beetleinhaiti

Haiti 2012

2011-11-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

MORE TO COME Larry Bailly
18414 Broadway Ave.
Snohomish, WA 98296
360-668-5031

Over the last 12 years I have had the privilege of traveling as a short term missionary to a number of countries. I have been to Haiti 11 times, Mexico 7 times.
I have also been to Cuba and most recently to Vietnam. .Each of these trips has had a project as part of the plans, and in most cases, the project was started, completed or additional work was done as time allowed.
On each of these trips, and especially since I have become more relaxed in different cultures. I have had the extraordinary pleasure to spend time with people from every layer of society. I have had conversations with laborers, professional people, and educators and of course other missionaries. I have been able to interact with people of different ethnicities, religions, races and from every point of view. Some of these people have been harsh and rude, others humble and proud, but by and large nearly all have been friendly helpful and willing to engage in conversation even when language was a barrier.
I have come to some very basic conclusions concerning my fellow believers and non believers as well. We are all humans, with very similar and basic needs and desires.
Fathers are fathers wherever I have gone, most are mainly concerned with protecting and providing for their family. Their dream is to provide a better future for their children, no matter how unrealistic that must seem. Mothers are the anchor for the family in every culture I have interacted with, and they are truly the motivation for the men who are in their lives. They have the deepest of concern for their children and only give up hope for them when there is nothing remaining that can help.
Children are the hope we should all see for mankind. We absolutely must see that they are educated, fed and given an opportunity to grow and see what God has planned for their life. That means we need to look way beyond ourselves and do what we can to be sure that the blessings we enjoy for free are available to the rest of the World. It takes so little to educate and feed children in other countries.
No matter what you might read about the generosity of the United States when it comes to Foreign Aid, only about one half of one percent of the budget is actually spent towards improving the lives of others in the World. Far more money than that is given and distributed through charities, mission organizations and other Governments. It isn’t all money that is given, a lot of sweat, tears and lives are given, often at great risk and personal sacrifice. I have a lot of respect for those who are willing to give their all for a cause, including our military, the largest mission organization on Earth.

VIETNAM
Of all of the missions I have been on in the last 13 years, this trip with Free Wheelchair Mission www.freewheelchairmission.org was by far the most rewarding. In just 4 days we assembled and distributed 240 wheelchairs. Not just any wheelchair, but distinctive ones with a resin chair for seating, and mountain bike wheels for use on uneven terrain.
We were able to get very personal in our delivery and the change in a recipients life was immediate and unforgettable. Lives were changed not just for the recipients, but also for families, friends and caregivers. A few of the distributions were:
1. A former Vietnamese soldier who had lost an arm and a leg to a mine. He had been imprisoned, his throat slit and he had been crawling for over 50 years. He smiled profusely and cried when lifted from the ground and placed in his chair.
2. A 17 year old boy with cerebral palsy who, in spite of his size, had been carried almost his whole life by his mother. The change was seen in her face immediately. A huge burden was lifted.
3. Linh, a street vendor that our team came across in the local market. He had taught himself English while crawling with flip flops on his hands to sell souvenirs. At 24 he was living on his own, but having a difficult time making more of his life from the level of the sidewalk. On our last day, he received his wheelchair, in front of his mother and many of the local people in the neighborhood he lives and works in.

In each of these cases, there was more to the story. The fact that we were from the United States and followers of Jesus Christ was announced and acknowledged. At each distribution, the local Red Cross, the local Government and the Central Communist Government were all present and included.
That we could all work together for good was evident and appreciated by all. Many of the local people would help us after just a few minutes of seeing what a little kindness could do for people they would never have seen before. The distributions certainly brought a feeling of community to the crowds.

NEXT
In January I will be taking a team to Haiti. We will be covering the hospital project at Passe Catabois with medical support and more construction. One project we hope to complete is the erection of a windmill. The hospital now has 24/7 power, and the first c-sections have been done to make the availability of a fully functional operating room official.
We will also have a small team at the House of Hope in LaPointe. My daughter, Rachel will be spending time there with the kids. She will have an additional skill this year as she is taking ASL in college and will have time to spend with the group of deaf folks who always seem to know we are there. Treated as outcasts by most society in Haiti, they enjoy time with “blans” who will just hang out with them. We also get a few younger Haitians who want to practice English with us. My ESL certification comes in handy at times.

THANK YOU
To many of you who have given in the past to help support my trips and the projects we have done. At times the small amount of work that gets accomplished seems insignificant. Whether you use the water in the bucket or the starfish analogy the fact is: if we don’t try to help, nothing gets done.
If you would like to help, please make donations to the Haiti fund at Snohomish Community Church, 13622 Dubuque Rd., Snohomish, WA 98290. Leave the memo section blank on checks, but attach a separate note that the donation is for Haiti.
As always, if you would like to join one of our teams in the future, space is still available. Contact me at baillybusbarn@juno.com , call me at the above number or find me on facebook.
Linh and his mother, Vietnam 2011

Haiti 2011 and more

2011-06-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Haiti 2011 and More
Sorry for the delay in getting this report out, and news of upcoming trips and projects. Our trip to Haiti in January was very successful on a number of different levels, and with some new travelers, we changed a few lives, American and Haitian. I always enjoy having new people join us, because we almost always get new perspectives on things that should have been obvious.
We had a full team for two weeks this year, plus one. Since I handle the trip planning, it was my fault that we wound up with a team of 20, when the plane from the capital to the North Coast of Haiti only holds 19! I stayed in Port au Prince by myself as the team went north, and then pretty much had to beg my way onto the last flight of the day. I have quite a few friends at the airport and in Haiti in general, so I may have displaced someone else, but I got to Port de Paix the same day. Our luggage didn’t do so well however. It took over a week for the ton of luggage and supplies to fly north and then a few more days for it all to be delivered to the missions.
The team was split for the first week with a small team going to LaPointe to work at the House of Hope (children’s TB clinic and orphanage) and a larger group going to Passe Catabois to work at the Hospital project and missionary support for the Dutch couple (she the Doc and he the missionary), who are having difficulties in their personal lives. Our team of nurses was a breath of fresh air for the overworked staff at the hospital as usual. A nurse from Holland arrived on the day before our team, so our experienced crew was able to help get her up to speed in short order without overwhelming her.
Our primary task at the hospital was to get the solar system fully functional and get some vehicles repaired. Since I went to LaPointe for the first week, the vehicle repairs were waiting for me, but the solar project was pretty much completed as soon as the supplies finally made it from the capital. That wasn’t however until the second week!
There were plenty of other projects as usual, as well as a swelling of the patient load due to word getting around that there were more “blans” in town.
At Lapointe I got time to go and do some of the things that I had never had time to do in the past. I got to go out into the village and meet some of the folks that we see at church, in their own neighborhoods. We also got to see the real work of the child evangelism teachers that the missionaries teach to spread the Gospel. I did finally fix an Ambulance that the hospital has had for years, it runs, but still needs some of the medical equipment repaired, I hope to get to that next time. I did have a couple of new guys with me who were a great help with the vehicle projects at both locations.
You can go to my facebook page to see pictures. I will be posting this to my blogsite as well, so you can go there to see previous reports on Haiti and more www.beetleinhaiti,blogspot.com.

NEXT
In about a month (June 23) I will be heading to a new location for missions. I am going to go back to Vietnam after 41 years, on a different sort of mission.
During the holidays last year, we had a fund drive to donate to two charities. One was Antioch Adoptions, a local charity that funds adoptions in Washington State. The reason given for NOT adopting is that the cost just makes it impossible to adopt American orphans. There are thousands of children in the State waiting for adoption.
The other, international mission that we highlighted was Free Wheelchair Missions. This organization has been delivering rugged wheelchairs to third world countries for the last 10 years. Not ordinary wheelchairs, but ones with a resin deck chair, supported by a full steel frame, with mountain bike tires for use in difficult areas. The chairs are light, strong and can be purchased and delivered for less than $60.00 each!
Snohomish Community Church stepped up and donated enough funds to purchase and deliver 370 chairs. We had initially decided that the chairs we purchased would go to Haiti, but 4 full containers had already been sent there after the earthquake, sponsored by other groups. We were given a number of other possible destinations, and since I was in the planning stages for taking a missions team to Vietnam, it just fit that we would sponsor a container there.
The other organization that I was going to go with to Vietnam had some conflicts that were going to delay me sending (leading) a team there, so when spots on the distribution team for our chairs were opened to us, I jumped at the chance. I will be joining 14 others (one from our church) on the trip to distribute wheelchairs, spending time in Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon) and traveling out to rural distribution points. I will be in Vietnam from June 25 to July 1, then will debrief in Hong Kong on the way back with a little time to sightsee there.

HELP NEEDED
This is going to be an expensive trip. The costs for the whole trip will approach $4000. A friend at church stepped up and bought my plane tickets ($2600.) but the other costs, transportation, lodging and food will be on me. I don’t usually ask for donations for Haiti, but since I already spent my missions fund for Haiti this year, I am asking for some help on this trip.
Send any amount that you can, anything will help. Please send donations in the form of checks made out to Snohomish Community Church, with NOTHING written in the memo area, but add a separate note indicating that the donation is for Larry Bailly, Vietnam Wheelchairs. The checks can be sent to me at the address above, or to the church directly at 13622 Dubuque Rd. Snohomish, WA 98290.

To view videos of this very worthwhile mission, go to http://vimeo.com/14963716
Or just Google Fee Wheelchair Mission http://www.freewheelchairmission.org

If a monetary donation is not possible at this time, prayers are needed as well, for our team and me. This is going to be a difficult mission trip on many levels. Pray that our encouragement and outreach would be well received and a hand up, not a hand out.

Larry

2011-06-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

HAITI: Earthquake plus 1
It is hard to believe that it has been just over a year since the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010. I traveled there in April of last year and just returned on January 27th from another trip. This year I took a group of 20 made up of about equal parts of construction and medical help to our missions on the North coast of Haiti at Port de Paix.
What is even harder to believe is how little has changed since April. The total lack of progress on what would seem to be the most basic of needs throughout the country is the most discouraging. I won’t lay blame as there is enough to go around for just about every organizational and governmental body both inside and outside of Haiti. What hasn’t changed that gives me hope for the future is the spirit and resiliency of the Haitian people, but even that is beginning to wear thin.
We don’t spend much time in Port au Prince, where most of the damage remains and much of the aid money and effort has been sent, without much evidence that anything has really been accomplished. Our missions are over a hundred miles away but are still being affected by the aftermath of the quake. The numbers of internally displaced residents (people who had moved to the Capital for jobs, but returned home after losing everything) has swelled the populations in both the urban and rural areas of the country.
This population increase makes the unemployment figures of 70% or more an astonishing figure. There simply are NO jobs of any kind, while promised and donated funds are being held hostage because of flawed elections in Haiti. Again, there is plenty of blame for shoddy elections when meddling by outside interests are involved, each trying to impose their own will to elect a chosen Government for self interests.
Our time was spent in support of our two missions. LaPointe is 5 miles, a one hour drive, to the east of Port de Paix. Passe Catabois is
about 20 miles west and a difficult 2 to 3 hour trip through a number of river crossings in the best of conditions.
I have been helping at the House of Hope www.houseofhopehaiti.blogspot.com , a children’s medical facility at LaPointe, since 2003. We do maintenance on their mission vehicles and facilities maintenance for the mission compound, a regional Hospital, Centre Medical Beraca, as well as a CEF school and other facilities supported by Crossworld Missions, www.crossworld.org. This year there was a new, larger generator to provide power, but the water system had developed even more serious problems than in the past, and with cholera on everyone’s minds, we needed to take additional precautions, even with the filtered water available. From a high of 175 cholera patients a week (at the Beraca Hospital alone) to less than a dozen now, at least the epidemic proportions are under some control with the help of ongoing teams from around the world showing up to help.
After a week at LaPointe, I took the 6 others who had gone with me out to the other facility at a place called Passe Catabois. Our teams have worked at this location for the last 4 years. In 2007 the facilities were a partially completed guesthouse for workers and a Hospital and clinic under construction. Medical care was dispensed in a small two room clinic building with basic medical care in one room and minor surgery performed in the other. The hospital building was little more than a covered shell with gravel floors and no windows or doors. The missionary and his doctor wife had carved out this place with sweat and prayers and little support from anyone in the U.S. Most of their support had come from a foundation in Holland that has since been radically reduced in size. This is where we came in along with a few other church groups from the U.S. and Europe.
Today this facility is a fully functional medical facility that will continue to provide support and medical care for this primitive area of Haiti. A second Doctor from Germany has been spending time at the Hospital and there is now a functional operating room that rivals almost any other in this poor country. The operating room is even air conditioned!
The difference has been the work of teams from around Snohomish and other parts of Western Washington and the U.S. Nearly all of the ground floor is tiled, plumbed and handling patients, including a few with cholera, most of them from out of the immediate area, as water quality is not a common problem here. The water system here is one of the best in Haiti, built by a former Boeing engineer by piping water from mountain springs many miles away.
The most impressive part of the transformation of this facility has been the installation (now complete with our recent work) of a solar system that can easily handle the load of medical equipment and provide around the clock lighting that was previously unavailable except with the expense of burning fuel in generators. Many emergency procedures were done in the dark with battery powered headlamps the only source of light.
The one word that best describes Haiti today is difficult. Every piece of life in Haiti is hard, rough and tough. But don’t count the people of Haiti as a beaten or disheartened population. Every Haitian that I have come to know is a survivor because of their national pride and knowledge that they still have so much more than the ancestors who were brought to this place and abandoned by the World when they would not bow to the colonial powers who enslaved them.
Time works at a pace in Haiti that maddens many, working its way from one disaster to the next. It will take more time, and a lot more of the energy that our team gave to overcome the missteps of past generations, rulers and disasters. If a small team from 4000 miles away can make a difference like this, why is it taking so long for more to be done?
I wish to commend the members of our team for giving of their time and money to make it possible for a few more drops to be put into the bucket that will one day fill to make the lives of the Haitian people less difficult.

Larry Bailly is short term missions coordinator for Snohomish Community Church and a member of RESULTS www.results.org a grassroots organization working to bring education, medical help and the end of poverty to the World. He has been to Haiti 11 times since 2002.
Comments are welcome at baillybusbarn@juno.com , future trips are planned, but signup lists fill fast.
The photos are above, in reverse order.

The Hospital at Passe Catabois

The solar panels provide enough energy to provide around the clock power.

Our transport to Passe Catabois, a farm tractor and 4 wheel trailer with only 3 wheels.

Everything that winds up in Haiti is recycled. Containers become patient wards.

Kids are kids wherever you are! I told them to go crazy!

What next for Haiti?

2010-08-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Special to the tribune

WHAT NEXT FOR HAITI?

After a delay of a couple of months I was finally able to take a team of local volunteers to the North Coast of Haiti. My scheduled trip in January was delayed by the devastating Earthquake and the relief effort that made travel to the country difficult. Travel inside the country was almost impossible, considering the amount of luggage and supplies we take. Since we work about 150 miles from Port au Prince (PAP), the logistics of getting our team in and housing them was a reason to wait.
The most depressing picture on our approach to PAP was the proliferation of tent cities (obvious from the blue and white patches) from the tide flats at the oceans edge to the base of the hills that separate Haiti from the rest of the Island of Hispanola (The Dominican Republic). We realized that the next big disasters are just weeks away when the rains, and then the hurricanes start to wash away what little is left. The only property damage we personally saw was the serious damage done to the International Airport building, named after the leader of the Haitian Revolution, Tousant Loverture. Though we were able to deplane for the first time using the jetways that have been in place but inoperable in the past, the airport building itself was damaged beyond use.
Many of you have seen the news reports, special commentaries and exposes from every possible source in the World about what the conditions were, are and possibly will be in Port au Prince and the Southern part of the country where the earthquake made its most graphic impact. This report isn’t about that. Though we flew into PAP, we were only on the ground there for a few uncomfortable hours waiting for our small (19 passenger) plane to take us to the north coast at Port de Paix. What we found there was not much changed from what we have seen in the past, except that there seemed to be even more people in the streets. In an area where jobs are non existent (unemployment is 80% or more) more people just puts an even heavier burden on the local economy. I didn’t see any evidence of foreign aid or even an increase in Governmental presence.
I was able to talk with folks who had been to and in Haiti numerous times since the quake, to every corner and for every purpose. I talked mostly with fellow missions people, but I also talked daily with Haitians. Trying to glean some idea of what was going to be required to put Haiti back amongst the living, and maybe better off than before this unfortunate event. There was not a lot of hope, even in the voices of Haitians who normally have a resilience of spirit that defies their plight in a modern World that still overlooks them as fellow human beings.
There were a lot of comments about the heroic deeds of some relief organizations, the U.S. and Foreign military groups in particular and the many Christian agencies that saw the need beyond their usual narrow focus of how this was going to look in the media. The fact that billions of dollars were pouring into the country for rebuilding was not yet evident. There were many expressions of doubt that the money would ever make it to the people we usually look out for, the poor.
So, what will it take to rebuild a Haiti that resembles the country that once was known as the “Jewel of the Antilles”?
Much of what will be needed will need to come from outside of Haiti, but most of it could come from within. The following are a few of my personal observations.
With the influx of dollars for rebuilding, what is not needed is for relief organizations and foreign corporations to come in and build. What is needed is to provide the materials, training, and funding that will allow the Haitians to rebuild their shattered country and economy themselves. Let the foreign corporations and relief agencies provide the leadership and monetary control, but let the Haitians have the jobs.
Agricultural projects need to be encouraged that will change the landscape and rebuild the soil that was once the most fertile in the Caribbean. What worked in the past were small plots of land given to Haitians to maintain and provide food for their families and a source of income. Sweat equity can build a nation, and in Haiti sweat comes easy.
A change in the way education is provided with a public school system where EVERY child can get a basic education and seek jobs that have traditionally been denied to the poor. The Education for All bill currently being worked on in the U.S. Congress is a step in that direction. In Haiti, education has traditionally been provided by organizations (Christian and others) in French only, rather than in the more commonly spoken language of the vast majority of the population, Haitian Creole. This has prevented large numbers of people from the rural areas of the country from becoming educated and employable. The rural poor can’t afford the tuition for school creating generations doomed to a life of illiteracy.
The government needs to be supported for its efforts, but not without specific criterion for reducing corruption and graft. There needs to be a way to allow free and open elections, with support after the fact of whoever wins. The U.S. has not been particularly fair when dealing with the will of the people of Haiti, but that is another subject that will need to be addressed in many nations where we have imposed our will, without accepting the basic rights of self determination.
As noted above, foreign corporations, construction firms and politicians are good at getting publicity, but not so good at effecting real change.
Nothing in Haiti happens at the same pace that most Americans want. It will take
years to recover from the current crisis, while others cause forward steps to fall back. The people of Haiti will survive this, but we need to be there to help. I intend to keep going back, to see the progress and do what little I can to keep the Haitian people in the minds of those who have so much to be thankful for and just don’t realize how little it takes to be satisfied with just what you have.
What I still didn’t see on a grand scale was people with their hands out. There were some in PAP who were begging, where homelessness is obvious. I was asked numerous times if I had a tent in my luggage. But for the most part, out in the country, they will tell you of their struggles, but will gladly work for little more than a few dollars a day, because that is what they need. They just need a chance.

I welcome your comments, and interest in serving beyond our own neighborhood.

Larry Bailly is mission’s coordinator for Snohomish Community Church. He is also a member of the Snohomish County RESULTS group. He has been taking teams to the Northwest of Haiti for the last 7 years. He can be reached at baillybusbarn@juno.com

Before the Earthquake

2010-08-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Special to the Tribune

HAITI before the Earthquake

I first started going to Haiti on a regular basis in 2002. I was part of a dental team led by Dr. Mike Karr from Granite Falls. I got to see the Capital, Port au Prince, and some of the surrounding areas, from the slums and shanty towns to the walled compounds in the hills belonging to the elite who make up only about 5% of the population.
From the very first moments I was struck by some glaring similarities between this country and another former French colony, Vietnam. The architecture, the colors and even the language have similarities. There is a sense that a huge part of the population lives on the bottom rung of the social ladder, like much of Southeast Asia.
Since that first trip I have been back 9 times. On all of these subsequent trips I have taken my teams through the International airport, to a smaller regional terminal to fly up to the Northwest of Haiti at Port de Paix. PdP is a small sea port, with a harbor, but no docking facility. That is another story. The airstrip is a former road turned into airstrip, still dirt and often used for local travel. Landing and taking off is always an adventure in itself.
This country is so close to the United States and yet so far behind in the basic things we take for granted. A city of two to three million people, PaP has no public water supply, no sewer, no reliable phone service and for a select few only a few hours of electricity per day. No public school system, very little professional medical care and the only means of transportation is by taxi service, known as Tap-Taps.
Travel is hampered by a total lack of traffic controls, large intersections in this city are un-controlled chaos. The entire country is the size of Maryland in land area, the population is clustered mostly in a few scattered cities, with large areas of undeveloped land. The land between cities for the most part has been stripped of all vegetation and top soil. Not the fault of the current residents of Haiti, but the result of hundreds of years of exploitation by their own and foreign governments.
In 2002 there was difficulty in making communication across the city, and impossible to many other parts of the country. By last year (2009), land lines had pretty much been replaced entirely by cell phones. The cell system still is not ideal, but at least contact can be made between the cities most of the time. When I was there last January there seemed to be at least a start of some improvement in the lives of some Haitians. There was not the element of danger that we have seen in the past. We were still careful to guard our possessions.
A couple of years ago we were able to convince a local Baptist school to give us a tour.
I was Baptized in this church a few years ago (first white man in 40 years) so I have some standing in the community to ask. What we found was an extremely crowded, understaffed and unequipped teaching facility where students pay attention to every word and are generally happy to have the opportunity to learn. We have witnessed and heard from parents who go without food so they can afford the $200.00 it takes to send their kids to school for a year. We saw high school classrooms with 40+ students, a piece of chalk and a blackboard, no paper or pencils, no books and no other form of reference materials. A library full of donated books in English, but none in French or Haitian Creole. No cafeteria, just some Haitian ladies selling treats in the playground area between classes.
But in all of this, there is the sense that of anyplace on earth that could experience the very worst of tragedies, these people would survive. The children laugh and play like children anywhere. The parents will do anything to provide whatever they can to see that their children learn and grow. They do this with no jobs, no education and very little hope for any help from anyone. They are clean at the start of every day even though most of their homes have dirt floors and no cooking, washing or showering facilities. They take care of what they have, but by custom will loan anything they possess if someone else needs it more. Their faith is all about Hope and for most believers that is all they will ever have.
My part in all of this is simple. Keep the Haitian people in my daily prayers and talk to everyone I come into contact with about what they can do to help. I have been recruiting people for these trips for several years and now have a core group of construction and medical personnel signing up for two weeks every year.
Our current projects (as soon as we can get our team in) are the children’s care facility at LaPointe, The House of Hope. See: www.houseofhopehaiti.blogspot.com and a Hospital that is under construction in the far west section of Haiti at Passe Catabois. We are in the process of installing a very large solar system to finally be able to provide power for medical equipment upgrades. Our team of 33 was supposed to be there for three weeks from the 16th of January, but of course the Earthquake changed those plans and prevented us from going.

Larry Bailly is mission’s coordinator for Snohomish Community Church. He is also a member of the Snohomish County RESULTS group. He has been taking teams to the Northwest of Haiti for the last 7 years. He can be reached at baillybusbarn@juno.com

Acknowledgement

2010-08-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Special to the Tribune

AKNOWLEDGEMENT
What a difference it makes when some huge historical event is acknowledged by the whole World.
Within 20 years of the birth of the United States of America. Declaring Independence from colonial rule; another revolution was under way in the Western Hemisphere that would change significantly the course of History for the New United States and all of the other colonial powers on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
For almost 200 years the countries of Europe had colonized, pillaged and decimated the population of the West Indies in pursuit of its riches of sugar, lumber and other commodities. After virtually all of the native inhabitants had died of diseases brought from Europe, the slave trade was born to provide the machinery to continue the depletion of resources. That the slave trade was brutal, inhumane and morally wrong is without question. The sale, theft or kidnapping of humans for use in the worst forms of bondage cannot be condoned, but still continues today.
The slaves of Haiti rose up against their masters and ultimately defeated a far superior French Army to declare itself an Independent Republic in 1804. This was the first, and to this date the ONLY, successful slave revolt. Haiti became the first Black Free Republic in the World.
It was a wake up call that was not welcomed even by the United States which saw the seeds of a possible slave revolt that could destroy the prosperity of this new Republic. The response was one of shear disbelief that the new regime would hold. No effort was made by any colonial power to acknowledge or support the new leaders of Haiti.
A concerted effort by Napoleon, who sent his brother in law with an Army to take back his possessions, could not defeat the newly freed people of Haiti. It was this defeat that caused a monumental shift in the course of History for the Western Hemisphere. France abandoned its exploration of the middle of the North American continent and simply sold its possessions in the form of the Louisiana Purchase. The Spanish followed soon after effectively opening the way for the expansion of the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.
What might have happened to the United States had the French retaken Haiti has been the subject of many commentaries lately. History might finally be presented completely by including the bravery and pride of the Haitian people brought to this hemisphere under the most objectionable of methods.
It is time that we acknowledge the debt that we as Americans owe to the people of Haiti, who have fought daily for survival against all odds, for their place in the humanity of the Western Hemisphere. It is time that we all work to bring the living conditions of everyone on “our side” of the World to a better standard.
It is too bad that it has taken a catastrophic event like the Earthquake in Haiti to open the eyes of everyone’s heart to the realities of poverty and neglect that is Haiti. That such conditions can exist just a few hundred miles from our shores should be a wake up call. In so many places just a short distance from our borders, people live minute by minute just to survive, and yet when they try to better their lot in life they are cast aside as something less than another human being.
The next time you decry the plight of any people group as being their own fault, think to yourself; what did I do to deserve the blessing of being born in the United States? Then do what you can to reach out and not just give a hand out to those less fortunate, give them a hand up.

Larry Bailly is a life long resident of Snohomish County. He is missions’ coordinator for Snohomish Community Church, www.snocommchurch.org and a member of Snohomish County RESULTS, www.RESULTS.org He has been taking teams of construction and medical personnel to Haiti for the last 7 years.

Haiti report 2010

2010-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Larry Bailly
18414 Broadway Ave.
Snohomish, WA 98296-4800
360-668-5031

HAITI REPORT 2010

After a delay of 3 months I was able to take a small team to our missions on the North Coast of Haiti. In January, I was to have a team of 33 on the ground starting with the first team arriving on the 15th. With the Earthquake on the 12th, that team was unable to retain their tickets. My team, the second group that was to arrive a week later, lost our tickets as well. It wouldn’t have mattered if we could have made it to Port au Prince, as in-country air travel was stopped due to a lack of fuel.
After putting together a shipment of nearly 2500 lbs. of relief supplies for our friends in Haiti, we started exploring options to get there to do our planned projects. I was able to reserve two seats on a DC-3 out of Ft. Myers, FL in late February, but due to conditions on the ground in Haiti, the missionaries requested that we NOT come yet. Food and fuel were in short supply, all the available housing was being used for IDP (internally displaced persons) from PAP and the orphanage was expecting an influx of orphaned kids. There would be no time or resources to host visitors without medical skills. Our missions are about 150 miles from the Earthquake zone and saw little damage. What they did experience was an almost immediate loss of logistical support from the central government. Food became scarce within days and diesel fuel reached $15.00 a gallon in a few days (eventually topping out at $25!).
While we waited for a green light from the missions, all of our medical personnel from the two teams managed to get slots with relief organizations to do work in country. Their stories will be much more compelling than this one, some came back emotionally drained, but with a sense of great achievement. They missed going to the Hospital at Passé Catabois, but all have a greater sense of the overwhelming needs in Haiti.
Rather than fill in the details of our trip this year, I am instead going to share with you three commentaries that I wrote for a local newspaper here in Snohomish. Some of you know that I have been writing for a number of years as an automotive writer, but I have also been writing opinion and commentary pieces for several newspapers. Most of my stuff can be found somewhere on the internet, just make sure you get the last name spelled right!
Our Haiti fund was hit pretty hard this year. Though the reason for this letter is NOT to seek contributions, they are always welcome, and put to good use. We were able to make substantial gifts to our friends in Haiti at a very difficult time. To make Tax Deductible donations, send checks made out to Snohomish Community Church with a note indicating they are for HAITI MISSIONS. Send to SCC, 13622 Dubuque Rd. Snohomish, WA 98290. If you would rather donate to me personally, just make the check out to SCC, with a note that it is for me and send it to the Church, or to the address above.

Report and 2010 plan

2009-06-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

HAITI AFTER THE STORMS Larry Bailly
18414 Broadway Ave.
Snohomish, WA 98296-4800 360-668-5031 or 425-218-6334

It has taken a while to get time to sit down and write this trip report for a number of reasons. I started a new job in a new industry a week after getting home from Haiti. I’ve been learning a lot of new stuff. I took another trip to Mexico (Tijuana) in April. Then I had our annual “CAREfest” program that I handle the “car care” portion, and we did more cars than ever before this year. Being busy is good, but I still need to keep all of you in the loop as far as my future plans, and maybe present an opportunity for you to go along.
We had a great group of folks go to the North Coast of Haiti this year. The team this year included my daughter Rachel (17) and a few other new people, including a Doctor from Minnesota. A total of 26 folks were there for anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.
The largest group was at the Hospital project at Passe Catabois. The Hospital now has a second floor and our team was able to completely tile the entire building. A lot of other projects were completed there, but the main focus this year was medical help for Anne Marie. She has her hands full with patients, and our group of nurses was able to give her a little breathing room. One project that was started this year was the introduction of a new feeding program for severely malnourished infants and toddlers. Statistics are all over the map, but only about half of the children in this part of Haiti ever see their 5th birthday! Picture a baby of 18 months (the typical age when the “next” baby joins the family) having to fend for itself to make sure they get the necessary food for survival. If the child is small or sick they are often just shoved aside. They wind up at the hospitals or orphanages usually with little hope of recovery.
The product (Medika Mamba or ”peanut medicine”) that one of the nurses on our team provided for a trial is made from peanuts, mixed with dry milk, sugar, vitamins and oil. It does NOT require water to be added, tastes good and provides sufficient nutrition to save a child from death in as little as three weeks. The product does not spoil, doesn’t need refrigeration and there has never been a case of peanut allergy in Haiti! The previous regimen (provided by UNICEF) required a hospital stay and that a parent stay there as well for up to 3 months, the product required water (almost non existent in some parts of Haiti) and would spoil if not used within just a few hours of mixing. Within a couple of weeks the product was already saving infants at the hospital.
At LaPointe and the House of Hope, we were met with the news that the orphanage and care facility will be moving! Due to problems dealing with the Beraca Hospital and the lack of sufficient infrastructure and space, a decision has been made to relocate. After getting the news, we set to work on a number of projects to keep the hospital, mission compound and the House of Hope running while plans for the move are finalized. As this is being written, many hurdles have been crossed, but a lot more needs to be done. I am part of the organizing team that will get the ball rolling as soon as a plan and the necessary paperwork is completed.
So after the Hurricanes of last summer and fall, Haiti is still surviving and it seems that the people have left that chapter behind and are now looking to complete the day, as always. The Haitian people are far more resilient and innovative than most other people I have come into contact with. So to Gustav, Hannah, Ike and Jeanne, you left your mark, but you didn’t defeat the people of Haiti.
January 2010 is already well under way as far as planning goes. Rachel and I have our plane tickets, we’ve started collecting items to give as presents and contacts have been made for medical and teaching supplies. I hope to have three teams of 10 to 12 folks in Haiti for a month of coverage at Passe Catabois, and two weeks at LaPointe. I plan to take a trip out to Passe Catabois so Rachel can get a look at the “other” Haiti and then maybe plan a trip to Nan Coco,
the new location for the House of Hope. Due to naming rights, the name of the new children’s care facility will be Hope Village Haiti www.hopevillagehaiti.org. It is located about 40 miles East of LaPointe on the north Coast of Haiti. It is a 7 hour drive from LaPointe, or about an hour and a half by car and boat. There is not currently a direct overland route. The main access will be from the northern city of Cap Haitien, which was at one time the capital of Haiti.
Planning for these trips takes a lot of time and commitment, not just for me but by my team members who have specialties and need to make sure that the materials are there when we arrive so we can do our work. We have some capability to send stuff ahead, but we usually max out our luggage with needed items, and then hope that we can get it all through Customs.
I do have openings for travelers. I can use folks with any skills, or no skills. This can be a learning experience in many ways. I encourage you all to look around you at all the things we take for granted, throw away, buy needlessly or abuse. Then think about what life would be like if you made a dollar a day, school is not free, electricity was non existent and water might not be available today, or this week. Think about what you would do if you had to make a choice to send your kid to school (typical private school tuition is between $200 to $300 per year) or give them food. Think about unemployment of 70% or more (in the cities) and nearly 90% in the rural areas. Remember that we gladly send jobs and dollars to places like China and Vietnam and India, while a country like Haiti (a struggling Democracy) only 700 miles from our country has this kind of poverty.
I have read a LOT of history in the last 8 years, and the events that shaped our nation and the entire western hemisphere depended on the Independence of first our country, and then Haiti. If Haiti had not had a successful revolution and sent the French back to Europe we would have a country that would have a border at the Mississippi with France. California and the Southwest as well as Mexico would still belong to Spain. Historically the Louisiana Purchase was a direct result of the Slave revolt that gave Haiti its Independence.
So why do I even care about the Haitian people? Because they are humans. They are deserving of the same blessings that I have received from Christ. Just because I was born here does not give me the right to deny those opportunities and blessings to anyone, anywhere. I will never be able to make as much of an impact as I would like, but I will make a small difference. Along with the many others I take, or encourage to give, a difference will be made.
The Starfish analogy:
A young girl was walking on a beach that the outgoing tide had covered with starfish, stranded in the hot sun. As she walked along tossing starfish back into the water, a man asked why she even tried to save so few starfish. It will not matter to anyone. But she continued, saying, well it matters to this one, and this one, and this one………
If you would like to be a part of this work, you can send contributions to SNOHOMISH COMMUNITY CHURCH, 13622 Dubuque Rd., Snohomish, WA 98290, designated for HAITI MISSIONS. You don’t need to make donations for me or Rachel although they are greatly appreciated. If you would like to go to Haiti on a trip, contact me at baillybusbarn@juno.com or larry@insituengineering.com

Haiti Mission 2009

2008-10-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

HAITI MISSION 2009 Larry Bailly
18414 Broadway Ave.
Snohomish, WA 98296
360-668-5031
baillybusbarn@juno.com
This letter is going out a little earlier than normal, but events in Haiti recently have made planning for the next trip even more important than in the past. This will be my ninth trip to Haiti, the 8th to the North Coast. I will have teams at two locations, one team at Passe Catabois and another at LaPointe. The hurricane season this year has been devastating, and there are more storms possible before the season is over. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to have absolutely just the basics of life, and then have that all taken away with the wind and the rain. As this is being written, overland travel to PC is impossible except by foot or motorbike, and even the airstrip at Port de Paix has been damaged.
Passe Catabois
This small settlement in the Northwest section of Haiti is home to a mission compound that houses a medical clinic run by Rob and Anne Marie Hulshuizen-Wessels. Anne Marie is the sole Doctor in this part of Haiti, and her clinic the only medical facility in an area with as many as 1 million people. Her help comes mostly from a Haitian staff of nurses and helpers, a young Haitian assistant who has learned the medical trade by watching AM, and visiting medical folks from around the World. One of the nurses who traveled with our group in January, Ryna Hansen (see her blog at http://rynah.blogspot.com), went back in July for an extended stay. She has seen first hand what a Hurricane can do to an impoverished nation. Though PC is located on a plateau and was not significantly damaged, there was damage to the water system and the 4 roads into the compound were all washed out. There have been a number of deaths in this area, some at the clinic due to lack of medicine, and more in the outlying area due to the impassable conditions to get to medical care.
Our team for January is evenly split between Medical and construction skills. I have a Doctor coming from Minnesota, as well as several nurses from here and possibly there also. We could still handle a few more for that team. Let me know if you are interested.
LaPointe, Port de Paix, Centre Medical Beraca
This is where I will be in January. This medical facility is one of the largest in the Northern part of Haiti. It started back in the 1920’s and has been in operation since. The grounds at Beraca house a full service Hospital with surgical and clinic functions, as well as our main focus, The House of Hope. There is also a K-12 school, a vocational school, a CEF school to teach the bible, and a camp facility to host large groups. All of this is run by the UEBH (Union of Evangelical Baptists in Haiti), along with Crossworld Missions, a world wide mission organization.
Most of our work here centers on infrastructure repairs and maintenance. We also supply teaching assistance for the Crossworld missionaries. There is a large mission compound with a number of homes and storage facilities as well as workshops for vehicles and carpentry. We are usually met with a long to-do list as we arrive, and do our best to complete as much as we can in the time we have. We do plumbing, roofing, electrical, cabinet making and painting just to name a few of the projects. I of course spend much of my time in the garage, working on mission and Haitian owned vehicles as well as repairs on the only source of electrical power, the generators.
The House of Hope is a care facility for children. TB, malaria and malnutrition are the most common maladies, but burns and other diseases are also cared for. HIV cases are usually sent to another facility, unless the children are very young and have a chance of medical treatment to cure them. Jenny Reitz (Crossworld) and her Haitian co-administrator Linda Felix have had some success with treatment, and have an adopted a little girl, Nani, who has gone from positive to negative under their care.
Children with disabilities or disease are often neglected or abandoned due to the lack of money for medical care. This leaves the HOH with the task of raising, educating and loving these kids until they are in their late teens. The entire staff, including many of the kids raised there, works for one goal; to provide a happy, safe and healthy life for children who would have been abandoned by their own families. They are masters of just this mission. The kids are hard working in school, help from the time they can walk and become active members of their community when they are ready to leave. These kids are what will keep me going back. A few minutes of holding one of these kids, and feeling them draw love from your body softens your heart and brings you back to what really matters, God’s love and mercy, given freely without any compensation.
Who Goes
Over the last 7 years, I have taken nearly 100 people to Haiti with me. Some have gone back several times, some only once. By going you get to feel, smell, taste and see the true condition of working in missions. Pictures can never express the true despair of a place so poor.
People with different occupations, education levels and physical conditions have gone. Some have specific skills when they go; all have a skill when they get back.
This year my daughter Rachel will be traveling with me.
These trips are not real expensive, but the planning and expense does cost something. Each member of the team supplies their own funds for airfare, lodging, food and transportation. Some get donations, some don’t. Over the years we have supplied tools, building materials, hardware, vehicle parts, medical supplies and everyday items for the missionaries. Some of this has been donated (like the brand new glucometers supplied by my doctor’s office), but when it comes time to travel and there is something requested, we don’t hesitate to purchase and deliver.
Most of the items we take are not available at any cost in Haiti.
WHAT WE NEED
The team doesn’t need anything. The people we help in Haiti need everything. The fund I draw from is donated by people I will never know. Money appears in the Haiti account, and I don’t question where it comes from. We have used those funds for providing things that the missionaries in Haiti request. We need funds this year to help with rebuilding, not only on the mission compounds, but also Haitian homes that have simply disappeared.

If you can give ANY amount: Send donations to Snohomish Community Church, Haiti Missions, 13622 Dubuque Rd., Snohomish, WA 98290. Make checks out to SCC. With a notation that it is for Haiti.

This is Aline. She was 8 years old. She was brought to the HOH with an unknown disease that was never diagnosed. She died this summer. She was the very essence of what a Haitian child is. Even while dealing with severe pain, she always had a smile on her face and tried her best to fit in with the other kids. She had already accepted Jesus into her heart, and her last days were spent in a loving, caring family at the House of Hope.

Seattle Times Opinion, Inspiration

2008-03-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

INSPIRATION
Special to the Times, by Larry A. Bailly

My inspiration comes from many places. I have taken my life’s direction from people who have had an influence over both long and short time periods. From Drill Sergeants and Commanders in Vietnam, who led by example and didn’t always follow the manual. I learned about the world and composition from my teachers. I was taught about my body from dedicated Doctors who have given me nearly double the lifespan I might have had. They all had a hand in forming my vision and goals for gaining a feeling of success in life.
Over the last 10 years, inspiration has come mainly from interacting with Missionaries. About a year ago I met one that has had a profound effect on my vision for my future. Over the course of a conversation that lasted only a couple of hours, I learned that to work on the mission field, you have to have a love of your fellow man, and a passion to do something to make others feel it.
Chris Zoolkoski is a local kid. He grew up in South Snohomish County, and learned his Christian faith at Alderwood Community Church. After high school, he earned a teaching degree, and joined the Peace Corps to use his knowledge to help others. He traveled to Africa, and there he met a young MK (missionary kid) named Helene. They came back to the States; he attended Medical school and as an M.D. returned with Helene to raise a family and to serve at Galmi Hospital near Madaoua, Niger, West Africa. They have three children, who no doubt will learn from their parents about service and sacrifice.
But this is not about Chris, because the conversation was with Helene. This was the only time I would be able to talk with her. From that conversation I was able to clear my mind about what I wanted to be remembered for; and how I would spend the rest of my life; trying to help make life a little better for those who struggle just to survive.
Helene showed a commitment and resolve to continue in her quest to serve that made the reality of her life seem impossible. She was here on a visit, with family, friends and Doctors. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma the year before. Given less than a year or so to live, the family had gone back to Galmi, so she could try to complete the work she had done all of her life. She would spend the time teaching her kids, and the kids of Africa what commitment is all about. In that year she would battle, and flourish and the cancer within her would wait. On the visit a year ago, Doctors here were amazed at her ability to continue, against an enemy that would not quit. She was told that there was nothing more that could be done, except massive Chemo that would maybe work. Instead, a decision was made to use a less toxic form of treatment that could be acquired in Africa and would allow the Zoolkoski family to return to their home and work.
I was looking forward to getting together with them a week ago. Our Church (Snohomish Community Church) had rented them a cabin at our annual family camp and they were coming to stay on home assignment for a year. I was looking forward to another lesson from this great lady about what is important in life. They didn’t come home. But Helene is now on a mission that will not end.
Hundreds of Africans attended her funeral. Among the condolences Chris received, one stood out from those that were more traditional. In the local Hausa language the phrase is “Yaya zaman kewa”. This language is exceptionally descriptive with just a few words. Translated it says “So how is this void you are experiencing which no one or nothing will ever be able to fill?”
I will never get another chance to chat with Helene, but the one conversation we had will always be an inspiration to me.

Seattle Times Opinion, Love and Kindness

2008-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.

ARIANA CUBILLOS / AP
A boy carrying bottles passes by a mural wall in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Larry Bailly

Love and kindness in a harsh land
By Larry Bailly
Special to The Times
After a full day of modern air travel, the jolt from landing on the rock-strewn runway at Port de Paix always brings my senses back to the reality that is Haiti.
Port de Paix is on the country's north coast, a busy seaport that is one of the main supply routes for goods, mostly castoffs of our society, coming in from the U.S. Ship decks will often be covered with used cars and trucks, building materials and even mattresses. At the airport terminal, we met Rob Hulshuizen, a missionary from the Netherlands. After fording a river, we traveled west on a United Nations-built road that could stand to be redone.
The 30-kilometer drive to Hulshuizen's compound at Passe Catabois was an extraordinary trip into what could have been the Old West of the United States. Though the area is usually dry and devoid of vegetation, this year, the rain has been kind and the desert was in bloom.
Many of the locals live in grass-roofed huts, or just outside along the rivers. Nighttime drums remind us of the predominance of voodoo in the Haitian culture. The sound must be similar to what the pioneers heard in the American West.
Hulshuizen's wife is Dr. Anne-Marie Hulshuizen-Wessels, the only modern medical doctor for as many as 700,000 inhabitants of this area of Haiti. She has her hands full, on call continuously. She also has responsibilities as a wife, mother and missionary.
Their mission is ... just amazing. They provide free medical care at a clinic that is not much more than a hut with an office. The waiting room is open-air, and the pharmacy doles out precious medicines in small baggies. The medical care is far beyond what many of their patients could ever have afforded, given out with love and kindness in a very harsh corner of the world.
Rob and Anne-Marie have provided this mostly with their own money. They do have support from churches in Holland and visiting teams from many places in the U.S. In the next couple of years, a hospital will be completed there. Our team from Snohomish Community Church was there recently to complete a number of tasks at a guesthouse for future workers and medical staff.
Haiti, like many other small countries that have been abused by their own and other governments, lives on a thin margin. These fellow human beings are so unbelievably resilient. They survive on the leftovers of their richer neighbors, but just barely. The infant mortality rate is chilling. In the past several months, the clinic has been unable to save 14 infants. More arrive every couple of days, and even more never make it to the clinic.
We, as brothers and sisters of these people, need to do something. Anything will help, but just realizing these problems exist is the first step. We go about our pampered lives, believing that somehow we are entitled to the blessings we have. There are people right here in our own country, our own community, who also need our help.
I firmly believe that, whether you are Christian or not, we are all connected in some way. As a nation, we could make far more difference in the world by caring for, rather than insulating ourselves from, our neighbors. Our foreign policy should be one of aid rather than oppression or meddling.
Wars, embargoes, blockades and regime change seldom impact those who live at the top of the society. But the effect on the middle class and poor of countries like Haiti is devastating. I think of our own Revolution, the battle against the oppression of England, and if we could have been embargoed and blockaded into submission.
Haiti fought for a similar independence from France; it is the second-oldest free republic in the Western Hemisphere, second to ours. I have great admiration for the Haitian people and their determination to survive. Like our country, they should be afforded a chance.
Rob Hulshuizen and Anne-Marie Hulshuizen-Wessels will give hope, and a chance, to the next generation of Haitians in the far west of Haiti. We all should be willing to do the same.
Larry Bailly, a lifelong Snohomish County resident and a mechanic by trade, spends time in the mission field in Haiti, Mexico and other places. Contact him at baillybusbarn@juno.com
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company

Haiti 2007

2008-03-09T14:15:00.001-07:00

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
USE YOUR MEDICAL OR DENTAL SKILLS TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF
HAITI
My name is Larry Bailly. I am the short term missions’ coordinator for Snohomish Community Church, in Snohomish, WA. I am a mechanic by trade and have traveled to Haiti 7 times since 2002. On my last trip I met some extraordinary people.
From January 13 to 27, 2008 I will be taking a group of Medical personnel to the Far West of Haiti. I am looking for all skills from 1st responders to experienced Surgeons, from dental hygienists to Oral Surgeons. I have already had some interest from a few Doctors and Nurses. I need a team of from 9 to 12. Working conditions will be more basic than most are used to, but the facilities are constantly improving.
The team will support a new Hospital facility in Passe Catabois. The hospital complex is under construction, but there are on going clinic and surgery needs. Currently the only Professional Medical person at Passe Catabois is a Dutch physician, Anne Marie Hulshuizen-Wessels. She and her husband Rob (Missionaries with Crossworld Missions) have given up all of their ties to Holland, and are intending to stay in Haiti. She is the only Doctor for as many as 700,000 people in this part of Haiti.
Passe Catabois is in a “desert” region, with rolling hills and open plains. In January of 2007 a team from Snohomish Community Church put some finishing touches on a nice guesthouse on the property. There are several sleeping rooms for 3 or 4 people, showers and cooking facilities in two “apartments”. Couples are welcome; however private quarters may or may not be available.
Unlike much of Haiti, there is abundant, clean spring water available. Though the building was not “electrified” during our last trip, we hope that will be accomplished before January. After a few days, some comforts don’t even seem that important.
Haiti is in the Caribbean, just East of Cuba, and is the second oldest Free Republic in the Western Hemisphere. Corrupt Governments and unscrupulous dictators have destroyed what was once a tropical paradise. The result is that the common people, those at the lowest rung of society have little to eat, no education and very often no contact with the outside world. This is about as close to Africa as you can get without traveling half way around the World.
Though there is always some risk when traveling in the 3rd World. We are hosted by missionaries who have been there in some cases for decades. We work with an organization that is very well thought of throughout the country, and particularly in the area around Passe Catabois, on the North Coast.
If you would consider being a part of this team, please contact me by Email or phone.
I have attached a sheet with basic information about costs (your responsibility) and a recent letter from the Missionaries; more information will be available for interested parties.

Larry Bailly
Snohomish Community Church
13622 Dubuque Rd.
Snohomish, WA 98290
Email: baillybusbarn@juno.com
Phone: 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily: 425-218-6334

Trip report, Passe Catabois and LaPointe 2008

2008-03-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

HAITI MEDICAL MISSION 2008
Larry Bailly 18414 Broadway Ave. Snohomish, WA 98296 baillybusbarn@juno.com 425-218-6334
This was truly a trip of “firsts” for this group leader. The team consisted of men, women (for the first time) and even a teenager (another first). The team was split into two groups, and the entire team would stay for a full two weeks. This trip consisted of medical personnel, construction and electrical specialists and teachers. We would be split into two groups at two locations and accomplish considerable good work at both sites. Eyes would be opened to this very desperate but beautiful country and its people, and many hearts were won for continued service in this place of Voodoo and desperation.
The trip to the North Coast of Haiti was a very long day and a half of frustration and waiting. The size of the team and desire to take as much material, food and tools as possible prompted us to “hire” a full plane of seats from Port au Prince (PaP) where the international airport is, to Port de Paix (PdP) where the “small” plane of 19 seats lands on a dirt runway. The problems started with two of the small planes being broken when we arrived, along with another mission group with 42 travelers who also had reserved two and a half planes! We were able to make the last flight of the day (another interesting story) but with nearly 2000 pounds of luggage, some of our stuff didn’t arrive until two days later.
All but two of the 17 of us who flew in on Monday 1/14 first went out to the hospital at Passe Catabois. Not really a town, but a “place” on Google Earth. About 20 miles west of PdP, PC as we call it, is a mission compound with several purposes. First and foremost it has a medical facility currently operating. The clinic is just a small building with rooms for paperwork, diagnosis and surgery. The waiting area is a tin roofed patio with wooden benches, outside under the trees. The pharmacy is in a smaller building, an outdoor closet if you like, again separate from the clinic. The staff is Anne-Marie Hulshuizen-Wessels, a Dutch physician, her18 year old assistant Guerlande who is learning medicine from AM on-the-job (she performed her first solo surgery while our team was there!) and a small group of Haitian nurses. The hospital provides FREE medical care to as many as 700,000 inhabitants in this area of Haiti, and some people will travel many days for the care. As the team was there, word spread of the visiting “blans” (Creole word for whites), and the workload increased to many times the norm. The most common treatments are for malnutrition, TB and pregnancy complications. Emergency situations are a daily occurrence and not always with the best outcome. Everything else, including gunshot wounds, burns and even elective surgery is done as well. AM has a nickname that is not printable here.
Our team included a team of Nurses from SCC and other churches. Each one had a specialty that was of use during the trip and in some cases, God had specifically chosen them for situations that might otherwise have been hopeless. Haiti is a land of extremely difficult life and death decisions on a daily basis. It was evident from the first day at PC that the team would be tested in their faith and understanding of Gods sovereignty. That miracles were performed was evident in small lives that could so easily have been lost. Over the course of two weeks, lives would be lost for lack of proper medicine, facilities or delay in seeking medical care. On the other hand, lives were saved because the right treatment was available or medicine carried in by our team was obviously a God send.
The other part of the PC team was tasked with progress on the Hospital building. There was a lot of tile work to be done, and it was (approximately 2800 sq. feet). Septic system plumbing was engineered and construction begun. And just the presence of “blan” workers in a land that is often forgotten by the outside world, makes the sharing of the Gospel easier for AM’s husband Rob. That is after all the biggest “construction” project in Haiti. To build a large and effective base of Christian believers who can bring light to a country with such obvious ties to the Devil through Voodoo.
After two days at PC, six of us took off for our other “mission” at LaPointe, bringing our team to 10 at that location. About 5 miles east of PdP, LaPointe is a wide spot in the road where a mission compound covers both sides of the main road. On one side is a Hospital, Centre Medical Beraca, which houses the House of Hope children’s medical and care facility and other facilities supported by Crossworld Missions and its Haitian counterpart, UEBH (Union Evangelique Baptiste d’ Haiti). The other side of the road is where we stay, in a walled compound with residences for missionaries, medical staff, and guests like us. Our projects mostly revolved around infrastructure and mechanical maintenance for the mission buildings and equipment. The main purpose though is support for Gail and Lois (two Crossworld Missionaries) and their programs to teach the Gospel through many projects with children and women. Another ongoing project is improvement to the living conditions and facilities of the House of Hope, where Jenny Reitz (Crossworld) is the assistant director. The HOH is a care facility that houses as many as 100 children at any given time. The primary focus of the care is to provide a life after afflictions such as malnutrition, TB or abuse have taken that away. Due to the Voodoo influence in their lives, many children arrive at the HOH within hours of a horrible death after the failure of Witch Doctors to resolve their disease. Many parents simply abandon these children as “lost”, but the HOH takes many in for a life full of love, care and the inspiration to succeed with Christ’s love in their heart. For many of these kids, this will be the only family they will ever know, and that is OK.
We had on this team a mother and daughter team that worked with Lois on producing teaching materials for the coming year. First time travelers to Haiti, Karen and Kim along with Nadia would give preparations for the teaching year a jump start. All of us would spend time at the House of Hope on a daily basis, just holding children and interacting with them. It is this time, spent having love and care sucked out of you into a small helpless child that makes this trip such a necessary part of my year, and once that happens, most can’t keep from going back. We were able for the first time on my many trips to tour the other facilities of the mission. We toured the vocational school, the high school and elementary schools. Run by the Beraca church and UEBH, the yearly cost of education is still the equivalent of nearly a year’s salary for most Haitians. The fact that parents will sacrifice even food to be able to afford giving their children an education is what makes me believe that these people have the heart to resolve the other conflicts in Haiti for their children to prosper.
After two weeks, most of the team was ready to come home, but most said if the opportunity was presented, many would have stayed longer. By networking with coworkers, we hope to increase the team size next year, and possibly extend the impact especially at PC by having two consecutive teams there for a month.
My final reflection on this trip is: We will need two planes next January!

Thank you to the team this year for making this trip such a complete success in so many ways.
Lynn Lewis, Val Hansen, Ryna Hansen, Al Shelton, Tom Pierce, Craig Ullman, Richard Fairfield, Al Fadenrecht, Allen Nation, Harold Sweeney, Ken Wills (Peoria, Ill.), Katie Martin, Karen Douglas, Kim Askevold, Nadia Jones, Susan Robison (Mt. Vernon), Ken and Arlene Resztak (New Jersey). God bless you for being part of this mission
Larry Bailly
Donations can be sent to me at the above address. Write checks to Snohomish Community Church, with a memo that it is for Haiti Missions. Or you can send your donations directly to SCC at 13622 Dubuque Rd., Snohomish, WA 98290. Email me if you would like to be on my list for opportunities to serve in Haiti or other mission fields around the world. baillybusbarn@juno.com

This is Papa Noel (me) and Lovedine from the House of Hope

Passe Catabois 2008

2008-03-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Each January I take a trip back in time and down the ladder of society just a bit.
I travel to the country of Haiti, the western portion of the Island of Hispanola, shared with the Nation of the Dominican Republic.
I am the short term Missions coordinator for Snohomish Community Church in Snohomish, Washington State in the U.S. I have been to Haiti 8 times since 2002 and have become increasingly involved in the task of providing help for the Haitian people and the missionaries that work there full time.
I am NOT a professional missionary. I am an Auto mechanic who has taken a late start at giving back to society on as a challenge. I take teams of other guys and ladies with me to help support the missionariies and their projects. I have taken nearly 100 others with me in the last 6 years, and most have signed on for numerous trips with the same passion to serve as I have.
I have also taken or sent groups to Mexico (Aguascalientes and El Florido, a suburb of Tijuana) and I have been to Havana, Cuba. I hope to add to my scope of countries and destinations over the rest of my life.
As I travel, I realize one very obvious fact of life. We (meaning every human on the Earth) has the same goals, desires and hope for their life and the future. We wish our kids a better future, an easier life and happiness. The fact that I was born in the United States does not give me the right to just accept that as fate. I was allowed to live and work and have the opportunity to help others for a reason. Whether you believe in a GOD does not matter to me, if you have read this far, I know you care about your fellow man.
That is what is important.