5 new members of our group came to Haiti to participate in our medical mission trips.
• John - a physician with whom I have worked with in the past in Haiti.
• Rob - John's son and a medical person as well
• Sharon - yet another medical person who help education the young women she works with about themselves
• Julie - associate pastor and a wonder with children
• Liz - niece of Jonathan and Shantia and a medical person in her own right
• Last Sunday we visited Be Like Brit. This is the orphanage established by the parents of Britney, who was on a mission trip in Haiti when the earthquake hit in 2010 and was killed in the collapse of the Montana hotel. The Be Like Brit orphanage was quite impressive, both in terms of the physical building, but also in terms of their policies, practices, and goals. Just very impressive all around. Len and Sherylann, Britney's parents, gave us a tour of the orphanage and their love for the children and commitment to Haiti was obvious. Again, just very impressed.

Now I think we are basically caught up. Today was another medical clinic day. The site for the clinic was open which meant we had a nice breeze, but covered so we were in the shade. A rather nice place to hold the clinic if you could put out of your find the fact the huge and heavy heavy roof (picture a 50x50x3 foot concrete block) was being propped up on one side be floor jacks stretched to their limit and balanced on top of a pile of broken cinder blocks and a piece of rotting wood.

The clinic went well and we were able to see the baby that I wrote about a day ago. She is a live and a small bit better, but still not out of the woods. The mother's sister came today as well with in infant of her own that was about in the same shape and both completely covered with skin infections.

The doctors provided care and training to the mothers. We sent them home with some additional food, baby formula, and a 5 gallon jug of clean water (which cost only $7, but was more than the mothers could afford). Even this additional support doesn't guarantee the babies will survive, but it is what can be done. So please continue to pray.

I spent the day weighing people and managing crowd control. When that was under control I met "Trouble". Don't know his real name, but he was about 2 or 3 years old and tired of waiting, so he expressed this opinion by screaming and crying. I offered to take him from his father so he wasn't stuck in line and we ended up walking hand in hand for maybe an hour or so as the line progressed. I introduced him, as "Trouble", to the other members of our group and he seemed quite content. I guess I should mention he got his name not so much from the screaming, but from continuing to escape from his father and injecting himself between doctors and their patients. It did seem that people got some level of enjoyment watching as simply walk around, not sure why, but it was a good part to my day.