Priority Projects from the Board for Promise for Haiti

This is a summary of the priority projects discussed at our January Board Meeting in Pignon.  I wanted to put this list on the web so everyone is aware of what the Board and Administration of Promise for Haiti feel are the priorities.

• Drill an efficiently functioning well at the dorm
  
• Establish the endowment fund
  
• Secure the services of a professional fundraising organization
  
• Improve coordination between teams
  
• Completion of the maternity house
  
• Completion of the renovation of the hospital dorm
  
• Completion of the library
  
• Completion of Bouqueronne School
  
• Continuation of the Microcredit program
  
• Expansion of the reforestation and replanting program
  
• Explore establishing a surgery insurance fund or program to cover the very poor
  
• Provide adequate software for drug management in the pharmacy
  
• Paving and landscaping the hospital grounds to improve sanitary conditions
  
• Renovation of the patient family headquarters
  
• Attempt to provide daily meals for our schools
  
• Provide internet access at all compounds
  
• Expand partnerships with other healthcare facilities and providers in Haiti
  
• Improved housing for the medical director
  
• Sharing of newsletters and trip experiences between various teams
  
• The computer system for the hospital needs to be updated.
  

CCH Travels

Please Keep CCH Teams in your prayers as they travel and work in Pignon April 2-9th this team will be working on construction and has an infection control doctor also working with them in Pignon. 

Safe Travels and Blessings

Lorrie~~~~~~~~

Project Haiti Trip

Please keep The Project Haiti Team in your thoughts and prayers the next two weeks as they travel to Pignon to give medical care to the people of Haiti and share their skills and knowledge with the medical staff of the hospital.


Lorrie~~~

Sunnybrook Team report

Sunnybrook team was in Pignon Feb 26-March 5.

Our team was a combination of 2 churches. There were 13 people representing Hope Church in Spencer, IA and 3 people representing Sunnybrook Community Church in Sioux City, IA. (total of 16 in our group).

Each year our churches do a Rice and Bean fund drive so money is brought along to buy rice and beans to distribute to a nearby village as well as to some of the poorest of the poor in Pignon.

Sunnybrook Church had raised money for additional classrooms to be built at Guimby School. Larry Madole and Gevy had worked together to coordinate the start of that project by hiring a contractor in the local Guimby area. Part of our time was spent at Guimby school helping in minor ways but mainly hoping to be an encouragement to the local workers.

Hope Church organizes gifts to be given to the students at Guimby school each year. Sunnybrook Church shares gifts and takes pictures of students that have sponsors supporting them from the US. An additional day was spent at Guimby school to accomplish these tasks.

Many of the participants on our trip were very interested in spending time with children so visits were made to Bill and Jennifer Campbell’s orphanage and the Ann’s orphanage.

We had also planned to do some painting projects around the hospital compound. However the paint that had been ordered was not there. That was disappointing. We were able to do a few door/hinge repairs that were needed at Meredith School.

Many people in our group know JeanJean and Kristie Mompremier and family. We were able to participate in their worship service with them on Sunday morning.

Continued observation on the Guimby project will be in the hands of Gevy and Larry M. on future trips to Pignon.

How did you travel to Pignon? Were there any problems with your flight and or arrangement? Do you have any suggestions to make this an easier process?

We flew with MFI from Ft Pierce, FL. There were a couple additional passengers on the flight, we flew into Port au Prince to accommodate their travel. Going through customs there was fairly easy. No problems.

What were your lodging arrangements while in Pignon? MN dorm? Iowa dorm? Other?? Any suggestions? Recommendations? Did you have any problems? Do you have any hints or notes you want to pass on to other teams?


Our team stayed in the MN dorm. We were very comfortable there
even with 16 people

The shower on the main floor of the MN dorm needs a new shower curtain and rings for hanging. J We had all bottled water to drink. There wasn’t much hot water throughout the week?? Not sure why. The single shower upstairs was draining VERY slowly. ??
Is there information you would like passed on to the next team that is scheduled.
Gevy was a HUGE help to our team. He took care of anything we needed.

5. Did you have any problems issues, occurrences that need to be addressed by the hospital or the Board?

I am not sure who would have been in charge of getting the paint that we had hoped to have available for our group to use, but that was certainly a disappointment. We would have been lost without Gevy’s help.


Anything else you would like to share about your trip?

I wonder if it would be helpful to have a notebook that would stay at the MN dorm and IA dorm. At the end of the week the outgoing team could jot down any helpful tips or basic info to be communicated to the next group coming in.

Though for you..

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Author Unknown~


Lorrie~

Clean Water Reflections

Clean water in Haiti is a wonder and a blessing. After getting her pot filled with clean water this little girl could not help but take a peek at her reflection in the water, if you look closely you can see her eyes and her smile in the water, on the left top side of the pot.

Thankful

This blog has very little to do with Pignon and the the teams that travel there but as I am waiting for returning teams to send  me their surveys, so I can post them,  I thought I would try and create thankfulness in your hearts. Thankful that you are not in Fargo ND.  If you are in Fargo then thankful that you and your loved ones are safe and warm and you have a snow blower!!!   This top picture is the house across the street from me at times I could not see it because it was a white out of snow and blowing snow. 
My deck stands 5 feet off the ground . 

The fense in my back yard is 6 feet tall.   

I am thankful I have a husband who runs the snow blower and I wont have to cut the grass until the 4th of July because it will be covered in snow.

Lorrie~

Team Travels

Please keep MDRC in your thoughts and Prayer the next few weeks as they travel to Pignon and as they work to help the hospital and the People in Pignon..

May God watch over them and protect them as they travel and as they work. May they touch the lives of many and may their lives be touched.

Lorrie~~

Volunteer applications yearly

I am asking that each and every year  all volunteers fill out a new application form.  I know it will be a extra work for the team leaders but there are many reasons for this.  

On the application is some very important information.  The world we live in moves fast and things change constantly, people move, change phone numbers, change e-mail addresses, their health needs change and I am not even going to get into the weight thing (nope Nope NOPE !!! ) .  

But even more important our emergency contact person can change.  The person you listed 5 years ago, or even last year may not be who you want as your emergency contact person this year.  That person may have changed addresses, phone numbers etc. and that information is very important and needs to be kept up to date. If something were to happen while in Haiti, someone get sick,  lost, kidnapped, a plane go down,  I know this is all things we say wont happen or don't want to think about, but it could and we need to be prepared if it does.  

Also I know this seems like something that should not have to be addressed but it does.  I need for all minors to have their volunteer applications signed by  parents or legal guardian , a minor cant go on a school trip without a parent signature I don't think we should send them to Haiti without it either. 

So starting June 1st I would like all volunteers to have new applications filled out yearly. 

Lorrie~ 

Team Tasks

Team members in the next few months many teams will be traveling to Pignon, some leaving and others coming within hours of each other. Please assist the staff at the dorms by stripping the beds before you leave, picking up the dorm rooms and living areas.

Thank you for your assistance

Lorrie~~~