Amatuer Blogger

Kids of Modene Murphy Orphanage with Saint-Victor Sejour and some other visitors.

I have spent most of my morning trying to get some pictures on this website. I managed to get two posted on an earlier blog but the others did not post. I will just post a few on this entry so you can see the kids. They will not be in any particular order but at least you can see them. Little Jeemy-Ska is now my friend because I gave him some paper and crayons to draw with and I also let him see his pictures on my computer. He actually let me rock him to sleep the other night. What a sweet and very bright child he is. The kids are still keeping me on my toes and laughing. They have the greastest sense of humor. Need to download the pictures and head back to the house. I will write again on Wednesday. Love to all and God Bless.

I had just returned from a day trip to Gonaives. The kids all ran out to greet me. They acted like I had been gone forever. It was great!

The Saturday English Class.

I am being assisted by David, who was our translator. He did a fantastic job!

Guiding the students while they read the sentences together.

Sunday evening dancing on the porch to their favorite gospel songs.

A long day for little Jeemy-Ska. He spent most of his time sitting in my lap until he fell asleep. Since it was so hot and humid, both of us were perspiring with the addition of body heat. I loved every minute of it!

Well, this was my first attempt to try something different with the layout of the pictures. Hope to do a better job next time! :)

First Day on the Job

This morning (Thur. Apr. 20th) after breakfast, Lucner Saint-Louis and I took the half-mile trek to OFCB (another Christian organization in Bayonnais which has a school and church for over 1500 students) for several reasons. I wanted to finally meet the remarkable Morgan Dibble, author of the Haitian Hills blog. We were going to meet with and greet the eight members of The Light of Christ United Methodist Church (the group from North Carolina that I flew to Haiti with), and to set up my laptop computer for the first time.
The walk was an adventure in itself. Every few feet there is someone (or a group of people) sitting or standing in front of their home doing some kind of chore or nothing. The mangoes are in season so there were many locals with a pile sitting in front of them for sale. Every few steps, Lucner was greeting people, I was waving, and saying, “Bonjour”, and they would light up with a smile and wave back. Every so often, he would stop to chat, then turn to me and say, “This is my cousin, or this is my brother, father, godchild, etc…” Small world in Bayonnais.
There was very little wind and the sun was already hot. The path was full of people going both directions. Many children hurrying to school. Each group had its own colorful uniform to distinguish which school they attended. There were plenty of greetings and many stares. Mostly out of curiosity. When Lucner would explain the purpose of my visit to Haiti, they would smile even bigger and either shake my hand or give a nod of approval.
We were walking at a very fast pace and the heat was catching up with us. We came to a bridge in progress, carefully stepped up a slope of loose rocks to get to the bridge, crossed over the river, and then did the same to get down the other side. Just a few more minutes and we finally arrived at OFCB. By this time, we were both soaking wet with perspiration and I had a blister on the top of my foot where my sandal was rubbing back and forth with each step.
As we approached, we could see Morgan on the porch of the guesthouse with a large group of kids and he was blowing bubbles. Wilmetta Harman and Julie Gough were blowing up balloons. Tom Harman, Kyle, and Mike Gough from North Carolina were busy preparing the lumber to build the bunk beds that they came to Haiti to do. Peter Daniel and Pat Gardner were doing art work with the kids in another area. Morgan looked up, saw us, and then ran down to greet us. He is even more amazing and wonderful in person. What a great spirit he has. He took some time to help me get set up with the Internet and then it was back to work for him.

The Marvelous Morgan Dibble and half-asleep me.

Many thanks to Kyle from the Light of Christ church for sending the photos of Morgan and Beth. These photos were actually taken the next day. Still not acclimated. I had only been napping for about twenty minutes when I heard their voices and jumped up to greet them.

My new friend, Beth, from the Light of Christ church.

Then I saw Beth. She and I spent some time getting to know each other on the flight to Haiti. She was so very kind to me. She went to get a cold washcloth to use for my face, brought me a drink and some snacks. She kept checking on me from time to time to make sure I was comfortable. That was so sweet.
After I got the computer set up and sent out a few notes to family and friends, we said our quick goodbyes and headed back to the orphanage. When we arrived, there was a large group of students waiting for me. They wanted to have an English class. Lucner told them to give me some time to rest and then I would join them. I cooled off, got something to drink, and met them out back at the outdoor classroom. We used the chalkboard for our lessons. While I wrote words and sentences in English, I had an assistant, David, (Daveed) to write in French and Creole. There were just a handful of students when we began and by the end of class, there were at least 30 to 40, including some of the staff and local neighbors. We had fun laughing at each other’s pronunciations or I should say mispronunciations. We started our class at 12:30 p.m. and ended it at 6:00 p.m. when I was summoned to dinner.
After dinner, I spent my evening with the children of the orphanage. They had attended the class as well and wanted to practice their English. Little Jimmy- Ska, who is 5 yrs. old and the most restless of the bunch, did not want to participate. He does not like to be touched and he does not like me or any woman for that matter since his mother passed away when he was three. He only stays close to his brother, Smith, or any of the men who work at the orphanage. I gave him some paper from my notebook and a pen. I showed him how to make a circle and he stayed busy making circles on both sides of six pages while the rest of us talked and kidded around.
The children have absolutely nothing to work or play with. Everything that I had planned to bring is still on the bus and will not arrive for another month. I have had to be very creative to keep them interested and entertained. I found twelve postcards that were part of my calendar for each month of the year. So, I cut them in half and we played the game of finding the match to the card. They really enjoyed that. When the novelty ran out, I was left entertaining them with the old antics of my father. (You know, the removable thumb, the finger in the ear, and the way Jerry Lewis would dance, etc…) Who knew that all these years later it would come in handy? The kids came up with a few antics of their own and had me rolling on the floor. What a great new family I have. I am so blessed to be here.
I have a new email address so if you have any questions or just want to say hello, you can write to me at VJPierce@gmail.com .

God’s Blessings to all and keep us in your prayers.

A Warm Haitian Welcome

It seemed as if we would never get there but we finally arrived at the Orphanage about 5:45 p.m. and everyone was outside waiting for us. I recognized all the faces of the children from the pictures I had been staring at for weeks. I greeted them one by one and called them by name. They were very surprised and some were confused but still each one gave me a hug and the biggest smile. I was told that they were so excited that I was coming. With each greeting, that child would hold on to my hand or arm or whatever they could touch. After a few minutes I was surrounded and had to reach over their heads to meet the rest of the group.

I met our main cook, Marie-Rose. She is young (late 20’s) and very sweet. I met the cook’s morning instructor, Hermione, a very lovely older woman that is familiar with cooking for Americans. Next, I met our night watchman, Saint-Vilier, and our day watchman, Julius. Last of the staff members; I met the housekeeper and children’s assistant, JaiLa, who takes care of the house and gets the kids ready for school and for bed. She looked very stern and almost angry until I said “Bonjour” and then she gave me her greatest smile. I also met a few of the other friends and neighbors that came to see the “Blanc” (that’s what the Haitians call everyone that is white until they know your name) who is going to teach English. By this time, I made it across the porch and into the front door where more people were waiting to greet me. It really was a little overwhelming but in a good way. We stood around for a few minutes while everybody stared and smiled at me. Then a group of women came in. They were the Prayer Women of the church.

There were also three young men, Bernard, David, and Enoch, that are currently teaching elementary school. They wanted to come and sing some worship songs in Haitian to give me a proper welcome. The songs were beautiful!

Next they formed a circle around me and then Saint-Victor said a prayer for me while they “Amened” every sentence. Lucner translated in English and it was pretty powerful. After that, he asked everyone in the room to give me a hug and say, “I love you!” in English.

That’s when the tears finally came. They were truly sincere about their joy for my coming to Haiti and wanted to bless me in the biggest way. I was so moved by their love and their spirit. I felt very blessed and very glad I made the choice to be here.

They gave me a tour and showed me my room. It is pretty big according to Haitian standards and even some American standards for that matter. It’s just a guess but I’m thinking maybe 16x12? All I have in here at the moment is my bed, a small table, an ice chest to keep my juice and cokes in, (need more cokes), a five gallon jug of fresh bottled water, and my suitcases. The walls and floor are concrete and the door is made of wood. No doorknob but a sliding lock. None of the rooms have a ceiling. The house has an elevated tin roof where you can see all the beams and the PVC pipes that house the electric wires. It is really strange how the sound carries. When anyone is talking, it sounds like they are in the same room with you and it’s hard to tell where they actually are.
As for the rest of the house; the living room and dining room/kitchen are divided by a wall with an archway. They are nice and large. Next to the kitchen, down the hall, is the girls’ room. Mine is across from them. Just past their room, further down the hall, is the bathroom. Only one of two has been completed. It’s a pretty tight squeeze to get around in there. At the end of the hall is the supply room where the food is kept and it also has a bed for when Lucner or Saint-Victor stay the night. They take turns. The boys' room is next to mine but can only be entered from the front porch.
After I got settled in, I was invited to the dining room for a real Haitian dinner. It was absolutely fantastic! Yum-yum! The cooks are great! I have not had one bad meal yet. They eat very interesting dishes and are creative with what they have.

After dinner, I observed the children getting ready for bed. They all rinsed off the dust of the day in the shower, brushed their teeth and headed for bed. (They get up at six for their baths, go to breakfast, and then school at 8:00). I was then told that the bathroom was free for me to use and take my shower. Yikes! That is some extremely cold water! I have learned that the best way is just to brave the first shock and jump right in. After a while, it feels normal.
Had to fight with the space between the shower, sink, and toilet just to dry off and get dressed. By the time I was finished, I had worked up a sweat and felt like getting back into the shower. Unfortunately, it was literally “Lights Out” for everyone at 8:30 p.m.
It was a very long night for me. I could not see my own hand in front of my face and could hear every possible sound from the outdoors. My windows face the front porch and have a screen with bars on the outside. No way to close them.
I heard dogs, at least five, barking and howling, a donkey, frogs, crickets, people walking by talking, several passing vehicles, and an occasional rooster crowing. And let’s not forget that it was hot, hot, and hot!
As I said; a long night. I fell asleep around “something-thirty” a.m. and woke up at 6:00 a.m. when the children were bustling about. I will fill you in on day two as soon as I get a chance. I also hope to have some pictures to post in the next writings.

Until then…au revoir!

Coming in for the Landing

My first glimpse of Haiti was filled with excitement and curiosity. The water was the clearest blue with patches of very barren land. It looked like swirls of sand going in different directions. The closer we got to Port Au Prince, the more I could see the masses of houses built so close together and stretched all the way up into the mountains. There were a lot of areas where I could see the bare foundation of homes. Not really a floor but the outline of rooms to what looked to be a start of a home or the ruins of the last hurricane. The most obvious thing I noticed in the outlying areas was the lack of vehicles on the roads. There were mostly bicycles, motorbikes and lots of people walking. We finally arrived at the PAP airport and I was given plenty of warnings from the group (from a North Carolina church - write more later on that) to stay close and don't let the Haitians take your bags. (They weren't going to steal them, just put them on a cart and assist so they could make some money). We weren't out the main door for even a minute when a one-armed man tried to wrestle my cart away from me. Fortunately I had plenty of help to get them back.
Lucner and St. Victor were there to greet me and we were finally on our way....so to speak. It was still another six hours to our destination. I had been told that Port Au Prince is a crazy city and that the road conditions everywhere were horrible. All I can say at this point is that A. J. Foyt would have been highly impressed with our driver. He drove an average speed of about 70 mph on a very narrow street with serious pot holes, other vehicles and tons of people. I was so amazed that there were no fatalities during our entire trip and have been told that it is very rare. The Haitians actually have a system that only they understand. There is a tremendous amount of honking and beeping coming from every direction for each and every oncoming or passing vehicle and there is definitely a ranking system of some sort. (In Texas that would be considered extreme road-rage). Pedestrians are the ones who have to be the most cautious. When we got out on the open roads where it was paved for a half mile or so, our driver would push the speed up to about 80 or 90. Never mind the livestock and other people on foot. (Never mind the engine, for that matter). Sure was hard to soak up the scenery with things just whizzing by and holding on for dear life with the deep holes and the nearly tipping over and having to remember when to raise and lower the windows to keep out dust or let the cool air back in. Lots to do for a six hour trip. I will have to continue this on the next writings. Love to all!

Getting Ready to Get Ready to go...

I was in a state of exhaustion for a couple of weeks while preparing for my trip to Haiti. My body was rejecting the new malaria medication, my blood pressure stayed dangerously high and sleep was next to impossible with all that needed to be done. Giving away my sectional couch, the dining set, the washer and dryer, and even my car was far easier than dividing up the years of memories and making hard decisions about what was sentimental and should be kept, what could be thrown away, what others could use and what should be taken to Haiti for the orphanage. It was truly an emotional roller-coaster. The most important question I had to ask myself was: Am I really committed to devoting two years of my life for the children? The answer was always a definite "Yes!" The hardest part was the actual physical efforts of packing, going through the boxes and boxes and boxes.... to move things out of the apt. from the third story and get it someplace else. With the help of some very dear friends, it finally happened in the last few days before departure. After I was finally out, I only had about three days to take care of business and say my last goodbyes. I was very happy to have one last time to spend with my son. It was a wonderful ending to a long month of crazy.

The day I was scheduled to leave, I thought I would end up in the hospital instead of the airport. My blood pressure was off the charts again, my chest was feeling very tight, my heart was pounding and my skin was very red from head to toe. We called the doctor and he said it sounded like an anxiety attack and that I should try to find a way to relax before going. When I told him I was leaving for the airport in 45 minutes, he said, "Well....Good Luck and try to calm down!" Thanks, Doc!

It took all my strength and energy just to check in and get to the gate after the security check. One more time, I had to re-pack everything. When I finally sat down on the plane, I just knew I was going to die before the plane got off the ground. My luck! Instead, I started praying and I kept on praying to God and asking him to heal me, to restore my health and to please let me make it to Haiti to fulfill this mission. I made it to Miami for a very short sleepover and was back on the plane first thing in the morning to meet with another group that were also going to Bayonnais. Although I only slept three hours, I actually felt rested and was very excited to finally be going. God answered my prayers with His blessings and I am still thanking Him for that.

Here at last....here at last!!!!

This will have to be short and sweet because we have to head back to the MMM. (Modine Murphy Ministries) The name change is now official. My flight was very nice, the road over is definitely well-traveled and the welcome to my new home was very sweet. I will write more as soon as I can get all the right information and also have a chance to gather my thoughts. Until then....please be patient and keep us in your prayers.

Happy Easter....today's the day!

Happy Easter to all! Rejoice in the Lord for He has risen! Do you feel it? I am trying my best to be in the moment and appreciate what this is all about. My calendar is still full from doing what needs to be done to get ready to leave this country and go to a place where I know that I am needed. It's just the in-between stuff that is keeping me from being at peace. I ask for any and all prayers to be blessed with good health, strength, energy and action to complete this part of the mission in order to be ready for my most important mission. I will be going to the doctor tomorrow to re-assess my medication for high blood pressure. (I'm sure it it mostly stress!) I need all the prayer warriors to ask for God's healing and blessings so that I can move forward. Pray that he finds the right one that works. Thank you, in advance, for your prayers and your faith.

Haiti Bound.....and holding tighter to God's hand

This is the first of what I hope to be many writings to share my daily world and experiences with those who are interested in knowing. I am two weeks away from starting a new life and leaving the old life behind. Although my physical body will be in another country, my heart will still be with those that I dearly love. I will miss my son the most but know that he supports my decision to live my dream. I trust him to be the man I know he is and also believe he will have his own dreams to follow. I thank all of you who have offered your blessings and your prayers for a wonderful and safe journey. I truly believe that I will be blessed and that this is just the beginning of many joys to come.