Then There Was Hope

This is one of my favorite stories from the Haiti trip.  So many little things fell into place that the team knew God was at work.  I mentioned it briefly in my journaling, but I left it out of the previous posts because it played out over the course of the week and the end is yet to be written.

I feel each team member has a special moment or story that stands out from our time in Haiti and is best told by that team member.  We can all tell the stories, but when it is told by a certain team member there is a passion to it.  This story begins with Connie and I think she tells it with such excitement and joy, but I'll do my best.

On Sunday the team went to church in the village of Source a Phillipe.  We had previously been told we would be attending a harvest service in a neighboring village, but the night before we were told Bill would be preaching at Source a Phillipe.  Connie had been to the island  a couple times before and she was really interested in go to the harvest service.  The team from Virginia was going to the harvest service so Connie asked Bill if she could go along.

Early on Sunday morning Connie and Trevor went for a long hike.  Unknown to Connie, Bill had asked the other team leader if Connie could go along with them to the other village.  When Connie got back from her walk Bill told her she could go along.  She had twenty minutes to get ready.  She was hot and sweaty and wanted to shower.  She decided she would try her best to be ready to go on time.  If she made it, that would be great.  She decided on a wet wipe bath and made it out the door just in time.

An important fact to remember is that the beginning of this story happens without and interpreter.  It is all body language and God's love.

While Connie was sitting in the church waiting for the service to begin, a little Haitian girl sat down next to her.  She had a smaller child on her lap.  It is very common to see young children caring for younger children.  Connie motioned for the smallest child to sit on her lap so the older child wouldn't have to hold her the entire service.  The younger child went to Connie.  Connie said she and the older girl smiled at each other during the service and just made a connection.

After the service the team members were all given a bottle of Coke.  Connie really didn't want it, but she didn't want to offend anyone.  She stood with the group sipping her Coke and watched the little girl with the other children.  She wanted to go talk to the girl, but she felt like she couldn't walk over with the Coke in her hand to the child who didn't have anything and was probably hungry.

The children went in a building and came out with plates of food.  Because it was a harvest service it was a special day and there was a meal served at the church.  When Connie saw the kids had food, she felt more comfortable going over to them.  She talked to the little girl.  The little girl invited Connie to her house.  Remember this is all in separate languages.  Connie told the other team leader that she wanted to see the little girl's house.  The other team leader agreed and Connie went.

She met the little girl's mother and grandmother.  The mother didn't know Connie was a nurse, but she told Connie the little girl had something in her ear.  Connie looked and could see something.  She thought it might be a bug.  Connie somehow managed to explain to the mother that the clinic would be open in Source a Phillipe the next day and a doctor would be there.

On Monday, the little girl showed up at the clinic.  Rodney looked in her ear and found what Connie saw was a growth.  He told us a technical name for it, but I don't remember.  Through the interpreter he learned the growth had been there for about two years.  The mother had taken the child to see a doctor in Port au Prince and was told she needed surgery to remove the growth.  In the U.S. when a surgery is needed, a patient is told upfront how much will be covered by insurance and how much will be the patient's responsibility.  In Haiti, a patient is told surgery is needed at after the surgery the patient will be told how much it cost.  There is no room and board provided.  The patient must have someone to bring in meals and provide care.

When the surgeon told the little girl's mother she needed surgery, the mother knew she didn't have the funds and took the little girl home. 

The growth will continue to grow and will eventually work through the bone.  It may or may not be malignant.  Nothing can be know for sure without further diagnostic testing and removing the growth.  At the very least, this little girl will lose her hearing because what would be a simple outpatient surgery in the U.S., is beyond her reach in Haiti.

Trevor was in the clinic when all of this was going on and he was ready to hop on a plane and find the money for this surgery immediately.

As a team, we knew God had orchestrated this chance meeting.  There was no question that we needed a plan and would figure out a way to help this little girl.  We would go home and raise the money.  As we discussed the situation that evening during reflections, someone said we really needed a picture of the little girl.

On Monday morning, Trevor, Bill, Connie and our interpreter, Rodney, got up really early and walked the hour to the little girl's village.

They found out her name is Kenise Esperance and she is 10 years old.

When the group met Kenise to take her picture, they told her family we wanted a picture so we could pray for her.  Making promises to an individual is a big no-no.

On our way back to Petionville, we stopped at the hospital in Port au Prince.  Rodney and Bill went in to try to find out more about Kenise's previous visit.  Rodney said charts were stacked around and it was obvious that there were records, but little organization.  However, he was able to get the name and contact number of someone at the hospital.

When we got back to the guest house we shared the story with Sarah and as a team left almost $900 to get the ball rolling.  The whole thing will have to be coordinated by Pastor Jacki through the church.  If the administration at the hospital in Port au Prince thinks someone for the U.S. is footing the bill, the cost will most likely escalate.

We have just started to tell the story and without directly asking for donation, funds have started to come in. 

There is a sad side to the story. This was Bill, Rodney and Connie's third trip to Source a Phillipe. On their first trip they met a little girl named Love Theodore.







 Love had a large abscess on her neck.  Rodney drained it and Bill and Connie walked to her village a couple of times to check on her.  Her parents had died.  Bill and Connie fell in love with this little girl.  On their second visit to the island, they made sure to see Love.  They found out she had had to have the abscess drained again.  They had told us about her on our journey to Source a Phillipe and hoped to see her on this trip.

As it happens, Love is from the same village as Kenise.  After Bill and Connie got the information they needed about Kenise, they asked where Love Theodore was.  Sadly, she had passed away.

When Bill shared the story at church on the Sunday after we returned, he told the congregation about Kenise Esperance.  My friend and blog follower, Rosalyn (bloggy shout out!!), was sitting behind me.  When she heard, "Esperance," she gasped.  She leaned up and told me that Esperance means HOPE!!  Only God.

Bill has come up with the perfect way to honor Love and to help Kenise.  He has established a fund at our church called the Love Theodore Fund.  Contributions to this fund will allow our team to provide additional medical care to the children of La Gonave who need further medical care.  The first recipient will be Kenise.

Haiti Day 10

Day 10
March 23, 2013

I am sitting in a plane on the runway in Miami waiting for maintenance to clear our plane for take off.

We left the guest house around 7:00 this morning.  When we got up there was a table set up with bags of coffee, peanut butter, vanilla and jelly for sale.  I bought a large bag of coffee for PK, some individual bags to give as gifts to my Sunday School class and two bottles of vanilla.

When we made it to the airport we had to split for two separate flights.  Dee, Connie, Rodney and I were on American.  Bill, Trevor and Claude were on Spirit.  Of course, there were porters trying to carry our bags before we even got out of the truck.  Connie was very assertive and calm.  She asked who the boss was, confirmed we would pay one dollar per bag and then allowed them to help us.  Once inside the building there was a dog sniffing our bags.  It alerted on Rodney's.  He has a blanket that fold into a pillow and hooks on his bag.  He had to unfold and the dog sniffed and sniffed.  The guard finally waved us through.

We made it through immigration and then had to go through security.  Again, Rodney was stopped.  he had a pair of blunt tipped scissors in his little black doctor bag.  He had to pull them out to show they really were blunt tipped and we went on.  Once we got to our gate, we had to go through security again.  That portion of the terminal is run by the U.S.  They found a pair of scissors Connie forgot to put in her checked bag.  She handed them over and we were set.

There were several other teams from different churches and organizations waiting for the same flight at the airport.  We were chatting with a retired couple traveling with a group out of Florida.  They had retired near Sarasota.  Dee asked them where they lived before they retired and they were from Evansville.  Small world.

We easily cleared immigration and customs in Miami.

We are finally cleared for take off.  Homeward bound!

Haiti Day 9

Day 9
March 22, 2013

We were up early, but there were no complaints.  I thought it was bittersweet to leave.  I was actually surprised by how sad leaving made me.  We had all formed relationships with the locals.  Our guard, Lamar, was a sweet man.  He would try to teach us Creole and at the same time he was learning English.  He came to the dock in the dark to see us off.  Angie taught us how to say, "See you later" in Creole, so I surprised him with Creole he didn't teach us.  Na We Pe Ta

When we first arrived in Source a Phillipe, I was shocked to see the hand made wooden plank we had to use to get off the boat.  This morning when I saw the plank, I had this overwhelming need to conquer it.  I've had so many experiences this week.  I've seen God move and I've felt His peace covering me.  I've seen Him put people in the path of a little girl.  I've seen His love spoken without words.  My "ah-ha moment" was not just realizing I can do hard things, but deciding from now on, I WILL do hard things.  When God calls us to do something, it doesn't mean it will be easy or within our comfort zone.  However, He will give us the strength, wisdom and courage to handle it.  He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

I charged up that plank and didn't take a hand until I was stepping on the boat.  The small victories.

The ride back to Petit Goave was slightly overcast, but we did eventually see the sun peek through the clouds.



Lunch is not served at the guest house in Petionville, but Bill was prepared.

Sarah sat with us for lunch and let us debrief.  She said they usually wait until the evening, but we were so excited to share. 

Members of the Rutgers football are at the guest house tonight.  They were doing construction.  The room Dee, Connie and I are staying in tonight has a balcony.  The team was sitting under the balcony for their debrief and then devotion time with their coach.  We couldn't help but overhear their experiences.  After they debriefed with staff from the guest house and were alone as a team, their coach went around to each team member and told how he had seen them grow or a special quality he had noticed in each of them during their time in Haiti.  I thought that was a wonderful way to encourage these young men.

There are some local men who sell things in the alley behind the guest house.  Sarah walked us out and they scrambled to unload their bags and set up shop.  Trevor was looking for a doll to take back to his granddaughter.  He does several mission trips and cruises a year and always brings her back a doll.  The men didn't have a doll.  A driver for the guest house took Trevor out to find one.  While they were gone, the men came into the compound and had found a doll.  We had no idea they were going to look for one.  Sarah told them they had to let her know when they were going to do something like that.  I felt really bad and considered buying it for Hannah, but it really isn't something she would want.

Tomorrow we are heading home.

Haiti Day 8

Day 8
March 21, 2013

How do you get two women to jump out of bed?  You put a burro outside the door of the guest house.  The women will jump out of bed and scramble for cameras only to find that the burro was passing by or the sound travels.  This may or not have happened to Dee and me.

Today was the last day at the clinic.  We saw a total of 278 people this week.  Thankfully, no one was critically ill.  Rodney feels like he has a better grasp of the common ailments and medicines needed.  Most of the children he saw had a cough.  It is most likely environmental.  The kids breathe the smoke from the charcoal and the charcoal is often used in cooking fires inside their homes.  One woman came in with an extremely high blood pressure.  She had a friend die last week who was taking medication for high blood pressure.  The woman who came in thought the blood pressure medicine caused her friend's death, so she quit taking hers.

We didn't do a formal VBS today, but we went down to the shelter and played with the children.  We brought soccer balls and frisbees.  They were both a big hit.  We collected them when we were finished and they will stay with the local pastors as community property.

We went to the school this morning.  The children were taking exams, so I didn't want to intrude too much. 

This is the principal's house.  It is next door to our guest house and the back of the school is in front of our building.

As we walked out of the school, I noticed the number of school aged children who weren't in school.  Their parents can't afford to send them.  That took me a while to process.  I will be praying that the Lord will show me how to help in this area or that He will send someone who can.  There is a vicious cycle of poverty here.  The children need to learn basic reading and writing skills.

We walked up behind the kitchen and took pictures of the big cacti. 

 

Then we took a path that loops around the back of the village.  There is a well surrounded by thick black mud and a little brackish water.  This is where the livestock are watered.

 

 

After our hike, we hired Captain Jackson for another short boat ride to swim.  This is another opportunity to encourage the locals to work and use their marketable skills. 

 

This boat was smaller than the last.  If this pattern continues, we will be paddling back to Petit Goave in a canoe tomorrow.

 

 

This boat didn't have a motor.  It worked on manpower alone.

 

 

The boat was so small we had to make two trips to get everyone out in the water.  We unloaded and went back to shore for the rest.  We did the entire thing in reverse at the end.

 

Dinner was some type of pasta salad with lobster meat, rice and beans, fried sweet potatoes, french fries, green beans and mangos.  Yummy (except the lobster part).

We have to head down to the dock at 3:30 in the morning for our 4:00 a.m. departure time.

Haiti Day 7

Day 7
March 20, 2013

We started the morning with a breakfast of mango, boiled eggs and spaghetti.  I skipped the spaghetti.

The clinic was slower today than most days.  That is a good thing.  It means we have seen most of the people who have a need.  Weslyn having the clinic open when there is not a team here helps with the minor ailments.

Weslyn and her sister joined us for lunch.  We had pancakes and orange slices.

Bill's sister donated Oreos for us to bring for the kids.  We gave those out after VBS.

Dinner was fish with the heads included (skipped that), Haitian potato salad, fried plantains and fried sweet potatoes and of course beans and rice.

After dinner we sat out in front of our building to watch the sunset.  Some kids started calling "Blanc, blanc!"  The word means, "white."   When I looked over, they yelled, "Alleluia" and waved their little arms in the air because we had done that at VBS.  I called and waved back.  This went on for about thirty minutes.  Each time they called to me they had gradually moved closer.  I thought they were just too shy to come over to us. 

When I was taking pictures of the sunset, they were right next to us.  I asked if I could take their picture.  They were all SMILES!  They knew the word, "photo" and would have gone on all night having their picture taken and giggling when seeing it on my camera.

Their clothing was not as nice as the clothing of the kids who were often around the guest house.  One little girl wore a pink dress which I think was just a mans shirt.

Those eyes and that smile

 

Look at this little one striking a pose...obviously not her first photo shoot

 

Fish faces

 



Love is kind - Lanmou janti

 

Dee had taught them to say, "Love is kind" and do motions to the words at VBS.  They were showing me. 

One of the older girls who hangs out around the guest house came over to the three kids.  She spoke Creole, so I can't be sure what she said, but a lot is communicated through tone and body language.  I realized they weren't being shy when they didn't come over to me sooner.  The kids were on the wrong side of the village.  They smiled at me and quickly retreated back to where they started.  I wish one of the interpreters had been nearby.  I wanted to know exactly what the older girl had said and to use my words to let these three sweet babies know how much they are loved.

Again, actions speak louder than words.  Once they were back to "their side" they called out, "Blanc! Blanc!  Lanmou janti!  Alleluia!"  Love is kind.  God's love does not need interpretation.  It is the same in any language.  Alleluia!

Haiti Day 6

Day 6
March 19, 2013

We started another day at the clinic.  It was steady.  Connie saw a patient who had been struck by lightening.  Her scar had healed nicely.  Her complaint?  After having been struck by lightening?  The scar itched.  Connie found her some cream to help with the itching.

This woman gave us another reason to tease Trevor about being a ladies man.  He was handing out eye glasses in the same room where Connie was seeing patients.  When the lady told Connie about the scar, she started to undress to show Connie.  She didn't seem to care that Trevor was in the room.  Trevor cared and he was Out. Of. There.

One of the saddest stories from the clinic was a patient Connie saw who was complaining of stomach pains.  The pain occurs in the morning.  Connie asked how many times a day she was eating.  Once.  Her stomach hurts because she is hungry.

VBS went well.  Dee taught the kids the story of Saul.  There was a little boy there who is about two years old.  He came up to us.  I had him doing the motions to Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes with me.  Then Jesus Loves Me.  Those tender one on one moments make my heart smile.

I lead the devotions after dinner last night.  I've been reading Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris.  It is written for teens to encourage them to do hard things.  I shared Hebrews 12:1-3.  this verse encourages me to do hard things.  Nothing I ever have to face will be as hard as what Christ had to endure and in His love He strengthens me to do hard things.

During our reflection time one of the local pastors came to talk to us.  It is my observation that this means they are going to ask something of us.  He is concerned that many of the young people leave the island for a better life, but the girls get pregnant and the boys fall into trouble and have to return.  We gave suggestions, but the bottom line was he wanted someone to fix it for them.

Foreigners have come to this country and given things to the people in order to help them and with the best of intentions.  However, it has taught the people to expect things to be given to them without anyone taking ownership.  For example, a water purification system was built by a team years ago, but noone in the village knew how to maintain it.  When it malfunctioned noone in the village knew how to repair it.  It just sat and is now rubble.  It is hard not to hand the shoes off of your feet to someone who has none.  It is hard not to give someone something to eat when they say they are hungry.  However, by just giving and not teaching, we are aiding the cycle of poverty.  This attitude is slowly starting to change.  Instead of just building guest houses, the people are taught to work along side the teams.  They in turn earn wages and learn a skill.  Local people are hired to "run" the guest house.  Our security guard, Lamar, is from the local community.  The ladies cooking for us in the kitchen are from the local community.  One of the ladies does laundry.  We were able to give her a stack of clothes and a dollar or two per piece she washed.  She has a marketable skill.  And....if she is given too much laundry to get done, she can hire another woman to help her.  That is a good thing. 

Haiti Day 5

Day 5
March 18, 2013

Today was a good day.  We had oatmeal for breakfast and got straight to work at the clinic. 

Gary, the nurse from the other team, was here on Friday.  He saw a baby who was 17 days old.  Her mother's milk had not come in and she was severally dehydrated.  The parents had walked for three hours to get to the clinic.  Gary and Weslyn taught the parents how to give the baby Pedialyte on their finger.  Gary didn't think the baby would make it.  Today the parents came back to the clinic with the baby and she is thriving!  The mother's milk came in and the baby was nursing.  Rodney checked her out and said she looks good.  Gary came into the clinic to share the story.  He was beaming from ear to ear.  Miracles happen and God is working in this place.

For lunch we had french fries, tangerines, and some kind of lobster salad.  As I suspected, I do NOT like lobster.

We had the clinic open until 3:00 and then we did VBS.  Dee told the story of the Lost Sheep.  The kids at Mountain View traced their hands on black construction paper and cut them out. 



We gave those handprints to the kids here.  They glued on cotton balls to make sheep.

We brought peanut butter crackers that the congregation at home had donated.  The kids were pretty orderly.  The parents, not so much.  Bill made the mistake of handing a cup of juice to one of the adults before we gave any to the kids.  He almost had a riot on his hands.



At the end, we gave each child a sticker.  Kids love stickers in any place and any language.

Haiti Day 4

Day 4
March 17, 2013

Breakfast this morning was spaghetti noodles and bananas.  I don't usually eat breakfast, but I have been eating a little something when we are served.  I skipped the pasta.  I have been known to eat leftovers from dinner for breakfast, but something about the heat and the heavy pasta don't go hand in hand.  I ate a banana and we have a jar of peanut butter that stays on the table, so I had a spoonful of that.  Of course, there was that wonderfully strong coffee!!

We went to church in the village this morning. 

 

 Bill gave a sermon about trusting God.  The people seemed to enjoy hearing from him.

 





At the beginning of the service we stood up front and were introduced to the congregation.  Trevor is one of the men on our team and 72 years young.  He does several mission trips a year.  He is originally from Jamaica.  When Bill introduced each of us, we received polite applause.  When he introduced Trevor this little old lady in the back started clapping loudly and shouting, "Amen!"

We did not let Trevor live that down the entire trip.  Pastor Bill even mentioned it at Mountain View when we returned home.

Half way through the service the thought occurred to me that there would be an offertory.  I had not thought to bring any money.  This was an opportunity to give.  Luckily, Dee carried her money in her camera case which she had with her.  I borrowed some money until we got back to our room.  As the offering basket was passed, I noticed many coins in the bottom of the basket.  The people of Source a Phillipe do not have much, but the ones sitting in this congregation give what they have.

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  ^"Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."  Luke 21:1-4

During reflections I shared that I found this part of the service particularly moving.  I was in a Bible study once, probably Beth Moore, and she said if you feel like you have nothing to give to Jesus then give him your nothing and He can make something out of your nothing.

The congregation greeted us after the service.  "God bless you" goes a long way when there is a language barrier.  The people were so kind and smiled and smiled.  One little old lady came up to Doc Rodney and smiled.  Then she pointed to her knee.  He said, "Does it hurt?  Come see me on Monday."  She smiled and nodded.  Not sure if she understood.

We rested between church and lunch and visited with one another.  I found sitting still on a Sunday afternoon difficult, but tomorrow will be busy and I will be thankful that we were able to rest up.

For lunch we had sandwiches.

After lunch Angie, one of our interpreters, told us she and Rodney were going to the water and wanted to know if we wanted to go.  We walked down by the dock where their were a dozen burros loaded with packs of charcoal. 

Charcoal is one of the items exported from La Ganove back to the mainland.  The people cut down trees and burn them until they are basically black bricks.  This supplies them with some income, but it is slowly destroying the island.  When the rains come, the ground washes out. 

We walked through a part of the village I had not seen.  There were three little boys in a boat.

 

One of the things that I notice is how many of the really young children are out in the village without any adult supervision.  Many of the little bitty ones are in the care of an older child.  By older, I mean six or eight years old.  The oldest boy in this boat was probably ten and the youngest about three. 

 

As we started to walk away from the boys, we were off of the path and we saw lots of animal bones scattered about.

 

 

We were trying to figure out why there were so many bones in this particular area when one of the boys in the boat started talking to us again.  Angie told us he was saying the area we were walking in wasn't safe.  Because there is Voodoo in the area and the people are superstitious we wondered if that was the reason.

 

Bill hired our boat captain, Jackson, who brought us over to Source a Phillipe to take us out to an area where the water was safe to swim. 

 

 



A few of the men from the Virginia team went with us.  Claude and I stayed in the boat and watched.  It was pretty, but I don't like ocean water at home.  Haitians in general do not swim or like to get in the water. 

 

 

Angie brought a life jacket and got in the water.  She was very afraid at first, but once some of the team members worked with her she enjoyed floating around.

This is Gary, the nurse from the Virginia team, helping Angie to relax.

 



 

Trevor found a starfish.

 

 

Pastor Bill enjoying the water.

 



When we stopped in the area where we were going to swim, one of the men who worked on the boat swam to the dock.  He came back with a cooler of Haitian beer.  That cracked me up.

 

When we were heading back to shore, Jackson asked if we would like to swim in another area.  We dropped those who wanted to swim and chased another boat loaded with people headed for the mainland.  Jackson wanted someone on that boat to bring him something back.

 

The boat we took out was much smaller than the boat we took to Source a Phillipe.  I was nervous at first, but in the end was so glad I went along for the adventure.

 

There were some men who came to sell things outside of the guest house today.  They each had mostly the same things.  I wanted to buy something from each man.  I bought Rachel some earrings, some braided bracelets for all three kids and a wooden box with "Haiti" engraved on it.

 

When Connie went to get her shower, she had enough water to get wet and lather up.  When she turned the water on to rinse, the water was out.  She had to rinse with a bottle of water.  Too funny.

 

Dinner was so nice.  We had goat, Haitian potato salad (this may be my favorite dish so far), cole slaw, green beans and fried plantains.  Then they brought in a bottle of champagne and cake for Bill's birthday which is tomorrow.