Category: Haiti2017

We rent a van and head 15 minutes down the road on FRIDAY MORNING to visit a Haitian cultural museum. The tour guide is fantastic and provides detailed historical information on the indigenous tribes who inhabited Haiti, the various revolutions and wars, as well as the enslaving and emancipation of the island’s inhabitants. Later that afternoon the young people in the village come over for some beach time. Not only do they swim but the mission team treats them to water sports including a water taxi which takes them along the coast, and kayaking. Most had never been in a boat before since “only rich people could do that”. Well I guess there are about 30 new “rich” people in the Village of Carries. We know this is an experience they won’t ever forget. Our goodbyes are emotionally ladened and I see several missionaries crying as they embrace these folks for the last time THIS YEAR.

The staff at Mission of Grace close out our evening by thanking us for our hard work and the love we showered on the village. They also share with us that our team is responsible for 25 new scholarships at the school. That means there are TWENTY-FIVE children whose tuition has been paid for the year because of the efforts of this team. One of my friends in the DMV specifically asked for three kindergarten-aged girls and I was able to hook her up with these young ladies shown below. And Judy and I have added another young man to our extended family. His name is Messi and he is 5 years old. He lives with his parents and 2 sisters. His favorite color is yellow and he aspires to be a lawyer. Praise the Lord!

A few hearty souls (translated: crazy) got up early SATURDAY MORNING and take a trek up the mountain to get an early morning view. We walk uphill for about 30 minutes and arrive at a point that is about 1,000 above sea level. It’s 2,500 feet to the top of the mountain however the view from here is stunning. We don’t have a lot of time to enjoy it as we have to get back to the guest house for breakfast. After eating we gather our luggage and board the vans for the ride to the airport in Port Au Prince. Our driver tells us there are traffic jams on the way into town but that is not unusual. However the 90 minute ride did take us about 2.5 hours so we have to hurry and unload the baggage. Fortunately my sons David and Paul are there to assist and make quick work of it. Thankfully all of the team make their flights on time and arrive home safely.

After I got everyone through airport security I was able to relax some. David, Paul and I hang around the city and decide to get a bite to eat. They each ordered curried goat and I chose a conch dish since I was told this delicacy is better in Haiti than any other Caribbean Island. Paul asked me what seemed like a thousand questions but I didn’t mind. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with them and I know it’s his way of getting to know me better. We get back to the airport around 4pm so I can meet up with my driver and head back to Carries. I plan to visit them and their families in a week or so. I will also endeavor to have them spend some time with me in Carries

Thursday we send teams to the school, senior home, little orphanage, the Grace orphanage and the construction project. Mrs Lyn Joseph, the founder of Mission of Grace, shared with us that the children at the orphanage she runs ARE NOT orphans. Even though their birth parents no longer care for them, she and her husband are their parents so she insists we call them “Children of Grace”. Indeed as you enter the compound these words are inscribed on the gates.

I receive word that the team that went to the school today turned it out. The report was the children were having so much fun learning that the principal was alarmed and was headed over there to see what was going on. It is a blessing that they had such a great time learning. To that end, most Haitians take education very seriously. Children are expected to arrive at school on time in clean and neat uniforms. Most of the classrooms our teams visited did not have any lights, doors, or windows. There are window and door cutouts but nothing in them. Most classes have either chalk boards or dry eraser boards but the writing utensils, chalk, pens, etc. are in short supply. None of these things seem to dampen the students enthusiasm nor the teachers resolve to teach.

I also received word that things were popping at the Grandma/Grandpa House. The team was there to celebrate the birthday of two of the residents. I understand the music was loud and secular, and a couple of them got on the dance floor and never slowed down. They dined on cup cakes, had party favors, and the celebrants were even gussied up for the occasion. They seemed to really enjoy the love and attention they received. One of our team members shared that as they walked back through the village after the celebration several villagers stopped them to inquire about the shenanigans they heard about happening up on the hill.

I joined in with the construction team in the morning as we continued to build the house for the cook at the soup kitchen. It’s remarkable how the workers are able to precisely place the blocks without the benefit of the tools and equipment we use in the States.

In the afternoon we disperse teams to the little orphanage and the Grandma/Grandpa house where the residents receive massages and mani/pedis. It’s a pleasure to see the joy on their faces as they are pampered by the team. A couple of the ladies insist on having back massages and start to take off their clothes right there on the porch…too funny. There is also one young man who is confined to a wheelchair but sits patiently waiting for a massage. The smile on his face as a member of the team finally begins to work on his legs and feet is absolutely priceless. Our goodbyes are a little emotional as we realize this is the last time we will have the opportunity to visit with them. I witness one team member begin to cry openly as a resident prolongs the embrace all the while whispering “thank you” over and over again. Pictured below is a resident proudly showing her manicure, the residents being pampered, and the view from the front porch of their residence.

Each evening after we have finished dinner we spend a little time discussing the high and low points of the day. Thursday evening is a very emotional one. The team has become very attached to the residents we have served this week and the plight of some of them tug at the heart strings. Admittedly it’s difficult to see people suffering and NOT be moved. More importantly it dawns on the team that today is the last workday and we will not get to spend any more time in the village during this mission. One missionary insists that she NEEDS to go back to the clinic one last time and repeatedly asks my permission but I cannot grant her request. While I look upon their tears I remind the team that God called each of us to do a specific task and that that task has been completed. And as difficult as it may be, they must accept the reality that “their calling” has been fulfilled and they must “shift gears” and prepare to return home. It is my sincere prayer that their lives have been permanently changed and they, just like me, will be committed to doing all they can to help support and sustain the underprivileged and underserved people of Haiti.

 

The mission team is so large that we split into 3 groups of six and go to different places in the village. Today, Tuesday October 24th we spend time on a construction project, in the clinic, at the orphanage and the elderly home. The team that went to the clinic had the opportunity to pray with various patients waiting to see the doctor and helped organize the office area. The team that visited the elderly home got to work on arts and crafts projects, paint fingernails and toenails for the residents and even gave massages. They also spent time praying with people. The orphanage visit was a time of straight up fun. The team blew bubbles and played games with the children. Many of the little kids found a pair of arms or a lap to cuddle in. I heard that one of our missionaries was captured on camera asleep in a rocking chair with a child in his lap…how very precious.

I went along to assist the construction team. The projects involved building a set of wooden steps leading into the church and demolishing an outdoor shed on a nearby home. I was truly impressed with the tenacity and willing spirit of this female-dominated crew. Many had never used a power tool before but, after some brief instructions, they became masters of measuring and cutting lengths of wood for the risers and treads of the stairs using a tape measure, speed square (I bet you don’t know what that is), power saw, cordless drill, a hammer and nails. This was truly a Black Girl Magic moment!

On Wednesday our assignments are to spend time in the clinic, at the school, the orphanage, the teen girls home, the “little” orphanage and another construction project. Wednesday is “mother’s day” so our team gets to see the “clinic in a can” in operation and they are awed by it. They also shared that an elderly man came into the hospital complaining of a pain on his leg. It turned out he has skin cancer but there is little the doctor can do for him because they lack the medicines to treat this disease. One of the team members gave him some money so that he could go to another hospital about 3 hours away for possible treatment. The group that went to the teen girls home reported that they had a great time playing Jenga and line-dancing. And the team that spent time at the orphanage had a ball playing board games and Uno with the children. In fact I got to witness the end of one very rambunctious game.

I spent the first part of the morning with a Pre-K class at the school. We went over the alphabets in both Kreyol and English and then focused on vowel pronunciations and counting from one to ten. After attending school a couple of us dropped in on the construction site.

Today a team is helping to build a home for the lady who cooks at the soup kitchen. This person is hard working and sacrifices a lot to help her fellow man. She cooks for an average of 200-300 people daily who show up for a meal. Home construction is very labor intensive utilizing cement and concrete blocks. It involves sifting sand to remove the rocks and pebbles, and then mixing in cement and water to make the concrete. Our team helps out where we can but the 84 year old “boss” is doing most of the intricate work of making sure the blocks are laid down perfectly straight and plumb. Take a look at her existing home in this picture below and the construction process in the succeeding ones.

Wednesday afternoon a group visited what we call the “little orphanage”. It is a very small house which is home to 21 children. It was adopted by the mission a little over a year ago although it is managed separately. Mission of Grace has provided beds for the children there, and will occasionally give them food and other assistance when asked. The children attend a school associated with a nearby church which sponsors the orphanage. I enjoyed my time there last year and insisted it be a part of our agenda this year. The team brings arts and crafts projects, coloring books, bubbles, and some board games. We also treat them to some candy. There is one little girl who is obviously suffering from prolonged malnutrition. She scooped up almost immediately by one of our team members who did not put her down until it was time for us to leave. I will definitely make this a stop on our agenda again on Thursday and I will also put ask our mission administrators to look in on this child to get her some medical attention.

We have to pass by the Mission Of Grace orphanage on our way back home and decided to go inside to give and receive some loving.

 

VERY EARLY in the morning on Saturday October 21, 2017, 18 missionaries representing the Bates Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Herndon, Virginia, Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Glenarden, Maryland traveled to Port Au Prince, Haiti to begin our missional journey in Carries, Haiti. This represents the coming together of people who hadn’t met each other however, each had purposed in their heart to be a blessing to the kingdom of God. The sunrise I captured from the plane made the early start to my day much more palatable.

After church service on Sunday thirty excited teenagers and young adults from the village came over for a time of fellowship. We brought printed photos of them from last year’s mission and they mounted them on foam boards. They then decorated the borders. It was truly a fun time for them AND us. I feel what mattered most to them was not what we did, but rather that WE shared our time together.

On Monday the team visited the various ministries which make up the Mission of Grace. They include the church, a school, clinic/hospital, soup kitchen, elderly home, orphanage, teen girls home, young men’s home, and a single mothers home. Haiti does not have a public school system so most schools are privately run and charge tuition. The Grace School charges $200 and the children get two uniforms, books and supplies, a backpack and they are fed two meals a day. The school has 250 students from Pre-K to 7th grade.

There is new technology at the hospital. It is a self-contained unit which allows the doctor to perform sonograms and other diagnostic treatments on the patients. This donated “clinic” was not originally intended for Carries but God saw fit to bless them with it. They perform tests using this equipment on Wednesdays and our team is anxious to see it in action.

After the visiting the hospital, we visit the school and the elderly home. The Grandma/Grandpa House, as it is affectionately called is home to 15 people. Most are elderly but some are there because they were abandoned and have no where else to go. Mission of Grace is committed to making sure the elderly in the village who don’t have relatives are cared for and, when they transition, they have a proper burial.

We end our “tour” at the orphanage which is home to about 65 children. They are excited that there are missionaries in the village and we spread out so that we can love on as many of them as possible. We end our day leading bible study with the men in the village.