Travel Day, the way out

I have spent a lot of time in airports this week. I had an unexpected business trip to Atlanta, which meant I spent all of Wednesday and much of Thursday in airports getting between San Jose, California and Atlanta, Georgia. Now I find myself in an airport again as I head to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for two weeks. I am not sure my spirit and mind have caught up to this reality and I suspect this long over night flight from SJC to LAX to JFK to PAP is a blessing in disguise so that I can quiet my soul and get in the right place for this trip.

If you have been reading any of my posts you should be aware that one of the main things on my mind is the children at the orphanage that are nearing the age of majority. At some point the children, really young adults, will be too old to continue to live at the orphanage and alternate arrangements will have to be made else they may end up on their own in the streets or in situations of abuse. I have been doing a lot of reading in this area and armed with a little knowledge I hope to help in anyway I can and not be a burden or a roadblock to the pastor managing the orphanage. 

I have tried to make contact with one of the stateside organizations that help fund and direct the orphanage, but have not received much information about their plans. That is not to say they don't have plans, just that I am not privy to any plans. I know that their has been some talk about purchasing additional land to build young adult housing, but based on my reading, while important, that is only a small part of the overall problem and simply placing the the young adults in alternative housing is necessary, but not sufficient. I hope to have time to work with the pastor to learn of any plans in progress and provide input based on my readings and inputs from others such as Jonathan LaMare from the BeLikeBrit orphanage and Lighthouse Youth Services. 

I pray that God guides this trip to Haiti and that he works through everyone involved to help plan and provide for these children and young adults so that they understand that they are beloved children of God and that they will not be abandoned even as adults. That they are part of a larger family that will be there to support them through their trial into adult hood. That they are given the training and support they require to be who God means them to be. 

While I am away I pray that God protects and supports my family and gives my wife strength and support as she becomes a single parent. Amen. 

Fwiw I set the dog to kill and instructed him on his duty to protect the family before I left. 

T minus 3 Weeks and I am just not ready

In a little under 3 weeks I leave for Port-au-Prince, Haiti for two weeks. I haven't raise all the money I have hoped, but the flights are booked and there is no turning back, not that I would want to turn back. I love Haiti and can't wait to get back; but, I am not ready.

I am about $750 short of my funding goal, but that isn't even the biggest reason I am not ready. I am mostly not ready because I feel like there is so much I need to learn and do to with respect to transitional housing before I leave. I have received a lot of information from many different sources and I am incredible grateful. I would like to especially thank the BeLikeBrit orphanage as well as Lighthouse Youth Services, particularly their Independent Living division.

In addition to the information provided by others the local library produced some good resources as well. In particular was the journal from New Directions for Youth Development that focuses on transitioning youth to independent living. This journal was actually the breadcrumb that led me to Lighthouse Youth Services.

What this all means is that I have much to read and not enough hours in the day to absorb all the information. At times it feels like I am attempting to get a degree in youth development.

The point of doing all this research is to have some background information for when I arrive in Haiti. I am hoping to have conversations with the Pastor that manages the orphanage with which we work and start discussions about how to help prepare the youth for independent living. This means the more information I can absorb and translate to the Haitian context the better support I can provide the Pastor.

In addition to my reading I have been attempting to learn Creole via audio recordings. I actually attempt to do this every year, but have re-doubled my efforts this year. I have to admit it is not going well. Learning languages is not one of my strengths. If anyone knows how to speak Creole and is willing to tutor let me know. I have thought about starting to watch Haitian movies on YouTube as well, thinking that this might be a good way to practice understanding Creole.

I have a feeling these last weeks before the trip will move incredible fast and so I will attempt to accomplish as much reading and research as I can. If nothing else I have two days of travel to catch up on the reading.

I am also looking for anyone that has experience with transitioning youth out of case to independent living. If anyone has any pointers in that direction I would be appreciate contacts. The more information I can gather the better prepared I might be.

As I stated before I am a little behind on my fund raising. So if anyone feels moved, please send donations to the following:

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.)

Additionally, I have set up a wish list on Amazon.com for some books I would like to take with me to Haiti. Right now most my books are from the library, so having some purchased copies, copies to leave with the Easy English Club in Haiti, as well as copies to leave with the Pastor would be a good thing. I still have not been able to find a bilingual Bible for English and Haitian Creole. If anyone can get their hands on one I would greatly appreciate it.

Bondye Beni w

Fooled and Transitional Housing

Jalousie Slum Painted Psychedelic Colors In Haiti

We were coming back from a half day outing towards the end of last year's trip to Haiti and we passed by a scenic site. It caught everyone's eye and we all thought it was quite lovely to see some color in Haiti. It reminded me of the houses in Capitola, California. We stopped and took some pictures.

Fast forward a year and I was reading an article on the 5th anniversary of the earthquake and it mentioned this same neighborhood outside of Pentionville. Turns out this is one of the largest slums in Port-au-Prince. As part of a plan to move people out of the tent cities the government spent 1.4 million USDs painting the houses. The goals was to beautify the area as to make it more attractive; to incentivize the people to move out of the tents into this existing shanty town. The plan was also to include updates to city services, but it appears that this didn't happen. There are people lining up on both sides of this issue to either critique the project as another example of wasted spending or to support it as evidence that the government is working to better the life of people. I think, from what I have read, I am coming down on the former side and feel a bit of a fool for thinking it beautiful and taking a picture.

Transitional Housing

If you have talked to me in the recent past about Haiti and the orphanages you know that I have grown concerned for those children that are reaching the age where the orphanage can no longer support them. The orphanage with which we work does not seem to have a plan how to deal with these children. Last year while in Haiti we visited several orphanages and the majority have little or no plan for children as they become 15 to 16 years old or older.

My thoughts on transitional housing have ranged from building dormitory style housing to setting aside areas in the orphanage for the older children. For the most part these ideas seem to have high up front costs and are almost impossible to sustain long term.

After doing some soul searching and thinking about what little I know about Haitian culture and how important community is in the culture I have landed on the following thoughts for transitional housing:

Support transitional housing for the orphans through members of the church, such that as a child in the orphanage nears the age where it is no longer appropriate for them to live at the orphanage they are given an opportunity to live with a family that is a member of the orphanage's partner church.

As compensation for housing one of the transitional children the family would be given a stipend to help (or hopefully cover) the additional costs of food, etc. The child and host family would have to agree to a code of conduct and the child would be expected to help out with some house hold chores.

Additionally, as part of the program the transitional child would have to attend a weekly (or maybe twice a week) mentoring session where they are coached and helped to complete high school, find a job, or just given the opportunity to talk with a mentor.

The program would also need at least one individual (maybe more) to help run it. This person would be responsible for interviewing perspective families, doing a home survey before anyone is placed, commit to weekly visits to the home with the possibility of surprise visits. This would have to be a salaried position and be very trusted as there is risk of corruption. This person would be overseen by a board of people likely coming from the orphanage and the church.

The transitional program could be gradual in that before a child moves completely out of the orphanage they would spend lengthening periods at the home and then periods back at the orphanage. A day/night, a week, a month, etc. Each acclimation period at the transitional home would be followed by a significant period back at the orphanage. The hope is this would allow both the family and the child to understand if the placement was a good fit.

The home would also not be permanent. In other words, the transitional child may be in the program only one or two years, or as many as 5. The goal is to prepare the child for an independent life while surrounding them in community. It gets more difficult as some in Haiti don't finish high school until they are in their 20's due to costs and other issues.

There are many open issues I have this with plan, particularly to help insure the children are safe and not turned into indentured servants. Additionally, I have no idea how this would be funded and how the children would be funded to continue school.

I hope to have many conversations this year in Haiti to better understand if this plan is workable or even makes sense. I also have plans to discuss this idea with some people that have more experience in this area and in Haiti. The oldest child in the orphanage right now is about 15 years old. Without a plan in place I worry what will happen to him.

I am continuing to raise funds for my trip this year to Haiti in March. If you are able to help support my trip, you can either send contributions directly to me (contact me and I will give you my address) or to the church with which I will 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 and God Bless,
/david 

Of Dragons and Sheepdogs

I am returning to Haiti this March and still short on my fundraising. If you are able to contribute please see the end of this entry.

---

Sheepdog among the Sheep

My 15-year-old son came home from school on a Thursday, and apparently he and my wife had been talking on the ride home. My wife said that he was lamenting that there were no more dragons to slay and so nothing that a young man could do to earn honor and to become a knight.

We were quick to point out that this wasn't true, but the dragons have changed. I pulled out the book "Love Does" and told him about the author Bob Goff.  Bob was a lawyer that walked away from a lucrative practice and went to Africa help get young kids who were thrown in filthy prisons for petty offenses and had no chance of ever getting out. Bob worked to be able to practice law in Uganda and then went to court for the kids and worked to get them freed. He shut down many prisons and slayed many "dragons."

Two days later, my wife and I went to see the movie, "American Sniper". In the movie, the father of Chris Kyle related a story to Chris when he was very young. The story describes people in three categories: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. The sheep were those people who could not or would not see evil in this world. The wolves where those that embodied evil.  The sheepdogs where those that saw the evil and moved to protect the sheep.

I think my son feels the urge of the sheepdog.

After the movie, I was attempting to explain to my wife that, through my experience, I believe this need to be a sheepdog is a common feeling among men. And in a modern world, it can be hard to find ways to express this desire.

Another scene in the movie, when Chris Kyle was at home between tours in the Middle East, Chris was expressing frustration and confusion to his wife that while there was a war and men dying, people in the US were going about their lives without a care in the world. Chris couldn't understand how it could not be on the news all the time and how they could just take a casual trip to the mall.

I understand and share my son's frustrations, and while I can't begin to even suggest equivalency between Chris' experience and mine, I share his frustration as well.

I long to help the people of Haiti. I have visited there for several years now, and I think beyond going because I am commanded by God to serve, I also go because of an internal desire to try to protect others. I am not saying I am actually doing much good, but I go because I long to contribute in some small way.

I have similar feelings of frustration when I return from Haiti. It is hard to deal with a world that is not constantly talking or thinking about the need and pain in Haiti and other parts of the world and how to help stem the tide of evil. I worry that I may become that guy that is a one-trick pony, that people run away from me because all I talk about is Haiti; I have to make a conscious effort to not be that guy. Is that wrong? Should I not do that?

There are many dragons in this world. This world needs people that will step in front of evil to bring protection. People that will put others before themselves. I believe God puts this need in our hearts and wants us to act; I believe that is one of our roles in this world. Sometimes that role comes in the form of soldiers; sometimes that protection comes in the form of service to others.

---

If you are able to help support my trip, you can either send contributions directly to me (contact me and I will give you my address) or to the church with which I will 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 and God Bless,
David

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

---

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.