Then and Now...

It was only 90 days ago when I first left Haiti after spending 5 days here with the first team sent from HBUMC. Where as the mission of the first team was concrete slab and masonry wall demolition, our task this week was at ground level and involved primarily removing excess dirt and concrete debris. On the first trip I was surprised to see that almost nothing had been done to either cleanup or rebuild, However, that certainly is not the case now, It is not just mission teams doing the work. Haitians are out in force and have begun taking down some of the buildings and houses that were destroyed in the earthquake. Masons are busy building new walls are carpenters are preparing forms for new concrete columns. Road crews in groups of 10 to 15 people (including women) are working over miles of roads crossing the remote mountain areas removing rocks and dirt that had been washed over the roads from heavy rains...definite signs of improvement.

However, Haiti and especially Port-au-Prince are no where close to being what we would consider normal. Until the basic essentials such as reliable electrical service, drinkable water supply, and city-wide sanitation are achieved, life will never be “normal”. Somehow the Haitians are coping and trying to live their lives as they were before the earthquake.

There is so much work left to do and so many areas where help is needed. Our team worked hard this week and worked right along side of Haitian workers at St Joe’s who gladly welcomed our help.

Thanks to all those at HBUMC that made this trip possible and especially the support we received from the missions pathway. The boys at St Joe told us as we were preparing to leave “please don’t forget us when you get back home!”

--Dickie Thompson