At Our Doorstep: Haiti 2009
Posted Nov 26 in Trip Recaps by 0 Comments
This article is a Trip Recap. Each time a World Next Door journalist returns from an “assignment,” we attempt to take a snapshot of our experience for you to read. Each of the links below will take you to the articles we wrote while “embedded” with our host organization.
To read our previous trip recaps, click here.
————————
From October 27-November 3, Curtis Honeycutt (a WND board member) and I traveled to Chambrun, Haiti to see the work of Nehemiah Vision Ministries.
One of NVM's beautiful children.
We came expecting to see an extremely poor country and that is what we saw. We came expecting to see communities mired in generational injustices and that is what we saw.
But I don’t think either of us expected to see such incredible seedlings of life and of the kingdom of God springing up all over the village of Chambrun.
Pastor Pierre, the visionary behind NVM, with two women from Chambrun.
We saw a community of humble people willing to spend four hours helping to dig a box truck out of a ditch. And we saw their celebration when they were finally successful.
We met hundreds of happy, healthy children who now have hope in the future because of the work of NVM, and we came back with our hearts overflowing with their love.
On the lighter side, Curtis experienced the welcoming smiles of the Haitian people despite his rather white skin (and developed a list of tips to help others in his situation!).
And finally, I got the chance to spend the night at NVM’s orphanage in Chambrun. It was a deeply moving experience.
Seeing how much physical affection those eight orphans needed broke my heart, but knowing that they will now have a chance at a life that they would have otherwise never have had filled me with hope.
In the end, our one week trip to Haiti was at once challenging and incredibly uplifting. The country is by far the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, but because of the work of ministries like Nehemiah Vision Ministries, I believe that Haiti has a chance…
Barry Rodriguez
About the Author: Barry Rodriguez is the director of World Next Door. He is a writer, photographer, actor and teacher with a heart for social justice and a passion for travel. Well then. It’s a good thing he’s got this job!
