Wrapping it Up

Another trip to Haiti is history; it was certainly a worthwhile trip from several perspectives --- work accomplished, friendships strengthened, encouragement provided. In Haiti there is always much more to be done, but the people are extremely grateful for every little bit that is accomplished.

On Thursday the ceiling repairs in the apartment were completed; roof sealant was applied to the rest of the main storage shed; and scores of books were sorted in preparation for the opening of a library that is currently under construction.

Two major construction projects are underway on the La Gonave mission station: a new hospital to replace the overcrowded, 50-year old original, and a new guest house to accommodate larger groups and provide meeting space for training seminars. These projects are being spearheaded by a group from Scotland (http://www.lemonaid.org.uk/) and will rely heavily on volunteer labor. The land for the new guesthouse had been cleared before our arrival, and the last tree to be felled came down while we were there. It was fascinating to watch the Haitian workers trim the limbs and section the tree using only axes and machetes. Corner stakes for the new guest house were set, and a volunteer from New Brunswick, Canada, was operating a backhoe to level the ground.

Thursday afternoon our group was taken on a tour through the town of Anse-a-Galets and up the mountain. The views were impressive, the contrasts stark -- the bay in the distance, the mountain range beyond that on the northern arm of the mainland, the arid land where people eke out a living with small gardens and an animal or two. The road was narrow, rocky, and at times, barely passable. Yet some commute daily to the town below either on foot or by motor bike.

We also toured the saline - a flat area along the shore where folks who have no other place to live scrounge wood, blocks, tin and cloth to frame a shelter they call home.

Thursday evening we were able to enjoy a visit with the missionary families and also to identify additional projects that we were able to fund including the hiring of local labors to do some of the needed repairs.

The trip home began Friday morning at 3:30 am. Due to other schedule requirements we were provided a pre-dawn journey across the Saint Marc channel with the added benefit of watching the sun rise. The two-hour truck ride to Port-au-Prince was interrupted with a stop at a large, flat area sprinkled with crosses; We were told that more than 200,000 earthquake victims are buried here.

Following lunch we were taken on a tour of Port-au-Prince. Much of the destruction remains untouched; the palace, the cathedral and several government buildings look little different from the days immediately following the earthquake. Tent cities are still prevalent, and people walk distances and stand in lines for water. Yet, life goes on; street vendors and open air markets are open, and folks are selling their charcoal and sugar cane along the roadways.

Saturday was a typical travel day --- standing in lines, sitting in boarding lounges, sitting on airplanes. A seven hour layover in Fort Lauderdale allowed us plenty of time to feast on American food (and gave our bags a chance to get to Philadelphia before we did).

On this trip I was reminded of additional reasons for North Americans to visit our missionaries on the field. I've often observed that words and pictures are inadequate descriptions of life in Haiti; there's no substitute for being "on the ground". There is clearly much more to be done that can be accomplished by the missionaries themselves; added human and financial resources meet needs that would otherwise be delayed or overlooked. On this trip several of the missionaries commented to me how much they were encouraged just by our coming; I also realized that our presence is a statement to the Haitians that they have not been forgotten, and there is reason for hope.

Home Again

We landed in Philadelphia about 10:15, but since our checked bags took a different route, it took a while to locate them. We got home just before midnight. It was a very productive and rewarding trip. Thursday was a long day, and I didn't take time to report; Friday I had no access to internet. In the next day or so, I'll fill in the rest of the story. Thanks for all your interest and prayers.

More Work; Some Visits

It was another good day of work even though we only worked for the morning. Roof sealant was applied to the main storage shed (the depot); the remaining propane tanks were cleaned and painted. Significant progress was made on the ceiling repairs in the apartment.

After lunch we visited an orphanage in town where 61 children (24 boys and 37 girls) are being cared for. We passed out gifts of candy, toy cars, beany babies, and silly bands, and were entertained with energetic songs from both boys and girls. We also passed out crayons and pages from coloring books and visited with them as they colored.

Before supper we sat in on two English classes and had the opportunity to interact with the students. They are very eager to learn, and a discussion about a paragraph they have read often extends beyond the language to the content of the paragraph. For example, as they read about the Great Depression, they asked what caused it and wanted to explore the economic climate of the time (Why did the stock market crash? Why did the banks fail?).

Following supper we attended the advance English class, and after a lesson on past tense and negative past tense, we joined them in playing "You've Been Sentenced". It is a great tool for teaching sentence structure, syntax and vocabulary, and it provided many reasons for laughter. After each round the teacher would review parts of speech and talk about the definitions of newly encountered words.

We are down to our final day on the island. The plan is to work in the morning then tour the area around and outside the town.

A Good Days Work

A second coat of sealant was applied to the station manager's house roof. Two windows in a storage area were boarded up, caulked, and painted in preparation for storing bags of concrete. More propane tanks were cleaned and painted. A ceiling in one of the apartments showed signs of significant deterioration and termite damage. The attic floor was vacuumed and a few reinforcement boards were set in place in preparation for a new ceiling panel. Throughout the day there were opportunities to share with the missionary families and to renew friendships with nationals we have met on previous trips. Several trips to other ministries in the area are being planned.