Hey guys!
I'm pretty much the worst blogger ever...at least for blogging in a somewhat regular fashion. Anyway, I'll have to keep this post short, but I have some sad news--I will be leaving Haiti earlier than expected because unfortunately my grandmother has passed away. I was scheduled to leave Port-au-Prince August 7th, but I'll be leaving this Friday so that I can make it home in time to be with my family for the funeral. I just want to thank everyone who has been praying for me and has encouraged me throughout my entire trip, you have all been a blessing to me, thank you.
Now, since my last post we've had some pretty good times around here. Last week we didn't have enough people on our team to work with me on construction, so we "borrowed" a few volunteers from another organization on the compound. This team was awesome to work with. They worked well in the chaos of Titanyen and had a blast doing it. The team this week gave me one of those "it's a small world moments"...they're all from my hometown of Williamston. I did not know any of the them personally, but we all have mutual friends, so that was kinda cool. It was actually gonna work out great to go back home with them, but I couldn't get a flight with them on saturday.
I'm really gonna miss all the people that I've met here: my Old Order Mennonite friends, the many and wonderful Haitians i've had to pleasure to work with and befriend, people at Samaritan's Purse (who we share the compound with), and the list goes on. I'm excited to see my family again, but I have to admit I'm sad to leave. I hope to post one last time with some pics before I go!
Take care everybody,
Matthew ;^)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Where the streets have no name...
Hey guys!
So I decided to title this post after my favorite U2 song, and I'll tell you why. Here are the lyrics to refresh your memory:
I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, and I see love
See our love turn to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
We're working in the village of Titanyen, where the streets and houses all sprawl out from each other, with people erected their homes or shelters anywhere and everywhere they can afford to buy a small plot of land. Every street is lined with cactuses which they prune to act as security walls. Everyone in the village knows everyone else--heck, I've been here long enough I'm convinced everyone in the village knows my name, because every day people I don't know yell, "Hey Matye!" (that's my name in Kreyol). I've learned my way around the village, but there are no street names, and everyday I can't help but think about this U2 song...I'm working truly where the streets have no name.I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, and I see love
See our love turn to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQxl9EI9YBg
In other news, Amber and I went to the beach with our Mennonite friends on Sunday. We rode in a big used army truck they use to get them and all their building supplies around in (see the pic). The water was crystal clear and we were surrounded by coral reefs. Luckily our friends brought snorkel gear so we all got to take turns swimming around discovering the colorful fish the swam in and out of the coral. At one point a group of Korean people arrived and we talked with them for a while. They were here to do reconstruction as well. Now, the language nerd in me couldn't help but notice that at this point there were speakers of Korean, Kreyol, English, and Pennsylvania Dutch all swimming in the water at the time and I wondered how often that happens around here!
Now we're just waiting for next week's team to get here tomorrow, but we'll be heading back to the beach with a few of our Haitian friends who drive and translate for us.
Take care everybody, be posting soon!
Matthew ;^)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Long overdue post
Hey guys!
Sorry for not writing in a while. Life gets a little crazy around here, with new teams every week and crazy schedules! The past two teams have been awesome and therefore have not be conducive to blogging as we have usually spent our free time talking and hanging out. In the past few weeks I've really been blessed to meet and interact with some awesome people...and not just the people on the weekly teams. As I said, the past two teams have been absolutely amazing to work with. Mostly, they were people that I could really get along with and have a good time with as we built the shelters and then back on the compound. I felt like I was really able to connect to last weeks team, and I made some very good friends--one in particular, Noelle, a restaurant manager who would like to come back for Samaritan's Purse, would stay up late and have really good conversation. Both those teams really tried to connect with the people in Titanyen, which makes the whole experience so much better. I've also made some friends with the horse-and-buggy Mennonites that are on the compound (for all intents and purposes, think Amish). One in particular is named Tim and he and I have talked about a lot of very deep topics and I have been thoroughly impressed by him. It's funny, he and Noelle and I were talking and we all commented that we felt like we all had known each other for a long time, and I really like these folks. Also, I've uploaded a picture of some of the volunteer workers from the village: (from left ot right) Jude Marie, Pierre, and Sanjus. I love these guys and that are a blast to work with. They don't get paid, but volunteer with us everyday. Usually the teams will give them a little something (which usually amounts to a decent week's wage here). Pierre is really cool to interact with because he's deaf, but he definitely knows what he's doing and livens things up on the worksite!
Well, I hope to have some more pictures and a future blog about my Mennonite friends. So stay tuned...
Matthew ;^)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Treks to the clinic...
Hey guys!
Sorry this post doesn't come with pictures, but I haven't been able to take a whole lot recently and in the episode that I want to recount I didn't have my camera. Things are going well in Titanyen, and I've gotten to know a lot of the locals and am coming along with learning Kreyol. Mwen capab pale piti Kreyol. Actually, I even interpretted for the team last week! It was a rough translation, but I got the job done.
So, I want to write about my experience in the clinics today. Normally, I don't go with the medical teams to the clinics. However, on Tuesdays, they come to Titanyen, the village where we construct the houses everyday. Well, a recent friend of mine is Bwinel. He is 16 years old, his father is dead and his mother is very sick. He has worked with us for the past several weeks on a voluteer basis--he's volunteerin his own free time to help out his village. He's told me for the past few days that he's having trouble seeing. When I told him he could come to the clinic on Tuesday, he was very excited, but a little scared because he had never been to a doctor before. So he asked me to go with him, and I did. He and I skipped work this morning to go to the clinic where he received medicine for his eyes and sunglasses to work in. He told me that he was very happy that we could go to the clinic.
Well, later on today, and little boy ran up to me and grabbed onto my leg to get my attention. This is somewhat normal in the village, as we are somewhat of a novelty. Except he grabbed me to show me, very calmly, a rather deep gash on the back of his head. I told him (in Kreyol!) that there were doctors in the village and I could take him up there. So, he climbed onto my back and I carried him, piggy-back, to the clinic. His name was Vila. There me and another man from our team helped calm him down when the Dr. Francis cleaned his wound and put several stitched in his head. I took him back to his house and he introduced me to his mother and sister. They all live in a hut (if I could even call it that) made of random sticks and cloth tied together. I'm glad Vila was ok, and even if I didn't accomplish anything for the rest of the day, meeting him made it a day worth living.
I hope to have pictures soon, but until then, take care and God bless!
;^)
Sorry this post doesn't come with pictures, but I haven't been able to take a whole lot recently and in the episode that I want to recount I didn't have my camera. Things are going well in Titanyen, and I've gotten to know a lot of the locals and am coming along with learning Kreyol. Mwen capab pale piti Kreyol. Actually, I even interpretted for the team last week! It was a rough translation, but I got the job done.
So, I want to write about my experience in the clinics today. Normally, I don't go with the medical teams to the clinics. However, on Tuesdays, they come to Titanyen, the village where we construct the houses everyday. Well, a recent friend of mine is Bwinel. He is 16 years old, his father is dead and his mother is very sick. He has worked with us for the past several weeks on a voluteer basis--he's volunteerin his own free time to help out his village. He's told me for the past few days that he's having trouble seeing. When I told him he could come to the clinic on Tuesday, he was very excited, but a little scared because he had never been to a doctor before. So he asked me to go with him, and I did. He and I skipped work this morning to go to the clinic where he received medicine for his eyes and sunglasses to work in. He told me that he was very happy that we could go to the clinic.
Well, later on today, and little boy ran up to me and grabbed onto my leg to get my attention. This is somewhat normal in the village, as we are somewhat of a novelty. Except he grabbed me to show me, very calmly, a rather deep gash on the back of his head. I told him (in Kreyol!) that there were doctors in the village and I could take him up there. So, he climbed onto my back and I carried him, piggy-back, to the clinic. His name was Vila. There me and another man from our team helped calm him down when the Dr. Francis cleaned his wound and put several stitched in his head. I took him back to his house and he introduced me to his mother and sister. They all live in a hut (if I could even call it that) made of random sticks and cloth tied together. I'm glad Vila was ok, and even if I didn't accomplish anything for the rest of the day, meeting him made it a day worth living.
I hope to have pictures soon, but until then, take care and God bless!
;^)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Into the city...
Alo everybody!
Sorry it's been a while since i've blogged, but the internet on the compound has been a little funny for the past few days. Last week we went into Port-au-Prince with the team for dinner after we knocked off early from working in Titanyen. Here are a few pictures from the city. As you can see, the presidential palace is still in ruins, and I think demonstrates the state of Haiti as a nation: even the presidential palace hasn't even begun to be rebuilt. The other building is a large Catholic church that was also reduced to rubble after the earthquake. A lot of tent cities have popped up around the city. For example, the public parks around the palace now house several thousand people living in tents and improvised shelters. The poverty you see breaks your heart, and you wish you could snap your fingers and it all be fixed for these people who have to live everyday in very humble (understatment!) conditions.
Scott, here at the compound has told us several times, "Haiti will do two things to you: it'll break your heart, but then it'll bless you." I've definitely had my heart broken for Haiti, and now working with the people in Titanyen, I'm starting to see how it blessses people too. I've had to privilege to work with several men and teenagers from the village building the houses, and I enjoy working with each one of them. Sure, there's a lot of things we do that the other culture doesn't understand, but in the end we're able to laugh (and even sing!) while we work.
anyways, the other picture is just a p icture I took at sunset here on the compound; the sky was gorgeous.
Well, stay tuned, and I hope to have more pics soon!
Matthew ;^)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Rainy season: part two
Sak ap fe? (What's up?)
Things are going pretty good around here, but still hot as ever! The team from last week left on saturday, and I was a little sad to see them go. They were a very good team to work with, and Amber and I were glad to have them as our first team. One guy on the team, William, left me his boots to wear out to the construction site--thanks Will! After we dropped them off at the airport, we went with Scott and Janet (the missionaries who run our house on the compound) to buy groceries in P-au-P. The traffic was crazy--and that's saying a lot considering the traffic i've seen in India! It is by far the most congested city I've ever seen, with the biggest lack of organization to their traffic (but what else can you do in a developing country after a devastating earthquake?). The rest of the weekend was rather relaxed, because our team this week only consists of one man named Roy...he's a nice ol' guy.
This week, since we only have one other team member, we teamed up with Global Outreach, another relief organization on the compound, to build a few shelters up in the mountains north of P-au-P. So far things have gone pretty smoothly, and they are a good group to work with too. Today the bottom dropped out of the sky while we were working, and not for the first time in my life I found myself atop a roof working rather quickly to finish the rafters and tin roof as the monsoon hit. I rather enjoy it though, makes ya feel alive. On the way down from the mountains lightening was strking the hills around us and when we turned one corner the hillside had caught on fire! Luckily the heavier rains were right behind us and I assume the fire was put out.
So I managed to upload a few pictures--I've been trying for a couple days now. These are just a few that I've taken around the Port-au-Prince.
The first is of me and Jesse a team member from last week (you'll have to forgive his facial expression, he wasn't ready, he's actually a really nice guy). The second is quite obviously a collapsed building from the earthquake. I liked his guy on the bike in a suit, hehe. The last picture is of a tent camp that has sprung up outside of the city since the earthquake.
The first is of me and Jesse a team member from last week (you'll have to forgive his facial expression, he wasn't ready, he's actually a really nice guy). The second is quite obviously a collapsed building from the earthquake. I liked his guy on the bike in a suit, hehe. The last picture is of a tent camp that has sprung up outside of the city since the earthquake.
Well that's all for now, I hope you're all doign great back home, and God bless
Matthew ;^)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
First sign of the Rainy Season
Bon Swa again!
The last couple days have been interesting. Let's see, the tarantula capturing count is only up to three, but I've got the rest of the summer, so that number can improve. Yesterday was a bit slow for the building team. I've been putting tarp up around the shelters and yesterday we only tarped two because I left to help the building team finish framing a few others and then the monsoon hit in the early afternoon. We decided to call it a day, but then a truckload of building supplies arrived and we had to unload it...at the worst part of the downpour. I was soaked to say in the least (but if you've kept up with my blogs of my past trips you know this now makes 4 monsoons in 4 different countries, so I kinda expected it). It was a crazy afternoon; the Haitian men on our team rounded up as many community members to help us unload as possible: men, women children, all grabbed something out of the truck and we had it unloaded in about 15 minutes. In the chaos I did manage to step in sewage as I helped a guy in the village carry some tin roofing units...se la vie (of course I don't know any French). Today however, we caught up from yesterday and finished 5 units.
It's really very heartbreaking to see the conditions that most of the people live in. It's rather common for a woman to have 5-8 kids, and many of them are undernurished (from what our medical team has told us they've seen). I've seen a lot of similar situations in India as well, and it really breaks your heart to know that you can't personally help everyone there. That's when I just have to rely on the fact that God will use me to help people I do come into contact with and many times I'm also left better off because of that "poor" person's presence in my life.
Well, I gotta run, but I hope to have some pictures soon!
Matthew ;^)
The last couple days have been interesting. Let's see, the tarantula capturing count is only up to three, but I've got the rest of the summer, so that number can improve. Yesterday was a bit slow for the building team. I've been putting tarp up around the shelters and yesterday we only tarped two because I left to help the building team finish framing a few others and then the monsoon hit in the early afternoon. We decided to call it a day, but then a truckload of building supplies arrived and we had to unload it...at the worst part of the downpour. I was soaked to say in the least (but if you've kept up with my blogs of my past trips you know this now makes 4 monsoons in 4 different countries, so I kinda expected it). It was a crazy afternoon; the Haitian men on our team rounded up as many community members to help us unload as possible: men, women children, all grabbed something out of the truck and we had it unloaded in about 15 minutes. In the chaos I did manage to step in sewage as I helped a guy in the village carry some tin roofing units...se la vie (of course I don't know any French). Today however, we caught up from yesterday and finished 5 units.
It's really very heartbreaking to see the conditions that most of the people live in. It's rather common for a woman to have 5-8 kids, and many of them are undernurished (from what our medical team has told us they've seen). I've seen a lot of similar situations in India as well, and it really breaks your heart to know that you can't personally help everyone there. That's when I just have to rely on the fact that God will use me to help people I do come into contact with and many times I'm also left better off because of that "poor" person's presence in my life.
Well, I gotta run, but I hope to have some pictures soon!
Matthew ;^)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Haitian Adventure Begins!
Bon jou! Koman ou e? Mwen tres bien, merci!
Wow, where to begin? I guess I'll start with the compound. So, we are livng on a compound that is owned by a group called World Outreach, but most of it is being leased by Samaritan's Purse, the NC Baptist Men, and a group called Friend-Ships (which brings supplies by ship to disaster areas). We've met a few people from other organizations but we are each very busy so there is little time to interact with them. The 82nd Airborne from Fort Bragg left dozens of crates of water bottles on the compound when they left, which is kinda cool being a native of Fayettenam. The man sleep on the back porch, while the women sleep inside the house. A past time of enticing tarantulas out of their holes in the ground has developed among the men (us boys will be boys). So far we've successfully pulled out three, though the back yard is full of their borroughs (don't worry ma, I aint got bit yet!).
We have been working with the construction and medical teams that are here for this week. I go with the construction team, and so far we have finished 6 houses with one left to be tarped. We start at about 6 in the morning and work to 12 when we eat lunch, then head out to work again until 4 or 5 pm. It is hot! But that was to be expected...this aint nothing after 2 summers in Delhi! We've been working with a team of Haitian men and women on the medical and construction teams. I've become friends with a few of them who are teaching me Haitian Creole. Two in particular are Freguens and Laurent. There are also a few teenage boys from the village of Titayen that have been helping us. One of them, Pierre, has especially fascinated me; he is deaf and still works as hard as any of us. He's been deaf since birth and only makes noises instead of any intelligible speach (ironically enough the noises he makes sound kinda like the word "hammer" some times). He amazes me everyday because he is the friendliest guy you'll meet. He demonstrates that he clearly has a grasp of what is going on and what he's doing when we are building. I hate to say it, but I think he shows that language isn't everything (yes I cringed a little as I typed that). He is fascinating to watch and work with and I am looking forward to working with him for the summer.
Welp, I think that's all for now. I'll write soon!
Au revoir,
Matthew ;^)
Wow, where to begin? I guess I'll start with the compound. So, we are livng on a compound that is owned by a group called World Outreach, but most of it is being leased by Samaritan's Purse, the NC Baptist Men, and a group called Friend-Ships (which brings supplies by ship to disaster areas). We've met a few people from other organizations but we are each very busy so there is little time to interact with them. The 82nd Airborne from Fort Bragg left dozens of crates of water bottles on the compound when they left, which is kinda cool being a native of Fayettenam. The man sleep on the back porch, while the women sleep inside the house. A past time of enticing tarantulas out of their holes in the ground has developed among the men (us boys will be boys). So far we've successfully pulled out three, though the back yard is full of their borroughs (don't worry ma, I aint got bit yet!).
We have been working with the construction and medical teams that are here for this week. I go with the construction team, and so far we have finished 6 houses with one left to be tarped. We start at about 6 in the morning and work to 12 when we eat lunch, then head out to work again until 4 or 5 pm. It is hot! But that was to be expected...this aint nothing after 2 summers in Delhi! We've been working with a team of Haitian men and women on the medical and construction teams. I've become friends with a few of them who are teaching me Haitian Creole. Two in particular are Freguens and Laurent. There are also a few teenage boys from the village of Titayen that have been helping us. One of them, Pierre, has especially fascinated me; he is deaf and still works as hard as any of us. He's been deaf since birth and only makes noises instead of any intelligible speach (ironically enough the noises he makes sound kinda like the word "hammer" some times). He amazes me everyday because he is the friendliest guy you'll meet. He demonstrates that he clearly has a grasp of what is going on and what he's doing when we are building. I hate to say it, but I think he shows that language isn't everything (yes I cringed a little as I typed that). He is fascinating to watch and work with and I am looking forward to working with him for the summer.
Welp, I think that's all for now. I'll write soon!
Au revoir,
Matthew ;^)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
We made it
Hey guys!
So, just wanting to let everybody know that we made it safely to Port au Prince this morning. Two medical workers, Dan and Clara, met me at RDU and we flew from there to Miami, and then Miami to Port au Prince. It was a rather short trip compared to two summers of 15 hour flights to asia!
It's very hot, but that was expected. Scott and Janet are the couple that run the compound and they seem pretty nice. We saw some of the destruction from the earthquake coming in, and it seemed a little surreal. We only hit the outskirts of the town so we probably havent seen most of it. We did drive by several huge groups of tents that have popped up since the quake. Some of the medical teams will be going into some of them to provide free clinics. We have a view of the Caribbean Sea from the compound, and the water is really gorgeous.
Not much more to say for now, we're just settling in...more to come soon!
Matthew ;^)
So, just wanting to let everybody know that we made it safely to Port au Prince this morning. Two medical workers, Dan and Clara, met me at RDU and we flew from there to Miami, and then Miami to Port au Prince. It was a rather short trip compared to two summers of 15 hour flights to asia!
It's very hot, but that was expected. Scott and Janet are the couple that run the compound and they seem pretty nice. We saw some of the destruction from the earthquake coming in, and it seemed a little surreal. We only hit the outskirts of the town so we probably havent seen most of it. We did drive by several huge groups of tents that have popped up since the quake. Some of the medical teams will be going into some of them to provide free clinics. We have a view of the Caribbean Sea from the compound, and the water is really gorgeous.
Not much more to say for now, we're just settling in...more to come soon!
Matthew ;^)
Friday, May 28, 2010
Before I leave...
Hey guys!
This is just my preliminary entry before I leave for Haiti. I'm gonna be working with the disaster relief organization, NC Baptist Men. I'll be flying out of RDU at 6:50AM on Sunday, May 30th. I've got to make this short but I hope you'll follow me throughout the summer!
Matthew
This is just my preliminary entry before I leave for Haiti. I'm gonna be working with the disaster relief organization, NC Baptist Men. I'll be flying out of RDU at 6:50AM on Sunday, May 30th. I've got to make this short but I hope you'll follow me throughout the summer!
Matthew
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
