World Next Door

Made It

Barry Rodriguez — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:10 +0000

Ok then. Here I am. In Haiti.

On Monday afternoon, after three rather uneventful flights, I walked off the plane and into a wall of heat. I stood in line with a bunch of other sweaty travelers as we attempted to get through immigration quickly. After traveling quite a bit, I’ve discovered that the key here is to pick the right line (for example, it’s good to avoid standing behind moms with fifteen screaming children and stacks of passports that take two hands to carry).

After immigration, it was on to the always chaotic baggage claim. Imagine… stacks of luggage, an overflowing belt, and two flights full of passengers crammed into a steamy 50’ x 50’ room… Looking around as the belts turned, it was easy to see what was going through many travelers’ minds: “Gee. I wish I hadn’t gone with that nondescript black suitcase after all…”

One of the many new structures being constructed by NVM here in Chambrun.

Thankfully, my (unique-looking) grey bag eventually arrived and I was soon out of the airport. All I had to do then was walk down a long, fenced-in sidewalk, look for my ride, and avoid the many porters in matching plaid shirts who wanted desperately to help me carry my bags out of the goodness of their hearts (and the cold hard cash they expected from me for their “help!”).

Finally, after a lot of confusion (“Are you Richard? From IPH?” one man asked me. “Nope, sorry.” “Your name is not Richard? From IPH?” “Um… no?”), I found my ride. Within minutes, we were on our way to Chambrun.

Unbelievable Growth

When we arrived, my jaw was on the ground.

Once an old classroom, this room is now part of a volunteer dorm.

The grounds of Nehemiah Vision Ministries in Chambrun are unbelievably different than they were when I visited back in January. There are big tents all over the place, brand new buildings set up, and concrete slabs laid for a bunch of new structures.

Instead of a tiny church/school and a small clinic, NVM is now home to a dining hall, volunteer dorms, showers, offices, 24/7 electricity and wi-fi (!). A full-on hospital and large buildings for long-term workers are on the way.

Nehemiah Vision Ministries is quickly becoming a hub for relief efforts in this region. Because of the commitment of several new American churches and organizations, Pastor Pierre’s vision of bringing hope and change to the village of Chambrun just shot ahead by about five years. Wow!

The Point

But the point of this trip is not for me to stay here in the village. I have a deeper purpose for coming once again to Haiti.

You see, as exciting as the work of NVM is in this region, there are still tens of thousands of people living in tent villages both inside and outside of Port-au-Prince, the majority of which do not have access to the resources of a ministry like this.

A tent village two weeks after the earthquake. Now this one is gigantic, going as far as the eye can see in every direction. Don’t worry. Newer pictures are coming soon!

My mission is to see what life is like inside these tent communities. To capture for you the realities, the injustices and the hope that exist in the everyday lives of Haitian earthquake refugees.

That’s why, by the time you read this article, I will have already left Chambrun with my translator, Denis. We will be staying with friends he knows in several different camps. Two nights here, one night there… All told, we will be traveling for about two weeks.

I don’t know when my next article will go live, but don’t worry… I will be making occasional stops back in Chambrun to write about my experiences.

Until that time, stay tuned… You don’t want to miss what’s coming on World Next Door!

Tomorrow

As I lay in bed the night I arrived, I looked around at my mosquito net and the fans trying in vain to keep the room cool. I thought about the many unknowns ahead of me and wondered just what I would see and experience here in Haiti.

But as I drifted off to sleep, only one thought kept running through my head…

“I made it.”

Back to Haiti

Barry Rodriguez — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:54 +0000

I can’t believe I’m already off again.

I feel like I just got home from Ukraine. Oh wait… Let me look at the calendar. I did just get home from Ukraine!

And yet, my next assignment calls.

But this one, I feel, is going to be different than all the rest. This one is going to leave its mark on my heart in ways I can barely even imagine. It’s not much of a stretch to believe that when I get home from this trip, I will never be the same.

You see, by the time you read this article, I will be back in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Back to Haiti

If you remember, World Next Door has been to Haiti twice before. Once, in the middle of autumn last year, and again two weeks after the devastating earthquake in January. Both times we embedded with Nehemiah Vision Ministries. Both times I personally left with a profound sense of the brokenness of this world and yet the hope that is springing up through the kingdom of God.

But unlike the previous two times where I lived in Pastor Pierre’s home and visited the villages and clinics and rubble-strewn streets of Port-au-Prince, this time I will be right in the thick of it.

Although aid organizations have provided thousands of much sturdier tents than the ones I saw before, thousands of Haitians are still living in refugee camps today.

I will be living in a tent community of internally displaced people (IDPs). It will be me, an interpreter, and thousands of earthquake refugees.

For two weeks, I will be attempting to answer the following questions:

What is life really like for the survivors of the disastrous earthquake?
What, if any, progress has been made in rebuilding the already struggling Haitian economy?
What organizations and ministries are making the biggest impact on the lives of refugees?
Amidst the rubble and the tents and the throngs of hopeless people, what is God doing in Haiti?
And finally, what can you do to get involved?

I will be interviewing families, observing everyday life in the IDP camps, taking pictures and posting my experiences, discoveries and, undoubtedly, some of my emotional turmoil here on World Next Door.

I invite you to come along with me on this journey.

There is still hope for Haiti.

But don’t worry about my articles making you feel depressed. Don’t put off reading my articles until you’re “in the mood.” If you haven’t noticed already, one of our signatures is finding hope in even the darkest situations. We will not leave you emotionally high and dry.

Despite the fact that tens of thousands of Haitians are spending hurricane season living in tents, despite the fact that Port-au-Prince still lies in ruins and despite the fact that the media has largely moved on, I believe with all my heart that the kingdom of God is still working powerfully in Haiti.

And I want you to see it…

Staying Connected

If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our email updates. That way you won’t have to remember to check our site every day. The articles will come straight to your inbox.

Also, I’ll be updating Twitter regularly. Feel free to follow me if you want to stay in the loop.

Finally, if you want to chat with me the day after I return, be sure to come to the Stand Against Poverty event on September 17. Just be prepared… I might be a little fired up.

—–

Well, that’s it for now. The next time I post an article, it will be from Haiti.

I’ll talk to you soon. And remember, for the Haitian people there is still hope… even if it’s found in the most unlikely of places…

Sep 17 – Stand Against Poverty

Barry Rodriguez — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:00:19 +0000

Have you heard of the Millennium Development Goals?

The Eight Millennium Development Goals

In 2001, all 192 member states of the United Nations agreed to a list of 8 goals for international development. Poverty eradication, fighting disease, reducing infant mortality… If these goals are met by 2015, this world will be a different place.

Unfortunately, many participant countries (yes, including the U.S.) have fallen far short of the changes needed of them.

But in the midst of such shortcomings, there are many who are standing up to show their support of the MDGs and to spur their governments toward action.

Individuals and organizations around the world have dedicated September 17-19 as a weekend of mobilization called “Stand Against Poverty.”

In Hamburg, in Nairobi, in Los Angeles… people are gathering to stand.

You Are Invited

Come join with other hoosiers to show your support of the MDGs!

But this is not just happening in far off lands. There is an event right in our backyard!

Stand Against Poverty Indianapolis is happening on September 17, 2010 from 5:30-8:30pm at The Village Experience (6055 N College Ave). Six local organizations, including World Next Door, are hosting the event. And we want to see you there!

There will be free food provided by the Egyptian Cafe. There will be multiple local and international organizations for you to connect with.

Oh, and there will be a panel discussion on poverty which will include yours truly, literally hours after getting off the plane from Haiti. I have a feeling I’ll be pretty worked up!

Mark your calendars. September 17th at 5:30pm. You can even RSVP on Facebook. If you have questions, please email Kristin Clements-Effner from Oxfam Action Corps Indianapolis, who is helping to organize the event.

Now, let’s stop sitting on our hands and wishing things would get better. Let’s collaborate, learn and spur each other on. You’ll never bring an end to global injustice yourself. But with the world united as one?

I think we might have a chance…

—–

If you would like more information, please watch the video below. Then, head over to standagainstpoverty.org to see how this event is spreading around the world!

Sep 17 – Stand Against Poverty

Barry Rodriguez — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:00:06 +0000

You are invited to join with World Next Door and 5 other local organizations as we Stand Against Poverty on September 17th!

A Turn of the Page: Ukraine, Summer 2010

Barry Rodriguez — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:07 +0000

What a fantastic summer!

This June and July I took our three summer interns, Lauren, Chris and Krystallin, across the ocean for a two-month cross-cultural experience in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. They worked with Mission to Ukraine and Last Bell, two incredible organizations bringing hope and light into places that have long been in darkness.

Because I wasn’t pursuing a specific “assignment” myself, I had the opportunity to float between the ministries and to follow up with a few stories that began when I first visited Ukraine back in 2009.

Me and the interns early on in the summer. What a great team!

I caught up with little Peter, finally adopted into a loving family, I re-visited Romaniv Orphanage and I participated in MTU’s summer camps… something I had only heard about before.

I also started two new initiatives. One is a dream of mine to get another boy adopted from the Romaniv Orphanage by a Ukrainian family. The other is a fun new project designed to let us see the world from the eyes of children around the world.

To read these articles and more, take a look below. Maybe through it all you too will find a way to jump in with what God is doing in Ukraine!

The Summer Begins!

Can your life really change over a cup of coffee?

World Next Door

Made It

Unbelievable Growth

The Point

Tomorrow

Back to Haiti

Back to Haiti

Staying Connected

Sep 17 – Stand Against Poverty

You Are Invited

Sep 17 – Stand Against Poverty

A Turn of the Page: Ukraine, Summer 2010

The Summer Begins!

Return to Romaniv

Photo Gallery: The Second Chapter

The Marika Project

Welcome Home!

The Marika Project Begins!

Dima

Apologies!

Photo Gallery: Marika’s Work!

Behind the Scrim

The Choice: Ukraine, Summer 2010

In a City Called Zhytomyr

More Than Plastic

Curbs Without Ramps

Culture Guide: Living without Language

Treasured Possessions

Part of the Family

The Dedication of Mothers

Photo Gallery: Let the Games Begin!

Photo Gallery: 8 Reasons to Hope

Loving Community: Ukraine, Summer 2010

Home for the Summer

Culture Guide: Learning Ukrainian like Evel Knievel

Struggling to Find an Emotional Anchor

Training ‘Cross Country

Photo Gallery: Holiday at the Sea

Trying My Patience

Photo Gallery: Let’s Go Camping!

Something New: Ukraine, Summer 2010

Learning Life

No Choice

Time Away

Culture Guide: Surviving Dinner

Taboo

Expert Navigating Tips

Hard to Forget

Substitute Husband

Photo Gallery: The Village

Will you join us?

Job Opportunity

Volunteer

2011 Summer Internship

Photo Gallery: 8 Reasons to Hope