Haiti Day Six

Hey, remember these lyrics, “We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there”? Well, that does not apply to Haiti. In Haiti it’s, “We’ve got a short way to go and a long time to get there.” Seriously, today was a frustrating and horrifying day.
It started out nice enough. Debbie and I interacted with Linda (right) and Louisetta (left) (that's me in the middle) today laughing and learning Creole.

We were waiting for Sister Inez to call so we could arrange to pick her up in Petionville and take her to the orphanage that she runs with her husband. Petionville is about 10 miles from base camp. We got half way there and then sat in traffic for about 2 hours. When we got to the cause of the stoppage, a traffic accident right in front of the open air market, we get a call from Pastor Guy (pronounced Gee) saying that he has picked up Sister Inez and was coming in the opposite direction and that we should watch for him so he could pass her to our vehicle. Ha ha. We pulled off to a side road and sat for 30 minutes or so when we get another call saying that the trip was off. It was too late in the day.
Driving in Haiti is a real nail biter. They drive on the right side, most of the time, but rarely stay there for long. Between cars passing you on the right and motorcycles passing you on the left, you get squeezed. There are many narrow escapes. I don’t recall if I have seen any vehicle without a dent or scrape. As least they honk at you to warn you they are passing you. It is very dangerous to drive in Haiti. And oh by the way, pedestrians do not have the right of way. That brings me back to my day.
When we headed back we decided to go pass the camp to a craft market on the road to the airport. It gets pretty congested around the only stop light in Port au Prince near the taptap transfer station. We got caught in another traffic jam and just sat a waited. As traffic inched along we finally got to see what the hold up was. We don’t know how it happened but the result was a truck on top of a motorcyclist and a sheet on top of two other motorcyclists.
Everyday there are literally thousands of people on the streets going every which way minding their own business in whatever way they want. This experience may make my husband happy because now I won’t be scared when I think he is getting too close to the car next to us.
Awe…back to our oasis called Base Camp. Despite what goes on outside the security of our gated property, there are good things happening at Base Camp 2 (the church property). The slab is set for the church building. The steel prefab building however has been in customs since April waiting on signatures. Keep praying for its release. Our team has been working diligently with the Haitian workers to complete the bunk house that will sleep 24 future team members and gives them a meeting place. The bath house is almost completed which has its own water tower. The water is pumped into it from the well that also provides the community with water. The outside facets will be turned on for 3-4 hours a day allowing the tent camp and local families that live in the area come for “living water.”
Tomorrow the guys will frame for a slab to be poured by the next team arriving Saturday for the generator. I get to help put together bunk beds. Yeah, I get to use a drill. Something the Haitian men have not yet mastered. Erika (17 years old) used the drill today and the guys were amazed because she just powered her way through it perfectly. This is just one of the many differences in our early childhood learning experiences. Tomorrow afternoon we hope to make it to Sister Inez’s orphanage. It should not be as difficult since we don’t have to go through Petionville.
Oh my friends what makes it all worth it is challenging the Haitians that come to the church and teach them self sufficiency. Did you read our mission statement? Haitians must learn to do for themselves if they are to make it. They can’t depend on outside help to make life work for them. We will teach them to farm fish, raise chickens for eggs and meat, and grow hydroponic vegetables here on the property, We want them to take what they learn here into their community and do it for themselves. That is how Haiti will change.

Haiti Day Five

Today was a very relaxing day. There was no food distributions to make or sheds to organize. I went with Pastor Debbie to the food mart to pick up fixings for American hamburgers. I asked the Haitian workers if they wanted to taste American food and they got very excited. They all want to come to America. I tried to make it a great experience for them. The problem is that I needed to cook the meat well done. Everyone knows burgers are burgers unless they are medium. The buns here are very dry so they fell apart somewhat. But all in all they group like American hamburgers. I gave them dill pickles too but they did not like the taste of them. "Too sour."
After lunch, I sat down with Pastor Debbie and put the final touches on the menu (in Creole) for the ladies who do the cooking. It helped me learn more Creole. Its easier than French. The ladies tried my hamburgers too. Linda really liked the pickles. Louisa ate half and took the other half home to her husband. Both were very interested in how to prepare American food. Their typical meal is rice and beans. They probably eat that every day.
We also finished the Foursquare Haiti Mission Statement:

"A Beautiful Haiti Living Abundantly in Jesus Christ"

The Mission of Foursquare Haiti

1. Advancing the Kingdom. Make disciples and plant churches. We teach people to do what Jesus commanded. Matt 28:19,20

2. Education. Raise the standard of education with ongoing teacher training, superior curriculum and resources and a lunch program. Enable the Haitians to do for themselves by looking to self sufficiency projects like raising chickens for eggs and meat, operating a fish farm or raising fruit and vegetable crops. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and feed him for a lifetime.”

3. Relief. Bring food water and shelter, the basic necessities of life to Children of Promise Homes for orphaned and abandoned children. Facilitate medical care and medicine to assist those who are in need.

4. Compassion. Establish Children of Promise Homes and raise the level of care and nurture to orphaned and abandoned children. Provide loving training and teaching because they are our future leaders. Through these relationships we reach out other such homes in Haiti.

We ended the evening at the Sugar Cane Restaurant for dinner. Despite our 6pm reservation and preordered meal, we did not get served until 7:15. What can I tell you. We are on Haitian time. It happens when it happens. Time is different here making plans hard to keep to.
Earlier in the day when we went to make the reservations, the traffic in front of the US Embassy was halted to a stop. A group of Haitians were demonstrating for the return of Aristide. They were chanting and yelling in the middle of the street. With the news that Celestin has withdrawn from the election, maybe they feel Aristide will come back. But why would they want him back?

Personal reflection: I have been feeling a little low today. No particular reason that I can think of. Lonely maybe. I usually have Harry to share my experiences with. This is one adventure I did by myself. I felt like a stranger going through my work email today. Do all people on a mission trip feel this way?

Tomorrow is promising. We are going to another children’s home with 60 kids. They are not part of Foursquare but we help them often. We are taking some Manna for the kids. I understand the conditions at this home are just as deplorable as Bishops was. It’s easy to show compassion, but hard to say goodbye at the end of the visit. They are desperate. We are doing what we can.