Mission Trip to Haiti Report - 2006

News From Haiti

Hi Everyone,

Our team had a very rewarding, very inspiring week in Port-au-Prince working with the Croix des Mission congregation. Our short stay exceeded my wildest expectations.

After departing in June 2006, the foundation was not completed and I was not certain that there was enough money to finish it. The foundation was completed to an above ground height of 2 - 3 feet. Then, project languish until this team arrived.

During the past week, a reinforced concrete cap was put on part of the foundation. By next week, the entire foundation will have been capped. Monday, the initial concrete blocks were put in place. The walls are finally going up.

The team shoveled gravel, carried rocks, carried concrete, carried concrete blocks, carried water. For those of you who have been there, you know the labor intensive environment. Thankfully, the decision was made to buy concrete blocks instead of making them. (The current price is $750 for 1000 concrete blocks.) After I do some sorting, photos will follow.

When we left in June 2006, there was bare rebar where concrete would be poured for the supports. Money ran out before that could happen. In Haiti, an inactive building site invites thieves. Some of the rebar was stolen but most was in place. Why? The neighborhood "boss man" watched over the property.

We found out on Saturday that the neighborhood "boss man" was one of the volunteer laborers and he told the young, unemployed neighborhood men to work unpaid for us. He thought that the church was good for the neighborhood. On Monday, we talked at length with him. Gilbert, the boss man, was born on the church property and his mother lives immediately across the road. He likes the fact that a church is being built there. He thinks that the church will help organize activities for the youth of the community. Gilbert tries to do what he can with almost nothing so I gave him a few hundred dollars for his community activities.

          A neighborhood boss man (I do not know the Creole term) is not an elected position. He is a person respected by the community, trusted by the community to mediate disputes, to advise and to help the community. If he had said, "No!" to our project, no one would have volunteered to work on it.

          On our four work days, we fed all who were on the site. I hired ladies from the church to buy and cook food. The menu was left up to them and the meals included chicken, pork or goat. The first day, we fed 25-30, the next 50-55, then 75-80 and Monday just over 100. Most worked unpaid just to have a lunch. The young men were so excited to be eating meat. You would have thought it was Christmas.

          The paid workers ate first followed by the unpaid workers. The non-workers had to wait until the children, many who were working, were fed. Then, others who heard about the free food were fed. It was an amazing scene: it was like a party each day with everyone smiling, joking and laughing as they ate. If we had too much, there was always someone willing to eat one's left overs.

          On Sunday, seven of these young men, including Billy Kool, came to church for the first time. Billy Kool was a nick name that we gave to a young man who attempted a "gangsta" persona. At first, he was too cool to work but did eventually. When we left, he gave all of us a hug.

          Friday and Saturday evenings, we hired a music teacher to be our team's choir director. We practiced a couple hymns in Creole and sang them in church. It was fun and we did a respectable job.

          We also hired a young man to take video and stills. There are a couple CDs that now have to be edited. When they are finished in a couple months, each of you will receive a copy.

          Next year, maybe January or February, there will be another VIM team to work with Croix des Mission. Who wants to go? Forget about the negatives that you have read about Haiti. Improvements, albeit small ones, are noticeable. All the stop lights work in Port-au-Prince. There are many more Haitian police patrols and fewer UN patrols. The electricity at the guest house was on most of the time. In the Croix des Mission neighborhood, potable water trucks sold water like our summer time ice cream trucks. The former chaos at the airport is under control. Three years ago, not one stop light, UN armored cars at major intersections, many power outages - things are slowly changing.

          Will each of you look at the addressees? I have probably omitted some people who should be on this. Will you please forward this to them and to anyone else who you think would be interested?

          For a different version of our trip, visit: www.robincaissie.blogspot.com. Haiti can have an impact.

          If your past week was as great as mine, you had an outstanding week. Bob