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DeLynn's Personal Journey to Haiti
My experience in Haiti was definitely life changing which is what I expected but…….
I really didn’t know what that meant until now.
DeLynn Boyd-Hale
EspreeNet News Service
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OUR RESIDENCE: Guest House, Host House, Dining and more.
We drive down this broken road where goats and chickens roam the street freely. We stop in front of this metal door that secures the grounds surrounded by thick tall cement walls where razor wire is ingrained all along the top. I felt like we were entering a compound from the movie Mad Max. Smith pounds on the door and it opens for our vehicle to drive in.
As we exit our chariot the guard dog (one of three Rottweilers) is asleep preparing for the night shift. Somehow with all that I have seen and all that I have experienced in my first few hours in Haiti, I feel at peace. We meet our hosts, Katia, Smith’s wife and she is just as amazing as he is. She welcomed us with such a loving and Godcentered heart. As I type this I think of the overwhelming commitment, strength and love they are living examples of.
In front of us is the guesthouse. A beautiful coral colored house. To the left of that is a small red house – this is where Smith and Katia live. Beyond that is a work structure and storage area. Over to our left is an outdoor pavilion with a long table and chairs. This would be our dining room for the next 4 days.
We are told that the men would share two rooms downstairs and the women would share 3 rooms upstairs. We all went to claim a bed and get settled before lunch. A generator was used to power the electrical needs on the property so we knew we needed to be respectful of our electrical demands. The 11 women would share 2 bathrooms on the second floor. The two showers trickled out a slow pressure-less flow of cold water but we were actually grateful for that shower, something we take for granted everyday at home. Each room had a window air conditioning unit (ours stopped working the first night). We were so thankful for the few amenities but we knew so many Haitians didn’t even have the basics.
We ate in our “plush” outdoor dining area. We fellowshipped. WE prayed. We got to know our hosts. We got to know each other. We learned more about Dan and his calling. What an inspiration. He has done so much for these children. He received a calling from God to sell his successful business and help the children of Haiti. He listened and is now doing great things for the children and great things for the people that come to experience a different way of life.
After lunch we were going to see the children. Wow, the excitement that grew within me. I couldn't wait. We got filtered water and prepared for what we had come to Haiti for --- the children. Our blessing awaited.
WE ARE BONDED FOR LIFE: September Mission team
The Women:
De’Lynn, Carol, Kimberly, Heather, Trish, Karen, Jean, Shannon, Alisha, Rebekah
The Men:
Paul, Josh, Sean, Dan
Read more of this trip report
MY PERSPECTIVE - THE ORPHANAGE - AWAKENING & CHANGE
Now What?
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In 1791, the slave population revolted--led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean Jacques Dessalines, and Henri Christophe--and gained control of the northern part of the French colony, waging a war of attrition against the French. By January 1804, local forces defeated an army sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, established independence from France, and renamed the area Haiti. The impending defeat of the French in Haiti is widely credited with contributing to Napoleon's decision to sell the Louisiana territory to the United States in 1803. Haiti is the world's oldest black republic and the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States.
Full name: Republic of Haiti
Population: 9,719,932 (2011 est)
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Major language:
French/Haitian Creole
Independence Declared: Jan 1, 1804
Internet domain: .ht
Currency
Gourde (UN)
Calling code:
509
Drives on the:
right side
Religion:
(2003)Roman Catholic 55%, Protestant 28%
Geography:
Haiti is on the western part of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean behind Cuba and the Dominican Republic (the latter shares a 360-kilometre (224 mi) border with Haiti). Haiti at its closest point is only about 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) away from Cuba and has the second longest coastline (1,771 km/1,100 mi) in the Greater Antilles, Cuba having the longest. The country lies mostly between latitudes 18° and 20°N (Tortuga island lies just north of 20°), and longitudes 71° and 75°W.
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