Frank Penna: Camping in Haiti March 2009

I recently spent 12 days with folks from World Renewal Haiti, in the Gonaives area that was hit so hard by Hurricane Ike last September. They never refer to it by anything but "the flood" because that is what affected them most severely. Some of you have heard about the water and mud that inundated their city and eventually forced the 25 children from Christ's Compassion Orphanage and several adults to find safety on a nearby second story roof. Even then, at one point they thought they may lose their lives. After the storm subsided, they spent 3 days on that roof with nothing to eat or drink, then waded 3 miles through sometimes chest high filthy mud and water. Each adult carried as many children as they could, to reach the safety of our unfinished mission home. The paths you see in these two pictures are actually streets with 6-8 feet of dirt and debris piled between houses. Many side streets are the same. Any empty areas are most likely entire homes that were washed away in the flood.

The unfinished mission home is in the middle of this new area (below), north of the city.

From that view if you turn a little more than 90 degrees (and look South), you see the northern end of Gonaives as it wraps around to the right toward the sea. Water and mud from the mountain where this picture was taken and all the others you see in these two pictures flowed in huge quantities and nearly buried the city.

For the last five years, we have been working together with Pastor Luc Joseph to provide him, his family and the people of the Gonaives church and orphanage a mission home. After the flood, about 35-40 people lived here with no running water or electricity or beds, most for several months. That sort of thing creates a bond that is hard to describe. On my second night in Haiti, I was privileged to take part in an all-night prayer meeting on the concrete floor in this home. The worship and singing and intense prayer is impossible to describe. When you lose what little you have and face death in the way they all did together, it shapes the way you call on and trust in God. I felt so honored to be there and welcomed into this community of great faith, especially when the worshippers sang and danced with all their might about coming into the cleansing stream of Christ's love. How could I help but join in! You should have seen it!!

All water is purchased and carried in about a mile, always on someone's head.

Luc walks on, around, over (from his roof) and prays daily for this piece of ground adjacent to his house. We need $10,000 to purchase it as a place for a new orphanage that won't flood and will keep the children close by with plenty of space for running, playing, gardening and more.

Eventhough there is no running water or electricity, the shower and toilet facilities are first class! I loved bathing out under the stars and the moon (and being able to wave to someone on the roof from either facility during the day!).

All cooking is done with charcoal over these grates. It is a lot of work (everything is a lot of work). Luc and I made lunch one day, and the ladies were super impressed. All I did was stir and keep the coals hot!

Orphanage food...the kids love it and feel blessed to have a warm meal or two each day, even if it is the same thing over and over again.

Above is Luc's old house in the city, where the orphanage is now. That wall and gate are new. The old ones were taken away in the flood. The two-story structure behind is the "miracle building" where everyone was kept alive during and after the flood. It is a miracle because it was not there the last time I visited Gonaives, but was put in before the storm.

Most all of our beds and mattresses were lost or nearly destroyed in the flood, so the children are back to sleeping on the tile floors.

Madam Luc's mother, "grandma" (below) is one of a few tireless workers at Christ's Compassion Orphanage. I honestly don't know how they do it under the conditions. How would you like to feed and care for 25 children and their clothes with no running water or electricity. And yet, they are some of the most "happy in Jesus" people you'll ever meet!

The kids love to dance and sing. Here they are practicing for church.

These smiles are not unusual. The 10 oldest boys came to the house one day to work at cleaning rocks out of the yard for the entire morning. Then we all went to the local cattle pasture to play soccer. At one point I sat down to rest and fell into a small stream with, with...well, with goats and cows and people bathing close by you get the picture. We had a great laugh!

I first saw these two tambourines at the all-night prayer meeting, which took place on the concrete floor under one dim light bulb. I thought they looked interesting, and they sounded absolutely great. It wasn't until Sunday morning when I got a good look at them that I realized what the skins were...ex-ray film!

MacDonald is my good friend who has learned English in school without hearing it from many native speakers. He is in his last year of what we would call high school and lives with Luc and Rosanna. He took a leap of faith and agreed to translate for me on Sundays when I preached. He did a phenomenal job. "MacDo" loved listening to hymns and the Bible in English on my Ipod. The biggest challenge was finding a way to keep it charged up! He polishes his shoes every day for school and still sleeps every night on a piece of plywood. His leadership potential is great. A major goal of World Renewal International is to do all we can to develop and encourage such young people. Below is Milene and Blendy, another two teenagers that live with the Josephs, help with housework and grow and mature under their leadership. What servants of the Lord and sweet girls. They still sleep on blankets on the concrete floor and work from sunup to sunset most days.

I was able to attend two church services. This one started about 7:00 in the morning, and lasted until 11:00. What singing! What prayers! What love and desire for God!

When we arrived at one church, the Elders came to greet us so enthusastically. This man picked Luc and I both two feet off the ground, and then led the children in a rousing special number complete with choreography and special effects. A sight to behold.

Look who gets to carry all the Bibles and Madam Luc's purse home from church!

On my last Sunday, we loaded up 16 kids and 5 adults into the back of a tap-tap, which is a small Toyota pick-up used as a cab (when you want to stop you tap on the side). For two hours we ate dust together and entertained one another as best we could. Bathroom stops out in the middle of nowhere are...interesting! I got to ride right behind the cab with one or two kids on my lap. This picture is taken at the beginning of the day...

...and this one is taken when we got home:

And this is only a fraction of my journey. Thanks to all who make it possible for me to serve the Lord in this way. Much was accomplished on this trip. We have a clear picture now of current needs and plans to meet future goals. I was the first person to visit onsite from WRI since last May.

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There is much to pray and trust the Lord for. The Haitians are busy doing God's work in the middle of very difficult circumstances. We intend to continue walking along side them in order to serve and assist them any way we can. World Renewal Haiti has grown and reached out on a shoestring budget for many years.

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At present we need funds more than anything else in order to meet the needs there. We will continue to provide training and teaching, encouragement and prayer, but we will appreciate any financial resources the Lord calls you to share. As I viewed this rainbow from Luc's roof, God told me that the future is bright and brimming with promise. (It was way more beautiful than this picture shows.) "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Keep praying with us.