You don’t know exactly what to expect when traveling to a very remote part of Haiti, but one thing is certain; there is comfort in traveling as a group. The first new reality for us was hopping in the back of the big blue cage truck and getting transported through Port Au Prince over the mountains to Jacmel, several hours away. Immediately we noticed that the uncontrolled traffic had a definite pattern, and that pattern was chaos. As we drove through the city we realized that life in Haiti is more about making it through today than planning for the future. After a couple of hours of steep hills and tight curves on one of the few paved roads, we arrived at Jacmel to be treated to good food, a swim, and a comfortable bed. The next day was Sunday and in stark contrast to the dirty streets lined with garbage, there were hundreds of people dressed meticulously in clean pressed colourful clothing making their way to Church.
After a few more hours in the back of the truck on a barely perceptible river rock road and multiple river crossings through water up to 3 feet deep, we could go no further except on foot. The next 1.5 hours of mountain hiking with packs weighing up to 50 lbs. took us to our destination. It wasn’t easy, but the setting was beautiful, and we found out that Lisa can out-hike Ed, and he will gladly let her.
We were shown to newly built bunkrooms with fresh sheets and pillows, block partition walls to an open ceiling, so we could all enjoy the loud snorers. We soon realized that it would be impossible to maintain good housekeeping because nothing in Haiti ever dries out unless it’s in direct sunlight, and we were there near the end of a rainy season. If it wasn’t 28 degrees and raining, it was 32 degrees with 95% humidity. This is not something you acclimate to easily.
One of the first things a few of us needed to do was install some solar lighting; first in the bunkhouse, then in the building below that housed teachers, staff, kitchen and dining room.
The following days were filled with hard work building desks, block walls for two new classrooms, roof trusses, carrying mortar and bricks, playing with kids, swimming in the river and eating great food. For Lisa and I, the absolute best part of the trip was to see how happy the kids are at the school. Many of them walk 2-3 hours each way, some even longer, and they arrive clean and smiling in their school uniforms, curious as to what the white people are doing there. Aside from the most fun thing of handing out Skittles every day, some of Lisa’s favorite things were spending time with the kids, handing out lunch to the kindergarten classes, sneaking food to the dog under the table, and she even enjoyed helping the guys with the heavy work of carrying blocks and mortar and Cont’d on page 3 stuffing paper in the gaps where the concrete leaked out. Ed’s favorite things about Haiti are the beautiful people and their ability to enjoy life with bare minimums, the way they care for each other, and the crazy way they drive in the city. It was a really neat experience to watch as the hillsides came alive with local activities in the mornings. We were all amazed that over 400 students attend the Marbial school because there are no towns anywhere near it, and we could never see more than a few houses at one time.
We both greatly appreciated the hospitality we were shown at the base in Marbial, and the opportunity to help our new friend Milo continue his education. We value the relationships that grew and became more meaningful with our team members and pray for God’s blessing on the people of Haiti, specifically that they will receive a government that cares for them and leads them with hope for a better future.
Thanks to the Willoughby seniors who invited us to share our experience with them. We appreciate your interest and hospitality and think you are an awesome bunch! We truly felt the support, love, and prayers of Willoughby Church before, during and after our trip and want to thank all of you for that. Ed and Lisa
Note: This trip was made possible through the Centra Cares Foundation —the charitable organization affiliated with Centra Construction Group.