Haiti -- Chambellan

Since it was such a long time out of Internet connection, I (John) wanted to let you know what we've been up to the past six days. Trust me, it was a lot. I'll include the day's accomplishments at the top of each day and a few details below if you want to read more.

For those who are unfamiliar with our Haiti mission, let me sum it up briefly. In 1990 CBC became affiliated with a small Baptist church in rural Haiti through RMI (Reciprocal Ministries International). RMI's mission is to connect churches in the US to churches in Haiti for the sake of mutual support and partnership. Our first team traveled to Chambellan, the church RMI hooked us up with, in 1990. We have sent teams there frequently over the past 21 years, though our frequency has slowed down over the past six years. We have sent work teams, music teams, youth teams, and pastoral staff to Chambellan to assist the church there and encourage them. They have allowed us to bring several people to Crossroads and blessed over 100 CBC members.

This trip has had a three-fold mission: to help them build a new roof that CBC sent the money ahead of time to buy materials, to celebrate our 20 years of partnership together (we didn't go last year), and to encourage the believers there for the first time after the earthquake.

Saturday

• Drove from Cayes, on the southern coast, to Chambellan, over the mountains
• Encountered two construction roadblocks that set us back several hours
• Team was met by the church on the road into Chambellan and escourted into church yard

Saturday was a major travel test for our 7-person team and RMI crew. We woke up in Les Cayes and loaded up four RMI vehicles for the 74-mile trip over the rugged penninsula mountains to our destination in Chambellan. Chambellan is located eight miles east of the very tip of Haiti. It's in a valley between two mountains and by a major river. But getting there is no picnic. The road from Cayes to Jeremie, the largest city on the nothern end of the penninsula can beat up even the hardiest of traveler with its winding path of gravel and mud. There is a mountain pass, river crossing and many perilous drop-offs. The route can take as short as five hours but today was not to be our lucky day. Construction on the road outside of Cayes led to two delays that equaled two hours. We got out of our vehicles and sweated through the late morning sun, a hindrance that would drain most of our energy. The rest of our energy was taken up by the sheer challenge of hanging on for dear life as pothole after canyon after caldera caused the RMI drivers to slow to crawling speed and hit bump after bump. Sheldon, LJ, Ruth and I knew what was coming. Kent, Mike and Kenin didn't. I think it hit Kent the worst. Finally, after nearly 10 hours of tossing about in automobile cabins, we arrived on the outskirts of Chambellan. It was dark and we were three hours behind schedule. There was no way the good people of Chambellan Baptist would be waiting for us to arrive. Why would they? But they were. And in great spirits, too! The school brigade was there, the men and women of the church, and maybe even a few community members, too. They clogged the road outside of town and we got out and walked along with them, shaking hands we could barely see and saying a whole lot of "Bonswas" (good evening) to people we'd never met before. It was an amazingly encouraging moment after 10 hours of rough travel. Being dark, there wasn't much of a celebration party after we walked into the church compound. Pastor Jean Benoit, the pastor, said a few words of greeting and then we unloaded our 600 pounds of luggage and stepped into the fellowship hall for a very late dinner.

Sunday

• Attended church and gave our greetings
• Presented Pastor Benoit and the deacons with a plaque commemorating our 20 years together
• Read letter from CBC pastors and directors to the church
• John Newton preached from Philippians 1
• Work began on the wooden trusses for the new sanctuary roof

Sunday was a long day for your crew. Exhausted from three days of travel, we woke up early to find out the church service was earlier than expected. And that it was in a different location -- the public school being built next door. There is a lot to say on this surprise. We were expecting to have church in the same old Chambellan sanctuary but found it quite unusable for services. Even more, we found it not there any more. Gone. In its place was a larger cinder block enclosure in a different design. No roof. No floor. Just walls that looked like they were put together yesterday. Which, we found out, was almost true. Here's why. The earthquake did more damage than first thought to the structures at CBC (Chambellan Baptist Church). In fact, the walls of the sanctuary were so damaged that they becamea major hazard to the worshippers there. When the pastor and deacons examined the structure's roof earlier this summer they discovered major cracks in the supporting walls. So after prayer and discussion, they decided the only option was to tear the old building down and start over. And, if starting over, why not expand it to meet their growth? So they paid a contractor to work on the walls and RMI helped them get it ready for the roof we were already planning to assemble. By the way, we found cracks in all the buildings of the church compound. Which ones were earthquake damage is nearly impossible to tell. So we met with the church in a room of the school building. Each team member got to introduce themselves and Sheldon and I (John) presented a plaque in Creole celebrating our 20 years together. I later read a letter from the CBC pastors and directors to the church and gave Pastor Benoit a letter from the CBC elders. Then it was my turn to preach. As the pastor on duty this trip, I prepared a sermon on encouragement and love from Philippians 1 and tried to keep things as brief as possible. Haitian worship services can be very long and I knew that I could easily make this one even longer. So I chose not to but still got my point across. That afternoon the church decided that time was a wastin' and everyone got out their tools and the lumber and we measured, cut and assembled 16 trusses for the roof. It was an amazing experience. Though there were only five working "blancs" (white people) on the trip, we managed to work our way in with the scores of Haitians wanting to help. RMI staff directed everyone and the trusses were assembled quickly. We ate a satisfying dinner that night and crashed out of exhaustion. 

  

Monday

• Assembled the trusses on the cinder block walls.
• Started adding tin to the roof and got over half covered. 

From John's journal: "As I sit here typing at 5 o'clock in the morning on a Tuesday, I'm listening to a symphony of sound around me. At home I hear airplanes every four minutes, barking dogs and noisy trucks. But in Haiti I'm hearing the sounds of a rooster alarm clock, a bleating goat, the ticking of Madam Benoit's wall clock (I replaced the battery yesterday), and the underscore of chirping crickets. The birds are adding soprano and alto to the mix and, now, another rooster is singing harmony. The sun is soon to bring this masterpiece to a crescendo and the day will begin. I expect there will be plantains and pineapple for breakfast along with fresh juice and some form of bread. We have been fed well here in Haiti. The women of Chambellan Baptist, much like every other church I've experienced, not only know their way around a kitchen (how can I even describe the Haitian kitchen?!) but know their way around gourmet. They can use little to make a lot, a skill I'm sure I could use. Our diet has been quintessentially Haitian, and I expected nothing less. Plantains and breadfruit, papaya and pineapple, beans and rice, goat and chicken, and these magnificent french toast-like pastries they served Sunday night. I had three of 'em. We've been spoiled. Lunch is the major meal here. Breakfast is light and fruity, lunch is heavy and filling, and dinner is moderate and satisfying. The ladies of this church have been an absolute blessing to the team. They have been busy non-stop, shuffling ingredients from the cook house to the fellowship hall (a concrete bunker of sorts). They don't say a word unless you're rubbing your tummy and smiling, saying "Meci anpil! Manje bon!" which means "Thank you so much! The food was good!" I managed to get big smiles and a "your welcome" from the ladies the first time I tried that after a meal. But after several meals, I think they expect that from me now. Better change my smile tactic."

 

It's foggy this morning. I haven't seen fog in months. Can barely see the coconut tree across the church yard. The fog is making things seem very out of place outside. Yesterday the work crew put a tin metal roof on the new church building. trusses went up one after another ad workers from RMI and Chambellan Baptist ascended the heights to put them together. When we finished ahead of time, the decision was made to go ahead and start putting tin on the trusses. Over half of the roof was completed before sunset, a remarkable feat. It is galvanized steel, which shines and glistens. With the fog, it almost looks like a roof coated in snow. Strange for the tropics, eh? Well, the coffee's on and a few friends are enjoying it on the front porch. Better go join them."

Monday was a work day all day. We were going from daybreak to sunset. Haitians and Texans working side by side, joined by the bond of the Holy Spirit and desire to get a roof on this new structure.

 

Tuesday

• Finished the roof and celebrated by continuing the work inside -- breaking rock and tearing down what remained of the old church foundation in order to level the floor.
• Ruth Scott and Marilyn McLaughlin (of RMI) held a "ladies tea" function for 50 women of the church of all ages.
• Chambellan church held a Tueday night prayer service in the new building. John preached again.

Tuesday completed our days of exhausting work. We finished the roof and worked to level the floor. Why the floor? Because Pastor Benoit wanted to hold the very first church service in the new building while we were in town. Most of us didn't think there was a chance the building would be ready for a service. There was rubble all over the floor, no electricity, and no windows, shutters or doors. But we were dead wrong. Our ladies held a tea event (52 showed up) at the public school and in the evening we had a worship service in the new building. I (John) preached from Matthew 7. At the service, emotions were high. For two months the Chambellan fellowship had been meeting at the publoc school. Having a roof over the bare walls meant they could have a church service inside regardless of weather. So Pastor Benoit wanted to have the first service there while we were in town. At the service we all said our goodbyes to the church. We'll leave at 8am tomorrow and make our way back to Cayes and then the retreat center in Zanglais for some R&R.

 

The team is tired. We've worked harder than we planned, taking the lead on roof work today. The food has been plentiful and excellent, thanks to the awesome ladies of MEBSH. But sleep is fleeting. It has been a wonderful trip but the gang is not looking forward to another day of automobile pinball as we cross the mountains again.

 

Wednesday

• Ended our time in Chambellan by praying with our sister church and saying goodbye.
• Drove from Chambellan to Cayes, then Zanglais, 25 miles east of Cayes.
• Stayed at Zanglais overnight, getting rest and reviewing our trip.

 

View from the gazebo at Zanglais.

From John's Journal:

"As I sit here tonight, I can hear the sound of the sea pounding softly on the southern shores of a Caribbean paradise. There is lightning on the horizon. I only hope it is a tease and not a prelude. The moon is full and staring at me proudly at about 10 o'clock on the celestial dial. Time will soon follow suit, and I will once again lay my head down to rest for the night. But tonight will be different from all other nights in my life. Always before, when I went to bed, I had some sort of roof over my head. I will again tonight. But walls will not be found. Nor barking dogs, rumbling airplanes or noisy generators. For tonight I am at Zanglais, a missionary retreat center 25 miles east of Les Cayes, Haiti. And Zanglais has a gazebo. And that gazebo offers unhindered views of the Caribbean Sea. And I am sleeping in that gazebo tonight. Sheldon, Kenin, Rob Thompson of RMI and I decided to fall asleep to the sound of the surf and chill of the sea breeze. So we folded down three deck chairs and placed mattresses on them, on loan from the Zanglais bunkhouse, and we're chilling under the moon, stars and thatched roof of the gazebo.

 

This is a day we needed rest and RMI has provided it at their wonderful resort. This morning we woke up in Chambellan to a marvelous breakfast of Haitian omelets, pineapple, and fresh juice. It was to be our last meal in the small town. After eating, the church gathered around us as we said our goodbyes and loaded into SUVs and trucks for the long journey back over the mountains to Cayes. It was so hard to say goodbye. Even though we only spent three days and four nights in Chambellan, the incredible hospitality and love shown to us swept us off our feet. People gave up their comfort for us to have ours. Women worked non-stop to provide meals and even wash our clothes. Talk about humbling! The men worked hard to build a roof on their new sanctuary and clear rubble inside. The kids... well, the kids just played around and stared at the "blancs," trying to do their kiddly best to either play with us or get under our skin. In a kiddly way. I could barely understand them when they spoke but I did manage to learn and remember the names of a few. Language is a funny thing, you know?

 

"We made our way to Cayes and then Zanglais over the peninsula mountain range, a formidable landscape that is both breathtaking and breath holding. Guardrails haven't been invented in Haiti yet. Or so I've concluded. Dirt roads wash down into gorges and massive boulders can send a car several feet to one side. And potholes... well, they were more like cauldron canyons than something you'd find in a kitchen. The 74.9-mile trip (as measured by GPS) drained our energy on Saturday and I think each one of us was afraid it would do the same today. It did. For the most part. Emotionally, physically, and maybe even spiritually, we're all spent. It has been an amazing journey and this rest night is just what the doctor ordered. Tomorrow we head back into Cayes to visit various elements of the Cite Lumiere mission compound and stay one more night there. Then on Friday we hop on three flights to get back to Texas.

 

Speaking of getting back, I'd like to get back to my bed by the bay, my serenity by the sea. "Bon nwi" (good night)."

 

Thursday

• "Resorted" at the retreat center in the morning
• Visited City Lumiere mission compound in the PM and visited the Centre Lumiere vocational school for women.

From John's journal:
"Well, the tease turned into six hours of reality for the oceanside crew last night. Peacefulness with an ocean soundtrack turned into noise with an ocean soundtrack accompanied by downpours of rain and swift winds. But the gazebo roof held firm and we only got splattered and not soaked. Rob Thompson, the RMI field director, told me this morning that there was an earthquake off the coast of Jamaica and Cuba. Happened only a few hours ago, apparently. I remember hearing some massive waves midway through the night but it would be presumptuous to say they were a result of the quake. However, the quake just serves as a reminder of the danger zone we are still in. A major fault line runs from just north of Puerto Rico, through the island of Hispaniola (including Haiti) and splits Jamaica and Cuba. The fault ends up in Guatemala, or somewhere close. It wasn't the one responsible for the 2010 Haiti quake, though. That was another fault that runs through the Haitian peninsula. I'm not positive but I think we're near it here in Zanglais.

 

"My emotions this morning are confused, I'd say. Mentally, I'm very tired, just like the rest of my team. It's hard to not be tired after so many nights of little sleep and physical labor. Even though I could not do as much hard labor as my teammates, I wasn't used to working so much in the humidity and, sometimes, heat. It's kind of funny typing that because the old Texas adage says, "It's not the heat, its the humidity," and that adage rang true for Haiti. It wasn't hot by Texas standards here. Actually, each morning started with very pleasant temperatures and fog rolling down the Chambellan valley. But the humidity was so high that standing or sitting in the shade produced beads of sweat. Siting inside the pastor's house produced beads of sweat. Laying on a bed produced beads of sweat. We lost at least a pint of water each day and most likely more. So keeping hydrated was a must. Thankfully, we all downed water like it was going out of style and did quite well. The breeze also failed us on two of the days. But so far, by God's marvelous grace we are well and quite happy. No sign of illness. What a blessing!"

Tomorrow we go home. Three flights, the first at 7AM. That means wake-up comes around 5. We'll come home sometime after 8, assuming travel is on schedule. I know we can't wait to see you all again but we're all, to a person, going to miss Haiti. This has been a remarkable trip with remarkable men and women. I can't wait to share more with you soon.

-- John