Author: vernonhammett

As I sit on the balcony of the guest house in Port Au Prince, watching the sunrise on my final day here in Haiti I am in awe of God as I reflect on my missional journey this year.

I am in awe of the resilience in my brothers and sisters on this tiny island. This is so very inspiring to me. They continually make lemonade out of the lemons they have.

I am in awe of God’s hand on the Mission of Grace. They manage to do so very much with so very little. They do it sometimes in an unorthodox way but they get it done time and time again. So very often we foreigners, or as the Haitians call us “blancs”, have some wonderful ideas and suggestions how things SHOULD work. We can be quick to bring our ideas and mindsets into another country and try to impose them upon others. I have no doubt, things could operate differently at the Mission of Grace but the real question is which blancs are going to invest the time and energy to see these changes fully implemented? Most will not!

With a long-term/permanent mission staff of five to seven, and 60+ employees, Mission of Grace pulls off miracles on a regular basis. Most of these missionaries are non-Haitians who have sacrificed everything to answer God’s call to serve Him on the mission field. Most of the employees of the mission would not have a regular job if it wasn’t the mission.

As I have shared before, the mission is comprised of: Children of Grace (orphanage), Teen girl’s home, elderly home, Men of Grace (young men’s home), Grace Community Church, Grace School, community clinic, soup kitchen…all supported through generous donations. They do not charge tuition for school, nor do they require patients who visit the clinic to see a doctor or receive medicine to pay one HTG (Haitian currency). Through these ministries, they care for and have custody over more than 140 individuals, ranging in age from 11 months to 80 years old. They provide food, shelter, clothing, personal care items and medical care for each of their charges. And, if an illness cannot be treated at the local clinic, the mission will pay the cost of treatment wherever it happens. Likewise, they will go to great lengths to educate the children. Currently, Grace School goes to the 8th grade. MoG will pay the tuition for students who are at a higher level at nearby schools. And there are at least 3 students who are attending college at MoG’s expense.

Finally, I am in awe of where God is leading me. Honestly, when I said “yes” to serve Him on the mission field in 2012, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. To tell the truth I still don’t know the full extent of it, I only know that I am along for the full ride.

If you are interested in participating in a future mission please let me know. Also, if you would like to contribute directly to the Mission of Grace in the form of school sponsorship, orphan or elderly sponsorship, construction/building projects, or their general fund please let me know…the investment pays great(er) dividends.

I close out this year’s blog with words from the Mission of Grace about my visit:

“The Mission of Grace often has to say goodbye and it is something one must get used to even if we are not happy in doing so. We are not happy to say goodbye to Mister Vernon Hammett who will always be a member of our family but was present in Carries as a family member for nearly seven weeks.

Since he first arrived in our little village three years ago, Mister Vernon has shown love and affected people in a way that few have. Not only is he tall, but he stands tall. Not only does he talk about God, he exudes godliness. Not only was he in attendance, he was a presence and a beacon of what a missionary can be.

A few of the kids at Children of Grace were brought to tears at Mister Vernon’s departure, and one said of him, ‘He is my papa,’ and there is no higher honor one can be given by an orphan than that title. The village is better off for having Mister Vernon having brought his Ministry of Presence to Carries and we happily sent him off with prayers and tidings of good fortunes wherever his feet take him. An invitation is always at his doorstep and hope that we will see him once again very soon. With heartfelt thanks, we pray that blessings will rain down on him and that he and his family will be protected by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10“

The barrels are here! The barrels are here! Ms. Lynn told me that twenty-three 55-gallon drums/barrels Alfred Street Baptist Church packed on August 25th, which contain 23,000 dry-goods-meals have arrived and they will be using them as soon as possible. The drums had been sitting at Haiti Customs for a minute but were finally released and trucked to Carries. The meals are much needed and are a welcomed arrival to supplement the more than 700 meals the Mission of Grace provides on a daily basis. Ms. Lynn is so very thankful to Alfred Street and says that this blessing will allow the mission to use their limited funds on other much needed items. There are 19 more barrels with donated personal care items, clothing, shoes, and other items in route which should arrive in another week. The final installment this year from Alfred Street to the Mission of Grace will be 7 barrels filled with doll babies and sporting equipment which we hope will arrive before Christmas.

There is a lot going on in Haiti right now. The citizens are really upset and are trying to oust the President and Vice President. There are reports of widespread demonstrations and other acts of civil disobedience, some of it violent. Some of the trouble has hit Carries. There were reports of several buildings destroyed by fire and another building vandalized. Protesters have erected road blocks on several of the main roads, including Route 1 Nationale which is the only road into and out of Carries. My colleagues and I are safe and don’t feel we are in imminent danger but we are cautious and stay close to the guest house.

Saturday afternoon we venture out as a team into the village to take a look at some of the damage. It’s heart breaking to see the destruction. The children at the orphanage as well as the elderly residents are distraught so a few of the long term missionaries and I sleep in their rooms to provide comfort and reassurance. We awaken to a bright and sunny Sunday and have church service at the orphanage. I am asked to pray and sing…I’m glad I was not asked to preach also (that happened before at the last minute). Below are some selfies we took as we are waiting for the service to start, including one I didn’t even know about until I got my phone back from this group.

The protests continue into Monday and schools are closed all over the country. Out of caution, missionaries are restricted on where we can go so we limit our travel to the orphanage and the Grandma House.

When we get to the orphanage today Mary France and Alexandre gang up on me and decide I need my fingernails polished. The only color choices I have are pink and green, not that they really asked me. I catch a lot of flak from the boys who insist only girls get their nails polished. I ignore them and proudly show off my nails. I also point out that my nails match my pink socks AND pink shoe laces.

Tuesday must be hair day because we see several girls paired up doing each other’s hair as we move about the orphanage. We pop into the Grandma on Friday and are greeted with hugs and kisses from everyone. They are in the midst of eating lunch when we arrive so we excuse ourselves to the porch where we are entertained by a nine-year-old lad who is learning to sound out words in English.

The young ladies at the orphanage have been teasing me because my hair has grown out since I arrived. Sometimes they laugh as they try to twist in my hair in little spikes, and other times they are trying to clip barrettes in it. I shared my saga with Mr. Cullen so he and stopped by the Village barbershop. Mr. Cullen always draws a crowd when he gets a haircut as he is the only Caucasian to frequent this stylist. I am pleasantly surprised how my haircut, mustache and beard trim turned out. The stylist was as good as my barber in the DMV and the cut only cost $3 US.

Saturday afternoon I offer to return the favor and paint Mary France’s nails. I could tell after I finished the first finger she was not happy with my (lack of) skills but she was gracious and let me paint all 10 fingers. She was also kind enough to wait until I was no longer within listening range before she asked one of her friends for some acetone to undo my botched job. SMH.

Mary France

It has been a rather routine and uneventful week for me. We have been going to the school in the morning to pray with and encourage the children as they start their day. The entire school assembles in front of the school before class where we pray, they hear general announcements, recite their pledge, and raise the Haitian flag. The feedback has been very positive and they look forward to us joining them.

I developed a head cold so I take it easy for a few days, but only a few. People have seen me so much around the village that some of them greet me by name as I journey to and fro. It is rather amusing because most people butcher my name. I realize “Vernon” is difficult to pronounce in the Kreyole dialect so I will respond if it is anything close to Mr. V—–. Each day I report to the soup kitchen where I enjoy interacting with and serving the residents of Village. I usually spend my afternoons at the orphanage reading books, playing Connect Four, blowing bubbles, or just running around being silly, like the rest of the kids.

On Wednesday, Cullen and I venture out to follow up on two people we visited a week ago. As we head back down the mountain he takes different route, to a ridge where we have an unobstructed view of the mountain ridge above us and the valley below. I am often caught up in the breathtaking views of this beautiful island.

On Thursday we so goodbye to the team of men who have been working hard at the mission for the past 7 days. These guys shared their amazing testimonies with us. One lost his wife of 30+ years on September 30th. He was admittedly depressed when he began this mission but found joy in the smiles and hugs of the children here. Two others overcame serious health challenges: one had a stroke earlier this year and the other has totally recovered from stage IV cancer. None of them allowed these setbacks to deter them from serving the mission in a powerful way.

I captured a photo of this lovely sunset earlier this week.

(FRIDAY 11/02) We head up the mountain to Kat Kalen which is about a 40 minute walk. Cullen, Pastor Isaac and I are going to visit with and minister to a few people there. Cullen also wants to purchase a Kreyole Bible for one of the church members and his contact is lives there. We make the purchase our first stop and he negotiates the price down to $14 before we leave for our next stop.

We spend time with an elderly lady who desperately wants to come live in the Grandma-Grandpa House and threatened to do harm to herself to make that happen. Pastor Isaac counsels her that it is not the will of God that she would intentionally hurt herself and she says she understands. We spend a little more time visiting with her and her family before we circle up for prayer. Pastor Isaac presses a few Gourdes (Haitian dollars) into her hand to help her take care of her family. We were finally able to coax a beautiful smile out of her granddaughter just before we depart.

We stop by two other homes briefly and take a rest while visiting a third home. Here we encounter a forty-three year old woman whose finger tips are discolored and she tells us it is painful to the touch. Cullen suspects she may be an undiagnosed diabetic and encourages her to come to the clinic on Monday to have a blood test. Diabetes and hypertension are common among the people here. We notice there is another young lady who is very pregnant. Turns out she is the woman’s daughter and is due in December. She has already had prenatal care and knows she is having a little girl around the 15th. Cullen promises to come back soon to bring her a prenatal kit that he dispenses.

We make our way down to the shoreline and visit the open market in Kat Kalen where we walk around looking at the wares people are selling. He attempts to visit a friend of his near here but she is not home. I manage to take a couple of photos of merchant ships which were being loaded.

(SATURDAY 11/03) We head back to Kat Kalen to drop off the prenatal package. Since we primarily walk on goat trails and there are no street signs, we get a little lost but finally find the right house. Mom-to-be is happy to receive the items and Cullen just happens to have a dress which fits the 5 year old girl who just happens to be there today. The smile she gives us when she receives the gift says thank you a million times.

We make it back to the soup kitchen before they start serving today and I watch the joy on the children’s faces as Cullen entertains them while they wait for lunch.

(MONDAY October 29th) It has been a relatively uneventful day. I spend my midday at the soup kitchen. I really enjoy interacting with the two ladies who work there as well as serving food to all who come through. When I get back to the guest house there are two additional missionaries there. Earl, a medical doctor I have served with since 2012 has arrived for a two week stay and Pastor Richard from Tennessee is here for five days.

I spend the afternoon at the orphanage helping with homework and playing with the children. One of the Alfred Street missionaries suggested I start having the children read to me so I embark on this project. Jean Kelly, a fun loving and adorable 11 year old is quick to take me up on the offer and we alternate reading to each other. There are several boys who hang around and listen but I can’t get any of them to take a turn. We continue reading until it is time for them to eat dinner.

(TUESDAY October 30th) Today I bring some reading material with me to the orphanage and I have a table full of eager hands grabbing for books. All of the books are in English but that doesn’t stop these young people. Jean Kelly sits down and we again alternate reading pages. What a blessing it is to have 3 other young people participate in our reading club. After a while I notice there is one little girl hanging around who looks at me with pleading eyes so I put her in my lap and read a few pages to her out of a book she selected. It is such a blessing to be able to love on and pour into these young people.

(THURSDAY November 1) A team of 4 guys arrive today, including Rev. William Crawley whom I met last year. It’s a joy to get reacquainted and to meet the others who will serve with him this week.

I spend the night with the boys at the orphanage. There are 11 of us crowded into their small bedroom. Thankfully, the staff put a mattress on the floor for me because I don’t think my back could handle the floor. Three little guys grabs sheets off their beds and pile on the floor right next to me. The rest of them share the lower bunks of the beds so we can all be close to each other. It’s a fun time but some of them are a little frightened because tonight is when those who practice Voodoo worship “The Day of the Dead”. One of the things I tell them before we turn in for the night is that God is always with us so there is never anything to fear. The generator turns off around 9 pm and it is pitch black in the room. It is also very hot and, while I am rather restless, for the most part these guys sleep through the night. Around 6:30 am they start to stir. I turn on my flashlight so I can see and this seems to cause everyone to stir. We start tickling each other and having fun before we get up and get our day started. The question I get before I head back over to the guest house is “are you coming back again tonight?”

Things are relatively quiet now since the Alfred Street Mission team has left. After church service and the soup kitchen, Cullen and I set out to “visit” a little orphanage in the village. This place is not affiliated with Mission of Grace. As we make our way, a young lady calls to us. When we get near her we can see something is wrong with her hand and she seems to be in considerable discomfort. She tells us that she burned it yesterday (Saturday) with hot grease. If we were in the U.S. I am sure she would have gone to the emergency room right away but that is not an option here in Haiti. There is no medical treatment nearby, particularly on the weekend. We promise her we will return to provide medical treatment and continue on our journey to the little orphanage.

When we arrive we find 24 children but no adult present. One little girl is crying so I pick her up to comfort her and dry her tears. Mr. Cullen brought cough medicine for the children because colds are prevalent AND, since the children are in close quarters, it spreads among them. Before we head back to the guest house we give each child a little something to munch on until their next meal. We are not sure WHEN that next meal will come.

A couple of hours later we head back up the hill along with a missionary who happens to be a registered nurse. We also bring medical supplies to treat burns and wounds. The burn victim is examined, her wound is cleaned and then wrapped. She promises she will go to the clinic on Monday. We continue on to visit another lady who fell off of a moving vehicle and had some nasty wounds on her knees and toes. The nurse treats her injuries but does not think there is any need for her to seek additional treatment.

Later in the evening, the teens from the orphanage come to the guest house to celebrate Marie Claire’s 16th birthday. Somehow she became my boss and “grandpa” became her official photographer. I think I took 30 photos of them before she said, “ok, that’s enough Grandpa”.

Before retiring for the evening the missionaries gather on the beach for a campfire and to sing praises to God. It is a fitting end this glorious day.

The team says goodbye to the staff and our hosts at the guest house before we board the vans which will take us to the airport. We make a brief stop at the memorial to the 300,000 people who lost their life during the 2010 earthquake. As we pull up to the airport and unload the baggage I start to reflect on the fact that most of the people on this team had not served on the mission field prior to this week. At times like this I sometimes wonder whether we could have done more and I am reminded of the words I shared with the team that “we have done all that God has called us to do”.

Once all of the travelers have checked in with their airlines, Paul and I hug each one and say our farewells. He and I hang around until everyone has cleared airport security before we head to Le Bistro Midore in the city to sample their cuisine. I chose a

blackened Redfish while Paul opts for his favorite, goat. We spend another couple of hours together before my ride takes me back to the guest house and he catches a tap-tap to his home on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. I’m glad God opened the door for Paul and I to spend this kind of time together.

As I make my way back to Carries and settle in for the night, I reflect on the week we had. Not only did this team serve with excellence, they came with STUFF. Each missionary contributes roughly 20 percent of the cost of the mission trip to the Mission of Grace. That is about $4,800 in direct funding from this team alone. And most of these missionaries brought an extra suitcase with them at their expense. They ended up leaving behind 11 suitcases full of new underwear and socks, cosmetics, personal care items, office supplies, toys, and much more…STUFF, including a laptop computer, 2 blenders, and 2 irons the Mission requested. Not to mention, many of these individuals left their personal clothing behind to benefit the mission…now that is sacrifice!

I know Mission of Grace and the people it serves, and the Village of Carries are happy to have spent time with Alicia, Ashley, Bruce, Deborah, Donna, Edwin, Justine, Kevia, Kristen, Linda, Mia, Vincent ,and me. And I think God is well please with what transpired this week!

It has been very hot here all week. Temperatures have been in the mid-nineties with high humidity. And the heat has taken its toll on some of the missionaries but they continue to bounce back and push through.

It’s Friday and our time for work has come to an end so we will spend this day reflecting on the goodness God has allowed our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to experience. It has been a wonderful week and this team has really put in its time, serving wherever and whenever asked. I feel this experience has been transformational for most, if not all of the missionaries. We use this day as a period of transition before we head back to our regular lives.

This morning we head to the Musee Ogier-Fombrun which is about 20 minutes west of the guest house in the town of Montrouis. This museum displays artifacts of Haiti from before it was colonized by Christopher Columbus, through the French occupation, including the time when Haitian were slaves, and more recent times which reflect the present day Haiti.

We take photos at the “processional” which depicts slaves in chains following a covered wagon as they head to the cross. This is symbolic of the way religion was used to justify slavery. We leave the museum and have a bite to eat at a nearby resort before returning to our guest house.

We are hosting the teens and young adults this afternoon and they eagerly arrive at 3:20 pm. The teens spend a little time creating personalized tee shirts and then its a love-fest as we have fun, take pictures, and say our goodbyes.