Another Great Weekend In Long Beach Mississippi

This blog entry comes to us from John Van Brunt, who was in Long Beach this weekend with 3 of our youth and 4 of our adults...

Even though we are at the coast it isn't any warmer here than in Atlanta. Sub freezing temperatures didn't dampen the spirits of our intergenerational group.

We made great advances in the Allenbaugh's home, targeting the kitchen and bathroom on this trip. Between Mark, Will, Kal, Emily and Katie the tile around the tub was completed in the master bathroom. A new toilet was even installed! The youth who were on the trip have now mastered the art of tiling and wall building.

The hardwood floor was installed in the kitchen and Dailey's closet was completed. All the hard work was completed as the kids were running around, wearing out Emily and Will.

We will all be coming home VERY well fed. Lynn's cooking was AMAZING. Piping hot breakfast and dinner met the crew before and after a hard day's work.

The Allenbaughs were so humbled and grateful to hear that Good Shepherd has raised the goal amout to purchase their boat motor in the near future. As soon as the Allenbaughs' house is completed, steps will be taken to get Chris back on the water and working again!

I went and visited Mr. Francis's home that he is moving into from his FEMA trailer. The house is fully equipped with furniture that Good Shepherd helped supply. Mr. Francis is very appreciative!

The Team and the Allenbaughs bonded tonight over a wonderful shrimp dinner and football. The Allenbaughs have developed a strong relationship with members of Good Shepherd.

Belated Christmas Card - Our Mission to Mississippi

Hello from Long Beach! Our team of 6 college students and I arrived Sunday afternoon to a very cold and windy Long Beach. The outdoor showers proved to be quite exhilarating in 30 degree weather. Many laughs were shared.

Day 2
Monday morning we arrived at our residents’ home. We met the home owner, Dorothy and all the people Dorothy cares for. Miss Dorothy will tell anyone that God has blessed her beyond belief and so her ministry is to bless others with a loving place to live. With her in this house lives her older brother (age 62) who battles mental health issues; her two kids (ages 21 & 17), and 3 kids that were abandoned by their mother (ages 16, 7 & 4). There is never a dull moment in this house that is full of life!

Miss Dorothy’s house was rebuilt after the hurricane, but unfortunately the sewage lines were not cleared. Sewage backed up under the house and began rotting out the walls. Mold was literally eating the drywall. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) volunteers cleaned up the sewage, cleared out the lines, gutted the drywall, and put new drywall up. Our job was to paint the outside of the house and 3 rooms inside the house. God had bigger plans. The crew got to work and by the end of the day the 5 bedroom house was fully painted, plus the front porch scrubbed down and cleaned off so that outdoor carpet could be laid.

Miss Dorothy was ecstatic when she saw her freshly painted house!

Day 3
Today we arrived to our residents’ house to find urine puddles all over the front porch that we had scrubbed so hard. Frustration immediately came over us. Who would do such a thing? Later we found out that the older man who has mental health problems got confused because his bathroom was blocked off for painting. He didn’t know where to go so all night long he went on the porch. Van, the site manager, sat down with us and gave us a little background on the house. He reminded us that we have to have unconditional love when we work with Long Beach community. We don’t understand why they do things the way they do them or why they don’t do things that we feel they should. God has still called us to this place. We may be the only glimpse of Jesus these residents have. We cannot throw an opportunity out the door because we are frustrated with their actions. We must love as Christ loves us. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure I’ve frustrated Christ with many of my actions, but He still continues to love me unconditionally and covers me with grace. We are called to do the same with our residents.
As we were cleaning today we saw a mattress covered in mold. I asked Miss Dorothy if we could take the mattress to the dump for her. She said no, because that’s the mattress that her brother used. There was no way this mattress was usable, not to mention sanitary! We took the mattress to the dump and brought back a brand new one. Sonny, Dorothy’s brother was so excited! I’m not sure he really knew what we had done, but he was excited we were hanging out in his room with him.

The house is finished on the outside! I asked Dorothy today what she wanted for Christmas. She said, “Look at my house! I’ve been telling all my neighbors to look at my Christmas present! The good Lord has blessed me this Christmas!”

Christmas is just around the corner and we noticed that the family’s Christmas tree was bare. So, today we went out and bought ornaments and garland and helped the kids decorate their Christmas tree. The little boys danced around the tree, they were so excited.
This evening we decorated stockings for everyone in the family! We can’t wait to stuff them!

Day 4
When you come to Long Beach you never know how God is going to use you. We laugh at ourselves when we try to plan out the day because God always steers us in a different direction…

Last night we decided as a crew to use our money to buy Christmas presents for the family. So, today we poked and prodded a little bit to see what everyone wanted for Christmas.
Today we knew we only had a little bit to do on the house, so we quickly got our job done and began cleaning up. While we were cleaning up Miss Dorothy said, “Every day you all have had something up your sleeve; some amazing blessing. Well, today I have something up my sleeve. I’ve ordered you all pizza for lunch and you can’t say no because it’s on its way!”
The hour we sat and ate pizza with this family could have been the most important hour on this trip. Miss. Dorothy shared her heart with us. She told us what she had been through with her brother and his disabilities, her daughter who had recently lost a baby to SIDS, and the 3 kids who call her “Momma”, but aren’t really her kids. Ms. Dorothy also has a brain tumor, but she said nothing will stop her because she has a mission to accomplish. Sonny taught us how to dance and sang Temptations songs for us. The little boys chased us all over the yard.
This house should be called Dorothy’s Mission House. She will take in anyone. Everyone who comes to stay with her must sign a contract that states they will follow the moral and ethical values of the house, attend church on Sunday and participate in the family bible study on Saturdays. She is reaching out to young and old residents of Long Beach. I wish you could all meet her!

Today we were also able to deliver a couch to Miss. Dorothy that the Good Shepherd team brought down last weekend. Tears streamed down Dorothy’s face as we brought the couch in the living room. All she could get out was, “Oh the good Lord is blessing me, the good Lord is blessing us!”

We got done early today, came back to the church, cleaned up and headed shopping. We bought tons of presents for the family. Things they were in need of and fun things. The crew spent the evening wrapping gifts and decorating stockings. We are all so thrilled to deliver the gifts tomorrow!!!!

Day 5
We had a few places to touch up with paint this morning. The house looks beautiful! We are proud of our work. After everything was cleaned up we brought all the presents into the house. Ms. Dorothy shot us a look of shock. “What have you gone and done now?”

The kids decided to wait and put the presents under the tree so they had presents to open on Christmas. We made Ms. Dorothy open her present early. The family lost all their pictures in the storm. The walls in the house are bare. We had taken a family picture of the Parkers, blown it up and put it in a nice frame. Ms. Dorothy also talked about how her dream is to get a digital camera so she can take pictures of her kids. Our group bought her a camera! When she opened it tears streamed down her face. She asked us if we were trying to kill her because of all the shock we had caused her over the week.

After the gift giving our group was getting ready to leave to go to New Orleans for the afternoon when Van, our site manager, asked the family to go with us. They agreed, but Ms. Dorothy said she couldn’t go because she had signed up to work at the food pantry. Our group and the Parker family, including Sonny, piled in the bus and headed down the road. We weren’t sure taking Sonny was a good idea. He uses a walker with wheels and we were going to be doing a lot of walking.

On the way to New Orleans, Sonny began to get confused and said he need to find a phone to call the general and let him know what’s going on in Vietnam. We had seen him go through episodes like this before so we just listened to him.

Once in New Orleans we were walking around the French Market and looking at all the art for sale. Van was in charge of Sonny and each college student took responsibility for a child. All of a sudden we turned around and Sonny was gone. Van took off to look for him; surely he couldn’t get far on a walker. Van came back after a few minutes and said he had searched the whole market and couldn’t find Sonny. We split into groups and began walking up and down the streets looking for Sonny. After an hour we still hadn’t found him. I called the police, but they said they couldn’t do anything until he had been missing 24 hours. Finally we called Ms. Dorothy. She was mad! Not at us, but at Sonny. She said, “Mmm Sonny gone actin ugly on you! He know what he do. He do this every once in a while, but I didn’t think he do this for you. You don’t worry about him, if he wants to find you he will. Don’t worry about coming home without him.”

WHAT?!? Come home without him? You mean we just lost a man in New Orleans and we are going to head back to Long Beach without this man! Our group didn’t know how to react. We were in shock!

By the time we were ready to go we still hadn’t found Sonny. So, we did what Ms. Dorothy told us to do and we came home without Sonny.

We’re still in shock and have been praying all night!

Day 6
We got a call this morning that Sonny has been found. He had gone to a hospital to get medicine. Praise the Lord he is safe!

We had a great trip back to Lilburn today. It is always sad to leave long beach, but indoor showers will be much appreciated!

There’s still more stories to be written about Long Beach, MS. Is God leading you to be part of them?

Update on Kenya Trip - Not now, but later :(

Kenya is in turmoil in dealing with post-election issues. The state of that nation is unsafe for travel. We've had to delay our trip. I will be going, but not just yet. Sadly, my son was planning to go with me, but he will be unable to go later because of his deployment to England. We'll keep you posted.

Next Stop - Kenya

Our mission to Haiti has ended! I talked with Joe earlier this evening. He was on the train headed home from the airport, sounding very tired - but pleased about the mission trip to Haiti.

Our mission in Long Beach, Mississippi continues. Katie is there with several college age students working in Katrina Relief.

And now we are working on our next mission - Project Kenya.

I attended our first planning meeting today, which was held at the corporate offices of Chick Fil A. The staff of Chick Fil A are helping organize a trip involving 3 or 4 different churches. I'm the only one going from Good Shepherd in January, but if all goes well, Joe will lead a group from our church to go there this summer.

I will have several tasks.

First, I will evaluate the mission programs there to be sure this is something for Good Shepherd to support.

Second, I will evaluate the safety issues (my wife loves that :) )

Third, I get to preach in places of worship while I'm there.

Finally, I will be taking telescopes and books to a school in rural Kenya. These items have been donated by Christian Astronomers in America, Europe and Africa. I will instruct the teachers how to use the telescopes and their computer systems, and will leave the equipment as a gift to the school. We all have gifts - and it doesn't have to be preaching, medical skills or construction abilities. Have you ever thought about how you might share your areas of interest or expertise with people in the mission fields?

A special word of thanks goes to Artie in Florida, for providing one of his old telescopes.

It was so exciting to learn more about all the things we will be doing while in Kenya. When they told us we would be sleeping on dirt floors in mud huts, I thought, "It just doesn't get any better than this!"

I have to say one other word about Chick Fil A. They are a great organization. They are so supportive of charitable work. The serve great food. They are doing a wonderful work bringing us together on this mission trip. AND I learned today that their founder and CEO, Mr. Cathy, has a collection of antique cars he keeps on display in the lobby of the corporate offices.

Including a Batmobile.

Anyone who has his own Batmobile is a pretty cool guy in my book.

I'm told it goes as fast as 30 miles per hour!

More from Joe and the Gang in Haiti

Hello Good Shepherd!

We are ending a great day here in Cap Haitian!

When I first arrived here in Haiti I was shocked to see so many t-shirts with English words and logos on them. I know that the US imports a ton of stuff, and that churches donate a lot, but I think that the real reason there are so many t-shirts with logos from the US is because Ron Moore can't stop giving them out!

If you didn't know already, Ron Moore, a man with a heart the size of Texas would give you the shirt off his back. Here he has brought about 100 shirts and he can't stop giving them away!
Clothes, like everything else, are in short supply down here, but Ron is certainly doing his part to change that!

Today, we were able to visit a fantastic organization here in Cap Haitian called Starthrowers. Jane has been in contact with them for a long time, and along with others has contributed to their ministry of helping many children pay for school. This year is the first year that they are sponsoring four college students, 2 studying to become doctors and 2 to become specialists in agrarian science. I think it is an absolutely fantastic organization!

The woman who runs the office here is a Canadian who spends 9 months out of the year in the house that serves as an office for Starthrowers. Besides sponsoring these students, the organization also employs several people in the community through maintaining the office which serves as a meeting area, an after school facility, a place to house visitors, and a community center.

As a community center Starthowers supplies vitamins, promotes good hygiene, helps get people the medical service they need (a very costly service in this far-from-fair economic system), and distributes items from people like us to the people in the community who need it most.
Aside from shirts, today we gave Starthrowers a bunch of protein bars (thanks to Susan for those donations!), a ton of those beanie babies that Jane stole from her grandchildren (just kidding, I think she bought them!), and some match box cars that Santa Ron brought!
I tell you what, I am amazed by two things:one, the perseverance of the Haitian people who refuse to give up in a world that has made life so hard on them, and two, the depth of generosity shown by Ron, Jane, and all of you who have made this trip so meaningful.

I think it means a whole lot to care. In doing so we become more human, in looking beyond ourselves we realize that we can be made whole if instead of caring only about our own needs we consider the needs of others. We miss you all!

Joe Evans, Ron Moore and Jane Carney

Joe's Email From Haiti

Hello Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church!

Jane, Ron, and I (Rev. Joe Evans, Associate Pastor) are writing you live from Haiti. It being my first trip here, I am amazed! My eyes are open to the world in a way that they never have been before. During this trip I have been trying to think of ways to get more people involved in coming here.

This country is so different from everything that we are used to.

It has been a lot for me to get used to. In preparing for this trip Jane was thinking about a man who had to be wheeled to her Haitian clinic in a wheel barrow by his son.

To help this man Jane had a wheel chair sent to our church, but getting it to our church was only the first phase of our mission. To get this wheel chair to replace the man's wheel barrow I had to pretend to have a twisted ankle to get the wheel chair on the air plane, through US customs, and then through Haitian customs. It was complicated, but at least I was able to avoid carrying all my luggage!

Once we got to Haiti we had to board a much smaller place, about 20 passenger's, to fly from Port au Prince to Cap Haitian (our destination). This place trip was a little rough - at one point of serious turbulence, Jane looked in my to see me praying reverently. She later asked me if I was praying that we make it to our destination safely. I responded, "Jane, I was just praying that I wouldn't throw up."

This trip really has been special. This country is in such extreme poverty. Jane has been distributing medicine to some 200 patients already. Many suffering from very preventable diseases such as diarrhea, intestinal worms, or scabies. It is a complete tragedy that God's children should suffer in such ways. We even saw a woman today suffering from elephantitis of the foot. This world has to change.

Ron and I have been trying to make ourselves useful, though its hard to compare anything we do to the lives that Jane is saving. We have been working hard though, moving blocks, mixing cement; today Ron was able to feed many people through buying rice and beans and helping prepare them at the site that may someday be a new orphanage.

I am learning a lot - I guess we all are, but I have so many more questions. I hope that we will all be empowered to do something more to help this horrible situation here in Haiti.

We miss you all very much. We are so strengthened by your thoughts and prayers - and I promise, the money you have given for the good of these people is making a difference! A full belly is something to be glad about, even if it is empty again the next day.

We are thinking of you, taking plenty of pictures, and looking forward to seeing you soon.
Joe Evans

Associate Pastor
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

Tuesday's Report from our December Mission to Haiti

Lori Moore heard from her husband Ron last night (Tuesday), and we have good news to share. Our three-person mission team has arrived safe and sound in Haiti.

They had a rough trip from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. It has been raining in Haiti the last 3 months. They flew through a thunderstorm to get to Cap Haitien. Ron said it was the roughest plane ride he's ever had, and we get the impression that the trip enhanced their prayer life.

So -- how did they get the wheelchair onto the plane? Their small amount of luggage and the enormous amount of medicines took up all of the alloted baggage limits.

It was Joe to the rescue. He rode the wheelchair onto the plane and throughout the airports.





We are told that Joe not only rode the wheelchair, he milked it for all it was worth. Airport staff pushed him everywhere he went. He did not have to walk at all. Before they left on Monday, Joe was showing off in the wheelchair by doing wheelies.

Our team did a mobile medical clinic on Tuesday. Joe and Jane worked at the clinic, while Ron divided his time between the clinic and runs to the Cap Hatien airport to continue to pick up bags they could not get onto the plane on Monday.

Mission to Haiti - December 2007

The ladies in this photograph are part of our Haiti Mission Team. They did not go to Haiti, but they gathered together to pack prescription drugs and to mark the containers. These drugs - 200 pounds of them - are headed to Haiti with Jane Carney, Joe Evans, and Ron Moore. The trio left Atlanta on Monday, December 10th, and will be returning on Tuesday, December 18th.

The team will also be taking a wheelchair, donated specifically for this mission.

When we send teams to Haiti, we usually go to either Leogane in the southern area, working through the Holy Cross Hospital, or to Cap Haitian in the north, where we work through an orphanage. This team will be going to Cap Haitian.

Hopefully, we will receive on or two emails from the team.

December 2007 Mission to Mississippi

Howdy, from Long Beach, MS.

Last night our crew of 4 arrived safely to this desolate community. With us this trip we have John VanBrunt (veteran), Tom Middlebrooks (veteran), Mark Beeney (rookie) and me, Katie Gomola.

As usual we began the day with no clue where God was going to lead us. Sometimes I feel when we try to plan out our day God just laughs at us...

We did know we were going to the Allenbaugh’s, which is the family our church has been working with over the past 4 months.

When we arrived at the Allenbaugh’s they came out and greeted us with hugs and smiles. Good Shepherd is not just a group that comes down to do free labor. We bring this family so much hope because they see the remnants of Katrina coming to an end. The guys spent the morning cleaning up the back porch and framing in a wall while I helped Mrs. Allenbaugh pack up stuff to take to the Salvation Army.

Have you ever had such a huge mess in front of you that you would avoid it or learn to work around it because it was so overwhelming? There’s such a mess that you don’t even know where to start? Well, that’s the case for the Allenbaugh’s. They’ve been repairing their home while living there; shifting belongings from one room to another. The mess is overwhelming to them. Realizing this, we knew that one of our major tasks was to help them get organized, so they could feel like they had some order. The guys spent the afternoon pulling everything out of the garage, throwing things out and reorganizing. Mr. Allenbaugh needs a workbench area to do carpentry work until he gets back to captaining his ship. The guys cleared out this area and set up an area for Mr. Allenbaugh to work. I spent the afternoon folding and hanging clothes. There are no dressers in the house, so clothes are piled everywhere. As the piles of clothes disappeared the house began to have order.

To some is may sound crazy that we came all the way down here to clean someone’s house, but I am certain that God has called us to this place. Helping organize the Allenbaugh house brought a sense of accomplishment to the family. They can see their lives slowly coming back together.

Tonight we went out for a farewell dinner for a guy named Adam. Adam is an 18 year old, recent high school graduate. He delayed going to college to spend a semester volunteering here in Long Beach. He has been a major help to the site manager here, and has worked closely with our group over the past couple months. It is sad to see this amazing young man go, but we are confident that God has awesome things in store for Adam.

God’s presence illuminates Long Beach. One cannot work a day down here and not see God at work in this community. God is faithful and his love endures forever! Long Beach is such an amazing, vivid picture of that of that promise!

We are excited about what the Lord has in store for us tomorrow!

Katie Gomola

PS. The Allenbaugh’s will be at church on Dec. 30th and they cannot wait to meet all of you!!!!

Two belated blogs from Haiti

Sometimes keeping a blog on the mission field is a unique challenge. Barb Kell, Priscilla Stockwell, and Jane Carney have been in Haiti. They sent two emails, but neither made it through cyberspace. Barb resent them when she returned to the US, so we are now able to share these two brief messages...


Dear friends at Good Shepehrd,

We are here and hard at work. First clinic was today. We saw about 160 people.

We have had a couple of tiny babies at the hospital, one that weighs 2 pounds, and another that may be about the same.

Another mom is a seventeen year old whose family kicked her out and she showed up at the hospital, delivered and had grand mal seizure !

The doc was a bit busy delivering other moms so Priscilla and I rushed over there and dove in! She is much improved today and we have fed her, helped her nurse the beautiful baby girl, fed her and gave a little money to the "angel" who was with her taking the best care of her she could.

It has rained in the afternoon and you can see the devastation caused by flooding and recent storms.

Tomorrow we are off for another day of scabies, fevers and untreated high blood pressure ..... and we can't wait to get back out there !
Barb


Message two...

Apologies for sparse communication. I have honestly tried daily to get on the internet, but no electricity and no connection have prevailed. It is our last day and we are all busy doing all kinds of things.

Priscilla is downstairs treating kids and burns , so I must quickly go to her aid. This afternoon we will do our lectures at the nursing school. This drug room is a shambles and must be put into order!

But oh... the stories we will have to tell upon our return !

Keep us in your prayers for safe travel and we will share more of our adventures when we get home.

Barb

Day Two of our September Mission Trip

We spent the early morning cleaning the Long Beach Presbyterian Church. Later on we headed to the Allenbaughs and were greeted with open arms and smiles. The guys got to work on the bathroom. They had to finish the drywall and install the bathtub. The women painted a bedroom and tried to keep the 1 yr old and 4 yr old from tracking the paint all over the house. By lunch time we were all covered in paint!

After lunch the guys still had some work to do, so the women were able to hang out with Mrs. Allenbaugh and the kids. Mrs. Allenbaugh took us on a tour of the town. She showed us where they lived during the storm, the window they had to swim out of, and the path they swam until they reached dry land (equaling about a quarter of a mile). We also drove through a brand new neighborhood and later Mrs. Allenbaugh showed us the pictures of what the homes looked like after the storms. One home had not been touched since the storm. A whole side of the house had been torn off and the residents clothes were still hanging in the closet.

The Long Beach area is still in need of a lot of help. Some need supplies, some need labor, but all need love and hope. Everyone has something they can offer to the area. Maybe it's cooking for a group of volunteers, cleaning the church, construction, loving on love starved kids, or just listening to the story of a Katrina victim. Service comes in many sizes and forms in Gulf Coast.

The next trip is Oct. 4th - 7th. Are you being called to Long Beach?

Report from the September Mississippi Mission

Our goal is to have one mission trip every month from now through December. This report comes to us today from Katie, our Director of Student Ministries, who is currently in Missisippi.

We arrived here in Long Beach, Mississippi, last night at midnight and quickly got in bed.

This morning we were told we needed to do drywall and paint, so we planned accordingly with tools and supplies, loaded up and headed out. We were completely unaware of how God was going to rock us in the first 5 minutes of meeting our residents. We get to the house and meet our residents, a young couple with a 4 yr. old and a 1 yr old. They had bought a gutted house and were almost done remodeling it, but needed some help to get it finished.

You see, the Allenbaugh family had lost EVERYTHING in the hurricane.

They sat us down and showed us pictures as the water rose in their home. They were chased to the 2nd floor of their home, but could not find shelter their because the roof had been damaged. All their clothes, furniture, pictures, everything was floating out to sea.

Once the storm died down they had to swim, with their at the time 2 yr old on their back, until they found land. Once they found land they were picked up by a 4-wheeler and taken to shelter. For nine days they had nothing but the clothes on their backs -- not even shoes. Eventually they got help from a family member up north and were able to find a refuge.

When the Allenbaughs came back to the Long Beach area they had nothing. Things worked out so they were able to purchase the home in which they now live. Their home is livable, but lacks furniture and a kitchen.

John VanBrunt and Mike Thurmond from our church worked with Mr. Allenbaugh ripping out old tile that was moldy from the storm in a bathroom. They also put up drywall and tore out the tub. We were able to buy them a new bathtub today.

Mr. Allenbaugh is a skilled carpenter and fishing boat captain, but work has been hard to find. He has done most of his house by himself. The problem is that like most of the residents in this area, he has Katrina depression. It has taken so long for this place to get cleaned up that people have lost their motivation and hope. All it took was a team to come in and get him motivated and excited about his house and he was hard at work.

Someone donated a dishwasher to the Allenbaughs -- but it didn't work. The family was also given a stove that only had one working burner. Today we went out and bought them a new dishwasher and stove. Tears streamed down the young couples face as they watched the appliances come off the truck.

The Allenbaughs had applied for a grant that was to cover all the appliances, windows and doors in the house. They received a call that they had won the grant. A half hour later they got another call that there was a mistake and the organization giving the grant had called the wrong people! Once again, hope had been washed out from under them.

The Allenbaughs continue to give God the glory. They said they don't understand why things like this happen, but they know God is in control! I fought tears as the family told us their stories, shared their pictures and let us love on them. The residents of Long Beach don't just need our construction skills. They also need us to reflect the love and hope that comes through Jesus Christ. We are a shining light and hope in the midst of chaos. It is such an honor to be the Lord's vessel to the people of Long Beach.

Mission To Long Beach, Mississippi - August, 2007

Katie Gomola, our Youth Director, is in Long Beach, Mississippi, working with a mission team from Good Shepherd. We received this report today!


Greetings from Long Beach! We arrived last night after a wonderful trip. This week we will be working with a group from New Jersey, 25 of us total.

It has been amazing to see God at work in this area. You cannot deny his presence! We were greeted by the new cite manager, Van, and briefed on the residents we would be working with. The house should be condemned, but the family has no where else to go. There are 5 of them living in this 2 bedroom house. They did not have their roof repaired from Katrina until last month. That means that they have gone almost 3 years with a leaky roof. Therefore, the insides of this house are a mess...

We began our day by picking up all the old shingles and debris that were in front of the house. FEMA will no longer pick up destruction trash. We filled a huge trailer and had to take it back to the church to empty it in the dumpster. Old shingles and insulation are heavy! We were covered in grime.


The front steps/deck to the house, where not safe, so Mark Marietta drew up plans and we headed to the lumber yard to get the wood. Mark, Rebecca Thurmond, Nick Stapley, and Doug King worked on a tearing out the rotting deck and building a new sturdy deck, while Michelle Marietta, Ashley Pfeiffer and I tiled a bedroom. We were so proud of ourselves.
Van told us that he had started to put another group at this house, but last minute he didn't have a good feeling about it and decided not to assign them to our house.. When we arrived last night, he said he knew God was calling our group to this house. There is so much work to be done, but more than that, there are 3 kids that are starved for love. Today, the kids were sick, but we are excited to meet these kids and love them like Jesus!

Here are some pictures of our day.

#1 - Mark giving direction

#2- Ashely beating out the rugs

#3 - Rebecca beating the rug

#4 - Michelle putting in the last tile

#5 - Me almost killin myself

News From Brazil

John Van Brunt, a long-time member of the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, is currently in Brazil on an interesting mission trip. He has set up a blog so we can enjoy news from his mission trip -- go to http://globalbaseballjvb.blogspot.com John thanks you for all your support and prayers

From Priscilla in Haiti

Priscilla Stockwell is in Haiti on a mission. We won't be receiving many posts to our blogs on this trip, but at least we have this one!

My Good Shepherd Family:

We have had great difficulty with access to the Internet. Three of my mails sent home were not received so I am assuming that you have not heard from me as well. We have done 5 medical clinics to date without a day off (no day planned to be off). The weather is crucial (heat index
up to 110 degrees). Transportation has been good without failure.

Many children this trip with malaria. My last child (age 3) yesterday had a fever of 105.3. We all worked very quickly to bring the fever down while administrating anti- malaria medicine and re-hydration fluids.

On Wednesday we went to a new site at the request of one of the pastors. A very rural area, most of the people are farmers. It was at this site that we found many with signs and symptoms of AIDS. One mother presented was with her 3 year old child. She had been informed by a
previous health provider that she had AIDS. She asked us who would care for her child when she eventually dies. I am hoping that her pastor will assist with finding a family for the child. I am getting discouraged with the quality of life for our Haitian families (I am very tired now as well so my perception may be affected by lack of sleep). Why must life be so hard for these mothers and their children? I do know that God has placed me in Haiti for a reason. I must not doubt that now even though I am discouraged. We will continue. We hope to be home as planned.

Thank you all for your prayers. Prayer is a powerful gift given by God.

We can use it very minute of the day.

Thursday and Friday Report from Mississippi

Is That A Halo On Pat's Head?

Thursday
Today was only a half day. We left early in the morning so we could get more time in. Our mission today was to get the ceilings finished. Because we are remodeling a trailer, we are running into many querks.





The wall frames are no completely square and the door frames are exceptionally small. Before we put up drywall we have to pull out staples that were used to put up the original drywall. I found us all exceptionally weary today.


We worked until 1pm and then headed home to shower and get dolled up for a trip to New Orleans. Some people from the Chicago group joined us and off we went. We walked all over the city, checking out the many sights. It was a beautiful evening! We heard great music, ate good food and had many laughs.

We all are ready for tons of sleep...

Friday
This morning we were the first group up and out the door. We had so much we wanted to get done before we leave in the morning. Depression has set in with many of the Long Beach residents. It is hard to see an end in sight with all the repairs that need done. Our resident especially is lacking stability. She is anxious and ready for her trailer to be done. Many times she has stopped by while were working to just sit inside her house and think. She lights a cigerette and sobs as she tells us stories of what she has been through. I could not imgane losing everything I have.

Jan our resident has also struggled with getting her home rebuilt because her home was primarily damaged by a tornado that went through the trailer park during the hurricane. Because it was a tornado and not a hurricane, FEMA is not willing to help rebuild her home. They have provided her with a FEMA trailer. The trailer park which was once a family friendly neighborhood has now become a community of savengers, scrounging around for work and money. Many times we had people come up to us and ask us if we were hiring. Many businesses were destoyed and have left people jobless.

We finished the cathedral ceiling with sore shoulders and smiles. It was so nice to have finally finished the ceiling. From there we were able to get back to work on the walls.

We got a call this morning from the ship captain we met at the beginning of the week. He said he wanted to take us out on an excursion at 1:30. We were definitely not going to miss an oppertunity to go out on a huge fishing boat. The captain's wife even baked blackberry cobbler for Bryan's birthday. We headed out towards Cat Island. The captain explained that Cat Island runs paralell to the coast and nine miles out from land. He said the island protected the coast from what was orginally a 35 foot tidal wave. The wave killed all the trees along the island. The captain said he fears another hurricane because their protection is gone. The next island we went to was Ship's Island. On Ship Island is an old fort build during the war of 1812. It's called fort Massachests. Our captain new the island police and they unlocked the door of the fort so we could look around. It was amazing! The cannons were huge, the brick walls were beautiful! We were all in awe!

The captain got us back to the dock at 5:00 and we rushed back to our work site. We worked until dark. Most of the work we did tonight was to board up all the windows to prevent the neighborhood kids from throwing rocks through them. We now have a the trailer completey sided and 3/4 drywalled. All of this work has been done by members of Good Shepherd between the Spring Break Trip and this week. My prayer is that our church will have many other hands working on this house.

Whose up for the next trip?!?

More News From Mississippi

This blog was compiled by Kate, Bryan and Katie.

Day 3- Tuesday

As the sun beat down on our previously pale skin, we wrapped a trailer. In order to do said wrapping, large sheets of home wrap were nailed to the side of the house. The most exciting part of this experience was when Bryan, Pat, and Jean tried to nail the home wrap into a window. Luckily they noticed what they were doing before any glass was shattered. Meanwhile, the Kate and Katie duo was busy at the other end of the home installing vinyl siding.

Occasionally the nails hit a very dense part of the wood and nails torpedoed across the yard. Some might say that more nails flew than were nailed in, but who was counting? Simultaneously there was a competition for whose thumb could turn the prettiest shade of purple. Jean won. Katie was the only participant who did not smash her thumb.

While taking a break from siding, Bryan and Jean took Bubba (the sledgehammer) to the kitchen cabinets and "the kitchen sink" and proceeded to throw them out the front door. By the end of the day the kitchen was sink-free and the siding was complete.

Day 4- Wednesday

Upon arrival the siding was glistening in the sun that had left us various shades of red the day before. The duo was back together but this time they swept up the debris from all of the sheetrock work of previous days only to create more mess later (when the sheetrock work recommenced). During a brief pause in their sheetrock endeavors they began the demolition of the second bathroom. Bubba made another appearance as well as the crowbar as they tried to make a dent in the task. The duo got a little out of control with their emotions and couldn't stop laughing. Perhaps it had to do with an oxygen deficiency caused by the masks they were wearing, but if not it was a good excuse.

Bryan and Pat tried to remain serious while they played with staple guns, dealt with massive amounts of insulation, and tried to avoid making contact with the fiberglass shards. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (or back at the church) Jean was occupied with preparations for the weekly Wednesday night service. When she arrived at the house she attempted to replace some rotten wood around a window. The window won and some glass was broken.

Dinner was once again delicious and was followed by the worship service. Kate and Bryan were recruited to be the choir along with a man from Spartanburg, SC and the organist from the same church. Katie led the prayers of the people. Jean delivered a sermon on confidence that is part of a sermon series she had been talking about all week. It's now getting late and Pat has bumped up our departure time for the morning. We were determined to make Pat a night owl this week (We got her to stay up until 10:00 last night!), but she has done well with making us morning people!

Photos of our Mission Team

We have some great shots of our current Mission Team.

Jean (Katie's Mom), Kate and Bryan.

Kate, Bryan and Katie.

Pat Measures Twice And Saws Once

Kate Works Intently On The Doorway

Our mission team will continue to work in Long Beach, Miss., through the end of the week. Keep them in your prayers as they continue to work together.

Sunday and Monday in Mississippi - May 6 & 7

Day 1
Kate Benton, Pat Bishop and I had a wonderful trip down to Long Beach, MS. We met Bryan Dilks (Kate Benton's boyfriend) who drove up from Houston and my mom, Jean Gomola, a Presbyterian pastor who flew down from Pittsburgh. We arrived at the Long Beach Presbyterian Church and were greeted by the 20 other people who we will share the church with for the week. One group is from Illinois and another group from South Carolina. We just found out that our crew will continue hanging drywall and vinyl siding on the home that our Spring Break crew started. Apparently there haven't been many people here to work since then. That's why Good Shepherd should come once a month! haha! We're exhausted and heading to bed.

Day 2
Pat was up at 4:50 am! She said she was an early bird, but there should be a new title for that hour! It took us a little while to get out the door as we gathered our supplies. We arrived to the home to find that all the windows had been broken out and someone had thrown stones at the new siding... it was all cracked. I found it more frustrating then the rest of the crew because I had watched the Spring Break crew put the siding up and smash many fingers in the process. We also found that someone had been sleeping in this home with no windows, electricity or plumbing.

Pat immediately got us working. Even with all her experience in Habitat for Humanity, she was stumped. She has built a house from scratch, but not tried to repair a gutted trailer. Once she figured out what needed to be done, she handed out tasks and we were off. The master bedroom and kitchen were finished in no time. There has been some difficulty working around all the broken glass and the residents belongings that are still in the trailer.

The resident, Jan, stopped by while we were working. She walked in and sat down, tears were streaming out from under her sunglasses. She said, "I can't wait to be back in my home. It's so peaceful in here." Jan's current home is a tiny FEMA trailer behind her home.

Our afternoon was spent removing the vinyl siding from the side of the trailer because the trailer had not been sealed properly.

We got back to the church this evening and took nice hot outdoor showers. Everyone wanted to go for a walk, so we walked to the shore and out onto a boat dock. The beach is still desolate with a few piles of debris here and there. Jean began talking to a man who was sitting on his fishing boat. She asked if he could take us out on his boat and he said he charged $650 for a 4 hour trip! We laughed and said no thank you. He asked us to come tour his boat (2 bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen... CRAZY!) which led to an hour conversation about their experience during Katrina. We were captivated, but hit with a sense of anxiety in realizing what this community has been through. As we were leaving the captain asked for our name and phone number. He said he might have to take the boat out for a maintenance trip and he would love for us to ride along. We are hoping he calls!

Mississippi - April 5th

More From Our Mississippi Mission
This week there are 45 people on three teams at the Long Beach Presbyterian Church. It is not a very big building, much smaller than Good Shepherd. Our guys are sleeping in the choir room. Bunk beds are located in every corner of the building. The place bears a strange resemblance to Clifton, the homeless ministry Good Shepherd helps to support in Atlanta.

Tuesday was our turn to cook and clean for the visiting works crews. This meant we were responsible for preparing the meals means breakfast, lunch and dinner for 45 hungry people. We eat breakfast and lunch together. For breakfast we decided to have pancakes, fruit and hard boiled eggs. For lunch we provided the ingredients for sack lunches. The day starts early, so wake-up time for the morning cooks was 5:30 AM! Lauren, Josh and Chris volunteered to act as cooks under the supervision of Mike and Jane. Bill Johnson has our early riser was in charge of the coffee. By 7:30 we had gone through four and a half boxes of pancake mix, a pineapple, three dozen eggs and other assorted fruit. Our new chiefs performed admirably and keep the platter full until all were served.

Once breakfast was complete the rest of the crew jumped into action cleaning the kitchen, sleeping areas and the showers. The it was off to the work site and a second day on the roof.

We needed clear weather to get the ridge vent on the house and complete the roof. The rain clouds which threatened this morning passed quickly and the day turned out to be quit nice. The roofing crew was able to return to the roof one last time, and complete the job. Those on the roof and the support team on the ground took a few minutes to celebrate. I am sure that larger roofs have been completed but I doubt that any will be more meaningful.

Mission To Long Beach, Mississippi - April 4th

Several of our church members have taken our new bus on its first long church trip -- they are working together in Mississippi in some of the areas still ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. We've had several calls from Katie Gomola and other workers, and it sounds like they are accomplishing a lot of important work and enjoying lots of fun and laughter as well.

This morning we received this report from Mike Thurmond, who describes the work they are doing.

This is Wednesday morning in Long Beach, Mississippi, the third day of our mission trip. It is hard to believe that a year and eight months after Katrina there is still so much to be done. On the one hand much has been cleaned up -- but it is not the debris but the absence that testifies to the power of the storm. Has we drive along the beach on US 90 there are very few people on the beach. The twelve miles or so we cover each morning has only one or two isolated locations with the expected beach activities.

On the inland side of the road we see only evidence of what once was. Slabs, the front stairs of a house, a swimming pool, and the signs that mark a restaurant, hotel or other business that once was. There is something eerie about seeing a McDonald’s or Waffle House sign towering above the road, but on the ground there is no sign of the building we associate with the sign. This is not to say that nothing has been done.

Scattered along are route are homes, hotels, casinos and other businesses that show no signs of the fury they have survived. We have to wonder what has enabled one home owner or business to rebuild while others are still on hold. It also raises the question of what would we do if faced with the same magnitude of destruction? Your home, your neighbors, businesses, your church, everything gone -- it is a question we are glad we don't have to face.

We have spent the first two days putting a roof on a small house, no more than 900 square feet. Roofing was not on our top ten list of jobs, but God empowers the called. True to his word we found the skills required to meet the need. Because all of us could not fit on the roof itself, we where able to complete several other tasks at the same time.

There is much more to be said. Our team has bounded well and we are having a wonderful time. At the moment I am under a tent watching the rain clouds approach. So I need to close at try to sent this before the rain come and the day begins.

Wednesday Report

We're gearing up for our return tomorrow and most of us are quite ready!

It's been a good experience, but it is always nice to return home.

Today we did not have clinic-all the drugs that will keep have been packed up and stored at the orphanage for next trip. Several of the group spent the day at the orphanage playing games and doing fun activities with the children. Others relaxed around the hotel and began getting packed up for home. We also enjoyed watching the hotel staff put up icicle lights in preparation for Christmas. Packing up for home isn't nearly as extensive as packing to come and we'll all have lost a lot of weight! ha ha ha! Even though clinics are over, our medical staff gave the hotel staff an opportunity to get medical attention and at the end of today one of the workers from the new site needed cleaning up from a nasty cut received during a disagreement. So the work continues!

This morning, Jane, Jan, Ann, Ron and I met with Dana and Pritchard Adams. He's a pastor here with a school and Bible Institute. He and Dana have been missionaries here for 24 years-all three of their children were born here. He and Dana were recently kidnapped after church services one evening. Fortunately it turned out well, although it cost around $5000 to get him released. He is with Rehoboth Ministries and has worked to build a school for children up to sixth grade (hopes to increase through High School eventually) and also does education for adults who never had an opportunity when young. He's helping many find the Lord and make a faith commitment and is working to develop future Christian leaders. He's quite clear that the situation in Haiti has and is deteriorating. He had quite a good insight into the political problems and how things will not improve as long as western nations try to 'fix' Haiti through their efforts that are guided by western culture. We had an enjoyable three hours with him and may explore futher future connections. He certainly welcomes our prayers -as do all the missionaries here.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers-we look forward to sharing our experience in person very soon!

Catching Up With Leslee...

Sorry to be behind-but that's the vagaries of life in a third world country!

Anyway, Sunday was down time for the group. Most of us attended worship at the Baptist Church that the children from the orphanage attend. As it was all in Creole, we didn't understand most of it, but the Spirit was clearly present. The Pastor was thrilled to have us visit and welcomed us in English and then had us introduce ourselves. We said our name (Je m'appel....) and how many trips we had made to Haiti. As some of the group showed up late, those of us who introduced ourselves were pretty much all first timers. They were very pleased. The pastor requested prayer for his church as they are trying to rebuild the building. (There's so much building that seems to be going on, but it never seems to progress past a certain point.....). One of our group, Pastor Mike (he and his wife Arlene are from North Carolina where he pastors a 200 member church gave the prayer before the sermon and then led the benediction at the end.

After church we rode back to the orphanage for a brief visit before returning to the hotel. The children were pleased to see us and sang several songs. It was deeply touching to have four of the boys sing "Silent Night" in English. There has been very little reminder that we are so close to Christmas here. Some homes and businesses have some Christmas lights and decorations, but for the most part it is not obvious. The orphanage does have a nice Christmas Tree and we will be celebrating Christmas with the children on Wednesday of this week.

After returning to the hotel, some of the group ventured on to Labadie to go to the beach. Labadie is one area that still attracts cruise ships and tourists as the beach is beautiful. We were scheduled to do a clinic there on Tuesday (today) but the demand for drugs and medicine has been so great at the other clinics, we had to cancel. It was nice to have the respite and we have a better understanding of why God set aside a day for rest.

On Monday we headed out to the new orphanage site for a clinic. The day was beautiful --cooler, nice breeze and somewhat cloudy, keeping the sun hidden. It was the nicest set up as we were outdoors in the shade. As usual many people were waiting for us when we arrived. It seemed we saw a lot more children who were critically sick on Monday. At least two needed rehydration and they and their mothers waited patiently as we gave liquids and shots to help. Both were thankfully doing better by the time they left.

One young mother, 18 years old, brought her 6 week old son to the clinic. The mother had an awful case of scabies and the baby had scabies, a fungus infection and secondary staph infection. Both received lindane and shots to help. Sharon (from the orphanage) was with us and gave further instructions to the mother to come to the orphanage so she could further help both. The mother lives with her aunt, since her own mother died two years ago. The aunt doesn't want this teenager around and thus abuses her. Both she and her infant are not doing well as a result. The father of the baby is around, but does not help. She seems to really want to care for her infant, so Sharon is reaching out. Pastor Mike came over and prayed with her for a bit and that seemed to help also.

On the way home it was again time to observe the local life in action. Driving in Haiti seems only to require a working horn. There are no traffic signals, few street signs and no real police enforcement of any traffic laws. Cars are mostly American cast-offs that have all seen much better days. Tap-taps (taxis) are usually small pick up trucks with roofs that squeeze too many people in the back and then race through traffic. Complicating this are the old American school buses, some of which have been brightly painting, that roar around, packed to bursting, sometimes with people hanging on the roof racks. We waited a bit for a large truck to unload about 20 or so people. At least three women got off carrying live chicken, hanging by their feet. One woman got off and put a box on the ground and I realized it had a live chicken that just sat while she got the rest of her belongings. Total chaos seems to be the rush hour experience. Walkers, bikers, motorscooters weaving around cars, large trucks, buses, tap-taps, small taxis and more all in the street. Pedestrians truly take their lives in their hands. Horns aren't rude here they way they might be in the states, but announce cars coming to intersections, tell pedestrians a car is coming and to move over, scooters honk so cars know they are there etc. I would not want to drive here-it's too nuts! It's interesting too to see the number of religious signs painted everywhere. Tap-taps invariably have something painting on their tops - Psaumes 36, Jehovah Jireh, Merci, Jesus; Dieu qui Donne, etc. On the surface there seems to be a real belief in God, but the underlying superstitious nature of the people leaves us wondering......

Today (Tuesday) we are off and will be beginning to prepare for our return. "A Demen" ........til tomorrow..... Your prayers are much appreciated!

News from Jan from Colorado -- a member of our current team

I am Jan from Boulder, Colorado, and a First Grade friend of Jane Carney's. I'm on my third trip to Haiti.

Today I took a break from treating children and adults with scabies (after a while I start to itch and think that I have scabies too) and went with Ron to both the orphanage and the new orphanage site to play with the kids. It is an adventure in itself traveling through the city with Ron since he talks to everyone on the streets (in English) even though almost no one understands him. Somehow it works though.

We were walking up a side street to the orphanage. Most of the properties have walls around them with solid metal gates that slide open for a vehicle to go through. One of these gates was open and Ron saw a man inside and started talking to him. The man just happened to speak English and was originally from Haiti but had spent the past 20 years as a policeman for the NYPD in Brookyln and had returned to Haiti to retire.

Since my husband is from Brookyln, I threw around some neighborhood names; he glowed as his Brazillian batteries which somehow relate to his generator which gives him 24 hour electricity.

Eventually we left after Ron gave him his business card and told him to email him.

At the orphanage Ron organized (I use that term loosely) the kids into two lines. We demonstrated the relay of passing a soccer ball over our heads to the following person. Kids are kids and it didn't take them long to realize that if they bypassed some of their team members in the middle of the line, the ball would reach the end quicker. The other team lost but cheered enthusiastically as if they had won. We switched to playing basketball thinking we would have an advantage because of our heights. We lost badly.

It was hot so we moved inside to play the piano, a rhythm clapping hands game and the game where you put your hands underneath someone else's and try to swat the other persons' hands before they pull them away. Ron was happy because he finally won this game, but only because initially he pretended that he didn't know how to play it. We finished with singing Christmas carols. The kids were also better at this because they could sing one in English.

We left and walked through the streets looking for a tap tap or a truck to take us to the new orphanage site. Ron still talked to everyone we passed, but switched to speaking Spanish which no one understood either, until he met a man from Cuba who wanted Ron to take him back with him to the States.

After an hour and a half and a variety of vechicles we arrived at the site. Ron immediately began coaching soccer. I found a cement bench in the roofless dining pavilion and laid there, trying to pick up any possible breeze by not moving. I was jarred from my reverie by a voice saying, "I'm very, very disappointed with all of your performances". I looked up to see Lawrence of Arabia marching across the field followed by a group of Haitian workers. Actually it was Bill Kell with a wet towel tied on his head.

Our group (about 12) packed into the cab and the back of a very small pick up truck and left to return to the hotel at dusk, which is never the plan. By the time we got into the city it was dark and the streets were jammed with tap taps, trucks, double decker buses, motor cycles, bicycles, men pushing wheel barrows and women balancing baskets on their heads. The electricity in Cap Haitien has been out for a week and many vehicles do not have head lights although it does not stop the two way traffic from passing each other and driving on which ever side of the street that has the fewest pot holes. The only light was provided the fires burning garbage in the streets or the occassional head lights. It was very errie. Our driver, Santage, was superb, and we made it back safely.

I also want to be sure to thank here Tara High School and Centenniel Middle School in Colorado for giving us 13,000 children's vitamins that we have been handing out at the clinics. God is so good!

Leslee's News About Saturday...

I'm a day behind, but we got back so late last night that I decided to wait until Sunday afternoon to send Saturday news. Sunday news will come a bit later today.

On Saturday we drove to Barone for the clinic there. It is a two hour plus ride over really bad roads into the mountains. This gave me an opportunity to observe daily life in Haiti, at least as we drove by in our truck. It is fascinating to watch people going about their business. Women usually have a basket or pot or something that they carry on their head. This is efficient, yet does cause neck and back pain from the heavy (up to 60 pounds) loads. One woman had a basket that was about 3 feet wide that was full of live chickens. The chickens (or poulet) were all sitting calmly in a circle around the perimeter of the basket, with one or two sitting in the middle. I'd have to guess about a dozen were there. The chickens were sitting calmly looking around. As we drove into the mountains we saw a little boy walking with his backpack on his head.

As we drove, children especially, would wave and call-they wanted us to give them stuff, but we just waved back. Many older people smiled and waved also.

The road was very rough, some spots were very good, but once we got close to Barone it was full of potholes and puddles. There was at least one time we had to cross the river and had to hope it wasn't too deep.

When we pulled up to the clinic, many people were waiting for us. As we walked in with the supplies, the people were clapping. It was a humbling experience to know they had probably waited since before daybreak, knowing there was a chance they wouldn't be able to be seen.

Our session opened with a hymn and prayer and we were off. We had Dr. Jerome (a Haitian doctor), Sharon (director of Hope Haven) and a public health nurse with us this day so we were able to see more patients. I worked with Jane in the pharmacy, basically joined at the hip with her all day. Jane commented that now I could moonlight as a pharmacist. My response was appreciative, but I think the DEA might have something to say about that!

Sharon brought Cailiax from the orphanage with her to visit his grandmother. He wasn't terribly happy with that and Eli (one of our nurse practitioners) was happy to hold and comfort him. He pretty much attached himself to her for the rest of the trip home and overnight at the hotel. He was good as gold, sitting with Sharon earlier in the day as she saw patients.

We also saw Watson's two brothers. Watson is a child at the orphanage and many of our mission team members have met and worked with Watson on previous trips. He has been at the orphanage since August of this year as he'd been starving in Baronne. His two brothers were living with an aunt, but remained there as they were not in as desperate a situation. The brothers look wonderful, Jane reports. Twilla had given their aunt some money to help and they look clean and much healthier that before. The staff who had been there in August was thrilled to see the transformation.

Because Barone is so far, we had to close early - 3:30 or so - to make the two hour trip back before dark. The pharmacy was crazy busy at the end-the stack of slips didn't ever seem to get smaller. But somehow all the prescriptions were filled, although we had begun to run low of many drugs. We substituted as able and did the best we could. The road back seemed even worse. There hasn't been much rain and the dust was terrible. We all returned with a fine coating of dust and our hair especially was stiff and not very attractive after that ride. The shower felt really good and dinner especially delicious!

Friday's Report From Leslee

Today started earlier for both groups.

The group working at the orphanage left by 7:00 a.m. The group working the clinic left shortly after 8. Our journey to the clinic was up at the top of a mountain outside Cap Haitian. For those of us who don't like driving on a road that is right next to a sheer drop, it was a stressful drive, fortunately short.

This clinic was in a new place -- across the street from the old place. The church gave us room to work and have a place for people to wait for treatment.

Many, many cases of scabies-the youngest patient was also the most infested. She might have been two months old. Hopefully her young mother will take the steps to keep her free from the parasite in the future. We also treated several very old women for scabies. One who was paraplegic was so grateful she kept saying thank you over and over. The hardest part is closing down the clinic in the late afternoon, knowing there are so many folks outside who just couldn't be seen today.

Today Ron Moore walked 3/4 of the way to the Eternal Hope Orphanage to play soccer with the kids. The interpreter misunderstood when Ron asked how far to the orphanage, he said 20-30 minutes.

After walking for 1 hour through the city Ron again "asked how far?"

He said 1 hour.

We finally took a "tap tap," which is one of the local transportation sources.

Finally arriving at the orphanage to meet the children and play soccer for the day. was a great experience. The kids were great and enjoyed the balls, shirts and shorts that were given to them. The girls were very shy and stayed back watching the boys play. They were very skilled for young players without formal training.

After leaving the orphanage for the day Ron set out to return to the hotel. There were no tap taps or taxis available. Walking seemed to be the only available mode of transportation on this day. Praying for a ride seemed like a good idea. One block later one of the orphanage trucks turned the corner and stopped to pick up Ron and the interpreter. That was not the end of the day for this weary traveler.

Ben was taking the truck up the mountain to the clinic where all the doctors and nurses were working for the day. It was straight up a mountain on a dirt, gravel road with steep cliffs. The clinic was held in a church in a small mountain community. The nurses and helpers are very brave to travel to these remote areas and take care of so many needy people.

We did make it back safely from all our venues today, tired, hungry, yet knowing we helped those who crossed our paths today.

Your prayers are much needed for all the people of Haiti!

Learning to Speak Creole.

From Leslee...

Our first day came early, after a welcome sleep following a long day of travel. Much of the group headed to their first clinic, with 7 or so heading to the new orphanage to continue construction. At the new orphanage site, those looking for work were waiting for us and were glad to see Kenny, who's hard work is helping this great new facility get built. Ron brought some of his soccer equipment and eventually was able to engage some of the local children and youth in a game. Funny how they check for injuries-when one of the boys fell down, as he sat there, one of the other youth came over and gently kicked his feet. Between them they seemed to decide he was okay and he jumped up and got back to playing. Bill helped this whole process by clearing overgrown grass and weeds from the playing area-that work will continue as the grass only gets cut back every three months!

At the clinic, many people lined up to get seen. Over 100 folks were seen and one little boy with a serious heart problem came back to the hotel for further help and monitoring. Some of the women were responsible for treating scabies, which probably led to this young boy's heart problem. Their concern was all the children came to them after receiving an injection, so the children's response to them was negative-crying as if they were going to receive another shot!

Tomorrow, they will ask that the kids seem THEM first and then get their shot!

Ann and Jan also spent some time learning Creole. As the heat increased and the line seemed endless, some of the people waiting got into verbal arguments. Ann and Jan started asking some of the children to teach them the Creole for body parts -arms, hands, legs, etc. Apparently that was a distraction for the fractious adults who all got into the 'game' of teaching Ann and Jan the creole words for the parts they pointed to.

The day was long, but much good work was accomplished. Our late suitcases showed up, much to Jane's pleasure, as now she can continue to prepare and organize for tomorrow's clinic. Thank you for your prayers!

Leslee Writes the First News From the December 2006 Mission

From Leslee Kirkconnell...

Greetings!

We made it to Cap Haitian safely about an hour or so ago. The hotel is kind enough to let me use their office machine for sending posts, so I'll try to do so once a day.

Our group of 15 is pretty tired, after getting up around 2 a.m., checking in at Atlanta (although 6 of the group travelled from Raleigh/Durham), flying to Miami, walking the length of the airport to get to our flight to Port au Prince, and then just waiting. Smooth flight, no problems with customs, but it amazes me that anything gets done with the total chaos in Port au Prince!

Leaving the airport and traveling to the regional airport for the flight to Cap Haitian was an adventure in itself. The smaller airport was crowded, very hot and very loud. Somehow Kenneth got our tickets and our luggage arranged. We pretty much filled the regional plane to Cap Haitian and several of our crew, Ron Moore and Bill Kell, included, were busy back seat flying. No wonder the pilots wear headphones! Jane Carney, Jan and Ann were all here to greet us. They arrived yesterday and are already busy counting and sorting medicines and laying plans for the week.

Jane related a funny story about doing errands with someone from the orphanage. She waited so long in a truck for the other person to return that a chicken climbed in and laid an egg!

The country is both beautiful and desolate. From the air one can see the beauty of the rather rugged terrain, but also the environmental problems from deforestation. The poverty is extreme. Some who have been here before, but not for several years, have noted a decline in living standards. Our work in the clinic and the orphanage enables us to be God's agents for hope! We appreciate everyone's prayers for our group, our work and those we will see in the clinic and orphanage.

The Missing Episode...

Between the often undependable Internet connection in Haiti and the fact that the church was trying to administer two blogs at the same time (this one and the one from General Assembly), we missed one of the email reports!

It should have been posted on June 21st and it comes from John Pettay...


BonJour from Cap Haitian. Email transmittals out of here have been spotty at best. We are all alive and well, except for an occasional upset stomach. Our commutes out to the clinic sites are full of excitement. I saw some caskets (yes, coffins) on a roof the other day. Apparently, they are in storage for the big day. What an interesting perspective on estate planning. We took the 25 plus, year old military vehicle to our mobile clinic in the mountains on Monday. As some of you may be aware, the UN has a stabilization force here. Well we were tooling up the side of the mountain (about ten women and a few men), and we came upon a UN troop carrier in front of us. We were polite and allowed them to creep carefully along. They eventually pulled off the road to let us pass. They turned around and went back down the mountain. Well, the road was tough, but we kept chugging along. Hoorah Haiti Mission Team. By the way, our vehicle has a pretty bad "miss" in the engine, and tends to stall a lot. Not that morning though (Praise God). The clinic was in a church, it was hot, dirty, and dusty, but a lot of people left feeling better than when they arrived. You may need to think about this, but I think it was us.

Tuesday had a two hour commute each way in store for us. Again, lots of interesting sights along the route. Did you know that the favorite past time for kids about 8 and under is to wave at passers by. They are quite keen on this. The harder we waved, the harder they waved back. There is a cliche in the military that goes something like "We have done so much with so little for so long, that now we can do absolutely anything with nothing at all". Well that is true here, and I have great respect for Haitian adaptability. I saw a Haitian TV antenna made out of two pie pans, chicken wire and a bamboo pole. The high tech version was a broken desk fan mounted on a similar pole for satellite reception. After our two hour road trip, we conducted the clinic in the house of a man who had just passed away the previous week. Driving in Haiti can compare to nothing in the US. Taxis occasionally have sirens on them. Tap taps, which are a short version of a bus are pretty original as well -- Today I saw one with a goat strapped to the roof. No horn was needed.

Each day we are able to see more patients. Today, I believe we saw close to 200. Yesterday it was about 300. These people are so gracious. Occasionally we get a little testy with each other in the heat and confusion of the clinics. What really helps, is that we know it isn't about us. When you look in the eyes of a 90 plus year old woman and she looks back at you and smiles, and says "merci beau coup", there is someone else smiling back. I think that is what most of us carry back from these short term trips. If you are concerned about getting "infected" when you come to someplace like this on a mission trip, you're probably right. However, it's not the kind of "infection" you can be treated for.

Tomorrow is a non clinic day. Some of us will be tradinstethoscopees for shovels and doing some construction at the new orphanage and some of us will be "networking" with local individuals and organizations that support our efforts here. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Final Report On This Mission Trip

From Jane...

Most of us arrived back in Atlanta last evening, Lisa in Detroit very late last night, and Jan in Denver this afternoon. So we are all processing another successful week in Haiti working our hearts out and using the gifts God so generously gave each of us to the best of our abilities to glorify Him.

The camaraderie of these trips is so wonderful and the peaks are so high, but there are also those times when the valleys engulf us too. I looked back at the blogs to see just when it was that I first met Eric, the 11 year old boy of the streets, and it was last December. I tried to search him out in March, but could find out nothing. Low and behold, he showed up at the clinic in his neighborhood this trip. He looked much as before, just as dirty and poorly dressed, but this time a shy smile of recognition that turned to a big smile when I hugged him. I talked to him through an interpreter and his lifestyle has not improved, but he would like to go to school. He is living with a family now and could go to school with a little help. Since that was what my dad used to tell me I was when I was growing up on the farm, "very little help," I knew I was receiving a call. So I arranged with a community leader to find out how much his books and clothes for school would cost and when we return in August, we will get him into school. In the meantime we gave the community leader enough money to buy him food until we return. A street child needs the monumental sum of a dollar a day to survive on the streets.

Angie, Twilla's daughter had an encounter with a street child where she treated his medical needs and fed him and then asked to see where he was staying. When she arrived at the place ( a shed type building), 30 little boys piled out. They were all orphans, living on the street, surviving by begging and stealing, eating garbage. Many of them were 4 and 5 years old. There were no little girls. I can only guess what happens to them. I cannot meet all of the needs in Haiti, but I can make some of those needs known when I see them, and perhaps one of you will be touched to look for an answer. I once heard the phrase used "to see a need is to receive a call" and perhaps this is yours.

Our next trip will be August 19-26. This may be your trip. Pray about it.

A Unique clinic experience from Barb and Priscilla

Imagine yourself seeing your doctor while the laundry is being done, the fish being skinned and fileted, and the chicken being chopped while around you.

Now imagine the aroma.

This was the scene this morning as we saw the hotel employees and their children for everthing from ear infections, high blood pressure and blood sugars over 450 (normal is 80 - 110).

Then we had to hike back down the hill to the pharmacy (Jane's room) to fill the prescriptions for the medicines we ordered. We are good practitioners; we are not good pharmacists. It took us longer to fill the medications then to see the patients! What a scene! We do love and appreciate Jane and Lisa.

Did we mention the cats? There are so many here. We thought we were the reason for their participation in this clinic tody. Please do not worry about the cats in Haiti. As Barb and I were trying to determine the extent of one of the woman's ear situation, one of the kitchen help whacked the dead fish's head off and "Kitty" lost interest in us and feasted on the fish's remains. Ugh. We will never be able to look at another ear without the memory of the "kitty" and fish head.

Seriously, today was another good day. The people who work at the hotel are very appreciative of our visit and what we are able to provide for their people.

Our team went in different directions today. Ken and John continued work at the new orphanage. This was John's first day working construction. He came back looking very brown (from the dirt) and with a hugh smile. Ken worked with cement, moved rocks and "played in the dirt". He gave away his boots. Many of the Haitian workders do not wear shoes at the site. One thought for the future is to consider "shoes for the Haitien workers". This would be a very much needed and viable ministry. The First Congregational Church of Boulder, Colorado, sponsored "Sunday Undies", we might consider "Shoesie Tuesday"?

We have a very early flight in the morning leaving at 0515. We have so many stories to tell. Look for us on Sunday!

Two Entries for Wednesday -- One From Barb Kell, One from Priscilla Stockwell

From Barb Kell...

I will try again.....Earlier this evening after a long day at clinic I sent a long blog, but the internet went kaflooey and it is out there somewhere over the Carribean! We have had internet problems this week. The man who holds the coat hanger wrapped with aluminum foil on the roof of the hotel has been hindered by the fierce lightening, and storms! The weather is better this evening, so hopefully this will get out.

We have been working very hard and lovin' every minute of it.

Monday we went to Fort Bourgoise and saw our sickest kids. Most were infected skin lesions. When scabies breaks down the skin from scratching and you spend all your time in the dirt, bacteria causes havoc. Thanks to the wonderfully generous folks at First Congregational Church of Boulder, Colorado, for those "Undie Sundays." Sponge Bob, Spider Man, and Dora the Explorer were a big hit after scabies treatments! Also thanks to Cynthia Calhoun for the onesies!

We had to have a mom bring a 3 year old to the hotel for the last 2 nights to continue antibiotic shots and skin cleansings, but she has improved so much and we thank God for antibiotics and poeple who care! Priscilla is the "bad guy" with the shots, but she is my hero! I have spent this week learning from her and watching how she tenderly and expertly cares for all these children!

John is working like he's been here forever and has become the "geriatric expert " on our team.

Susan is so good at all she does....and she DOES A LOT !!!

Emily has been a joy to watch as she becomes more confident in her tasks......and we have given her lots........but she comes back for more.

What does one say about Jane that hasn't been said?

She is the inspiration to all of us and we love her.

Ken has a career as a bouncer, if his day job doesn't work out. He is super at crowd control.

Today we were at the new orphanage for our clinic and I can see the progress, but it needs much more money and work. If you could only see these beautiful children and look around at how Eternal Hope in Haiti does so much with so little, it would make you want to write a million dollar check! I know I can't do that, but I can do something!


From Priscilla Stockwell...

Hello to our church families in the USA.

From a team perspective, we are doing awesome. As of today, we have seen over 600 people which includes children, teens and adults. Our supply of meds is diminisihing, our soaps are gone, the clothing many of you made have been given to the many children who received treatment for infected skin conditions.

What we are able to accomplish comes from your support. I cannot imagine what the people here would do without church teams. From a medical perspective (of course), John Petty, Barb Kell and I are functioning great as a team. John sees primarily adults and geriatrics with hyertension, Barb sees pregnant women and others with woman issues and I manage the children with at most times the usual childhood illnesses. Many children yesterday had fevers greater than 104. When this occurs, our focus is getting the fever down as quickly as possible: Emily runs for the hydration liquid (prepared by Susan), Barb obtains the wet washcloths while we administer medicine to reduce the temperature prior to determining the cause of the fever. Yesterday was malaria and pneumonia. These children stay with us all day or until their fevers are less then 101. Education to the moms regarding the medicines is critical. Jane Carney and Lisa Johnson (pharmacists) make the education happen.

We had a clinic today at the new orphanage site. Ken Stockwell, Kenneth Lynch Haynes and Doug have done great work here as well. They were all so proud to show the medical team their work. I wish that all of you reading this could feel our excitement. The children in the current orphanage will have a much healthier environment to live, grow and prosper.

I am hoping that Susan Jones has taken pictures to show you when we return to Atlanta.

We may not be able to have a clinic tomorrow due to our limited medication supply. We may plan to spend this time at the old orphanage to interact with the children and maybe shop for nutrition for the children.

There is currently a line waiting to use this computer. Let me thank my church family in Atlanta and the families outside of Georgia for their continued support of us. Your prayers are felt and at times have energized us to continue our work.

We care for all of you.

Two Entries For The Price Of One -- From John and Susan

From John Pettay...

Bon jour from Cap Haitian again.

It was an interesting drive from the airport to hotel. Coming to Cap Haitian for me was like being trapped in my grandaughter's I Spy books. So many unusual sights -- such as goats on the roof. And even Caskets (yes, that kind), on the roof as well -- I think it was empty!

After arrival at the hotel, we checked into our rooms. Rule number one for the ladies contemplating a trip to Haiti. NO hairdryers. I'm not sure, but I think they sucked out all of the electricity in Cap Haitian to room 15. Don't worry Emily, I won't mention any names now. It sure was dark and warm that night. Anyway, after power was restored, we all had a peaceful night.

Day one at the clinic was pretty interesting. We all piled into a surplus German 4X4 and headed out about 10AM. The clinic was in the 2nd story of a primary school with no windows, lights, or electricity. (Just a note, as I write this I am now surrounded by 8 smiling faces from the orphanage). They all say bonsoir.

We were about 75 yards from an estuary (canal leading to a bay). It was full of all kinds of yucky stuff. I won't go into the details but you get the "drift". Just about everybody we saw had medical conditions related to the water critters. So we treated em all, in addition to the usual stuff. I started the day seeing a child under two years old with a skin infection that covered his entire face. I ended the day with an 80 year old man. His story is a testament to survival in a very unforgiving environment. We saw about 140ish folks that day.

Today (Sunday), was a nonclinic day. They brought a bunch of the kids up from the Orphanage for a pool party at the hotel. It is quite a contrast to the kids who had to swim in the estuary noted above. We had about 20 orphans, and they were typical kids having a blast at the pool on a hot Sunday afternoon. Four of us acted as "life guards" and took the litttle ones out two by twos. We could use a few more "life guards" down here next time (hint).

Prior to the kids, I was enlisted to cut soap bars in half, and spent the morning on the veranda accomplishing this. It was quite an attraction. I ended up "renting" a knife from Tony, a porter at the hotel to cut soap. I met a guy named Tom S. from Kansas who is trying to figure out how to manufacture peanut butter for the kids here. It is actually a formula that provides great nutrution for kids in this population.

Oh - and a personal note to my wife -- happy 34th anniversary Dorothy. See ya soon.

From Susan Jones...

Today was our day of rest.

Part of the group headed for a resort area on the beach to see a rare side of Haiti! Some went to church, and some of us stayed at the hotel and assembled hygeine kits. After church, children from the orphanage came to the hotel to swim in the pool with us. One look at their faces and you could tell that this was like going to Disney World for them! I think that I had the best time of all! Their faces were a study in fear (of the water) - they rarely get this opportunity and bravery as they mastered holding their breath and dunking their heads under water. They made rapid progress. Three more trips and I think they will swim on their own!

Between today and yesterday at the orphanage, I have gotten to know more children, and I would like to tell you about some of them. Jenny is 11 years old and is going to be very tall - she is all arms and legs. She loves to sing, and sings solos in church, but is surprisingly shy around us. When we first met her a few trips ago she was just one of the children, but now I see her starting to take responsibility for the younger ones, watching to make sure they behave. She is fearful in the water.

T-Paul, age 10, is, on the other hand, fearless in the water and in all else in life. It would never occur to him to be shy. He is small, but has enormous round eyes, a perpetual wide grin, and a James Bond look in his eye, ready to try anything. He is also the top in his class at school.

Angelo is a rogue. When the children were teaching me Haitian words, he would teach me wrong words and then laugh boisterously when I tried to use them with others.

Gerta is 6 and is uncommonly beautiful. She has no living relatives that the orphanage knows of. She is shy, but very loving and affectionate when she conquers her fear. She watches everything that goes on, and has her own sense of style. She sidles up to anyone who has a visor, or a hair ribbon, or a hat and before you know it, it is on her head!

Marjorie is 8 and she is confident, but always looking for love, sitting close by you whenever she can. She has a smile as big as California. The teenage boys can swim, and they are all handsome and athletic and full of fun and rivalry in the pool.

Much of this revolved around the beautiful Sheila, who was having a rare few hours of girlish fun. At 16, she is the "mother" of the children and assumes a great deal of responsibility in seeing that their everyday needs are taken care of. She had charge of getting all the younger children dressed in swim suits, seated to eat their snacks, etc.

After today, the fun and relaxation part of our trip is over. We have four clinics to do in the next four days. All of our luggage finally arrived, and we have all the supplies we need. We are so grateful for everything that the congregation supplied. I can't wait to give out all the soap and washcloths! There is a great battle in Haiti with dirt and infection!

Thank you also from all of us for your prayers.

More About The Adventures Of Air Travel In Haiti

From John Pettay...

Bon Jour Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church from Cap Haitian.

Yesterday was a travel day. Most of us were up about 2 AM and finally got here about 4:30PM. The flight down to Port Au Prince was pretty much Greyhound bus in the sky with wings stuff. Things, as usual, got more interesting on the flight to Cap Haitian. After about a 3 hour wait, I asked one of the Haitian Airline staff which plane we would be using. He said we would be flying on a Haitian jet. He was correct, sort of. As I told you in our last posting, the "jet" was a two engine turbo prop that had the word "jet" stenciled on the side.

We boarded the "jet" airplane and the dutiful crew boarded. The ever alert copilot reminded us to fasten seat belts. He said something else in Haitian and disappeared to the front of the plane.

While taxiing to take off position, he made a hard turn to the right and I became part of the crew, sort of. I was now the official in flight luggage handler as the ever vigilant copilot had neglected to secure the luggage straps. I think I saw him insert an 8 track tape into the flight console because a female voice came on and advised us what a wonderful flight we were about to embark on, and proceeded to give us our inflight emergency instruction. The tape repeated itself a few times, and he withdrew the tape from the console.

Did you know that Mango trees grow at high altitude in Haiti. As we passed the "Citadel" (no, not the one in South Carolina), the ever vigilant crew came close enough to the ridge of the mountain that I swear we could have picked some.

We then landed at Cap Haitian.

We taxied in and parked next to another Haitian "jet." which had a propeller on the port (left) side that was bent backward, and there was duct tape crosses on the fuselage that was approximately where the debris would have struck the plane.

I may, or may not let you know how the return flight goes, depending on which of these Haitian "jets" we use.

Please keep in mind that this entry is provided by a retired sailor, and we are known for our "sea stories". To verify the veracity of the this blog, you will need to talk with one of us upon return.

Saturday in Haiti

From Barb Kell...

Oh, it's Saturday night and our work week is just beginning instead of ending !

Today started with glorious sunshine and breakfast on the patio. Life in the tropics at the Hotel Mont Jolie is truly a sight to behold! So is life on the streets of Cap Haitien...

Our clinic today was on the top floor of what serves as a school. The stairs are much like a slanted ladder ... rickety ladder at that. At the top are four rooms with holes in the floor and I have wondered if it will hold all of us, our equipment, translators and the throng of sick children and elderly folks who have come to see us for care. I say "care" because because we certainly can't cure all of them, but we can give all of them our best smiles, touch, and a "cool cup of water."

There were many sick kids today. Fevers, malaria and respiratory infections abound. I wish I knew more so I could help more, but nothing is ever enough here. We saw about 150 patients today, even though our bags with our meds did not arrive with us yesterday. We managed to get some meds from the orphanage, then Jane worked her magic and voila.....we had meds to last through the entire day! God is good and Jane is too!

We need your prayers daily for endurance in this heat, and for the patients we will see. Life here is so hard and the people are so resilient, but they need our prayers as well as our time and dollars.

Susan Jones and Jan (Jane's friend) and Ken Stockwell worked at the orphanage. Well, some of them worked -- Susan had her hair braided (by the little girls at the orphanage) and Ken made origami for the captive and VERY appreciative audience!

We will all try to write something and give each person's perspective on our trip. Believe me, they are all talking now saying "did you tell this, did you say that?"

Stay tuned for more............

The Adventures of Flying in Haiti

From John Pettay...

Greetings from Hotel Mt. Jolie, Haiti.

Our travel day has been long. Beginning at about 2:30 AM with ultimate arrival around 4PM. The air travel was pretty uneventful until the trip from Port Au Prince to Cap Haitian. One of the Airport staff advised me that we would be taking the "jet" to Cap Haitian. Well the Haitian version of "jet" is a 16 seat prop airplane with the word "jet" painted on the side. After take off, I discovered that being the rear seat passenger, my duties included keeping the luggage from falling out of the cargo bin into the passenger cabin. I did this well. I mentioned to Ken Stockwell that I was quite impressed with what appeared to be "bondo" applied to areas of the overhead in the passenger cabin. I noticed this while passing over the Haitian mountains approaching Cap Haitian. The bondo seemed to be holding well when we hit turbulence.

After arrival at Cap Haitian International Airport, we taxied next to another Haitian "jet". One of the "jet" engines had its props bent backward and I again pointed out to Ken Stockwell, our erstwhile Engineer, the fine job that the local airplane mechanic had done. There were multiple duct tape "x"s on the fuselage in the area where the debris hit the "jet". Oh, I forgot to mention the cows, people, etc., that use the sides of the runway for grazing, etc.


Our return tickets are nonrefundable, so I'm sure we will take a "jet" back to Port Au Prince next week. We are all safe, a little tired, but excited about tomorrow and what it will bring.

A New Mission Trip Begins

From Susan Jones...

We have all arrived safely. It was a familiar trip for most of us: crowded planes, tons of luggage, a lot of sweat...but also a lot of patience and comraderie. The ride from the airport in Cap Haitian was lovely due to Eternal Hope In Haiti having a new truck that was shipped down here 3 months ago. It has a large flatbed with bench seats and cushions! We had a great view of the local street scenes. All life takes place on the streets: socializing, sales of food and bicycles and clothing, auto repair--all on the crumbling sidewalks along Cap Haitian's main street. I saw two women as we passed, each pushing an enormous wheelbarrow full of clothes to sell. But the vast majority of people are just idle, milling around. Unfortunately, there are no jobs for most Haitians.

Upon arriving, all of our friends were here to greet us: the interpreters, the art vendors outside the hotel, the waiters in the dining room. They know most of us by name now, and have become goood friends. It is educational to talk to them and learn about the life here. One interpreter has a sick child, and has not been able to finish getting the medical tests the child needs. We may have the opportunity to help him.

Most of our group has donned bathing suits and are in the pool having a before dinner swim. I think it's time for me to take my fresh fruit juice down there and join them!

On Sunday, June 11th, Good Shepherd will commission several people who will be working in Haiti June 16-23: Emily Stockwell Baxter, Janet Cain, Jane Carney, Susan Jones, Barb Kell, John Pettay, Priscilla Stockwell, and Ken Stockwell.

The team will do five mobile medical clinics and will provide care for about 600 patients. The will work with the Eternal Hope Orphanage and will provide some repairs on the current orphanage facility, as well as working with the children, who should be out of school now. The team will also continue to work with the building of the new orphanage. Katie Griggs, who is a missionary many of our team members know from our work with the Hopital Ste Croix in Leogane, will join the team. Janet Cain will meet for the first time the little girl that she and Scott are planning to adopt. Jane Carney is planning to meet with Pere Noe Bernier, the Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti to discuss both of our work in Haiti and to explore how his ministry, Good Shepherd and the Eternal Hope Orphanage can work together.

As usual, we hope to have frequent reports posted online at this blog site.

Keep the team in prayer! They always need your prayers, and they always feel your prayers.

Home from Haiti -- Last word (at least until the next trip)

The mission team made it safely back from Haiti, Tuesday, about 6:15 pm. We were greeted in Baggage Claim by Scott Cain, Priscilla Stockwell, and Susan Jones. The trip was pretty uneventful, just long. The American Airlines flight out of Port Au Prince to Miami evidently took an unusual takeoff pattern according to one of the passengers. We would be interested to know what prompted that. We heard from some of the other passengers that the situation in Port Au Prince has gotten much worse. When we got to Miami, we all feasted at Burger King, while waiting for the flight to Atlanta. Security has gotten much tighter at the airports. On the way home we had our passports checked 9 different times at various checkpoints.

We will be working to consolidate all the pictures that various team members took on the trip. I would like to make them available on the Web, possibly with some captions, if we can figure out how to do that.

Thank you to everyone for your concern, support, and prayers for us before and during this very interesting mission trip.

Wes

Safe and Sound and Back at Home

Everyone arrived safely at home on Tuesday evening.

One might wonder if what these mission teams do in Haiti really makes a difference. I received this note today from a gentleman who used to live in Leogane, which is the southern city our church has been to in the past. When we have worked in Leogane, we have worked through Saint Croix, a well known hospital in that part of Haiti.

"I was surfing the internet about my hometown, Leogane, and I was kind of shocked by what your mission has done for the people of Leogane.

"I grew up there and came to the U.S in 1996. As far as I and most people know, Leogane is the safest place in Haiti. There was no other places in Haiti that I would like to live other than Leogane. I remember that Saint Croix was the hospital that saved my life when I fell from a Horse when I was 14 years old. Although my parents had to pay for the care, but it was worth it. We, the people of Leogane, are very nice, and we care a lot about others. Fortunately, I came to the U.S and had my college degree and currently teach computer programming at a High School in Palm Beach Florida.

"Words simply cannot describe how deeply I appreciate your church's dedication in helping the people of Haiti.

"I will pray for all of you so that, GOD, can continue protect you and your family for everything you have done for the people of Haiti. "

Sunday in Haiti

From Wes...

We went to church today as a group. We went to the church that the kids from the orphanage attend and which previous mission groups have visited. This is the church that the Mission Committee gave $250 to help rebuild their building. It really needs it. The wall behind the podium is half missing, but at least that improves the air flow. And it was very hot this morning.

The pastor warmly welcomed us and made each of us stand, tell our name, and say how many times we had been to the church. Seems like I remember Maynard doing the same thing to us before we left Good Shepherd.

The kids were very good for the 2 1/2 hour service. I don't know how they do it. The main prayer was over 20 minutes long. Pastor Dave gave a very down to earth and to the point sermon, while Cheron translated phrase by phrase. Then Jane gave a little talk and a prayer. The choir was composed of church ladies and they presented the anthem, complete with
dance steps.

This afternoon everyone relaxed around the pool and did a little shopping. Janet brought Rosamonde back to the hotel for swimming, playing and a nap. She is about 2 1/2 I think and really sweet. When it was time for her to go back to the orphanage so she could go to school in the morning, she and Janet both cried crocodile tears.

Before we went shopping, we had another mission. Ben had bought a 25 kilo (55 pound) bag of rice. He had someone in mind to give it to, but it didn't work out. So, we repackaged it into approximately 4 pound bags. We drove around several neighborhoods and whenever we
went by an old lady walking or sitting on the sidewalk, we would stop and hand her a bag of rice. It really gave everyone a good feeling to see the surprise and gratitude in their faces.

Then we went to the Haitian tourist market. It is in a row of little cubicles down by the docks. This is where the items came from for the Haitian festival we had at church several months ago (click here to see pictures from the festival). For those of you that missed it, there were paintings, painted metalwork, carved and turned wooden items, etc. I think the quality of the work is surprisingly good considering the poor working conditions and the scarse availability of materials. For instance, I think the beautiful pierced and embossed metalwork is made from sheetmetal stripped from abandoned autos.

Tomorrow bright and early Jane, Dave, and I were going to leave at 6:45 am to go to the Citadel. This is an old fortress complete with cannons and cannonballs up on a mountaintop an hour's drive away. We will take a Tap Tap to the beginning of the trail and then rent donkeys with guides to make the trek up the mountain.

Tonight after dinner Twilla told Jane that she had arranged for Jane to meet with a local eye doctor in the morning and Jane graciously agreed. So I guess it will just be Dave and me.

I hope everyone has enjoyed these blog emails we have sent back this week. We feel it is important to let you folks at home who have contributed so much to this effort know what is going on down here. I was shocked when Maynard told me in an email a few days ago that we are getting over 1000 hits on the blog website each day. It is being read by people all over the world (even in Iran). Haiti can use all the publicity we can generate to help them rebuild their country. And they especially need humanitarian aid right now.

Please continue to pray for this mission team as we conclude our time here and make the arduous journey home Tuesday.

From Jane, Wes AND Dr. Dave

Today we have a treat -- not only do we hear from Wes and Jane, we also get our first message from Dr. Dave...

From Dr. Dave...

We've gotten up around 6:30 AM every day, and the Sun already seems to be a mid day strength. The hotel (the Mont Joli in Cap Hatian) is nicer than I expected, and everything is stucco and Mahogany (a reminder of days long past before the island was stripped of its lumber). It's a stark contrast to the chaos & poverty of the streets in our journeys to the current orphanage, the various clinics, or the new orphanage building site.

U.N. soldiers are still everywhere, but I guess we're just used to them now.

The trip is almost always in the back of a small pickup truck, and you learn after the first trip to arrange the supplies & tools of the day so as to have an actual seat. We've discussed a betting pool for the number of stops we'll make on the way to our destination (a minimum of six on every trip I've made). Every trip is like a slow motion version of an action adventure chase scene, with everything from other trucks to dump trucks to bicycles & motorcycles randomly passing each other and driving on either side (or the middle) of the road. All of this is interlaced with pedestrians, and no traffic control mechanisms of any kind. How we avoid major accidents is beyond me.

Some portions of Cap Haitian look like the French Quarter of New Orleans, other areas are simply squalor with garbage burning in piles along the side of the road. People are selling anything and everything all along the streets, everywhere. The amazing thing is the spirit of the people; they seem very much alive in spite of the conditions, determined to thrive. They also seem to be remarkably honest, except for their sense of time ("I'll be back with the supplies in 15 minutes" actually means 2-3 hours).

Primary transportation is a pickup truck with 2' wrought iron extensions on the sides and a camper shell on top. This is called a "Tap-Tap," (why, we don't know) and as many as 10-12 Haitians will be in and on the back of one at a time.

My adventure in cistern repair came as a result of knowing too much (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing), so I was given a helper & the tank was drained. Unfortunately, I didn't actually have all of my supplies until 2 PM, at which point the temp inside the cistern was probably 110 degrees (100% humidity). Being short on time, I pushed myself a bit too hard, got dehydrated, & nearly passed out a couple of times, but got the job done. The materials were far from ideal, but the repair might hold in spite of everything, and my clothes don't fit quite as tightly today as they did yesterday.

We got in some interesting discussions with a businessman from Dominique. He managed to get several of our group a little riled up with his opinions, but his passion for helping the people of Haiti was clear.

All of this challenges us to be present, to live in the moment. The stresses of the chaos, unpredictability, heat, etc., pushes everyone to want to function out of their regressed personalities (including yours truly, who's had to just step away & take a breather a few times). The children at the orphanage have been a good reminder of what it means to once again become present, live in the moment, open our hearts, quiet our minds, and experience God's presence. They gave us a mini-concert yesterday, a short Christmas medley. Very heart-warming.

From Jane Caney...

We have had a couple of very productive and very tiring days.

Yesterday we took our furthest trip to the mountains where several months ago we first met Watson and took him to the orphanage. We took him with us to see his grandmother. She is still alive and he saw her and his extended family. We also met his younger brother whom none of us knew existed. Watson had a very mixed reaction to the experience. He seemed happy to see his
grandmother but very apprehensive. Another adopted child explained that Watson was afraid that we were returning him to his family.

It was hard for me as I of course related to the pain in his grandmothers eyes who had given him up. But she did the right thing for him. He is doing so well in school and looks so healthy and happy now.

The clinic went well. We saw a huge crowd there. The people were the sickest yet.

We saw a lot of malaria there.

There was a grandmother who broght 3 grandchildren. She only had one leg and no crutches.
There was a man who was wheeled in in a wheelbarrow by friends. Twilla examined him all curled up. It reminded me if the man whose friends let him down through the roof to see Christ. I wish we could have seen the same miracle today. But we saw others.

The guys cooked up 3 huge kettles of all the leftover rice and beans and fed the whole crowd. It was incredible.

And the drugs lasted and lasted til the bitter end. And I lasted and lasted til the bitter end
(another miracle).

The kids came out (all 48) from the orphanage and had an Easter egg hunt and played
frisbee. Wes ruined his anked playing frisbee. I am sure he will tell a romaniticized version. We are curing it with a homemade potion which will remain a deep secret. Susan would not approve.

From Wes Jones...

When we threw out 5 frisbees to keep the kids occupied after they sang, she was in the middle of the action. Picture 40+ kids scrambling for 5 frisbees. At one point Cheron was on the ground with a huge mound of kids on top of her trying to get the frisbee. It was hysterical and I told her it was more like rugby than frisbee. Oh yeah, before the frisbee, the little kids had an Easter egg hunt with the plastic eggs Jane and Janet had brought down. It was a wonderful experience for
each of these kids. I've got lots of pictures.

Jane has covered all the high points about the clinic. But you can't imagine the scene at clinic today. They were expecting 25-30 people to come, but the 25 daylaborers that Kenneth employs spread the word and we were mobbed (literally) with over 400 people.

Twilla employs a large staff of Haitians which act as interpreters and clinic assistants. And
Kenneth and his top supervisors spent the day doing crowd control. Things went pretty well until around 1:00, because as Twilla triages the patients, they are given a numbered form with treatments, vitamins, and drugs to be dispensed. With 4 Nurse Practioners, pharmacist, nurse, and assistants working, things moved along. Kenneth anticipated that we would not get to all the
patients, so he had his people cook up 3 huge pots of rice and beans (with a little macaroni on top), so at least the people that showed up would not go away hungry. He had also anticipated the crowd control problem and was ready with razor wire cordoning off the clinic area when we got there this morning. When he backed his truck into the crowd, sitting in the back with his people ladeling the food onto plates and handing them out, the people mobbed the vehicle. Even
though he had his supervisors yelling for order, the people could not or would not comply and he had to pull the truck back behind the razor wire again. He and his people spent the next 3 hours serving the people one plate at a time, carrying them to the wire barrier.

The new orphanage site is much more impressive than I was expecting. There are several 12 foot high buildings that have walls up. One is the orphanage, one is for future clinics, and one is for a future vocational school for the kids so that they can learn a trade.

There is also a huge open air circular veranda where they will eat. There are no floors yet and just a little roof completed. But he has started foundations for the water tower and kitchen. And he is working on a security wall around the whole compound that will be 10 feet high.

All he needs is money to move things along. I believe he is funding this project mostly with his own cash and whatever donations he can get. This is a truly inspirational effort by one of our local Gwinnet County builders.

Clinic went long, till about 6 pm. But all the orphanage kids arrived about 3 pm and serenaded the crowd singing hymns complete with hand motions. Cheron, the 24-year old orphanage House Mom, directed the singing. She is a true inspiration. She has to be Mom and at the same time a disciplinarian to 48 kids in age from 1 to 18. And she does it. She is also a Nurse Practitioner that graduated at the top of her class at Emory and always comes and does clinic with the rest of the team.

On a more serious note, I have mentioned previously that our team got all the lights working in the old orphanage, but only when the generator is run. Cheron told me today that they can only afford to run the generator about 4 hours a day, because it costs $4.00 per hour for the fuel. Anyone out there that would like to contribute can talk to Jane Carney when we return. Remember -- Eternal Hope In Haiti is a tax exempt organization.

And speaking of contributions, there are 2 teenage boys at Hope Haven that are interested in carpentry. They have been helping a local carpenter a little. But they have no tools. If anyone has any old woodworking tools they would like to donate, we could have the team take them down next trip in June. They need handplanes, hammers, handdrills, saws, chisels, measuring squares, toolbags, etc.

Well, that's all from me for tonight. Have to rest up for the 3-hour church service tomorrow. I wonder if that means Dave's sermon will be 3 times as long.

From Jane...

Dave is working out rather nicely, for a preacher. We have found a few useful things for him to do. In fact, tomorrow he is preaching - in the church where the kids all go. The service is usually 3 hours long so we will see if he is up to that.

Some of you remember hearing me tell a story about the bat that flew into the window in the middle of my prayer and shortened the service significantly.

It's the same church :)

From Dr. Dave...

I'm really bumping against that sense of the unknown when it comes to preparing for Sunday's worship. I know you're praying for us; I can sense it, and treasure the support. Keep it up. In fact, step it up.

Friday Evening

From Wes Jones

This will probably be short, but I thought I wouldcheck in, in case no one else does. It is getting
almost impossible to get through. This is the third attempt I have made today.

Bill and I worked at the orphanage again today. Bill finished up the electrical work and when we left every light on both floors was on. The kids were excited. One of the girls came up to us and thanked us and said it was so pretty.

In addition to the rewiring, this week Bill and Ben with Willnick's help installed 15 ceiling fixtures. They also replaced many switches and outlets. There were also quite a few outlet boxes with no covers and bare wires. I don't know why none of the kids has gotten shocked.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that the electricity is only good when they are running their little generator. And they can't afford to do that often. The city power is unusable for the orphanage. We are told would take a 'huge' bribe to get it fixed.

My job today was to continue putting up screen wire. I got 6 huge windows done, working by myself. It doesn't seem like much, but at least it may keep some of the bugs out of the kitchen and the little kids room. The children go to several different private schools depending on their ages. About 15 of the medium age ones were home today 'because it's Friday'. Evidently, every school has different schedules and operating hours. So while we were working, the children were
doing their chores - washing clothes in the courtyard, preparing food, etc. And the girls were all singing in harmony led by one of the ladies. They were singing in Creole, but I could recognize some of the melodies. One they kept singing over and over was 'It Is Well".

Ben is still trying to get his 'new' 1986 Dodge truck out of the Port Compound. They would not release it because all the paperwork was not complete. The Swiss Army Pensgower truck that the medical team uses nearly every day for transport also needs his attention. But they need it
for the clinics and can't let him get to it.

Jane and Janet came in tonight with the little boy, Watson, between them. He is one of the little boys at the orphanage, and many of you may remember us talking about this wonderful child. He spent the day at the clinic so that he could see his grandmother and aunt. I think he will stay with Jane and Janet tonight.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we are all going to be at clinic at the new orphanage site which others in the group have been working on all week. Kenneth, who is the builder, and Doug, who is Twilla's husband, have been out there bossing Haitian day laborers. Dr Dave, our "Cistern Chaplin", spent the day at the new orphanage also. He said he bossed a group of the day laborers digging and moving dirt. At one point he orchestrated a 'dance line' and rewarded them with sugarcane. I'll bet that would have been priceless to see.

We have also had several more highly skilled workers at the old orphanage for the last few days working on replacing the concrete ballusters. Most of them are now grouted in and shortly the finishing work can be done. It is much safer for the children now.

The kids got some ground corn porridge this morning and rice and beans with some of the pork tonight. Your donated dollars are going to good use. All the chickens we bought yesterday survived and looked much happier this morning. But 2 of them went into the cooking pot today. The kids gleefully displayed the plucked carcasses and posed for pictures. I have been taking lots of pictures of everything I see and hope to make them available on the internet when I get
back.

Sunday we go to church which should be interesting. I understand the service is a couple of hours long. And then the team will probably relax the rest of the day.

Monday we may go to the Citadel, which is an old fortress in the mountains. Jane said something about riding up on donkeys. Oh, boy! The adventures just keep on coming. And then, if all goes well, we will spend Tuesday getting home. The trip coming here took about 13 hours from Atlanta airport to Miami to Port Au Prince to Cap Haitian to the hotel. I've flown to Japan, 12000 miles away in less time.

Maynard mentioned that the blogsite has been getting a lot of hits from all over. We are very glad it was set up. It helps us not to feel so isolated to know that you all are sharing in this mission trip with us.

I guess that's all for tonight. This ended up being longer than I expected. When the satellite link stays linked you have to take advantage of it.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Friday Morning

It's 6 am and another beautiful day in paradise.

We don't have much entertainment around here except each other and trying to get the computer to work. Thanks to Maynard for editing my messages. We keep losing the satellite link and having to reboot, so what I am sending is pretty rough. I know that my
messages have been pretty disjointed but I wanted to give you folks back home a little flavor of what it is like down here in the original 'banana republic'.

I thought we were going to the new orphanage site today, so I brought back all my tools back to the hotel last night, but now I find that we are going back to the old orphanage again today. I guess we will be working putting up screenwire on the windows -- if I can get the staplegun we bought yesterday apart and back together.

Ben is an excellent mechanic and sort of a shade tree electrician. He is going to be working on the new truck if he can get it out of the port compound. It is a 4X4 heavy duty truck he customized over the last 6 months to hold 25 people and personally drove to Miami and had shipped over here. They have been trying to get the truck out of the port compound ever since we got here. But, everything moves at a snail's pace here.

We can see it through the fence, but that is as close to it as we have gotten so far. It sure would be nice to have it for our transport. We're really getting beat up riding in mini-pickups on these terrible roads.

I helped Jane and Janet for awhile counting pills and packaging them in their room last night. They have an entire pharmacy in there. We were missing two suitcases of drugs after we arrived here, but they have finally showed up.

Everyone is holding up pretty well healthwise. So far no ill effects from sharing a little dinner with the kids the other night.

We stay at the Mont Joli hotel which is up on a hill overlooking the bay (and the rest of the city). The food is pretty good, but the variety is limited. The Creole spaghetti is a staple menu item evidently here. And the ham is a little suspect. The french toast is good, but Jane thinks that is what caused her wheat allergy to kick in.

Clinic tomorrow will be at the new orphanage site and I am looking forward to finally seeing it. I've been thinking for several months how the water system should be done. The well is very shallow and the water is not very good I hear. I am going to try to get a sample and bring it back for testing. But the handpump is broken.

The roof of the orphanage is 4000 square feet and the internet says Cap Haitien gets 52 inches of rain annually. So that's about 16,000 plus cubic feet of water hitting the roof during a year's
time. Which converts to roughly 120,000 gallons of water annually. If we could collect even half of that and store it in a cistern, it would take care of the water needs and probably be the best quality we could get here. Might need some chlorox occasionally for disinfecting. Maybe our 'cistern chaplin' Dr. Dave will have some thoughts on this. I haven't had a chance to discuss it with him.

Well, I better go or breakfast will be gone. And we only have crackers for lunch.

Two for the price of one! A report from both Wes and Jane.

We have two reports today, Thursday. One is from Jane Carney and the other is from Wes Jones.

From Jane Carney...

This is the most unique trip yet. What a blend of people! We have all been terrifically busy and a bunch of self-starters.

Dave spent a day in the septic tank-- opps, Wes just corrected me and said it was a cistern. But to hear him complain you would have thought it was the former. It is now leak free.

Bill was helped by a handy mechanic named Ben and together they have electricity up and running for the first time at the orphanage. What a blessing!

And as for the medical team, we see miracles every day. Some of you may remember seeing pictures from our previous trip of a man on crutches. Last year we took $250 of our mission money as a donation to a church, which was having a building fund. Their church was literally collapsing around them. Susan Jones and I were so disappointed and puzzled with God when the road was washed out and we were unable to reach the church to deliver the money. But the next day, we met this man - a minister. He had had such a severe break in his leg and not been able to have the surgery, that they were considering amputation. Oddly enough, the surgery would cost exactly $250. That could not be a coincidence. So he got the church money and is walking beautifully and praising God.We have seen several children that need to be taken to the orphanage but the parents are just not ready to give them up. Unfortunately, one mother of twins waited a day too long and when she decided, it was too late to save one of them. The other one she took home. I hope she will still bring it to the orphanage.

The children are thriving. They are all happy and healthy and so much fun. They badger the guys working at the orphanage to death, and the guys love it.Keep praying for us. We feel your prayers and we need them.

Wes and the Orphanage Administrator spent 6 hours spending $250 of Good Shepherd’s money on food today. He will tell you about it in detail, but the highlight was when they determined that the only way to ever have really fresh chicken at the orphanage was to buy live ones.Picture Wes surrounded by Haitian women dangling live chickens in his face. It took 45 minutes for a mechanical engineer to select the best -- I am not sure how he graded them.First they put them in the truck loose - not a good plan. Then they tied their feet together - hmmm. At last they purchased a basket with a lid to make the journey. The put a block on top of the lid and one still managed to escape. They still had shopping to do and by the time they returned to the orphanage, the shell-shocked chickens just laid on the ground.Hopefully by tomorrow they will be up and running - like a good mechanical product should.

From Wes Jones...

Jane has amazing recall. I was telling Jane, Janet, and Ben the chicken story at dinner tonight and she got it about 90% perfect. I'm glad she got to send in an entry for our "blog," or web log, because she is doing an outstanding job and is a great leader. She recovered nicely from yesterday's lurch down the hill, but they had a pretty rough day today. I understand their ride on the fishing boat ferry and the ride up and down the mountain is harrowing and really rough on Jane and her medical team.

Most of my day was spent shopping for food with Abraham, the orphanage's Director. We discussed what types of meat and other protein would be best since they have no refrigeration. Canned meats are not very available either. So, when I asked about chickens, he said we could get some live ones and let them run free in the orphanage compound until needed. (Shouldn't be
long with 48 kids to feed.)

It turns out the correct way to shop for food in Cap Haitien is to drive in a random manner all over the city traversing each street and alleyway at least once. And each item you want is apparently in a different shop. For instance, we went to 3 different shops before he found the kind of black beans he wanted and then to a different shop for ground corn (kind of a coarse yellow grits), a different shop for 100 bags of rice, and another shop for a counter full of loaves of bread. Oh, and one more for a couple of cases of canned sardines.

But the most interesting place was the meat market, which we went to first. It is a huge enclosed building about the size of 4 football fields, thronged with 10,000 vendors and customers shoulder to shoulder. And all of them shouting at the top of their lungs. And to add to the din, young boys are running around selling cold drinks and banging loudly on the bottles with the bottle openers to attract attention. All kinds of meat are laid out randomly on wood tables and it is all being aggressively chopped as you walk by with machetes. The blood spraying over us added to the ER-type atmosphere. After several hours we had purchased smoked pork (for tomorrow), 4 cases of eggs, salted codfish, 2 cases of dried herring, and passed on a goat carcass and a box full of crabs. Hope the pictures come out.

Everybody seemed very obliging about having their picture taken and would cheerfully
hold up their wares.

Next came the chicken purchase and I can't resist adding a few other details to Jane's description. We turned into 'the alley of live chickens' and everything was cool, until Abraham stopped the truck. Suddenly all the women who were lining both sides of the alley came running with double handfulls of chickens hanging upside down. They surrounded the truck shrieking in Creole. We got out and Abraham began shouting back at them as I took pictures. It got
louder and louder and finally he had to climb into the bed of the truck and stand on an extra spare tire to continue the negotiations. The chicken ladies would put their chickens in the truck bed and pose them while elbowing each other aside and screaming. Pretty soon we had a pickup truck full of chickens flapping around. But each lady had different splotches of color on her white chickens which matched her dyed fingers.


As Abraham selected chickens, their feet were tied together. After 12 chickens were paid for, he bought a 3 foot-long rectangular chicken basket with a 1 foot hole in the top. And all the chickens were untied and shoved through the hole. This whole operation only took about 45 minutes. And later when one of the less dazed chickens tried to escape, we put a case of canned sardines on the basket. When I discussed the negotiations with Abraham after we left, it turned out
that they were not haggling over the price, but rather which of these bedraggled chickens were the most delectable.

Before we could go back to the orphanage we had to hit a couple of hardware stores to buy screen wire, staple gun and staples. It turns out that Max Laroche, a German who owns the biggest hardware store in town had the last staple gun in Haiti. It only cost me $20 and
this little Taiwanese jewel of a staple gun jammed irretrievably after 15 minutes of use. Our 3 purchases in the hardware store took over an hour even though we were the only customers. It took 4 guys to measure 10 'sticks' length of screen wire off the roll. Oh, and in case you are wondering, a 'stick' is a real chunk of wood that is 45 inches long and is obviously the official
measuring device in Max's store. So it took us 6 1/2 hours to spend $250 dollars for food today. But it was a real eyeopener and I know it is going to make a real difference in the kids' diet.

I left another $150 dollars with Abraham for purchases after we left. We will be bringing more food money the next mission trip. Maybe next time Susan can experience the buying trip.
Just before we left orphanage this evening, we played frisbee with some of the boys. Everyone had a lot of fun. Then one of the older boys, Willnik, ordered them all together in the courtyard and they serenaded us for about 10 minutes in Creole and English. Emily Moon ought to sign them up for the choir.

Well, it's late and I have to go to bed. No Demon Rum tonight. They are out of pineapple juice. So, I had to settle for Haitian rum and grapefruit juice. What a tough life.

A Study In Contrasts

From Wes Jones

Haiti is astounding! The opposites keep shocking me.

I've been to a few third-world countries before, but I've never seen anything like this. We have to drive for 45 minutes from the hotel to the orphanage where we are working - from one end of Cap Haitien to the other. The whole ride in the back of a Tap Tap, or mini pickup, you are getting beat around because the potholes are huge and constant. It's like a succession of bomb craters. We drive at breakneck speed weaving around everything from dump trucks to
motor bikes to pedestrians. Our driver tonight took a 'shortcut' down the 'boulevard' by the bay. It was a little smoother but there are 4 foot square opening in the pavement into the sewer below. If you misjudge straddling one while weaving around the incredible traffic, I'm sure you would tear a wheel off and throw everyone out of the vehicle.

But, enough about playing in the traffic.

Bill Kell, Dave Janzen, and I intended to work on the old orphanage building this trip, doing electrical work, fixing doors, replacing light fixtures, and replacing doorknobs for better security. And we did the best we could with that today. I spent most of today rebuilding a doorframe, putting in new hinges, hardware, etc.

But in the true spirit of Haiti, the plan has totally changed for tomorrow. We have two new projects, for which we did not bring any tools or supplies. There is a 16,000 gallon concrete sistern on the roof of the 3 story orphanage. It is leaking, the water is running down the interior walls, and the electrical wiring in the walls is shorting out. So we can't get the electrical up and running. So, the decision was made today to drain the cistern and let the 48 kids get by on water from a barrel, while we try to repair the cistern.

Dr. Dave is going to play 'brothern in the cistern' and use some concrete grout that we mix on the spot to try to patch any cracks that we find. I hope his formula works.

And if that doesn't keep us busy, we started tearing out concrete balusters today. There is a concrete balcony around the second and third floor of the building with a concrete baluster every foot holding up the concrete railing. Unfortunately, these balusters are falling apart and many of them are missing. Obviously, this a great hazard to the young children. So we started tearing out these broken ballusters today and we will start replacing them tomorrow. And we've still got to get the electrical fixed.

For those of you that are thinking 'I thought you did medical clinics', I will let Jane Carney and Janet Cain tell you about them. I heard they are going down on the waterfront tomorrow to do their most difficult clinic. They looked as beat as we did at dinner tonight.

As much as I had heard before about Haiti, nothing can prepare you for the reality. I'm typing this on the computer in the hotel owner's office, while outside is the most abject poverty you could possibly imagine.

There are UN troops here with flack jackets and rifles riding around in armored personnel carriers. There were troops with rifles on the runway when we landed yesterday. It's hard to believe we are only 600 miles from Miami.

This is the first time I have been here. I really have the greatest respect for the people that do this all the time. A Caribbean vacation it ain't.

But they are doing their part to make a difference in the world. And I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Hello from Haiti -- Wednesday's Report

We had our ups and downs today. We started out with a newborn that was brought in, in very poor shape.

Unfortunately, she did not make it and that started the day off badly. But there was a gentlemen at the clinic today - walking.

Last December when the team was here he was on crutches and couldn't afford the surgery he needed. Jane was instrumental in seeing he got the treatment he needed and he is making amazing progress.

At the orphanage, we have fixed all the doors we can. We have put in light fixtures, outlets, and switches. Unfortunately, the power supply from town is all messed up with one of the 110 V. circuits dead or almost dead. Bill Kell and the other electrical guy on the team are tearing their hair out. They are busy tracing and repairing wiring in the walls, but they can't do anything about the power supply. The small generator the orphanage has can't run all the time.

Dave spent most of the day in the cistern on the roof plastering cracks. We're hoping it doesn't leak when we refill it tomorrow. One of my assignments tomorrow is to start redoing all the screens on the windows if I can find screen wire and a staple gun in this city.

On the way home tonight from the orphanage, we stopped twice to pick up hitchhikers and then to get a tire pumped up. (We had to fix 2 flats this morning before we could leave the hotel).

Then we went by where the clinic had been and picked up all the supplies they had been using (about a half a truckload). As we left we discovered our medical staff standing beside the road waiting for a Tap Tap (taxi). So we stopped and loaded everyone in on top of all the supplies.

Ten people in the back of a mini-pickup loaded with supplies is an experience. We made it another block and stopped because the Tap Tap finally arrived. So we offloaded most of the people into the Tap Tap and off we went again. When we got to the very steep hill leading to the hotel, the vehicle flamed out 2/3 of the way up. We all jumped out so he could start up again.

But as Jane was exiting, she caught her cloth bag on the railing, lost her balance and started
lurching down the hill. By the time we caught up with her, she had managed to grab a tree limb. We all had a good laugh. Sorry, no pictures.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to the market with Abraham, the Director of Hope Haven Orphanage. We are going to buy meat and other protein items with the money that you good folks at Good Shepherd donated in the recent drive. The kids are well taken care of, but everyone is excited that we are going to be able to improve their diet. The orphanage does not have any refrigeration facilities (remember the power problems?), so we are going to have to be creative.

Abraham says one thing we should do is buy some live chickens and let them live in the compound until needed. Then we will buy some fresh meat and some canned meat and some rice and beans and I will leave some money with him when we leave. I'll try to send another blog tomorrow and let you know how it works out. And I plan to take some pictures of the market.

I got some pictures today of the kids doing their homework, playing outside, doing the dishes, etc. One of the older teenage boys has been staying in my room with my roommate and I, and hanging out with one of his friends, Elli, who was adopted by Twilla's daughter and lives in Gwinnett County. Elli is down here helping out too.

Things are coming along about as planned, albeit with hourly surprises and changes of direction. The clinic tomorrow is at some place called La Ba Di, which they will get to via fishing boat. I asked and Jane assured me they do have life preservers. (I have to keep checking on her and Janet.) Right now as I am typing this in the hotel owner's office sipping my special Demon Rum punch, Jane and Janet are in their room counting and bottling pills for tomorrow.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Wes Jones

Report from Haiti -- March 14th

From Susan Jones (who did not go to Haiti this week, but whose husband Wes is there):

I just spoke with Scott Cain, who had spoken by phone with his wife, Janet, who is in Haiti. Janet and Jane Carney wanted us to know that the computer at the hotel is Haiti is down.

He also said that that she and Jane wanted me to know that Wes was enjoying his first mission trip.

Also, they wanted us to know that a patient we had seen last trip who had a severely fractured leg was now walking normally. Twilla (who operates the orphange in Cap Haitian) had assessed this young man and felt he would lose the leg unless he had surgical correction of the fracture. The young man had no money for the surgery, and was getting about on crutches at that time. The surgery would cost $200. We had an extra $200 in cash with us that we had intended to give as a gift to a church that hosts a clinic for us. However, we were unable to get to that church last trip due to scheduling problems. We decided to give the young man that $200 for his surgery, trusting that he would, actually, use the money for this and not, in ignorance, spend it unwisely. Of course, Twilla gave him a rousing lecture on God's plan for his surgery and his life. (It would not be easy to defy Twilla when she starts preaching!)

It is great to know that the surgery was obtained, was successful, and that he is fully healed! The life of an amputee in Haiti is terrible to ponder--food is hard enough to come by for those who can get about. And, of course, a prosthesis isn't even a possibility there.

For $200, a man essentially got a life back. This is what happens to the donations and pledges that go to our Mission Committee!

To think that we restored a man's life for $200!

What a deal!

Return to Haiti -- March, 2006

Good Shepherd returns to Haiti on March 13th. On this trip we have 5 individuals going to Cap Haitian to work with the orphanage there.

Janet Cain will be returning for her 3rd trip with the Good Shepherd team.

Bill Kell has been to Haiti several times, working in Leogane. This will be his second trip to Cap Haitian.

Our Associate Pastor, Dave Janzen, will be making his first trip to Haiti.

Wes Jones will also be making his first trip.

Jane Carney has been to Leogane several times, and is making her 4th trip to Cap Haitian.

We have not received an email from them, but we have heard through their families that they have safely arrived in Haiti.

Keep them in your prayers!

Keep Our March Mission Workers In Prayer

Good Shepherd will be sending a new crew to Haiti. Keep them in prayer as they continue our work in Cap Haitian. The team arrives in Haiti on March 13th and will continue their work until March 21st.

The Mission Team Has Returned Home

From Jane Carney...

We finally made it home - very late - about 11 pm on Saturday, December 17th. We left the hotel at 5:30 am. Our planes were late, our baggage last off, our connections wrong, we rescheduled etc. What a trip!

I did not write during the week, giving others the chance and didn't they do a great job? Besides my computer skills are awful and I hate to cry tears into someone elses's computer. This was one of those trips that touched me deeply, and my emotions were near to the surface.

I rode to the airport in my favorite transportation, the back of a pickup with a few Haitians. It is the best place to say "au revoir" to Haiti, with the wind in your face and the smells of Haiti with you. The sounds of the market opening, the children getting ready for school, the cocks crowing, much noise, and lots of visual. And I remind myself and God that I will be back shortly.

The single event that impacted me most this trip was meeting Eric. We travel over a bridge where the malaria is the worst, the living conditions abysmal, and life appears to be very bad. We often do a clinic there and the people are desperate.

This time we passed over the bridge and went some distance beyond. But a young boy began to follow us there. And he chased us for some miles to our destination at a church. As we began to unload, he finally arrived. He was so out of breath from running and crying that he could only sit and gasp out his painful story.

He is a child of the street. He is 11 and his parents are dead. He lived with some people for a while but when he began talking about what it might be like to live in the orphanage with Twilla they began to beat him and then threw him out for his ingratitude. So he was there to ask Twilla to take him to the orphanage.

My heart soared with hope, until I heard the answer. She could not take him. Because of his age, he is too worldly. He has learned to steal for a living. If he is not already sexually active, he has witnessed too much of the world. He has been raised with no morals. She is unable to bring him into her closely controlled environment with all those children whom she has so carefully protected from just the systems that he has been exposed to. There is, in fact, no place for him to go to. So we kept him with us for the day. We fed him, loved him, gave him what we have, and had to return him to the bridge at the end of the day. We talked to the community leader about him and asked him to talk to the minister of the church that we serve there and then we left for three months.

So when I go back...will I ever see Eric again- will he be alive, in prison, sick with a venereal disease, HIV, TB, typhoid? What could I have done differently? How can the tears I shed for him and the prayers I lift up for him turn into constuctive plans to change things for these street children? Help me pray for Eric and those other thousands of neglected, beautiful children of God who have no one to turn to except God. Help me think of a way to put feet and hands on our prayers.

I left Haiti with many resolutions. I have a workbook to study creole. I have plans to spend more time studying tropical diseases and updating my knowledge. I plan to have the drugs better prepared next trip (a continuing challenge). And I have committed to be a regular part of Twilla's team, returning with her each 3 months so that I can take some of the load of the drugs off of her and allow her to focus on the other 99 challenges she faces in preparation for each trip.

We can be so proud of each member of our group. Each person did a fabulous job, learned new skills, and worked "out of the box."

And we could not have done it without the prayer and financial support of Good Shepherd. The support our congregation gave us was phenomenal. We were all truly about God's work and in His will.

The Haiti Mission -- from a non-medical person's point of view

Today's entry comes from Ken Stockwell, who is joining the Haiti Mission Team for the first time...

I thought that I would put together some thoughts as someone who has not been here before, who is not medically trained, and who may be able to provide answers to those in the congregation who wonder what they could do here if they are not a brain surgeon or a nurse. Actually, brain surgeons would have a challenge here as well unless they are willing to practice their craft in a dusty, less-than-sterile environment.

Have we told you about our first night when our vehicle broke down (not the clinic folks, but those of us doing real work with construction at the orphanage)? That was a treat, but God provides and his messenger was Bill Kell. Who in their right mind would think to pack a battery charger and jumper cables? How often would you have a battery die on you at night, on an incredibly dusty, busy road, with absolutely insane drivers (a whole 'nuther story) and have a pickup truck with you that has a generator on the back, and Bill with his battery charger? I bet that would not happen more than, say, never. But that was our situation the first night on the job. So, you don't have to have medical knowledge to jump a dead van battery. I'll bet the nurses probably would not even be able to do it (hopefully they will not read this!)

For most of our week, the ladies and one male nursing student have gone off elsewhere to treat patients, and we the hearty have gone to the new orphanage site to work, and work hard. We have whacked weeds (a weed eater and a machete, or two or three, constitutes the Haiti equivalent of a brush hog or lawn mower); we have poured cement, we have hauled trash, we have tied steel rebar, and mostly played "straw boss" to about 56 Haitian craftsmen and hired hands. It can be quite the challenge in communication since very few speak English and I doubt many of us speak Creole. Our role is primarily to be present, as we represent "management" and the workers tend to be better workers when a six foot three good 'ole boy is standing nearby watching them. No training needed for that!

But the guys and kids actually (some of the workers are really just kids) are really great, friendly, and desire to work for you and get to know you. They are very thankful for their jobs. They are very thankful for you being there. And they sometimes wave their machetes around while saying goodbye and thanks. A rather strange sight since it looks rather threatening!

Along those lines, there are some things that one must really be ready for to come here.

You must have patience, lots of it.

You must have tolerance, lots of it.

And you must have a good attitude to serve. Because half of what happens does not go right (very tough for us type A's), and the other half goes wrong or never happens. Only kidding, but a lot of things will go wrong. Kenneth (the orphanage construction manager and all-around great guy) will tell you that Haiti is a constant battle between God and evil. Sometimes evil gets the upper hand, but usually we win.

Another perspective on the people is they love to shout at each other. The first morning we arrived all 50 or so of the Haitian crew seemed agitated. Since we had just traveled through some of the most crowded, bizarre roads you will ever see and bounced our way to the site, we were both a bit out of our element, and apprehensive. So we arrive on site and there stand all these guys, with a whole lot of machetes, and a lot of shouting and what appears to be squabbling. In reality, they get along fine, probably better than American field workers. It is just their style.

In another such instance I walked by the group mixing cement, and they seemed to be in an intense argument that I expected would come to blows shortly. I asked the young man who could translate for me what was going on, and he said they were arguing over who really knew more English words than the other! Wow, that sounded serious.

I hope I am not scaring anyone away yet!

Well, I am getting long winded so let me move to today, when we all came together for the clinic that is held on the site of the new orphanage. This was my first experience at a clinic, and the first time ever I got to see two of my favorite women (wife and daughter) do their thing. Very impressive.

So what does one do at a clinic when one is not medical? Lots, let me tell you. I was put in charge of the whole organization of it. Great. What do I know about what has to happen! I got a few hints and fortunately a very hard working staff of one Haitian, and a couple of "blancos" (Bill Kell, Tom from Colorado). We set up the stations.....basically stacks of cement blocks they can use for chairs to interview and treat patients; we set up tables...basically stacks of cement blocks with plywood used for spreading out the medicines and essentially creating Jane Carney's pharmacy. We carpeted the mud with cut grass and whatever else we had from the cleared fields, we roped off egress routes, and did all those things an organized engineer would do that a medical person would appreciate but not think of. If you are getting the picture that you "make do" with whatever you can use your initiative to devise then I am doing a good job of describing what is done here.

Finally, our biggest challenge that consumed most of the day was crowd control. We were in charge of recording the patient's name and age, and keeping them away from the medical staff until they were ready to see them. Haitians just LOVE to crowd around anything that is going on, and that does not help with moving patients through. So, that was a big challenge. Maybe the biggest.

The clinic went very well. We processed over 150 patients. We were supposed to stop at about 100. I let a "few" slip through. It is tough to see sick children and old folks and think that if they do not get through, it will likely be 3 months before they get their next chance. So maybe I am a little soft, just a little. You cannot be too soft though, or you will get run over!

Now let me finish with two examples of the type of folks you will meet. During the work days I became friendly with "Junior," a Haitian who can speak a little Spanish. So between his few English words, and my few Spanish words, we could actually get ourselves into conversational trouble. He fancies himself as a real Latin type, but he is really just as poor and struggling as the rest....just with strong optimism and self respect. He was a good worker though, and a potential leader. Hopefully he will do well in the future.

The next guy is Jose, the gentleman who helped me today control the crowds and run the clinic. He speaks English fairly well. He is 30. He worked for 19 years in Nassau in construction, then got sent back to Haiti for lack of papers. His pride could be hurt.....and maybe it is. But he hired on as a day laborer, came every day with a great attitude and put in very hard work, and took on any challenge we asked of him. A very nice guy. He wants me to come back. Great, now I have Priscilla and Jose on my case.

But I will, again, someday maybe sooner than later. It gets under your skin quickly. It seems important. It is rewarding. The experience has surprised me.

You should give it a shot if you are the least bit inclined.

Look inside your heart and the answer will be there. I would never have expected I would say this.

Vaya con dios.

Ken Stockwell
on assignment in Haiti

A Brief Word While The Internet Is Up And Running

We are having great difficulty with getting on line.

We are all doing fine and doing God's work. Many stories to share. One more clinic today. Have seen over 600 people so far; many sick and malnourished children. So many thank you's to our Good Shepherd Family.

Need to go before the internet crashes

Another Report from Tuesday's Mission Work

From Priscilla Stockwell...


Thank you all again for your spiritual and financial support. Let me start by providing you with a summary of accomplishments over the past 2 days:

1. Bill Kell and Ken Stockwell were able to take apart the well on Monday at the new orphanage site to determine its capability for future expansion. Bill and Ken admit that they are a good team. Recall that the new orphanage will be able to hold at least 75 - 100 children. Today they worked as supervisors for the Haitiians on site who continue the building of walls and building of trenches. They both reflected at dinner how rewarding the work is and that it is an experience that is difficult to put into words.

2. Tom, a friend of Jane Carney, painted 2 of the boys rooms at the old orphanage. Walls in Haiti get mildew quickly and with boys there are lots of dirty fingerprints.

3. On Monday, Susan Jones was deemed our "Hero of the Day". She was observing me as I was seeing patients. This one particular patient was a young girl with menstrual cramps (a normal experience for most young ladies). As I was explaining this to the young girl, I asked Susan to go out and triage to make sure that there were no more sick children to be seen. Susan came back a few minutes later with a young very ill-looking child whom we suspected had tuberculosis. Had Susan not triaged, this young girl would not have been seen or referred for treatment.

4. Ashley Stockwell is learning so much in terms of clinical skills. She is now ahead of her peers in her nursing class. I am so pleased with her excitement and quest for learning and now her love for the people in Haiti. This is a second trip for Ashley. I see her coming back in 2006.

5. Now there is Jane Carney. What an inspiration she is for all of us! This angel is a remarkable woman. Someday, I hope to obtain her spiritual knowledge. She is working hard as our pharmacist and "leader".

6. Today, Susan distributed the "widow" bags to several of the elderly woman. The response brought tears to my eyes. I hope that the pictures reflect the emotional content. We thank all the people at Good Shepherd who were a large part of this major project....clothes, small jewelry, shoes, small money and food. This project will continue for the rest of the week.

7. Our medical team struggled emotionally yesterday with the clinic across from the resort known as Labadee. The cruise ship staring at us with a 7 foot wall separating the people from the ship and the very poor Haitiians was heart breaking. While we cared for children with malnutrition, skin disorders and pneumonia, the people from the cruise ships were on jet skis and sailboats. At this time, I struggle with Royal Carribean cruise lines. Perhaps the folks on the cruise ship were unaware of their actual surroundings. On our way back from this clinic, we observed the Haitians going through the trash that the cruiseline left behind. Heartbreaking! Why does it have to be this way?

Overall I see Satan playing with us. It seems that every couple of hours, we are faced with barriers. The Good Shepherd mission team along with our Eternal Hope in Haiti friends are strong and prepared for our next challenges. "Satan, move over and get out of our faces.....God is leading us as we have work to do!!!"

We hope to write more as the undependable connection with the internet allows.

Tuesday's Mission Activities

The Mission Team has been busy! There is little time to write to the church, and yesterday the computer was down. But the good news is -- we have some news to share today! Today's entry comes from Susan Jones.


Yesterday we went to Labadee, a peninsula owned by Royal Caribbean. It is walled off from the rest of Haiti by the cruise line and they operate a luxurious water park, beach etc. with all the trimmings that their passengers enjoy while anchored there. In one small corner , there is a village with some Haitians, maybe workers. We saw terribly ill and poverty stricken, hungry people while we gazed out upon the large cruise ship and all it's passengers playing in the water.

It was hard.

The Haitian people hate Royal Caribbean because it does nothing for the people of Haiti or the country as a whole. As we left. we drove past the high wall that keeps the Haitian people out of the resort. Just on the Haitian side of the fence was a large garbage dump where the cruise line throws it's garbage on the ground. In it were a couple of dozen Haitians scavenging through the garbage, looking for food or any useful items. It was quite a terrible sight and everyone was affected by it.

I'm sorry to not sound cheerful. We are all having a wonderful trip and are accomplishing much. But seeing the contrast of the Haitian people's poverty against all the luxury was quite disturbing.

We had an exciting day today, but I will leave that to someone else to give you their impressions. I will only say that there are many happy widows in the mountains near Cap Haitian. I got some hugs today.

We feel like we are in a different world here, but when I got here and opened up the boxes of bags the church ladies sewed and filled with gifts I felt like Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church had come to Haiti. I was home.

I almost forgot to tell you some happy news! Martine and baby Rodeska came to see us at the clinic today. (This was the mother and baby we had kept in our hotel room last trip.) Rodeska is filled out and healthy with bright, intelligent eyes. Mama Martine has gained some weight and is healthier, also. What a wonderful sight to see! (Click here to go to September 12, 2004 entry to read how the Mission Team met this family)

Saturday's Note From Ken Stockwell -- The Work Begins

All parties have now arrived safely in Haiti. Susan Jones and Jane Carney arrived yesterday and conducted a clinic today. Priscilla, Ashley, Bill Kell and I arrived this afternoon and have a whole week to do something useful.

I am sure Priscilla and Ashley will do wonderful things in the medical field.

Bill and I should be working on a roof for the orphanage kitchen later this week. Initially we will be troubleshooting, such as the wells and electrical generators they have.

We had an interesting trip here through customs and what not, including a small plane ride to this location. This is my first visit to Haiti. It is very pretty from the air, very poor from the ground.

My computer's battery is about to die, but I wanted to let everyone know we are all safe. We will send more after we actually do something.

Our Team Has Arrived In Haiti For Their December Trip

Our Mission Team has arrived in Haiti -- safe and sound. They will be working in Cap Haitean in the northern area of Haiti. Their work on this trip will be with an orphanage operated by Eternal Hope in Haiti. This ministry was started in 1984, when Twilla Haynes, Professor of Nursing, was invited to Cap Haitien, Haiti to assist in providing relief from an outbreak of measles. The poor health of the people of Cap Haitien had an impact on Twilla. She established a public health nursing course for senior level nursing students, which incorporated trips to Haiti as part of a hands-on learning experience. In 1993, Twilla and the other members formed Eternal Hope in Haiti in order to better meet these health care and nutritional needs of Haitian people. In 1997 Eternal Hope in Haiti opened Hope Haven Orphanage.

From Susan Jones...

We arrived in Haiti without incident. No problems with customs. Unfortunately, our large bags with all the drugs in them will not come in until the morning.

We do a clinic tomorrow.

Tonight we are relaxing in balmy weather, eating by the pool, listening to a reggae band. We are all going to be going to bed early. It was a long day, leaving Atlanta airport at 6:15 am. We are all happy and excited.

There are 3 student nurses and a mechanic with us on this trip, in addition to Twilla, her husband and brother, and Kenneth, the builder of the new orphanage. Tomorrow Priscilla, Ken and Ashley Stockwell will arrive, along with Bill Kell and Tom, a friend from Colorado.

The Last Entry For Our September Trip, 2005 -- From Susan

We had many more adventures today. We went to the site of the new orphanage Twilla is building and it is beautiful. It is out in the country, on a hill near the ocean, where breezes blow and large trees grow. The air is clean and their is a small river and a large space for a garden. The children will be so much happier and healthier there. The walls of the main building are up. As she gets money, the roof trusses will go on and a wall will be built around the compound,
We did our last shopping tonight and are getting ready for our last meal at Hotel Mont Joli, our lovely home here. We all have many feelings and emotions about our trip, but all of us will be glad to see our families, our church and our homes again.

See you in church Sunday!

Susan Jones

Friday, September 16, 2005 -- From Susan Jones

I have a few extra minutes this morning and we wanted to write an email of thanksgiving to our families and our church family, and to all those who have been praying for us. You can't imagine how that has sustained us throughout the week. And also for all the money and goods that you have contributed to this trip. God has multiplied it all for good here in Haiti, many times over. He has surely blessed all your efforts.

Today we are going to see the new orphanage site, and then to the old orphanage. Some will be painting a room at the orphanage.

It will not be long before we see you!

Susan Jones

A note from Maynard -- I received an email from Wes Jones yesterday. He tells us that in one of his personal emails from Susan we are told that the mother and child from Tuesday's post -- Rolenska and Mama Martine -- are doing well.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 -- Barb Kell

I am writing the report for today because Susan had too much chocolate sauce on her cake tonight and had to go sleep it off!

Our God is an awesome God!

We made it to the mountains today! The thirty year old Swiss Army vehicle ( and I thought they only made knives) took us where no other vehicle should (although others were going). We went through mud holes that would have swallowed most compact cars! Thank God for answered prayers and to all of you for praying.

We arrived in Barone (sp?) and got out in the cleanest mountain air you could imagine. The lush vegetation and clear blue sky reminded me of paradise! We walked through the gate where the clinic was being held and saw the crowd of people who were awaiting our arrival. They began to applaud and that continued all the way up the path to the building. Talk about your humbling experience-tears are blurring my eyes as I write about it, so maybe I had too much chocolate sauce too!

The pastor thanked us and said they had heard Twilla had been sick, and they didn't know if she was coming. Can you imagine walking up a mountain or pushing yours or another's wheelchair for hours without knowing that help was coming? She told him she had been a little sick, but it was another example of spiritual warfare we must wage as the evil one tries to keep us from doing God's work. She spoke about how that is the same for all of us, no matter where we are, but we must keep up the battle and continue to do God's work wherever we are. I'm voting for her if she runs for anything!

Then the day began............Six hours and several hundred people later, we were told it was time to pack up for home. Storm clouds were gathering and if it started raining, we may not make it back down the mountain. And since we knew there was chocolate waiting, we got with the program!!!

Oh, and remember the short supply of our most used medicine? We ran out........just as the last patient was seen........was there ever any doubt?

Barb Kell

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 -- From Barb Kell

Today's email comes from Barb Kell...We have 3 more clinics left to do, but Twilla has surveyed our supplies and says we only have enough medicine for two more clinics. The floor of our room is still full and she has many drugs in her room, also. We brought so much, but the need is so much more! I think we will need a miracle such as the loaves and fishes to work the rest of the week.

The vehicle we prayed over was reported to be running last night.Praise the Lord for He is good always. I suppose we will "test" it today on a short trip before starting up the mountain tomorrow. Your prayers are needed. Specifically, pray thanking God for his wonderful promises, and that He continues to hold us together, body and machine.

Barb Kell

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Today was great! We spent most of it at the orphanage. We played with the smallest 3 children, until the school children came home. They started school today for the Fall semester. As each child came up the stairs to the balcony where we were sitting, they each kissed us on the cheek, even the older boys. They were so dignified and such gentlemen and very respectful to us.
They ate their dinner at 3:30 pm and then.......... they each received their new bookbags and school supplies. (Apparently, they didn't need them the first day of school.) Most of those were the ones sent by our church. The children were so excited! It was a huge fun event, full of smiles and laughter. After this our group played and hugged the children and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Let me explain about their meals. They eat two meals a day, breakfast in the morning and their second meal at 3:30 pm when they come home from school. They get a small snack at school. Twilla said that all Haitians eat only two meals a day and, indeed, that is common for many third world countries.

I guess the most important part of the day was the repair of an indoor toilet that had not functioned for years. The children have been using an outhouse. The hero-of-the-day award goes to Jan, who is Jane Carney's childhood friend from Haiti. She was brought to the orphanage early this morning to meet the plumber and an interpreter. She accomplished the fixing of the toilet quickly and there was enough money left over for Jan to go to the store and buy a second toilet. It was installed upstairs in a "bathroom" which had the basics of plumbing there, but had never had a toilet in it for lack of funds.

Our baby, Rolenska, is doing so well! She is now sucking formula and fluids from a bottle and has started to smile! The nurses were worried that she might react to the feedings with diarrhea because her system was so fragile. When she had a normal dirty diaper today, they all broke out clapping and exclaiming. Martine (the mama) and Rolenska are spending the night with us again at the hotel. I think Twilla feels that the baby will be well enough to go back home when we leave and Martine will come once a week to the orphanage to get formula and a baby check-up.
All-in-all, it was a great day. I could tell you more stories, but it is dinnertime and I'm hungry! Thank you for all your prayers.
Susan Jones

Monday, September 12, 2005

Je n'est pas Susan Jones. Maitenant, je m'appelle Indiana Jones.

I'm sorry not to have emailed yesterday, but the internet connection was down.

Today the truck was still broken, so Twilla had arranged for a tap tap. We left at 8:30 am for the clinic. After about a half mile, Twilla was not happy with the way the engine was sounding and wanted to check it out herself. The next thing we knew, she had booted out the driver and had gotten behind the wheel herself! She drove the rest of the way up the mountain to the clinic. I cannot explain that trip to you. Drivers drive on whichever side of the road they want to. Chickens and donkeys scatter before them! We arrived at today's clinic site and it was much more pleasant than Saturday's. It was up on a ridge and a breeze was blowing. The rooms had windows and our scabies station was outdoors on the porch.

Then came the patients and things quickly got serious. A man was carried in with a raging fever and Twilla quickly identified it as typhoid fever. Twilla was worried that in his condition he might "bleed out" and die in the clinic. A thin mattress appeared from somewhere and he was laid on it in a small storage room. Hetty hung an IV bag from the top of the door and was able to find a vein to get it started - our hero of the hour. The nurse practitioners gave him shots and medicine and by 4:00 pm he walked out of the clinic, smiling. It was a bright spot in our day.
We saw so much terrible hunger in this area. When the children have a protein deficiency, their hair turns red, and we saw many children like this. Fortunately, we had rice and beans to give the mamas, but we ran out of beans before we ran out of patients.

We don't eat lunch, because we won't eat in front of hungry people. But we are fine with that. It is so hot, we do not have a big appetite. And we eat big breakfasts and dinners.

Just as we were leaving the clinic, a mother walked up with a 6-month old baby that was obviously starving - she was emaciated. She asked Twilla to take the baby, but Twilla did not want to separate the mother and child. So we brought both to our hotel room and are keeping them there. We are feeding the baby formula with a syringe, drop by drop, as she is too weak to suck. We will continue this all night and Twilla will see her again in the morning. She is beautiful. Please pray for this baby and her mama. Tomorrow we do another clinic.

Susan Jones

Saturday, September 10, 2005

We have seen a miracle today, and her name is Twilla. She is the nurse practitioner who runs things at the orphanage.

It has been an amazing day. We got up at 6:00 am and had a wonderful breakfast and were packed up and ready to go at our departure time at 8:00 am. An hour and a half later we are still waiting for the truck that is taking us to the clinic to get fixed. The Eternal Hope In Haiti Foundation owns it. It is 30 years old At 9:30 the truck is fixed. We all pile in the back onto wooden seats and off we go - for 5 feet. The mechanic is called back. 19 minutes later, bad news. The truck cannot soon be fixed. So a taxi is called and in 15 minutes we all pile in. There are 7 of us plus the driver in a very small sedan. Fortunately, it is not far to the clinic for today. It is in the city down by a bay-full of filth and rotting boats, pigs rooting in the garbage beside the road. We set up in the upstairs of a concrete building that is a church. We have 2 medium sized rooms. In one room the nurse practitioners see the patients and Jane Carney sets up a small table for her pharmacy.

In the other room there are two small benches. On one, Janie (my sister from D.C.) sits and bags up rice and beans. We give this to the mothers with malnourished children and the elderly, who are all emaciated. On the other bench, I sat and gave scabies treatments to the children and put clean underwear on them. To all who gave underwear to us, it was put to good use today!

Barb Kell and Hetty Herrington from our church saw patient after patient. Late in the afternoon, Twilla asked me to go downstairs and go through the line of people there and bring up only the sickest, as we would have to go soon. It was so hard. I brought a young mother who seemed to have a fever.

And a boy of ten with infected eyes. And a teenaged girl with an obvious skin infection on her face. We gave what we could to the mothers that we had to turn away - often, a worm pill and a small bag of vitamins for the child. We are all changed forever.

The light is dim, the monitor faint, and I am very tired. We love our church family for all the help they have sent here, money, underwear, etc. As well as all the prayers. I know we could not have done what we did today without them. I felt them all day long. God bless you all,

Susan Jones

Saturday, September 10, 2005 - The Group Has Arrived Safely!

We are here at the hotel in Cap Haitian--which is quite lovely--and are all still in good spirits!

We had no problems at all. Twilla (who operates the orphanage) had a wonderful, gentle man meet us in Port-au-Prince, and he told us exactly what to do and got us to the terminal for our next flight. It was an exciting adventure in a 15-passenger plane. We had no trouble in customs...they didn't open any of our bags.

It's 7:00 pm and we are all hungry, so I am going to join the group in the dining room. This is an amazing place, I feel like I've been around the block a time or two, but the poverty we drove through on our way to the hotel beats anything I've ever seen. We are all eager to get a good night's rest and start to work tomorrow. May God bless all of you who contributed to our trip with your prayers, underwear, etc. Pray that God will bless our work -- Susan Jones

Friday, September 09, 2005 -- Prayers for Haiti Group

We have four members of our church going on this trip -- Barb Kell, Jane Carney, Hetty Herrington, and Susan Jones. They will be joined by several others from other churches.

They left today for their mission and I would like to challenge each of you to be in daily prayer for the entire team. Pray for their safety and that God's Holy Spirit would touch the lives of those our team encounters. Pray that they would be able to complete the tasks they have plannned, and that they would be open to unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Monday, September 5, 2005 -- Learning to Say "Dega Je"

The team going to Haiti include four members of the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.

There are eight others on the team, including Susan's sister from Washington, DC.

Jane writes: "We are leaving early Friday AM and will return Saturday the 16th. We fly to Port au Prince, take a pre-arranged van trip accross the airport and take a smaller airline to Cap Haitian. Someone picks us up there from the mission and transports us to the Hotel.

"The name of the orphanage is Eternal Hope In Haiti. Their web page is found at www.ehih.org.

"While we are there: we will do at least 5 mobile clinics. Twilla, one of the team members, visits 5 sites on a regular basis - seeing the same patients every 90 days. We will spend time working with the children at the orphanage. We will help them with homework and are planning to do art projects with them. We will clean and organize at least three rooms at the orphanage and prepare the bathroom for the plumbing construction which we will supervise. We are hiring the plumber and paying for the expenses to get at least one bathroom functioning. Now we have found that there is an opportunity to get a shower working in another bathroom that is used by the administrator when the person who lives there is gone and there is a third bathroom that has not been used for years that could possibly be made operational again.

"We also plan to take lots of photographs and interview the children for publicity purposes and to introduce them to our own congregation. We plan to photograph both the current and the new orphanage that is under construction extensively so that our team going in December can better plan what to bring and spend their time on.

"We also plan to spend time buying art and crafts to bring back and try to merchandise as a fund raiser for the orphanage."

I think that those of you that know Susan and me know that we need prayer to slow down and let God accomplish what He wants to accomplish in His own time frame. We do not need to do everything on this list in one week and run roughshod over the Haitians in the process. "Dega je," as the Haitians say "whatever!"

Announcing Our New Mission -- September 2005

Welcome to our new web page -- we hope you will come back to read the emails we receive from our church members who will be traveling to Haiti during September, 2005.

Keep the team in your prayers -- they depart on September 9th.

The Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church recently gathered and sent school supplies to Haiti. If you are wondering what happened to them, you can rest assured they have arrived. Jane, one of the members of Good Shepherd, received an email today from Cheron, the young Nurse Practitioner who is the onsite administrator at the orphanage in Cap Haitian. Part of the email says... "I went through the boxes and oh were the children estactic as we dolled out backpacks and school supplies etc. You did an amazing job!!! "Also I wanted to let you know you did great in the packing too, because the more important stuff backpacks and new shoes and things were hidden under the clothes. When the customs officials saw school supplies their eyes light up with greed, they wanted to put heavy taxes on me. Then we decided they could have a couple of notebooks for their kids- they dropped the taxes, they opened one box said baby clothes, and moved on, when I came home and saw the new shoes and backpacks underneath I know I wouldn't have been able to leave the airport with them all, if the packing hadn't been so good."

Maynard with Haitian Children 

Final Reflections On Haiti - September 30

(If you are reading this "blog" for the first time, the most recent entries are at the top of the page. To read from the beginning, simply scroll down and work your way up).

Haiti is a unique nation. The first impression that most people have of the country is its poverty. It is certainly true that poverty is widespread and intense -- 80% of the country lives in poverty.

My strongest first impression of Haiti, however, was the lack of sanitation. Almost everything is dirty. Trash is everywhere. We're not talking about a little bit of litter -- it's a lot and it's all over the place. We walked on one beach and the shoreline was covered with trash.

Part of the sanitation problem is the absence of an adequate sewage system and public restrooms. Men and women relieve themselves in public, making little or no effort to find any privacy. On rare occasions, churches and schools have outhouses. The hospital in Leogane has its own septic tank system and has effecient toilet system. The Hotel Montana in Port au Prince also has American style bathrooms. But these are rare exceptions.

And yet, while there is trash everywhere, there is also wonderful and colorful artwork everywhere. You see wonderful and creative art in the hotels and in the churches, but even the buses and "taptaps" are painted in creative ways.

I did not write much about the Hopital Sainte Croix in Leogane. One of our team members stayed at the hospital daily, working on electrical systems. The rest of us left the hospital each day in order to set up the mobile clinics. However, each night we stayed in the hospital compound. One of the team members gave me a good tour of the place.

The hospital is a large building, and is very prominent in the small town of Leogane. It is in a walled compound that provides a safe environment. Inside the compound are offices, a chapel or church building, living accomodations for a couple of the staff, the guesthouse, and of course the hospital itself.

The hospital is poorly lit. Compared to American hospitals, it is dark and dirty. When I looked in the pharmacy, I saw shelves that were completely bare. Patients often sleep on plastic covered mattresses without sheets. They depend on family members to be personal caregivers, helping them bath or use the restroom. And yet, the patients who come here speak glowingly of the wonderful care they received. In an impoverished nation lacking adequate health care, Sainte Croix provides what is unavailable to many Haitian communities.

Haiti is a dangerous place. Anyone who comes here should certainly know this before visiting. The State Department has travel warnings for this country. If you get in trouble, don't expect to be able to secure the help of the police. If you become ill or have an accident, there are few hospitals.

However, it is not a frightening place.

I never felt fear -- just an elevated sense of caution and awareness. But I feel that in some parts of Atlanta.

The people we encountered seem genuinely honest and good folk. They have good humor. They love their families and friends.

They are, without doubt, children of God. They are loved by their Creator and they stand in need of our love. The work done by Good Shepherd and other visiting groups gives a great deal to a people who need help.

May God continue to bless the mission efforts of our church, and the people of Haiti.

The empty shelves of the hospital pharmacy 

We're Home! - September 29

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Mission Team is back in the USA!

We're all safe and sound and very thankful for the amazing things we've seen and done. The delay in our return is unique to this trip. As we all know, this has been a different and intense hurricane season. I doubt that such a delay would happen to you if you were to join a future mission team.

Haiti is a great place. The people are wonderful and the land has a unique beauty. But its people are hurting in many ways and mission trips like this are a great asset to them.

Want to see some pictures??? Click http://community.webshots.com/album/193924642eFQGZl
to see a few of the many photos we took.

See everyone in church this Sunday!

Homeless in Haiti - September 28

For a while, those of us who had to remain at the Hotel Montana thought we would be homeless in Haiti.

The hotel has overbooked for Tuesday night and we were going to have to check out -- with no place to stay! Since Saturday, I've been trying to get in touch with our travel agent or her office, but no luck! Someone on the hotel staff, understanding the difficulty everyone seems to be having getting out of Haiti, said we would be able to sleep on a terrace near the swimming pool. That was very reassuring! The last place I'd want to be is on the streets.

With the help of both the US Embassy and the staff at the Hotel Montana, we secured a room at the Kinam Hotel in Petionville, a part of Port au Prince.

We are very grateful that we will NOT be homeless in Haiti.

Hotel Kinam in Petionville 

Continuing to work in Haiti - September 28

The part of the group that returned to Leogane had the opportunity to join another group that included two doctors. The heat made the day very difficult, but they were able to see 197 patients!

It now looks like we will be leaving Haiti tomorrow, shortly after High Noon. We are looking forward to arriving in Atlanta a little after 8 PM.

Those of us who stayed in Port au Prince had a bit of a scare -- there is no room in the inn at the Hotel Montana. All hotels are booked -- mostly because of the activity of UN personnel, news media and relief workers who are coming and going to and from the flood area. For a while it looked like we might spend the night around the swimming pool (which the hotel was going to let us do). However, we finally found accomodations at the Hotel Kiman in Petionville.

Thanks for everyone's prayers!

Against All Odds And In The Face Of Overwhelming Advsersity - September 27

I want to do everything I can to encourage more people at Good Shepherd to join us in these annual trips to Haiti, and to other mission fields. However, I do not want any to join one of these trips with a misunderstanding of the hazards one might face.

Haiti is a dangerous part of the world. Currently, the State Department is advising Americans to avoid travel to Haiti. From time to time the Presbyterian Church recommends churches cancel mission trips, which happened to one of our scheduled Haiti missions not long ago.

But the whole world is dangerous, and one needs to be careful wherever we travel. And in some places, the level of awareness and caution has to be elevated.

Haiti is such a place. I believe we are safe, but there is an elevated awareness of the possibility of danger.

Two of us are still in Port au Prince, while the rest of the team went back to Leogane. I mentioned this earlier, but I didn't say why. One of our team members was very sick. Just the usual traveler's bug, and he's fine now. Well, maybe not fine -- but definitely better.

He needed some medicine, however, and I'm nearly out of my own prescription medicine. You don't need a doctor's prescription here in Haiti. The staff at the Hotel Montana arranged for a driver to take us to a pharmacy and to a grocery store.

It is my impression that the grocery store we went to was one of the finest in Haiti. It is more like a large convenience store one would find in the States. The meat department shelves were bare. But there were lots of breads, fruits, and packaged items. We bought several packaged items, imported from Mexico or America.

Coming out of the grocery store we were stopped by a police officer -- the first police officer I had seen in this nation. There are only 2,500 of them in this nation of 8 million. Most are supposed to be corrupt.

As we were leaving, he stopped us by tapping my chest with his shot gun.

"You like my gun," he asked.

My partner and I stopped but said nothing.

"How long have you been in this country?"

"How long are you staying here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Where are you staying?"

"You have money?"

To that, I answered with a vague, "We had enough to buy some groceries."

There were several other questions -- questions about why we were there, who was with us, and what we thought of the Haitian political situation -- a topic I claimed to be ignorant about.

I found this very uncomfortable, until the policeman noticed my shirt, which had the Presbyterian cross and the words, "Presbyterian Church, USA."

He tapped the church's insignia on my chest with his shot gun and asked, "You are Presbyterian?"

"Yes."

"Presbyterians helped my son last year. He was sick."

I normally would have loved to have asked for more details, but I remained silent.

"You may go," he finally said -- which is what I was waiting to hear!

From there we went to the pharmacy -- a building with bars on the windows and doors. The entire shop was a very small room. The shelves had some products, but not many. Most of the drugs were kept behind the counter, just as in America. But as I said earlier, one doesn't need a prescription. No insurance coverage either.

We bought what we needed and returned to the hotel.

There is growing tension in the hotel. I have noticed people arguing with one another about the flood area. Relief workers are not getting help to Gonaives where it is needed. When they are able to reach the people, the crowds riot, fighting over the food and water. Distribution has been haulted until the UN peacekeeping forces or others can restore some sort of order.

However, I do not feel we are unsafe. One has to be careful and cautious here, as Haiti does have its dangers. However, as long as we continue to be watchful and careful, we should be as safe here as we would be in any foreign nation. The Hotel Montana has a great staff, and they have been helpful. I am also in contact with the American Embassy and they know who we are and where we are. They have provided us with some advice to avoid any possible dangers.

Still, with the work in Leogane finished, I think we will be glad to be getting home!

Grocery Store Shelves in Port au Prince 

Update on Haiti -- The Mudslides and Floods - September 27

Two of us are still at the Hotel Montana in Port au Prince, while the others have returned to the hospital at Leogane.

Remaining here at the hotel I have found some opportunities to serve as a sort of hotel chaplain. Many members of the press are here at the hotel. We often think of these folks as hardy, tough, dispationate individuals, but as I have talked to many of them I have found them to be deeply devasted by what they have seen in the areas north of us where there has been extensive flooding.

You probably know more than we do about the flood areas. We have heard that over 1,000 people have died and another 1,000 are missing. The reporters I have talked to speak of walking in waist-deep water and having to move through floating bodies of lifestock and people.

The Haitians are trying to bury the dead. Many are being buried in mass graves, which the Haitians find disturbing. Some are being buried in cemeteries. Many Haitians bury their dead in their own yards, which I'm told is culturally appropriate in this country.

Many of the reporters I've talked to are Christian and we had prayer together. They covet your prayers as well for themselves and the hurting people they have seen.

Wearing either a clerical collar shirt or a T-Shirt that bears the Presbyterian seal has opened many doors of conversation. This morning I met a lady from a Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. She is here through (I believe) the Red Cross.

Some of you have emailed me with the question, "how can I help? What can I send?"

I would suggest nothing be sent, but rather support qualified organizations that will be sending materials. Several of the reporters I talked with said they have seen trucks with water and food pulling out of the area of devastation because the crowds literally attack the truck, endangering the relief workers and themselves. They are trying to get support from the UN peacekeeping forces and others so they can distribute materials safely and effectively -- by now that may have been done. I simply don't know. (Remember, there is little in the way of police protection in this country. We have been told there are 2,500 police in this nation of 8 million).

Again, let me say we are in Leogane and Port au Prince, and far from the disaster areas.

One way you can help is to give to the Presbyterian Church, USA. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is engaged in relief efforts. Indicate on your check that your contribution is to go to Haiti #9-2000166, and our treasurer will pass your contribution on to Haitian relief.

I have been in contact with the Presbyterian Church, USA, headquarters in Louisville to ask them what we are doing as a denomination. They tell me that the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding to Haiti in cooperation with others with the emergency delivery of food, water and kitchen utensils. Now that the water is receding and access to Gonaïves by road is now possible, the Presbyterian Church is sending a volunteer to Gonaive to evaluate the capacity of 20 local churches to receive and manage food aid. They are also proposing the provision of medical assistance and psychosocial care.

Another way you can help is to make an extra donation to the Mission's budget of the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. This trip is turning out much longer than we expected, and your contributions will be needed!!

Sunday, part II - September 26

As it turns out, we are not leaving today.

We will be flying out on Wednesday. (We hope).

We are now checking out of the hotel and are headed back to Leogane where we will be staying at the hospital. There is another group already there, working, so quarters will be tight!

Keep us in your prayers!

We're Out of Here -- We HOPE - September 26

The latest is that in a few minutes we are leaving the Hotel Montana in hopes of getting onto flight 896 American Airlines, which leaves at 1:15 for New York.

If it isn't this flight, it may be Wednesday.

However, there is some good news.

There is a woman at the hotel who is a native of Atlanta. We asked Anita if there was a place to eat near the hotel, besides the same hotel restaurant we've been eating at.

"Dominoe's Pizza delivers," she said.

Yeah, right. There are no American restaurants here in Haiti. Unlike visiting other nations, there are no familiar McDonalds, Pizza Huts, etc.

But wait -- she was serious! Mike called and they said they would have the pizza at the hotel in 20 minutes. Let me see, 20 minutes in Haitian time, that should be an hour or so.

Twenty minutes later, the pizza was at the hotel.

Without question, it was the best pizza I've ever savored.

When the blessing was offered, it was an honest prayer: "God, we are always grateful for pizza, but rarely as grateful as we are right now!"

Amen!

Dominos Delivers! 

We thought this would be our last supper in Haiti, Hotel Montana, Port au Prince 

We're Staying Longer -- Part II - September 25

In addition to the entry I posted earlier today, here is the latest.

We are checking possible flights to places other than through Miami. Mike is checking on New York, Houston, etc. The weather news suggests that we MIGHT not get out until Monday, but we are doing all we can to come home as soon as possible!

We definitely have the hotel rooms for the night, so that is not going to be a problem.

I just talked to a very young Canadian reporter. He was in Grenada on assignment and was sent here to Haiti to cover the mudslides in the Northern parts of the country. He was very distraught. "I've never seen anything like it," he kept saying, as he talked about walking in waist-deep water and seeing corpses float by.

Whatever discomfort or inconvenience we are experiencing is nothing. The weather here is great, and as I said in the earlier entry, we are safe.

As a reminder to the Good Shepherd folks -- don't forget that tonight is the kick off for the Forty Days of Purpose! Unless you are stuck in a foreign country, you probably have no excuse to miss tonight's program :)

See you soon!

Maynard Pittendreigh
Pittendreigh@bellsouth.net

We're Staying A Little Longer Than Expected! - September 25

We were surprised to learn that Hurricane Jeanne has made a complete circle and has headed back to Florida.

Looks like we will be staying in Port au Prince for the day. There are no flights leaving Haiti for Florida.

The good news is -- we are safe. The weather here is great. We probably have no problems getting rooms at the Hotel Montana for an extra night (we are still working on that). If nothing else we will just go back to the hospital in Leogane. We have reservations for flights tomorrow, so if the jets are flying, we will leave on Sunday. It is, however, possible for us to be here until Monday. As the commercial says, "Send Snickers, we're going to be a while!"

Some things are beyond our control, but rest assured your mission team is safe and sound.

Final Clinic -- September 23

Today's clinic was set up at a Methodist Church, which also contained a school. I found the school very interesting. Children sit in benches and recite from the teacher. The rooms have walls, but no doors. Some classes were divided only by black boards.
While we were in the church, there were some folks decorating for a wedding, and that was interesting. They were making lots of decorations for the ceremony.
We saw 130 patients today -- more than any other day. The clinic was terribly hot!

Haitian patients 

The Outhouse -- always an adventure! 

Setting up Thursday's clinic at a church near Leogane 

We've Seen Some Amazing Things - September 23

One of our translators took us to a Voodoo Temple the other day and has often talked about Voodoo with us. "I personally do not believe in this Voodoo," he will often insist, but then he will go onto describe "the amazing things" one sees with Voodoo.

Seeing "amazing things" is a favorite phrase. He will talk about people who are set on fire but do not burn, or people who hold a red hot piece of metal but are not injured, or people who disappear and then reappear before your very eyes -- well, as he says: "amazing things."

We have seen amazing things here in Haiti.

Children with temperatures as high as 103 have been given medicine.

Adults have been treated for painful and lifethreatening ailments.

Children and adults have been given tooth brushes and have been taught how to use them.

Electrical work has been done at the hospital.

These are real, and they are amazing to see.

I invited you to ask questions and you have. I've had trouble with AOL, so I only have some of your questions. I will answer all of them when I'm back in the States. With the trouble I've had with AOL, I'm glad I set up this "web blog."

1. HOW CAN I BE INVITED TO JOIN A MISSION TEAM? I have received this question from more people than any other. You do not have to be invited. All you need to do is ask Ask NOW, and you are "on the list" for the next trip.

2. IF I GO, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? I can't remember the exact amount, but it is about $800. Ask me personally when I return, or check out the Good Shepherd web page and look up the Mission Trips page under Missions. I THINK it is about $800 per person. That includes everything but what you might buy personally.

3. WHAT ARE THE RESTROOMS REALLY LIKE?? Think camping. Actually, it is better than that. At the hospital there are Western style, or American style toilets. If you were to come and work only at the hospital, that would not be a concern. On the mobile clinics, however, there have been outhouses -- however, I personally recommend a good tree.

4. WHAT IS THE FOOD LIKE? It has been very good, and there has been enough variety that most people can find something they can eat. Lots of rice, bread, meats (chicken, goat or fish), salad, bananas and other fruit. Coca-Cola is imported straight from Mexico and as the commercials would say, "tastes refreshing!" Cooks prepare the meals for us, so our group does not have to do any kitchen work. We all brought food for the group to share. If you come, small packages of crackers are recommended -- a snack in the middle of the day while on the road has been most helpful!

5. WHAT ABOUT SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS? There are four guest rooms. Men sleep in one, women in another, and a married couple have taken up a third room. The fourth has been empty for most of the week. The beds are comfortable and we all sleep soundly. There are two bathrooms and rarely is there a line.

6. WHAT ABOUT LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES? Haitians speak Creole and or French. Some speak English. English is commonly spoken at the hospital. There are always translators with us when we leave the hospital.

7. WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED? Any! We think of this as a medical mission, but we talked tonight about doing a Vacation Bible School or music ministry here. The possibilities are endless. Think about your gifts, and if you want to go, we'll talk!

8. IS THE GROUP SAFE? Yes. Now -- having said that I would not want to mislead you. I think there is a degree of danger anywhere we go in this world. Haiti is more dangerous than many places in the world. You have to be careful, but we are in good hands here at the hospital. They serve us well as guides and drivers. As long as you are careful, and have a little elevated awareness and caution, you would probably not be in any grave danger here.

There is no danger to us from Hurricane Jeanne. The weather has been great for us. We know about the deaths of over 1,000 people only from the talk around the hospital and checking CNN web pages. We are also aware that the hospital here in Leogane has sent doctors and medical supplies to the region where the mudslides occurred. The area that people seem to be hearing about on CNN is far to the north of us. Think of what Atlanta would be like if Miami was hit by a hurricane -- that's about what it has been like for Leogane.

Tuesday at the Voodoo Temple 

Wednesday's Mobile Clinic - September 22

I didn't mention this in yesterday's entry, but I had an amazingly spiritual experience on our way to the mobile clinic. It moved me to deep prayer. I found myself calling on the name of the Lord with such passion.

"Oh God."

"Oh dear God."

"Oh my dear God."

Yep -- car sickness is a spiritual experience.

Actually, I don't think I have ever been motion sick before.

But yesterday, winding our way through the mountains, sitting in a crowded truck, it hit me pretty bad.

Bill J was keeping an eye on me and as I was thinking that it would be best if God just took me straigth to heaven right then and there, he and Priscilla got the driver to stop. I was moved to the front and began feeling better immediately.

Thank God -- and thanks Bill and Priscilla.

Which leads me into an introduction about today's work. With yesterday's trip being hard on my stomach (and on others as well) we asked someone at the hospital -- "We're not going to the mountains again, are we?"

"Absolutely not," was the answer.

We should have been more careful with how we asked the question.

We did not work IN the mountains -- we worked on a PLATAEU. Of course, you have to drive THROUGH the mountains to get there!

But fortunately, the trip was not as difficult for us!

The mobile clinic was set up at a house far from any village and from any paved roads. Still, many Haitians gathered at the house and we were able to see 102 patients. I asked when the last time a mobile clinic had visited this location. This was the first time. Many of these people had not seen a doctor before.

One young boy was terribly ill. He had a very high fever. Priscilla and Barb worked with him for a long time, and I'm sure he will do better with the medicines they gave him. But I also thought how fortunate for him that we were there today. How many in his village have become sick and died because they became sick when no doctors or nurses were visiting.

Tonight I had my first tour of the hospital where we are staying. John also showed me the chapel, which was painted by one of our earlier mission teams. Our mission teams do more than the medical type of work here -- painting, doing carpentry work, teaching nursing staff, etc. This year, only Bill K is staying at the hospital to do any work. He is doing electrical work while the rest of us are engaged in the mobile clinics.

Priscilla showed me the interior of the hospital. It is dark. There are few lights in the hallway. The patients sleep in crowded, hot rooms. Many patients are on beds with thin plastic mattresses. They have no sheets. The nurses stay behind their desk and offer no care for the patients. "They view their job as to keep the doctor's charts up-to-date," Priscilla told me.

"Who takes care of the patients," I asked.

"Family or friends. Everyone has to bring someone with them to care for them. Their family helps the patients to use bedpans, and then empty the pans in the hospital courtyard."

On the walls were several bronze signs. "A gift from the American People," was the basic theme. Several signs mentioned the Presbyterian or Episcopal Church giving gifts that made the hospital possible.

It is a depressingly impoverished place, and yet it is so much more than what most of Haiti has in the provision of medical care.

Our last stop on the tour was to look through the door of the pharmacy.

Row upon row of shelves -- completely empty. Not a single bottle of medicine, not a single roll of bandages, merely 8 bottles of water.

Whether or not there will be any more bronze signs, there is still a great need for more gifts to be given.

The road to Bureau on Wednesday 

Making our way to Bureau to set up a medical clinic 

These two Episcopal women joined us in Bureau 

Treating patients 

"Doctor" Johnson 

A very sick young man 

John with Patient 

Wednesday's Clinic at Bureau 

Turning People Away - September 21

If only we had one more nurse, one more doctor, one more medical professional of any sort!

We saw 101 people today, which is less than yesterday. But because so many of them were children and took much more time, at the end of the day we had to send some of the sick away without having anyone provide care for them.

The medical clinic we set up today was high in the mountains. It was very beautiful, but very remote. As we did yesterday, today we set up the clinic at a church. On one side is a new school being built -- I met the teacher. He has 30 students and he hopes to see progress for his village. On the other side of the church is another new building -- a medical clinic.

But for now, all these people have are these mobile clinics. When was the last time one visited this community? About a year. When we left, it will be another year before any of them will have hope to see a doctor -- the new clinic is still months away.

If you ever thought of going to Haiti -- remember the need is very great. If you ever thought of sponsoring a doctor or nurse or other medical professional, it would be a great gift to the people of Haiti.

In Matthew's Gospel (Matt 9:37-38), Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

For those of you who are members of Good Shepherd, next time you hear us planning a trip to Haiti, or anywhere, remember how great the need is for your presence!

On another note, before breakfast this morning, Jean Marie took us on a tour of a nearby Voodoo Temple. It was very interesting! It was a long walk to the temple from the hospital in Leogane. We had to walk very quickly to get to the temple and back.

Located off the road, we walked along the river bank for quite a distance until we came to several trees that had colored bands painted on them. "This is a sign that the Voodoo Temple is nearby," Jean Marie told us. We then took a different path leading away from the river, coming to a concrete building that was colorfully decorated. There were elaborate and well-done paintings of St. Peter, the Devil, the Queen of the White Woman, the Queen of the Black Woman, the Snake, and Moses. As Jean Marie told us about the different aspects of Voodoo, he spoke very respectfully of that religion. From time to time he would say, "I myself do not believe in Voodoo, but if you were to come to the Temple, you would see amazing things."

For the entire time we were there, a Voodoo priestess kept a very close eye on all of us.

We went into the temple and were shown a steel post embeded in the ground, around which were the ashes of a fire. "The Voodoo Priestess will light the fire and the post will become red hot. A man will grab the post and not be burned. It is an amazing thing to see."

Jean Marie has said this phrase so often "amazing things," that when I had time this evening I looked the phrase up in the Bible on my Palm Pilot. The New International Version has one match for that phrase.


Joshua 3:5 -- "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.'"

I'm sure that is true for us. Tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among us.

Pierre and his new school 

Tuesday at Tombe Gateau 

Visiting the Voodoo Temple 

My First Experience Working In Haiti - September 20

It was a long day today. We all came back to the hospital after working in the rural village of Boussan -- we were hot, tired, and dirty -- and all very hungry. Goat never tasted better to me than it did at tonight's dinner.

Well, come to think of it, when we lived in Miami the Sohan-Dass family always cooked goat for my family at Christmas. But as good as that was, they never served it to me when I was as tired and hungry as I was tonight.

Our mission this morning took our team to Boussan, where we sat up our mobile clinic for the day. Our base of operations was a tiny church building. Pigs and chickens wandered around our medical clinic, weaving between patients. The rest room facilities were behind the church (reminding me of what my son said about basic military training -- "There's no latrine - just a 'la tree'.") The weather was great! We worried about getting a little rain, but all we got was a refreshing cloud cover. (We had no idea some of you were worrying about the news reports of the bad weather. I just read about the large number of deaths here in Haiti a few moments ago -- but the weather here is fine)

This is my fist visit to Haiti, and it is a different type of mission trip than I have been on before. It is more of a medical mission -- but if you have ever thought about coming to Haiti on one of our trips but didn't because you are not a medical professional -- think again about joining us on our next trip.

Bill K. is not a medical professional. He is, however, an engineer. While the rest of us were on the field, he remained at the hospital doing electrical repairs. We are all very grateful he was here last year. He set up the airconditioning in the hospital's guest house. Thanks to Bill, when we came in from the medical clinic, we were able to enjoy some comfortable and cool rest.

I obviously have no medical background, but I was able to take part in the work in Boussan. I was part of the triage team. Mike, Bill J, John, Ashley and I did the triage. Patients were organized in a line by one of our interpreters. They would bring us a card with their name and age, and we would take note of their vital signs. It doesn't take much training to take blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate and temperature. Hey -- if I can do it, you can as well! Or there is work here at the hospital such as the electrical work that Bill is doing (or any number of other things you might be able to do).

After the triage, the patient would sit in the simple pews of the church and wait to see one of the nurses (Barb or Priscilla). Usually, they would then visit Jane in our pharmacy (set up on the porch fo a vacant shack).

We saw 132 patients today -- that's 132 children of God.

Tomorrow we are headed for another village to set up another mobile clinic -- that's after we get to visit the Voodoo temple. I can't wait! Hopefully the weather will be as glorious as it was today -- for both the temple and the clinic!

Hospital where we were based in Leogane 

Monday at Boussan 

Our group in Leogane 

Living accomodations in Guest House 

I'm a doctor, not a preacher. Wait, I'm not a doctor! I'm a preacher! -- September 19

"Tomorrow you will be intimidated by this and you will feel very insecure," Priscilla told us. "Don't worry. Your confidence level will increase the more you do these screenings."

I'm sure I will. Feel intimidated that is. After all, I'm not a doctor, I'm a preacher.

But Priscilla is a good teacher, and she carefully instructed the non-medical members of our team about how to screen the patients. I will be taking blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rates, and temperatures (along with some other members of our team who are also doing triage).

"If the person has a temperature of 101, or if is a child and the temperature is 100, then send the person straight to one of the nurses. If the person has a blood pressure of 170 over 100, then bring them to us! Otherwise, they will just have to stand in line after seeing triage."

The highlight for most of the people today was the visit to the home of Gary's family. Gary has worked as the translator for our group on several previous trips. Gary's mother has insisted that all of her children receive an education. Gary is now in Michigan attending a university -- thanks to the work of the Good Shepherd people!

While this is my first trip to Haiti, I did have an opportunity to meet Gary once. He was visiting Good Shepherd for worship one Sunday.

The family is very grateful to Good Shepherd folks for what is being done for Gary. They invited the team to the home of Gary's family -- a one room (two room if you count the curtain as a wall) house filled with love.

The family provided the team members with soft drinks, entertained us with singing, and gave each of us gifts (a carving with the word 'Haiti' and a scarf with the Haitian flag.

You never know how far reaching the work of your congregation might be. I hope everyone has given support to the Haitian mission trips -- even if you haven't been able to come personally. The work that has been done here is fantastic!

Today is Sunday, and while Good Shepherd met together for worship, our small team gathered in one of the rooms of the guest house of the Hopital St. Croix here in Leogane, Haiti. In our worship, we sang a few hymns, with Bill J. leading the music. As we sang "Amazing Grace" the cooks in the kitchen put down their work and sang along with us.

The text for my very brief message was from Genesis 12:1-4. It is the story of Abraham, who at that time is still called Abram. God tells him, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." At this time, Abram is already a very old man. Along with the familiar promise God makes to this man to "make him a great nation," God also says, "I will bless you... and you will be a blessing."

We have left our country, and we have the blessing of God. And having God's blessing, we will become a blessing to others.

Gary's Family Home 

Lunch in the Guest House at the Hospital Compound in Leogane 

We're Here! - September 18

Greetings from Haiti.

I invited many of you to see us off when we left the church this morning, but since it was 4 AM, I guess I should not be surprised that the only folks who showed up were our team, the spouses of the team members, and a few hardy souls who helped transport the 18 footlockers of medical supplies to the airport.

We arrived safe and sound.

As you may know, this is my first time in Haiti. Many of the others here have been here several times and are veterans. But for me, everything was new and fresh.

The ride from Port au Prince to Leogane took about an hour. The ride was very exciting! Driving 50 mph through crowded streets, and coming close to other vehicles and pedestrians was an interesting introduction to the country.

The strongest impression, however, is the poverty. More than that even, is the lack of sanitary conditions. Trash is everywhere. As you probably know, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and it is easy to see.


Almost everything is dirty. Trash is everywhere. We're not talking about a little bit of litter -- it's a lot and it's all over the place.

Part of the sanitation problem is the absence of an adequate sewage system and public restrooms. Men and women relieve themselves in public, making little or no effort to find any privacy. On rare occasions, churches and schools have outhouses. The hospital in Leogane has its own septic tank system and has effecient toilet system. I understand that the Hotel Montana in Port au Prince (where we will stay on our last evening) also has American style bathrooms. But these are rare exceptions.

I'll try to write more later about the specific work everyone is doing, but for now, I just wanted to share the news that we are here, we are safe, and we are all enjoying the opportunity God is giving us.

Public Transportation in Haiti 

First views of Port au Prince 

Saturday's first look at Port au Prince 

Our arrival at the Port au Prince Airport 

Getting Ready! - September 17

I've had my shots (Hepatitis A and B). I've started taking my Chloroquine so I won't catch malaria.

These things seem to be causing my wife just a little bit of concern ("Are you sure this is a safe place?") Too late to think about that now! We leave tomorrow.

Most of our team have been working hard to prepare for our mission trip to Haiti. Cotton balls, bandages, toothbrushes, Q-Tips, syringes, an assortment of drugs (exactly what is Zovia for anyway?), thermometers (the rectal kind), and alcohol (the rubbing kind). We have packed over a dozen footlockers, carefully weighing each to be sure the airline will be happy to see that none of them weigh over 70 pounds.

The team has done an amazing job getting these materials contributed to the church.

Jane is one of the members of our mission team -- she has been on this same trip 5 times out of the 6 years Good Shepherd has been going. I asked her where all these medical supplies come from.

"We have an account with King Pharmaceutical who have provided most of our drugs and supplies at no cost to us. Through Priscilla's efforts (another team member who has been to Haiti several times), we were approved by them about 5 years ago. They receive overstock and short-dated medical supplies from many sources.

"A second source is a grant from the CVS pharmacies that I received last year for the first time. It was for $2500. We sent that immediately to the hospital and are using the $2000 we had budgeted for the hospital for later in the year to buy things King could not supply that we know we will need.

"The third source of funding is from our own group and congregation and amounts to about $1800 this year. The drugs we purchased at cost were from CVS, Kaiser, and Bill's sources (Bill is another member of our team). We just negotiate the lowest prices we can get. Everybody in the congregation is made aware of our needs and we get donations from our personal dentists, John (who is a nurse practitioner), and other health professional contacts within the congregation.

"Through our Relief Account, we are helping one of the Haitians we've worked with by paying his first year of college in the US. We are also actively pursuing a way to set up scholarships for the new nursing school in Leogane, which will open in January. One of our group has provided over $5000 worth of aid to a family in Leogane for their educational needs. All of this is the fruit of love expressed in obedience and hard work by Good Shepherd. I could shout it from the rooftops some days."

Now all we have to do is pray for good weather! What is left of Hurricane Ivan has arrived in Georgia, allowing me to discover a serious leak around my son's bedroom window. There's nothing like standing in the rain caulking and nailing plastic sheeting in place.

Ivan should not be anything to worry about when we leave on Saturday morning. Our eyes are also on Hurricane Jeanne in the Caribbean.

Why Go To Haiti? - September 16

The Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church began a relationship with Hopital Sainte Croix in 1998. The congregation had previously organized mission trips to Honduras and to Belize. The youth groups have visited Mexico and Appalachia.

Haiti was a good experience and the relationship has continued. Several of our members have gone on more than one of these trips.

The hospital is located in Leogane. It was established in 1968 by the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti in partnership with the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a Christian witness, serving the people of Haiti. The Hopital Sainte Croix is a 120 bed full-service hospital and regional healthcare center for the community of Leogane.

Sainte Croix is highly respected amoung third world countries for high-quality health care. On an average day, more than 150 patients are seen for a nominal fee. Many cannot pay for this care, and those fees are waived or reduced.

The eye clinic provides much needed service including surgery and eye glasses.

A new dental clinic provides full denatlservices to a population badly in need of dental care.

Gifted and well trained Haitian physicians staff the hospital.

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has worked at Hopital Sainte Croix for more than fifteen years on malaria, lymphatic filariasis and other diseases prevalent in Haiti.

Good Shepherd members have done medical training for the doctors and nurses at the hospital, provided medical care to patients, and have done electrical work and repairs.

Accepting an invitation to join the Haiti Mission - August 23

Many of my son's favorite memories of growing up as a PK -- Preacher's Kid -- involved the mission trips we would take. Much to his regret, and mine, my last congregation was never interested in such trips. I suppose it made sense for them. After all, with every race and over 37 different nationalities represented in our congregation, and with the diversity of the city of Miami -- the mission field was always "just down the street."

When I moved to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Greater Atlanta Presbytery, I was thrilled to see the mission emphasis of this congregation. The Associate Pastor does a great job in his work in missions, and he is normally the staff person who accompanies annual trips to Haiti and Belize -- but when he announced he would not be able to go to this year's Haiti trip the missions committee invited me to join them.

I eagerly accepted the invitation to join the group, but then suddenly wondered -- "what good would I really be?"

The rest of the team is made up of medical professionals and electricians. I'm afraid of being electrocuted and I all I know about medicine is how to call my doctor for an occasional appointment.

"Don't worry," one of the team members tried to reassure me. "Before the trip is over, we'll teach you the difference between Valium and Viagra."

Well -- perhaps I can learn a little more than that!