Rebuilding Haitian Hope, House by House

(ED. NOTE: The author, of Court House, made two trips to Haiti this year in an effort to assist earthquake victims. He and team members helped build houses for homeless Haitians. Funds to do the work were donated by children at Vacation Bible School this August at First United Methodist Church of Court House, where he is Pastor of Discipleship.)
By DR. JESSE S. McLAIN
In the first days after a natural disaster, it seems like all we hear and see in the news is about the suffering, the lost lives, and the efforts being made to help. Events like 9/11, the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and the earthquake earlier this year in Haiti all bring out a compassionate response from folks in the United States.
But after a while, the intensity dies down and we go on with our lives. We do not forget these people and situations, but the press of our own lives seems to make these situations less critical. But in many countries like Haiti, the need is still there to build, to heal, and to restore the economic base, which was lost because of the earthquake.
From Oct. 13-20, I had the privilege to travel back to Haiti and work in reconstruction projects. Eight men and one woman, from Cape May County, Philadelphia, and Piscataway met another team from Cape Girardeau, Mo. Together we built three new homes, finished the roofs and foundations in three others, and sealed and painted all six.
These homes were built in the village of Dumay, on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. After the construction was complete, we walked from house to house, met the people who would be living in those homes, and then were part of the dedication and blessing of those new residences.
We also walked through the mountain village of Prosper` and got to dedicate and pray over eight homes built by a previous work team.
Someone asked our team, “Wouldn’t it be more efficient to just send the money you spent on airfare to them and let them build their own homes?” Well, the answer is a little complex.
Yes, the Haitian workers did not really need our help. They can build the homes, pour the foundations, and paint them better than we can. But short-term mission trips like this are about more than mere physical labor. We saw the devastation at a very personal level, face to face, with folks who were left homeless by the earthquake.
We saw the poverty, the pain, and the suffering in a way that television, Internet, and pictures just cannot capture. But we also met and made new friends who helped us see the disaster in Haiti as something that affects everyone.
We were also able to see that there is still much to be done. Homes need to be built for nearly a million people still living in tents or scattered around the country with friends and relatives.
Businesses need to be rebuilt. The general infrastructures of water, sanitation, and roads are still in disrepair. More than that, the Haitian people need to see that we share their pain at a very personal level, and that our compassion for their need is not lost.
What was different about this trip (my second this year) is that all the teams we met in Haiti were church teams. There were fewer people from government and secular institutions working in Haiti, but churches are still there, donating their time, their skills, and their attention to the needs of the Haitian people.
If you have not visited this beautiful island nation, then I would encourage you to go with your church, synagogue, or faith community. Offer the Haitian people your compassion and love as you help them rebuild their nation.
(ED. NOTE: The author is Pastor of Discipleship at First United Methodist Church of Court House, (609) 465-7087.)