10 Days in Haiti is an account of Micah and Nicole's short term mission trip to serve at Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in Saint-Louis du Nord.

Day One, July 18th Bla!

Flying over the city, I have never before felt so out of place. The barren landscape, the shanty towns of Port au Prince look so different from the view out the window of the plane as we left Miami. Throughout the day I am reminded of this out of place feeling as we find our bags and are escorted out of the airport into what seemed like utter chaos. How do you tell a man who does not speak English not to take your bag? Ninety-five Americans, here for a 10 day mission trip, are loaded into trucks and taken to the domestic airport and then shuttled 19 at a time 1 hour away to Port-de-Paix. We are then loaded into trucks and busses to make the 7 mile 1 hour trip into Saint-Louis du Nord. On the road to St Louis I am hit with the foreign smells of sewer running through the streets, the sights of poverty, and the sounds of naked children yelling Bla Bla (White, White) as we drive by. Bla is the greeting children scream out as they run after our truck hoping that we will wave at them, and when we do wave I see something that makes me think this place is not so different. I see smiles.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 18th

Day Two, 19th July Dreams in Haiti
Today we woke, had our devotions, breakfast, and went on a tour of the Mission. Not only did we see what the mission is doing but we also heard about the dreams they have of what could be. (Click on links to read about the programs on the NWHCM web site)

Programs Over Veiw

Special Needs Children (Heavens Waiting Room) Heavens Waiting Room is a residential facility for children with special needs. These are very special children who have often been pushed aside in Haiti as parents have not had the knowledge or resources to best provide for their needs. There is a need for a new facility for Heavens Waiting Room which will allow for the children to continue with their therapy and learn to live more independently in a community environment.

Elderly (Gran Moun) Gran Moun is the Creole phrase for “old people”. The Mission began a feeding program for the elderly in 1999 as so many of the people in the area were struggling to obtain food. In 2005, they opened a housing facility for some of these people.

Orphanage and Baby Orphanage. The orphanage is located in the city of Port-de-Paix. The orphanage currently helps provide clothing, education, food, health services, love and spiritual nurture to approximately one hundred children. The Baby Orphanage is under construction but is on hold waiting for additional funding. There is already two babies waiting for their new home to be finished. The mission plans to care for 100 babies once it is completed.

Nutrition Center The children’s nutrition program was started many years ago and is for children ranging in age from about one to four years old who have been identified as being in at least second degree malnutrition. They come to the mission five days a week and receive breakfast and lunch each day. They also receive medical care at the pediatric clinic and their mothers receive lessons on nutrition, hygiene, childcare, etc.

Medical Lack of health care is a major problem in Haiti. The mission has an extensive medical program that provides many different and much needed medical services including: General Clinic, Surgical Center, Dental Clinic, Eye Clinic, Birthing Center, Pharmacy, and much more

Education: Bible College, Schools

Church’s - Located in La Croix, Far West, La Pointe, and Anse-a-Foleur

They had more than enough work to keep all 95 of us very busy. Also there was a lot of construction and maintenance that needed to be done to keep everything running. I heard many of the Americans say that they had never been on a short term mission trip where they felt like they could do so much to help.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 19th

Day Three, July 20th PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM

“And I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands for You are who You are no matter where I am
And every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm”

Tonight the words to the song "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns kept running through my head as a storm raged here in Haiti. Some of us are sleeping on mattresses under a roof with large openings in the walls and others of us are in tents on the roofs of the buildings in the mission. The rain came in sideways through the openings in the walls and soaked many of the mattresses, and the tents are all sitting in standing water. Just as people began to grumble and complain two of the missionary’s Jody and Larry reminded us to not let a little rain make us loose focus. They reminded us that most Haitians right then were sitting on mud floors under thatched roofs with water coming in all around them. And that this happens every time it rains, so our one night of damp sleep should only make us better appreciate how they live. So Larry proposed we have a storm watching party, he bought us all Cokes and we stayed up and watched the rain.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 20th

Day Four, July 21st Three Legged Races and Duck Duck Goose
I was asked what I will be doing in Haiti, to some I replied three legged races and Duck Duck Goose. That always gets me a funny look and I know they are thinking “he’s weird”. But seriously for 3 days we will be doing just that, we will be hosting Vacation Bible School in the courtyard of the church across the street from the mission. We will be entertaining the kids (that is where the three legged races and duck duck goose comes in), doing crafts, and teaching about the life of Christ using drama and other activities.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 21st

Day Five, July 22nd Wedding x 5

“Whether we have food, or whether we go hungry. Whether we have a home or whether we are homeless. I love you and I want you.” These aren’t the typical wedding vows one hears in the United States, but in Haiti they cut to the heart and represent what people struggle with each day.
We had the opportunity today to see something rare in Haiti, a wedding. Not just any wedding either. This wedding had five brides, five grooms, and numerous flower girls and ring bearers. This wedding also had the special privilege of having two beautiful wedding cakes, thanks to a baker and his family who happened to be at the mission at just the right time.
Marriage is uncommon in Haiti due to the expenses of both people needing birth certificates and a marriage license; most couples opt to just live together and have children. I found that while in Haiti it was hard to explain that Micah and I were married. I would point at our rings and the Haitians would say “friend?” or “brother and sister?” The church in St. Louis du Nord has been working to re-establish the tradition of marriage and has found a way to issue marriage certificates for free, along with providing donated gowns for the brides.
These couples face hunger, homelessness, and numerous obstacles that couples in America would never dream of facing. The pastor continually emphasized that no matter what happens they are to stay together. He talked directly to the men, telling them to be leaders and to not run away when times get hard. Most importantly he emphasized the importance of relying on God throughout everything, knowing that He will always provide.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 22nd

Day Six, July 23rd Wake Up

Sunday is a day of rest here at the mission. There is no construction going on and no major projects. Two guys from our group preached today. Chris Robbins at the church in La-Point and Chris Heulat here in Saint-Louis du Nord. Chris Heulat preached from Revelation 3 where Jesus is speaking to the church at Sardis. Jesus states, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!”

This trip has definitely awakened me. There is an incredible need in the world for Christ’s love to be shown through service. I do not want to go home after this trip and forget the needs of others. It is so easy to get caught up in every day life and forget to serve. I do not want to someday speak to Jesus and hear him say to me “Well you had a great reputation, but!

Day Seven, July 24th One Star Fish at a Time

For four days we held soccer and basketball camps. We held the basketball camp in the walled-in courtyard of a Catholic Church. The first one hundred children were allowed in because we had to have a controlled number of children. As we walked into the camp carrying basketballs that are as precious to these children as Ipods are to American kids, we had to pass by the tear-streaked faces of those children who were not allowed in. This seemed to be a recurring theme in Haiti, whether it is basketball camps, soccer camps, or handing out peanut butter sandwiches, we can’t help everyone.

After many of us had expressed concern about not being able to help enough people, Jody shared an illustration that changed our perspective. “There was a girl on the seashore with thousands of star fish that had been left behind by the receding tied. One at a time she picked them up and gave them a good toss back into the water. A man asked her why she was doing this when she could never save all of the star fish. The girl replied while throwing another star fish, “Yes but I saved that one.”
We learned that day that the point of us being there was not to help everyone in Haiti. It was to bring hope to one teenage mother with AIDs. It was to show love to one child who never feels affection. It was to show respect and appreciation for one elderly person. It was to save one star fish at a time.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 24th

Day Eight, July 25th Future of Haiti

“You are holy, You are holy. You are mighty, You are mighty. You are worthy, You are worthy, worthy of praise”… this is the song that Loudnika (the girl in the picture at the top of the page) sang to us in Creole while she sat on Nicole’s lap today at the orphanage. The instant Nicole walked through the door of the orphanage in Port-de-Paix, Loudnika latched on to her and they where inseparable for the rest of the day. As I was watching the two of them I remembered something someone said to me before we left for Haiti. “Watch out or Nicole is bound to bring home a little Haitian.” And then I heard it, Nicole asked me “Can we adopt her?”

Before we pursued this conversation further we where informed that the orphanage does not allow their children to be adopted outside of Haiti. At first I thought that this was strange but then they explained. These children will be cared for better than most children in Haiti. They will be fed, clothed, loved, receive an education, and learn about Christ. If they where taken to the U.S. how would that help Haiti? Later at the mission I started talking to one of the Haitian interpreters. I was surprised to find out that he had grown up in the same orphanage we had visited that day. He began to introduce me to others who grew up in the orphanage as well, many of whom were doctors, nurses, interpreters, and pastors working either at the mission or in towns nearby. These children, although left to grow up without parents, are the future of Haiti. They are the future leaders that can impact their country in a positive way and be a light for those living in poverty.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 25th

Day Nine, July 26th Give Me Dollar
Today we went to Anse-a-Foleur, a town about an hour from the mission, to hand out 800 peanut butter sandwiches at the local church. We knew that Anse-a-Foleur was a popular town for voodoo rituals, but we were surprised to find out that we would be there during a voodoo holiday. As we walked through the town we entered a building where voodoo rituals were being performed. It was like entering a different realm. All around us candles were burning, people were chanting, and sacrifices were being made. Mingled with the drum beats and rattles, I could feel the sadness and despair even though I had no idea what these people were praying about. Later I was told by one of the interpreters that the people worshiping were pleading with the spirits to give them food, to give them money, to give them shelter. It reminded me of the children who when you walk by them in the streets would call out “give me dollar.”

Later that day we experienced a stark contrast to the voodoo worship service we had seen that morning. Within the local Christian church Roland (one of the Haitians from the mission) taught around 50 children Christian songs in Creole. We performed puppet shows teaching them about loving God and loving others. The children had so much fun and were so joyful. As we handed out the peanut butter sandwiches, I saw three girls who I had seen earlier worshiping the voodoo spirits. I hoped that they noticed the difference between worshipping out of thankfulness compared to serving in fear. I hope that they experienced joy. Most of all I hoped they felt the love of our Heavenly Father.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 26th

Day Ten, July 27th Little Things

This was the last day here at the mission, we did not have any activities planned. We were on our own to keep busy. I found it hard to keep myself working, I kept wanting to sit down and relax or take a nap. Then I remembered something Chris our group leader said. “I do not want you to leave here with regrets; I do not want you to say when you get home. I wish I would have…!” You see even though there wasn’t any big tasks planned, sometimes the little things make all the difference. I decided to spend a little time playing with Kerwins (one of the children from heavens waiting room) and to spend some time at the Grand Moun. While I was doing this I realized that I am the same at home, most of the time when I have free time I spend it watching TV, playing games or generally wasting time when there are a lot of little things around that would make a big difference in people’s lives. Why do I have to be in Haiti to be reminded that there are elderly out there who need company, disabled kids who want to play…

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 27th

Trust God

The biggest lesson I learned on this trip, the one that will impact my life the most, is to trust God. Throughout the entire trip we were presented with situations that were not comfortable or made us nervous and each time we had a choice to either, worry about it and rely on our own ability to get through the situation, or to trust God. What I saw was that every time I started to rely on myself I made the situation worse. When I stepped back and gave God control he gave me peace and everything worked out. I also have noticed a greater peace in my life after the trip. Knowing that God is in control gives you little to worry about and leaves you open to how you can serve.