Haiti — Back in the USA

Well, the crew is back in the good ole USA. We're at Miami International waiting for our next and final flight, set to depart for DFW at 6:20. This is our seventh flight of the trip, one for each of our team members. LJ and Ruth elected to stay an extra night in Miami so it'll just be we five guys returning tonight.

This morning we woke up in Cayes and before half the team was awake (okay, maybe just one of us) we were in the air on Tortug Airlines headed across the mountains towards Port-au-Prince. Feelings were mixed on the team about leaving such a unique place but by the time we landed in Port I think every one of us was truly ready to go home. Travel away from family will do that to a person.

So here we go, on our way to the land of Dr. Pepper, Blue Bell and Justin Boots (thanks, Kent). See ya tonight.

UPDATE (10:00pm) — Team is home. And we brought rain! You can thank us later... Time to rest and recover after the long trip. Thank you SO much for your prayers, brothers and sisters. We felt them every step of the way, and I mean that. Knowing that you were back here lifting us up before the Father lifted our spirits greatly. Many blessings!

— John

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

Haiti -- A Much Needed Breather

The week in Chambellan is over now and the team is back at Cite Lumiere, the missionary compound in Les Cayes. Today has been a much-needed break in our trip. To avoid burnout, we stayed at the retreat center in Zanglais last night, a paradise of a place 25 miles east of Cayes. It came at just the right time, since we were coming off three days of hard work building a roof on the church building and clearing out the interior to get it ready for Tuesday night service. Add to that the emotional farewell Wednesday morning and seven hour drive over the rugged mountains and we were beat. So we crashed by the Caribbean Sea last night, some of us sleeping in the gazebo to the sound of waves crashing onto shore. Followed by rain. Oh yeah. But we survived. Today we chilled by -- and for most if us in -- the Caribbean and headed back to the guest house in Cayes. This is our first Internet contact in nearly six days. I'll have more to share later today when I get the chance but I wanted to let you know we were all right and have had a most marvelous trip. The church in Chambellan is amazing. The brothers and sisters there are concerned about you and have been praying for you. They pray God's blessings for our church. It was amazing to hear their prayers. We each will have a lot to say.

More later.

-- John

Haiti -- It Was Plane to See

Well, all is quiet at the mission compound here in Les Cayes, Haiti. The team is hunkered up at the hospitality house where the team has retired for the evening (before 10pm), save for one night owl. And he wanted to update... err... I wanted to update you on our biggest travel day so far. As I (John) wrote earlier, this morning we had an interesting travel incident. Our plane from Miami to Port au Prince turned around 20 minutes southwest of Florida and returned to Miami. It was a broken/inoperable/troubling something-er-rather that had the pilot so concerned that he wanted to get the plane down on the ground ASAP. So we landed. Roughly and swiftly. The authorities stopped the airport for us, or so it seemed. I didn't see another plane takeoff or land immediately after we did. Emergency vehicles came rushing down the runway towards our plane and we stopped on the Tarmac for about 15 minutes. Eventually, the decision was made to tow the plane to the closest open gate and transfer us to another plane. Same pilot. Same flight crew. Same flight number. Different plane, different gate. So we took off from Miami twice today. The plane ride into Port is always eye opening. After all, you have the beautiful Atlantic Ocean to gaze at with its vast array of colors, patterns and cloud formations. We passed over Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and then Haiti from north to south. Amazing scenery from 35,000 feet up. We landed and then had the fun experience of going through customs -- Haitian style. A hectic dash with 600 pounds of luggage in the pouring rain (yep. rain.) and eye-closing van ride with the RMI driver later and we found ourselves walking the streets of Port au Prince. Walking? Yes, walking. Apparently traffic doesn't move in Port like it does in Flower Mound. We think we have it bad? A two-lane road was turned into four lanes outside of the airport and, eventually, it just plain stopped. Or should I say "plane" stopped? Because, you see, we were late for our next flight, the one from Port to Les Cayes on Tortug Airlines. So we all bailed out of the van with luggage in hand and made for the Tortug terminal in the rain. Fun! Well, we did miss our flight and had to catch the next one, leaving about 30 minutes later. All was well. The flight to Cayes was actually quite nice. Haiti is a beautiful, mountainous land and the views from above could actually make someone forget the sheer and utter poverty experienced down below. We landed on LJ and Ruth's home turf, the Cayes airport, and Rob Thompson of RMI picked us up. We spent the evening enjoying some Creole cooking and visiting with Rob and wife, Becky, Amy who runs the hospitality wing of RMI, and Marilyn McLaughlin.

So tonight everyone is bushed, even night owls. So good night from Les Cayes, Haiti. Tomorrow we drive across the mountains to Chambellan and get to cherish the amazing reception the church always provides. It will be an amazing three days and, unfortunately, no internet. So the next check-in will have to come Wednesday evening from Zanglais, a mission retreat center. In the meantime we will have a church service Sunday morning and another Tuesday night. I get to preach Sunday and I plan to interview Pastor Benoit one of these afternoons. It will be amazing to get to hear what ministry in like in Chambellan and how the Lord is working through the pastors and church there. We'll do roof repair work Monday and Tuesday and maybe visit a small satelite church on the hillside that we've helped in the past (commuity of Joulee). We'll mix in a ladies tea, led by Ruth, and a deacon meeting led by, I guess, a deacon.

And we'll have pictures, videos and stories to tell when we get back. For now, it's time to rest up. Our love to all back in the Flowerplex.

-- John and the Haiti team

Haiti — Tarmac of Miami

Want to go into missions? Get used to change. On the fly. Or better put, IN flight. About 25 minutes into our flight to Port au Prince and mere miles off the coast of Grand Bahamas, our happy little plane took a wide turn to the right. It was gradual, mind you, and barely noticeable but definitely away from our desired destination. The captain came on the loud speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, you may have noticed that we've been making a turn," he said. "We're returning to Miami because of a pump problem. It's probably nothing major but we're going to go back to Miami as a precaution." Goodbye Atlantic Ocean. Hello, once again, Miami!

The passengers (including yours truly) were all in the middle of filling out customs and visa paperwork. Seems to be much less paperwork for Haiti than some countries. Interesting. So we came back.

After a rough landing and stop, the plane came to rest on the Tarmac, the pilot shut off the engines and fire trucks and security personnel surrounded the plane. After all checked out (I guess) we were towed to an open gate. The passengers were directed to another gate where a plane was waiting and now we're waiting to board. I'm not sure what this means for our second flight in Port. Guess we'll find out!

As always, keep us in your prayers!

-- John

Haiti — The Streets of Miami

Well, we're dancing in the streets of Miami tonight. Well, not exactly dancing. More like standing. Well, not exactly standing. More like loitering. Outside of a Cuban restaurant. At 9pm. LJ and Mike McMaster are over in the corner smoking their pipes. Seems to be a peaceful hobby they share. Meanwhile, Kent, Sheldon, Kenin and I are chatting about this that and the other, all while waiting for the Embassy Suites shuttle to arrive. We've done a fair amount of waiting today. Waited at DFW for the plane to leave. Waited by the curb at MIami International for the hotel shuttle to arrive. We have more waiting in store for tomorrow. Tis a good discipline.

Today we've had a great time as a team. Missing Ruth Scott, who is already in Haiti, it's just us six guys. And everyone's personality has come out in the first day of travel. It's gonna be a great trip. For example, tonight at the dinner table (see photo) we got into an hour long discussion about all things Haiti. Well, I say "we" but it was more "we" by association. Ever-inquisitive Kent Baxter peppered LJ Scott with question after question and LJ, never without an opinion, answered back. Sheldon pitched in, as did I, and we had a great time. It was wonderful. Kent has never been to Haiti and his curiosity was infectious. He wanted to know all about this place we're visiting starting tomorrow and why it was so poor. LJ has spent years living in Haiti and was a great resource. Sure, you can read about Haiti in a missions manual or see a neat photo slideshow but unless you've been there... it's just not the same. Tomorrow Kent, Kenin Lynes and Mike McMaster will learn what Haiti is really like. I haven't been in 16 years but I've never forgotten. You can't forget a place like Haiti. So beautiful and yet so poor. A place where the gospel is taking root and yet a place with such hostility to the truth of Jesus Christ. The church at Chambellan is such a huge blessing to the kingdom of heaven. And our involvement these past 21 years has blessed Crossroads significantly.

So here's our itinerary for the next few days. Tomorrow morning at 9-something we fly out of Miami to Port-au-Prince. Six men and six hundred pounds of luggage. Yep. That's my best guestimate. We have 11 bags of mission-related supplies and even more personal items. Tomorrow we'll also fly from Port to Les Cayes on the southern coast. Tortug Airlines. Dodging mountains since 1953. Ok, I made that last part up. But our ride over the Haitian countryside is none other than a 1988 Chechloslovakian prop plane. Not sure yet if we'll have to share seats with livestock. Just kidding. I'm sure we'll face this low-flying adventure with grace and love. And faith. Blind faith. Cause I may not be looking. Yeah.

We stay at Cayes Friday night and drive over the mountains to Chambellan Saturday. The plan (ever subject to change) is to spend three days with our sister church visiting, sharing our testimonies, and encouraging them. We'll also be part of a roof building mission to replace the roof on their sanctuary, damaged by a tropical storm or hurricane last summer. CBC has already sent down money to buy supplies and RMI, the organization responsible for our sister church partnership, is overseeing the project. We'll drive back to Cayes on Wednesday, visit our missionaries in Cayes on Thursday, and take three flights home on Friday.

As I've said before, communication will be hit-and-miss with more misses than hits. I'll post when I can. Remember to pray for our team and for our brothers and sisters in Chambellan.

in Christ,

— John

Haiti — Hurricane Watch

There's no need for alarm just yet but add to your prayers the weather. Kent Baxter showed me an image similar to this one last night of our newest Atlantic storm, Maria.

Maria is predicted to miss Hispaniola but these hurricanes have a habit of being unpredictable so many days out. We're hoping Maria turns into a Katia and turns out to sea. Of course, the height of the Atlantic hurricane season happens to be this Saturday, Sept. 10.

Timing. Such a funny thing.

— John