How I see Haiti

Haiti is really hard to describe to someone who hasn't been there - especially if they've never seen a third world country. It is a beautiful island with mountains and Caribbean beaches and poverty. After years of political oppression and corruption, the only way I can describe it is a country of contrasts. The landscape and the people are beautiful, but the cities and the living conditions are filthy and not even close to adequate. The roads are barely passable; there is no sanitation; and the water sources are polluted beyond your wildest imagination.


In the midst of all of this is a nation of resourceful and resilient people with a faith and contentment that I believe is sorely lacking in America. Many of the people have the ability to make something of nothing. Everywhere you look you can see beautiful art. Carved wood, paintings, stone carvings, jewelry, hand-made toys -- all made from whatever they can find. The cars are pieced together and reinforced from scrounged parts, even the shelters people call home are from bits and parts they've put together from whatever they could find. They make due with what they have and are grateful to have it. One of the quintessential art projects in Haiti is made from tin. The final projects are amazing.



The biggest difference I saw between this visit and my January 2009 visit was the tent cities. We were right next door to one of the smaller settlements, and had a chance to interact with the people there. We took jump ropes over and spent some time playing with the kids. They have a small school tent, a medical tent, and a tent where people are recovering from amputations. These people have created a community environment including a "mayor" and other leaders who make decisions for the group. One of the experiences that will stick with me was hearing the entire community come out at 5 am each day and sing praises as a group.


I sometimes wonder if all of our affluence, resources, and busy schedules combined with endless striving to achieve, earn and acquire more stuff isn't exactly what keeps us from finding true happiness and contentedness -- stifling the desire to sing praises at 5 am...

Really!! We did all that???

When people ask what I did in Haiti, I surprise myself with how long the list is. In Haiti, everything takes time. Delays and miscommunication are an expected part of the daily routine. At times we were frustrated because of our reliance on others for transportation, information, or other things necessary to accomplish a task. But because of good planning on our leaders part and an openness to go where God led us on a day to day basis, we really touched a lot of lives in the short 10 days in country.

Day 1: (Friday) Set up camp - because of the earthquake and aftershocks, many people sleep outside, even if a building wasn't damaged. So many people where injured and killed, it is probably part of the post traumatic shock to fear being inside a building even 6 months later. We used the guest house for all of our daily activities, but slept in tents outside -- right next door to a tent city with over 2000 people.

Day 2: (Saturday) Filled hand sewn bags with gifts for VBS, drove to the Pure Water Facility to show everyone where we would be working, then went to Notre Maison - Gertrude's orphanage. We stayed and played with the kids, and did a mini VBS with singing and bible stories. We gave all the kids a gift bag (she has about 37 about 1/2 physically and/or cognitively impaired) and gave Gertrude several dozen of the hand made cloth diapers.

Day 3: (Sunday) Went to Church at Croix de Boquet - a church that many Michigan teams have help to build over several years - it now includes a school and is a site for Pure Water Filters. Both years I have attended a service at this church and have been amazed to sit through a service in a different language and still hear God speak to me. We spend the afternoon at Holy Angels orphanage - another orphanage for children with special medical needs and physical and cognitive impairments. We played and provided another mini VBS with songs, stories and crafts. This orphanage also received diapers.

Monday through Thursday the team split up between three projects: Pure Water - providing fresh, clean water to over 160 families in Cite Soliel (one of the world's largest slums); Grace Children's Hospital - delivered diapers to the hospital and helped provide health kits to women in the tent cities who attended family planning or hygiene classes, and women who came in for HIV testing or immunizations for their kids; and VBS at Croix de Boquet - two days of fun in the sun for close to 200 kids with about 40 coming up for the alter call to accept Jesus!

Thursday early evening we visited Bill at Morning Star Home for Boys (a story unto itself). His boys spent much of the week with us, helping with VBS and translating at Pure Water. From there, we went to Frere Campus to see the storage depot for Rays of Hope (an organization in Grand Rapids that helps ship donations to Haiti) and visited the trade school that teaches industrial arts and electrical engineering.

Friday we finished tearing down the back wall at Croix de Boquet and put up a temporary fence to protect the school and church.

Saturday was site seeing and a trip to Wings of Hope - which will have to be a story all to itself, also.

Sunday we packed up, said our goodbyes, cried with our new friends, and left for home.

I am an Isrealite

Every now and then, God convicts me of my "pet" sin. For several years, it was pride. I used to spend a lot of time worrying about what others thought of me; probably because I was a bit judgemental myself and figured everyone else was, too. Through a series of humbling experiences and learning to praying for people to see more of God and less of me, I have overcome my self-centered view of the world. This year, the message God has been sending is to quit complaining.

Over the past several months, we were working to plan a 50th wedding anniversary for my in-laws. In the process, I found myself complaining about people and situations related to the planning. One specific example was the anniversary photo. I had hoped to get it done early so it could be on the invitation, but my in-laws had other ideas. They wanted me to wait for their Rhododendron bush to bloom. We had to drop everything on one of our very busy weekends to drive 1.5 hours both ways to get it done. Needless to say I was complaining about the inconvenience of it all. When we arrived, they were so grateful, and explained why it was so meaningful to them. Even adding, "We love you for doing this for us." I immediately felt like a big jerk for not doing this with a servants heart.

But God didn't stop there. That night, I received an email about the hygiene project we were going to with Grace Children's Hospital and the specific information regarding the funds needed to include this in our Haiti trip. Shortly after reading the email, my mother-in-law called to tell me how grateful she was for the pictures and my time. She understood that I wouldn't let her pay for the photo shoot, so she decided to make a substantial donation for me to use for my trip to Haiti. Not only did God not smite me for my grumbling heart, but he blessed me through the person I was annoyed with. Kind of like the Israelites...

My trip to Haiti and the magnitude of the living conditions and lack of basic necessities may have cured me of my complaining -- I just pray the revelation God gave me doesn't fade in the midst of my busy schedule, convenient and comfort lifestyle.

For the record, my in-laws are wonderful, loving people who have gone out of their way to help us and do things with my kids more times than I can count. And the anniversary party was a great success that I would do all over again. Thank you Dean and Maxine for helping me see God through your actions even when I didn't deserve it.

Haiti, again...

I hadn't intended to blog about this trip; however, I was inspired by two men who joined our team last week in Port au Prince, Haiti. They are photographers, journalists and bloggers. They use their skills to enlighten and maybe change the way people see the world. I may not be the caliber that these men represent; but, if by writing about my experiences, I can help someone else see things differently, it will have been worth the effort.

I have been home for two days and am working to process all of the destruction and need caused by years of political corruption, oppression, and, most recently, the January 12 earthquake. It is hard to come back to such order, cleanliness and excess without feeling a level of guilt for all I have.

I find myself comparing everything to Haiti. We are in the midst of a heat wave, but it isn't as hot as Haiti, and I can find relief in the lake and the air conditioning. My washing machine is broken, so I went to the laundry mat this morning. At least I didn't have to wash everything by hand, with unsanitary water. Yes, I washed seven loads, but what a blessing to have so many clothes, and the money with which to buy them. Showering, flushing the toilet, running to the store, taking my kids to baseball and ballet -- all luxuries beyond what most Haitian can ever hope for....

Chihuly Exhibit

Steve and I enjoyed a long over-due date on Saturday. The weather was perfect for our trip to Frederick Meijer Garden. After days of rain, it was sunny and mild - perfect for a long stroll through the sculpture garden. The Chihuly glass exhibit was amazing. Here is the link to my web album of the art we enjoyed...

http://picasaweb.google.com/keepsake02/ChihulyExhibitFrederickMeijerGarden##

Photo Album (s)

As requested, here are my photos from Haiti. I had to create 2 albums because there are so many pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/keepsake02/Haiti

http://picasaweb.google.com/keepsake02/Haiti2Of2

Despair and Hope

The last few days have been a whirlwind. Thursday, we delivered several more filters to multiple schools in an area call Port of Jeremiah. Just when I thought I had seen the worst, I was shocked to be in an area beyond any conceivable living conditions my mind could have contrived. The roads were filled with human excrement, the building were complete devastation, yet filled with more people that can be described. The flies, the smell, the sight of such extreme poverty made me feel overwhelmed by the need here. I had a bought of depressed thinking that our efforts were enormously inadequate. Here is a photo of a school that teaches 212 kids -- in shifts, half in the morning, and half in the afternoon.

Friday, we went to Wings of Hope, which is an orphanage filled with handicapped children. The building is an oasis of beauty and art. The children were gathered in a room with native drums and drummers. I met little girl named Josephina. She has cerebral palsy, but is thriving. She is learning to walk and speak English. She and I had an immediate connection. I felt God's grace come through her reminding me that one person can make a difference, and a difference can be made here.

Last night we went to St. Joseph's School for boys. It is a school/orphanage that is connected with Wings of Hope. We were treated to a performance by their professional dance company -- Resurrection Life Dancers. The boys were either street children or child slaves. The performance was incredibly moving. The boys are very talented, the choreography is creative and expressive, telling stories of the boys lives. Several of the boys have physical handicaps. It was incredible to see how these kids had risen above their circumstances, found a way to express their past, and excelled in an art that can reach the heart of others.

If you read the post below, you read about Waterlove. Here is his photo.