Haiti Team Highlights 2015

Linda Poindexter, Susan Nichols, Pastor Chris Lane, Brandon Worden, Jean Coonrod and Staton Lorenz from CUMC were joined by Jean Bissainthe (Ford diesel mechanic from Boston) for either one or two week stints at Soaring Unlimited in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Dorothy Frederickson is the missionary who hosts VIM teams six months of the year, attending to the needs of widows and orphans, teaching leadership classes, English and gardening classes, pre and post-natal care, providing tuition, school books, shoes, uniforms and nutritional supplements to those in need.

Soaring also operates a year-round clinic in Pister four days a week that serves a remote village of 2,000 or so. This is where our team spent our time; building and painting picnic tables for a nearby government school so kids could eat and study off the ground. We assisted in a vaccination clinic, English classes, made repairs to infrastructure in preparation for the MSU doctors arriving in March, paved the floor of the teaching pavilion, converted a 26’ x 13’ storage building into living quarters for two resident guards, created two new storage facilities, repaired earthquake damage to a building, trained a young Haitian how to maintain the diesel truck, replaced all four tires on the Toyota truck, played numerous games, musical instruments and sang with children of all ages each week. Pastor Chris conducted two highly- anticipated Leadership Classes to 20 young adults. We attended two distinctly different church services and met their congregations, ate some wonderful Haitian food, spoke a little Creole and made new friends while strengthening previous friendships. This was made all the more meaningful by the tremendous boost our team received from CUMC members’ financial and prayer support. 

We thank you!

Haiti Summary - 2014

We had no rain delays this trip but experienced two days of no gasoline in Cap-Haitien but we were prepared. Sunny and pleasant except for the final two days of 95 degree weather that soaked my clothes with sweat so thoroughly that Dorothy actually thought I had "peed my pants".

We accomplished all of our goals and managed to squeeze in two side trips for various team members. Chris, Carla and Merlene (our Haitian pharmacist) visited the landing spot of Columbus, a small fishing village north and east of the clinic, they also delivered school supplies to orphans living nearby that Dorothy supports. Laura, Mike and I joined our driver, Josue', and Jovenel Thomas (Dorothy's English instructor at the clinic) for a long-overdue trip to the Citadel (castle/fort) built at the cost of 10,000 slave's lives, and who knows what else, completed in 1813 to keep the newly independent nation of Haiti free from French incursions. A remarkable feat, an engineering marvel of its day and Haiti's largest tourist attraction....set on top of a 3,000 foot mountain where you can see 50 miles in any direction on a clear day...a beautiful sight, reminded me of the Smokey Mountains. Dr. Paul Farmer wrote the book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" and that view clearly shows what he meant, in addition to the mountains of obstacles that Haiti faces daily.

Dorothy was more like her old self, I think because she didn't have to any driving (she hired a very capable driver and handyman in Josue') and she didn't have to ration funds since we pretty much managed that.

Mike Conlan and I roomed together and he proved to be a wonderful team addition.  Together with many skills and no need for supervision, he took the initiative on several projects which really helped, since there were times I was being pulled in five different directions. We got the solar working nicely only to have an internal breaker in the Inverter go out when we tried to run the shop vac on the solar. Bad idea. The new addition was begun by the mason we hired that I worked with last year at the orphanage.  We sent money ahead so that 300 cement blocks could be made and the 9' x 12' slab could be poured and waiting for our arrival (it was and so were the four corner post rebar structures).  The building went up according to plan, one head mason and two or three tenders, Mike and I cut a door through the south wall of the old building leading into the new one so that no new exterior door would be required. We took a masonry blade for that job and it went well but it was very dirty.

A parge coat of finish cement was applied to the inside and outside walls and after two days Linda and Laura began painting two coats of paint, cutting shelves, making 4 window screens and putting up shelves.  I wired the room and the old storeroom for electric lights and plugs, together with Mike we made roof trusses, installed the purlins for the tin roofing material to rest on and Mike pretty much installed the metal roofing with the aid of a Haitian or two.  Josue and Jean Marie (one of the guards) helped us daily. The room looks fantastic.

The first week pastor Chris was assigned the job of cleaning out the old burning pit, hauling away the unburned ashes and debris and installing the stainless steel incinerator which had to be tethered by a cable to an eye bolt that he imbedded in a hole filled with concrete, same for the lid. It works great!  Temps reach 1800 degrees.  Josue and the guards were trained in its use.

Carla, Linda, Laura and Chris all took turns teaching English on Mondays and Thursdays in the morning. The water system hadn't worked in some time.  This was one of my first projects along with Mike and an English student named Samuel, we reworked a good portion of the system and water now rushes into each room instead of dribbling or not at all.  It was a big project that took parts of four days.

The early part of the days at the clinic involved sorting many boxes of "stuff" that had to be either burned or salvaged for the new storeroom.  We also cleaned out the storage depot, a separate building that will ultimately house the guards in one half and tools in the other half. We secured the two sections as one will be storage and the other used to house the guards.

Dorothy put a high priority on having a sidewalk from the road to the gate,  having a new gate to replace the fragile and cumbersome corrugated contraption in place at the time. The culvert that allows rain runoff to surge along the road and under the path to the gate was completely plugged with clay...hardened by four months of no rain until we arrived (we had three modest showers in the evening on several nights). Mike, Chris and numerous Haitians were recruited for this interesting job that gave both of them a great opportunity to interact with both adults and children for most of one afternoon.

Dorothy wanted a steel railing put up around the porch so children wouldn't tip the benches over and fall about 3' to the ground while waiting for the doctor.  We paid to have them made and they arrived the afternoon of our departure. We couldn't buy treated timbers in Haiti so I decided to have the mason make two concrete posts...8" square and 6' tall and 45" apart...these posts would accommodate a wood gate that Mike and I built after dinner and devotions on two evenings.  The quality of lumber there is quite good but you have to be a tenacious shopper to find most everything else in a timely manner. The gate went in just as we planned and we kept Dorothy off the property for three days prior to our final day when we were able to reveal the new 30' sidewalk, reinforced with rebar, that lead to the new gate.  She was VERY surprised and grateful.  She then saw the new room, observed a fire in the incinerator, made note of the working toilet, washed her hands with running water, saw the new railing and checked out the new storeroom, new roof and metal enclosure securing it, a great way to conclude the trip.

The first Saturday we went to Comer Plage (resort near Labadie) for a swim and lunch.  Chris talked me into going snorkeling with him and that proved to be a near fatal mistake, for me.  We returned to Dorothy's for the Leadership Class and about 15 young men and a couple women were there.  Chris observed and told everyone he'd be doing the class on Sunday afternoon, which he did and it was excellent and well received.  We attended church both Sundays and the second Sunday we all went to lunch near Hanania's home at a very beautiful resort called Villa Cana where a wedding reception was about to take place, however, it took 2 hours to get fed. We then met Hanania's family, all 13 of them, and Mike and I did follow-up work on the Ford truck (we had gone there another day with Bud Dennington) took some video of the way it ran, making very scary sounds, and Hanania brought fresh coconut milk to us while we were doing some testing.  Dorothy, Linda, Laura, Mike and I were there and enjoyed an hour with Hanitia, (Hanania's 3 year old daughter) entertaining us.  She is recovering from Malaria and is a real sweetheart.

I haven't mentioned Linda much but she is the best team leader you could ever ask for.  She split organizational tasks, she handled all the money and receipts, booked all the airline tickets and hotel rooms, built shelves, screens, did tremendous work with medical records and supplies, worked closely with Carla, Chris, Laura and some of the staff while Mike and I focused on the heavier construction.

We did have many light moments, enlightening rides in the truck (up to 17 persons in the back at one time), wonderful interaction with old friends and made new ones.  We did some souvenir shopping and the ladies were able to visit some homes and schools of the students Dorothy helps.  The poverty they saw was worse than previously witnessed in a couple of cases. On the brighter side, the leadership class displayed NO negative feelings about the future which was a sharp contrast to years past, testimony from the young leaders was hopeful and they each shared something about the leaders that affected their lives growing up to this point in their lives.  Parents were mentioned many times, a little unusual since some don't have both parents living at home or at all.

This was a very strong team.  No issues, lots of joy, laughs, good food, no flat tires, pretty good sleeping weather and Dorothy was happy and looking forward to the arrival of Jim and Diana Huckle, Kathy Gray  and the MSU medical team.

Thank you for your interest,

Staton

2010 Soaring Update & Photo tour of Cap-Haitien

Good news...Dorothy is back in Lansing, tired but safe and bearing news of strife, death, disease, riots, election turmoil and the ravages of Cholera. So, where to begin?

There are approximately 12,000 UN troops in Haiti charged with keeping order in a nation of several million and Cap-Haitien has over 300,000 depending on who does the counting and how many refugees have migrated there from Port au Prince. The Cholera outbreak, not yet defined as an epidemic, is blamed on certain UN troops from Nepal and according to D.F. their compound is based along the Artibonite river about 40 miles south of Cap. The septic/sewage holding tanks for this camp overflowed into the river and shortly thereafter it was determined that folks living downstream from this camp were becoming ill with Cholera and blamed the Nepalese soldiers for bringing Cholera to Haiti.

The UN denied the possibility for several weeks but now is beginning to study the possibility after riots have broken out targeting the UN troops...regardless of where they are from. When we were there in February we knew that Canada, Brazil, Portugal, Bolivia had troops in place in Cap. The outrage has led to street fighting, death by gun shots from the troops as they put down rioters who have burned police stations, money transfer stations and UN vehicles. To fight the troops Haitiens have dug 3' wide and 4' deep trenches across city streets...camofladged the ditches and waited for UN tanks and troop trucks to plunge their front axles into them and become trapped and subject to barrages of rocks and other missiles.

Sadly, people have died as a result of the protests that mean to drive the UN out of the country. A French epidemiologist has been summoned to determine the source of the Cholera outbreak and Dr. Paul Farmer has taken an active role in trying to bring medicines and reason to the solution of the deadly disease. Haiti has not had a case of Cholera for over 100 years. Cholera migrates in water that has been poluted by fecal matter, few Haitiens make a practice of washing their hands after toilet activities (sound familiar?) and rivers are often the source of drinking, bathing, and sewage disposal waters.

D.F. reports that entrepreneurs are selling paper face masks to folks on the street in the belief that the mask will prevent Cholera. Wrong! Cholera is not an airborn disease. Take the time to research how it moves from person-to-person and how lethal it is.

D.F. also reported to us yesterday that people who have died from the disease are left in the street, they aren't allowed to be buried in the cemetaries, people are terrified of touching a victim and the government is not taking an active role of any kind.

UN trucks are being burned...the trucks are full of food for the poor...food that was frequently dispensed at the clinic whenever it could be obtained. BUT there is more...there are 19 persons running for the office of president and the election is Nov. 28th. Mr. Preval is term-limited and can't run and some have speculated that there are forces afoot that might rather see the elections postponed, yet again, they were to have been held 18 months ago.

Cholera needs to be treated with antibiotics and special salts to help rehydtrate victims...it can be treated successfully but antibiotics are scarce and so are the salts. No cases of Cholera have been reported at the clinic, yet but the main generator needs repair so water can be pumped. The solar is working nicely, praise the Lord and all staff and loved ones associated with D.F.'s work are safe.

However, the clinic is running on prayer, not fumes, not money...it's been so successful in meeting the needs of the area that the demand has exceeded the most optimistic expectations and the funding. Soaring needs help and fast so that the clinic doesn't deplete the funds dedicated to tuition, uniforms, books, and shoes for the cadre of orphans that D.F. helps each semester.

Dorothy was able to get the first flight out of Cap on MFI...the government came through with heavy equipment, with UN protection, to clear the roads...they removed the burning tires, filled the ditches, removed the welded car frames that were strung across the narrow streets and hired people to sweep up the broken glass that was everywhere. Will the truce last? Only time will tell.

Like to help? Please specify that your gift go to the "clinic at Soaring Unlimited". FYI the water well at the clinic is safe and so is the well across the road.

I'm going to try and post a large file of photos that were taken by Susan Rakoczy who lived at Dorothy's last spring while waiting for her home to be readied in Cap for herself, husband and children. She has captured the essence of the beauty of the children and their parents that can only be described as precious. These photos were taken earlier this year before all the disease and trouble. She is on her way back right now to supervise the well drilling team from Minnesota. Please pray for her family and all those who have impacted our lives over the years and for the country of Haiti.

View the photos that Susan took by checking the "Links" heading and clicking on "Children & Susan..." the reason for staying connected.
Submitted by;
Staton

First Report from Haiti

Sunday
We flew in to the Bahamas to get gas because there's no airplane fuel in Cap-Haitien. We made it safe and sound, but our luggage did not arrive. Big disappointment.


Monday
11 people for breakfast. Seven from Michigan, four from Minnesota. Still no luggage. Bummer. Clinic busy. 44 patients from 9 different villages. Cap-Haitien is bustling, people are friendly. We had a flat tire halfway to the clinic, which took 3 hours to fix. Long story. We started the wiring on the clinic but had to work around the patients. A little hectic.


Tuesday
Luggage arrived, except Elena's. All solar parts accounted for. No customs (no security check before we took off either). Minnesota team: one nurse, 3 professionals who are drilling and rebuilding water wells. Drilling wells for 18 years in Haiti. 22 patients only at the clinic today. Meals are excellent and plentiful.

Wednesday
Clinic closed. Market day. Full steam ahead on solar. Installed most lights and wall plugs and control panel. Began tile project in doctor's exam room. Rained really hard overnight. Linda, Elena, Sybil (Lansing) and Irene (MN) assist in the clinic each day. Anemia, malnutrition, pain and parasites are the main maladies. Thankfully Elena's luggage arrived today.

Today
44 patients. Lots of children came to visit and play games with Amanda. Dave completed the solar frame. We completed the wiring indoors and the outdoor underground wiring. Very long, but productive day. Drillers fixed three wells. Hand pump wells just wear out. Tonight, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, fried tomatoes and cake for dessert. The ladies issued rice rations to patients also. Two and a half small bowls of rice apiece.

Tomorrow the plan is to mount the solar array. It's 53" x 99", bigger than a sheet of plywood. And it has to be raised on a 20' steel pole, with 4' buried in the ground. It's going to be a huge job. Hopefully there will be no wind.


General update
The team is working well together. Calls out of Haiti are free, thanks to AT&T. Several phone companies are doing the same, so it pays to check. But there's no internet.

Not too many people speak English. Half the group is traveling to the wells and the other half to the clinic, so it's been more difficult traveling separately. The people are very proud and clean, despite the fact that dust is everywhere. You get used to the feel of dirt on your hands. So far the folks we've met have no family or direct connections with the people in Port au Prince. You couldn't tell there was a tragedy here. Except for the traffic. Anything with wheels on it has people hanging off it like a Christmas tree. And we've noticed a lot of cement being moved around.

Temperature has been tolerable, typically in the 80s. Today was 100. But generally pleasant. My roommate is Bob. We've had electricity every night from 6pm to Midnight. It really helps a lot. Last trip we only had it for one hour each week. What a difference.

Haitians can go over to the Dominican Republic on Mondays and Fridays without a passport. So they travel 50 miles to cross the border and buy food and supplies to consume or sell.

Bananas in Haiti take year to grow. In Dominican they produce them in 4 months using fertilizers. But Haitian bananas are much sweeter and are treasured. Gasoline right now is readily available. Diesel is $3.00/gallon and gas is $4.00. It's coming from Dominican Republic now. Last year, when we were here the costs were $8.00 and $10.00 respectively. So that's an improvement.


Everyone at home is on our minds. We've had so much support and are glad to be able to give you all some feedback. So far, as they say in Haiti, 'No problems'. Except, can't locate a rim for our spare tire. (Thus the long story with regards to the flat tire).

-Staton (transcribed by Brandy via phone conversation with Staton)

Editors note: The internet service they had was provided by a tower in Port au Prince. So while calls can come in and out, email and blogging won't be possible. I'll post info when I hear from Staton by phone.

Lots of news today...

When calling into Haiti...don't give up. After dozens of attempts to reach Linda from TC, it happened today! Very good to hear her cheerful voice and to share news both directions. She was at the airport waiting for whatever might come in, the ambient noise was fierce at first but she found an isolated spot. Since all calls are cutoff at some unknown length of time...we talked fast and we did get cut off after a generous 5 minutes.

The most interesting and heartening news, was that the tiny "Clinique Medicale Soaring de Pister", that CUMC and so many others have had a hand in, is serving the injured from Port au Prince. The mayor of Pister made arrangements to bus in overflow patients from Cap-Haitien to the remote clinic...CAP is FULL but managing the influx. Our first day at the clinic in '08 found us listening/observing the animated mayor giving a speech on the porch to the workers, Dorothy and the four of us. He promised to grade the road to the clinic..."next week", he was making a promise that even Dorothy thought would never be kept...two months after we left, the road was graded...3' deep trenches were filled in. "It looked like a four-lane highway," said Dorothy who had to admit she had misread the mayor's intentions. Good things happen when you trust in the Lord. The mayor is proud of the clinic and the staff!

I told Linda to expect the 500 feet of romex wire and the solar panels on the Thursday plane from MFI and our reservations were confirmed for Sunday for the six of us on the plane to Haiti. You may recall that Linda and several MN team members were delayed. Linda will obtain 3 batteries, even better quality than we expected, and the steel pole. To keep the pole secure, which will stand 16' tall, in strong winds we decided to attach guy wires/cables to it. Sounds like a small thing but it's not cheap. Jason, the manager (owner?) at Maxbauer Ace Hardware on Front St took a real interest in our project and made sure we had the best of everything. Best of all he ran the $117 tab through his account and Soaring Unlimited's Solar Project paid $17. Praise the Lord...people care and this is just one example, support is everywhere it seems.

There's plenty of food and fruit in CAP, the new well is working, there is more electricity in CAP than Linda has ever experienced but there is no Benadryl (I think we can handle that)and while banks aren't taking checks the normal money changers seem to have ample funds for conversion. Haitian dollars are ONLY used in Haiti.

Three of the MN men may stay over for a few days when we arrive, "It's going to be a little crowded but I think you'll find the men pretty interesting," according to Linda. OK! For some reason there doesn't seem to be very many tools lying around the house...hopefully they have been secured at Edrick's home as we'll need a variety of things that we're not taking...expecting them to be there.

Because there is so much cargo for even the passenger planes...when visitors check in with their luggage they are "sized-up", literally, to see how much they themselves weigh as well as their baggage. For this reason some luggage and cargo is "bumped" to the next flight or the next. We are counting heavily on our checked baggage to make it with us as we are each carrying important components for the jobs at hand...something else to pray about.

Speaking personally and for other team members who have shared with me...the sincere best wishes expressed by friends, families and strangers (see above), proves that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in and around us.
Staton