2012 Haiti Mission

A team of 10 went to Haiti in March 2012 to participate in the Haiti Response Plan that is coordinated by UMVIM and the Methodist Church of Haiti.  We were assigned to work at the Methodist Church in Arcahaie, which is a community that is about 25 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince.  The work that was ongoing at the church during our week there was predominantly cement work such as plastering walls and pouring horizontal beams in the 2^nd story of building being built.  The water supply for this community came from a system of small troughs/canals that ran next to the roads, and the water source was a river that came down from hills north of Arcahaie.  Water was not available most days at the work site as the water supply was being diverted to other parts of the community.  So, when water was not available we did a few other tasks at the site, but mostly spent our time with the local children.  Local children were always at the site, and we  loved sitting with them, jumping rope, playing Frisbee, singing, and conducting VBS activities.  We attended two worship services at this church during our time there, and the services were very ‘energetic’.  Many of the local men we worked with were also church members, and this helped in us getting to know them and building a relationship.  The congregation was very welcoming, friendly, and appreciative of us being there.   

We stayed with a local family that lived about 300 yards from the church.  This family lived in an area surrounded by a security wall and had 3-4 buildings.  We were provided a portion of one of the buildings that we called home.  This family raised chickens so there were roosters and chickens always around, as well as goats, dogs, and a cat.  The animals were often fun to watch and even pet, but they also provided some background noise at night that took a little getting used to. 

 While in Arcahaie we met Dr. Watson, a man that was born and raised in Arcahaie and still lived there.  He was involved in the initial start up of the Methodist church there and still active in the church.  Dr. Watson practiced in the area, and had been working on starting a clinic just down the road from the church.  He had a passion to help the people in Arcahaie by providing low cost medical care.  The team had several opportunities to talk with Dr. Watson and wanted to help him in starting this clinic.  We decided to donate the health care items that we brought for donation including the UMCOR Health Kits, various types of vitamins, children’s shoes, etc.  We were invited to visit the clinic on its opening day and provided a Lakewood Prayer Quilt from the Prayers and Squares ministry.  This was a very special experience for us.

 The whole team had an amazing mission in Haiti, and recognizes that we could not do this without much support from others.  We thank our families for their support of us to be able to participate in this mission.  We thank Lakewood and the many ministries and small groups that supported us with prayers, encouragement, and funding.  We thank Him who sent us, kept us safe, and who was with us each and every moment. 

Click on link to see pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/114384879384022556115/Haiti2012#slideshow/5726897618782576194