MY HAITI EXPERIENCE :: A VOLUNTEER'S PERSPECTIVE

First Visit to Haiti:  May 19th – May 24th , 2011

"I can't believe I waited so long to go to Haiti! My heart is so full of all the amazing, beautiful people I met. The children at Maranatha warmed up to me so quickly. I wish I could see them all again today! They are full of smiles, laughter, curiosity and energy and loved any attention we gave them! 

True, the country is rough physically with rubble, rocks, and trash everywhere but love, patience, and beauty surprised me in the faces of the kind Haitians who were so happy to see us and grateful for our friendship and help.

We spent most of our time at the orphanage and visiting the poor. I was amazed at how we were welcomed so many places because of the many friends Mike has made through his love for and generosity to the poor.

Why did I finally make a trip to Haiti? The encouragement of a good friend and a Bible passage Pastor Scott shared in a recent sermon set the trip in motion. After hearing Galatians 6, I read the passage for myself and my mind kept coming back to verses 2 and 6.
Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Reflecting on these verses brought me to a point of decision. With Mike’s involvement in ministry to the poor in Haiti over the past ten years, I had long stood before an open door of opportunity but fears, contentment with my comfortable life, and a cold heart kept me from stepping out and obeying this Scripture. One evening early in May, I sat at the computer and purchased a ticket to Port au Prince, Haiti to coincide with Mike’s next trip which was just three weeks away. I knew that if I didn't’t go now, I might miss the opportunity.

I’m not sure how much good I accomplished during one short visit, but I understand the burdens that my Haitian friends daily carry as I never could before:  the poverty, trash, rubble, dirty water, hunger, unemployment, sickness, abandonment, danger, open sewage, no hope for a future…. However, these are not the things I carried home in my heart. I returned with the joyful memories of excited children surrounding me, grateful eyes, kind friends making my stay as comfortable as possible, and beautiful voices singing. What follows is a journal of the five days I spent in Haiti. Thank you, friends and family, for your interest, support and prayers. I invite you to take a moment to visit Haiti with me through my daily journal.

May 19th Maurice’s familiar face and warm greeting in the airport parking lot made me feel at ease in this country so different than my own. I was touched by his obvious pleasure at my visit. The drive to the LFTW guest house was shorter than I had expected. No explanation could have prepared me for the rough, rocky, reckless roads of Haiti or the trash that is piled up almost everywhere you can see. People mingled with cars, trucks and bikes with the fastest and biggest getting the right of way. Horns were a necessity to alert other drivers, pedestrians, and animals to move out of the way. I don’t recall seeing any stop lights or stop signs. Aggressive driving was the only way to move forward!

Pulling up to a gate, Maurice honked the horn and the gate was quickly rolled aside to allow us to drive into the courtyard. The girls affectionately greeted me, also pleased that I had finally come. I didn’t respond quickly to being addressed as “bleau” or “madam” so I’m afraid I appeared inattentive at times. We spent Friday evening getting acquainted and enjoying the good food prepared by Saulange. I’m sure it was a disappointment to them to find that I could not speak Creole like Mike. We took a quick trip to the neighborhood grocery store, one of the few places with air conditioning. Mike let the girls pick out a favorite drink from the cooler. I noticed that Wideline was careful to choose for Simon – eggnog. I was happy with a big bunch of locally grown bananas (to be my breakfast for the week) and plenty of good bottled water.

May 20th The days are long in Haiti. The sun is up before I am and with electricity in the guesthouse, activity continues into the evening. The girls were eager to see me in the morning. Behanda’s eyes lit up when Mike asked her in Creole if she wanted to make a bead bracelet with me. Saulange brought a chair to our table and was quick to pick up the pattern using the hemp cord and beads I had brought. Behanda was creative and made rings using the smaller glass beads and elastic cord. Wideline joined us creating her own necklace pattern and adding a metal cross from another piece of jewelry. When I left to visit the orphanage, she was still working on this project. Later in the evening, she showed me a matching bracelet she had made. I asked her to show me her finished necklace and she pointed to Simon. I could see that she had given her handiwork to Simon. She is a very caring young lady. Her English is very limited, but that does not discourage her from taking me by the hand, grabbing a chair and just sitting by me communicating in her friendly way with smiling eyes and quick hands. Esdras, Behanda’s brother, surprised me by making a bracelet Haitian style with my name woven into it. I was pleased to see how the bracelets that have come home to us from Haiti are made. The young people are clever with their fingers and creative!

By early afternoon, we were finally on our way to Maranatha. The school is conveniently located just off the main road. It was a dream come true to see the children whose faces I have poured over for close to 10 years. Maurice and his wife were there to welcome us. School had just let out for the day, so children were leaving as we arrived. Maurice was also preparing to leave for his university class in Port au Prince. The children were very friendly. I was impressed by Nathalie who joined the older women cooking for the children. The younger boys were helpful too. They were quick to take charge of the kid goats we had in the back of the SUV. I was happy to see them running from the storage area to the kitchen with canned goods for the cooks. They all gathered in the boys’ house to eat a meal as we were leaving. I found it hard to believe that 18 boys sleep in the two rooms with tall Babytchand sleeping in a child’s bunk. The girl’s house is not so crowed but was stifling hot. The older children at the orphanage need extra support to pay for their attendance at a local secondary school. Maranatha is still their home, but they have outgrown the school. Babytchand, Stanley, and Steevenson, our high school students, looked sharp walking home in their neat uniforms! Stanley’s English was impressive!

May 21 We loaded the SUV with water bottles and cameras and drove to the orphanage to attend the Saturday prayer meeting. I was especially glad to see our children from the orphanage participating in the worship time. They took turns at the bongo drums and passed around other homemade instruments. A most precious moment was when Francsesca, sitting two rows in front of me, turned around, reached out her hand and took mine. She has a beautiful smile and words weren’t necessary to express her welcome. The meeting began with singing and was interspersed with prayer and preaching. They gave me the best gift I could have asked for – their prayers as they gathered around me. It was the second time I had been blessed by prayer. Kneeling by my bed that morning, Martine prayed for me and then I for her. Neither of us could understand the other’s prayer but our Father and Creator of all languages understood!  After the meeting, a mother of ten children approached me asking for help. I directed her to Mike and she pled with him to help her. He told the whole group that they must pray that he would not have to pay the customs tax on our recently shipped vehicle so that there would be more money for the poor. Other women with children gathered around and it crushed Mike’s heart to not be able to help them. He sat on the ground with little Guerline fingering his hair as Claudens tried to better explain the situation to the desperate women.

After the service, we took Hernande Maurice to her house. An amazing network of rocky streets with piles of rubble and sloppy potholes make an obstacle course adventure out of any drive. I don’t see how a vehicle lasts even one year in Haiti! The Maurice house was repaired after the earthquake and enjoys shade from the native trees I have yet to learn to identify. Hernande has the convenience of running water, but the stove in the tiny kitchen sits unused. She dreams of having working appliances in a new kitchen. The courtyard behind the house is where the food preparation takes place over a fire. It is shared by the other relatives who live in dwellings nearby.

Back at the guest house Simon’s friend Phillip pulled out an English hymnbook and asked me which hymns I knew. It worked better when I suggested he pick a song he knew, and so together we sang Blessed Assurance, Near the Cross and I Surrender All. Phillip’s English is fair and he was kind to work at conversation with me. The language barrier makes communication tedious, so it is refreshing to have a conversation in English. I am so slow to learn the Creole words and phrases, even with very patient teachers! Having a way to enter the everyday world of the people around me really helps build a satisfying connection when words are few.  For those inclined to fashion, doing manicures & pedicures and braiding hair is a fun thing to do together. Every day one of the girls gave me a different style of braid. It was especially appropriate in the hot climate! On my next trip I would like to spend more time working with the girls, learning to cook and do laundry Haitian style. Crafts also were a great way to spend time together as well as singing. The digital camera always gathered people. Whether at the house or the orphanage everyone wanted their picture taken. Saturday evening my camera got a workout after the wedding reception that was held at the LFTW guest house. The girls had spent two days preparing for the event and were excited to pose repeatedly for photographs.

May 22 Sunday was a full day of activity. We overloaded the SUV with rice, beans, a kid goat, chickens, watermelons and bananas. Not too far down the road we felt a wobble in a front wheel so we stopped to check it out. The vehicle was unloaded and we found a shady spot to wait while the wheel was removed and inspected. Thankfully nothing was wrong and we were soon on our way. Our first stop was at the home of a humble family and long time friend of Mike. They were delighted by our visit and the rice, beans, and watermelon we brought. They showed us the cooking pots Mike and given them on a different visit. The husband is a mason and works whenever he can. The wife has a table under a tarp where she sells a little food. Their hut is pieced together with cardboard and metal scraps and holds one piece of furniture, a bed. A baby was in her mother's arms when we arrived and the two-year old was napping on a piece of cardboard on the ground inside the stifling shack. The oldest of the 5 children, Esther, smiled the whole time, so happy to see us. The older children dream of going to school... again there is that painful feeling of being able to do so little for them. And yet we also felt such peace and joy being with them because of their gratitude and patience in the midst of their problems.

As we neared the Maranatha, Mike turned on a street opposite the orphanage looking for the land we hope to purchase for the future building site. Unbelievably steep, rough paths eventually led us to our destination. My favorite moment was when I saw a little boy running to meet us and recognized him as little Wilby, sponsored by John Hoffmaster. Other children were quick to gather in this remote location. They are used to walking everywhere and where excited to be a part of the picture taking. Before we pulled away, one of the boys extended his hand towards me with a gift of three small dusky blue eggs with brown speckles. I tucked them into my shirt pocket and the kids at the orphanage later admired them.

On the way back to the orphanage we visited a woman whose husband left her with 5 children to go with another woman to the Dominican Republic. Mike listened to her story and gave her some rice, beans, and a watermelon. An unmarried twenty-one year old girl expecting her first child also listened gravely to Mike’s reprimand and was grateful to receive his help.
Back at Maranatha, Mike invited five of the boys from the orphanage (Stanley, Nicolas, Steevenson, Allen, and Enold) to join us on an excursion to deliver gifts from sponsors to students who lived nearby. They were proud to show the way, guiding us through the amazing network of winding paths that lace the hilly countryside.  I couldn't believe how far and rough the walk is for many of our students.
Our first stop was Francsesca’s house, a shelter put up by Samaritan’s Purse after the earthquake. We delivered a gift from her sponsor as well as a kid goat, rice, and bananas.

The boys also knew where Tomsley lived, and we gave him a birthday gift from his sponsor as well as a bag of rice. Tomsley is such a handsome boy with a respectful, confident demeanor. He is really blessed to have a devoted sponsor family. I wish we could have stayed to see him try out his remote control car!  Mike read and interpreted the greeting and message in the card and made sure Tomsley received the money gift. Sitting at the foot of tree in a neighbor’s yard was a little girl with a mental disability. She wasn’t able to speak well and relied on the kindness of neighbors for shelter, food, and clothes since her mother had died. For me, that was one of the most painful moments of the trip. This child was so needy, so defenseless.
Finding Christelle Dena’s house was very difficult. When we finally parked the vehicle and followed the boy we had picked up who said he knew the way, we had to climb a narrow path and crawl through a broken fence to access her little hut. And there, sitting on a concrete slab was a beautiful princess in clean, brightly colored clothes holding a naked six month old baby. We gave her a bag of rice, a chicken and a stainless steel bowl filled with bananas. As we were leaving, I was the last to climb back through the fence. As I turned around for one last look, Christelle reached out, grabbed my hand, smiled and said “Bye, bye.”
Back at Maranatha, the kids were excited with the treat bags Vera had prepared for me to hand out filled with peanuts and dried fruit. Allen was quick to motion to the broken bits left in the bag in my hand – what I considered trash was precious to him!
The drive home was lengthened by a stop on the roadside to cool the car down. We really put it to the test with the hill climbing, extra weight, and overall extreme driving conditions. It was almost dark by the time we got home. Sylvia graciously washed the bird egg contents out of my shirt and Martine made my shoes the whitest they had been since I bought them!

May 23 Simon was our driver for this day. After stopping to purchase rice, beans, and oil we once again headed for the orphanage. Classes were in session when we arrived so we visited each room, greeting the children and taking pictures. The sixth grade class welcomed us with a beautiful worship song sung in clear English. After the tour, we took pictures of 20 students for our website’s sponsor page. I really liked meeting each child whose name I had typed out in large print for picture taking back in our office in Indiana! The confines of the present property were very obvious. During recess time with all the children in the courtyard, it was difficult to make space to jump rope. Sports equipment would not be difficult to obtain and would be a great addition to the program, but lack of space makes this a dream for now. Some of the classrooms are cramped, hot and have poor lighting. Despite the less than perfect conditions, the students work diligently. They are grateful for a hot meal, excellent teachers and caregivers.

While Mike walked to the houses of Ingrid and Berline to give them each a kid goat, a gift from their sponsor, I stayed at the orphanage and pulled out my case of colorful beads. It took so little to make them happy! Just elastic cord and beads! Guerline and Sabrina helped make this project a success. The kids were very creative in their choice of colors and patterns. I showed a few of the older boys how to make the knotted hemp cord and bead bracelets. They were quick to learn and surprised me with their neat work. Hernande stayed close by me intent on learning the knotted cord pattern. She kept trying even when we had to take out knots to make things come out right.

While working with the kids, I also met Colberi, a friend of Vera’s, and delivered a thank you gift to him from Vera for his help during her last visit. Just before we left for the day, Colberi reappeared with two pineapples – one for Vera and one for me. His kindness was all the more precious because he was giving out of his poverty.
When the last of the beads had been strung or tucked away in pockets, I sat outside the orphanage waiting for Mike to return. The kids gathered around talking and trading bracelets. Clotaire’s English is quite clear and he is a very friendly boy. An older boy named Carlos sat by me as we waited. He also spoke enough English to tell me that he didn’t have a mother and the bracelets he wore were given to him by his sister. I am still very sad that I had nothing to give to him when he asked for help. Claudens and Leone also need help. They have a vision for a boys club. They want to give Bible lessons and feed about twenty children and are looking for sponsors to support them with $200 a month. I respect the commitment they have to help those around them when they could be thinking only of themselves.

Our day was not finished yet. Simon drove us along a road that eventually ended in a very destitute area. I was again amazed at how we were welcomed here in “Little Afric” because of Mike’s long standing friendships. Mike first went to the hut of the matriarch and listened to her problems. Then he opened bags of rice and beans and gave her a generous portion. He then invited the rest of the people to take fill their pots, buckets, and sacks. Sabrina persistently stuck to her task at the video camera while I got clips of the food distribution on Mike’s cell phone. As we were driving away, Simon told of a family who took him aside to ask for help for a sick child. He freely gave them the $20.00 that Mike had just given to him. Would I share so freely if I had so little?
The busy days in Haiti were the best! And it was always good to come home to our friends at the guest house, dinner ready, shade, fans, and mosquito nets!

May 24 We said our good-byes at 6am and were off for the airport with Simon driving. Seeing traffic backing up on the road ahead of us, Simon turned around to take the back roads. I’m glad he did! I got to see more of the Haiti. Precarious concrete buildings and ruins from the earthquake lined the roads. Children walking to school dressed in neat uniforms were in stark contrast to the trash, sludge filled gutters and sloshy pot holed roads. Haitians walk so erectly with straight backs and heads held high. I held my breath as we passed a lady with a dozen or so flats of white eggs balanced on her head, tied with a string. At one point Simon made a left turn onto a wide barren road with walls and gates along the sides. “This is a very dangerous section of road” he informed us,” where kidnappings and robberies often occur.” He drove as fast as possible, slowing down only to navigate potholes and looking down the alleys and gated entrances. I was relieved when we were back on the main road with the airport just ahead. For such a small airport, the wait was a long one. I was surprised to find three security checkpoints but had no difficulty with any of my luggage. I was entertained in the airport by two groups of college students returning home from volunteer missions. One was a Samaritan’s Purse group who had helped with reconstruction of a church in Port au Prince. I was encouraged to see the many dwellings built by Samaritan’s Purse and the interest young people have in helping this broken country.

I was glad to find my seat in the plane and head back to my family and the comforts of home. But the faces of the children and their joy in the simple pleasure of our company bring my heart back to Haiti, and I’m sure I will return!

Now that I have been there I understand why Mike is drawn back to Haiti again and again and even dreams of living among the suffering yet courageous Haitian poor.
 More than ever, I want to do what I can for them too!

 Julia