Haiti: A Mission of the Heart Day 2

I have been on several mission trips and each one posed its own kind of challenge. Some of them were physically taxing, like laying a 10,000 sq. foot concrete floor in a church in Costa Rica. Some were emotionally taxing, like painting the homes in an orphanage in Heredia. They all are Spiritually taxing and this trip was especially so. On Monday, we started a new adventure that took me to a whole new level of  "living outside the box". It was a beautiful trip, yet there were experiences that I did not expect.

The team broke into two groups. A group of ten stayed in town and visited the Children of Promise (COP) house and played with the children. They were anticipating getting to visit the Freedom House Orphanage to welcome the "restavek" (child slaves) rescued from another part of Haiti on Tuesday and were excited at the opportunity to be the first to greet these children. My group of six was to travel to a region in the mountains called Froi de Pen. It was going to be a three hour drive into the mountains over some of the most treacherous roads I had ever experienced. The road was rocky and at times so narrow that only one vehicle could pass at a time. The drop off was at times 500 to 1000 feet with no guard rails and if another vehicle approached we would have to pull close to the edge offering a beautiful if not nervous view of the valley below.

We drove through a river bed that floods during the rainy season and we passed Haitians walking down the mountain looking for water; all the while, our driver was saying that the land cruiser was on its last leg and sounding like it was struggling. We stopped half way to visit a roadside market and ate lunch.

When we arrived at our destination we saw where we where going to be sleeping. We were welcomed by the house owner and shown into a little room with a table and a pot of coffee that reminded me of Greek Style coffee. It was brewed in a pot with sugar and grounds boiled together then filtered through pantyhose. The joke was "I hope they used a clean pair." It was too sweet but we were grateful for the break and the discussion over a hot cup of Haitian Joe.

We were welcomed with open arms and were given a level of hospitality that Americans rarely show each other.

We spent the rest of the day evangelizing to the village and the surrounding community. Sorry there are no pictures but instead of taking pictures we wanted to focus on the work at hand. We prayed over two ladies, one with a hip/back problem and another with a "crazy son". We faced three witch doctors and we meet several families and invited them to a VBS in a local field. We had some success in getting folks to accept Christ and we met a lot of resistance. One man in particular, who was a known voodoo witch doctor, was visibly under conviction. However, it was pointed out that in order to convert, this man would have to give up his livelihood. You could see the conviction in his eyes but he could not bring himself to make the decision. It was apparent though that we had planted a seed.

The Spiritual battle was palpable. I could feel the conflict with our efforts and I got the impression that we had stirred up some trouble in the Spirit world. I was not fearful, but I was drained. Because of that I was thankful to have the opportunity to go to church that night.

It was a beautiful experience, the music was in direct contrast to the voodoo drums one can hear throughout the night and the singing, though off key, was powerful. The Holy Spirit was present and one could not help but feel moved. I got the privilege of sharing my testimony and I shared the story of the hospital, the support I received from the Body and the miracle of Will and his love. It occurred later how profound that was for me. Will's legacy is now in a remote village in Haiti. Talk about the spread of this little boy's love and I felt like this was the true beginning of his ministry. I again felt energized but it also was an emotionally taxing Holy Spirit moment.

We closed out the night back at the little house. We had to be conscientious as to putting the ladies in the center of the house as we wanted the first line of defense to be the men. So we took thin mats and moldy blankets and squeezed 6 men in a tiny room. If you had to go to the bathroom you ran the risk of stepping on a team mate or falling on top of them if you misstepped.

Oh, I almost forgot the most interesting encounter that day. We received an apparent blessing from the house owner. What I thought was soup with potatoes and carrots was in fact bouillon. It was quite tasty and had this unusual cream taste. I was informed that it was not cream based but we still could not figure out what was the unusual taste was. The clue however was the long stringy tube that resembled an intestine and a small pouch that still had food in it. This was the stomach and the intestines. Later I discovered that one of the team members had discovered a tooth and something chewy he could not identify. The nice lady had cooked the entire goat in the pot with the vegetables. We now knew what the special taste was. It is amazing what you tolerate when you are hungry!

Haiti: A Mission for the Heart Day 1

On July 13th I started a new journey that has stirred my Spirit for this sort of ministry. This particular mission has become a focal point for the ministry I am wanting to continue in Will's memory, and as I took this walk, it became very clear that this was the beginning of a new path and vision for me. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have gone and I want to convey that  appreciation to all who made this trip possible.

The trip from the US to Haiti was fairly uneventful. There was some air turbulence and one short delay related to a team member's passport, but overall we had a very peaceful excursion; however, what I encountered upon arrival was a shock. I had heard stories and I knew the region was impoverished but I was overwhelmed with how much devastation and brokenness that was still part of the environment. It can only be understood as a witness and I can only attempt to describe what I saw and felt.

Even in the best areas the roads were dust and rocks and trash lined the sides of the roads. Any buildings that could be considered usable were in some stage of disrepair. Most of the buildings were damaged beyond repair and yet life seemed to continue. People seemed to be eking out survival, that is the only way I can describe it. That opinion changed with time, yet at the moment all I saw was total devastation. This devastation occurred almost 5 years ago and they are still reeling from the aftermath. It was compounded by the preexisting poverty already in place and from the outside the situation looks hopeless.

Everywhere you looked one could see life trying to resurrect itself. People where living in these homes without roofs. People had built make shift shelters next to destroyed structures. Some had even made houses out of damaged truck trailers. On one particular trip I saw a wrecked school bus that had slammed into a stone wall. Instead of removing the bus the locals incorporated the bus into the wall for protection. The thing I began to notice the most was the ingenuity and resolve the people of Haiti had. I never really heard them complain or question their reality. They just seemed to get up and continue the best they could. Not sure how fair this statement is because I was there for a week and only met a small group of people but the impression I got was not of despair. I wonder how many of us in the states would not try to blame someone else for their predicament?

For us as a team, unity became the most important part of our trip. From staying together at the airport to supporting each other during emotional or physical stress, we fostered a  sense of community. That was very apparent when we made our first stop at the orphanage, before our final resting place for the evening. The response from the children was very heart warming and it became immediately apparent how much this team meant to the people of Haiti. It was not just about a group of Americans coming to help. It was about a group of people who had not seen each other for a long time. It was about people who were loved because of the relationship that had been built over the years. That is something to see. It was something I began to realize very quickly. I was allowed into this relationship and am grateful for the experience.

I fell in love with a country and its people in a very short week. The environment was harsh but the people make the country and the people were very accepting and open. Well, except the soccer players, they did talk a little smack. Good thing I did not know Creole.

Yes, I played soccer with Haitian teenagers and I held my own thank you very much.

The first day ended with us arriving at the Mission House, a new structure that Reach Haiti uses for its teams and for other visitors. We were tired and ready for bed. The first day was such a blessing and I could not wait for my trip into the mountain.......that would become the biggest challenge for me.