Bethel Church in Richland, Washington
October 31-November 7th

An 11-member medical team from Bethel Church spent eight days in Haiti in early November.  For some, it was their first trip to Haiti and HCM while others had been there as many as six times.  In addition to working alongside HCM's doctors, nurses and medical personnel in the clinic at Fonds Parisian, the Bethel team held mobile medical clinics in the communities of Thoman and Simonette.  The team was blessed to have Dr. Maxene accompany them to Thoman along with the usual helpful contingent of HCM translators and drivers.

Over the course of the week, the team consulted with between 350 and 400 people in need, some in great pain or suffering.  As always, God provided the team with just the right medications and equipment to treat the patients we saw.  In addition to the usual pains and illnesses, the team treated several patients for chickungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that is sometimes referred to as "bone break fever."  No specific treatment for the disease is known, but simple medications such as extra strength Tylenol can be used to reduce symptoms until it runs its course in seven or eight days.

Bethel's partnership with Haitian Christian Mission began in early 2010, just months after the devastating earthquake.  Since then, more than 25 Bethel teams have visited HCM on short-term missions focused on construction, medical assistance, education, mechanical repairs, agriculture, VBS, and pastor and leader training.  Additionally, dozens of children have been sponsored by Bethel members.

-Greg Koller

Countryside Christian Church in Keizer, Oregon
 November 8th-15th

"Wear Love", from Colossians 3:12-14, was our theme as we planned and traveled to Haiti. With the support and prayers from our church, friends, and families, our team of seven arrived at HCM to begin our mission. Little did we know that our mission to "Wear Love" towards the Haitian people would be reciprocated to us by these precious people who accepted our team. During our travels to the church in the nearby village, the school in Fonds Parisien, or Wholehearted Orphanage, we experienced compassion and gratitude for the fellowship that we shared with the people of Haiti.

The opportunities for our team to serve were endless. HCM has established so many programs; there was literally something for everyone. We participated in providing a VBS program and distributing peanut butter sandwiches for 800 school children. Some team members worked in the hospital and helped to deliver babies. Others delivered a sermon to the local church. Still others worked and spent time at Wholehearted Orphanage and fell in love the family and children. One of our highlights was teaching an English lesson to a second-year interpreter class and rediscovering the joy that comes from learning and sharing.

Our hearts were truly left in Haiti and with HCM. Their focus to work beside the people of Haiti and show Jesus' love is unfaltering. We stand behind the endeavors and programs that HCM strives to provide for the Haitian people. We count the days until we can return to "Wear Love" and be blessed far beyond any blessings we could possibly give!

-Debbie King

Sharon & Becky
November 8th-15th

Yes, the trip to Haiti was a good one...as always! My friend Becky Duff, RN, and I met in the cholera tent in Hinche in 2010. At that time we discussed traveling together in the future and visiting our favorite areas in Haiti.  I was finally able to introduce her to HCM. While there we assisted in the clinic and hospital, held a mini clinic in Fonds Cheval, distributed food to some old acquaintances and marveled at the additions of the peanut factory, youth center, and apartment and at the general growth of HCM.

A young woman I knew as a child, Deloude, brought her one-year-old daughter, Bonita, to visit me. That was a blessed moment.  It turned out that she had a large abscess that we were able to treat. We left her to follow up with a team that came after us. Visiting with Pastor Prophete and Betty, Dr. Maxene, and all of my friends is a heartwarming blessing. It always makes me smile to hear greetings as I walk around Fonds of "Mama Zachary", a tribute to being the sponsor/mother of such a fine young man. Becky was very favorably impressed with HCM and the staff, especially when I described how much has been accomplished and we learned of all the future plans. As Pastor Prophete says, "The best is yet to come."

-Sharon Smith

Go Haiti from Ohio and South Dakota
November 14-22

The Go Haiti team was excited to serve again with HCM. The team was able to conduct two mobile clinics as well as one clinic at HCM. They were also able to do Vacation Bible School at a local school. The team brought in over 1,300 pounds of donations, some of which included new kitchen supplies for the hardworking kitchen staff. The team was also able to bring in over $2,000 worth of medication. With each trip the team works vigorously to raise funds for supplies. This year with the help of generous donors, the Go Haiti team was able to donate $4,620 to HCM for year-end expenses.

Go Haiti is excited about a new direction that they are taking in medical missions. Jamie Kenney, co-founder of Go Haiti, attended the CHE training offered by FAME. One of the focuses is to partner with, empower and strengthen the clinics and primary care providers who have trusting relationships in Haiti. Go Haiti is excited to take part in this evangelism program and provide the essential care needed for the Haitian people.

Go Haiti was formed in 2011 by Jamie Kenny and Daniel and Angela Jean Claude. The mission of Go Haiti is to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people by providing hope through the Great Commission. The Go Haiti team is excited to partner with HCM in providing evangelism to the people of Haiti.

-Angela Jean Claude

Foothills Church in Stayton, Oregon
November 15-22

It is hard to put into words our experience in beautiful Haiti. The minute we arrived, the hustle and bustle of their community drew us in. The Haitian people's eagerness to learn and be together is indescribable. God's love and grace truly shines through them and their country.

One of the projects that God allowed us girls to do while the men in our group were building a play structure was painting at the medical clinic. We cleaned the front side of the building and repainted it white, painted trim along the bottom of the hallways and repainted some of the doors. In the pharmacy, there was significant water damage on parts of the wall and ceiling. We sanded that down and painted it with water sealant to hopefully prevent any future damage.

There was a Haitian national holiday while we were there and on that day we gathered with people from the HCM church in Fonds Parisien to pick up trash along the side of the main road all the way to where the men were building the play structure in La Cite. It was about a 3-mile walk to the park, and about 150 people took part in the event. There were people of all ages that stuck with us to the very end. Even people from the community that hadn't known about it asked for a pair of gloves and joined in! A little over halfway through, we ran out of garbage sacks and kids started pushing wheelbarrows with flat tires alongside us for us to put garbage in. The sense of community with the Haitian people was amazing! People were laughing and bantering back and forth, handing out water, and singing. It was truly a humbling and filling moment! 

We were able to attend and help with a couple English classes while we were there. We broke into groups and the students asked us questions and they answered some questions we had for them as well. They work so hard to learn English and they did so well. It was wonderful to sit and have one-on-one conversations about various things. The main question asked to most of us was if we loved their country and when we would be returning. The sense of pride they have about where they live was uplifting. I can probably vouch for most of us that we await the time we can return!

Haiti and its people definitely connected with each of us and holds a special place in each of our hearts. We are thankful to all of the Haitian people, especially those at the mission that graciously hosted us and eagerly allowed us to work alongside them! We are thankful to God for allowing us to embark on this journey and blessing us with this opportunity. 

-Jessica Davis

Our week began by going to Port-au-Prince to buy all the materials we needed that we did not bring. That took a little longer than expected, so we got started on the swing set a day later than anticipated. Tuesday morning we headed to the area we were going to be building the swing set and play structure. It took all morning to get the holes dug, pour the concrete and put the swing set frame in place. This was done with the help of several of the HCM workers, as well as a couple teenagers who volunteered to help us all week. In the afternoon, we were able to get the frame basically in place for the wooden play structure. The next two days were spent finishing the swing set and wooden play structure. Since the supply store did not have what we needed to build a slide, we put in a walking bridge instead.

With the great help that we received from all the HCM workers such as Daniel, Joseph, Guitho, Waldimy and several others whose names I cannot remember, we were able to complete the project more quickly than we had thought we would which gave us more time to work on other odd jobs.  

-Lynn Williams