June 26, 2007
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Haiti Update #1
We arrived in Port-au-Prince late last week because of thunderstorms in Miami,
making our exit from the States somewhat difficult. Steve Diaz and a young man
named Yves from Steve’s children’s home picked us up. We were able to spend
that evening with Steve and Ketsia and felt very welcomed!Our next morning came very early, as we left PAP at 5:30 a.m., heading for
Fond-des-Negres. The drive was 3 hours long and we were able to drop two boys
from the PAP Children’s Home with their families on our way. We also went to
another city about an hour farther to drop off one more boy. The family had
moved recently and left no address or phone number. It was great to see how
well the kids are cared for because we drove around until we found his family
so that he would enjoy the summer break (it was about 45 min of driving)! On
our way back, we stopped at a beautiful beach for a swim. We were the only
ones there to enjoy the warm water, nice sun, and large waves! We were dropped
off at the Bethel Clinic, where we’re living instead of at the Bethany
Children’s Home, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the Ezeh
family.Our next few days were filled with an orientation to our summer schedule and
general acclimation to the area. We received tours of the Bethel Clinic and The
Salvation Army’s primary school across the street. Also, we went to the fairly
chaotic market and on a long walk through the Haitian countryside.A week ago Saturday, we met our translator, Savary, and he took us to the FDN
corps to observe Junior Soldiers and timbrels. We’ll be teaching these classes
later on in the summer. Also, we took a quick trip over to the Bethany
Children’s Home to meet several of the residents. Unfortunately for us but
great for them, they’ve gone home for the summer by now.On that Sunday, we had a low-key day. We had our first venture off the
compound on our own, simply down the street to the FDN corps. We were able to
be a part of the congregation, other than the children’s story and testimony
that were given.Monday was spent in Miragoan, a beautiful port city on the inner coast of Haiti.
While there, we purchased some supplies for our many VBS days. In the
marketplace, there was a large UN presence, which was a reminder of the real
struggles this country has and continues to endure.Our next day, Tuesday, was quite different for us. The entire day consisted of
clinic projects. We made an index of the French songbook songs by their
English titles. Our next endeavor was to make photo IDs for all of the
clinic’s employees. It didn’t get completed, but there are over one hundred
employees, so it was understandable. Major Violet left in the evening for PAP,
leaving us to test our independence without her.Wednesday was wonderful. We had our first experience in many Haitian
activities. We mounted our first tap-tap, the equivalent to public
transportation, which got a flat tire within the first 50 feet. We had to get
off to get the tire fixed, then climb back in for the rest of the trip. We met
Major Zimmerman, an amazing Swiss officer who has been here for over 30 years,
at the base of the mountain and began our journey up in our uniforms and
sandals. It took 1 1/2 hours to climb to the Violette Outpost. It’s a small
building in the middle of a mountain and was absolutely gorgeous. The children
slowly came and we began with a snack of hot dogs and juice. Savary then
taught them “Trust and Obey” in Creole. We moved from there to craft time,
where they drew animals and we put them on craft sticks to be used during our
story time. We told the story of Noah’s Ark and the children were excited to
be participating. Major Zimmerman led a time of response and over half of the
25 children stood for Christ! We wrapped up our time there and headed down the
mountain, quite tired from the day’s events!Thursday was another interesting day. We went on a mobile clinic up to Perrien,
a village on top of the mountain we see from Bethel Clinic. The drive was 2
1/2 hours long one way, on some of the most interesting roads of Haiti. We
clung to the seats as the bumps jostled the entire contents of the truck.
Fortunately, the diesel smell wasn’t too bad and no one got sick! Towards the
end of our drive, we honked at every person we passed to summon the mothers and
their babies to the corps building. Many people were already waiting for us at
the corps! The truck was immediately unloaded and the work began. Nurses
examined records and gave vitamin drops and vaccinations (polio DTP) to the
infants, as well as some shots to the young girls who are pregnant. They
allowed us to participate by giving the children Vitamin A drops. The
prescriptions were distributed and then the truck was loaded for our 2 hour
drive back down the mountain.Friday was a day of rest and organization for the next weeks events.
On Saturday, we had the opportunity to watch a very ornate kindergarten
graduation at The Salvation Army’s primary school here in FDN. It consisted of
a march, presentation pieces by the students, down time, and picture time,
totaling 3 hours. The Ezehs’ son, Matthew, was one of the graduates!Yesterday was again a low-key day. I think that Sundays really are used as a
day of rest here, which is amazing! We went back to FDN corps and were able to
solely act as members of the congregation, making us feel more like we belong
than we’re on display. The rest of the afternoon was used as quiet time by all
of us, primarily to spend time with God. It’s so great to be in an atmosphere
where quiet time is built into our schedules!That’s about all we have for you for now! Your prayers are greatly appreciated!
May God bless you all!
The Haiti Interns
Sarah and Briana
