WEEK 4/HAITI

MONDAY

Notice the containers in water? After earthquake

One of the things in our “have to do while we’re in the DR” list was visit Haiti. The problem was that everyone we told about our plan had something negative to say about visiting Haiti. When we visited DR Bethel, they didn’t want to comment, they said call Haiti branch and see what they say. So I did. I read up on Haiti before coming here and the general consensus was that as long as you went to tourist locations and didn’t travel to places you didn’t know well especially at night it was ok. The brother in Bethel said “of course it’s ok to travel to Haiti, we have brothers coming back and forth from DR. As a matter of fact, If you want to stay in Bethel just write and request it”. You know I did!

Market at the border crossing

Alf, Stef, Leti and I went to Haiti in a nice bus and spent two nights at the Haitian branch. Another branch off the list, check. Brothers were really happy to see visitors. Haiti gets a bad wrap and very few brothers  visit. We asked many of the Dominicans if they’ve ever visited Haiti, they said no and the majority make it clear they have no desire to visit. How sad. The bethelites draw a lot of encouragement from the friends that come and visit. They’re so FRIENDLY too.

Details like these sure make you feel special

Our Bethel room

Missionary home at the AH

At the moment, the GB approved a special project for the missionary homes that were destroyed in the earthquake. They're doing a pilot program. They bought manufactured homes that a construction crew puts together like a LEGO set and they come from China. They’ve put three up and are about a week away from finishing the fourth and last one. They’re pretty nice. The AH at the branch property has one and they look good. They have International Volunteers and Servants working on the project, our kind of folk. You know what that means? Have you put in your application for international work, you should, kind of questions and comments.

Does it look like it came in a box?

So many choices of sacred service, which one will you/I choose?

Of course, the Haitian fields are white for harvest. Creole is the happening thing is this part of the world. The brothers insisted it was really easy to learn and that we should just settle in the country to start preaching. If you think the Spanish service is good in DR, Creole is even better in Haiti. A couple who currently serves in Bethel has more than 10 studies. They’re in Bethel!!! When they used to be in the Special Pioneer work in the country they had 42 studies between the both of them, 42!!!!! Is that humanly possible? The norm is that every bethelite has at least 1 bible study get baptized every year. That is normal and not extraordinary. What???

Many bethelites thanked us for our visit. They said, it takes special people to come to a country like Haiti to visit the friends. We thought we were the ones that left encouraged. Just ask us about some of the earthquake stories when we get back.

TUESDAY

Morning  worship in Creole. Didn’t understand a lick, but I’m sure it was good. Bethel tour.

Bethel Reception

Bethel's Fleet

 Nice little translating branch. They have their hands full with all the info they must translate. But it’s up to Jehovah not them, and it’s coming along just right. In the last 20 years growth has quadrupled. They’re at 19,000 publishers. Studies are sifted through. If they go to meetings the brothers will study with them if they don’t go to meetings they stop studying with them so they can concentrate on those who want to progress. 2 KH construction crews need to build 8 KH a year to keep up with the growth. They’re at about 5 a year. Not enough. Also a great need.

Bethel Laundry

Bethel Pool

Notice the lights, outside stage for Family Night or where a sister teaches Zoomba

The only real damage to the Branch's property was the perimeter wall. Since it was damaged they tore it down and put up a provisional wall. They also put up these watchtowers for the night watchmen. So they can keep an eye on any lurkers that were around the fence. After they rebuilt the fence the nightwatchmen like the watchtowers and they kept them.

Some bethelites like to garden. So Bethel, allocated some small plots for those who like to garden. That special pioneer couple that is now in Bethel and have 10 studies, the sister loves flowers, so she has her plot full of different flowers. Others have some spices and things.

Let see who can you notice the differences between the AH in Haiti and the one in the DR. Send in you guess.

 

During the earthquake in 2010 the damage was so extent in the country that even the branch suffered damage. The damage was so significant, that the branch decided not to repair it. As a matter of fact, the tour highlights the damage. These pictures show the damage. The buildings, the walls, the windows and everything else suffered no damage. The only damage was, these small cracks in the floor tile. The construction done by the Watchtower is so superior in the country that their buildings remained in tact.

The last building that was constructed, was actually built by a local Haitian contractor. What the Society did was to send an International Servant to oversee the work. The contractor kept insisting that the plans were overbuilt. "The Society is wasting money in materials and construction methods. If you let us do it our way, we could save you lots and lots of money", he said. Well, he finally consented to follow the plans.

After the earthquake, he was reassured of the superiority of the construction methods he was forced to use. So what did he do? He re-built his own house using the Society's methods. And now part of his portfolio of jobs is the Branch. He proudly says that he did such a good job that it withstood the earthquake of 2010.

Our taxi driver on the left, the IS and Alf, tying up the taxi to the truck

Our make shift tow truck

After lunch we decided to tour the city a little with a brother who’s a taxi driver and that the branch recommends. Let me preface this part of the story by saying this was: Taxi ride from Hades in Haiti. Our dear brother speaks and understands very little English. None of us speak Creole. Plus our brother stutters, so the little English he does speak WE can barely understand. I’m sure the branch recommends him because he can get the brothers from the airport or the bus depot to Bethel without a problem but, when you want to go and tour the city and buy some souvenirs, that’s a problem, A BIG PROBLEM. Let’s just say, we never bought a single souvenir and we got a tour of the city alright, about 4 hours worth, just nothing we wanted to see. We missed dinner at Bethel and to top it off the car broke down. Like I said, taxi ride from Hades in Haiti.

We should of just taken a "Tap, Tap", the local and cheaper mode of transportation

 Everything was forgotten once we got to spend more time with the friends. In the evening, we got invited to spend time with some of the single bethelites (or as I call them the NON-EUNUCHS, hint, hint, single sisters) and they told me all about their spiritual heritage and the tragedies and triumphs of being part of Jehovah’s organization during such a horrible disaster like the earthquake. I could never type fast enough to cover all the stories. Ask, and I will gladly tell you.

First Missionary couple in Haiti, since the new Gilead arrangement. They were serving in the DR Bethel. They arrived a few days before us.