Hal Taylor of LAUMC was recently appointed by United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) to serve in Haiti and help coordinate plans for rebuilding. Hal is in Haiti for a month, continuing to assist the people in that beleaguered nation. Hal's experience in construction and on various LAUMC mission trips will enable him to make a significant contribution to UMCOR's efforts in Haiti. Below are messages from Hal from Haiti — newest messages are listed first. You can read more about the United Methodist response to the Haiti earthquake at: www.umvimhaiti.org or www.umcorhaiti.org.
Saturday, June 5
The past week has been rather busy. With our Head of Mission, Samuel Kinge Namanga, back in town, our tasks have grown and the urgency has increased. At his level they are still hashing out the details of grant money from the Red Cross and the donor pool. At my end there are tents to get up, pit toilet design and cost to prepare, water supply to figure out as well. If I get one thing done a day, I think I am doing well. When it takes and hour or more to get to a site, that cuts a lot of time out of the day. We have completed putting up 20 tents for schools and securing them from the wind at one camp and will put up 20 more this week at another camp. Still to come are the student benches, teachers table and chair and blackboard. We are struggling to find a vendor that can make the quantities that we require, at the quality me need within a budgeted price. Somehow the school do their best to work with what we have provided.
Our Operations Manager has left on leave this week so the Head of Mission appointed me the interim Ops Mgr. HQ did not agree because I was only a volunteer, but we have a workaround. Hopefully, I will get some tasks completed in that department that have been hanging for some time.
I am still overwhelmed with the amount of damage here and the perseverance of the people. The government is mostly looking out for themselves and their pocketbook. They are good at that, but not very good at doing the work their department was tasked with doing. Most of those in charge do not really care about the poverty stricken and hold up decisions on most everything hoping to get a bribe. If I can think of anything positive about the earthquake it is that it was so huge, and the world has responded so massively, that many of the NGO's have found ways to work around the government. It is my understanding that the massive effort is forcing the government to comply to some degree, just to get things done. I see much of the effort by NGO's is to improve education. Once the people are educated, that may be the key to the people deciding that the status quo is not acceptable and they will change the system of government. We will see.
Early this week I had food poisoning and that has set me back. I am taking meds for that, but also have discovered a reaction I am having with my malaria meds. That I have stopped, but now I have to be more careful to put on bug juice. Fortunately here in Port-Au-Prince there are very few mosquitos.
It is not all work. Sundays have proven to be great. I have now been to two country Sunday services. Both held in crude block wall buildings, dirt floor, tin roof with lots of holes. They are in Creole, but that is okay. I feel God's presence. After last weeks service we went to the Kalico Beach Resort for lunch and a swim in the ocean. I broke out my mask and snorkel and checked out all the colorful fish. Not as many as I would have thought, but the waters here have been badly polluted. We took a row boat ride over to a small coral reef which was nice but you could tell it was not flourishing.
Today is Saturday and a group of us plan to go visit the Baptist Mission in Kenscoff, up in the higher elevations. There are a couple of old forts there which have been damaged by the earthquake and crafts to shop for. I understand the overlook is excellent.
I will send some photos that you may also be able to post.
— Hal
Friday, May 28
What a busy week. My director returned from his fathers funeral in Camaroon Tuesday and hit the road running. He cleared up some issues which gave me some tasks to push hard on. But, it is starting to come together. This next week we will be putting up the temporary tents for schools. About 60 large tents. Benches and tables will be coming the following weeks. Next is to design and build pit toilets and hand washing and drinking water for the schools. By the time we accomplish this in a few weeks it will be time to get the lumber and hardware for the more permanent transitional school structures that hopefully will withstand most hurricanes. It looks like an early hurricane season and if big ones come through it will be a disaster all over again. Many of the new tent camps are out in the open. I really like the staff I am working with. Very good at what they do and fun.
The folks that run the guest house where I stay are terrific. We are developing a close bond and have a lot of fun together. Tomorrow after I get my reports written, we might try to go to the famous rum distillery nearby called Bandencourt. Sunday will be going to another remote rural church that Ablame will preach. He is the husband of the woman that runs the guest house. I told Mike who coordinates the UMVIM teams that when the LAUMC team arrives to have a special project for you...a very special project. I think only two of the last three teams that went there came back.
There has been some unrest here. Mostly just demonstrations, but some security issues too. Our 6 to 6 curfew has been lifted. I have never felt in any danger. Our drivers are very good. Tomorrow I hope to download my camera and post some more photos.
I am beginning to learn some Creole. I now have my numbers to 13 and basic colors.
Take care,
— Hal
Sunday, May 23
Today I got up at 4:45 to take a cold shower before going to church. The water system is a tank on the roof that is filled by a pump from a well which is controlled manually. I had to turn on the pump this morning before there was water for me.
I was invited to go to church by the Guest House Manager Donnette, who is married to a circuit minister. He has 11 churches in his circuit and the one we went today was in a small village called Haute Fau. It took over 3 hours to get there and Ablame, the minister, had never been to this church. There was a bit of transporting a couple other ministers to preach at some other churches on our way. We a minister at Saint Marc which is about half way up the bay from Port-Au-Prince. Then inland and a lot of dirt roads and finally down a path in our van. And I mean path. The houses were all stick and mud huts. The church as concrete block about 16 feet by 30. There were about 40 of us in all attending. The service was done in Creaol so the only part I understood were the Amen's. The best part was the singing. Everyone sang very loud and with enthusiasm. The acoustics of the block wall and metal roof with many holes in it was awesome. I tried to record some of it on my digital camera. I was singing right alone with everyone using a Creole Hymnal. I soon could enunciate the words as I our driver with a strong voice was right next to me. He actually did a solo hymn as did a couple others. Pastor Mark would like that fact that there were no time limits on the sermon. The service lasted 2 hours and the ventilation was minimal and yes it was warm. All the holes in the roof did help. This was a borrowed building as in 2008 their church had been destroyed by a hurricane. Rebuilding it might be a project for some teams that come here sometime.
Pastor Ablame pointed out a couple of the other churches he is assigned to. On the way home we stopped by another church that they were in the process of building. The block wall were mostly complete and steel beams needed to be ordered. A lot of our travel today was along the bay. The water looked crystal clear in this area. Of course we were quite away from Port-Au-Prince.
In that region there is a lot of rice farming. The country of Taiwan has joined up to fund it and ships it out as an export. We stopped on the way back to buy some deep fried pork and rice. The pork was almost all fat. Tasty.
There was very little damage from the earthquake up in this region. There were a lot of resorts and houses for wealthy people, along the coast. Some very nice boats too.
— Hal
Friday, May 21
It rained for the first time for a short while this evening. Every night I see lightning and hear thunder. Sleeping is difficult sometimes as there seems to be a night club which plays loud music late at night. After they are finished it is either the dog howling or the rooster crowing all night. Someone gave me some ear plugs today.
Today my work partner Alejandra from Argentina, traveled out to an encampment about 2 hours drive. Probably 20 miles away. Travel through the cities averages 5 miles per hour with backups everywhere, cars dodging in and out. I have seen two traffic lights and all other intersections are a negotiation. Honking helps. It says "I am coming, watch out". Pedestrians are on their own and they are everywhere. Every street is lined with vendors from the country selling anything you can imagine (see photo right). Some places they occupy a 3 x 3 plot jammed in with many others. This may go for blocks. It might even be two deep. I am amazed no one ever seems to get hit. The constant flow of pedestrians on both sides of the road with traffic in both directions all weaving in and out to get around each other and pass slower vehicles. Our drivers are very good. I would never attempt to drive a car here. If not for the traffic issues, then for finding where you are going. I have no clue where we are until we arrive at my office or where I stay at the Methodist Guest house. These drivers would all qualify for Indianapolis on a short track.
The site we visited called Corail, was established about a month ago by another NGO World Concern. There were hundreds of tents well spaced out. They had enclosed pit toilets and a rudimentary water system from large bladders that were refilled. The people had been relocated from the city since their houses had been destroyed. It is hoped that the tents will make it about a year and then more substantial temporary wood structures would be built. This camp was experimenting with more substantial housing structures built with wood frames, metal roofs and hardy board siding. The tents the people are living in will never make it through a hurricane. It will turn into a disaster again if they get one. UMCOR's task was to set up tents for classrooms. Apparently, our site had not been completed with gravel so we were at a stall. Outside of this 50 acre site were probably a 1000 or more makeshift shelters made from poles and tarps well distanced from each other but covering several thousand acres.
We decided to go back to the other site we were at yesterday called Tabarre Issa. There we had 6 locations, each was supposed to have several tents set up for schools. The gravel grading was being done at this time. Earlier this week a few tents had been set up and three of them had blown away and were damaged. We had some issues with the site engineer putting the tents up prematurely and not anchoring them properly for the winds now and winds to come. Other facilities we need to start working on are toilet facilities for these sites as well as water.
If anyone has any questions or just wants to say high, my email is hitaylor@sbcglobal.net.
— Hal
Tuesday, May 18
Today is the Haitian flag day and I have the day off. I had the opportunity to accompany an new team to a Methodist mission to do repairs from a propane fire in the town of Para Guave (Para Qua). Because of the holiday many people going to the beach and traffic was bad. There were some parades in outlying towns with bands and kids and Boy Scouts marching. Also got to see the Palace as well as many collapsed buildings. Many houses and structures appear undamaged, but I have been told that more than 60% collapsed or had damage. They are still pulling bodies out. I am amazed at how industrious the people are. Everything except plastic bottles are reused it seems. Every street we drove on had venders with everything you can imagine. Tire changers, shoes, clothes, bananas, rice, beans, metal workers, charcoal, wood poles for tents and much more. Of those whose houses are okay still will not live in them as they are too scared. There are tent clusters everywhere, even some right along the roadway divider. Fortunately we have drivers. I would never find my way around or be able to deal with the traffic. Honking is a communication tool that you are coming around someone, encouraging pedestrians to move over or blast at vehicles ahead of you not pulling over for you.
The people are very nice. Donnette our host at the Methodist Guest house is a fireball young woman who is married to a Methodist minister.
— Hal
Monday, May 17
Hey everyone, I have arrived this morning on about 3 hours of aircraft sleep. Three cups of coffee and I may make it through the day. I had equal portions of sitting in airports as flying time. I learned that although Florida is on EST, Haiti is on Central time. Yes it is humid/muggy but not unbearable.
My work will mostly be in an office building a few miles from the Methodist Guest house where I will be staying. Security has become a big issue here lately with an increase in kidnappings, mostly wealthy Haitians, but also Caucasian aid workers. I don't think they will let me out of this walled compound without two or more vehicles and drivers who know their way around. I plan to play it smart, but sometime I would like to be a tourist.
They say that they have tons of work for me and have given me a very nice welcome, including signs posted all over the place welcoming me.
— Hal
If you'd like to partner with Hal's trip to Haiti you can make a donation to UMCOR by writing a check to LAUMC and noting "UMCOR Advance #418325", or you can donate online here.
LAUMC plans to send teams to Haiti in the next year (dates not yet determined). Each team, in addition to their own expenses, must bring $3500 to be matched by UMCOR funds, that will be used to help fund the project. If you'd like to make a donation to help with this funding for LAUMC teams, you can write a check to LAUMC and note "Haiti teams" in the memo. The LAUMC teams will be part of the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) efforts in Haiti. You can read about UMVIM's Haiti Response Plan at: www.umvimhaiti.org.
