Thursday, December 30, 2010

Post # 8, The Garden, Radio Station 4VEH, & Men.


The garden was toward the back of the compound.  The left side is big heads of cabbage.  Notice the compound is right up against a mountain.


This banana tree jungle is also part of the garden.  Jane was showing the team around the compound.


This is a broke down tap-tap on the compound.  Notice the seating for customers.  The engine block is laying there needing a major overhaul.  That's a child swing seat to the left.


This furniture shop is inside the front of the compound.  These Haitians come in every day and make tables and chairs.  This is private enterprise.  Not mission work.  They rent this space.  Coach Shaw is in the photo.  Trees never stop growing in Tropical climates.  They don't have growth rings as in climates where it freezes.  The wood grain is very clear or white.  This cabinet shop is outside.  There is a roof along the wall under which they keep projects and tools.  Behind the wall to the left is main street.


Radio station 4VEH.  Started in 1946, but not in this building, this is state of the art and a new facility.  4VEH stands for La Voix Evangelique d'Haiti (the Evangelistic Voice of Haiti).  G.T. Bustin had a vision for a Bible training school in Haiti.  God had already used him to establish mission work on Andros Island in the Bahamas, and New Guinea was calling him as well.  Brother Bustin had a vivid dream of a place in Haiti he hadn't seen even though he had just recently visited Haiti.  Two years later he went back to Haiti and traveled 200 miles across country from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien in the north.  As they were driving down the road, near Cap-Haitien, Brother Bustin exclaimed, "This is the place I saw in my dream!"  The land was for sale and this is the beginning of the OMS work in Haiti.


The Missionaries have Church at 3 on Sunday afternoon in the up-stairs of the Radio Station.  Some of our team attended.


I asked this girl in Creole if I could take her picture.  I said, "Eske muen kapab fe foto ou?"  She said, "I speak English and yes you can take my photo!"  How cute. I think she had been adopted by one of the missionaries.  She is probably a US citizen and English is probably her first language.


Neil and Ruth Tompkins are on the right.  I didn't get the Haitien guy's names.  Neil is our team leader.  This was his 5th trip to Cap-Haitien in the last 30 years and Ruth's 1st.  Neil is a rancher and dairy farmer and Ruth is a registered Nurse.  Several of us have been having dreams of our time in Haiti.  Their is no glamour in medicine.  They don't work with well people, they work with sick people.  I personally couldn't stomach it.  I did a walk through and couldn't wait to leave the building and never went back.  Our health team worked there around the clock taking shifts.  I had a cut on my finger that became infected.  I put triple antibiotic ointment on it and the next day it turned pink and was healing.  I saw many Haitiens with sores on their arm or leg.  I wonder, I bet they don't have access to the simple things we have our medicine cabinets full of, peroxide, alcohol, ointment's etc..


I really wanted this picture.  These men came to the compound every day.  These are all Neil's friends.  They all speak English, some better than others.  They were all outside the Holiday House where I stayed so I grabbed the photo op.  Neil had a bag of prescription glasses between his legs.  He and Robyn had spent a couple of days fitting hundreds of pairs on Haitians that came to the clinic.  He had just been fitting these guys with some glasses.  It took me about 3 days to start sorting these guys out as far as names and their association with the missionaries and their faces.  These guys really loved us.  They are very grateful for the missionaries that have helped their people over the years.  When I go back, I want to see all of them and get to know them better.  Any one of them could help you learn to speak Creole.  It is amazing how close you get to these men in just a few days.  I can actually say I love these men.  I am no better than any one of them.  Did you know they have a very hard time getting Visas.   Missionaries have tried to get them Visas to come and visit the US but it is difficult.  These men are, back, L-R; Anlnd, Jonas, Federme, Pastor Benjamin, and Wilfred.  Front, L-R; Wadner (LoLo) Thermidor, Neil T., Peter Fuento.  Peter is a football (soccer) star.  He is 6-3 1/4" tall.  I measured him with my tape measure.  He showed me a picture of his soccer team he had in his wallet.  He reminded me of my nephew Casey.  I gave Jonas my cap.  He is holding a machete.  He uses it to trim trees.  Pastor Benjamin took Neil, Coach and Jonathan to his home when we were in lock down.  That didn't go over very well but it turned out ok.  Wadner is amazing.  Enough good can't be said about him.  He helped us continually.  Speaks English fluently, loves the Lord, just a servant.  Jonas is in this same category.

1 comment:

  1. Click on the red letters to see Joy's post on her blog about Neil's dairy operation.

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