Thanks to my daughter Lisa for setting up this blog and my Facebook page after my church purchased an I phone for me. I wanted to not only report on what Fran and I did and saw in Haiti, but also to have a platform for tying in appropriate media such as “The Silent Cry of Haiti”, a 15 minute DVD which Miriam Frederick of World Harvest Mission and New Life Children’s Home made telling the story of some of her kids.
I chose the name “bbyn – Haiti Relief” because I was moved by the song Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman. The partial lyrics:
Blessed be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be you name.
Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be your name.
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back in praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name.
As a privileged, retired American, this was my first encounter with massive poverty and suffering on a scale that doesn’t translate well in the 24 hour cable news cycle’s preoccupation with Tiger’s affairs or A Rod’s steroid abuse. Going from a land that is ostentatiously plentiful to one marked with daily suffering and pain is the story of this journey. Not for us, we can come and go. Yet while the people here can’t just pick-up and leave, and the suffering and destruction are without understanding, we seek to find strength in serving …and praising…and blessing.
I know blogs are supposed to be like daily posts, etc. and once I get over the learning curve and catch-up, I intend to do that. I’m going to go ahead and post my initial writing, followed by photos gleaned from our 1st journey. Fran will also insert her observations as she feels led as she too has been mightily involved, and as those of you who know us well are aware, frequently sees things with a far different perspective than me.
Our 1st visit lasted from February 20 to March 30, 5 ½ weeks. We plan to return for another 4 – 6 week period in May – June, and then later in the fall. We would like to continue some of the work we have started and are in the process of setting up a tax exempt non profit 501© (3) corp. to help fund these efforts if any are so led to participate. Lisa, too, is assisting with this, and more information will be available.
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You're now in Haiti. To help with your transition, click (below) onto the theme song we downloaded from You Tube; sense feelings I had transitioning from one world to another....from privilege to suffering....from comfort to daily struggle for existence.
If this is your 1st visit, and especially if you're as new to this stuff as I am, the whole thing will probably make a little more sense if you head to the Blog Archive section on the right hand side and work your way down the postings, starting at "Prelude" reading " The Beginning" next, "Initial Impressions"...and so on .....etc. until you reach the bottom column. See, the stuff under the song link ( left side column) are the 2 most recent posts written. .
Please visit often and invite your friends if you feel so inclined. We'll be continuing to add new information and pictures, and plan to return to Haiti in late May. Your comments and suggestions will be most appreciated.
Welcome
Thank you for visiting our site. We hope we're able to convey to you a sense of the tragedy that has gripped the country of Haiti, yet at the same time, sharing the hope, excitement and love we experienced during our stay.
Welcome to Port au Prince
You're now in Haiti. To help with your transition, click (below) onto the theme song we downloaded from You Tube; sense feelings I had transitioning from one world to another....from privilege to suffering....from comfort to daily struggle for existence.
If this is your 1st visit, and especially if you're as new to this stuff as I am, the whole thing will probably make a little more sense if you head to the Blog Archive section on the right hand side and work your way down the postings, starting at "Prelude" reading " The Beginning" next, "Initial Impressions"...and so on .....etc. until you reach the bottom column. See, the stuff under the song link ( left side column) are the 2 most recent posts written. .
Please visit often and invite your friends if you feel so inclined. We'll be continuing to add new information and pictures, and plan to return to Haiti in late May. Your comments and suggestions will be most appreciated.
Blessed Be Your Name - Tree63
Blog Archive
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2010
(16)
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April
(12)
- Prelude
- No title
- The Beginning
- No title
- Initial Impressions
- No title
- Unforgettable People - Mariam Fredrick and Pastor ...
- Unforgettable People - Dr. Rik Celie and Pastor Vo...
- Unforgettable People - Angela Lizotte and Lowell &...
- Unforgettable People- Larry Bergeron and Bishop Oc...
- Unforgettable people- Brian Parker and Miss Fran
- Time to publish!
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April
(12)
Picture Viewing Hints
To review the pictures in greater detail and at your own pace, simply double-click on the specific photo album. A thumbnail of all the pictures in this album will be revealed.
When you next double-click on a photo, it will become enlarged. You can then scroll through the pictures at your own pace. You'll note some have captions. The picture albums will be added to as we continue our efforts, so keep checking back.
When you next double-click on a photo, it will become enlarged. You can then scroll through the pictures at your own pace. You'll note some have captions. The picture albums will be added to as we continue our efforts, so keep checking back.
Destruction and Rebuilding
Tent Cities and Amputees
Daily Life in PaP
Volner's Pouille
Montrouis Orphanage
New Life Kids
How Can You Help?
As we prepare to return to Haiti from " the land that is plentiful "........ on May 26th, we know that the dire living situation of people is largely unchanged. Further complicating life is the advent of rainy season and the coming hurricane season.
Recent disclosures of some of the larger agencies such as the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services indicate that less than 10 % of the funds received to date have been disbursed as they plan for the "long term solution" to the problem(s). Of course the obvious irony here is probably lost on a mother who's young child is subsisting on a "mud cookie" supplemented diet washed down with parasite infested pond water; a child who's odds of surviving beyond the age of six from something as common as dysentery are 50% at best.
We are not so naive as to think we have a better way or can solve a country in crisis, yet we can contribute to the betterment of those we interact with. To do so, however, takes $$$$$$....fund raising! For example, renting a box truck to deliver food, tents, medical supplies, etc. can cost upward of $250/day plus gas.....and that assumes the items were obtained without cost. NLCH has containers full of donated items in the U.S. stuffed with cargo and ready to ship, but they need approx. $4000 to ship each one. NLCH itself needs 2 drain fields for their septic systems, 1 for the guest house, the other for the orphanage building at a cost of $3,000 each. Travel and support costs for a typical 5-6 week trip run between $1,500 - $2,000 for the two of us.
To facilitate the raising of money, we have established BBYN - HAITI RELIEF INC , a Not For Profit 501 (3) (c) tax exempt corporation, incorporated in Florida (document # 00003679) and registered with the Internal Revenue Service ( EIN # 27-2400836).
Disclaimer!..... Christ Church, our home church in Vero Beach, FL, strictly prohibits the solicitation of funds from any their members if they (the Church) references our missionary efforts, or links our blog to their website. Hence, allow me to clearly state that nothing in this section is intended to be a solicitation for anything, except prayer, from any of those members of Christ Church who may stumble upon this section. They are duly instructed to forget anything that they've read thus far and are asked to please not read any further..... but thank you for your continued prayers ( and please refer this need to your family & friends who don't attend Christ Church!)...... End of disclaimer!
That being said, it becomes intuitively obvious that those of who don't fall in the above group and have read on will be asked to do even heavier lifting and consider giving even a tiny bit more. And please, feel an urgency in your spirit to share your concerns and commitment with your friends.
Donations can be made payable to BBYN-Haiti Relief Inc. and mailed to us directly , or if we're in Haiti, to our daughter at:
BBYN - HAITI RELIEF INC
3470 Pebble Hill Drive
Marietta, GA 30066
In addition to cash, we would also like to find several used vehicles still in good working order though they may have high miles. A passenger vehicle or a minivan for daily transport, and a panel truck like those used in the plumbing trades would be ideal to securely deliver goods and supplies. Also a decent used tractor (kudos to friend Tom Fritz for this suggestion and the lead effort to locate such an item) capable of plowing and hauling materials and supplies from the river to Pastor Volner's compound, or an off road utility vehicle with a hauling capability, is also needed. Volner also needs seating for his new church. Fran's brother, Terry, has been scouring the used chair market in the U.S. but thus far hasn't found a solution for less than $7,000. It may turn out that the best and least expensive alternative would be to build them, but the lumber cost alone would be quite costly. (The cost of the lumber and bolts we purchased for him to build 30 five-foot long school desks was over $600.) One last specific item: an industrial type shredder capable of shredding plastic items, especially bottles, into small pieces that can be easily disposed of rather than by daily burning at the compound.
I assure you that your caring, generosity and continued support is gratefully and humbly received by those many who presently journey " on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering....."
Thank you !
P.S. Please stay in touch with us via e-mail at: bbyn.haaitirelief@gmail.com.
Recent disclosures of some of the larger agencies such as the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services indicate that less than 10 % of the funds received to date have been disbursed as they plan for the "long term solution" to the problem(s). Of course the obvious irony here is probably lost on a mother who's young child is subsisting on a "mud cookie" supplemented diet washed down with parasite infested pond water; a child who's odds of surviving beyond the age of six from something as common as dysentery are 50% at best.
We are not so naive as to think we have a better way or can solve a country in crisis, yet we can contribute to the betterment of those we interact with. To do so, however, takes $$$$$$....fund raising! For example, renting a box truck to deliver food, tents, medical supplies, etc. can cost upward of $250/day plus gas.....and that assumes the items were obtained without cost. NLCH has containers full of donated items in the U.S. stuffed with cargo and ready to ship, but they need approx. $4000 to ship each one. NLCH itself needs 2 drain fields for their septic systems, 1 for the guest house, the other for the orphanage building at a cost of $3,000 each. Travel and support costs for a typical 5-6 week trip run between $1,500 - $2,000 for the two of us.
To facilitate the raising of money, we have established BBYN - HAITI RELIEF INC , a Not For Profit 501 (3) (c) tax exempt corporation, incorporated in Florida (document # 00003679) and registered with the Internal Revenue Service ( EIN # 27-2400836).
Disclaimer!..... Christ Church, our home church in Vero Beach, FL, strictly prohibits the solicitation of funds from any their members if they (the Church) references our missionary efforts, or links our blog to their website. Hence, allow me to clearly state that nothing in this section is intended to be a solicitation for anything, except prayer, from any of those members of Christ Church who may stumble upon this section. They are duly instructed to forget anything that they've read thus far and are asked to please not read any further..... but thank you for your continued prayers ( and please refer this need to your family & friends who don't attend Christ Church!)...... End of disclaimer!
That being said, it becomes intuitively obvious that those of who don't fall in the above group and have read on will be asked to do even heavier lifting and consider giving even a tiny bit more. And please, feel an urgency in your spirit to share your concerns and commitment with your friends.
Donations can be made payable to BBYN-Haiti Relief Inc. and mailed to us directly , or if we're in Haiti, to our daughter at:
BBYN - HAITI RELIEF INC
3470 Pebble Hill Drive
Marietta, GA 30066
In addition to cash, we would also like to find several used vehicles still in good working order though they may have high miles. A passenger vehicle or a minivan for daily transport, and a panel truck like those used in the plumbing trades would be ideal to securely deliver goods and supplies. Also a decent used tractor (kudos to friend Tom Fritz for this suggestion and the lead effort to locate such an item) capable of plowing and hauling materials and supplies from the river to Pastor Volner's compound, or an off road utility vehicle with a hauling capability, is also needed. Volner also needs seating for his new church. Fran's brother, Terry, has been scouring the used chair market in the U.S. but thus far hasn't found a solution for less than $7,000. It may turn out that the best and least expensive alternative would be to build them, but the lumber cost alone would be quite costly. (The cost of the lumber and bolts we purchased for him to build 30 five-foot long school desks was over $600.) One last specific item: an industrial type shredder capable of shredding plastic items, especially bottles, into small pieces that can be easily disposed of rather than by daily burning at the compound.
I assure you that your caring, generosity and continued support is gratefully and humbly received by those many who presently journey " on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering....."
Thank you !
P.S. Please stay in touch with us via e-mail at: bbyn.haaitirelief@gmail.com.
Followers
About Us
- Barry & Fran Barnard
- Vero Beach, FL and Wintergreen, VA, United States
- Old,retired,overextended. We worked hard but were obviously victims of unearned good fortune, blessed in ways that defy rationale. Survived 2 "precious" but spirited daughters,and while a little disappointed that they might miss the thrill of the mental and physical anguish that accompanies the raising of those of the female persuasion through the teen years, have smugly admired their dedication and commitment to their 3 gentle, well behaved boys. We've even survived each other for almost 6 1/2 dog years, an affirmation of my commitment to marry way over my head. Previous interests pretty much revolved around golf, softball...maybe a little guitar. Unfortunately lack of talent (LOFT?) combined with diminishing physical skills requires increasing degrees of self delusion and/or use of mind numbing substances. Though we still have our own teeth and no one has to chew our food for us. B is scheduled to attend his 50th high school reunion this year, and has received a new body part or repair of an old one, for the last 6 consecutive years. Previous mission interest or experience....zip! Who says God doesn't have a weird sense of humor?
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