Ministry in Haiti: The great adventure - part 1

My first real missionary trip was to Haiti in 2005. I took it for granted that I thoroughly enjoyed the different living conditions - sleeping on a cot in a building with no electricity or running water, surviving on tinned foods and crix, not having a proper bath for days - until I realised that not everyone felt the same way. Some were complaining, others were counting down the days until they got home. Since that first Haiti trip, I have viewed every subsequent trip as an unpredictable adventure, because despite our best planned our itineraries, things can sometimes end up being a bit crazy. But it's in those crazy times that we see God at work most clearly.

We left on Tuesday short of one team member; her passport was expiring in EXACTLY six months, and Copa refused to allow her to fly with it. We were all disappointed, especially since it meant that we would not be able to carry half of the items we had planned to give away, but God knows best. She will now be going to Haiti in time to receive and distribute the containers of aid that have been so generously donated by the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Safely landed in Haiti with all our luggage

We arrived at our guest house in the darkness. There were solar lights, but we had no way to charge our devices, as we needed both oil and gas for the generator. There was also no cooking gas, so we could not have our cup of soup dinner. Nevertheless, we walked down to the gas station to pick up supplies and to change US$, and made the best with what we had. The next morning, we were able to appreciate the true beauty of our location.

Breathtaking view from our guest house

On Wednesday we set out for the community of Leogane, where we found a community in turmoil following floods brought on by hurricane Matthew. A major bridge was washed away, restricting access to a portion of the village to those who could cross the river on foot or on someone's back. Entire plantations of crops ready to harvest were washed away, belongings were swept out of people's homes, leaving behind a ton of mud. We set up a medical clinic with one doctor and two nurses and were able to treat 110 persons for a variety of conditions including high blood pressure and gastritis. Ninety persons were fed a hot meal of rice, beans and chicken, and toiletries and clothing were distributed.

Awaiting medical attention

Nurses hard at work

Distributing clothes to children

Enjoying the bun bun from the bottom of the pot

On our way back to base, we stopped off at the home of one of our ministry partners. We have been working with him since he established a children's home in 2010 to take care of children who were orphaned by the earthquake. We were able to drop off a donation of food items, which was greatly appreciated by Adelson and his children.

Donation of food items

Grateful children - mesi apnil!

On Thursday, we drove for 5 hours to the community of Fonds Des Negres. Here too was a community devasted by the floods and high winds which accompanied Hurricane Matthew. Their village is situated on the road to Les Cayes, and they were distressed seeing containers of aid passing through their village, en route to the major towns, with no one stopping to see how they were affected or to offer any assistance. The pastor said that we brought the first set of help they had received since the hurricane hit one week ago. He kept saying over and over again, what you are doing is very important.

Pastor's house minus the roof

What is left of someone's home

Sharing the Word through a translator 

Roadway collapsed

As on the previous day, we shared the gospel, and then began the clinic.Some of the additional ailments treated were diabetes, chest pains and respiratory problems. The residents were very grateful for the help they received, and did not even protest when we had to close the clinic because we were running out of drugs after treating 112 persons, and when some of them had to leave hungry because the food ran out although we were able to feed close to 200 people.

Dispensing medication at the pharmacy

Cooks hard at work

Sumptuous meal

This sweet girl was talking to me in French all afternoon

Heavy rainfall on our way back to base resulted in flooding, and us being stuck in standstill traffic for over half and hour. It took us another half an hour to get out of Port au Prince using back roads, so by the time we got home we were thoroughly exhausted.

Driving past flood waters in the capital

The last day of our trip deserves a blog post on its own... look out for part 2 of the great Haitian adventure! :)