St. John's Mission Trip to Haiti

Home Sweet Home

2011-02-25T23:42:00.001-05:00

Once again, I find myself writing the blog post about our trip home by myself. While in Haiti, Jim and I work together to update the blog. I do the typing and he dictates what I type although I add my own thoughts here and there.

Our day began with a group photo before we headed off to the airport. To make sure everyone had room, a few of us rode with Bert in his truck while the rest rode with Odney in the regular truck. Traffic wasn't too bad and we arrived at the airport in plenty of time. As you will soon find out, that wouldn't matter! After going through security check point 1, checking in, going through customs, security checkpoint 2, doing some last minute shopping, and security checkpoint 3 (there are more security checkpoints to leave Haiti then to enter!), we ended up waiting and waiting and waiting. Our flight was to leave at 10:55 and we finally left around 1:22. As a result, we were sure we would miss our connecting flight in Miami. The Houston crew, would miss theirs for sure. So, we took our turn standing in line to get our flights from Miami to Houston/Washington DC re-booked to later ones.

The flight to Miami was uneventful although there was one tired flight attendant who didn't really seem to care where anyone sat as long as they did so quickly! I also had to show the woman next to me how to turn off her cell phone!

Once we landed in Miami, the race was on. We landed at 3:00 and with our original 4:30 flight (instead of the re-booked 7:10 flight) in mind, many of us took off. I felt like we were in an episode of the Amazing Race! Those of us who didn't have checked bags (all but Greer, Liz, Tom, Terri, and Christian) and the Houston Crew, raced through Immigrations and Customs and back through security to the gate of the 4:30 flight. Some good rum was sacrificed for getting on this flight as we didn't have time to get it in the checked luggage. We all were able to rebook (again) our flights back to the original flight with only minutes to spare before boarding. The rest of the group had to go through Immigrations and Customs, pick up their checked bags, recheck their bags, and go through security. Unfortunately, that was too much to do to get on our original flight. Thank you to the VA crew who did have the checked bags as those bags not only held their items but items for the rest of us as well!

Those of us on the 4:30 flight made it back to NoVA with no more delays although those on the later flight were delayed again for about 30 minutes (if I remember correctly).

While I write this, my pictures are uploading to Shutterfly and thoughts of my "normal life" return. Most of us returned to work today although, I for one, was not as "there" as I usually am. Many people want to know about the trip and what we did. For me, it's not always easy to talk about right away. I need a few days to adjust and process everything. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Thank you again for your continued prayers and support of our mission team as well as the Lazarus Project.

Continuation...Last Full Day

2011-02-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

After breakfast we loaded up the truck and headed to Little Children of Jesus. This facility cares for 90+ mentally and physically handicapped children and/or adults. It's an amazing facility lead by a truly gifted and caring lady named Gladys Nolouse. She has a staff of approximately 70 people who provide care twenty-four/seven. In Haiti, mentally or physically challenged children or adults are often left behind. So for our team, it's very encouraging and heartfelt to see these people cared for in such a loving manner. As Pastor Bollinger said, "While their bodies may be broken, there is an alive and joyful spirit in all of them." We felt we were all blessed by that today. The biggest hit is Paul, who for the last three years, has made balloons of all sizes and shapes to share with the children.

We returned to Hope House to finish the remaining jobs. Joel's room has received one full coat of paint in both the bedroom and bathroom and all ceilings and walls have been repaired or installed. We also completed two prototype benches to prove out the designs. All is good. We then cut wood for ten additional benches to be completed by future teams. We like to think we set them up for success. Others of the team found space in the storage depot for the chairs that will be used in the waiting area at the future clinic.

To conclude the afternoon we ventured off to the metal workers village. For the group this is interesting because of all the artistic work, as well as a real opportunity to walk and be about Haitians in a typical Haitian neighborhood. It's safe to say that this mission group put a substantial amount of dollars into the Haitian economy. The next trick was then to figure out how all those fine pieces of art were going to be packed in either suitcases or boxes within the weight and size restrictions. After a lot of jiggering, cutting, and pasting, the mission was accomplished. There should be no additional fees for excessive weight or size restrictions.

For dinner we had a traditional chicken creole dish and mangoes for dessert. Our devotional this evening was extremely reflective and emotional as people shared how this mission trip has impacted them and described the new relationships that were established and existing ones that were strengthened. We all hope to share our experiences with our church community, friends, and others to stir interest in all the good things that are happening in Haiti.

We as a mission team have appreciated those that have been following us on the blog. We have enjoyed sharing our adventures and our serious moments, as well as our lighter ones. Hopefully you all have enjoyed our communications. We look forward to catching up with everyone upon our return.

From Mark

2011-02-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

Jim entertains us all with singing Christmas carols in Haiti. Mark enjoys hearing "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" every morning. We all appreciate that Jim smokes his Cuban cigars outside the room, however, his clothes add a distinct contribution to our room fragrance.

Last Full Day

2011-02-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Once again, it got to be evening yesterday and we were too tired to blog! So here we are, picking it up again. Last evening, Jim had an interesting tale of listening to a symphony of snorers. He had Paul on his left; Mark, the Pavarotti of Snoring in front; and Greer, the team leader, on the right. The concert lasted a good hour. How do their wives survive? Another interesting story - here in Haiti, Spam is a popular product. Unbeknownst to our team, Sarah's father appears to be a Spam aficionado and provided us all with an in depth history of Spam. Apparently, the worldwide Spam museum is 40 miles from his home.

After lunch yesterday, the wall brigade finished their work with important contributions from Sarah. We should note that the finishing work on the wall was to take the plaster and using your hands, smooth it on the wall. That was a kindergarten skill we learned long ago. Who would have guessed it would be of such value today? The ceilings and walls were repaired in Joel's room and prepped for painting. This mission trip literally has been about moving mountains of rock lead by our spiritual leader, Liz DeMik - and we mean literally moving rocks. The task was to move the rocks to allow better access and maneuverability of the trucks up to the storage depot. Liz used muscles she hasn't used in 20 years. As our team observed Liz work, the Haitian workers actually gave her a hand. The most unique experience of the day was to watch Popular climb the coconut tree and retrieve several coconuts which Stephen DeMik "skillfully" cut open. Our mission team then had a taste of coconut milk while most were impressed, some were not. One member considered it to taste like the stuff you drink before a colonoscopy. Christian turned his coconut into a drum and Paul used his as a beer mug. Following dinner, we continued our devotionals which have been a interesting time for spiritual reflection for all.

This morning many of our team members got a jump on today's projects with some painting the first coat in Joel's room and others building our prototype bench. We're off to Little Children of Jesus. More to follow this afternoon.

Behind Schedule

2011-02-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

We are 24 hours behind schedule with our last post being yesterday at noon. The projects, the heat, and riding in our truck zapped us. Thus, after devotions, it was to bed! The evening was back to normal with no Haiti electrical power, therefore no air conditioning but warm, dead air.

Yesterday afternoon the depot squad, after disposing of the rat, finished their work. The wall brigade is a full row from completion and the wall/ceiling team are hoping to finish today. Our team is really gelling with everyone contributing on their projects. Following our work day yesterday, we travelled the short distance to Grace Orphanage run by Marie Major. What jumped out at those of us that were here last year is that the structure has been completed. The earthquake had flattened a two-story building that served as a large church on the first floor and a dormitory for 25+ girls on the second floor. Today that structure is one floor with 3/4 devoted to the church and the remaining quarter serves as a dormitory for the girls. Terri had prepared numerous crafts for the girls to which our group spent about an hour making crafts. The girls enjoyed decorating scratch off crosses and painting sun catchers. We are confused, however, as to why they went and washed all the paint off the sun catchers when they were done! We are speculating that will provide them an opportunity to re-use the sun catchers at another time or they did not realize the paint would dry. They also enjoyed listening to Christian's iPod and singing along to Eminem, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber. We also spent time talking with Marie about the orphanage, its creation, and growth over the years. Certainly Marie is making a difference. We concluded the night with our devotion which has really been a worthwhile and insightful time with folks sharing how this mission experience is impacting them.

Today we were again reminded just how difficult life in Haiti is. Riding in the truck we witnessed men, women, and children cleaning the sewers that run along either side of the road which is a smelly, filthy job that we don't believe even Mike Rowe would consider doing. The garbage coming out of the sewer is then three to five feet high along side the road and just waiting to be disposed of, which might come in the next century. It's just very difficult to observe. We did arrive today at Food for the Poor, which if you haven't observed this organization in action, it's really an enlightening and rewarding experience. Today we toured the warehouse (included wall to ceiling bags of rice, beans, as well as other perishable and nonperishable items), distribution, and the actual feeding of the poor counted in thousands. Once again, what really moved us was the food preparation and the distribution of food to the thousands of Haitians who depend on this free offering every day.

After Food for the Poor, the plan was to visit the Little Children of Jesus orphanage, however, that had to be postponed due to a huge traffic jam which in Haiti is a huge constraint since there are no alternate routes. So we opted to return to Hope House and continue our projects and moving our visit to LCJ tomorrow. On our return home we all go to experience a Haitian grocery store which was well stocked, similar to our grocery stores, just not as large. Unfortunately, these grocery stores serve 1% of the Haitian population and us foreigners.

We just finished lunch and it's back to work!

A Hard Day's Work

2011-02-21T12:26:00.000-05:00

Stop the presses. The air conditioning was on ALL night. Some of us had to wear long sleeve shirts to stay warm! And no this is not a tall tale!

We started out the day with the opening school session at the Village of Hope. It's always an interesting sight to see 600 kids packed into the open chapel and reciting scripture and songs. We particularly liked the singing. They sound like a professional group. The kids were thrilled to see us, especially the younger ones. One little girl asked for "photo" even before we had our cameras out. Brian, Greer, and Jim were able to meet and visit with the children they sponsor. It was a very rewarding experience.

After an hour at school we headed back to Hope House to continue with making progress on our three projects. The first one is building a new wall for the red depot. Believe it or not, those working the wall (Jim, Will, Tom, Stephen, and Paul) are getting much better at masonry work. Another group (Mark, Richard, and Dave) tackled one of the rooms where the bathroom ceiling was caving in. They just finished framing out the bathroom ceiling and will install a new ceiling this afternoon. Two people (Terri and Christian) are painting panels for the new ceiling while the rest (Liz, Sarah, Greer, and Brian) are cleaning up the depot. Sarah, once again, had the pleasure of coming face to face with a rat, bringing back frightful of last May (Jennifer and Susan - you remember this?).

We are taking a break for lunch before getting back to work and visiting Marie's orphanage!

Day of Worship

2011-02-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

Once again it's Sunday and we had the blessed experience of worshipping at the Village of Hope. The backdrop for worship service are majestic mountains and a beautiful blue sky. Once again, the service was filled with joy and singing both in French, Creole, and English. The music was lead by Jorel on his Italian-made accordian. For those of you that are not aware of Jorel's accordian abilities, this is a self-taught gift.

We were all very thankful that Stephen DeMik lead the American contribution to the service with all of us joining in at the end singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."

Following worship service, we took a tour of Petion-ville and the Delmas districts of Port-au-Prince. These districts still suffer from the disastrous effects of the earthquake including collapsed buildings and numerous tent cities. We all need to continue to pray for Haiti's reconstruction.

Upon our return to Hope House, we started on our first project which was the reconstruction of a wall to the depot. For all of us, this was a project that stretched our abilities since none of us were experienced in masonry work. Not withstanding this constraint, through excellent teamwork we overcame and made significant progress today. The job still requires two more days to complete. Although we came here to serve, we are learning new skills and sharing the experience with old and new friends.

We closed the evening with our evening devotional lead by Liz which means everyone needs to be involved. One of the more touching moments was when Liz put Sarah's father on the spot by asking what he has learned about his daughter. After pausing and a bit of a chuckle, he seriously shared that he was thankful that his daughter has surrounded herself with such outstanding and Christian people. Anyway, the devotionals have provided a nice fellowship for everyone to share their thoughts and experiences.

Today we spent quite a bit of time in the truck which means we are all beat up and beat red. It's time for cold showers and a warm bed! Until tomorrow...

Update

2011-02-20T08:25:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday morning, we're well rested and enjoyed a traditional American breakfast of pancakes. Just want to expand on a couple of comments last night. The 1400 lbs of supplies will be distributed to the Lazarus Project missions of Village of Hope School (600 kids), Little Children of Jesus (100 kids), and Grace Orphanage (30 kids).

During devotionals last night, the question was "what were your first impressions of coming to Haiti?" The boys from Texas interestingly observed that God's hand was at work in just the number of American mission teams coming to Haiti to serve.

More to come this afternoon. Peace.

Arrival

2011-02-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

The team has arrived in Haiti - 11 from Virginia and 3 from Texas. For us veterans, not much has changed in Haiti. It's hot, dusty, and the economic conditions are pretty much unchanged. We are all excited with the opportunity to serve in Haiti and to make a difference.

Today we spent time in fellowship and unpacking 28 suitcases filled with 1400 pounds of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, diapers, school supplies, nails, and yes, more soap. Tonight we experienced a traditional pumpkin soup, eaten by the Haitians on January 1st. It is supposed to bring you good luck and a good year. We hope this is a good omen for our service here in Haiti.

Needless to say, our entire team is tired due to everyone rising early (3 a.m. or earlier) to catch flights, make connections, and arrive in Haiti ready to serve. All indications are such that we have excellent team chemistry and will have a rewarding experience as a team.

Tomorrow it's off to the Village of Hope School to worship with the students which is always an uplifting event. More to come tomorrow!

Halfway (or so) There

2011-02-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

After a brief flight from DC to JFK we are getting ready for our flight to Port-au-Prince. We are delayed leaving JFK but since we have a direct flight from here it's not too big of a deal. We are on the plane now just waiting for everyone to finish boarding. Once there we will meet up with Debbie and Bert and the Houston crew. Continue praying for safe travels for us!

Here We Go Again!

2011-02-13T21:59:00.000-05:00

Next Saturday, February 19, members and friends of St. John's will again be traveling to Haiti. This year's trip includes returning St. John's travelers Greer Putnam (our leader), Jim Lofgren, Paul Swicord, Tom & Liz DeMik, and Sarah Finger. Joining us this year are fellow St. John's members Brian Hoins and Mark Guilfoil, as well as Sarah's dad, Richard Finger from Lewiston, MN; Reverand Stephen DeMik (son of Tom and Liz), Wil Schultz, and Dave Steele from Houston, TX; and Terry and Christian Markwart from McLean, VA. We are excited to have them with us!

Those of us in VA met tonight to pack our suitcases of donated items. Nails, bar soap, diapers, toothpaste, exam gloves, and other items filled about 20 suitcases that will be also be left in Haiti. These suitcases become "dressers" for the Haitians to store their belongings.

Thanks you to everyone for your continued support and prayers. We will update as soon as possible once we arrive in Haiti!

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-19T21:35:00.003-04:00

My mind is foggy from not enough sleep and being back in our "reality" so we'll see how well I recount the details of the last two days. Plus, I don't have Jim telling me what to write!

Yesterday was our last full day in Haiti. It was a national holiday - Flag Day - so the school was closed. We set out bright and early for Village of Hope School to paint the cafeteria. Our team quickly assessed what needed to be done and got to work. The walls and pillars were dry-brushed and areas scraped and tape was put down. We quickly realized that the 5 gallons of paint we had was not going to be enough to completely finish the job. We were able to apply one coat but the concrete walls were as thirsty as we were after a few hours of work! We're hoping another team will be visiting soon and can finish our job - many of us did not like leaving the job half done! Unlike in the states, though, there are no Home Depots to run to when you run out of paint! While the rest of us worked in the cafeteria, Jen and Susan finished putting together some care packages and painting a chalk board with new chalk board paint. After cleaning up with turpentine (because we used oil paint) and taking a group picture we were off for our next adventure - lunch at MacEpi.

After the earthquake, a small "fast food" store was built called MacEpi. It had crepes, burgers, fries, pizza, soda, beer, and cakes. We enjoyed not only eating Haitian fast food but relaxing in the air conditioning! Then we headed to Debbie's apartment where we took down the beds, folded up some bedding, and grabbed a few more items for her to take to Hope House.

Next stop was Hope House for a quick unloading of the truck and a cold drink. Then we were off to Marie's. Marie Major is a Haitian woman who started an orphanage for girls. The orphanage is no longer under the Lazarus Project but those of us who were there last year wanted to visit again. Instead of walking, like we did last year, we drove as there is a tent city along the way that has developed since the earthquake and Debbie feels it is safer for visitors to drive instead of walk past it. As we pulled up to Marie's, many of us were confused as to why were stopping. We didn't recognize the orphanage because of the damage done by the earthquake. The church and dormitory area for the girls had collapsed but is in the process of being cleared. We enjoyed making balloon animals and hats for the girls, playing with bouncy balls, blowing bubbles, and making them laugh. After a short visit we returned to Hope House. While we waited for our precious generator to be turned on so we could shower, we practiced making balloon animals and played with the puppies that are so, so cute! Madeline, Bubba, Monroe, Jolie, and Bonnie are the names we gave to the puppies of Hopie, the dog that lives at Hope House.

Our evening meal was yummy chicken, choyote pear (as we call it in the states), beets, potatoes, and other great dishes. This was followed by a birthday celebration for our fearless leader, Greer! There was cake that Debbie had gotten at the MacEpi and ice cream provided by Tom and Liz. And best of all were the balloon flowers for the centerpiece and balloon hat for the birthday boy! At the end of the celebration, the skies opened up and we quickly ran for shelter. Our devotions and reflection time were done in Debbie's living area while we waited for the rain to stop. After sharing our funniest moments and our most meaningful experiences of the trip, we were given beautiful steel suns from Debbie and were off to enjoy some more generator time before bed!

Morning finally arrived (for those of us that couldn't sleep) and we loaded up the truck for one last time to go to the airport. Jen and Julie had a later flight and didn't even get up to say good-bye! Our trip to the airport was full of sites as we saw the effect of all the rain and people headed to work. We waited in several lines to clear the firearms security check point, check bags, clear customs, and clear security. We had enough time to enjoy some more delectables from the MacEpi at the new airport terminal. And then we were off. Unlike last year, we did not have to return to the terminal several times and were able to take off with no incidences! There were many people on the flight from the U.S. who had been in Haiti with various organizations doing work similar to ours. It was interesting to hear all the conversations going on as people compared their experiences. We were a little late getting into Miami but not enough to impact us making our connecting flight. Elizabeth headed from Miami to New York and the rest of us made our way to Northern Virginia.

One thing we forgot to mention on Monday was that Susan and Jim had the opportunity to meet the children that they sponsor who attend the Village of Hope school. It was very touching to see them meet, talk, and get their pictures taken together!

I had planned on posting some pictures of our adventures but that will have to wait until tomorrow! Thank you for all your prayers as we complete another mission trip to Haiti. Continue to pray for the Village of Hope School and the Little Children of Jesus Home, as well as our team as we adjust to being back home.

Another Powerful Day

2010-05-17T22:00:00.003-04:00

Today was another powerful day for our mission team - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Physically we once again were challenged with an extremely hot and humid day as we handed out the care packages to the students. We started the day at The Village of Hope School participating in the upper grades morning assembly which included songs, prayers, and praises to God. Our mission team was introduced to the school and we were welcomed with songs of joy. Following the assembly we quickly broke into teams to distribute the care packages to all the classes which meant delivering about 640 packages! We went to each class, distributed the bags where staff and students were extremely happy and appreciative. They sang songs of thanks for us in English! Most of us walked signficant miles in conditions that would compete with Washington, D.C.'s hottest, most humid day! We also experienced eating in the school's lunchroom and experiencing a typical Haitian meal of beans and rice with fish sauce. For many of these kids, this may be the only meal they eat all day. Our time at the school ended with a parade in honor of flag day which is tomorrow. The students marched and sang as they waved their flags. The highlight for returning veterans of last year's trip was seeing kids who remembered us as those who gave them new shoes last year. They would excitedly point to their shoes as we interacted with them!

The day continued with an emotional experience for many. We visited the Little Children of Jesus Home for the Disabled at their new facility. Those of us that were here last year were excited to see the improved, spacious conditions. All of these children have profound physical and/or mental disabilities. However, they were full of love and joy and tons of energy! We played ball and made balloon hats and animals with the children. With those not able to engage with us due to their disabilities, many of our team went around touching and tickling them in a nurturing, caring way. All of us walked away with greater appreciation for life. We even recognized some children that we met last year!

We returned to Hope House and finished the job that even Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs would have gagged at!

Our evening concluded with an emotional exchange of feelings and reflections which was cathartic for us all.

We'll catch up with you tomorrow! Haiti out!

Feeling Privileged to Serve

2010-05-16T22:02:00.002-04:00

We traveled out to the Village of Hope School for church today. We were all struck by the gusto with which the children sing. Liz shared some thoughts about spreading God's word with others for the sermon. Our group sang some songs for the students - none of us would get very far on American Idol! We also passed out the beaded bracelets that the Sunday School students from St. John's made for the students.

After church we drove to a historic sugarcane plantation where there is now a restaurant. We all enjoyed our meals which were almost all some form of bbq. Some of us also enjoyed some very potent rum punch!

Odney, the driver, took us the long way home so that we could see some of the areas more heavily damaged by the earthquake. It was very eye-opening. We arrived back at Hope House tired from the sun and dirty from the drive. Several group members attacked the boxes of prepared rice meals and repacked them while others (Elizabeth and Sarah) played with the new puppies!

Our devotion tonight was more of a debriefing session. It was nice to hear what others were thinking about the trip so far and their impressions of all they've seen. Tomorrow we are headed bright and early to the Village of Hope School to pass out the bags and then to the orphanages to play with the kids!

Hot and Humid

2010-05-16T09:09:00.003-04:00

Some of us started the day quite early thanks to Sarah's phone still set to Eastern Standard Time as well as the incessant sound of the car horns on the street - the Haitian version of a stop and go light! Only two mangoes fell on our roof during the night. Some people slept right through it. Others describe it as a bowling ball crashing onto a tin roof!

After breakfast we loaded up 90 - 50 lb. boxes of ready made meals that were packaged at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, VA, by some members of our team and congregation through "Stop Hunger Now." Thanks to Tom and Paul we strategically placed the 90 boxes plus 12 people in the back of the truck for the 30 minute drive to Village of Hope School. Upon arrival we assessed the situation, divided into teams for the purposes of preparing care packages for each of the students. The care packages included five bags of the prepared rice meals, crayons, toothpaste, and a coloring or activity book. The working conditions were like being in a sauna. Frequent water breaks were necessary. After three hours we completed about 640 care packages and divided them into classes for easy distribution on Monday. In a half a day, we did what would have taken Debbie and a few workers about a week to do. We felt it was a very rewarding experience to have helped prepare the rice meal bags and now have the opportunity to distribute them on Monday (more to come)! We also enjoyed a picnic lunch in the chapel where we also assessed what painting needs to be done there. Presently we're considering the lunchroom. Our biggest obstacle will be the numerous hornet nests and spider webs.

We then traveled to the metal workers village where we spent about an hour shopping and spending. Many of us came away with some great pieces of art. Walking around the area and looking at how people live in these conditions is eye-opening for us. They cook, sleep, work, wash, etc., all in the same room.

Upon returning to Hope House we refreshed and started all over again with doing various tasks. Those tasks included re-boxing the rice packages due to some damage to the boxes and transferring them to the brand new depot at the back of the property (who needs Gold's Gym?). Some of us sorted clothing and medical supplies for Debbie to distribute to various groups. There were quite some surprises in some of the packages. What some people will donate is amazing - digital picture frames, torn up shorts, huge pairs of underwear, a baggie of beans, etc.! The weather being hot and humid is an understatement. Many of us were sweating like you wouldn't believe!

After a break we enjoyed a great dinner of cabbage stew, garlic bread, and mango cobbler. We did our nightly devotion and many of us showered and called it a night. For those of you that are interested, that means, hot, no air movement, and little sleep!

Today we are off to the school to attend chapel, then out to lunch, and a visit at Little Children of Jesus. More to come tonight!

We've Arrived!

2010-05-14T17:32:00.002-04:00

We made it to Haiti! Jennifer and Julie arrived via Miami at about 10:30 and the rest of us via JFK/New York at 12:15. The airport was crazy as we expected. We deplaned and then were taken to a hangar by bus to get our luggage. Debbie, Julie, and Jennifer met us outside customs and we pushed our way to the truck. We made our way to Hope House seeing many tent cities and flattened buildings along the way. The rookies along for the first time got a good taste of the dust in Haiti as we bumped along. After we had a snack and orientation at Hope House, we quickly sorted the 20 suitcases of donations that we brought along and are now sorting donations Debbie had here already. It is VERY hot but there is a nice breeze. Many of us are looking forward to dinner and bedtime although it's only 4:30!

We look forward to going to the Village of Hope School tomorrow to unpack the "Stop Hunger Now" meals that many of us helped prepare at Prince of Peace Lutheran in February. We are excited to see the project to the end - meals getting to the Haitians!

Prayer Requests

2010-05-13T21:16:00.004-04:00

Please refer back to this post daily and use the following as a guide as you pray for our trip!

Thursday, May 13: St. John's Servant Team departs for Haiti tomorrow. Pray for safe travel and good health, and that our team will be blessed to be a blessing to everyone they meet in Haiti.
Friday, May 14: Team Arrives in Haiti. Pray for Debbie Berquist, Director of the Village of Hope of the Lazarus Project, as she faithfully manages this ministry. The team is scheduled to bag rice and beans. Pray for team members Greer Putnam and Sarah Finger.
Saturday, May 15: Team begins project. Team travels to school to paint the chapel and dining room. Pray for the children and families served by The Village of Hope, as well as the staff who continue to struggle with the affects of the January 12th earthquake. Pray for team members Jennifer Hills and Julie Heck.
Sunday, May 16: Team attends church and tours Port-au-Prince. Team travels to The Village of Hope for church service and tours the Delmas Region. Pray for Jorel Carte, and the children who lead worship, and for the team as they see and experience the devastation in Haiti. Pray for team members Susan Gutjahr and Jim Lofgren.
Monday, May 17: Team visits Food for the Poor and Little Children of Jesus Orphanage for Disabled Children. Pray for the children and staff that they may be surrounded with the love of Jesus. Pray that the team's time with them is filled with God's love, hope and compassion. Pray for team members Tom and Liz DeMik.
Tuesday, May 18: Team completes painting and repair work at the school. Team provides food for a picnic at the Village of Hope School. Gifts from St. John's SS are given to children. Then the team assists Debbie in packing boxes and other tasks. Pray for team members Cynthia Campbell and Paul Swicord.
Wednesday, May 19: Team returns to Virginia. Pray for safe and timely return of our team from Haiti. Pray for needed financial support for the new clinic (The Carol Herget Village of Hope Health Center) still in the planning stages. Groundbreaking is planned for October 2010. Pray for team members Mark Bacon and Elizabeth Bloss.

Less than a Month

2010-04-20T21:13:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe, but in less than one month another team from St. John's Lutheran will be heading to Haiti! Greer Putnam, our fearless leader, is again heading up the team. Joining him from last year's group are Jim "the hills are alive" Lofgren, Paul "would you like to see this shoe in another size?" Swicord, Susan "can I have another?" Gutjahr, and me, Sarah "le champion" Finger. The new members of our team include Cynthia Campbell, Liz and Tom DeMik, Jennifer Hills, Mark Bacon, Julie Heck, and possibly a couple more! We depart for Haiti on Friday, May 14 and will return Wednesday, May 19. Our group is busy purchasing supplies, gathering donations, and praying for a successful trip. We are all excited as we look forward to painting (with oil paint!) Village of Hope school; visiting the children at Little Children of Jesus Home for the Disabled and Grace Orphanage and School; and getting to know one another since not all of us are from St. John's!

Please pray for us as we continue preparations for our trip! St. John's will be holding a "commissioning and sending" at the 10:45 a.m. service on Sunday, May 9. We hope to see you there!

Our Day in Numbers

2009-05-06T21:40:00.002-04:00

2 flights
4 plane taxis to the runway
2 return trips to the Port au Prince airport
1 sick woman
1 missed flight
10 margaritas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo
3 airports
4 security checkpoints
2 baggage claims
10 weary travelers
and much, much more!

Our day started as usual with breakfast provided by Margaret and hugs and kisses from the neighborhood kids as they came for their breakfast. After loading the truck with 85% fewer bags than when we arrived, we were off to visit the Food for the Poor facility. There we were given a tour of the building as well as a "verbal tour" of the remarkable work this organization is doing. We were able to see the offices, the warehouse, the kitchen and the clinic. In the kitchen, workers were preparing the day's meal for the 3,000 families they serve daily. That's right - they serve 3,000 families each day! One representative from each family comes to the Food for the Poor kitchen and receives the food for their family. Michelle and Jim spent a few minutes serving the rice and pork sauce that were the day's offerings.

We then enjoyed one last hair-raising truck ride through the streets of Port au Prince on our way to the airport. We navigated the airport with ease and got through the 3 security checkpoints with no problems. Members of the group enjoyed having some time to do last minute shopping, especially in the duty-free shops! We boarded the plane on time and got settled. Then the adventure began...

After we taxied to the runway, the captain announced that animals and hazardous material had been loaded into the same cargo bay. Apparently this is against regulations. So we made the trip back to the airport, the items were separated and we should have been off. But, we had burned about 2,000 pounds of fuel during our little excursion to and from the runway so we had to refuel. We twiddled our thumbs as the temperature in the plane rose higher and higher and the air became stuffier and stuffier. And then we were off... or so we thought. We made yet another trip to the runway, only to be told that "when it rains, it pours." A woman on the plane was sick and needed to be seen by the medics. This did not sit well with many passengers who were sternly shushed by flight attendants! We returned to the airport where the medics escorted the woman off the plane. A riot almost occurred when we were told that the woman did have checked bags and it would take about 20 minutes to find and remove them from the plane. By this point, the flight attendants were scurrying up and down the aisles bringing water to passengers who were getting overheated. The woman next to Paul was very confused as to her temperature. She was sitting covered in a blanket, fanning herself, and asking for water because she was hot. Hmmmm...

Anyway, after the sick woman and the bags were removed, we were finally off to Miami! By this time, we were leaving almost 2 hours behind schedule and really had no hope of making our connecting flight. And we didn't. We made it through customs with no problem, Greer regained possession of all his items, and we were re-booked on a later flight to DCA. So what is a group of weary travelers to do with their 1 hour wait? Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style of course! Mmmm... good margaritas!

Luckily, our flight from Miami to DC had no problems and we arrived in DC safely at around 10 p.m. After retrieving our bags and saying good-bye, we were off to be reunited with our family and friends.

Thank you to all for your prayers while we were away. I'm sure my teammates would agree that this was an amazing trip. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you on May 31!

More pictures will be uploaded soon!

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-05T23:04:00.000-04:00

We are finally home after a long day of traveling. More updates tomorrow!

If the Shoe Fits

2009-05-04T19:50:00.015-04:00

Today was our last full day in Haiti. The day began earlier than usual as we had to make the trip out to the Village of Hope school. We loaded up the truck with about 15 boxes of shoes and socks and headed on out.

Once at the school, we were mobbed by children who wanted to shake our hands, give us kisses and hugs, and spend time with us. Once we started taking pictures, we often heard the phrase, "take my photo." First we watched the morning assembly for the primary grades before watching the morning assembly for the Kindergarten students. The kindergarten students raised the Haitian flag, sang the National anthem and then greeted us with the song, "Rejoice in the Lord Always." A video will be uploaded when we return to the states. It was interesting to see that Haitian boys have as much trouble walking in a line as American boys!

We then swiftly dispatched to the chapel for our shoe fitting operation. The kids were ready before we were even done emptying the truck. Our shoe fitting operation consisted of one person measuring the children's feet and writing down their shoe size, then passing them onto another person to fit their new shoes to their feet. Some students were an "easy fit" and others took several attempts to find shoes that fit. We also gave each child a pair of socks. Some received an extra pair because the ones they came to school in were in such bad shape that they needed to be thrown away. Midway through the fittings, we were treated to lunch in the cafeteria. We dined on rice and beans with fish sauce. It was enough fuel to get us through the rest of the shoe fittings. We were able to fit about 250 students with a "new" pair of shoes and socks! Many of us feel that if the economy continues to decline, we would be able to get jobs as shoe fitters at Payless (can you say BOGO?). Paul Swicord, particularly, has a bright future ahead of him in the children's shoe market. We also taught many deserving children the exploding fist bump.

We got back to Hope House and after a short rest, we headed to Cite des Artistes de Nailles - the metal workers enclave. This area, for those that have not visited before, features the craft work of artisans who shape used 55 gallon oil drums into a number of objets d'art. Our team did a good job of boosting the local economy. We also procured a priceless piece of metal work to present to St. John's at our fair and presentation on May 31.

On our return home, Jim was worse than a four year old boy asking "where is the bathroom?" It did not help that we passed another funeral procession complete with trombones, school children in uniform, and a white hearse covered in flowers. We are glad to report that Jim made it back to the compound in time!

Once we returned, part of the group spent an hour with some of the neighborhood kids who hang out at Hope House decorating foam crosses that Susan contributed. The men stained a new bench for the Hope House. They applied an initial coat of polyurethane. The finishing coat will be applied bright and early tomorrow m0rning. After a delectable dessert by Chef Margaret of mango crisp and ice cream and reviewing our wrap-up details, the team closed with an order of Compline and Communion.

Tomorrow... homeward bound! Pray for safe travels!

Bon Berger (Good Shepherd) Sunday

2009-05-03T20:48:00.017-04:00

musical, satisfying, good exercise, emotional, experiential, artistic, awe-inspiring, stimulating, resonant... These are the words our group is using to describe our amazing day in Haiti.

Our day started with the preparation for the church service's children's message. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday and Pastor Campbell had a brilliant idea that not only taught the story to the children, but made use of the abundance of NBA-sized socks that were donated to the Village of Hope. Using the ancient art of fabric origami, we produced near-authentic replicas of sheep ears. See pictures...

Our first jaunt out to Village of Hope and the countryside, was humid. We saw a number of cattle and goats, and fortunately for the purpose of our illustration at the children's message - sheep. Because it had rained the night before, Pastor Bollinger, despite his valiant efforts and driving skills was unable to overcome the hairpin turn and incline up to the water pump house overlooking the Village of Hope. We made the rest of the trip on foot, including a trip up a metal ladder to the edge of the water pump house. The view was majestic as we overlooked the Village of Hope. We were also able to see the Dominican Republic from our vantage point. See picture...

After our climb back down the hillside, we attended church with about 45 of the Village of Hope students. We presented the students with the butterflies made by the Sunday School students of St. John's. Then it was time for the children's message... Lead by the "Good Shepherd - Greer Putnam," the rest of us acted as the sheep with our sock ears and followed him around the chapel - except for Heidi, the lost sheep. We then gave each child their own set of sheep ears. We were all touched by the gusto at which the children sang the hymns in French and Creole. See pictures...

Then we saw a naked witch doctor.

We had lunch out today at the Visa Lodge - a resort hotel. The food was fabulous! We had salads, lasagna, pizza, ham, rice, lentils, green beans, and more! The desserts were interesting. When Yvette was told that the dessert tart might be a "date tart" she said, "that's not cool."

We were joined at lunch by Jarel (pronounced just like Superman's father), the church service planner and accordian player. He patiently answered many of our questions and provided new insight into life in Haiti. Jarel also joined us for our second trip to the Little Children of Jesus house. The children were ecstatic to have him there and listen to his music. They played musical chairs and danced around. Michelle is a vicious musical chairs player and Greer runs a mean conga line at Jim's direction. See pictures...

After a quick break back at Hope House, we walked to the Grace Mission Orphanage. We enjoyed the chance to walk through the neighborhood and see the people. At the orphanage, we painted sun catchers with the girls. They seemed to really enjoy the activity and painting on their hands! We enjoyed seeing the girls and the work Marie Major is doing. One little girl asked Yvette if she knew Jackie Chan! In the chapel, some other children were practicing for a wedding on Saturday. We were able to watch them practice dancing which was very neat. The afternoon, especially, was very emotional for some of us. One little girl at the orphanage was just dropped off today and several others had only been there a few days. See pictures...

Continue to pray for the Lazarus Project including the Village of Hope, Little Children of Jesus house, and the Grace Mission Orphanage and for our group. And tomorrow...shoes!

(See video highlights of the children at Village of Hope school and the dancing at the Little Children of Jesus house)

Written by Sarah, Christine, Yvette, Michelle, Jim, and Pastor Campbell

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

2009-05-02T19:34:00.006-04:00

Today's grand adventure was a trip out to the Baptist Mission in the mountains above Port-au-Prince. Despite it being a Saturday morning, traffic and people abounded. We learned a new meaning of "bumper to bumper." NoVA traffic has nothing on Haitian traffic! We had about 100 close calls and gained a deep appreciation for Pastor Bollinger's driving skills.

At about 2700 feet, we stopped at an area known as the "Overlook" which featured a majestic view of greater Port-au-PRince stretching from the narrow part of the Bay of Gonaives in the west to the nearer of the two Haitian lakes bordering the Dominican Republic in the east. Pastor Bollinger gave us a visual tour of Port-au-Prince from a birds-eye view showing us the presidential palace, the National Cementary, the National Cathedral, and the national soccer stadium. We also saw Port-au-Prince's sole airport with its 10,000 foot long runway cutting a large swath through the heart of the urban sprawl. He also pointed out City de Soleil, the worst of Haiti's slum on the coast.

The overlook also featured our first encounter with some of Haiti's first merchants and their very assertive sale techniques. Greer made friends very quickly. We were offered many "sweet" deals. They threatened to turn sour if we neglected them. They continued to offer good bargains as they clung to the truck as we began to drive away.

Leaving the overlook, we continued our exciting adventure in Haiti's version of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." (Look up Disneyland if you don't know what that is.) The roads were mostly paved. The paved roads were mostly pot-holed. Many of our crew quickly discerned that standing up was much better than sitting down. Jim applied his down-hill ski technique to riding in the back of the truck. Those "lucky souls" who rode in the cab got a smoother ride but were unable to look away from oncoming traffic. Sarah banged her head once or twice which may effect her leg-wrestling skills.

Arriving at the Baptist Mission, we promptly disembarked and headed to the bathroom and then the snack bar. The snack bar offered many fine food choices including one sandwich named "The Tourist" which was American cheese and ham. There was also an "internationally famous" grilled ham and cheese on home-made wheat bread. The wheat bread was excellent. Pastor Campbell ordered a "Santo Domingo" and got a "Havana." See him for more details. We toured the facilities at the Baptist Mission which included a large gift shop, bakery, clinic, and classrooms. The mission also had its own zoo. The zoo could fit inside St. John's upper parking lot. It featured a monkey, a crocodile, an iguana, a boa constrictor, a number of apathetic peacocks, and more rabbits than the rest of the animals in the zoo combined. The local museum was apparently curated in a distinctly Haitian style --- which is to say that organization was not its strong suit. It included displays on political history, world currency, local wildlife, voodoo, artifacts from the colonial era, local arts, and a suitcase wrapped in misprinted Maxwell House coffee cans. More merchants congregated outside the entrance to the Baptist Mission and were more than glad to offer their wares in assertive fashion. Michelle is the person to have with you if you need to drive a bargain!

Pastor Bollinger then took us on a surprise visit to Fort Jacques. As we learned from our impromptu yet well-informed Haitian tour guide, Fort Jacques was built following the liberation of Haiti in 1804 in an effort to keep the French from retaking the country. The fort is at the top of one of the tallest mountains surrounding Port-au-Prince. Our guide gave Paul an "authentic" cannon ball to carry around for most of the tour. The guide told us the cannon ball would be shot out of the cannon and then roll down the street. (The fort, ironically, was designed by French engineers.) The fort is now a popular cultural site. We engaged with many locals while visiting the fort.

The ride down the mountain was no less exciting than the ride up. We ended the day with a trip to the supermarket. On our way there, we encountered a Haitian funeral procession complete with a marching band, hearse covered with flowers, and many people walking along side.

More to come tomorrow....

Good morning from Haiti!

2009-05-02T09:49:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update...

So far today we have sorted socks. Many will be great for any NBA players we find! We sorted out the ones that can be given to the children at the school on Monday when we give them their shoes.

We are now getting ready to leave to go to the Baptist Mission. It's about an hour and a half drive. While there we will have a great view of the city, visit a museum, and a zoo. We will also visit some shops - yay!

Have a blessed day!

Loafers, Laptops, et les enfantes

2009-05-01T19:15:00.011-04:00

Today is a National Holiday in Haiti - May Day. There was no school which means we did some things around Hope House. The morning started with sorting shoes to take to the school on Monday. There were about 1600 pairs to sort by size, while other team members updated 12 donated laptops to be used by university students and as part of a lab at the school. Pastor Campbell said he didn't know he'd come to Haiti to do tech support! We all have our gifts. We're glad he did - it was a huge help!

After lunch, we visited the lot where 3 houses are being built on land purchased by Pastor Larry and Margaret Bollinger. The houses were paid for Pastor Larry and Margaret, and Greer and Nilah Putnam. The construction is being overseen by Food for the Poor. The houses contained two rooms with exterior kitchens and bathrooms. Construction is all concrete and done inside of three weeks. The lot was about half the size of the St. John's playground - all for three houses. For those of you who like hard work, the concrete was made on site. They started with the rocks, split the rocks, sifted through them, and then used the powder, mixed with water, to make cement. This was used as a plaster-type material on the sides of the house.

We then went to visit Little Children of Jesus orphanage. It's an orphanage for 101 mentally and physically handicapped people. This was an amazing experience, emotionally. It was so neat to see the smiles on these children. We spent time hugging them, holding their hands, blowing bubbles, making balloon fish, and showing them love. A Haitian proverb says, "You'll never know that God is all you need, until God is all you have" which resonated with the our team today.

We returned to Hope House and visited with several neighborhood children. We played "soccer" and baseball with Stevie and Job. Job has a future in the MLB!

And we also learned today that Paul Swicord is "the most handsome, strongest, and nicest man we know," which we learned from him!

Until tomorrow...

We've Arrived!

2009-04-30T18:01:00.004-04:00

After a long day of travel, we have arrived! We deboarded the plane in Miami only to reboard another one about an hour later. Luckily, Pastor Bollinger was at the Port-au-Prince airport to pick us up as scheduled. All of our bags arrived, all 20 of them, carrying the supplies that we've brought for the Village of Hope. Thank you to everyone who so generously donated these supplies! After a brief introduction to Hope House, where we'll be staying, we visited the headquarters for Food for the Poor to pick up several boxes of shoes to distribute at the school later this week. Riding in the back of a flat bed truck is fun! Paul Swicord now looks like James Dean with his wind-blown hair. We saved Susan from falling out of the back of the truck after the tenth pothole. Tomorrow is a national holiday (May Day) so school is out. It looks like we'll be sorting shoes to distribute next week. Hopefully we can keep Michelle from trying them all on first!

Prayer Requests

2009-04-28T23:22:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, April 29: St. John’s servant team departs for Haiti tomorrow. Pray for safe travel and good health, and that our team will be a blessing to all they meet in Haiti. www.LazarusProjectHaiti.org

Thursday, April 30: Team arrives in Haiti. Pray for Rev. Larry and Margaret Bollinger (co-directors of the Lazarus Project), personally and for their ministry. Today’s St. John’s team members: Pastor Campbell and Sarah Finger

Friday, May 1: Team begins project. Pray for children and neighborhood families served by Margaret Bollinger at Hope House. Today’s St. John’s team members: Michelle Guilfoil and Susan Gutjahr

Saturday, May 2: Pray for Marie Major and Grace Mission School & Orphanage, serving 30 girls; health and well-being for all who work for the Lazarus Project in Haiti. Today’s St. John’s team members: Heidi Kupke and Jim Lofgren

Sunday, May 3: Pray for the children and staff at Little Children of Jesus Home for Disabled Children and the St. John’s team project. Today’s St. John’s team members: Yvette Moy and Christine Payne

Monday, May 4: Pray for the children, teachers, and staff at the Village of Hope School (VoH), including Principal Clovis Elias and Music Director Jorel Carte; also, for VoH graduates. Today’s St. John’s team members: Greer Putnam and Paul Swicord

Tuesday, May 5: Team returns to VA. Pray for Debbie Berquist, director of a new clinic to open at VoH in 2009, serving students & families; also, for safe and timely return of our team from Haiti.

Sunday, May 31: Come hear about the experiences of St. John’s servant team in Haiti! We’ll host a presentation and fair in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday morning Education Hour, from 9:30-10:30.

Links to related websites

2009-04-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

www.sjlc.com (St. John's Lutheran Church)

http://www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org/ (The Lazarus Project, Haiti)