Christian Sojourn
Haiti team to Pignon
In June I had the privilege of leading a
thirteen member work team to Pignon, Haiti.This was not a new experience e for
me since I have led medical-surgical or work teams to Haiti for the last 35 years. Our first visit to
Pignon was in 1984 when I led a medical-surgical team. It was like going home once again. A few
things had changed, but much still
remained the same.
We
traveled to Port au Prince on American Airlines and then flew via MAF to
Pignon. The 30 minute flight was a delight instead of three hours on the road. After our arrival in Pignon, we
checked into the dorm and settled in. That afternoon we met with Dr Guy, and he
briefed us on the hospital and Pignon. It was great to see Dr. Guy once again
after all of these years.
My
team consisted of 6 teenagers and 7 adults including a high school principal, a
teacher, a realtor, a nurse, a family physician (myself) and Pat Moore, who
retired after serving as a
missionary in Haiti. She had started her career as a missionary in
Pignon so it was wonderful to see her make contact with many old friends such
as her cook and watchman.
We
worked on several projects during our visit, making school desks and doing plumbing and electrical repairs.
We cleaned out, screened, and painted a small house that will be used
for a missionary couple who will be coming to Pignon in July. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that
this couple was Gene and Valorie Hauck. Valorie had come to Haiti as a teenager
on one of my trips where she met her future husband. He is a general surgeon
and she is a nurse midwife, and they are considering becoming long term
missionaries.
It
was really rewarding to reside right in the middle of Pignon. The dorm has a
large veranda, and we all enjoyed sitting out there and watching the people go
by on the main street below. There were donkeys, ox drawn carts, over-loaded
pickups, and one day even a marching band!
One of the highlights for our
young people playing basketball. They became acquainted with a group of Haitian
youth, and every evening they played basketball togetherl. The teams were very
competitive, and they really bonded and had a great time.
We
attended a Haitian church and experienced an uplifting service. That afternoon
we visited an orphanage which was just outside of town. The week went by so quickly,
and it was time to go home. My entire team had a really good experience in
Pignon, and I am looking forward to taking another team there soon.
-Stuart
P. Embury MD; President Christian Sojourn Haiti, Inc.
