I went on the Haiti trip in January. I had never been on a mission trip, or really been out of the country (not counting Canada and the obligatory Mexican resort trip). I certainly had never been to a “third” world country. I honestly left to go on this trip with no expectations.
Interestingly, the experience started on the plane sitting at the Atlanta airport…waiting on the tarmac forever. The plane was full of people going to help in Haiti. It was a very different atmosphere…no complaining, everyone helping find room for other people’s bags, and conversation. Hmmm…was God here? I sat beside a man who had been coming to a little village in the mountains every year for over 20 years. He talked about the people, the poverty, the frustration, the “wins” and the “losses.” His group helped them start a coffee company the “Screaming Rooster.” He referred to people of that village as old friends.
So we were off…
Flying into Port-au-Prince airport I was struck by the beauty of the country from the air; blue sky, mountains, the coast and the water. Then the contrast. The man beside me said the water off the coast is too polluted for any commerce. We flew over Citi Solei, perhaps the poorest city in the western hemisphere and areas honestly looked like a garbage heap. The man explained that the sewage runs off the high points of the city into the slums…you can see it from the air. Citi Solei is where we worked.
We stopped at a grocery store with Cheerios on the shelf and armed guards in the parking lot…a bit surreal. We stayed at one of the HOM campuses, Terre Noire. We had clean sheets, clean water, great food and wonderful people to help us.
But what did I experience/see? I will try to share…
- The people: wonderful…kind…positive…joyful…friendly…working to make a difference
- Teachers: open to our disrupting their classes to do a bird craft…strict, loving and encouraging…professional and dedicated
- Parents: brought their children to school with a hug…wiped the dust off their black shoes…looked back at their children walking to the courtyard
- Children: smiles…hugs…singing…learning…want to know why we have mud cakes some of them have to eat…some of the older children showing some aggressiveness
- Translators/coordinators: professional…proud…open to sharing their stories…self taught English…impressive
- Music: beautiful…joyful…everywhere
- Church: full of music…full of people…amazing faith…friendly…beautiful clothes washed in a bucket and pressed with a charcoal iron
- Atmosphere: positive…supportive…hopeful…strong
- Environment inside the HOM campus: a church…a clinic…a school…sewing classes…violin classes…nutritious meal for children…water purification…septic system…electricity
- Outside: dust…piles of garbage…houses made of tin pieces and dirt floors…open sewage…no running water…mud pies to fill empty stomachs
It is really hard to capture the experience. I think what has stayed with me the most is the people. God is there, they are amazing. When I came home, I researched the county and history. Now I am sadly reading about the riots and frustration. It is really hard to reconcile. Within the context of Haiti’s history and the current unrest, what HOM has done is truly amazing. They are focused on the future and the power of Jesus. I’m honestly not sure how they do it.
So was this mission trip important? Did I change the world…no. But, had I not gone, would I be watching the news and reading about the riots in Haiti, wondering how all those I met are doing, collecting children’s black shoes, or praying? Probably not. I don’t know how all the problems of Haiti can be solved, but I am grateful to have experienced a glimmer of hope.
– Pat Haskell