God is so good. We are thankful for a good visit to Haiti for Randy and a few coworkers. Randy returned from Haiti last week. Here is a brief trip report of how things went, and about the current conditions in Haiti.
Trip Highlights
It was great to visit with many of the kids on our campuses. We also spent time with some of our current staff and met new staff members. Hands and Feet Project is increasing efforts to reunify children with family, and we have new staff in both Jacmel and Grand Goave to help facilitate that process. We are excited about the progress being made, but it takes time to form a lasting relationship. We also talked with our talented Haiti Made staff as they were working to complete some recent orders. It’s great to see that business continuing to thrive and to see the amazing hand-crafted good that the team creates.
This trip was planned as a short-term trip for Randy and a few other co-workers to visit with the kids and staff, put on some summer events, get some updated pictures and videos, and tackle some tech projects. If you’re thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know about a trip to Haiti!” it is because we don’t often publicize when we travel for safety reasons for our teams and our staff.
Each member of the trip team had different projects to work on while we were there, meeting with staff, spending time with kids, event planning, talking with each of the kids, getting photos and videos, vacation Bible school, evaluating power and water systems, reconfiguring network equipment, and general computer maintenance. While many things were checked off the lists without any issues, the tech projects had some hiccups and challenges. If anyone works with Ubiquity UniFi network equipment and would like to offer assistance and advice, please contact Randy! You never know who might have helpful knowledge they can share!
New Travel Route
The travel arrangements were challenging to make since our usual travel partner within Haiti, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is still not flying in Haiti. The alternatives are (1) trying to use a new, small, understaffed, high demand upstart with a small plane that flies to Jacmel; and (2) taking a larger commuter plane that flies to Les Cayes and leaves us 3.5 hours drive from our closest campus and 5.5 hours from Jacmel. We went with #2 and it worked out okay. This was a new route for all of us.
We were relieved to find this route after having many difficulties with other options. It was nice to find some fairly smooth roads to travel for a change! Although we also had to pass through the town that’s known for the worst roads in Haiti…. Sometimes it seems like we spend more time going back and forth across the road to avoid potholes than we do making forward progress! Driving can be quite an adventure.
Conditions in Haiti
The communities where we work in Haiti continue to be relatively peaceful. There is some caution that must be taken given the current conditions, and knowing that some gang members from the Port au Prince and Martissant areas have been arrested in Jacmel.
We were glad to find that some stores we rely on still have a good amount of supplies. There was also diesel and gasoline available at some gas stations a couple of times while we were there. That’s good news! There is still on ongoing, intermittent fuel shortage across the country due to issues around the fuel terminal in Port au Prince.
While we were there, the news reported on a nurse and her daughter that was kidnapped in Port au Prince. After being held for 2 weeks, we are happy to share that they were released! This news brought a lot of attention to Haiti while our team was there. We pray that this attention will result in renewed efforts to help Haiti solve the government and gang issues they are dealing with. We are thankful that this attention also lead many of you to pray for our team. Thanks to each and every one of you that lifted us up in prayer!
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
-- 1 John 5:14
Daycare Update
While Randy was in Haiti, Denise was able to continue working on the new daycare opening from the states. While she had hoped it would have been opened by now, we know it’s close and God is in front and around every step of the daycare.
Our Haitian Director is doing an awesome job facilitating there. All the teachers have been hired, trained, CPR certified and are being very patient for their new jobs and adventure. The selection of children that will be attending the daycare is almost complete.
Prayer Requests
Prayers for the families we are helping as well as those that we are not able to help at this time. There is so much need. Pray that God provides even more opportunities to keep these families together. Prayers for the teachers that will be working with our kids as well as the Director as he facilitates this process.
Please continue to keep Haiti and Hands and Feet Project in your prayers. There are still many people facing severe food shortages and face starvation across the country. This is a tragic situation that needs a God-inspired solution! We continue to thank God that our organization finds the food and supplies needed to keep our operations going. This impacts not only the children in our care, but also the Haitian staff and their families, and the many families in the communities that we help.
To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen. -- Galatians 1:5