Chris Strayer in Haiti
I am sitting in my hotel room writing you after having a rather incredible day. In the past 10 hours I have seen some amazing sights… not amazing like a shooting star or like the way the Lord blessed Evie with her health issue’s a little more than a year ago…. but more like a reality check – amazing. I would have to say it was within an hour or so of arriving I was feeling emotionally overwhelmed to the point that I could have cried. I truly have seen the poorest of the poor… I have seen the lines and the masses of people waiting for their daily ration of food…. the line that starts around 4am and is the only food alot of these people get each day… I have been in the 8′ x 10′ single room, cement house where 7 people somehow manage to live and sleep.
And just when I thought I had seen it all… well, I had not. We visited Cite Soleil here in Haiti. The area is generally regarded as one of poorest, roughest, and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. There is little police presence, no sewers, no stores, and little to no electricity. There are pigs and dogs eating out of the what looks like a river but is filled with trash and raw sewage… there is trash everywhere and the house or shanty’s are made out of metal sheeting and whatever else people can find.
I am really not sure what else to say for now. I thank you all for your prayers as I traveled down and appreciate your continued prayers.
Chris
Back home
I arrived home Friday night March 13 after an adventurous, hard-working, full-filled, friend-making week with Mennonite Disaster Service in Cameron and Diamond, LA.
A few observations of my time spent in two small towns still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike. First, you might wonder why these people want to move back home and rebuild, especially if there is another chance of a devastating storm. The answer is simple. It’s home. It’s what they know, it’s where their friends and family are located, and it’s their land. If you think about it, we all have the potential for disaster no matter where we live. It can come in the way of wildfires in CA, flooding in the east, snow and ice to the north, tornadoes in the midwest, etc. No one is safe from natural disaster no matter where you live. And in the case of many of the people I had the chance to meet, moving is a luxary they cannot financially afford. Home is often not just where they own land, but where they make a living.
As far as the MDS short and long-term volunteers I spent time with this past week, they all came with a strong spirit to serve! They worked hard, yet made time to visit with the home owners when they visited the worksites and had fun with their team of volunteers! MDS volunteers are encouraged to not only work on repairing and rebuilding, but to touch lives and help people regain their faith. I saw that in action time and again last week. It was also great fun when homeowners like Mr. Bean brought fresh oysters to share and Gail Boudreaux shared local dishes like Boudan. She even sent me home with a jar of “Tony’s cajun seasonings” -a staple there.
My respect for Mennonite Disaster Service and the work they do has only grown with my visit to Louisiana. Just have a conversation with locals in these small communities. Talk to people waiting for homes, people who have moved into new MDS homes, people whose homes have been repaired and neighbors who have witnessed the work of MDS. Several comments were heard time and again-“MDS LISTENS” “they RESPECT THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY”, “they HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL”, “they are GOD’S PEOPLE”.
I was proud to wear my MDS nametag and found it a great conversation starter to find out where the people were at with their faith & hope-especially those hit by both Rita and Ike-2 major storms just three years apart. Imagine just getting your life back to together, only to have everything literally torn-apart by another strong storm.
One highlight that was especially close to my heart was meeting MDS homeowners Mitch and Carolyn from Cameron Parish.
If you have a chance visit wjtl.com and listen to my interview with this special couple. Even Mr. Bob who will move into his new home this week said, “if ever a couple deserved a new house it’s Mitch and Carolyn”. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house as they spoke their story into my microphone. You’ll find their story at wjtl.com under Listen under wjtl.casts or see the link above.
For more information on how you can do short-term or long-term volunteer work with MDS or financially support the work they do visit mds.mennonite.net.
More Audio From Lisa!
Lisa on the Grand Bayou
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Lisa's MDS Audio Updates
Lisa's Audio Reports
Check out some of Lisa’s selected live call-ins from the MDS project in Louisiana. For a complete listing of all Lisa’s reports, visit the WJTLcasts page.
Making friends in Cameron, LA
I had the opportunity to talk with some amazing people here in Cameron today. I invite you to listen to my conversation with Tina who was cleaning up glass from her land where her trailer once stood. Her neighbor is Mr. Bean whose home is being rebuilt by Mennonite Disaster Service. She has an amazing faith.
This next audio bit is an interview with Gail Boudreaux. Her house was rebuilt after Rita, but then damaged from Ike. MDS volunteers have been working to help get Gail back in her house.
And this man, Sherril Authement is a neighbor to another MDS work site. I like his comments about the “mennonites”:) An example of how the MDS workers are loved and respected here.
Tomorrow (Wednesday morning) I will head out with the crew to another MDS site here and then I leave for Diamond, LA which is close to a 5 hour drive. Part of me is excited to move on while part of me is not ready to leave. There are so many stories still to hear and people to meet. I wasn’t prepared for the devastation and destruction I’ve witnessed here. I knew there was rebuilding to be done, but thought it would be in certain areas or pockets of the town, but it’s everywhere! Tomorrow I will share some of the pictures I’ve taken to give you a better idea of how overwhelming the clean up is for these people.
If you are considering a volunteer service mission trip I invite you to check out the opportunities with MDS. The beauty of working with MDS that I’ve loved is seeing people from so many different faith backgrounds come together to serve in the name of Jesus. A taste of what heaven will be like-minus the mosquitoes!
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