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.