Haiti mission update

Progress has been made in the last week or so in terms of preparation for my mission trip to Haiti in July.  My passport application is being processed. My initial team fees have been sent to the sending agency. I've received my training packet (though I haven't had time to study the materials yet).

I have received additional information about the trip. I will be flying in to Haiti along with the rest of the team, made up of individuals like me and a few groups of 2-4 people from churches across the US. We will meet in Miami and fly together to Port-au-Prince on July 10th.  From there, we will travel by bus to Jacmel, Haiti.

Jacmel is approximately 25 miles from Port-au-Prince and the paperwork I've received has prepared me for a bus trip of 3-5 hours to get there. Needless to say, the bus trip is ranking right up there with diahrea as the things I'm least looking forward to about the trip. Jacmel suffered damage similar to that seen in Port-au-Prince but is receiving less aid since it is a smaller area and less vital to the day-to-day workings of the Haitian government.  Immediately post earthquake, the Canadian government essentially adopted Jacmel (apparently someone high up in the Canadian goverment was born in Jacmel) and there was a pretty substantial influx of aid for a short time. As of mid-March, the Canadian government has withdrawn their aid workers and now the city of Jacmel is on their own.  There are established missions groups working in Jacmel on rebuilding, but that is about it.

Jacmel is an old, coastal city that was as close to a "vacation destination" as Haiti has.  This reputation and the city's economy started declining a decade or two ago, leaving a large gap between very weathly landowners who have retired along the coastal areas of Jacmel, and the impoverished.  Structurally, Jacmel faired better than Port-au-Prince in that individual buildings were destroyed in spots throughout town, but there is not a section of entire blocks destroyed.  The buildings in Jacmel were originally built to withstand hurricanes and many have steel framing.  I'm told that New Orleans architecture borrows heavily from the architecture of Jacmel.

Jacmel, pre earthquake

Jacmel, post earthquake

Our mission team will be staying at a small hotel in Jacmel. This will be a blessing, as the only information I had prior to committing to the trip was that some teams would be tent camping. Apparently the hotel has bottled water, private bathrooms and a meeting room for daily devotions and debriefings.  We will be partnering with a local church that has an ongoing relationship with FEI (the mission agency). 

The specific work we will be doing in Jacmel will depend on what needs to be done when we are there.  FEI has teams going weekly between now and the time I'm going, so as those teams make progress, our teams assignment will change. We will spend Sunday at the church meeting local people, sharing about our faith, doing some team building, and probably putting on skits and singing "Jesus songs" as part of the church service.

Monday - Friday we will be doing any or all of the following: rebuilding homes and businesses damaged during the earthquake (alongside Haitians and possibly other relief workers), working in the kitchen and distributing food through a local food bank (which feeds 100-150 children a day), running a vacation Bible school, visiting local schools and spending time with the students

Many people have asked me about the safety aspect of this journey. Here's what I can tell you. I am nervous about going because something *could* happen, but I believe that I'm being called to go and will be protected.  Jacmel has a reputation for being the safest city in Haiti in terms of crime.  Yes, there are still occasional aftershocks/minor earthquakes throughout Haiti. No, I won't be bringing anything with me that I wouldn't mind losing. Yes, I expect to have some intestinal issues during or after my trip.  Yes, I will be fully vaccinated based on current recommendations.

There are still spots available on my team! If you'd like more information about spending a week changing lives in Haiti and ministering to "the orphans and widows" (James 1:27), let me know and I'll tell you how to get started!

I am trying to raise $1875 to cover the cost of airfare and the mission team fees.  If you would like to donate money for my trip, I would be very grateful! My church - Bethlehem Lutheran Church - has set up an account for monetary donations I receive. If you would like to support me financially, you can send me (or the church) a check made out to BLC with my name and "Haiti" in the memo line. 

Donations can also be made online at Forward Edge International's donation link. Click "give now". On the pull down menu choose "Team Fees" (the last option). In the box for "Team number or comments" enter my name and TEAM 751

I will be holding a fundraising garage sale on June 5th from 8am-3pm.  Members of my church are donating items to be sold at the sale.  All proceeds will go towards the mission trip.  Please pray that this sale goes well!!

Last, there are some items I need to purchase prior to my trip and I have created a wish list on Amazon.com.  You can also find my wish list by going to amazon.com, clicking on "wish list" and typing in my name. 

Please continue to pray for me as I prepare for the trip.  There is much to do, but primarily I need to be spiritually prepared for what lies ahead. Please continue to pray for FEI as they send teams in to Haiti weekly. Please continue to pray for all of those in Haiti who are living life with very little and yet still have hope.