7th Haiti Trip – Vol. II

At the end of the last update, Bill, Yvrose, and our friends were in the mountains.  They had taken up three stretchers and cholera treatment supplies to assess the situation and try to get some help.  The next day, they started back down the mountain, hiking down dry river and stream beds.  Juani sprained her ankle and then, part of the way down, it started to rain.

They had gotten strung out as different people go at different paces on these mountain hikes.   Bill had stayed back with NoNo as she was going slower.  By the time they got to the bottom, the water was rising and was literally rolling rocks out from under their feet!!!  As they got to some higher ground, they were separated from the rest of the party, not knowing if they were safe out of the river bed or what. They all eventually found each other but Bill said from now on they needed to do a better job of staying together.

As they were coming down the mountain, Mike from IFM called and told Bill people had heard about him trying to get help for the people in the mountains.  World Vision wanted to help (they have a CTC, cholera treatment center, next door at IFM) and some other people were also wanting to help.

The next day Bill & Yvrose went to PAP for a day to try to get something done about getting our truck back.  They didn’t have success in getting the truck but they did get some information that might enable us to get it back.

Headed into the mountains with cholera supplies

On Thursday, Bill headed back into the mountains to Grand-Rac leading a group of people from Grass Roots United and some Cuban medical personnel, hiring pack mules to carry more supplies. He warned everyone to carry plenty of water for the trip.  It is a six hour hike and is arduous!  Bill carries a camelbak with his water.  He ended up having to share it with some of the folks who ran out and were having a really hard time.  We need to make more of point to be sure everyone carries enough water.

The team brought lots of supplies and stayed the night before heading back down.  Sonel, one of our Christian teachers from our school in Pays-Pourri, is from a village not far from Grand-Rac and had gone with Bill the first trip, telling him white people had rarely been seen in that area.

Sonel

Bill said Sonel stayed in the mountains last week to help treat the Haitians that come to the “CTC”, the shack by the school where they have left supplies.  Bill said Sonel has been amazing, being patient, kind to all, caring, and doing what ever he can.  Some people can get better just with rehydration.  But if they need an IV to survive, Sonel cannot give them one.

The day after Bill left the second time, six more people came into the shack with cholera.  Bill is trying to find some Haitian medical people we can hire that would be willing to go to the mountains and stay to treat the people and give IV’s in the primitive conditions that are there.  Here is an account of some of his activities in his own words.

“The struggle to find help for the cholera victims in Grand-Rack goes on but help keeps coming. Yesterday I took three more people from Grassroots in PAP to the trailhead. They stay till Wednesday. I will interview some nurses today with the hope to find someone to stay for a longer shift. Its hard to find to anyone who wants to undertake such a difficult journey and stay in such conditions.

I had a great meeting with a committee from the surrounding communities. We talked about possible solutions for the problems of water, food and education. When I suggested we get a petition to control the goats for everyone to sign they all applauded. It almost brought tears to my eyes when one man stood up and said they wished they knew how to read and write. About fifty adults. I tried to encourage them to continue working together.  I said one of the most important questions they had to answer was Cain’s question to God “Am I my brothers keeper?”,  that listening to and being obedient to the words of Jesus was the best way to build a community.”

With the cholera situation, Bill has had little time to work on or organize some our other projects.  Without the truck, it has been really hard to get supplies and other things but he managed to get some more food and have the meal at the village Saturday.   However, we are not sure if we can continue this weekly meal.  People who are not from the village have heard about the meal and are getting in line to eat.  We cannot feed everyone and are going to have figure out how to control it.  Perhaps we need to canvass the village and give “passes” to each family to bring to the cooking pot.  Then when the village is fed, if we have food left over, we could give it to others.  It is so hard not to be able just to feed all those who need it.  Please pray for wisdom as Bill tries to figure out what to do.

Our friend Jim working at Yvrose’s

Jim Hulstedt, our friend who arrived with Bill, has spent his days up at Yvrose’ place.  He has helped put in the pad for the kitchen, built small retaining walls, put up some shelves for Yvrose in the small houses so she has a place to put some things, and done many other things to help her situation.  We are so grateful for his loving heart and willing hands.

We were hoping to drill the well at Yvrose’ place this Friday.   Bill talked with some officials and Blue Ridge, the well drilling company, can bring the rig through PAP if a police officer rides with them so hopefully, that will come about on Friday.  However, as with all things in Haiti, there are a few more “snags” to overcome.

Blue Ridge is out of stock of one part that would be necessary for the hand pump to work.  We are not sure when they will get it.  They can put in the well and the electrical pump but we don’t have electricity up to Yvrose’ property yet and just found out that it will cost $11,000 to get it up there!  We are always shocked at the cost of things in Haiti even though so many people have nothing!

Perhaps some of you could talk with your church or small groups and maybe take up a collection to go toward the cost of running the electric line the mile or so up to Yvrose from the main road.  If several groups contributed, perhaps we could get it done in short order.  I don’t know right now if we have to have it in before the well is drilled or if we can go ahead and have it drilled and hook it up later.  I will keep you posted.  Getting electricity up there was something on our “to do” list anyway.  It’s just that now we need it as soon as possible for the well.

We are hoping to buy a little more land next to Yvrose’ property.  The extra land would make her plot basically a rectangle. That would give her enough land for the school, a house, a sanitation system, and a garden.  We need to do it right away because Bill thinks land around her will go up in price once the well is in.  Water makes all the difference.

In Haiti, a school cannot be official unless it has a “security” wall around it.  You also need a wall to keep the free roaming goats out so you can grow a garden.  Building a wall around the property is one of the next things that needs done.  We also want to build a real house for the family.  Though Yvrose was “walking on air” to get the two little metal buildings for her family, we would like to make it possible to have a real home for them.

We have uploaded Yvrose’ last talk she gave at Oswego Christian Church in April telling her story.  If you would like to hear Yvrose’ story in her own words, you can listen HERE.  Her story is amazing!

In all these things, we are grateful for those who are helping us.  We do appreciate it as there are so many things we are trying to do and we believe God will make a way.  We are grateful for your prayers as we seek each day to do the tasks that God sets in front of us.  May the Lord bless you all.