A Nation in trouble

Today I am deep in thought. Today I am reflecting. 

I am reflecting on the journey God has placed us on. I am reflecting on the things we see living in the poorest country on this side of the world. I am thinking of the people that I encounter. I am thinking of the life that they have to endure and the life that we are able to share here. I am trying to think of how to express this to you.....

You know when you see things on TV that you become numb to? Like the starving children, crops running dry, people

 working manual labour in the fields? I wish that it somehow struck a cord with us...not necessarily to give money to the organization that is advertising it (although that is good too), but a cord of realization that it actually does exist. And not just that it actually exists, but that we would get motivated to listen to God as to where our part in this world lies.

I have been reflecting on some of the people that come to Haiti to visit. I already know what will happen in their lives before they come. Most people come thinking they will see something similar to what they have seen in Dominican Republic, Guatemala, or Honduras, or Columbia, or other poor Caribbean/South American countries, or even some come thinking it may be like what they have seen in Africa. What they find is a country very different than what they have expected (although many say that the closest place they can compare it to is Sub-Saharan Africa).

The biggest difference is that even though they may have seen poverty before, they have usually seen a country that at least has one city with wealth (given slum areas) and lots of rural poverty. They are shocked to find that as they enter the biggest city in this country (that is the size of Oakville but has 3.5 million people living in it) there are no skyscrapers (not a one!), there are not stores that you may see anywhere else, you can not walk comfortably along window shopping, there is NO fast food restaurant chains and every building (save a couple) looks like a shack. Most all vending is done along the street or in tin shack market huts.

Except for a 1% elite, no one in this country has an easy life. 

In this country, it is not whether they know how to grow crops, or if they have had crops wash away, for the vast majority they do not have the means to grow them. They do not have the money to buy the tools, they do not have the land, and if they do it is often hard dusty rock. This land is 98% deforested. A lucky few live in a water shed area and are blessed with crops. It is very normal for people to eat only one time a day. I have seen malnourished babies that mom says she feeds every 3 days, when she has food. Most people live "in the now" (fitting sermon Brux) and on only about $1.50/day (think on that for a family of 7 or 8).

Where we live I stare out to trees that our mission has planted but my yard is barren rock and all the land around me is barren rock with scrub bushes. Does this mean it can not be worked? No, it just means it is much much harder. 

As I sit here, I watch the young man that works in our yard on Saturday mornings leave. He works in our yard as a meaningful way to build relationship and to work off the fact that we are paying for him to go to school. He has no father and 6 brothers and sisters. He is the sole provider for his mother and family. He has no job. The meal I give him every Saturday, he gulps down thankfully and I know it may the only one he gets today. 

The lady (one of countless) that I saw in the clinic yesterday tells me she has 6 kids, two of them a set of twins. She has no husband and she pleads for us to take one of her children for our orphanage. She tells me that if she can just get rid of one, then it will be a little better for her to look after the others. My heart breaks at the thought of giving up one of my children. Our orphanage is full. 

There are 800 000 orphans in this country. There are even more fatherless. It is actually surprising when you hear of a dad living with a mom in the same house. Many men have many mistresses. The norm for the children that we visit in local orphanages have no shoes, often they are half clothed, their clothes often dirty or torn. They live on mats on the floor. They are sick always with diseases of lack of sanitation. They are malnourished. They crave attention, often crying as you leave them behind. Many children in orphanages in Haiti are abused sexually. Unfortunately I have medical proof.

Nothing is easy here. Even with our privileged status of having financial support from home, things are hard. You can not just run out to the grocery store, or Home Depot, or the corner store. You can not just shop at the market and get a good price (you will get the "white" price as they call it). It takes you an hour one way to go to get anything in the city. You have NO roads that are smooth. If you are lucky enough to have a paved road you start to wish you were back on the unpaved roads due to the potholes, wait no.....craters. Every where you walk is rocky and hilly and hot with barely any shade. As a woman, I can not go off the mission compound alone, I always need a male escort I have to have a driver as I am not allowed to drive further than the immediate area (with an escort of course).

Many Haitian people have no access to vehicles. If they do, they ride sometimes up to 40 people squished in the back of a truck. Many I know, walk 5 hours with a laden donkey to bring their wares to the market, only to turn around and walk the 5 hours back when they are done. They will do this 2 times a week, or they will starve. 

People here do not speak english for the most part. Most can not read or write. Only the educated do. Only 20% of the population attends school. Only 2% graduate high school. This is the biggest barrier to growth and development in this country. We are dealing with extreme lack of education.

Affordable ER care in Haiti is almost non-existent. When someone is hurt in an accident, we always wait to hear the unavoidable...they have died. The lucky? survive. There is no ER hospital for the people of this area. They can't even afford the dismal ER hospital that is an hours drive away.

HIV is rampant, but ARV drugs are not readily available. Education is not done regarding this disease. Sexual sin is rampant. Stats are almost non existent, community programs not created.

Haiti is not just like a lot of poor countries. It has many many complicated issues. They are not issues that you can or will ever solve by sitting around your table at home discussing your opinion as to what Haiti needs to do or change. You will not begin to understand the multifaceted issues of this country unless you are immersed in this country for years. 

Does this mean it is hopeless? Absolutely not. Does it mean that we should just give up? Absolutely not. Can we fix the whole country? Absolutely not. Can we start to make a difference in educating young people to grow up and make a difference in Haiti? Yes we can. Can we create a feeding program for kids to ensure that they are not malnourished while they go to school? Yes we can. Can we provide Christian based education programs? Yes we can. Can we provide a hospital with a desperately needed E.R.? We would love to. Can we provide a loving home for orphans? Yes we can. Can we create community health education programs? Yes we can. Can we turn our backs? NO WE CAN NOT

Why do we stay here despite all of this? Because God has called us here and we know it is right. Because despite all of the above, we love the people, the country and there is no other place right now we would rather be than on this poor little section of a Caribbean island.

Now, we want to challenge you to listen to what God has to say to you regarding Haiti. We believe He has brought your path to cross with ours for a reason. Not just so you can sit back and enjoy updates once in a while, but so that you can get involved. Please pray about how to get involved. We do not have your answer but He does. 

We believe the majority of you have been called to respond compassionately to use your finances to support programs and missionaries on the ground. In addition, we believe some of you are called to come and see what this is all about; to come and experience the sights, sounds and smells here on the ground. You may not see all of the things that I have talked about above (you have to live here to see all of this), but you will see the reality, you will grasp the vastness, you will touch the lives of the people and it may open your eyes to what God is calling you to do for Haiti.

We are shortly making a decision for our lives here in Haiti and would love to have you continue this journey with us. Also, there is a missions team that is being put together to visit us in October. We have attached the information regarding that and if you feel God is calling you to serve here for a week, to get a real taste of this great mission that you are already a part of then "just do it!". We would love to see you here. 

Please join us in prayer and praise for the following:

1. Praise that we have met some other American and Canadian missionaries with children that don't live too far away (with boys the same age as our boys)

2. Praise that God has been faithful through our struggles the last few months

3. Prayer for difficult decisions that we are facing as a family

4. Prayer for finances for the clinic/hospital so we can progress to ER

God Bless you all.

MISSION TRIP CONTACT:

Vaneesa Boller 

5213 Thornburn Drive, Burlington, ON  L7L 6R4 

905-336-9703 

vaneesa@boller.ca