Haiti from a different point of view!

This blog post was written by Lucas' mom, Debbie Nussbaum, while she was visiting us!   

 Ting, ting, ting, ting, ting.....  the sound of a rock hitting the metal gate, the sound that will always remind me of Haiti!  That sound means there is someone at the gate that needs something, maybe wants something, but probably it's a need.

     This is my 2nd trip to Haiti and I continue to be overwhelmed!  Overwhelmed by the noise, the number of people, the garbage, the need, the outstanding views, the driving!  I told my husband every time he went with a team to Dumay, that I would never go to Haiti.  Proof God has a sense of humor because it wasn't too long before our son, his wife, and family were called to be missionaries in Haiti.  And you who are parents know that where ever your kids and grandkids go, you will follow.  So I'm in Haiti, for the 2nd time with a 3rd visit planned!  (My sighing might be heard if you listen closely.)
     Enough about why I'm in Haiti, I'm writing Lucas and Raya's blog this time because we were talking about the "Haiti experience" and I suggested that the experience might better be described by someone other than a missionary.  A gleam appeared in Raya's eyes as she said, "Well then, how would you feel about writing our blog this time?!"  What could I say, backed into a corner by my sweet daughter-in-law!  Hopefully I can tell you what Haiti is like with fewer words that what I usually use when I talk!
     I don't always notice the ting of the rock on the gate, but Luke and Raya are attuned to the sound and respond quickly, unless it's a time that has been deemed off limits.  After dark is not ok and the ting is ignored.  It may seem harsh but that ting can be heard 5 to 10 times an evening.  How does one not become annoyed?  I think of someone coming to my house and banging on my garage door that many times a day and I would be so unhappy yet Luke and Raya continue to respond, not always with a yes, but to listen to the request before responding.  Listening is a huge part, part of building relationships which is what being in Haiti involves.  I plan to talk more about relationships, so stay tuned!
     It's going to be difficult for me to stay on one subject since there are so many things I feel the need to say about Haiti.  I think I need to describe the front gate and maybe the rocks that allow that ting to begin with.  Hospital Lumiere is a compound including the hospital and lots of other buildings as well as the missionary housing.  At Luke's, there is a front gate plus 4 gates on the galley including one to the driveway, one to the steps to the roof, one to the backyard, and one to the side steps and the little boys' rock box.  All of those gates, plus the back door, have to be locked when they leave their home. 

Front Gate

Gate to the Driveway

Gate to the Steps to the Roof

Gate to the backyard

Gate to the Side Steps and the Boys' Rock Box

The Guesthouse, where we stay when we visit, has a front gate, a galley gate, and our room is locked.  You don't leave home without locking up!  Am I taking a chance here saying that I've never had a key to my house in Fairbury, Illinois!  I use the garage door but the front door is seldom locked.  All the missionaries homes are gated and locked, not just Luke's.  Locking up is part of life in Haiti!
     I should briefly describe the missionaries' homes just to try to give you a picture of how they live.  The houses are concrete, walls, roof, all of it, with tile floors, jalousie windows and screens with bars. 

Jalousie windows, screens, and bars

Several of the homes have had inside walls knocked out so the living area is more roomy.  Luke and Raya have 3 bedrooms and a bathroom with the laundry and an additional shower and toilet (boys bathroom!) in a small building (called the depot) on the galley.  Some of the homes have 2 bedrooms but one thing the homes have in common are the thousands of fans in each home!  Ok, a slight exaggeration but it seems like that many!  Ceiling fans, floor fans, fans in the walls! 

Fans, more fans, and even more fans

You must have fans, there is no air conditioning in the homes but there is heat and humidity. The temperature in Port-au-Prince in November has "daily highs of 89F rarely exceeding 93F or dropping below 85F."  Humidity runs around 88% so even if it feels cool, it feels damp.  Always lots of humidity, but there are some very pleasant breezes.  The homes are homey, the missionaries make them their own because it is their home for whatever length of time they have been called to serve.
   
     Possibly the last physical aspect of Haiti that I'll share is about the roads!  The roads on this part of the mountain are gravel with the smallest piece of gravel being about 3 inches across!  They have been working on the mountain road the last couple of months so the ride up the mountain was almost pleasant!  Instead of a 40 minute ride to cover the 8 1/2 miles it only took about 20 minutes.  It's 119 miles from the airport in Port-au-Prince to Hospital Lumiere which can take from 4 to 6 hours to complete.  The roads have no lines, there are no road signs like no passing or speed limit. I'm trying to figure out how to describe the ride but I really feel that it must be experienced to truly be understood.  If I got started, I might never stop, so I'm stopping there about roads and riding on them.  With a Haitian driver.  Heh, heh, heh....  Come to Haiti and visit Hospital Lumiere, it's a ride to remember!

A Little Piece of the Road

     I said I'd talk about relationships.  The relationships I'm going to write about are of the Haitians who work for Lucas and Raya.  By hiring Haitians to help in and around their homes, they are providing much needed jobs allowing these Haitians to support themselves and their families.  Madam Amilca , Madam Monaville, and Elifranz each come 3 days a week usually.  (I wanted to say 3ish days a week but didn't know how that would read!)  Our 1st trip to Haiti, we were met with such a welcome from these 3 that I was stunned.  They were so glad to meet Msye Lucas Mama and Papa, then to see us return was like we had known them all our lives.  They are paid monthly by Lucas and Raya, and are so glad to be part of this family.  And they are part of the family.  Madam Monaville cooks marvelous meals that combine Haitian food and Raya's recipes.  She also goes to market for fresh produce because she is more familiar with the quality and gets the best price.  I had no idea beans and rice could taste so very good until I had Madam Monaville's recipe with her sauce on top!  Beans and rice are what many Haitians live on.  Beans and rice, rice and beans, more rice, more beans....  Madam Amilca cleans the house, washes the laundry and hangs it on the roof to dry.  She loves watching the kids play around, she has 9 grown children of her own.  In Haiti, the windows are nearly always open so there is always something blowing in.  Everyone knows to take their shoes off outside because restroom facilities, even for adults, could be almost anywhere so don't wear your shoes inside!   Elefranz plants, cares for, and harvests the garden, sweeps off the concrete, supervises the young men who help out picking up broken branches, cutting back overgrowth, trimming, and so on.  These relationships were possibly easier to build because they are in Luke's home, with the family, regularly.  They see Luke and Raya struggle with the Creole language, laugh at their translations, advise them of correct pronunciations and learn a few English words themselves.  I had the privilege of helping one of the young men who works in the yard and aspires to be a doctor.  Math is the same all over the world though I will say the Creole directions stumped me more than once! 

Terry and I with Madam Amilca

     Relationships outside of home take a little longer.  Haitians, to me, always seemed to look angry or unhappy, but I found if you wave, smile, say bonjour, their faces light up and they wave back.  Earning their trust means showing them you mean what you say, following through, working with them to make help them make their lives better, being honest and committed.  All the types of things that should be part of a Christian's life but are sometimes difficult to maintain.  As a missionary, you are always on display, there are Haitians all around, all the time.  There are always Haitian voices from the roads outside the houses through the always open windows, the roaring motorcycles (motos) that are constantly running Haitians up and down the mountain, the animals (pigs, frogs, birds, do tarantulas make noise or is it always just my screaming), the radio station playing over a loud speaker at the front gate of the compound, all combine for a rather high noise level.  These are the Haitians that the missionaries work to build good relationships, so they share with the Haitian community that the missionaries are here for them, so they learn to be self sufficient, so they know the missionaries don't feel they are better than the Haitians.  Missionaries listen to the requests from the Haitians before giving an answer and the Haitians respect them for the listening. Listening is a huge part of building relationships anywhere!

Pigs in the Front Yard through the Galley Gate at the Guesthouse

     A side note about the motos!  They are part of the local taxi system which includes trucks of all sizes modified to carry passengers and livestock.  The motos are small (125 cc) but can carry much more than their weight!  Personally I have seen 5 people on a moto, 4 passengers and the driver; Lucas saw 9.  I've seen a body being transported, a full size mattress, goats and sheep along with their owner.  The drivers honk when they plan to pass, you honk when you plan to pass, you honk when there is someone along side the road (which is all the time), you honk at slow moving vehicles so they move over for you to pass, you honk thank you, you honk you're welcome.  You get the idea?  Lots of honking All The Time when you are on a road trip!  The motos and the passengers they carry are how many Haitians make a living.  We were stopped getting gas and I counted between 50 and 60 motos passing by with and without passengers.  They are earning their living, supporting themselves and their families with these motorcycles.  There are miles of gravel roads between most local Hatian homes and the markets, you walk them or you pay to ride on a moto or you pay to hang on a truck.  It's all very creative, interesting to those of us who thought hanging on a moving vehicle was quite daring as a kid, and necessary.  It's life in Haiti!

     As is the way Haitians move!  Haitians move slowly, you have to or you will die!  You are on a mountain, always going up or down hill, on gravel and slick steps, carrying stuff sometimes on your head sometimes in your arms, it's hot and humid, why hurry!  My 1st trip down I realized I hadn't looked around very much because anywhere I walked, I was looking at what I was walking on so that I didn't fall.  I'm not much better this 2nd trip but I have noticed that Alayna and Tucker move down those rocky roads like Haitians!  Sure footed and looking ahead! Not expecting that skill to become mine!

     So why did I share all this seemingly innocuous information?  I want everyone to know that life in Haiti is no vacation.  The temperature is consistently in the 80s (Henry may not see snow until he is over 5!). The beaches are beyond awesome.  The scenery is more beautiful than I have words to describe.  And the missionaries get to live here!  They also get to drive 45 minutes to an hour to Les Cayes where there is a large market and a couple grocery stores with some American products that are rather expensive and possibly outdated.  They have only powdered milk, they cannot go to the drive-through and grab a burger and fries, if they run out of something that cannot be purchased in Haiti, they have to wait on the Amazon order to be delivered by Agape Flights, a container from HarvestCall, or visitors.  They plan ahead, way ahead.  They aren't home for holidays and birthdays, they aren't near their families, the list could go on and on but they are all truly thankful to be here, to have answered God's call, to serve the Lord as He wishes.  The stress they live under comes in waves as they get to decide daily who they can and cannot help which includes those who may have had nothing to eat for the entire day or longer, wondering if the generator is going to break down and if the back-ups will run, hoping the hospital supply order has everything so the next team we be able to do all they possibly can, knowing the Haitian people you have come to care about are living in a single room with a tin roof because the hurricane a year ago destroyed the rest of their home.  The enormous need of the people in Haiti.  It is a huge weight that only knowing God is in control can keep them going.  Haiti is no vacation.  A few hours at the beach, a couple days transition time between Haiti and home, phone calls from home, encouraging emails and cards, many many prayers.  That's what keeps a missionary in Haiti moving forward.  Thank you for the things so many of you have done to support this group including my family in Haiti!  Pray for those of us who are parents and grandparents of missionaries in Haiti!  I know I speak for Ray and Shelly as well as Terry and myself. 

Walking the Road to Madam Amilca's Home

The Kitchen Before Hurricane of 2016, Now the Home

     Lucas and Raya and the kids are all doing so good!  Alayna and Tucker are in school having been blessed with outstanding teachers.  Last spring, Dona Fehr was at school and they have Kaitlyn Klotzle for this school year.  Dona did such a nice job and Kaitlyn is just out of college and full of energy.  Both such good role models for Alayna as she moves further into her walk with God.  I am so comfortable with this situation, way more so than I thought I'd ever be!  Tucker has had a steady supply of salty snacks and good books so he's doing ok!  Cy and Henry are growing up quickly and go back and forth between battling each other and building fantastic Lego buildings!  There are rats here in Haiti and Lucas has a rat trap which caught a rat and somehow (😕) the rat died.  This meant a rat funeral was in order!  There was singing, a burial, etc.  In the midst of the rat funeral, one of the Plattner boys said, "When you live in Haiti, you learn to be creative!"  That is totally true!

The Rat Funeral

     If you made it through all of that, congratulations.  Again, thanks for all the support so many of you provide to the Haitian missionaries.  It is so needed!