Sunday, March 28, 2010

Home Sweet Home

I'm home! The trip was very productive. I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Thanks for your interest and prayers.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Over the Road

On Thursday we visited the sites of 5 more churches. To the west of Port-au-Prince on the southern peninsula and a two-hour drive away lies the town of Leogane, the population center closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. This city with a pre-quake population of 150,000 is estimated to have lost 25,000 of its inhabitants. In addition to the loss of life, a very large number of amputations were required. Here as in every place we visited many had lost their homes. In this society and economy the loss of home equates to a total loss since there is no such thing as insurance or savings accounts. Reports say that 90% of the city was destroyed, but as we drove through the streets (those that had been cleared) several of us wondered where the other 10% were. An interesting observation about the city is that it had been the center of voodoo worship for the country; the focal point building for voodoo worship had been damaged but not destroyed; the people will likely have to raze the building. The Wesleyan church was severely damaged and the school, in which 800 students were enrolled in grades K - Primary, was completely destroyed.

Another hour drive west and a skillful driver who guided the van away from the several fissures in the road surface brought us to Fond Doux. The church was built by Haitians more than 40 years ago; the damage can be repaired at the cost of significant replacement and reinforcement of reinforced posts and tie beams. Church attendance is 200, and the school enrollment is 500. Two of the Pastor's daughters were in school in Port-au-Prince and died in the earthquake. One was 18; the other was 21 and had just graduated and was ready to face life. The Pastor said "God loved them more than I did, and I loved them a lot. I miss them, but I cannot argue with God."

Retracing our path to the east, the next stop was Petit Goave. This is another large church with a school enrollment of 1000 in grades K-12. This site will require extensive rebuilding. Also in this location is a campground that was the site of a clinic used by first responders. As we were leaving Petit Goave, we stop for a funeral to pass by.

At Carrefour Dufort and again at Papaette we saw damage that requires a demolition and rebuild. In both instances the church attendance has increased since the earthquake, and school enrollment is over 450.

Today we traveled to La Gonave, an island in the middle of the gulf between the northern and southern peninsulas. There is a hospital in the town of Anse-a-Galet that has cared for the 125,000 inhabitants of the island for over 50 years. In the days following the earthquake, people from Port-au-Prince sought refuge in Anse-a-Galet, and the population of the city swelled from about 20,000 to 40,000. The hospital building is old and has sustained some damage. The patients are fearful of sleeping inside for fear of aftershocks bringing down more of the concrete roof. There are now several army tents and other tents set up in the courtyard to house the patients. Providentially, plans were already in the works for a rebuilding of the hospital.

Our short tour of selected impacted sites has come to a close. It is clear that: the need is enormous; the resources are limited; we cannot meet all the needs; and there are many humanitarian organizations involved in Haitian relief. The task now is to determine what responses from us are appropriate, feasible and meaningful. A quote from Edward Everett Hale seems germane. “I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

Thursday, March 25, 2010

One More Link

One more link has been added to the sources of information. It is the blog of a professional photographer who is traveling with the team.

Around the Town

Of the 106 Wesleyan churches in Haiti 21 have either been demolished or rendered unusable by the effects of the earthquake. Many of the churches also operate schools. The plan is to visit several of those sites and hear about the possibilities for rebuilding.

On Wednesday we visited the sites of 5 churches in the greater Port-au-Prince area. At Carrefour Feuilles we saw the remains of the largest Wesleyan church in Haiti where as many as 2000 gather for Sunday worship and 1000 gather daily for prayer at 6:00 am. There are still many large chunks of concrete hanging precariously from deformed rebar high above street level. The church must be razed and the site cleared before rebuilding can begin. A few blocks away is the school; two large tarps have been strung above the concrete playground, and that area now serves as the meeting place for the worship services. A few blocks away lie the remains of another school where it is reported that at least 300 and perhaps as many as 1000 bodies are still buried in the rubble.

At Petionville all that remains of the church building is the concrete slab and piles of rubble. The church in Martissant is situated on a large (by Haitian standards) property in an area of the city that had great potential for growth. The main building is an old theater; the largest section is structurally sound but the interior needs to be completely remodeled. The smaller section is no longer usable; it has been structurally damaged by the earthquake and also has water damage from underground. A secondary building on the property will have to come down.

At Cite Soleil the ground floor of the building is no longer usable; as a result, schooling must be moved outside. The sanctuary on the upper level is usable, but given the state of the ground floor, the path of wisdom may be to completely rebuild. At Mais Gate half of the roof has been removed and much of the security fence has been destroyed. The Pastor's house nearby was destroyed by the earthquake. The Pastor was out of the house; his son had just left the house and was able to rescue both his mother and his sister from the rubble.

In every location the people demonstrate a resilient attitude, express a steadfast faith in God, and resolve to move forward.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Yet Another Link

Another link has been added to the sources of information. It is the blog of Global Partner missionary Lowell and Robin Adams.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

On the Ground

We have arrived in Port-au-Prince! The flights were relatively on-time. However, since the terminal building had been damaged and is not structurally sound, immigration has been moved to a hanger type building, and we were bused from the old terminal to immigration. Then on to baggage claim. Consider: two fully loaded jumbo jets arrived within minutes of each other; all the baggage was moved from the baggage carts to the claim area by hand where it sat all together as passengers tried to identify their baggage from behind the crowd control tape. Finally, two hours after touch down we were on our way to the guest house for the night. We're staying tonight at the "Gilles" guest house in the northern section of Port-au-Prince. Missionaries Carl and Maya Gilles moved into this guest house with the purpose of hosting visiting teams as they travel through Port. Although did not sustain major damage in the earthquake, it's structural integrity has been somewhat compromised. We meet and eat in the house, but many visitors sleep on mattresses in tents outside. Some do sleep on mattresses near the doorways so a ready exit can be made if necessary.

We met other missionaries here, and Joy had prepared a tasty dinner of rice and chicken with cake for dessert. Follow the meal our team met with Dan to hear about the planning that has been done with respect to rebuilding the damaged churches. Over the next couple days he will be leading us on tours of several of the damaged or destroyed churches and sharing some more or the possibilities that lie ahead.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Off We Go

Tomorrow I am scheduled to join six others on a 5-day visit to Haiti. This trip has been coordinated by Global Partners (GP), the mission arm of The Wesleyan Church, and is being lead by the GP General Director and the Area Director who is resident in Haiti. The team includes individuals from Cherryville, PA, Greensboro, NC, Mitchell, SD, Rock Island, IL, and Tuscaloosa, AL. The purpose of this "Rebuilding Haiti Vision Tour" is to experience first hand the life in post-earthquake Haiti, to learn about the next steps in rebuilding, and to understand ways that the North American church can provide practical assistance in a timely manner.

My (ideal) plan is to publish a post each day. However, I've learned that ideal plans are seldom realized, and that any plan involving Haiti is certain to be modified (sometimes frequently). Realization of this ideal plan depends on at least three factors: sufficient time in the day for me to compose something coherent, availability of an internet access point, and a live, functioning internet. None of these factors is guaranteed.

Some additional information about Haiti (pre-earthquake) and the involvement of The Wesleyan Church and the local church I attend can be found on the local church website.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Another link

Another link has been added to the sources of information. It is a collection of interviews and stories from some of the first responders. It is a must read!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sources of Information

There are many web sites that provide information about the impact of the Haiti earthquake and various relief and re-building activities and plans. Listed below are some sites that I have been following; from time to time they provide reports of the situation and activities in Haiti.

http://web.mac.com/skipbaumhower/iWeb/Haiti/
One of the team members is a professional photographer. This is a blog from him.

http://gpcaribeatlantic.com/
Global Partners is the missions outreach ministry of The Wesleyan Church. Dan Irvine is the area Director for the Caribe-Atlantic Area (Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, and a couple smaller islands in the Caribbean). This web site provides “on-location” updates.

http://www.wesleyan.org/gp/Haiti
Interviews and stories from some of the first responders. This is a must read!

http://actuallyhelpinghaiti.blogspot.com/
Two laymen from upstate New York were not willing to sit and wait. This web site reports their ventures in finding ways to get food and fuel to the residents and missions staff in Anse-a-Galets on La Gonave.

http://haitiwish.org/
West Indies Self Help (WISH) is a partner in ministry on La Gonave. They provide water and ice for the town and also electricity for the hospital and mission station.

http://www.worldhope.org/
World Hope International is a faith-based relief and development organization alleviating suffering and injustice through education, enterprise and community health. In Haiti they have a staff of about 60 people.

http://www.cultureandsensitivity.blogspot.com/

Dr. Steve Edmondson was one of the first doctors from North America on the ground in Haiti responding to the earthquake. This web site is his blog.

http://www.wesleyan.org/doc/relief

Selected articles are posted on The Wesleyan Church Department of Communications web site.


Other blogs that are updated from time to time (some more frequently than others).

http://www.equiphaiti.com/

Carl and Maya Gilles and their children are Global Partner career missionaries focused on equipping Haitian nationals to be spiritual leaders for their people. They also host visiting ministry teams in their guest house in Port-au-Prince.

http://villagehealtheducation.blogspot.com/
Lowell and Robin Adams and their children are Global Partner career missionaries focused on
community health.

http://portmargot.blogspot.com/
Dr. Kris Thede along with her husband and family are Global Partner career missionaries at Fauche Station, in northern Haiti near Port Margo. She was one of the first on the scene in the areas most devastated by the earthquake.

http://doseofdi.blogspot.com/
Diane Busch is a physician assistant serving for a year in the hospital on La Gonave and was one of the first responders to the mainland.

http://www.justine-steps.blogspot.com/

Justine Iskat is a short-term missionary whose focus has shifted to supporting the logistical needs of the recovery effort.

http://cksloan.blogspot.com/
Chris and Kath Sloan are short-term missionaries who are sharing their time between Fauche station in the north and the guest house in Port-au-Prince where they assist in hosting ministry teams.

Why this Blog?

From time to time I’ve had the opportunity to join others in traveling to Haiti (and other countries) and spending time working with our missionaries and the nationals on-site. On each of these occasions I’ve attempted to maintain contact with the folks back home by means of periodic emails. The management of email distribution lists adds administrivia and provides no assurance of a reasonable distinction between those who have interest and those who do not.

The earthquake in Haiti on January 12 has piqued the interest of many. Several months prior to that time I had planned a return trip to Haiti for April 2010. Not until February 15 did I receive confirmation that the April trip was still on the schedule. Since that time I’ve also been given the opportunity to join a team on March 23 for a 5-day tour of sites where we might be able to help re-establish meeting facilities for some of our national churches.

So --- I decided to use this blog instead of email as a means of sharing experiences, observations and thoughts. You are welcome to tell other interested persons about this blog.