Back from Haiti

By Fr. Keith Talbert
St. Paul’s, Foley

Haiti: Lespwa Timoun Refugee camp

“Kado yo nan Seyè a pou pèp Seyè a” were the most striking words of my recent trip to Haiti. Spoken in Creole by the priest at communion, we know them as “The gifts of God for the people of God.”  In a flash my experience was transformed as I knew that the gifts I have received are indeed intended for those most in need. As we shared the Body and Blood of Christ, all of us gathered around the table were for a holy moment One Body in Christ. And by God’s grace the gifts we offered will be transformed to his honor and glory.

For a week I was blessed to be part of a 12 person mission team comprised of folks from Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. The mission is an ongoing effort called “Hope for Haiti” sponsored by the Diocese of Alabama and others passionate for the people of Haiti. We were priests, students, attorneys, teachers, landscapers, investors, and prosthetic specialists. We were called to be there.

Even before the Jan. 12 earthquake Haiti was by far the poorest and least-developed country in the western hemisphere, with more than half of its people living on less than $1 per day, and 80% living on less than $2 per day. One-third of its children are malnourished and 500,000 cannot go to school. The unemployment rate is estimated to be 60 percent. The needs are amazing – recent estimates show close to 2 million people living in temporary structures throughout Haiti and just over 800,000 in Port-au-Prince alone.

I saw hundreds of thousands of people living under plastic, cloth, and canvas tents. The landscape was littered with crumbled concrete, garbage, sewage. The streets were filled with people as far as the eye could see who wandered about with no where to go, nothing to do, and nothing to eat.

We saw the rubbled remains of homes, schools, shops, and the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity standing as silent witnesses to the lives of 300,000 men, women, and children who died that day. Desperation filled every breath of thick, dusty, smoke-filled air. However, thanks be to God, evidence of grace and hope were also present. God did indeed open our eyes to see his hand at work in the third world about us.

Our gracious hosts for the week were The Rev. Fritz Valdema of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti in the Saint Simeon’s Parish and his wife Carmel. Pere Val (as he is called by his many friends) oversees six parishes and schools. We spent much of the week in the vicinity of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti helping with construction of the new Lespwa Timoun (“Hope for Children”) Nutrition Clinic in the village of Croix des Bouquets.

The Lame Walk

Lespwa Timoun is Carmel’s dream for the malnourished children in the area. As witnesses to the hands of God working through Carmel and her staff, we saw the lives of children and infants changed by the food, medicine, vaccines, and education provided at the clinic. The clinic is in a temporary home while the new site is under construction. Having a permanent clinic location will amplify their efforts by providing safe storage areas for food, medicine, supplies, and a well for clean water. Part of our project was to plant over a hundred trees (avocado, banana, coconut, mango, fig, cherry, and lime) at the new site. One day those trees will provide fruit to the children as part of the nutrition program. Part of our team saw a young boy bring his 2 year old sister who weighed only 12 pounds to the clinic for help while hundreds of others sat patiently waiting their turn. It was only one sad story among thousands being lived out daily. But through the courageous effort of Carmel and her team that young girl and countless others have a chance – they have hope.

We also saw the lame walk! The two man team accompanying us from Walkfree International, Inc. in North Carolina had visited Haiti in April. On that visit they measured 30 people who had lost their legs in the crushing concrete on January 12. On this trip they brought new legs and feet for them. As many were fitted with the prosthetic and took an unassisted step for the first time in six months the tears began to flow, clapping filled the air, laughter and prayers of thanksgiving spontaneously were lifted up in celebration. God is really good.

I returned emotionally and physically exhausted. The challenge of re-building Haiti will be enormous. It defies my imagination. But, I am hopeful because my new friends in Haiti are hopeful. Bishop Duracin, the Bishop of Haiti who lost his home, his friends, some of his priests and his Cathedral said, “Every prayer helps, every cent helps because when we put that all together then the community of God is working for the people of God.”

Yes indeed, “The gifts of God are for the people of God.”