The Haitian Chronicles

Our most recent trip to Haiti was successful because we hit the trifecta to which most mission trips aspire:  much was accomplished, relationships were built or strengthened, and no one became ill or hurt. 

So what got done?

Thanks to the 25 Haitian workers we paid to work alongside us, we built a 2,500 cubic foot concrete pad at the Lilavois orphanage on which to set a 40-by-10-by-8 foot sea container.  The container will be used to securely store vital food, medicines, medical equipment and building supplies for the orphanage and surrounding community. 

More than1,000 cubic feet of earthquake rubble on the orphanage grounds were moved (by hand) and recycled in the building of the concrete pad.  Another 1,000 or so cubic feet of mortar was carried (again, by hand) to top off the rubble for the pad. 

The team hammered-and-chiseled out the earthquake cracks and fissures on the first-floor level of the orphanage’s interior and exterior walls.  We’re not talking about plaster or wallboard here but rather hard-set-two-inch-deep concrete.

Our team distributed about a half-ton of donated food and clothing – which we hand-carried in our checked bags – and gave to the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Delmas in Port au Prince and the Notre Maison Orphanage where we stayed for the week. 

We also held a vacation Bible school for about 150 children and adults on our last day at Lilavois, including lessons, songs, contests and food. 

Finally, the team purchased 1,200 pounds of rice for distribution within Cite Soleil, the poorest section of Port au Prince. 

All this was done in a week through the energies of 9 team members, 25 Haitians and hundreds of prayers and donations of folks back home, including the good people of Martin Luther Chapel in East Lansing. 

Our teams have gone enough times now that we have formed great partnerships with some truly inspiring Haitian nationals.  Our van driver, Leonard, continues to dazzle us with his enthusiasm, know-how and altruism.  Gertrude, our innkeeper, equally amazes us with her ability to run an orphanage for special needs children, operate a guesthouse, provide a free school to teach young women how to cook and sew, and so much more with calm, wisdom and an ethereal concern for other human beings. 

Lastly, for the first time I can remember, none of our team mates were injured or laid low by illness during our week in Haiti.  On the day we returned to the U.S., one of our members began looking a little sallow but, thanks to God, we escaped anyone from being knocked out of the saddle as we worked and sought to serve. 

A new team is forming to return to the orphanage from March 5-12, 2011.   Many other teams from other parts of the U.S. will be working there before we go back.  I can already feel the excitement to see how close the orphanage will be to open its welcoming doors -- but most of all to help make it happen. 

(download)

Click here to download:

Back_from_Haiti_but_going_agai.zip (1.83 MB)

AN UPDATE:  Rachel continues to blog about how Hurricane Tomas is affecting life at and around the orphanage.  (Friday, Nov. 5,)

A few minutes ago, I asked Rachel Ehrhard through Facebook, about the conditions at the orphanage where we stayed during our recent mission trip to Haiti.  A tropical storm with torrential rains and high winds is expected in the next several hours.  The orphanage where she serves is behind walls and has some protection.  The graphic shows her response.

We've been back from our short-term mission trip to Haiti for a couple of weeks and we are finding it hard to stop thinking about the people we met and saw in that country.

Now these poor people are facing torrential rains and winds from Tropical Storm Tomas which promises to bring high storm surges and other miseries as they are being told to leave the squalor of their tent villages for higher ground.  The problem is that most people don't have a place to go.

Pray for these people and pray that God would reduce the power of the storm or turn it in some other direction. 

Any ideas or suggestions on how to pray in this situation?

Here's the latest news about the storm from Great Britain's MailOnline.com.

This blog was started by my good friend Rich Bearup to share what he
learned on his various trips to Haiti to help fix an orphanage
severely damaged in the Jan. 12 earthquake. He shared what he
learned, about the people he met, the challenges faced and he shared
many pictures.

When my wife Gladys and I decided to join the October trip to that
country, he invited me to become a contributor.

As we prepared to make the trip, while we were in the country and
since we have gotten back, the number of views has grown from 1,500 a
month and a half ago to more than 7,000 today.

To make the blog more useful and to help build our community of
interest around our efforts and our friends in Haiti, I will continue
making changes with design and content. Keep watching and share your
comments.

Our team took great relish in being able to see this container placed on the concrete pad they helped make at the Lilavois orphanage.  This container will give the yet-to-be opened facility more flexibility for storage and security and possibly other functions.  Getting the container down the "almost roads" leading to the orphanage is another story.  Check the video on the post by clicking this link to see some of the work in getting the space ready for that final moment.

Our "to-do list" at the Lilavois, Haiti orphanage included the construction of a concrete pad where a huge shipping container could be placed which could be used for a variety of purposes.  This required our group of baby-boomers plus to haul bucketfuls of rubble for the base of the pad and the the actual mixing and carrying of the concrete. 

It was a total team effort where everybody played a role including a large group of Haitian nationals, from young adults to early teens.  In the hot sun and wilting humidity, they took wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow and bucket after bucket filled with concrete.  We paid a competitive plus wage and served them lunch of rice and black beans with locally produced soda. 

Our team was drawn to their indomitable spirit where smiles and laughter reigned.  Watch this video and you will see what I am talking about.  I am hunting up a picture of the container that was placed there the day before we left.  And click here to see a photo when the container was placed on the pad.