Team 5: Amazing Grace

So...we're home. Safely. Back into the comforts of our homes. Paved streets. Stop lights. Hot water. Flushing toilets. Plentiful food. A common language. Our families. All of the things we once took for granted now have a new meaning. Our week in Haiti forever changed us. We saw things that will remain in our minds forever. We met people who will remain in our hearts forever. We sang "Amazing Grace" today. Coincidence? No way! GOD-incidence. But today it had new meaning. It reminded us of the friends we left behind. Of the days they will endure while we are in complete comfort. I will never sing that song again without thinking of Haiti, and the grace of God that has been given to me, and to all of us. Thanks for following Team 5's journey. It was truly a blessing to serve for a brief moment.

Haiti Team 5: Day 7...Hope

It's unbelievable that just one week ago we were packing for our trip to Haiti...and now we are packing for our return home. It went by in the blink of an eye. How do you put into words what has transpired this week? 11 people who didn't really know each other well grew into a family through our shared experience, love for serving the Lord, and love for the people of Haiti. We gained new family members in those we worked beside every day...Johnny, Richard, Lemere, Eugene, Sylvan, Ishmael, Elijah and so many others. These are faces we will not forget, and as they say, we are connected spiritually even though there may be miles between us. We began to look forward to familiar faces we passed every day on our way to the worksite knowing that the day would be the same as the one before and the one following. We're different because we have lived with these people for a week. They've allowed us to peek into their world and let us work beside them.

So the work...we completed what we came to do. The inside of the clinic is painted. We also sanded the exam rooms (a really fun job if you've never sanded concrete). The workers installed railings and doors in the building and it looks amazing! The classrooms are complete. The team did an amazing job putting this structure together, complete with blackboards!

We had a blessed surprise today when we learned the students were in school for half a day (they only go half days on Fridays) - we were told they would be out today. While we didn't get to play with them at recess we did get to present the principal, Yolene, with many gifts sent by so many of you. School supplies, toys, soccer balls, footballs, and more.

Too soon it was time to say goodbye. We gathered in the new classroom where Lemere shared his gratitiude with us. We ended the week the way we began, by singing "Amazing Grace." This experience truly was amazing and full of grace. We know that He called us to Haiti to work together this week and we made a small difference in the world...the least we can do for what He did for us.

One minute on January 12th changed everything...and nothing. Life was tough for the people of Haiti before January 12th. It was shattered in that one minute, yet the people continue on. Life is still tough, brutal, and there is a sadness in the air. But there is a tremendous amount of hope and strength that we would all be lucky to have. Hope can be defined as confident expectation...expectation that things will get better. That's the Haiti we love and the Haiti we will share when we return.

Team 5: Haiti Day 6...There are no words

Our fourth day at the work site. It's hard to believe that we only have 1 more day to finish our work. We have completely finished painting the first floor, and are nearly done with the 2nd floor...just need 2 more buckets of white paint. And that's just the inside...so much for getting the inside AND the outside done this week. We'll see if the paint shows up tomorrow and if we can get started on the outside.

Progress on the outdoor classrooms continued today. We experienced a good lesson in patience and perseverance. Shortly after work began this morning the team was informed that the structure needed to be raised 2 feet so that it would be cooler for the students. In the process of doing so, the whole structure fell over. Part of it fell apart, part of it was damaged, and the work had to begin again. Not unlike Haiti. But this time, the foundation was built stronger as the support posts were cemented into the ground. They continued with the headers and rafters a few perlins. Tomorrow we plan to set the rest of the perlins and install the roof tin. Note: We are not painting the classroom white.

While this was going on, a few team members picked up trash around the church and school. It hardly made a dent, but for a moment, the grounds are cleaner.

Today is Haitian Day...marking their last battle for independence. Therefore schools, banks and many businesses were not open. The streets were mostly clear of traffic, and unfortunately we did not get to see the kids today. School is out again tomorrow, and we're hoping some of them will make their way to the school grounds so we can see them before we go.

After wrapping up our work day we loaded into the van to go see Johnny's house. What a difference a couple of days make! Johnny had 3 men working on the house when we arrived (and many more observing). Since we saw the house on Tuesday a 30' cistern was dug by hand, a foundation wall was built, and all of the materials needed to complete the house were purchased. It's amazing how quickly the work can be done when resources are available.

The team had the opportunity to meet Wilson, the son of Willie, and Titus, and pray with them. Remember that Willie, Johnny's neighbor to the east, and Titus, Johnny's neighbor to the west, will soon have new, safe homes. The first installments of their funding have been made. Wilson has already begun clearing the area where his father's home stood and is shoveling sand to be used to make mortar to start the foundation walls. Titus informed us that the demolition of his condemned home will begin on Monday. The community where Johnny, Willie and Titus live is changing one house at a time.

While we were at Johnny's house, the team had the opportunity to absorb the surroundings and picture what happened that day. It was sobering to all as we took in the loss. We saw a man sifting through the rubble of his home trying to find his loved ones. Such an intimate and personal moment happening right out in the middle of everything. Can you imagine trying to find your loved ones...by hand...rock by rock...10 months after the earthquake?

It was a quiet ride up to the tent city where Johnny and his family are currently living. To say we were transported into a different world is an understatement. We went into a maze of tents, but once we arrived at Johnny's, the tents kind of disappeared. His family greeted us with warm smiles and his children acted as if they had known us forever, giving us big hugs and kisses...such joy given their circumstances. We have been asking all kinds of questions about Johnny's family all week so it was great to meet Woodley (Johnny's oldest, 9 years old), Sara (6) and Stevlanie (18 mos). We also had the chance to meet his sister (Tina), his mother-in-law and his sister-in-law. Unfortunately Johnny's wife was working...we're hoping to see her tomorrow.

There are no words to describe the tent city Johnny lives in, which is like so many all over the city. There are no words to describe the indiscriminate destruction throughout the city. As Johnny said, there are no words to express the amount of gratitude he has for the gift he has been given. Titus shared the same sentiments as we prayed with him today.

Returning to the guest house was another adventure. The streets were now bustling and people seemed to look at our van full of "blancs" a little more closely. As always, Johnny got us home safely.

Several team members went out to barter with the local vendors outside the gates of the guest house. Those who stayed behind began to place bets on what they would bring back. The real winners of the bet were the vendors outside the gate.

Tonight's discussion again centered on what God's plan is for our lives. We're still trying to figure it out, but we appear to have a common desire to continue to serve...in Haiti, in other places across the world and at home.

Haiti Team 5: Day 5...A Study in Contrasts

Grace requires a response. That was one of our final thoughts for the day, and is so true. We have been given God's grace and we are required to do something with it.

We spent another day on the work site. Today the team broke into two groups. One continued painting the clinic (it's amazing how much paint concrete absorbs!), and the other began work on the new outdoor classrooms. When we arrived this morning the tent that previously housed the classrooms was nearly removed, and in just a few short hours the frame was up. Work will continue on this tomorrow and we are so excited for the children to have a more comfortable place for class.

Recess continues to be a free-for-all, but the kids are warming to us and want to surround us when they can...even after school.

Throughout the day today, Lumere shared a little bit about what January 12th was like for him. He was on his way to school, just 35 minutes away, when the earthquake hit. He said the streets rolled (I pictured waves), and the buildings to either side of him did not fall, but all of those in front of him did. The building that housed his university collapsed and killed hundreds of his friends. I know he has had to tell this story many times and has to relive that terrible day. But he says he is thankful. Our hearts break for his loss, but are filled with his hope.

We finished work a little early today so we could go to the Baptist Mission for lunch and a little souvenier shopping. It was quite a drive up the mountain. Along the way we saw many little towns that were similar to those we have seen on the road to Duplan. But the higher we got on the mountain, the cooler the air was, and the more lush the scenery was. We began to see beautiful, large homes, where the privileged live. People carried on with their business because it was just a normal day, while we all struggled to reconcile the disparity in lifestyles.

The view from the Baptist Mission is beautiful. The hillsides house most of the gardens that produce the fruit and vegetables sold in the city. After a western-style lunch (hoagies & hamburgers...and soda with ICE!) we headed outside to begin bartering for souveniers to bring home. What a trip. Many have experienced this in various countries, and this was no different. But having the opportunity to see where and how these people live each day really makes you NOT want to barter them down. Not an option, since it is the Haitian way. But really...when you know an extra dollar or two could feed a family, you stop bartering a little earlier.

Our next stop was a lookout point that gave a great view of Port au Prince. From that viewpoint we could see the entire bay, the fault line and epicenter of the earthquake, an incredible amount of rubble, and tent cities. This showed us a broader scope of the devastation that we might not see up close, on the streets we travel each day. Statistics show that nearly 1.2 million people were living in tents after the earthquake when 80% of them had homes that were safe to live in. The good news is that since August, Pastor Jeff said the view has changed tremendously. You no longer see a blue ribbon of tents lining the horizon. Many of the tent cities are no longer there. People have either had the opportunity to move home (because they were deemed safe with the green marking), found other shelter in the city, or have been moved out of the city where more consolidated living arrangements can be made (sanitation, medical). Imagine...being uprooted from your home, your community and your job, and moved over an hour away because there is nowhere else for you to go.

Because we spent quite a bit of time at the Mission and the lookout point we traveled back to the guest house a little later than expected. This gave us the opportunity to view Petion Ville a little later in the day than normal. Wow. We thought the hustle and bustle of the morning was busy...the evening was even crazier. Tons of people on the street. "Rush hour" traffic blocking the roads. Burning trash in the middle of it all. Sights and sounds that were overwhelming. Earlier today one of the team members commented that he loved the smell of Haiti. A little strange. After talking about it, he loves that it reminds him of all that is here. Diesel fuel, cooking food, rotting trash, burning trash, open sewage and 6.5 million people living in one place. Quite an aroma! But we get it...when we get a whiff of that smell somewhere else in the world, it will immediately bring us back to this place, to the people we see on the streets every day, and to the hope of making a difference.

Pastor Jeff asked us what God is calling us to do with our lives. We're all a little unsure. But we know we were called here...this week...to work together. That's our response to His grace today.

Team 5: Haiti Day 4...I Am Hope

"We were created for good works." That was part of tonight's devotion. That work continued in Duplan today when we arrived at the work-site to pick up where we left off yesterday. The team continued painting the clinic, focusing on the lower level since the Haitian team was working on the steps to the second floor. They were joined by about 40 children from the school who picked up every paint brush and went to work. Their parents may not have been too happy when they arrived home speckled with paint, but we're sure they had a great time helping the team. The fun continued at recess with more play time. Tom has taken it upon himself to teach the boys American football since they've been beating him up in soccer. The girls continue to love getting their nails painted, and today were given little decals to make them more fun. One of the girls picked up the polish and even painted Jenny's nails. On behalf of Chip Warren (Team 4) and several others from RUMC, the principal of the school was given a laptop and printer. During the earthquake the Methodist Print Shop was leveled and they have been unable to make copies of tests for the students. This printer will be invaluable for the school staff. Elijah was also given a special gift by members of Team 4...a MP3 player loaded with Christian music. He was elated and we hope to hear him sing some of this during the week. While all of this was going on, a few team members left the work site to go to Johnny's house. He was incredibly proud to show us the work that has been done, and explain his plans. You can see from the pictures that he has created a strong foundation for the house with thick walls. The hardest work is done, and now putting in the 2 floors above this should go quickly. Pastor Jeff shared that his hope is that the January team can sit in his living room and have a (diet) Coke with him. Johnny wore a t-shirt today that said "I Am Hope." While watching him share his plans for his home, it was incredibly ironic to read "Be There. Be Hope. Haiti." Before continuing we need to paint a picture of Johnny's neighborhood. It is built upon a hillside and houses are literally stacked upon each other. When the earthquake hit, the foundations shook and many of the houses crumbled. 150 of Johnny's friends and neighbors died that day. He and many others dug through the rubble to try to save lives or recover bodies. People continue to live in that neighborhood, whether it is in their house, a tent built off their house, or a tent city next to the neighborhood because it is HOME. Perhaps the biggest blessing of today was being introduced to the two people whose homes will be built next. Johnny first introduced Wilson, the son of Willie Azzor. Willie is an older man who lived next door to Johnny, along with 5 other family members. His home was demolished in the earthquake, and he has no means of building a new one. Pastor Jeff was able to share this news with Wilson and pray with him. We then met Titus, a man who could be described as the grandfather of the neighborhood. His house was full of cracks from the earthquake, definitely not a safe structure, and will have to be demolished to the foundation before rebuilding can begin. The look on his face was priceless as he tried to absorb the gift he was being given. (hoping to post video of this upon our return) The generosity of the family at RUMC is unmatched and please KNOW that you are changing lives! Throughout our discussions this week we have all shared how blessed we are, and that we want to share that with others. This song keeps coming to mind... "I've been blessed, now I'm gonna be a blessing. I have been loved, now I'm gonna bring love. I've been invited, I'm wanna share the invitation. I have been changed to bring change, to bring change." Day by day, one by one, we are bringing change to the world. PRAY GIVE GO

Haiti Team 5: Day 3...1+1=3

Day 1 on the work site! The area of Duplan where we are working houses a church, school and clinic. The clinic, which previous teams have worked on, is built entirely by hand. We continue to be amazed by the hard work that has gone into this building and are taking great care in painting it to make sure the love of all of these hands shows through. While it was our first day "working" together as a team, it felt as if it were old hat...everyone fell into a role, adjusting as the work progressed. Several of the team members helped move a hefty dirt pile so a new platform could be built. We are sure that cement mixing will be on tomorrow's work-list...along with more paint.

While we were painting alongside the Haitian workers and Lumere, Elijah, Johnny and Richard, a round of Christmas carols broke out...in two languages. These men sing with such joy and they mean every word they sing. Perhaps we were in the mood because our morning at the work-site started off with "Amazing Grace." We're hoping for more songs tomorrow!

The bright spot of our day came at recess when we had a chance to play with the children at the school. Boys and girls of all ages, dressed in pristine yellow uniforms greeted us warmly and headed off to play ball, get pages from coloring books, and have their nails painted. The time went too quickly, and we're hoping recess goes a little longer tomorrow.

We had the opportunity to go into Giant, a grocery store, to buy cold drinks and ice for the work day. It was an immaculate, well-stocked grocery just like we might see at home. Quite a difference from what we saw on the streets as we travelled through the city. We will go there again tomorrow to pick up a few necessities for the day...wondering what might be helpful to the crew we are working with.

During our evening devotions we discussed how our faith compares to those whom we are serving. It's easy in a setting like this to feel bad for all that we have. We all wrestle with the many "things" we have at home that get in the way of our faith. Watching the people of Haiti, who have so little, have such hope and purpose is inspiring. They know where their faith is and fully rely on Him. Pastor Jeff shared a Quaker philosophy with us, "We might live more simply, so others might simply live," which reminds us that we have a responsibility to be good stewards, and to turn it into good. Instead of feeling bad for what we have, we have a responsibility to do something with it. Luke 12:48 says [to whom much is given, much will be asked]. Because of that, we will continue to work, to smile at those we see on the street, to play ball a little longer than our old bodies think they can handle, and to keep God in the middle of it all.

P.S. Sorry, but we have to share the dinner update...we had Goat, rice, amazing potatoes, avocados and plantains. And we had the most amazing fresh guacamole at lunch today. Hoping for more later this week!

Team 5: Haiti Day 2...The Nature of Joy (Joie)

We were greeted this morning by the sounds of roosters (super early!) and horns (fairly early) and MORE roosters (meaning it's really time to get up!). After a delicious breakfast of eggs & toast we loaded into the van to go to church in Duplan. Along the way we drove through the market. Wow. What an eye opening experience...thousands of people, selling fruit, meat, clothes, shoes and travelling pharmacists (meaning they had piles of medicine & stuff in baskets...sometimes on their heads) were packed into an area equivalent to a city block. Surrounding them was trash...more trash than one can imagine. Right next to that were the tents where many of them live. How can this be? On a Sunday morning the streets were also crowded with cars, scooters and trucks. We saw many people walking to church among this chaos (they were well dressed, carrying Bibles).

The road to Duplan was quite bumpy as many streets have eroded terribly. Johnny did a great job maneuvering through this, and Richard did a great job answering our questions about the sights we were taking in. We arrived in Duplan and were greeted by Edzair. Elijah and Lumere were also introduced to us...more familiar names from previous teams. We were in for quite a treat as the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary. They had special songs prepared and are hoping to record a CD. What beautiful music! These ladies and gentlemen sang from the bottom of their toes. Amazing! Among the crowd were several special guests, each of whom were recognized. We didn't really know what was going on, but clapped along with the congregation. Pastor Jeff shared a wonderful message on Joy (Joie), and the joy we find in Jesus. After the service (which lasted about 2 1/2 hours), we were treated to cold sodas (yea for icey slush Coke!!!). We toured the grounds of Duplan which includes several houses (some still in repair) a school and the clinic previous teams have been working on. Pastor Jeff was quite impressed with the amount of work that has been done on the clinic since he was here in August. Looks like we will begin painting tomorrow. We asked if it was the inside or the outside. The answer was "yes!" We're ready!

The guest houses do not serve lunch on Sundays, so we headed to a western-friendly restaurant called Epid'or. They had everything from hotdogs and cheeseburgers to pizza and hoagies. And cake...beautiful cakes. To show you how small the world is and how big God is, we met a mission team from the Toledo area. Pastor Jeff taught their pastor in seminary, a former member of their congregation attended RUMC before moving to Maryland (and was in Jeff's life group) and a friend of Bill's who said to say "hi" to another friend in the Miami airport (unfortunately we were in JFK) actually got to say in person in Haiti! Coincidence? No way. GOD-incidence!

Over the last 10 years, many teams from RUMC helped build a church called Del Mas 33. Since we had some time we asked Johnny to drive us there. Good news...the church is still standing and we saw only one crack on the front of the church. Not so good news...Dan, who has spent many days here over the years, said that for the first time he did not feel safe. We hope it's just an unfortunate individual we ran in to and not changes in the area. Travelling to Del Mas gave us another view of the devastation in Haiti.

Our last stop of the day was the orphanage run by Sister Paulette. We did not get to meet her as she is in Miami right now. But we did get to meet the 36 children who live there. What a blessing! We were able to give each child a few small gifts, then head outside to play. Soccer, basketball, jump rope, bouncing balls and nail polish were all a hit with the kids! While one tent remains in the courtyard, all of the children are now sleeping inside...praise God! They have allowed others from the community to use that tent.

Another interesting thing we learned while driving through the city today is the way the government is coding the buildings. They use a red/yellow/green system. Red means it is unsafe and needs to be demolished. Yellow means it needs repair. And green means it is safe. You can't help looking for these markings and wondering what happened on that day in January.

We had a chance to reflect on our day after devotions tonight. We're all struggling with the disonance in Haiti. There are the "haves", the "have nots" and the "have less than that." It doesn't seem right that within a few yards of each other, each of these scenarios exist. We learned why the Haitians all have flat rooftops on their homes. They are built with the anticipation of moving (building) up. Is there a way the "have nots" or the "have less than that" can ever move up?

Team 5: Haiti Day 1

Team 5 arrived in Haiti safely this afternoon. We were given a beautiful day of travel with clear skies, no delays, and a smoothe landing in Port au Prince (kind of...). There was even some applause upon the landing, prior to the 180 degree turn at the end of the runway to begin the taxi to the tarmac. An interesting view to those who were near windows. The process of retrieving luggage and going through customs went much quicker than anticipated. We then waited anxiously for Johnny...a familiar name to us. You could have seen the smile on his face from 50 yards away (literally!) when he saw the group. He greeted all with a warm hug and was given a few in return on behalf of friends from previous teams. Johnny drove us from the airport to Petion Ville where we will be staying for the week. Along the way we saw a wide variety of scenes...devastation which we all expected, but also some buildings that looked perfectly intact. Traffic is truly organized chaos. Without marked lanes or traffic lights, they all seem to maneuver around each other...vans, trucks, tap taps, scooters and pedestrians. Not to mention the pot holes Johnny skillfully wove through so those in the back of the bus were not too traumatized. On the drive to the guest house, Johnny shared his excitement for our arrival. He truly feels the love of the entire community behind him and is so grateful. Your "images are inscribed in his brain". We are all looking forward to spending more time with him, and with so many others who we will meet this week. We were warmly greeted by Tom and Beth, the managers of the guest house and our hosts for the week. Once we were all settled in our rooms we met on the pool deck for a quick pow wow followed by dinner. Delicious! We had BBQ chicken, eggplant casserole, beans & rice, plantains and some very fresh vegetables. (Don't worry...we won't update the menu each day...this was just a fantastic meal after a long day of travel.) After devotions, Pastor Jeff asked us to ponder what God wants from us...what His plans are for us this week. We all know it is no accident that we are here, and can now pray for guidance and to open our hearts up to fully experience what He has in store. God Bless, Team 5

Team 5: Ready to GO!

Bags are packed, full of things we are all planning to share with the special people we will meet in Haiti over the course of the week. Right now we may say "people" but in just a few days they will be "friends." I keep wondering...How can you love people you've never met? How they can feel like a part of our families already? Like all who answer the call to serve, we do love these people...soon to be friends and a part of our family in Christ. Thanks to you all for your prayers during our travels and for the days ahead! ~ Team 5