Since I am new to HCM I wanted to share a little about myself.  I am Etienne and Betty Prophete's second-youngest son.  I have been working on a master of business administration, but this past May I put my studies on hold and moved to Haiti in order to help with HCM's rebuilding efforts as this had become a passion of mine. I now live at the mission in Fond Parisien, a town of just over 22,000 people that has seen an influx of new migrants seeking better lives away from the devastation in Port-au-Prince.  Here I am truly honored to continuously work with some of the most driven people I have ever met.
 
It has been eight months since the earthquake and while the news rarely mentions Haiti anymore, Port-au-Prince is far from recovering. We at HCM are doing our part to help however we can. It is so difficult for us to see how people are being treated, especially in Port-au-Prince. Children are sick from hunger and malnutrition. Women cannot feel safe.  Disease and gangrene are spreading due to insufficient medical attention. It is not humane.  There has been plenty of talk about how to solve Haiti's problems, but I wonder if it's leading to much action.  At HCM, we are busy meeting needs.
 
On an average day, we are seeing over 150 patients in our clinic and hospital. When mobile clinics are held in neighboring villages, 250 patients are often seen in one day.  Friends from all over the world have come and helped us try to meet the great need.  We have received over $1.5 million worth of medical supplies and equipments in just the last 8 months. Today, Project Haiti Heart and New Reality International, organizations that send teams to work with us, are the driving forces behind the new medical expansion. This could only be a blessing from the Lord.
 
Over the last four months, surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists have treated over seventy patients in dire need of surgical attention.  It is incredible to see what happens here.  We want to also thank our partners FAME, Formosa and the Taiwan Embassy, Clinicians of the World, Mayo Clinic, Ke Nou, and others for their collective efforts to provide healthcare to many.  HCM and its many partners are building homes for employees and church members who have been displaced from their homes by the earthquake.  HCM sends a special thank you to those individuals who have led these homebuilding efforts. Again, we are doing all we can help, to protect, to teach, to live life. Yet, at a macro level, we are just a small part of the picture. There needs to be more of us.
 
On a lighter note, life for those in Fond Parisien is peaceful. Some enjoy a good breeze on the rooftop or others a refreshing swim in the lake.  HCM's new soccer program, managed by Thonny Fabien, keeps the young people occupied and active.  Schools are closed for the summer, but the buildings stay busy with VBS and fun summer activities for the children.
 
Three homes have been built and plans have been approved to build twenty-seven more.  We hope to build 200 homes within the next two years, God-willing.  Commitment to the "Greater Good" results from individuals who contribute not only to their own organization's well-being, but, at the same level, to the well-being of all other collaborators.  Success depends on the joint efforts of everyone to achieve mutual goals.  Therefore, there is an implanted concern for the "Greater Good" and the success of others, as the efforts of others also contributes to one's own well-being.
 
HCM envisions building a community that will enlighten social civilization and health and wellness.  Along with the Housing Project, HCM is in the final planning stages for an athletic complex, a school from elementary to high school and a standard university.  The need for social wellness in the community is at its peak.  We must "learn to question and challenge everyday practices or social arrangements by [teaching] and discussing with others the extent to which these can be justified" (Brookfield, 2005).  We have been blessed to shake hands with some intriguing individuals such as yourself and others who have taken ownership to aid in this vision.
 
It has been set on my heart to help the Haitian community just as you are doing. In whatever way you do, I thank you. There is much work to be done here. I thank you again and again!