Audrey and I got to be in Haiti for two weeks. We had a wonderful, wonderful
trip. I learned a lot about missions, business, community development,
orphans and orphanages. I thought I knew about orphans and orphanages
from all my time in India, but because of the language barrier, I'dnever actually had many conversations with the people who do all the
work.
The organization we went with started as an orphanage and has expanded
to a clinic, a school, a transition program for the graduates of the
orphanage and a 3-days/week feeding program for kids from the tent
cities. The orphanage doesn't adopt out because they're committed to
raising up Haitian leaders. Every other week, short term missions
groups come in to help out and spend time with the orphans. Something
interesting I witnessed is that the combination of 1. children who
have something horrible happen to them - like being in an earthquake,
watching their parents die or having to take care of themselves - and
2. do-gooders who want to help the children any way they can and givethem everything they need produces a generation of young people whofeel entitled to things, view those things are disposable and
replaceable, and don't know how to make mature and responsible
decisions. On top of that, the orphans at Child Hope don't have very
many models of adults who have a 9-5 job and work hard at it every
day. If you think about it, missionaries are often in the mission
field because of the support they've raised, and their "job" is
helping those in need. The teams that come in are on vacation time,
and their schedules revolve around hanging out with the orphans or
doing work projects. The mammas who live in their homes and watch over
them are also there to make sure the orphans' needs are met. So understandably, orphans learn that successful, happy and often rich
people don't have to work hard day in and day out. They are graduating from orphanages all across Haiti having very few skills or the values
required to make them strong leaders of their nation. I had no idea
there are so many problems and that orphans could be difficult to
love!
Audrey and I got to give three of the boys violin lessons on some
donated violins. We knew that two weeks of lessons isn't very much,
and so from the very beginning we prioritized a few things we wanted
the boys to learn. For example, we skipped music reading and theory in
order to teach fingerings and how to use a bow so they could make
sounds with their violins right away. Daniel, Keso (like the cheesedip) and Richard learned three songs each and got to chose which one
they wanted to play for a recital we threw at the end of our time.
They were eager to learn, quick to please and easily discouraged, but
they were so proud of themselves at their "recital," and it was great
to see their improvement. Daniel, Keso and Richard will hopefully get
to continue to learn how to play the violin - Audrey and I left music,
some theory worksheets and a letter to whoever might teach them next
(hopefully for longer than 2 weeks!) about what the boys learned and
where to pick up with lessons.
We also spent 10+ hours organizing donations and putting them into a
small room which had just been given shelves. I was shocked by the
types and quality of items which people donate. Some of them were just
thoughtless, like an XXL puffy winter jacket or a pair of boots. Those
will never get worn in Haiti. But some donations were simply
disrespectful. People sent their old, worn out, torn and stained
clothes. Haitians care very much about their appearance (I felt shabby
in front of some of the girls at the orphanage!), and these items are
an insult to their dignity. It's become popular to donate things or
support children in third world countries, and people feel good about
themselves when they do those things. However, unless people start
caring less about themselves and their guilty conscious and start to
seriously consider how they can help others, little improvement will
be made.
There are so many other things I could write about, but one of the
biggest themes from the trip was seeing an organization which has many
shortcomings and is far from perfect, yet realizing that God is using
it for good. Port Au Prince is better off for having Child Hope. The
wonderful staff who work there know the weaknesses much better than I
do, but they continue to pour all their time and energy into the
ministry, knowing God redeems and uses our flawed attempts to bring
honor and glory to himself. This is also such a picture of the way God
uses
me. In my weakness and sin, God still chooses to use me to further
his kingdom and to bring his truth to others.
