Steve in Haiti - the end is around the corner

Hello Friends and Family:

This past week has been a great transition.  Elias left a week ago to go to Santo Domingo hoping to catch an earlier flight home to Kenya than Thursday, so he could attend his brother's funeral on Saturday.  Not only did he not get on an earlier flight on Wednesday, but his Thursday flight was cancelled due to the volcano in Iceland.  (His flight was from Santo Domingo to Paris, then on to Kenya.)  He stayed in Santo Domingo until yesterday, hoping he could get home.  It is unknown when he will be able to travel.  I am glad he is back here for me, but I am sad he has missed an important time with family and was alone in the process.

Nelson Warambo, the Kenyan whose Logistics position I filled in for, returned on Friday morning.  As he arrived I was amazed and thrilled to see how the Haitian staff greeted his return.  There were handshakes, hugs, kisses and even someone who wanted to rub his head.  I handed him his keys and he smiled and said, "I am not working until Monday!"  I was a little taken back.  I had written a 4 page briefing about what I had done while he was gone and the status of vehicles and staff.  As I scurried about the Logistics chores, he sat and read the briefing.  We then talked about it.  I scurried off again and when I returned, he had resumed the throne (his chair and computer.)  So I simply handed him the keys and returned to my place upstairs. 

With Jillian left to carry on the emergency department functions in Elias' absence, I was to be available to help her in any way.  At least until Nick Archer, WC Deputy Director, was to arrive on Monday.  I did help Jillian with some busy work but also some counsel and encouragement.  She was a little disappointed that Nick was coming - it is easy to think that he is coming because she is not trusted.  But that is not the case.  He is coming because she is new to World Concern and a young, intelligent but fairly inexperienced business woman, with a lot of potential.  Nick canceled his trip with Elias' return.

The weekend was very different.  I actual did not have to work on Saturday with Nelson back and I slept in until 7 am.  Not like my normal 5:00 to 5:15 am.  I spent the morning trying to get the computer to see the wireless printer so I could scan documents.  It was frustrating.  Rogers is another Kenyan who is visiting here helping with the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program.  (I tell you there is a Kenyan Mafia here!  - it is a running joke with Elias.)  He and I went to Epidor (our fast food place) for lunch.  We were dropped off and another driver was to pick us up.  I did not have a phone - I returned the Logistics phone to Nelson.  Rogers had a phone but the language barrier was a problem.  Eventually we were picked up.  While we were eating, Frank Thorpe, Jillian's husband entered to buy croissants for Sunday breakfast.  I called out his name and a very surprised Frank spun around and was shocked to see us.  Port au Price is a large town and we were quite a ways from the office.  Too funny.

When I returned I brought my recliner to the balcony I exercise on.  It is mostly protected from the sun in the afternoon and yet is open on two sides.  I spent the afternoon reading and napping.  I am finally reading "The Shack".  I have started it on a couple of occasions and yet have never completed it.  I was in a section that was very emotional for me.  It has allowed me to think about my own life ( a lot of who I am is like Mack) and my relationship with God and Jesus.  It makes me think of my children and what they mean to me and I wonder how much of their upbringing is helpful for their future and how much will they have to work through.  The alone time, though I dislike it, has been good for me.  I also have been writing a letter to my children and their spouse and spouse to be for over a year.  I was able to spend some time on that as well.

Sunday was 6:30 am church with my 4,000 new Haitian brothers and sisters.  Rogers and I went and we stopped for Fig-banans (bananas vs plantains,  which Haitians call "Banana") and two onions.  The rest of the day was like Saturday, except that my daily hour long Skype call to Patty was earlier than normal because of small group and a concert.  My workout was after our call and then I set about to make my mom's spaghetti sauce.  It took forever to boil the noodles but I feared it would be too spicy for Nelson.  It turned out not!  I had one helping left over and was about to put it away when I thought of Edmond, the janitor/laborer who lives on the compound, whom I exchange "Chicken and spaghetti, too" greetings each day as he shows me what English words he knows.  Though it was about 9:00 pm, he was still up and I handed him a bowl and said, "American Spaghetti."  Later he told me it was very good and Jillian told me that Haitians eat spaghetti, usually for breakfast.  Oh well, we often eat breakfast foods at night.

Speaking of food, I wanted you to see what I have eaten most lunches since I have come to Haiti.

This is my classic lunch.  Top left salad which I do not eat: the cleanliness of fresh produce is questionable.  Top right a chicken thigh, baked (and really good.)  Between the rice and beans and the lettuce is a cooked fig-banan (banana) - I tried it once.  Not good!

My friend Elias says, "we have great variety at lunch; you can have chicken with rice and beans or rice and beans with chicken!"  In fact once a week or so we get to have goat.  It is actually pretty good - a little bony but tasty.

The goat is in the top left and top right are beans in a sauce.  In this case the rice is white with the yukky  fig-banan.

While we are on domestic issues and pictures, I wanted you to see me in my Penthouse suite, sporting my cool REI recliner. 

I am going to write REI and tell them what a lifesaver their chair has been.  Though I have slept really well, I am sure looking forward to sleeping in my bed next Monday night! 

TTFN

The reason I am in Haiti

Hello Family and Friends:

Last Thursday (April 8th), in my post "Steve in Haiti - the halfway point", I wrote the following:

             "Patty reminded me tonight that on several occasions these past two months, as we have shared this interval in my professional journey, instead of the traditional, 'oh, I am sorry to hear that you are having to look for a job!', people have said to us, 'Oh Great! Now you will get to see the Lord move in wonderful and mysterious ways!'

I want to embrace that exciting thought. Maybe that is why I am here - but I am very far from sure."

Well, this past Sunday, I finally know why I am here. 

This is my new brother, Elias Kamau from Nairobi, Kenya.  He is the World Concern Haiti (WCH) Emergency Director.  He is the second of probably several Emergency Directors - he (and the first Director) left his home and his family and came to stand in the gap and make these new programs happen for the people of Haiti in the Name of Jesus.  He arrived on or about March 12, just 11 days before me.  He joined a fellow Kenyan, Nelson Warambo, head of Logistics for the Emergency Program Haiti.  (They did not know each other prior to Haiti - Nairobi is a BIG city.)

As you may remember from earlier posts, Nelson had been scheduled to have some R&R with is family in Kenya and left on my 4th day in Haiti.  I took over his position as the WCH Logistician, which is a little frightening when I know no Creole or French.  I wondered if that was why I was here, so Nelson could go home and Elias and Jillian (the Emergency Program Support position) did not have to do his job, too.  (I found it curious that my timing of arrival was based on being back for Nate's graduation from Pepperdine, not Nelson's departure.)  And a reason I wondered if I came just to spell Nelson, because he is returning to Haiti long before I return to the states. 

In addition, Susanna Asin the Bolivian Chief Financial Officer also left when Nelson did to spent time with her family in Bolivia and will telecommute from there until the end of the month.  So after Nelson and Susanna left, the only ex-patriots living at the WCH office were Elias and me.

But now I know I am here.  On Sunday, Elias received some very bad and surprising news:  his eldest brother Peter had died.  I should not tell you how, but suffice it to say it was not foreseen by anyone, he was a young man, younger than myself, anyway,with a wife and two teenage children and has left the entire extended family wondering why, including Elias.

If I had not been here, Elias would have spent Sunday alone.  It is hard to be over 7,500 miles away from your wife, children and extended family in and of itself.  But when this kind of tragedy comes, you can not be alone.  And Elias was not:  he had me.  We had been sharing each others story - and most of you understand he has heard several stories from me about my family and life itself.  We had come to enjoy each other's company more everyday. 

With Elias leaving today to try and get home by Saturday, I am also available to help Jillian (the Emergency Program Support position) the Creole speaking American who started with WCH the same day I arrived.  If not for me, she would also be alone in her position until help from WC Seattle arrives later this week or next. 

So last night Elias and I had our last time of sharing and praying together ( and finishing "Lord of the Rings -The Two Towers")  He had heard my story of my transition from Young Life to CRISTA and my recent resignation from CRISTA Camps (which is the only reason I was available to come to Haiti.)  As we prayed, Elias asked the Lord to reveal the next adventure in my employment.  He said to me,"Steve, you are a strong man of God and there is something more for you to do; I can feel it."  I shared with him the Brandon Heath's song, "He's not finished with me yet" (see April 8th's post).  He said that the words to the song and my having been writing about the same words was a confirmation of what he had heard from the Lord in his own mind and heart.  He sensed that it will be revealed soon.  I sure hope so. 

But I am full of joy that I could be here for Elias and stand in the gap for him and be there for him when Phelista, his wife and children, Shalom and Emmanuel could not be.

Please pray for Elias' journey.  He flew on a UN plane today to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic but as of this morning, he is booked on a flight tomorrow and will not get to Kenya until Saturday morning the day of the funeral.  Pray he can catch a flight today and be home either Friday morning or afternoon (or earlier.)

 

 Thanks for following, thanks for praying!  TTFN

Interviews with families receiving new housing or repairs from WCH

The Cash for Work program includes building new temporary structures and repairing existing structures that were damaged in the earthquake but not severely. WCH works with local neighborhood organizers who prioritize who should receive assistance. WCH has or is soon to complete some new houses and the repairing of housing in at least three quartiers. (Quartiers are like the French Quarter in New Orleans but in Haiti’s case a much smaller area, serving 7-25 families.)

This is just some of the debris that the people living in this quartier, in the Dardean community, had to remove to allow new construction and space to live. Below is a picture of the quartier from the steps of the new structure pictures below. In the center of the photo are three structures repaired by WCH.

The new home, nearly complete, in the picture below will go to Samuel , the man on the left. He will live there with his wife, sister, brother and two children. He was with one of his children in the house and ran out when the earthquake struck. His entire home collapsed. None of his family were hurt but they lost everything. I asked him what he would say to the donors who gave to make this happen and he replied, “I would say ‘merci (thank you) for the new house and saving us from the rain’.” The man on the right is the Engineer responsible for designing, building and repairing the houses. The house is 4 meters (13.1 feet) by 4 meters or 16 square meters (172 sq.ft). This is the total space for a family.

The next home is occupied by Vaneta. She lives there with her children and cousins, 7 in all. She was in her house when the earthquake hit and ran outside. The one side wall of her home collapsed but none of her family was injured. They had to live in tents until their home was repaired. I asked her what she would say to the donors and she replied, “I would say, ‘thank you’ and that we could not do it without you. Thank you!” She and two of her children are pictured below. Below that is the repaired wall.

The house next door to the left is occupied by Orelus. (see below) She lives there with her husband, two children and a sister. She is a cleaning lady. She was in the house alone when the earthquake struck. She ran out of the house, and then to church. Then she searched and found all of her family and they were unhurt. They lost the front porch off their home and she lost her eating plates. WCH was able to repair her porch as a part of this project. I asked her what she would say to the donors and she replied, “I would say, ‘thank you very much’.” She is pictured with her two children.

Next door to Orelus, to the left, is Rosena. She lives here with her Mom, dad, 2 sisters, 2 cousins, and 2 of their children – 9 in all. When the quake hit, she was in the house and ran out as a wall inside collapsed, along with the roof. They lost a bed and a table. I asked her what she would say to the donors and she replied, “I would say, ‘thank you ’.” She is pictured below with her sisters and her cousins. The picture below this is the new wall inside and the new roof.

We went to the next quartier near Toussainte Brav . (see below) There appeared to be 7 or 8 families living here. Some of the debris had been cleared from this site.

The next picture shows a multi-story building next to this quartier and how precarious the surrounding buildings can be.

The new house built by WCH is shown above with Widzer, in the center, with his son and daughter. Widzer was at a neighbor’s house when the earthquake hit and injured his shoulder and knee as his neighbor’s house collapsed. His own house collapsed, killing his 5 year-old daughter, Bettina, and destroying all their possessions. They have been living since the quake without a tent! He will move in soon with his wife and his 5 remaining children, see below.) I asked him what he would say to the donors and he replied, “I would say thank you for building us a new house and I hope that other families will get help from WCH, too!’.”

The final quartier had about 25 families living there. Most of the structures were destroyed. They have cleaned up the site and built a “model” house, but the local organizer has not assigned a family, yet. The local organizer is waiting for an agreement from WCH to build other structures before he assigns families.

Hopefully this gives you a more personal way to pray for the people of Haiti.  We all need to be so very thankful for what we have because it is exponentially more than most people in Haiti have ever dreamed of.  Thanks for caring enough to read and pray!  TTFN     Steve

Steve in Haiti - the halfway point

Hello Friends:

I said at the end of my last blog that I would have more contemplative thoughts.  Well, by mid-day tomorrow, April 9th, it will be my halfway point of my time in Haiti.  I have been asking God to speak into my life in a fresh way.  As I flew to Haiti, I was listening to my IPod and the words of Brandon Heath.......

GIVE ME YOUR EYES

Looked down from a broken sky

Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?
Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
(emphasis is mine)
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Bridge
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance

To see the way you see the people all along
*****************************************
Some of the contrasts here are heart and head bending.  Last night I had the privilege of having dinner with Christon, the World Concern Haiti Country Director, Elias, the WCH Emergency Director and a Kiwi from New Zealand, named Ian.  Ian used to be the WC Country Director for Sri Lanka and is here in Haiti in an emergency capacity with Tear Fund New Zealand.  He and his team are rebuilding schools and homes in the high country above PaP, using local labor and creating jobs.  We were at a Latin Restaurant that would rival most restaurant ambiance and decor in Seattle or any other US city.  And right across the street must have been a park that is now wall to wall tents with poor Haitians struggling to survive - and we are having a very nice dinner.  Still mind bending for me.

I do want to see the people here the way God sees them. 

Then I read this the other day:

"One author speaks of an 'existential ache' that permeates every human spirit, a kind of unnamed pain inside, deep within us, a restlessness, an anxiety, a sense of 'all aloneness' that calls out to us.  ....... It is a persistent longing in us and it happens because we are human.  It is as strongly present in us as autumn is present in the cycle of the seasons (except in Haiti).  I believe this ache is within us because we are composed of both physical and spiritual dimensions.  Our body belongs to the earth but our spirit does not.  Our final home is not here, though 'here' is where we are meant to be transformed by treasuring, reverencing,and growing through our human journey.  No matter how good the 'good earth' is, there is always a part of us that is yearning and longing, quietly crying out for the true homeland where life is no longer difficult or unfair."  From "Praying Our Goodbyes", by Joyce Rupp

Those words I exaggerated above are what I pray for the Haitian people.  Most of them knew life as difficult and unfair BEFORE the earthquake, much less what they know now.  And I want them to know Jesus so that this can be true for them - that they can go "home" to that place with no more sorrows and tears.........where life is no longer difficult or unfair.

And then I think of my employment situation, or lack thereof.  I might have said to myself in the last 24 hours that my life is " difficult and a little unfair"  And then I think of my Haitian brothers and sisters and then I feel guilty for ever having the thoughts.........

Finally there is this thing called finding a job.  I have applied for at least 30 jobs over the last few months and I have received a few, "we are not going to pursue you" and one "let's talk on the phone if your willing to make less money that they are paying you on unemployment."  And the rest are at best, "Thanks for submitting a resume.  Don't call us, we'll call you."  Then here comes another song from Brandon Heath,

WAIT AND SEE
Chorus
There is hope, for me yet

Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet
Bridge
Still wondering why I'm here
Still wrestling with my fear
But oh, He's up to something
And the farther on I go
I've seen enough to know that I'm not here for nothing
He's up to something
Verse
So here's my time to be a man,
Follow my heart as far as I can
No tellin' where I'm ending up tonight
I never slow down or so it seems
But singing my heart is one of my dreams
All I gotta do is hold on tight
Chorus
There is hope, for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet
***************************************************

I love these words and I think I believe them.  I must confess though my head agrees that

"God won't forget,

All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet"

my heart wonders if there is something to come.  I don't think I am wrestling with fear - but more like doubt.  (And yet I rejoice at Matt's acceptance to Boston U and how God has blessed his path; and how, it appears that Joe and Alison may be able to buy a home they are excited about - after maybe these same doubts.)

Patty reminded me tonight that on several occasions these past two months, as we have shared this interval in my professional journey, instead of the traditional, "oh, I am sorry to hear that you are having to look for a job!", people have said to us, "Oh Great!  Now you will get to see the Lord move in wonderful and mysterious ways!" 

I want to embrace that exciting thought.  Maybe that is why I am here - but I am very far from sure. 

Thanks for reading, thanks for thinking of me, thanks for praying if you so incline yourself.  TTFN

Day 7 through 11 in Haiti

Hello Family and Friends:

I am sorry I have not written sooner.  I have been very busy and have been doing quite well.  It has been "Cho", very hot.  So this post will be a little different  - a photo post and not as much a diary.

This is my suite in the penthouse.  You can see the mountains surrounding Port au Prince (PaP) in the background.  If I were to turn around, we could see the ocean, off in the distance.  A beautiful view of sunrise and sunsets.  The ropes you see running along the roof are tied off to re-bar that penetrates the roof that forms columns below.  I was told in the event of an earthquake and the building were to begin to collapse, I could hold on to the ropes and ride the building down.  Gee Haw!

 

Many buildings and homes in PaP are located in compounds.  These compounds are usually surrounded by a 10 to 12 foot cinder block wall and access is controlled by locked driveway and walkway doors.  This is a picture of the driveway and parking area inside our compound.  A tarp has been stretched overhead to make shade for local workers to prepare food and other basic needs for distribution. (more on this below)  The brown doors in the background is a storage area "Garage" that I manage.  In the foreground the man in the green pants is carrying a shotgun - he is our contracted security guard.  They were unarmed until the earthquake and we have had no problems here. Praise God!

As you are probably aware, the earthquake impact has been astounding.  World Concern surveyed the residents of the area near the office, an area that the Mayor of PaP and the other Non-Government Organizations (NGO's) have agreed to let World Concern Haiti (WCH) to be responsible for.  The survey was made on January 18-19th, 6 days after the earthquake :  6% of the pre-quake population in their survey area were killed; 10% more have been injured and 18% had already been homeless.  19% of families said the had received little or no damage; 48% said their housing was destroyed and 33% said their houses were severely damaged.  99% of those surveyed said they were living in the open air and 77% of those had no shelter.

This picture is taken from the "penthouse"; this is a compound 2 doors down from the WCH office.  Their home(s) have been damaged (or not) but they are sleeping in tents in the yard.  Bermande's house was not damage and some in his family sleep in the house, but Bermande and many others sleep in the yard out of fear.

This picture is also taken from the "penthouse - you can see a damaged building in the foreground and a small sea of tents towards the background.  These are really small neighborhood or even family groupings but the following pictures tell a very different story.

These tent cities are everywhere - and I have seen so little of the city. 

On Wednesday I was informed i needed to go with Elias to the US Army base, on the waterfront in downtown PaP.  WCH had arranged two very large generators to be donated to Haiti and shipped by the US Army - one for the Mayor of PaP and one for a hospital.  We had to meet with Capt Orr from the 82nd Airborne and introduce him to two representatives from the Hospital.  Our journey took us past some amazing and heartbreaking scenes.

Here is a hospital no longer able to care for patients.

Even the Haitian Presidential Palace was destroyed. 

The eerie part is that the building on the left and right are nearly undamaged and the one in the middle is totally collapsed.  At least there was a chance for some to survive this one.  However, 10 bodies were pulled from this building and 8 others remained buried.

This was at least a 4 story building.  Each red layer is a floor.  My guess is no one survived this.

I took many more pictures, you can view them on Facebook when i figure out how to do that.  I finally had to stop taking pictures -on most streets, every third house was a total ruin.  It was over whelming.

This is literally right across the street from the WCH office.  This was a two or three story building that totally collapsed on itself.  There are several residents still buried in the rubble.

One of the programs being operated by WCH is a food and supply relief ministry, funded by a Great Britain charity.  My numerous trips to and from the warehouse was to support this effort and the dozen or so local people who were employed by WCH to put relief kits together for local residents.  (see below)

WCH works with an existing local neighborhood organizer that creates a list of names of people who need distribution in their neighborhood.  Then a day and time for distribution is selected and the staff checks people's ID s to verify they are on the list and the local organizer is supposed to be there. 

The distribution includes Mazola corn oil, rice, beans, spaghetti, chicken bouillon, salt, sugar, shampoo, combs, tooth brushes, bar soap, laundry soap, a metal pan, toilet paper and a Bible in Creole.

One problem was the local organizer did not show and some residents whose names were on the list had no ID and many showed up whose names were not on the list and things go a little tense. See below.

No one got out of hand and those who received distributions were not hassled in any way.  I am in the shade to the left of this picture.  I am by myself and there is only one other white person there, Jillian, the new Emergency Program staff support - she is at the far corner of the truck.  I am amidst the crowd and obviously do not know verbally what is going on.  So I say to myself, "What can I do?"  So I began to sing - not too loud but audible to those around me.  "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roar....it is well with my soul......."

As I am finishing the second verse, I think I hear harmony.  Then I realize a small Haitian woman has come up along side of me and is singing the song in sweet harmony and in Creole!  The turquoise arm in the left side of the picture above is mine and the woman next to me, with her arm raised and a navy cap on is my duet partner.  I looked her in the eyes at the end of the song and said, "Merci".

Trying to help make a difference.  Thanks for listening.  The next post will be a little more introspective.  TTFN.