For the past 18 months, I’ve been volunteering with a team of 40+ professionals in an organization known as Project Eden. Project Eden’s mission is simple in scope, but enormous in impact: to eradicate poverty around the world one community at a time. It is a unique, biblically based economic development initiative that is the vision of Dr. William Winston. The initial nation targeted for restoration is Haiti. After countless meetings, plans, and changes, our initial trip to Haiti was set for July 2009. While there the team planned to participate in strategic meetings, an entrepreneurial workshop, a teacher summit, health care projects, maintenance at orphanages, give accounting training, distribute clothing, bedding and supplies, and finally hold a rally for youth.
Planning and preparing for the actual trip was eye-opening. Most people have seen on the news or heard about the condition of Haiti. How it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. How the educational system is one of the worst in the developing world. How there is crime, devastating hurricanes, floods, a health crisis and the list goes on and on. And I won’t even go into detail about travel information for Haiti found on the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and the State Department. I’ll just say two words…vaccines and curfew! I had seen photos. I had read the news reports. It didn’t matter though I was focused and committed to start this great work. I was emotionally ready for what I was about to see….or was I?
The travel team of twenty-two set off before daybreak and arrived in Port au Prince just ahead of a late morning downpour. As we travelled to the hotel I didn’t see anything completely surprising. I saw poverty and desolation. I bounced along on the bad roads. I saw lots and lots of people and lots and lots of trash on the streets. I was tired and couldn’t wait to get some rest. The next morning, we arose and headed out at 6:30 am for a two and a half hour sightseeing and fact finding trip to Jacmel. As we drove along, and I gazed out the windows through sleep deprived eyes, I could not believe how absolutely beautiful the approaching mountains were. I thought wait a minute, am I on vacation? As we wound our way up, up, up into the mountains, I was astonished. I had not even imagined or thought about this part of Haiti. I knew that a historical figure, upon seeing Haiti proclaimed it beautiful and that it was once considered "La Perle des Antilles" or "the Pearl of the Caribbean”. But emotionally, I was ready for the devastation. I was ready to get information and get to work. I had Haiti all wrong. I allowed the evil reports to cloud my expectations. What I saw made me realize that there is still the glimmer of that “Pearl” today. Now don’t get me wrong, there is much work needed in the country of Haiti, but now when I think of it, I see the devastation in the shadows of the beauty and know that there is hope for that nation.
After being back home for a day or so, a team member and I were texting. She said that she missed Haiti. I replied that I did too, and asked what was that about? I then said that I think we fell in love! She agreed.
So tell me ladies, what was your last surprise?
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
For more information about Project Eden and how you can help change nations visit www.theprojecteden.org.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Haiti Surprise
Labels:
change nations,
eradicate poverty,
haiti,
help,
mountains,
Project Eden,
surprise,
vision
2 comments:
Hi! Pumps Purses & Positvity would like to thank you for taking the time to check us out. We are experiencing some technical difficulties with posting comments so if you receive an error message just re-click the Post Comment button again and your comment should go through. Thank you for your comment and please come again!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Kitten Heels that is so right! I can't remember when my last surprise was but I do know that I tend to let what I hear make up my mind before I actually experience it for myself. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI must say that the last time I was surprised was about a year ago. It was very and unexpected. Those are the best!!!!
ReplyDelete