Birmingham First UMC in Jeremie, Haiti

It has been another busy, sometimes chaotic, hot, noisy week in Jeremie. . .but well compensated by the work we’ve done, not necessarily according to plan. . .but a John Lennon lyric observed “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making plans”. Today was an important day. . .the day before we depart, lots of clean up and dis-organizing to do, not an early start, and not 9 hours on your feet doing this or that.  We did deliver 10 laptops to the the John Wesley K-12 school, along with a new and dedicated power system (thank you Ken Stoddard for your long-distance consult!). . .and were treated to a spur-of-the-moment dedication ceremony led by the Circuit Superintendent Pastor Badette and the Circuit School Inspector.  It was an upbeat hand-off of the laptops donated by Beaumont Health System (thanks Jeff Hockman!) and we can only hope that it feeds the curiosity of a young Haitian girl or boy looking to do better, for themselves, their family, their community and thei...

We suffered a casualty yesterday. . .which is my (lame) excuse for not blogging!  I apologize to those who stayed up late. . . . . .anyway, the usually thoughtful Team Leaders (who, along with the “casualty” shall remain unnamed), thought that back-to-back mobile medical/dental clinics are exhausting. . .long, hot, noisy days they are.  So, we inserted a day of painting, removal of dirt and rock from a construction project, and general yard clean-up at an orphanage in the seaside village of Roseaux. . . . . .which turned out to be long, hot and (surprise) noisy!  It was 400 degrees with 1200 percent humidity. . .and we painted the whole enchilada. . .six rooms inside, the hallway, the exterior (32 colors), all at the mercy of our Haitian paint foreman, Nisage.  He was tough, but Lovely Samedy, the orphanage director had her foot up his backside as well.   Paul and Mick did their best Les Miserables imitation on the rock pile, and Sarah and Nancy made a few b...

Where to start? We resolved to start early today in our mobile medical/dental clinic in Chiraque.  Along the way, we encounter a village up in arms over the death of a Haitian mother and child during childbirth.  The village believes the hospital is at fault, and blocked our path. . .which happens to be the ONLY road to take, and the ONLY route between Jeremie and Port au Prince, with debris fires, tree trunks and large stones.  After an hour delay, the local authorities have cleared the road and we begin our trip to Chiraque only to encounter the villagers having set up another roadblock, this time with burning tires. Through it all, we never really felt threatened as our ground crew sort of shrink-wrapped themselves around us (think figuratively, please), and they engaged the village organizers. . .they probably knew some of them, but probably also explained what out two truck/six motorbike motorcade was intending to do today. . .and also greased a palm or two! We...

This is the fourth trip that Nancy or I, or just Nancy alone, have made to Jeremie since Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.  It is ever greener, and there is a lot of construction taking place.  A word of caution. . .set aside whatever images occur to you associated with the word “construction”! It is basic, or less. . .piles of sand, gravel, cinder block, etc. . .although I have seen more backhoes in a day than I have seen since we started coming in 2011.  But it is all in earnest, 7 days a week. . .all life in Haiti is 7 days a week as most do all they can to eke out a living for themselves and their families. . .including putting a roof of their heads, bit by bit, over many years.  And they seem both earnest and grateful for the few gifts that put them a little ahead of what would be otherwise possible.  They live at that intersection of Faith and Hope and seem undeterred by the poor quality of life in Haiti, at least as we might judge it. Today’s baptism...

We were in Chiraque today, helping paint the school that was leveled by Hurricane Matthew.  We have a great and loyal Haitian ground crew. . .but the two trucks were being tested, each ferrying 10-11 persons each. .and some freight as well.  Today was nothing compared to Monday’s return trip, when we conduct a mobile medical/dental clinic.  We transport folding tables, chairs, meds, Haitian nurses, our ground crew, us. . .plus food and water for all. . .up a rutted, rocky, steep dirt “road” that is beyond anything I remember at any GM test track! School painting went pretty well. . .we had a spot of showers and it honestly felt great against the everpresent heat and humidity.  We had the village cooks prepare a meal for our crew and the village, to celebrate the renbuilding of the original school building.  Rice and beans, chicken legs, pop. . .a true feast in their eyes.  Any Pastor Felix prepared a table for the seven of us, this after we had woofed dow...

We arrived safely in Jeremie mid morning, and started beavering away!  We dumped our gear at Place Charmant and made our way to the Gebeau Depot to retrieve mobile medical supplies and Croc-like footwear donated by a neighbor back home in Metamora. . . . . .of, and before I forget, it’s around 80 degrees and sunny here. . .way better than the blizzard on Wednesday back home! While at Gebeau, we visited the start-up bakery that the Jeremie Haiti Project is supporting (Birmingham First is one of about 20 Methodist churches that make up JHP).  Pastor Claudel’s wife is supervising operations, which at the moment is bread baking two days a week.  The aromas were terrific, and as luck would have it we got there about the time the first batch came out of the overnight.  A dozen rolls for $1. . .or 8 cents a piece. . .it was delicious and would fetch a couple of bucks at Starbucks! Our two trucks were loaded to the gills with mobile meds stuff, folding tables and chair...

We are off to Haiti tomorrow.  “We” are 7 people. . .the Kellers, the McClellands, the Smiths and Anne Spence from South Carolina (an experienced Haiti traveler also!). A dozen duffels are packed to the gills.  Our plans include painting the newly rebuilt school in Chiraque, which was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew, and tiling/painting work at an orphanage in Roseaux.  We’ll also be conducting mobile medical/dental clinics in the villages of Chiraque and Testas, visiting other hurricane-related construction projects we’ve been supporting, re-outfitting the computer lab at John Wesley K-12 in Jeremie, and spending time with our (truly) old friends at the Good Samaritan elder care facility! We’ll try to share the days events with daily posts, including hopefully some pictures.  Thanks for following us in prior years, and for all forms of support that you and others provide that make the work on the ground possible. John and Nancy Smith