Sunday, roofs, and puppies

This is the pastor of the church we visited on Sunday. You can’t tell from the picture, but he really is a nice person. 

He started the church in his house and as the church grew he added space. Finally the church grew so big that he moved out and is now renting a house for him and his three children. His wife passed from cancer about 5 years ago so he not only pastors the church but is also raising 3 tweens and teens. He takes no salary from the church so to pay the bills he works in a factory. 

After church we visited the down town area of Nueve Laredo and even stopped to get some ice cream at “the best ice cream shop in Nueve Laredo. I can’t remember the name of the shop, but even with out us the line was long. I had a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of queso frasa, strawberry and cheese. Not cheesecake, but cheese sort of like a strong cheese. Or was actually pretty good. 

Monday was a hard day of work with the sun bringing heat in the 90s. Even with much progress was made. All the walls are up and as you can see, some of the church rafters were raised as well. It has been quite amazing how fast the building have been coming together. 

To night I pray for the pastor and his family. May they soon have a home of their own. I continue to pray and be thankful for the many skilled hands that are guiding the work and for continued safety on the job site. Amen. 

Oh, and puppies. This a girl that lives I. A house that was built last year. Her mom works as a cook at the school. May God bless her and her family. Amen. 

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7 Walls Up

 

I am in Mexico as part of a 40 person team made up from churches from Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina. We have converged in Mexico to build a house for Edward, Jackie, and their two children. Edward and Jackie are both in ministry with Edward leading the church and Jackie focusing on children’s ministry. All four of them are currently sleeping in a single room at Jackie’s’ parent’s house. 

Today we stood up the four walls of their three bedroom house. It isn’t a large house but they are extremely grateful. 

Along with their house a church is being built and three of the four walls of the church were stood up today. There is still plenty of work to do as roofs are still needed as well as insulation and sheet rock. 

Tonight I pray for Edward and Jackie and the ministry in which they are about to embark. May God bless their ministry and journey. May His word spread with each day in the neighborhood in Nueve Laredo. May god protect them and their children as the walk forward in faith. 

I also think the Lord for the hard work and the safety he provided for the team. Amen. 

Good night as the sun begins to set in Nueve Laredo. 

To Mexico

It has been a while since I have posted to this blog as I have not been able to travel to Haiti for a while. This week I am off to Nueve Laredo, Mexico to help on a construction trip. The team is helping to build a home for a pastor and his family who are currently living with his wife’s parents. We are meant to meet up with another team who is building a church. Rumor has it that some of their team had to back out, so I suspect that there is plenty of work to get done. 

I have mixed feelings about this trip. While I am glad to be able to participate in this trip, it highlights the fact that I am not able to go to Haiti. I continue to have a love for the people and country of Haiti and miss being able to visit. Traveling to Mexico almost feels like an acknowledgement that I won’t be able to visit Haiti for a long while, if ever again; and that saddens me. 

This morning, I pray for the safety of my family while I am away and for the pastor and his family to which we are traveling. I pray for the people of Nuevo Laredo, their safety, and may they prosper. I pray for safe travels for our team and for many encounters blessed by the Holy Spirit. May God watch over all these and grant us His favor. Amen. 

Why no, I am not Haitian

Tomorrow is Flag Day in Haiti. This is a day to celebrate Haiti and Haitian culture. Music, dancing, parades, everyone dressed in red and blue, the whole works. By the looks of it the kids didn't really have class today. Instead they seemed to be preparing for tomorrow, practicing music and dances.

After watching the kids a while I figured it was time to walk around and purchase a small flag to join in the celebration. I headed down the street to an area where I knew there were many shopping stalls and figured someone would be selling the little flags that kids wave during parades. They were actually harder to find than I anticipated, but I found one, paid my 25 gourde and attached it to my back pack for the walk home. 

I have been many places where I would not be all that surprised if someone asked if I was a local, i.e., England, Canada, Scotland, etc., but I was shocked how many people asked if I was Haitian when they saw me walking with the flag. I am white (blan). Too be honest, it was likely about 5 and some of those were likely having fun at my expense (pa gen pwoblem), but there were a few that meant the question honestly. One even pulled out his national ID card asking if I had one. I was just shocked anyone would confuse me for a local. Besides the questions, I did get a lot of smiles, waves, and thumbs up. 

Haitians are proud of their country and proud to be Haitian. This is the same in most countries. Unfortunately, it can be said that some people in western countries look at countries, like Haiti, as if they shouldn't be proud. I think Haitians feels this deeply and I think that is partially why when they see a blan waving a Haitian flag or attempting to speak their language it makes them smile. I will have to let my Haitian friends verify if that thought has any truth in it. 

Haitians know that there are problems in their country and they strive everyday to work towards a better country, just as we in the United States know we have problems and strive every day to work toward a better United States of America. Please join me tomorrow in wishing any Haitian you know a happy Flag Day and if you have it, ware something red and blue so that you can tell people about Haiti, it's history, it's people, and it's culture when they ask. 

This afternoon I offer a prayer of thanks for the successful minor surgery my son underwent yesterday on his finger. I pray for a safe and joyous flag day tomorrow here in Haiti and for Haitians abroad. I pray that the children are able to travel outside the center tomorrow to be part of the celebration. Amen. 

Gunshots, Waiting, Dominos, and a Walk

There was a little bit of reminder last night that Port-au-Prince is not always safe. Sometime in the early morning hours five or six gun shots rang out. It sounded like a hand gun to me and closer than I would prefer, but I was never in real danger. It could have been someone protecting their property for all I know. I have never felt in any real danger here and I suspect the area in which I am is no less safe, and perhaps safer, than many places in the U.S. 

Yesterday, I did ask someone about the changes since the UN left. They said that areas actually have become less safe as now no one comes when there is trouble. I suspect if the UN would have worked harder to respect all Haitians that their mission might have been more accepted. It was and is a complicated relationship, no more so by the cases of abuse by the UN and the introduction of cholera without taking responsibility. 

The kids are in school for most of this week, which means I get to see them for a few minutes here and there as they are in class. After school they have their homework, study, and meal; none of which I want to interrupt. So the early evening is when I get to see them a bit more. But then the trick is to make sure that you keep things quiet. What all this means is that there is a lot of waiting on my part.

The kids get Friday off for Haitian Flag Day, which is a celebration of all things Haitian. Last year some of the kids were able to visit the celebration in the city center. It is unclear if they can go anywhere this year. I am hoping we can talk the correct people into it, so that the kids can have a fun day out. I wouldn't mind seeing the city center during the celebration. 

On my walk between the guest house and the school there seems to always be a game or two of dominos going. Generally, there are 4 guys per game and for a table they rest a square board across their knees. They are playing with a set that goes up to double 6s, so 28 tiles. They are not gambling so it is all in fun, but they play very quickly and there are penalties which will earn you a clothespin on your face, such as when you can't play. It also appears the loser of a round gets any clothespins from the others. It can be quite funny. The guys are nice and let me watch when I asked. We did buy some dominos for the older kids in the center, so maybe if I can get enough practice in I will be brave enough to join the game on the street. 

After seeing the kids at break this morning, I decided to take a walk around the area a bit. I generally stay on the roads with more foot traffic and shops and again, I always feel safe. I do get looks, but I suspect that is mostly because people see it as uncommon for a blan to be walking around looking at the shopping stalls and saying hello to people. The moto taxis always ask if I need a ride, I wonder if they think I am lost. People are nice and mostly just going about their day. Now and again someone will stop me to practice their English, which I find ironic as I would rather practice my Creole with them. So it ends up being a bit of an odd conversation with the Haitian speaking English and the American answering in broken Creole. These walks are one of my favorite things here in Haiti and my range is slowly expanding. Maybe sometime I will grab a moto taxi back to the school just for fun. 

One less happy thing I would like to add today. Corporal punishment is still widely used in Haitian schools. While I would prefer that it didn't exist here, I also understand this is a bit of a cultural issue. What I would like to see is a couple of changes in how it is carried out, such as two adults always present, one being a female, especially when punishment is being given to a girl. Also, a shift from the intent of the punishment to cause pain to an intent where pain is not the main objective. I realize this is not only an issue at schools, but in the home. Again, I am not against corporal punishment, but I do think it is practiced a bit too frequently and harshly in Haiti. Nothing like what I saw many years ago where the person giving the punishment was clearly out of control, but still I think there are methods between dong nothing and corporal punishment that should be leveraged. 

This afternoon I pray for those in Haiti suffering from violence. Those that need a safe place to sleep. I pray for safe travels for additional people that are arriving from the US today. I pray that the children may get the opportunity to leave the center and celebrate their heritage and culture with the rest of the country and that the celebration will be safe and fun for all. Amen. 

Back in Haiti with Questions

I have been struggling to start my first posting from this year's trip to Haiti. There are a couple of reasons, I suppose, but I think the main reason revolves around the value to the children with my continued trips. I am not looking for sympathy or "you are doing good work" support messages, so please don't. I am not saying that I will stop my support of the work in Haiti nor am I saying I will stop supporting the mentor program. I am attempting to make a realistic evaluation if the monies spent on my trips could be better utilized in other ways. Are my annual trips the best use of God's provision for God's work in Haiti. 

I enjoy being in Haiti. I enjoy spending time with the kids, but I am acutely aware that it is local Haitians, like Pastor Ronel and Wilkens, who work with the children daily that affect the lives of the children most deeply. This is as it should be. The people that work daily with the children need our support, but it is less clear if they need our, my, presence on the ground. 

This has me wondering if it will be a while until I return to this island after this year. This island that was once the crown of the Caribbean and with God's grace can be again. 

One of the reasons I have returned to Haiti every year is because I have told the children I will be back before I leave. This may sound small, but these kids have a lot of one trip people in their lives and I have felt it is important to bring some constancy, particularly after the group with which I originally came decided to focus elsewhere. 

In the past couple of years I have seen this situation start to change as I have become more aware the General Baptist Association of Virginia (GBAV) have taken a more predominant role in the Source of Light Center and as the Now We Play group has started to come more frequently. So, I ask again, with these groups providing some constancy, what is the best use of the provisions God has given to aid these children?

As a concrete example, if I do not travel to Haiti the amount of money I would spend could be used to support additional hours for the mentors to work with the kids or even provide a bit of a raise for the mentors. Either of these options provide tangible benefits to both the children and the mentors. It is expensive to live in Port-au-Prince. 

This is all hard to think about and saddens my heart some, but in the end I must remember it is not about me, but about what is best for the kids and ultimately what is it that God wants. 

And so I wonder if part of the reason for this trip is to say goodbye to the kids.  Not forever, but perhaps for a little longer than usual. 

If anyone reading, assuming someone reads these things, has experience in short term mission work over multiple years, I would be grateful for any thoughts or words of wisdom. 

This afternoon I pray for the children as they get older that they mature into young men and women that will shape the future of Haiti. I pray for my wife and kids at home as they take on a burden and support me in my efforts in Haiti. I pray for the minor finger surgery my son will have this week while I am away. I pray for guidance and wisdom for my continued support of Haiti. Amen. 

Journals for the 13s

Today we finally made it to the stationary store, or rather we finally made it into the stationary store. Wilkens and I have been trying to get into this store for about three days. It has been closed for various reasons. Our purpose was to purchase journals for the older children, where older is defined as 13 years old or older. 

The idea is to have something special happen when a child turns 13 and this is just a small gift. They can use the journal for whatever they want, but we emphasized that it is theirs and that they don't have to share it or show others what they write in the journal. It is for their private thoughts. 

We handed them out this afternoon along with a pen. Also we gave the letters to and took pictures of those youth that were at camp when we previously distributed letters. I hope the youth understood the purpose.  I do know that right after we gave the children the journals a couple other children claimed they were 13 too. We showed them the records we have which includes their birth date. 

I don't think the children at the center are used to a situation where some children get something and some don't, but the reality is that in a family there are times when children get special gifts and attention, so I think this is a fair concept and one that the children can learn. It also gives the younger children something to look forward to when they turn 13, as the plan is to give the journals to them on their birthday. 

Around 3 o'clock today a group from the General Baptist Association of Virginia (GBAV) landed in PaP and I went with the Pastor and Wilkens to pick them up at the airport. This group is one of, if not the, biggest sponsor of the Centre Source de Lumiere. Among other things the group is visiting for board and planning meetings. I intend to participate as much as I am invited and am changing guest houses tomorrow so that it will be easier to have evening conversations after the day's work. I am not completely sure what they intend to do besides board meetings, but I am pretty sure I heard the words "ice cream party".

I am over halfway through my trip and so tonight I pray for my family. That all continues to go well in my absence and I pray a prayer of thanks giving for without their support my trip would not be possible. I also pray for the group from Virginia. I pray their work here is productive and that they accomplish all they wish and more.  Amen.

Shopping, Shampoo, Cellebration, and Club

The day started with a quick trip to the shops. We needed to get some medicated shampoo for the children as it looks like there is an outbreak of ringworm at the center. We didn't really find what we needed, but it was something with which to start. The quest continues for stronger medicated shampoo as well as oral meds to help eradicate this little problem.

We also stopped by the market to pick up some cake for the children. The older children returned today and it was time to celebrate the birthday of Jhon Jonas and Fedson.  More on that later. 

After we arrived back at the center and put the cakes in cold storage, I sat down with Wilkens, Stephanie, and Angela who are all working as mentors for the children. I wanted to get their thoughts on what worked and what needed to change as well as set expectations for the coming year. I thought it was a good and open conversation. I appreciated their suggestions and honesty. I think we have a good platform on which to launch the next year. 

More crayon and kid time as we waited until the afternoon to have cake with the kids. The older kids having just returned from camp were very tired and needed a bit of rest.  I made the mistake of accidentally leaving the books I brought as well as the book of coloring pages at the center last night. The reading books seemed to survive alright, the book of coloring pages less so. There were a few left that quickly were used, but now they are all gone.

I think my Creole is getting better. I am able to have longer and more detailed conversations with the children. Don't get me wrong, my Creole is still terrible and my pronunciation is atrocious, but we can communicate; although it is frequently interrupted as I look words up in my English to Creole dictionary. The children are very patient and speak slowly and will repeat things until I understand. Being able to interact this way with the children is such a blessing. And a special thanks to my sister in law who purchased the dictionary for me 3 years ago, most valuable thing I bring with me on my trips. 

Soon it was cake time. The children sang happy birthday to Jhon Jonas and Fedson and then had a piece of cake. Jhon Jonas was at the camp with the older kids and while there he participated in a football (soccer) tournament, his team won 2nd place and he scored a goal in the game. The team received medallions and I have to be sure to get a picture of Jhon Jonas with the medallion. Way to go Jhon. On a non-sport note, Jhon Jonas has grown into a nice young man.  He is polite, kind, and gracias. I am sure that God will work though him to do good things. 

After cake it was time to head to the Easy English Club, that I have spoken about before. Each meeting has three parts: spiritual, grammar or speaking, and cultural. We entered while they were in the spiritual part, having a discussion about if a Christian should listen to any type of music or not. The discussions that they have in the club are quite insightful. These young people have both sharp minds and wits. I truly enjoy the discussions in the club. I fulfilled the other parts in tonight's meeting as it was essentially ask David anything you want about the US. The questions were pointed and the discussion was good. The EEC is a good club and I encourage anyone who visits here to attend. 

The Pastor drove us to the EEC, which is at the site of the church, but we needed to leave before he was ready as I was already late for dinner at the guest house, so to the tap-tap we went. It takes two tap-taps to get from the church to the guest house. The first was uneventful, but the second made Wilkiens a little more nervous. The tap-tap was a fairly normal tap-tap physically, think 15 year old minivan with a side door that doesn't close. But because it was so crowded, I was in the way back and Wilkens was in the front. Wilkens is a good friend and guardian. He seems very nervous and asked me a couple times if I was ok. I responded with of course I am, but I think he still may have been a little nervous. I, on the other hand, struck up a conversation with the lady sitting next to me. It was a chance for me to practice my Creole and it turns out that she is learning English, so it was a chance for her to practice as well. All in all a very good, albeit hot, tap-tap ride. 

This post is already quite long, so I apologize, but I need to say a few more things. First, and I have said this before, it is hard to explain,  but I don't feel nervous when I am in Haiti about security. It is not that I don't know there are risks or that I even take risks, but I feel a since of peace here.  It started when I first came to Haiti, I just felt and continue to feel God's grace here and somehow don't worry about what could happen. Doesn't mean something bad won't happen, I am just not concerned about it. I know God will see me through it, good or bad. 

The second thing I want to write about was a question I was asked at the EEC tonight. Essentially the question was what can we, the US, do to help Haiti. The short answer is we can't do anything. The Haitians have to make Haiti what they want it to be. Clearly, we, in the other countries, can be better partners with Haiti in achieving these goals; such as hiring Haitian workers as opposed to brining in foreign labor and not dumping crops on the Haitian market and destroying local production. But, in the long run Haitians must change Haiti. This got me thinking, "if I believe it takes Haitians to change Haiti then why do I come here?"  The answer that came to me is that I come here to witness God's miracle transformation of Haiti. I can't cause this transformation, but it will be spectacular and who wouldn't want front row seats for that?

Tonight I prayer for Jhon Jonas and Fedson on their birthdays. I thank God for the young man Jhon Jonas continues to become.  I thank God for the men and women of th EEC and the goals for which they strive. I thank God and ask his continued grace on Wilkens, Stephainie, and Angela as they continue to help guide these children to independent adults.  Amen. 

Pictures and Letters

It is just a little after 5pm as I write this and already I can start to hear signs of carnaval. The main carnaval is not in Port-au-Prince this year, but it still sounds like it will be quite a party tonight.

One problem I have discovered with only coming to PaP once a year is that the children change quite a bit in that year. Last year there was a ball of energy. She was full of giggles and wanting her picture taken. As I was preparing for the day and going over the list of children I couldn't recall seeing her this year. I asked Wilkens and he said she was their and showed a picture. I finally ran into her directly today and couldn't believe how much she has changed. Not only in height, but facial structure, and maturity. 

I brought a letter for each child with me on this trip. The letters were from various people that volunteered to write to one or more of the children. I want to thank those who volunteered as it was very much appreciated.

We gathered the children in one of the classrooms to let them know that we wanted to take a picture of each child and that each child would receive a letter from someone that lives in the United States or France after we took the picture. Also, that we had stickers for each child. The older kids are still at camp, so they will get their letters later when they come back. 

The children were very excited to receive their letters as well as get their picture taken. The one flaw in my plan was that I was so busy taking pictures that I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures of the children reading their letters. And afterward I was busy translating letters, so again I was not able to take pictures.  Although one child asked me to take a picture with her letter after I translated it and show that to the author of the letter, so I do have that. I want to say a big thank you to Wilkens and Madmwazèl Paulin for their help today. I couldn't have done it with out them. 

Tonight I pray for peace in Port-au-Prince, that no violence or accedents occurs during the carnaval celebrations. I pray for the children tonight as they quickly grow to youth and young adults. That God blesses them, that he watches over them, and gives them his peace and grace. May they grow to be adults that respect and care for their neighbors and each other. Amen. 

Books, Coloring, and Parks

I enjoy walking to and from the guest house to the center. I enjoy the opportunity to say hello, and the few other words of Creole I know, to the people that live in the community around the center. There are people who run the shops along the way, people just starting their day, people walking to work, and the gentleman that has a wood workshop right across from the center who we have hired on past trips to do some work. Part of the mission of the center is to reach out to the surrounding community, and I think this is a great part of the mission. 

The children are on holiday from school this week, so when I arrived at the center this morning they were busy cleaning both the center and themselves (bath day for the boys). I quickly met some of the children and delivered promised hugs on behalf of people who have come before, but did not make it this year. In case you are wondering, they ask about you. 

There is some limited WIFI at the center now, so it is nice to broadcast live via Facebook with the children. I do this In Hope that people that have never visited are able to understand a little more about the center and those that have are sparked with a happy memory. 

I brought some books with me that were donated by some kind people in New England. These are in French which works great for the children as they learn and speak French in school. They were very enthusiastic about the books and they were quickly loaned out youn chak (one each) and shared and read in groups. It was just what they needed. 

As children peeled off the books and were looking for something else to do, I started handing out coloring pages and crayons. When we started doing coloring on trips to the center it was a mad rush and all the crayons were gone within minutes never to be seen again. The children have gotten so much better at taking one crayon at a time and sharing. So much so that after 30 minutes to an hour of coloring I was down only two crayons. Don't get me wrong, some of the boys tried to pull the wool over my eyes, but when caught they are quick to comply with the rules. 

The children continue to love looking at pictures on my phone, of themselves as well as people back in the US. Something did hit me while looking at pictures with them today. I had seen the behavior before, but for some reason it really broke my heart today. There are lots of pictures of people with food on my phone, from dinners out, celebrations, etc. When the children see the pictures of food they always pause, zoom in and sometimes make fake eating noises (yum, yum, munch, munch). These kids really don't get a lot of food. One or two meals a day mostly of corn meal mush, rice and beans. At the park they would eat the small unripe mangos that fell from tree as well as some nuts that fell from a nut tree. Essentially they were scavenging. We, as a country, are so blessed with a bounty and it hurts when you see some with little. Even at camp last night dinner for the kids was bread, butter, and a drink. 

I do want to raise one person up tonight, Maudline Paulin. She is one of the "mommas" at the center, helping to take care of 37 children ages 4 to 16 everyday, 24 hours everyday, all year. Making sure the boys are bathed, braiding the girls hair, taking them to the restroom, correcting when needed, and I imagine it never stops. She does this with kindness and real love to the children. Truly an amazing dedication and ministry of its own. 

So tonight in addition for prayers for the people of Haiti, the children of the center, I pray for Mamma Pauline. I pray that they have the food they need, and that they continue to experience love and grace in the Center Source de Lumiere and its community. Amen. 

Long, but Good Day

After about 17 hours of travel I arrived in Port-au-Prince. The travel started Saturday evening and ended Sunday afternoon. So, I was already pretty tired when I was dropped off at the guest house. I wasn't expecting to do more than shower, eat and sleep. Then as I was getting out of the car the Pastor said that he was going to see the kids tonight at 5 pm and would pick me up. I thought, sounds good, but rather than have him pick me I said I would walk to the center and went inside the guest house. 

As I was settling in I started smelling dinner and wasn't 100% sure they were planning on serving on Sunday evening. I asked about dinner and was told that t would be served at 5pm. I messaged the Pastor, through Wilkens, that I would be late because of dinner and went back to settling in. Which turned into a quick nap. 

At about 4:30 I got up to prepare for the evening when a friend stopped by to chat as he heard I was in town.  Caught me off guard, but good to catch up. As I was lounging around thinking I had some time, in walks Wilkens and says that the Pastor is here to pick me; apparently he missed my text and the ladies in the kitchen had prepared and were just about to start serving dinner. Quick decision: ask my friend if he wanted the meal (yes), headed to the room for a quick change and out to the car. 

The fact that the car was loaded with people, including the Pastor's wife, should have been my first clue, but even this was not too out of the ordinary. But then we headed in the wrong direction and kept going for about 45 minutes. 

Backtrack. The day before I left I learned that some of the older kids from the center were attending a camp (more on that later). So when the Pastor said he was going to visit the kids, he meant those kids, while I thought he meant the kids at the center. So while I was a bit confused and tired this turned out to be a good thing in the end. When in Haiti you have to adjust quickly to circumstances. 

Once a year, 15 or so churches get together and send some of their youth to a camp that is about 45 minutes outside of PaP. Kids come from all over Haiti, including as far away as Cap Haitian. They spend a week worshiping, playing sports, studying the Bible, holding contests, and simply learning and living in the grace of God. It was wonderful to see. Haiti always surprises me. 

Ps you can see more pictures of the camp on the Source of Light Center's Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/centresourcedelumiere/

Haiti Trip 2017

My travel to Port-au-Prince has been set and I am heading to Haiti a bit early this year; I normally go in early April, this year I will be there in early March. My trip is also a little shorter this year as I think I can accomplish what I would like in a shorter time and any money I can save by shortening my trip I can use toward the work by Haitians in Haiti for the children that live at the Source of Light Center.

Life Skills Training/Mentors

Last year my wife and I hired two life skills trainers / mentors to work with the older children at the center to help prepare them for independent living after they reach the age of majority and must, by law, leave the center. Over the past year Stephanie and Wilkins have been meeting with the children and teaching them lessons on health, food preparation, cleaning, transportation, and shopping. 

While I am in Haiti this year, I will be discussing this program with Stephanie and Wilkins to understand how things went from their perspective as well as do some planning for the next year. I still feel this is a critical component in preparing of the children of the center as I am still very much concerned about the readiness of the children for life after the center.

I would like to extend a thank you to those individuals and groups that have helped to prayerfully and financially support this effort and I would like to welcome others who would like to support this effort in the next year to contact me at sourcedelumierehaiti@gmail.com. This program costs $300 USD per month to continue and additionally funds to expand the number of training hours.

Joining Forces

I feel that there is a lot to learn from many sources when looking to support the children of the center. This year I plan to be in more contact with the Baptist General Association of Virginia  (BGAV) who are a primary sponsor of the center. One of the reasons for the timing of my trip this year is so that I overlap with representatives from BGAV who will be in PaP for board meetings and planning sessions with the Pastor.

Additionally, I would like to coordinate with other group homes in Haiti that have or plan to have life skill lessons for their children so that we can leverage lessons learned, material, and planning where appropriate. 

Keeping Up with the Children

While supporting the children with programs for their future is important, spending time with the children is just as important. It always amazes me when I visit the children that they remember my name as I am just one of many people they see throughout the year. And it is not that I am unique as they remember the names of everyone that has spent time with them. They ask about people they haven't seen for a couple of years and I have seen them have these same interactions with people from other visiting groups.

Two years ago we started capturing a photo of each child on every visit to Haiti. This was so that we could have a record of each child as they get older and allow people to familiarize themselves with the children before they visited. My intent is to continue this effort and capture a portrait of each child this year. It feels a little like picture day at school when we do this.

Supporting Haiti after the Storm

I have been asked by a few people about how they might help Haiti recover from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew. Given that I have been asked by a few people I thought it might be easier to answer via a blog post.

It is challenging to provide aid to Haiti as we have all seen in the news. A combination of poor long term planning, lack of understanding consequences, organization self preservation, and corruption have all help to exasperate problems in areas of Haiti. Even so, there are many in need in Haiti because of this storm and we need to separate providing immediate aid in the shadow of a disaster and the longer term recovery of Haiti; which must be lead and driven by Haitians with the rest of us providing the support as we are asked.

The people that I have directly worked with in Haiti were largely spared the brunt of the storm as they are in Port-au-Prince and the storm tracked over the south - west of Haiti. That is not to say that they weren't affected as they still had to deal with rain, flooding, and strong winds. Additionally, many have friends and family that live and work in the areas that we most affected. What I mean is that when evaluating where to help with aid I believe that there are places in more need after this storm than those with which I directly work.

There are two groups that I have worked with in the past, trust, and feel comfortable donating towards hurricane relief: United Christians International in Haiti and the Be Like Brit foundation.

United Christians International in Haiti (link)
This mission is lead by Pastor JeanJean and Kristie Mompreimer in Caiman, Haiti. The area in Caiman in which they work was once mostly a place of Vudu. Since the Mompreimers have moved in, Vudu has largely been eliminated and they have built both an elementary and middle school as well as an excellent university. The area in which they are located is far enough from Port-au-Prince that they were largely unaffected by both the earthquake in 2010 and the strong winds of this storm.

After the earthquake in 2010 the people in Caiman loaded trucks of supplies and headed to Port-au-Prince to provide help. Additionally, they brought people back to Caiman to help them be safe, warm, and fed. They are planning a similar effort after this storm. Below is an excerpt from an email sent by Kristie. These are people I trust and they plan to work with people they trust.

We had a nice Wed. night service last night. We talked as a congregation about what we can do for the people without homes and provisions in the south. As I'm sure you have heard, people need to cautious about how to proceed. There is potential government red tape and there are organizations that would use relief money and aid unethically.


Our church decided to collect food and clothing to send to some pastors that we know personally to give to the needy in their congregations. We also want to try to raise the money to put roofs on houses and churches in the south. We will be sending Eliberne, UCI board member and mason, with a crew to oversee the work. We believe that in this way we'll be certain that the money will get to the people that need it.

If you would like to help the Caiman church with this goal, you can go to the UCI website, ucihaiti.org and give a donation through our Clover online giving. There will be a drop designation for Hurricane relief.

Be Like Brit (link)
This organization is was started by the parents of a college student that was on a mission trip to Haiti when the earthquake hit in 2010. Their daughter, Britney, was killed in the earthquake. Shortly before the earthquake Britney sent the following text to her mother.

They love us so much and everyone is so happy. They love what they have and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself.

Britney's father, who works in construction, over saw the construction of the orphanage they now run in Haiti and it was built as a safe haven for the children that they raise as if they were their own. A gentleman named Jonathon LaMare, who has experience working in Rwanda after the genocide, was hired as the director of the orphanage and he as done a wonderful job.

As you can see from the map links from their web site, the BLB orphanage is outside Port-au-Prince and close to the track of the hurricane. During the storm Jonathan posted updates on their Facebook stream and they continue to do so as they help with rebuilding their surrounding neighborhoods. It is also noteworthy that during the storm the BLB home took in 100+ people to help shelter them.

Trust
Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Both UCI Haiti and Be Like Brit are organizations and people I have worked with and trust. They both care about and ahare life with the people of Haiti. There is longer term need in Haiti and I would be happy to talk to people about that; but for immediate need after this storm I trust these people with my donations of time, marterial and money.

Bondye la avèk ou ak tout pèp la an Ayiti
(God be with you and the People of Haiti)

To Cäiman and Back Again

Easy English Club

Back At Home Base

I find myself back in Port-au-Prince tonight after spending a few days with the Mompreimiers at the United Chirstians International site that houses the schools and university. While there I was able to use some of the skills for which I was trained as I worked on their computer lab and university networ (along with some remote help from some of the guys at Westgate Chruch who helped initially set up the network). Too long a story for e blog and likely not of interest if you are not into this sort of thing. But a big thank you for the Momprimers for their hospitality. It is truly a wonder what God has done through them in Cäiman.

And to think that I saw it on the road to Cäiman

On the road to Cäiman I tried to keep my eyes open to the sites of Haiti as it wakes up and prepares for the day. Below are a list of those things in no certain order. 

• Very young children carrying 5 gallon buckets to fetch water
• Some fetch water from public spigots
• Some fetch water from hand pumps
• Some were filling the buckets from a stagnant green pool under the overpass
• Beautiful lake formed by the hydro-electric dam
• People fishing in home made canoes 
• Kids untangling a fishnet bye the lake
• Fish traps in the water
• People walking cows, goats, pigs, and chickens
• People riding donkeys and it's not out of the ordinary
• Crowded market as people sell cows, goats, pigs, and chickens
• Children in uniforms making their was to school
• Long walks
• Some that looked like kindergartens walking alone to school beside a busy highway
• Many children not in uniform, not going to school
• Concrete homes give way to hand cut wood homes as you leave to the more rural areas
• Some wood homes painted in beautiful, bright colors 
• Some wood homes painted with vodou symbols
• University out of place in their rural area, but much needed and full of activity
• UCI is a beckon of light in Cäiman

Bible Story with the Children

I didn't get to spend a lot of time with the children today because I wanted to visit the Easy English Club, but it was a nice time while it lasted. When the chairs were delivered last week along with them was a box of children's bibles in Creole. Wilkins and I borrowed two this morning so I had the children read to me in Creole from the Bible. We read the parable of the prodigal son. I knew the basic story, so that made it easier to follow. 

Easy English Club

The Easy English Club meets at the church and does some worship, some Bible study, and its members help each other learn English. I got involved in this club years ago and am an official member, so it gives me great joy to visit the club why I can. Today's journey to the club and back was particularly joyful as the Pastor finally conceited to let me use the tap-taps to get from the guest house to the church and back, as long as Wilkins was with me. If you are not familiar with what a tap-tap is I urge you to search for them on the Internet and look at some of the pictures.  In short they are an ad-hoc public transportation system that most Haitians use to get around town. They are crowded, confusing, and cheap. But thanks to Wilkins' know how we made it there and back easily. 

Being back at the English club was great fun as the members are very insightful and bring up lots of interesting points.  Tonight the subject of discussion was the parable of the good sumaritan. Wilkins started by reading the parable in English and then posing questions. All discussion is in English so as the group digs into a subject they also practice their English. It really is a great club. 

Tonight a pray of thanks for a safe journey back to Port-au-Prince and for the safe ride on the tap-taps. A prayer of thanks also for the Mompreimiers and for all the wonderful work being done in God's name through them. A prayer of thanks and continued blessings on the Easy English Club as they form a Christian community of caring and learning. 

Bread, wine, a rough road, and a communities outrage

Last Sunday was communion at the church in Port-au-Prince. It was nice, as I don't believe I have ever had communion in Haiti before. It is true that having communion does make you feel a part of a broader Christian community. I think I felt that more being in Haiti.

After the service I ran into and old friend, as you might have seen on Facebook. I met Junior early on in my travels to Haiti when he was working as a translator and was an officer in the Easy English Club (EEC); of which I am proud to be a member. The EEC meets twice a week as they study English as well as the bible. A couple of us were participating in a meeting and we were doing role playing as a mechanism to learn English. I played the father of a teen girl, a young women played the part of the girl, and Junior played the part af a young man attempting to convince me to allow my daughter to go out with him. I can't honestly say I remember the outcome correctly, but my recollection is he didn't succeed. As I have daughters that role playing was easy.  We had a chance to catch and joke around a bit it was great to see him again. PG, another of the translators that works with Junior was able to come, but it seems he is doing well too. I expect unto come back one year and be introduced to their wive, once they break down, find a girls friend, and convince her father they are worthy; which of course they are. 

Monday had and early start as I was to travel from Port-au-Prince to Cäiman, which is about a three to four hour drive. Frandzy, his girl friend, and Wilkins drove me from PaP to Hinche, which is the paved part of the drive, thanks guys, and a friend of the Pastor that leads the church in Cäiman drove me the rest of the way, i.e., the unpaved part of they way. I was on this road about two years ago and it was bad, but apparently the company that was contracted to pave the road failed to complete the job and their contract was terminated and the road has been uncared for at least a year. So not the road is just about unpassable. Deep crevasses, collapsed bridges, and pot holes big enough to hide a small army. Let's just say by the end of the drive I was quite happy to see the mission compound and a certain part of my body was a bit sore. 

The mission at Cäiman is a wonderful site. It houses a primary / high school as well as a university where they teach aggreculture, finance, and nursing.  It is quite an accomplishment given that at one point this place was extremely unsafe and a center for the vodou culture in Haiti. It is always nice to visit here and it looks like some of my abilities might be put to work to help straighten out a few of the computer / networking needed. A big thank you to Pastor JeanJean and Kristie for allowing me to stop by. 

And while this place has been dangerous in the past it is not always peaceful in the present. Apparently someone has been threatening some of the local households with violence if they don't pay money. It has happened twice and tonight the town decided to push back a little. Cäiman doesn't have its own police force and while the community is justifiably upset, these situations can spin out of control. Pastor JeanJean was working to calm and correct the situation. I was thinking the best thing I could do was keep a low profile and stay out of the way. There is a bit of a gang and drug problem in the area, where people are coming from City de Sol (one of the worst slums in PaP) and enticing some youth here into the gang life. Just as you work to remove one evil from a place (vodou) another comes at its heals. The church here has an active and vibrant youth program, but evil is dangerous and can easily take from any community. 

Tonight I pray for Cäiman. That piece will come to the community and that the evil of drugs and gangs will succumb to th power of God in this place.  Amen. 

Grape Jello

Today happens to be my birthday. It is not the first of my birthdays which I have spent in Haiti. I don't really like making a big deal about my birthday as believe it or not I am sort of a private person. So you would think hiding out in Haiti would be a perfect place to pass my birthday. To be honest, while I don't like making a big deal about my birthday I do like being around my family on my birthday. And as I sit here tonight I Am thinking about them and I miss them. Thanks to my wife, Facebook, and the translators the children knew it was my birthday so I did get song to in both English and Creole.

I visit d the kids at the centre twice today.  I am trying not to call the place an orphanage, nor do call the kids orphans. They are children living at the centre. It just feel too degrading to me any other way. I visited the. In the morning during which I passed out some small plastic animal. It was fun watching their faces when they saw an animal they could not recognize. The otter seem to cause them the biggest confusion.  We then went back and forth as I learned some animal names in Creole and they learned some animal names in English. The kids have really been patient with me as I bumble through my Creole. They correct my pronunciation and help me restate sentence the correct way. I still feel like I am at the level of a three year old. 

In the afternoon I stopped by again with some coloring books and crayons.  And while I came back with hardly any crayons as I sit here it seems that the children have made remarkable progress in their ability to do a task and to cooperate by sharing resources like crayons. In years past it has been a constant battle to make sure the kids took only a single crayon at a time and then trade it in when they need a new color. It was far from perfect today and some of the little buggers kept trying to trick me and take multiple crayons, for the most part it worked.  Their ability to color within the lines seems to be improving as well. 

When I do visit with the kids I keep wishing that I had something for the older kids. Most crafts brought are really focused on the little ones and the older kids don't have much to do, or it is far beneath their skill level. The other day the decorating of crosses with wood was great for the older kids and I was happy seeing them engaged and challenged. I was thinking it might be nice to get the older kids a dominos or chess set. I have seem older kids living outside the centre playing dominos and thought that might be a good fit. It would have to be something that was understood for the older kids as everything the older kids get the younger want as well. 

I continue to notice two behaviors in the kids and even in broader Haiti that bother me. The first is the quick reaction to violence. What I mean is that when there is a conflict the children are often quick to raise a hand to each other. It is something that is just somewhT accepted in Haiti. Haiti is a tough place and these children have some very tough backgrounds, so this behavior is likely not unexpected and in the US the children would get counciling with how to deal with conflict.  Here the culture is just a bit more direct. I was speaking with a translator and he mentioned it is just the norm and when he was a child he was "beat" by his parents if he came home with a dirty school uniform. He agrees it is not good, but the question is how to change that bit of culture. 

The other behavior that bothers me, and I have written about this before, is the way, in general, the male population treats the female population. The males tend to believe that they can do whatever they want to the females and the females seem to just accept that this is the way it is. You can see this behavior started even in the young kids and I have seen it in general in Haiti. This too is a behavior that must change in order for progress to be made. 

I understand that what I stated above is a generalization and that there are many who don't act this way; but there is a significant populations that does. 

Good news! The building that they are converting into a church at the centre is supposed to have it's first service tomorrow and the kids will be able to attend. Not sure if I will be able to or not as they may expect me at the main church. 

It is a bit odd when the task in front of you is to just be in a place. There are times when I am at the centre and I am not directing crafts, instead I am just there. I am standing or sitting and the kids are just going about their day. Ever now and again one will come over for a hug or chat and then be off. The odd feeling that I am struggling with is that while my brain tells me I am not doing anything and thus fairly useless, something deep seems to be telling me that my task is just to be present. It is a sort of feeling that says your purpose is being there so that the kids know you are for no other reason but to be there. No alterier motive, no planned work, just there. And if t hey need to reach out they will, if they don't need to reach out that is ok, because they know you are there. Not sure that makes sense. But there it is.

Ah, the grape jello. I was all alone for dinner tonight. Saturday is a transition day at the guest house as teams tend to arrive or leave on Saturday. No one  else was about so I started to eat. about halfway though my meal up came one of the women from the kitchen with a bowl full of grape jello for dessert. Dessert is not a normal thing here and they don't know it was my birthday, but it was nice to have a little sweet for a birthday treat. 

Tonight I pray for healing for my wife. She has been under the weather and battling through in my absence. May she get the rest she needs so that her body may heal and that I truly love and appreciat her with all my heart. Amen. 

Reflections

A week ago I was sitting in an airport looking for a place to spend the overnight hours as the last leg of my trip to Haiti was over six hours away. Tonight I am sitting in the guest house in Port-au-Price Haiti. I started this trip, or at least tried to, without expectations. I also sit here tonight thinking about the past week. Things that have happened. Conversations that I have had. 

The week's pattern has been to either hang out at the guest house preparing for the afternoon with the kids or visit somewhere in Haiti learning more about the history; and then spend the afternoon with the kids doing a craft and just being and talking to them. 

Learning more about the history of Haiti has been well worth it. As I stated on Facebook you have to understand the history of a place and its people to really understand. In brief, Haiti was first settled by people from South America, commonly called Indians here in Haiti. Along came the Europeans, Columbus, who first enslaved the people and then wiped them out. Needing more labor they turned to Africa. After several failed slave revolts the slaves of Haiti revolted and won their independence and split the island into several areas, each controlled by one of the generals of the revolution that declared himself some sort of ruler. There was some infighting, murder, some unions, some foreign intrusion, etc. And it has been difficult here in Haiti for most of its history. This isn't 100% accurate, but I hope you get the picture. 

I spoke with a man this week who was born in Haiti, but moved to the US when he was five. He moved back to Haiti in December of 2009, two weeks before the Earthquake, at about 45 years old, and has lived here ever since. We talked about why things are still so difficult in Haiti and why change and recovery is so slow. He talked about how in Haiti there is a lot of corruption and not just at the top political offices. How after the earthquake, seeing the influx of money many people started orphanages, calling themselves pastors, filling the orphanages with their own kids or their friends and relatives merely to collect money. About people getting foreign organizations to purchase property in their name and then selling it, taking the money, and fleeing. Of stories of pastors either collecting money from groups to pay translators, drives, etc, but only giving 10% of what the promise to the workers. Or having the workers pay a fee for what they earn back to the pastor so they can continue to get work. How to change it. Education is one aspect of it, but another is getting the Haitian people to start looking out for each other and not just themselves. It is getting people elected and in office who care mor about the people they serve than their own pockets. 

Some of these problems are not unique to Haiti; but Haiti has these problems on top of extreme poverty. 

All these issues weigh on my mind and heart. 

Tonight I pray for Haiti. That it will heal itself. That the good people in Haiti, that far outnumber those that are doing harm, will succeed in taking their country and raising it and it's people to a place of respect, safety, and blessings. Amen. 

The other side of the donation chain

I receive a text message from the Pastor just before dinner was to be served asking me to come down to the orphanage to help with something. I responded that I would be right down, asked the other missionaries to wrap a plate of diner for me, and headed down.

On my mind was that the Pastor wanted to talk about our trip next week to Cäiman or perhaps something about the rest of the week. The reality I found out when I got there was that he was expecting some chairs and wanted some help with the unloading. I thought sure, I'd love to help out, love doing this type of stuff in Haiti.

I probably should have started getting suspicious when more and more strong young men started to show up. It began to look like Pastor called in a lot of the young men from the church. And the the truck came.

Not a pickup truck. Not even a box truck. A full shipping container in the back of a truck. We opened it up and it was packed floor to ceiling.

The good news was it contained student classroom desks (with gum still on the bottom) and brand new mattresses. It also contained lots of firefighter gear which was a bit puzzling and I asked the Pastor if he was planning to start his own fire department. He said that it was to donate to the city.

So into the truck Frandzy and I went and worked at a pretty good pace until the container was empty and everything was in the centre's courtyard. It was important to empty the truck quickly as it was not able to fully back into the centre and was blocking the street. I am glad it was evening, because I can't imagine how hot inside that container would be in the heat of the day.

With the truck unloaded the next task was to move the desks to the second floor classrooms and the rest to the third floor storage. Again, thankfully not the heat of the day. Everyone chipped in and we went from a full container to everything where it needed to be in about two hours. Even some of the older children pitched in and I am very impressed with their strength and stamina; both the boys and the girls.

The children and even some of the older "children" enjoyed trying on the firefighter gear.

Once done it was back to the guest house. My mission mates brought out the food, ice, and cola. That iced cola never tasted so goo and a big thank you to them for saving me diner.

Tonight I pray a a prayer of thanks for the donation to the centre and for all the hands that helped unload it. I pray that it will be put to God glory to help educate and care for the children. I also offer a prayer of thanks for my mission mates for the help tonight. Amen.

Location:Ruelle Samba,Port-au-Prince,Haiti

The Magic of a Pencil Sharpner

These are really my favorite type of pictures. I didn't ask them to pose. One girl ask me to take a picture of her and then grabbed a friend and before you know it lots of giggles and a picture. You can see a couple of the new children to the group home in this picture as well. 

Today we made God's guys with the kids. They had some difficulties getting started, but once started they did very well. I brought a throw toy as well. It didn't last very long Nd now sits on the roof three stories up waiting for a strong gust to blow it down. 

Finally today we purchased some pencils, a Sharpner, and some paper. This was because the other day some of the older children asked about pencils when we were handing out crayons. This led to two interesting findings. 

The pencil sharpener we purchased was and old hand crank model. Apparently the children had never seen one before and their expressions when a sharpened pencil was pulled out of the sharpener after a few cranks was priceless. 

The second noticed was that pencil and paper kept they quiet and mesmerized in thought for quite a long while. Give a child a pencil and paper and their imaginations go to work. 

Tonight I pray for Haiti and that it will rise from its current state to once again become the pearl of the Caribbean that it once was. That the people of Haiti will work together to left each other up as beloved children of God. Amen. 

Odds and Ends

There was no school today so we headed down to the orphanage after their breakfast time, but it turns out they had a problem with the gas, so breakfast hadn't been prepared yet. The kids eat two meals a day, which is normal in Haiti and for both meals today it looked like beans and rice, which is a Haitian staple; but I have to admit it looked like rice sprinkled with a few beans. 

We di make bead fish with the children in the morning. This is a craft where you string together bead in the shape of a fish. The children were quite good at it one they learned the concept and soon their were bead fish, necklaces, bracelets, and other things. 

I should mention that there are a mother and daughter team down here as well for this week. They are from Virginia and this is the third trip for the daughter, but the first trip for the mother. The daughter teacher 1st grade and the mother is retired. They brought craft supplies and ideas, I have some supplies and toys. 

The Pastor's oldest daughter is going to university in Oklahoma and his next oldest daughter just finished high school and is looking to go to school in New York for business administration. She wanted to practice her English so we spoke a bit. I think New York will be quite a change for her if she gets accepted. I was able to find out more about Sunshine's progress. She said Sunshine is always hungry and loves food. She said that she is strong, but just doesn't want to walk and that the family has to work with he to walk even if she cries to be carried sometimes. 

I also found out a bit more about the money the boys make for selling crafts. Apparently they sell to groups that come to the orphanage as opposed to selling on the street and they get to keep the money if they want or they can give some to the orphanage.  The boys use some of the money to buy supplies as well as they. Have bought a radio. 

Not sure if I mentioned or not, but there are new children at the orphanage to year. They have added two young no girls about age 7. The ceiling in the boys rooms has been fixed and there are dividing wall in the rooms now to divide the children's living spaces a bit. The older children bunk in one area with the younger children in another. 

I brought with me this year pictures of the kids from last year as well as pictures from several years ago. The kids seemed to enjoy seeing the older pictures. I would really like to capture the history of the children so that they can understand from where they came and understand their family. I know that some of the children have tough backgrounds, but I think that is part of them and having that history will give them a basis for understanding themselves. 

The older boys have become quite musically talented. The girls have always been able to sing well, but the boys have sort of a band now and have even started writing some of their own songs. Be sure to check out the Facebook page for the Source of Light (https://www.facebook.com/centresourcedelumiere/) to see some examples. 

Tonight I prayer for the children living at Source of Light. I pray that they discover their past and that they achieve their dreams. I pray that they understand their value as children of God and grow top make a stronger, independent Haiti.