Summited by Denny Brand~
#1. I was privileged to lead a group from Trinity Reformed Church located in Orange City, Iowa to Haiti from July 30 – August 7. There were 8 folks who went from Orange City, one being was my son-in-law who is an associate pastor at the church. The make up of the group was very young as 5 of those going had just graduated from college in 2006. They were all 1st timers to Haiti and 6 of them had never done anything like this before. There were also 3 couples which made it good for them as they were sharing this experience together and able to process what they saw and thought together. Obviously it was quite hot while we were there, but when one goes to Haiti in July/August, what else could one expect. Due to a scheduling conflict, we spent from Thursday to Sunday with Chrissie and Jon Jon and then came to Pignon on Sunday and spent the rest of our stay in Pignon. On Monday, we cleaned out two depots at the hospital so that there will be room for supplies as they come in and also identify what they already have. Wednesday was a paint day and the area that was painted was the front entry to the hospital. We first cleaned it real good and scraped away the old paint and then put on two coats of fresh white paint. It really brightened up the area and it was a job well done. Thursday was a sight seeing day as I wanted the group to get a good feel for what was going on – we went to the farm, visited the water project, went to the river to observe the activities there, talked about the schools and the agricultural plots and then the day was finished off with a great presentation from the all the folks at the hospital to explain the mission – where it has been and where it is going – all the great statistics that back up all the good things that are going on in the North and Central plateau and then sharing with us the needs and what still needs to be accomplished. We only got to sing one night at the hospital as it rained every evening we were in Pignon. The one night we did go sing was a special time for the group.
The day that I haven’t talked about yet is Tuesday. This day was probably the highlight of the trip for most of us. We went to Bouqueronne and did a Bible school for the kids. Jared and Stacy had lined it up with the principal and we were expecting about 100 kids. When we got there, there were about 150 kids there and the number grew as we started the Bible school. Wilken and Gevy acted as our interpreters and one of our group, who is teacher, led the activities. We thought we would spread out into two rooms, but the principal had them already sitting in one room, so that is what we went with. We had kids everywhere including cement blocks as we ran out of benches for everybody. In spite of what we would have considered impossible conditions, the Lord turned this into a great time. The singing was fantastic as Wilken did a great job leading this. They learned a memory verse and a lesson was presented. We also did a craft which was the making of salvation bracelets. The entire group was able to participate in this and it was a blessed time. Then we went outside and played games. It was hot, but that did not seem to bother anybody but us. I might add that most of the kids were dressed in their Sunday best – beautiful! The morning was made complete by feeding all of them. Again Jared and Stacy had arranged to get the food there and had hired the cooks. We had 200 plates and they were all used up – I think we fed generous portions to most of Bouqueronne. The amazing thing is that all the kids sat and waited patiently while we served them. Our team was overwhelmed with emotion as this was going on – this was something that most of them had never encountered or ever thought about. We then made a mistake of trying to get them to form lines to get a drink that we prepared for them and that did not work – chaos would describe what went on. Live and learn – serve them and don’t try to form lines. This was a great day – one that we will all remember.
#2. We traveled to Pignon commercially to Port a Prince and then took MAF to Pignon. We stayed overnight in Fort Lauderdale on the way down and then we took “Spirit” to Port au Prince. We had never flown Spirit before but found them to be very good. On the return trip, we made the entire trip in one day. It started at 7:15 in Pignon and ended 11:15 in Omaha. Every flight was on time and we did not experience any difficulties at all. Getting through customs went smoothly – getting to the MAF terminal went very well as Nadier was right there to pick us up – this was as smooth a trip as I have ever taken.
#3. We stayed in the MN house while in Pignon and as usual, the accomadations were great. The food was excellent.
#4. Overall, this was a fantastic and successful trip. No one got sick, everybody was co-operative with what we were doing, and we had some great discussions and devotions in the evening. It was great to have Jared and Stacy there to take care of all the details. All the projects went smoothly and they did a great job of arranging everything. I know that I as their leader, was so thankful that they were there. I am certainly not handy and being able to defer the questions to Jared was great. I would encourage any group that goes in the summer to think about doing a Bible school. It is a great time and very rewarding for the group and very beneficial for those that we are serving. I have never gone to Haiti yet and not had a blessed time. I think the feeling is always there for a group that they are going to go to Haiti and help the people there. That did happen, but I would guess that if you quizzed each person, they would tell you that they got more back than they gave. All praise be given to our Lord for a safe and great trip.
Denny Brand
Pastoral Care Leader
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Blog for the Nikkles
Jared and Stacey Nikkles have a blog about their experiences living in Haiti. It can be found at http://mh4h.blogspot.com/. I have also made it a link on the Haiti teams on the side bar of this blog.
~Lorrie
~Lorrie
Third Reform Church Trip to Pignon
Sumitted by Tim Brand
1) Please give a narrative description of your trip include in it how many members accompanied you on this trip; what was the purpose/ goals of your trip? What was accomplished, what may need to be done?
Our group of 11 was made up of mostly Third Reformed Church members from Pella, led by Tim and Catie Brand. We had two members that had been on the 2007 trip, Doug Nikkel and Ken Ruefer, and four first-timers: Jay Sunderman, Austin Steenhoek, Jordyn VandeLune, and Addie Smith. Also joining us was Sarah Keller from Olivet Baptist in Des Moines. Our last two members were Bob and Rosemary Nikkel. Their main purpose of the trip was to visit their son and daughter-in-law, Jared and Stacey Nikkel, and grandchildren Will and Natalie. The Nikkels recently moved to Pignon to serve as missionaries, currently living out of the upstairs of the Iowa house.
While in Pignon, we worked on numerous projects. One was working on the Nikkels' home which began construction the day of our arrival. Their house is located north of the Minnesota House within the compound on Dr. Guy's ground. There is much work yet to be done but the group helped clear the area of garbage and cement blocks, removed tree stumps, stubbed the drain lines, started the septic system, and leveled the floors inside the house for cement to be laid. While we were there, the Haitian construction crew dug trenches, laid footings, made cement blocks, and started the walls. It was great to see that progress!
Other work done around the hospital included cleaning air conditioners in a few buildings, including the internet cafe, running electrical service wire to the panel in the new dorm, and doing misc small projects in the Iowa and Minnesota houses. Also, we intended to paint the new three room addition at Three Bears and Me (Fontaine) School. However, upon arriving at the school, we saw that the addition has hardly been started, just trenches and some footings. Upon surveying the other 5 rooms, we saw they were definitely in need of some paint. So we painted the interior of the existing school rooms with two coats in each room. The other main project for our team was a three-day Vacation Bible School at the hospital. We invited 50 kids from our various schools [20 from Meredith, 20 from Three Bears and Me, and 10 from Boukewone (sp)], but in typical Haitian style, we usually had between 130-150 kids each day crammed into the conference room on the first floor of the administration building. For crowd control purposes, we eventually had to close the doors so many listened in through the windows. We now understand the Bible story about Jesus teaching in the house and people cutting holes in the roof so their friend could see Jesus - we had people everywhere! The VBS included songs, a Bible story, a craft, a memory verse, and playing games. Bev Brand prepared the curriculum, with much of it already translated into Creole. Wilkin was our translator (and did a fantastic job and would not accept pay), and Gevy helped with much of the organization. They were both wonderful!
We had VBS from 9:00-11:00 after which we fed a plate full of rice and beans to the 50 that were invited, and then managed to feed an additional 75 to 100 kids besides that on each day. There were a few chaotic moments but overall the VBS was a great success. We'd love to have another group keep the school going next summer or perhaps do the same lessons in another area and we left the material behind with Stacey and Jared. If intersted, please contact me and I can get you in contact with them to plan.
Other highlights of our trip included visiting Haiti Home of Hope and delivering formula and baby blankets. We got a tour of the farm where it was great to see so much progress being done with the goat program and other agriculture.We are happy to report that we saw 58 goats (a whole herd!) and were told that they have handed out over 300 this year. We also sang and prayed for the patients at the hospital multiple nights. Some of our group attended an early morning mass at St. Joseph's and we all headed out to Jean Jean's church service and then their house for lunch. Their new worship center is beautiful and we were excited to hear what UCI is doing for that area.
On July 4, we had an Independence Day party complete with sparklers and singing the "Star Spangled Banner". Our last evening included a presentation on the hospital by Adele and Evanel and a party on the roof of the Minnesota House. We concluded the night by praying together for the hospital, the surrounding areas, and the country of Haiti. It was truly a blessed trip.
2. 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 down to Ft. Lauderdale and took Acadiana Shuttle services to Ft. Pierce to stay the night. We flew MFI into Cap Haitien (with a quick stop in the Bahammas). They were out of visas in Haiti but we did have to fill out a medical form that asked questions about Swine Flu. The flight into Pignon was smooth, and we were greeted by a team from Trinity Reformed in Orange City that had been at UCI. The flight home was similar except we stopped in Turks and Caicos, where we again had to fill out a Swine Flu form. We had no issues with customs or flights, so we are thankful!
3. 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?
We stayed at the MN dorm. We had a few issues with water on the second floor, but luckily Jared was able to figure it out so we were not without water. We also purchased some water filters from Neil Van Dein because we were going through the bottled water so quickly. We left those two water filters with Jared and Stacey for other groups to use if they would like. They filter slowly, but if you keep water going into the filters, you can usually get ahead of it and get cold in the fridge. Our first four days were in the mid 90s with few rain showers coming through. It was HOT.
4. Is there information you would like passed on to the next team that is scheduled ?
This isn't necessarily for the next group, but something that was passed on to me that I think would be helpful for the group. Through the building of their house and seeing some of the projects going on, Jared and Stacey Nikkel have learned that for building projects, if you can get it in writing AND have the money in cash available for the project, things move pretty swiftly. The problems occur when the cash isn't readily available (has to come from the States) or the project isn't being checked on. For example, for the library, Gevy had block made for the wall, but money that was left ran out and worked stopped. At that point, people started stealing the blocks. Money was wired down so materials could be bought to finish the work before more block was stolen (driving up the price for the project even more). Also, construction projects seem to work where labor is negotiated, but all materials are purchased by the personpaying for the job. If someone isn't checking on the project, either too much material is purchased(causing waste) or nothing is purchased (stopping the project). I think we will get smarter as we continue doing construction projects.
5. Did you have any problems issues, occurrences that need to be addressed by the hospital or the Board?
Unfortunately, we had another theft incident where we lost 10 gallons of paint, amounting to about $175. We're not sure when the paint was stolen, but we believe it was taken from the depot when we had someone inside (they were working in the back). We've talked with Evenel about it and it seems the only solution is to keep everyone out of the gated area, as there is a constant flow of people in and out of the compound. We've recommended putting tighter restrictions (and keeping track of) who is coming in and out of the "secure" area. We also will explore adding more security to the depot area.
6. Anything else you would like to share about your trip?
Overall, we had a great trip. We saw some real progress being made at the farm and some of the hospital projects. Also, the hospital staff was the most supportive and available that I've seen them since I started going in 1998. We really appreciated their efforts and sharing with us the current hospital situation. Lives were changed during our trip, no doubt.
1) Please give a narrative description of your trip include in it how many members accompanied you on this trip; what was the purpose/ goals of your trip? What was accomplished, what may need to be done?
Our group of 11 was made up of mostly Third Reformed Church members from Pella, led by Tim and Catie Brand. We had two members that had been on the 2007 trip, Doug Nikkel and Ken Ruefer, and four first-timers: Jay Sunderman, Austin Steenhoek, Jordyn VandeLune, and Addie Smith. Also joining us was Sarah Keller from Olivet Baptist in Des Moines. Our last two members were Bob and Rosemary Nikkel. Their main purpose of the trip was to visit their son and daughter-in-law, Jared and Stacey Nikkel, and grandchildren Will and Natalie. The Nikkels recently moved to Pignon to serve as missionaries, currently living out of the upstairs of the Iowa house.
While in Pignon, we worked on numerous projects. One was working on the Nikkels' home which began construction the day of our arrival. Their house is located north of the Minnesota House within the compound on Dr. Guy's ground. There is much work yet to be done but the group helped clear the area of garbage and cement blocks, removed tree stumps, stubbed the drain lines, started the septic system, and leveled the floors inside the house for cement to be laid. While we were there, the Haitian construction crew dug trenches, laid footings, made cement blocks, and started the walls. It was great to see that progress!
Other work done around the hospital included cleaning air conditioners in a few buildings, including the internet cafe, running electrical service wire to the panel in the new dorm, and doing misc small projects in the Iowa and Minnesota houses. Also, we intended to paint the new three room addition at Three Bears and Me (Fontaine) School. However, upon arriving at the school, we saw that the addition has hardly been started, just trenches and some footings. Upon surveying the other 5 rooms, we saw they were definitely in need of some paint. So we painted the interior of the existing school rooms with two coats in each room. The other main project for our team was a three-day Vacation Bible School at the hospital. We invited 50 kids from our various schools [20 from Meredith, 20 from Three Bears and Me, and 10 from Boukewone (sp)], but in typical Haitian style, we usually had between 130-150 kids each day crammed into the conference room on the first floor of the administration building. For crowd control purposes, we eventually had to close the doors so many listened in through the windows. We now understand the Bible story about Jesus teaching in the house and people cutting holes in the roof so their friend could see Jesus - we had people everywhere! The VBS included songs, a Bible story, a craft, a memory verse, and playing games. Bev Brand prepared the curriculum, with much of it already translated into Creole. Wilkin was our translator (and did a fantastic job and would not accept pay), and Gevy helped with much of the organization. They were both wonderful!
We had VBS from 9:00-11:00 after which we fed a plate full of rice and beans to the 50 that were invited, and then managed to feed an additional 75 to 100 kids besides that on each day. There were a few chaotic moments but overall the VBS was a great success. We'd love to have another group keep the school going next summer or perhaps do the same lessons in another area and we left the material behind with Stacey and Jared. If intersted, please contact me and I can get you in contact with them to plan.
Other highlights of our trip included visiting Haiti Home of Hope and delivering formula and baby blankets. We got a tour of the farm where it was great to see so much progress being done with the goat program and other agriculture.We are happy to report that we saw 58 goats (a whole herd!) and were told that they have handed out over 300 this year. We also sang and prayed for the patients at the hospital multiple nights. Some of our group attended an early morning mass at St. Joseph's and we all headed out to Jean Jean's church service and then their house for lunch. Their new worship center is beautiful and we were excited to hear what UCI is doing for that area.
On July 4, we had an Independence Day party complete with sparklers and singing the "Star Spangled Banner". Our last evening included a presentation on the hospital by Adele and Evanel and a party on the roof of the Minnesota House. We concluded the night by praying together for the hospital, the surrounding areas, and the country of Haiti. It was truly a blessed trip.
2. 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 down to Ft. Lauderdale and took Acadiana Shuttle services to Ft. Pierce to stay the night. We flew MFI into Cap Haitien (with a quick stop in the Bahammas). They were out of visas in Haiti but we did have to fill out a medical form that asked questions about Swine Flu. The flight into Pignon was smooth, and we were greeted by a team from Trinity Reformed in Orange City that had been at UCI. The flight home was similar except we stopped in Turks and Caicos, where we again had to fill out a Swine Flu form. We had no issues with customs or flights, so we are thankful!
3. 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?
We stayed at the MN dorm. We had a few issues with water on the second floor, but luckily Jared was able to figure it out so we were not without water. We also purchased some water filters from Neil Van Dein because we were going through the bottled water so quickly. We left those two water filters with Jared and Stacey for other groups to use if they would like. They filter slowly, but if you keep water going into the filters, you can usually get ahead of it and get cold in the fridge. Our first four days were in the mid 90s with few rain showers coming through. It was HOT.
4. Is there information you would like passed on to the next team that is scheduled ?
This isn't necessarily for the next group, but something that was passed on to me that I think would be helpful for the group. Through the building of their house and seeing some of the projects going on, Jared and Stacey Nikkel have learned that for building projects, if you can get it in writing AND have the money in cash available for the project, things move pretty swiftly. The problems occur when the cash isn't readily available (has to come from the States) or the project isn't being checked on. For example, for the library, Gevy had block made for the wall, but money that was left ran out and worked stopped. At that point, people started stealing the blocks. Money was wired down so materials could be bought to finish the work before more block was stolen (driving up the price for the project even more). Also, construction projects seem to work where labor is negotiated, but all materials are purchased by the personpaying for the job. If someone isn't checking on the project, either too much material is purchased(causing waste) or nothing is purchased (stopping the project). I think we will get smarter as we continue doing construction projects.
5. Did you have any problems issues, occurrences that need to be addressed by the hospital or the Board?
Unfortunately, we had another theft incident where we lost 10 gallons of paint, amounting to about $175. We're not sure when the paint was stolen, but we believe it was taken from the depot when we had someone inside (they were working in the back). We've talked with Evenel about it and it seems the only solution is to keep everyone out of the gated area, as there is a constant flow of people in and out of the compound. We've recommended putting tighter restrictions (and keeping track of) who is coming in and out of the "secure" area. We also will explore adding more security to the depot area.
6. Anything else you would like to share about your trip?
Overall, we had a great trip. We saw some real progress being made at the farm and some of the hospital projects. Also, the hospital staff was the most supportive and available that I've seen them since I started going in 1998. We really appreciated their efforts and sharing with us the current hospital situation. Lives were changed during our trip, no doubt.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Work Team June
Summited by Larry Madole
Our trip was June 8-15 Larry Farrell, John Hocker, Larry Madole from Iowa and Herb Sikkink from Minnesota went to Haiti.
We had to stay over in Port so we used our time there to visit two places. One was Food for the Poor. This was a great opportunity to see this organization first hand and how they are feeding thousands of people in Haiti. We also visited Haytrack, a John Deere dealer that Larry Farrell had worked with in the U.S. We had a wonderful visit and made great contact for future equipment that we may want to purchase for the mission.
When we arrive in Pignon early the next morning, Gevy and a driver were at the airport to meet us. For all of us, it was like we were back home. We immediately got to work on the project at hand, which was to build a septic system for the new library.
We hired Haitians to dig and lay black for the tank. We also were able to set the stools and sinks and complete the water pipes to the bath rooms. We also put up lights.
On Saturday we went to the market to see the market and meet people. We had two days of heavy rain. The water was running two feet deep in front of the library. We were able to complete the tank and do some smaller things at the Iowa house to get ready for the new missionary family that arrived two days after we left. It was a good trip.
May all the praise be to our Lord.
In His Name,Larry Madole
Our trip was June 8-15 Larry Farrell, John Hocker, Larry Madole from Iowa and Herb Sikkink from Minnesota went to Haiti.
We had to stay over in Port so we used our time there to visit two places. One was Food for the Poor. This was a great opportunity to see this organization first hand and how they are feeding thousands of people in Haiti. We also visited Haytrack, a John Deere dealer that Larry Farrell had worked with in the U.S. We had a wonderful visit and made great contact for future equipment that we may want to purchase for the mission.
When we arrive in Pignon early the next morning, Gevy and a driver were at the airport to meet us. For all of us, it was like we were back home. We immediately got to work on the project at hand, which was to build a septic system for the new library.
We hired Haitians to dig and lay black for the tank. We also were able to set the stools and sinks and complete the water pipes to the bath rooms. We also put up lights.
On Saturday we went to the market to see the market and meet people. We had two days of heavy rain. The water was running two feet deep in front of the library. We were able to complete the tank and do some smaller things at the Iowa house to get ready for the new missionary family that arrived two days after we left. It was a good trip.
May all the praise be to our Lord.
In His Name,Larry Madole
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