At the end of March, I had the privilege to visit Haiti again. This time it was with new friends in a new place. I went back to visit Cabaret one afternoon, but I was able to visit 5 new orphanages. I saw new schools and churches that had been built as a result of the earthquake. I spent the week with Herby Pierre and found several places where medical clinics are greatly needed.
On Wednesday afternoon, we dropped Pastor Jean Claude off at the airport and then we did a little sight seeing. The Palace was unreal. I had seen it in 2008 and marveled at such a magnificent structure in the midst of such poverty...the Palace is in ruins today.
Our driver took us to the Carrefour Feuilles (pronounced "kar-ah-fur fay") neighborhood. It was the location of a former orphanage where many many children perished in the earthquake. We drove through the marketplace and up a hill. We attempted to turn right and travel up the road to where the orphanage had once stood...there was a huge hole in the road. When we straddled it and attempted to back up...the van cut off and didn't crank again until 9 hours later when the starter was replaced.
We sat on the side of the road on a van bench for 8 hours in the sun. It was amazing to sit among the people and not feel any anxiety for my safety.
Today, I found this statement about the area we were ...this article was written in 2009
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Two years ago, the Carrefour Feuilles (pronounced "kar-ah-fur fay") neighborhood was considered too dangerous for U.N. peacekeepers who were not protected by armored vehicles. And even today, a dozen or so Sri Lankan troops garrisoned here nervously stand watch behind heavy fortifications.
The church in Carrefour FeuillesI had no feelings of fear or insecurity. God was certainly with us.
While we were there waiting the Lord impressed upon my heart that I was to return to that city, in the future, with a medical team. We stood inside of the church that was built post-earthquake, not because it had been destroyed, but because there weren't funds for it to be built before 2010. When it was completed, it became home to hundreds of displaced families. The church is nestled among the homes that are still standing and it is there that some of the children of Carrefour Feuilles are educated.
Herby sat with me and the other 3 "white" missionaries. One Haitian gentleman walked by
and spoke to Herby in Kreole and laughed. We asked Herby to tell us what he said.
"Is this an installation of white people???" We laughed.
Later, as we were growing weary and wondering if the "mechanic" was going to return or just keep our money that we had given him for the starter, we heard music coming from the radio in the market stand beside us. At first it sounded like simple Haitian music. Herby was singing along and I asked him to translate. He said that the song declared that Jesus would return soon and He would take us home! We sat and listened to the radio as it played songs that glorified God. Even the drunk man across the road, (we watched him nurse a bottle of rum while we waited) was singing his heart out as he drank the last of his brown drink. The day was approaching it's end and we had called for a TapTap. Even if the mechanic were to show up in the next few minutes...the starter would have to be replaced. We knew it was too dangerous for us to be there in the dark. God's hand and mercy where upon us and then He provided protection as we were driven through the streets of Port-Au-Prince in a Tap-Tap at break neck speeds.
The God Wink is that we weren't even supposed to be in Carrefour Feuilles. The driver had not been to the new orphanage that they had rebuilt. It was farther away from us in another city. There was a misunderstaning as to where we were to be taken. He took us to the only orphanage that he had been to in the area. I don't believe that we would have gone to that area since it has such a reputation for violence. God led us there and provided protection and blessed us with a new opportunity to serve. When I asked the Pastor if it would be ok to plan to come back and host a medical clinic he was overwhelmed with joy and said, "There's no medical for anyone near this area"
Herby sat with me and the other 3 "white" missionaries. One Haitian gentleman walked by
and spoke to Herby in Kreole and laughed. We asked Herby to tell us what he said.
"Is this an installation of white people???" We laughed.
Later, as we were growing weary and wondering if the "mechanic" was going to return or just keep our money that we had given him for the starter, we heard music coming from the radio in the market stand beside us. At first it sounded like simple Haitian music. Herby was singing along and I asked him to translate. He said that the song declared that Jesus would return soon and He would take us home! We sat and listened to the radio as it played songs that glorified God. Even the drunk man across the road, (we watched him nurse a bottle of rum while we waited) was singing his heart out as he drank the last of his brown drink. The day was approaching it's end and we had called for a TapTap. Even if the mechanic were to show up in the next few minutes...the starter would have to be replaced. We knew it was too dangerous for us to be there in the dark. God's hand and mercy where upon us and then He provided protection as we were driven through the streets of Port-Au-Prince in a Tap-Tap at break neck speeds.
The God Wink is that we weren't even supposed to be in Carrefour Feuilles. The driver had not been to the new orphanage that they had rebuilt. It was farther away from us in another city. There was a misunderstaning as to where we were to be taken. He took us to the only orphanage that he had been to in the area. I don't believe that we would have gone to that area since it has such a reputation for violence. God led us there and provided protection and blessed us with a new opportunity to serve. When I asked the Pastor if it would be ok to plan to come back and host a medical clinic he was overwhelmed with joy and said, "There's no medical for anyone near this area"
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