Village of Hope - Lazarus Project - Haiti

We flew from Fort Lauderdale on a rainy Sunday afternoon to Port-au-Prince, where the sun was shining and the spectacular blue ocean and beaches marked a stark contrast to the crowded streets to come.


Port-au-Prince from the air




View from our Truck-Ride from Airport to Hope House, the sights and sounds of Haiti.




Hope House - Guest Lodging



Our five-day mission trip to the Village of Hope left us with good memories for time spent with loving children.  Carla and I joined a team from Advent Lutheran Church and Holy Spirit Lutheran Church for this adventure.  Our excitement began with a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince; we viewed the beautiful beaches and mountains from the air, before touchdown. 

Making our way through customs, retrieving our bags and walking through a sea of people, we boarded an old truck with seats in the truckbed for the dusty, noisy ride to Hope House in Crois-de-Bouquis, Haiti.  The scenes from our first ride through the city felt unreal, as though we were in the midst of a documentary filmed of this country's struggles.  Roads with potholes that dropped at least 2 feet, at times; breezes filled with diesel fumes and smoke from burning garbage on curbsides; small abodes made of cement block, canvas, or metal where familes live with no running water or indoor cooking facilities. 
We arrived at Hope House, a guest house for visitors to the Village of Hope, and were greeted by our hosts and full time missionaries.  After settling into our dormitory style rooms, with cold shower bathrooms, we feasted on a Haitian style dinner of beans and rice, baked chicken and lettuce salad.  Our group gathered each evening for devotions and sharing stories of the day. 

The Drive to Village of Hope School



Our Transportation..Wooden Benches on Sides



Roosters started crowing at 5:00 am, just before the alarm went off in our room.  Abundant breakfasts: scrambled eggs, pancakes, coffee, fruit, yogurt helped the day start on a positive note.  We packed sandwich lunches into a cooler to take on the ride to the Village of Hope School.  Boarding the truck, we enjoyed an hour-long ride through busy streets filled with people riding on motorbikes, or Tap-Tap vehicles (colorful Haitian taxis - packed with people inside and hanging on the fenders or back bumper), or walking - some balancing bags of provisions on their heads.  Along the route were schoolchildren, dressed in uniforms of their school colors.  The Village of Hope School has over 600 children enrolled (grades preschool through highschool). 



Opening Ceremonies for The Week 
School Children await the Flag Raising and Songs


On the grounds of the school is the new Medical Clinic, built to provide care to the school children and their families...and neighborhood people in need.  The clinic is staffed with a full time physician, nurses and receptionist.  They are able to provide lab work, pharmaceuticals and basic medical care.  Patients line up on a first-come basis each morning.  The Village of Hope director believes that the facility will be very busy when the community hears about their work.  In the future, medical teams will go into underserved areas (such as the tent and transitional communities) to provide medical help.

Village of Hope Medical Clinic

Each of our mornings began with the students assembling in the chapel for opening introductions, songs and prayers.  We divided the class into three sections:  Bible Story, Games and Crafts, rotating the group through all three activities every 45 minutes.  Each of the days (M-F), we were able to work with a grade level (e.g. Monday, first graders; Tuesday, second graders...etc. up through fifth grade).  After lunch, our mission team departed to visit some of the neighboring areas of Haiti. 

Our Chapel Classroom

Illustrating the Bible Story

Monday afternoon a group went to a market (grocery store) for local coffee, rum, etc.  Tuesday afternoon, we drove to outside Port-au-Prince to visit the Earthquake Memorial.  The site is where thousands of unclaimed bodies were buried after the quake.  A large boulder marks the place with a plaque that reads: We Shall Never Forget.  Carla climbed up the mountain-side with others through a trail of wooden crosses, dried flowers and other momentos. 

Cross on Hillside at Earthquake Memorial

Wednesday afternoon we visited the Tin Shop area, where local artisans fashion beautiful wall art from steel drums.  The ends of the drums are cut off, after burning oil residue from the inside.  The steel is flattened and elaborate designs are hand-chiseled to make beautiful art work to sell. 

Thursday afternoon we visited Little Children of Jesus - an orphanage for disabled children: another amazing place.  This orphanage cares for over 90 severely disabled children - providing love and excellent care to needy children. 

Team member Jon playing with Child

Friday afternoon we left for the airport, driving through busy streets - past United Nations representatives with blue helmets and machine guns, dodging people on motorbikes or by foot - who greeted us with Bon Jour!  Our mission trip left a piece of our hearts with the children and staff on the Village of Hope.  We quickly bonded with our interpreters who (between class sessions) shared  personal experiences of survival and faith.  Although we went to teach Vacation Bible School, we gained more than we gave in perspective and individual purpose for giving to others. 

Tuesday was National Holiday, children didn't wear uniforms...but came beautifully dressed.

David - Who added a Bible Verse to his Drawing

Showing off their Craft Project - Decorated Visors