connie collins journal ~ day 13

Thursday July 15

After teaching today we headed to the city of Carrefour to meet some old friends of my parents. My parents traveled to Haiti 30 years ago with a mission group from their winter home in Florida. On their trip, they met a Haitian couple, Joel and Doris Jeune. Their church in Florida helped this couple start many churches, orphanages and schools all over Haiti. When the Jeunes came to Canada, they stayed with us on the farm.

Fast forward 30 some years...Joel and his wife Doris established a church of 5000 on a 20 acre compound right near the ocean in Carrefour. After Jan 12, their compound became an instant refuge camp. Carrefour is very close to the epicentre of the earthquake and was devastated. Help did not arrive in that region (it finally came 2 months later) so their family and their mission, Grace International, sprung into immediate action, bringing doctors, food and medical supplies to the area. They now take care of 24,000 people living in tents. They feed them and provide them with medical care. But because they are not considered a government organization they are not given any government funds. To keep the place going, they rely on donations from Samaritan's Purse, and other NGOs.

We were given a tour of the church which had been damaged in the earthquake and is now currently in use as a school. We walked through row after row of tents and were amazed at how orderly and relatively clean it was. People were friendly and little shops were set up here and there just as in a market. We found the Pastor's son, Michael, who was busy working with a crew. He took us across town to see his mother, Madame Doris. She was in the midst of a woman's conference - she brings together women from all over Haiti to empower them to make a change morally and spiritually for Haiti. We saw the family home and the original church where my parents had visited and stayed. We also saw more makeshift class rooms set up under tarps. As we were standing around the family table, Madame Doris entered the room, came directly to me and said "You look just like your mother". Emotion overcame me as I hugged this beautiful "mother" of Haiti.

We sat with her as she shared some of her heart for this country. Doris believes that the hope for Haiti lies in a change of hearts and minds of the people, and especially the women. She feels that the people have become hopeless. Their government has forgotten them. The Haitian people need to make change for themselves and start to reclaim their country. She has raised 80 "children" throughout the years and many of them have gone onto leadership in the city. One of her "daughters" is the head of the bank in that region. Others have gone onto to become police officers, teachers and security guards. Their organization also runs 60+ schools. She has invited us to meet with her teachers...hmmm this journey may continue...

Meeting her was my favourite moment in Haiti.

When we told her we were off to Leogane (the epicentre of the earthquake) she immediately told some of her security guards to accompany us because it is one of the most dangerous places in Haiti. Very little relief has reached this devastated region. We looked at one another and realized how naive we were in thinking we could just roll into an area and drop off food. We quickly changed our plans and asked if we could give the food to her organization. Of course she said yes and gave us all big hugs!! We brought the food and the rest of the bears back to the main compound. Michael and his brothers brought out 10 or so children and mothers at a time through the gate that led into the tent city. One little girl was giggling and shaking with excitement. I was invited to look over the top of the gate, standing on a chair I would see a long line up of children and parents snake around the tents. We only had so little to give to so many. Again another heart wrenching moment, another tiny drop of water in this sea.

Good bye for now

Connie