One example of "reaching beyond our borders" to help others is the orphanage associated with Brothers United Church Eben-Ezer run by Pastor Kenol Dort and his wife in Mountrouis, Haiti. The YWAM team in PaP that rents space from us on our compound was building a latrine for Pastor Dort's kids and reported back to us the desperate conditions they had observed; 35 kids between the ages of 3 - 15, no food, few clothes, sleeping on the rocky, uneven bare ground with no beds or blankets, and a 12 yr. old with a double compound fracture of her shoulder who needed surgery within a week or risked loss of the limb. She had been taken to a hospital in St. Marc two straight days but would not be seen by a surgeon there for whatever reason. On our first trip to observe we took food and were horrified at the circumstances. Because we had a little money left in our discretionary fund, we were able to arrange transportation for the whole lot, adults and all, to go to Mission of Hope (MOH) for a thorough medical battery, including blood work and de-worming. The greatest blessing in the timing of this is that MOH had 2 visiting orthopedic surgeons from the U of Texas on board that week and the little girl's arm was surgically repaired (2 operations required) and saved..........gratis.
Several weeks later we returned with more food and supplies....some stackable cots for the kids to sleep on, and some blankets. Using a little more of our 501 (3)(c) money we have given YWAM enough money to finish the latrine , take several more of the kids to MOH , and have arranged for them to get on a regular food distribution schedule with MOH. As with our helping Pastor Volner buy the lumber and hardware for 15 school benches which have been built and are being used in his school in Pouille, your donations can have a dramatic impact in the lives of these fragile children. You can see the joy reflected in their faces in the pictures.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Task at Hand
It didn't take long to get back in the flow at NLCH. Suddenly I was Operations Manager with responsibility for getting/keeping things running. Those familiar with my background have to chuckle, if not out and out guffaw, at this assignment. I was responsible for the electrical, plumbing, generator, well/pump, and inverter systems. I must have snoozed through the inverter classes @ CPA school because I had no clue as to what they even were, let alone how they worked or to fix them. But when things don't work and people wake you in the middle of the night to ask why, you learn fast.....even when the explanations are in Creole. Buildings were pressure cleaned and painted inside and out, new screen doors were built and installed on all the guest room doors and the tired old vehicle fleet was kept running with duck tape and mirrors. Everyone had questions....needed immediate supplies (apparently in Haiti you don't pre plan what you might need for tomorrows work).....needed money and/or transportation.....and apparently I was the only one who could accomodate, after I could find a translator of course. Meanwhile we were holding meetings to revamp the organization structure and redifine responsibilities for all employees and orphans.....from mealtimes to lights out. And of course when you change or modify procedures, you must monitor to assure that the new policies are followed. Days seemed longer; nights shorter.
Fran pretty much resumed where she had left off. Several more containers had arrived and been unloaded and the storerooms were a mess again. In addition the US Air Force security troops which had been such a blessing to our compound with their cheerful nature, willingness to help with numerous projects and their loving attention to the orphans, were preparing to leave the country and, always thinking of ways to save Uncle Sugar fuel $ to transport excessive supplies back home, decided to reposition them to our compound instead. It all meant much back end grunt work, and though she had many good helpers from amongst the visitors to NLCH , and of course her veteran team from our own kid pool, the day in, day out work in those extreme conditions is most taxing. On more than several occasions she would throw up from heat exhaustion and, after a 15-20 min. shade and gatorade break, stubbornly head back to the container or storeroom to complete the day's task.
During our 1st stay in PaP, Fran was responsible for the preparation and coordination of distributing over 500 individual bundles of food and hygiene supplies to those in our immediate vicinity, not to mention all the post op families upon discharge. The second trip saw us distribute more in bulk to orphanages, tent camps and clinics, including a large selection of medical supplies to Dr. Heskel and Dr. Parvus' (of Vero Beach) clinic in Cite Soleil , and 2 large truck loads of supplies to the Pestel mountain region where we have been holding medical clinics for the last 30+ years and from where many of our orphans come. During this trip NLCH distributed food, clothes and medical supplies to more than 40 different organizations and Fran had a major hand in all of it.
Fran pretty much resumed where she had left off. Several more containers had arrived and been unloaded and the storerooms were a mess again. In addition the US Air Force security troops which had been such a blessing to our compound with their cheerful nature, willingness to help with numerous projects and their loving attention to the orphans, were preparing to leave the country and, always thinking of ways to save Uncle Sugar fuel $ to transport excessive supplies back home, decided to reposition them to our compound instead. It all meant much back end grunt work, and though she had many good helpers from amongst the visitors to NLCH , and of course her veteran team from our own kid pool, the day in, day out work in those extreme conditions is most taxing. On more than several occasions she would throw up from heat exhaustion and, after a 15-20 min. shade and gatorade break, stubbornly head back to the container or storeroom to complete the day's task.
During our 1st stay in PaP, Fran was responsible for the preparation and coordination of distributing over 500 individual bundles of food and hygiene supplies to those in our immediate vicinity, not to mention all the post op families upon discharge. The second trip saw us distribute more in bulk to orphanages, tent camps and clinics, including a large selection of medical supplies to Dr. Heskel and Dr. Parvus' (of Vero Beach) clinic in Cite Soleil , and 2 large truck loads of supplies to the Pestel mountain region where we have been holding medical clinics for the last 30+ years and from where many of our orphans come. During this trip NLCH distributed food, clothes and medical supplies to more than 40 different organizations and Fran had a major hand in all of it.
Our Return
We're frequently asked by our friends back in the US .....how much have things improved?.....it's no longer in the news, so it must be better. Our 24 hour news cycle is premised upon keeping us hooked on the immediate.....tradegy, suffering, O.J., Tiger....don't dwell too long or we'll get bored.....
Upon our return on 5/26, several notable improvements were a welcome sight. Most of the rubble had been cleared from all the major thoroughfares, though traffic flow didn't seem the least improved. Even with more traffic (suggestion, not stop lights in Haiti) lights working, there are apparently more cars on the roads, more breakdowns and more kami kazi style driving. Several weeks after arriving I was running an errand solo in one of the NLCH "senior fleet" of junk vehicles (a '96 Jeep Cherokee which has since blown an engine); turning a corner right next to the local police station two of us were going for an occupied lane, NASCAR style,both dodging an oncoming vehicle......BOOM.......flat tire here, little dent there. I was pretty much dead in water, stopping up traffic to thunderous horn bashing while I attempted to find someone in close proximity who could both fix a flat tire and understand my non Creole gesturing. Soon Theodore arrived from NLCH and traded vehicles with me, taking care of my immediate problem, and I left the scene to complete my tasks. Of course no police showed up to assist, intimidate or help with the newly created congestion issue.
The other main sign of improvement was the restoration of Haitian Power (EDH) which as sporadic & inconsistent as it is, is an improvement over pre-quake standards according to most natives. Construction debris, other than for the roads, still lays in heaps where it had fallen; still no heavy equipment in view. Tent housing, estimated to hold 1,500,000 in PaP was improved only to the extent that most now had tents and tarps (cardboard and blankets had been replaced; under the penetrating Haiti sun, however, the new stuff won't hold up long) but water, sanitation and any form of regular medical attention is non existant. A major concern remains the possibility that a hurricane could still strike though, thankfully, all this season's storms have tracked north of the island thus far. Permanent replacement housing is still in the talking stages. Catholic Relief Services and The Clinton Foundation have reportedly disbursed less than 15% of the monies collected and are looking to "long term solutions"; The Red Cross is completely MIA. This doesn't resonate well with the displaced. Neither does the absence of jobs.
We also observed some changes at NLCH . The church building which had housed a post op clinic for Medishare patients was again a church. Medishare wound down their field operation center on the airport grounds and moved into an existing structure in PaP as most earthquake victims had finally been attended to. (On Wednesdays, however, the church doubles as a clinic facility for Hanger Prothetics, a joint program with Hospital Albert Schweitzer located 60 miles north of PaP, to provide all the amputee victims of the earthquake with prosthetic limbs and therapy.......and the necessary followup adjustments for young people. We provide food,supplies and assist with the transportation of many of the patients.) One other positive sign was that some of the private schools had reopened and 16 of our children returned to school; our other kids returned to class in tents on our campus, taught by teachers we hired.
Most things though remained little changed. The air was just as foul, the heat just as penetrating (if not even a little more so...it is now summer), and the conditions sloppier---it was also rainy season. Fortunately we brought a new tent and it worked marvelously; no leaks despite many opportunities. The air in the compound was just as foul as the city (we sit just adjacent to the airport so we get a extra dose of jet fuel pollution) and like most in PaP, we burn our garbage, plastic bottles and all. ( I flew with a cold I had just picked up in VA and fought a respiratory condition for the 1st 6 wks there, finally replacing it with a gastro bug.) Halfway through this trip we shuttered our incinerator operation; we now collect garbage and have it carted off weekly....to where?.....God only knows. In what passes for residential areas of the city, sanitation is still status quo, with animals, varmints and people living in squalor. Notwithstanding the fact that Haiti in no longer a daily news story in the US media, it remains broken badly.
Upon our return on 5/26, several notable improvements were a welcome sight. Most of the rubble had been cleared from all the major thoroughfares, though traffic flow didn't seem the least improved. Even with more traffic (suggestion, not stop lights in Haiti) lights working, there are apparently more cars on the roads, more breakdowns and more kami kazi style driving. Several weeks after arriving I was running an errand solo in one of the NLCH "senior fleet" of junk vehicles (a '96 Jeep Cherokee which has since blown an engine); turning a corner right next to the local police station two of us were going for an occupied lane, NASCAR style,both dodging an oncoming vehicle......BOOM.......flat tire here, little dent there. I was pretty much dead in water, stopping up traffic to thunderous horn bashing while I attempted to find someone in close proximity who could both fix a flat tire and understand my non Creole gesturing. Soon Theodore arrived from NLCH and traded vehicles with me, taking care of my immediate problem, and I left the scene to complete my tasks. Of course no police showed up to assist, intimidate or help with the newly created congestion issue.
The other main sign of improvement was the restoration of Haitian Power (EDH) which as sporadic & inconsistent as it is, is an improvement over pre-quake standards according to most natives. Construction debris, other than for the roads, still lays in heaps where it had fallen; still no heavy equipment in view. Tent housing, estimated to hold 1,500,000 in PaP was improved only to the extent that most now had tents and tarps (cardboard and blankets had been replaced; under the penetrating Haiti sun, however, the new stuff won't hold up long) but water, sanitation and any form of regular medical attention is non existant. A major concern remains the possibility that a hurricane could still strike though, thankfully, all this season's storms have tracked north of the island thus far. Permanent replacement housing is still in the talking stages. Catholic Relief Services and The Clinton Foundation have reportedly disbursed less than 15% of the monies collected and are looking to "long term solutions"; The Red Cross is completely MIA. This doesn't resonate well with the displaced. Neither does the absence of jobs.
We also observed some changes at NLCH . The church building which had housed a post op clinic for Medishare patients was again a church. Medishare wound down their field operation center on the airport grounds and moved into an existing structure in PaP as most earthquake victims had finally been attended to. (On Wednesdays, however, the church doubles as a clinic facility for Hanger Prothetics, a joint program with Hospital Albert Schweitzer located 60 miles north of PaP, to provide all the amputee victims of the earthquake with prosthetic limbs and therapy.......and the necessary followup adjustments for young people. We provide food,supplies and assist with the transportation of many of the patients.) One other positive sign was that some of the private schools had reopened and 16 of our children returned to school; our other kids returned to class in tents on our campus, taught by teachers we hired.
Most things though remained little changed. The air was just as foul, the heat just as penetrating (if not even a little more so...it is now summer), and the conditions sloppier---it was also rainy season. Fortunately we brought a new tent and it worked marvelously; no leaks despite many opportunities. The air in the compound was just as foul as the city (we sit just adjacent to the airport so we get a extra dose of jet fuel pollution) and like most in PaP, we burn our garbage, plastic bottles and all. ( I flew with a cold I had just picked up in VA and fought a respiratory condition for the 1st 6 wks there, finally replacing it with a gastro bug.) Halfway through this trip we shuttered our incinerator operation; we now collect garbage and have it carted off weekly....to where?.....God only knows. In what passes for residential areas of the city, sanitation is still status quo, with animals, varmints and people living in squalor. Notwithstanding the fact that Haiti in no longer a daily news story in the US media, it remains broken badly.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Step-by-step: It's Been A Long Strange Trip
We returned to Haiti on May 26th continuing our odyssey. Returning to Virginia in July our friend Becky Templeman (Virginia Real Estate Partners) sponsored a fundraiser amongst our friends at Wintergreen. The following bio was used to prepare the invitations and pretty well describes the chain of events that had brought us to this point:
"What a Long Strange Trip It's Been"
Trucking...by the Grateful Dead
Since 1995, Fran and Barry have experienced the Wintergreen lifestyle. Besides retreat and cooler summers at their mountain top home, they have integrated their leisure time with community service: as Drivers and First Responders for the Wintergreen Rescue Squad, propagating plants for the WTG Nature Foundation, and the endless pursuit of the game of golf when not recovering from some recent surgical procedure. Back in Vero Beach, FL they had been active with Habitat for Humanity and accompanied their church group here in VA to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for a week to assist in the rebuilding after Katrina. That effort as you know is still not finished. Yet none of this could prepare them for the road that would lead to the New Life Children's Home (NLCH) in Port-au-Prince (PAP), Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12th.
What began as simply helping to organize and repack the relief supplies coming into the Missionary Flight International (MFI) hanger in Ft. Pierce,FL, from all around the country for reshipment to PAP on their DC-3's, quickly evolved into something very different. Soon after starting at MFI, a chance meeting with a stranger, Terry Foley, who was attempting to board a flight to return for a 2nd tour where he had been cooking at the PAP airport base of MFI to support other volunteer workers engaged in the relief effort, convinced Barry that he could be more engaged. With Terry's encouragement...that he could "probably" stay where he had been staying, and assurance...that he would "probably" be able to find something useful to do, Barry set off on his odyssey despite the common sense age, health, safety, and financial objections raised by wife and friends. Sensing that he had "lost his mind" and determined to keep him from doing something even more outrageous, Fran reluctantly signed on. They didn't tell their adult children of their plans until the evening before they left, sensing their non-support and anxiety.
On February 22nd they boarded an eight passenger MFI plane to PAP...beginning their "long strange trip". Equipped with just the first name (Justin) of a disorganized 20+ something American who "would probably" meet them at the airport, they arrived with no group affiliation and no agenda other than to find a way to assist. Justin, bless his chaotic heart, was no where to be found and the first half dozen or so people they asked had never even heard of him. Fran scowled!! Eventually, though, he did arrive and drove them to NCHL, a stone's throw from the airport but over an hour on the rubble and traffic cluttered PAP roads. (A week later, Justin was mugged by troops supervising a food distribution that got out of hand several blocks from the NLCH compound and returned to the U.S.) There they joined dozens of other volunteers...120 college kids from Miami included...who had chartered a plane to erect a tent that never arrived. With "no vacancy" in the guest house, the Barnards pitched their tent (which leaked like a sieve every time it rained), and set about the task of trying to figure out why they were there.
Like any mother, Fran's mind gravitated to housekeeping matters. Cargo containers had been delivered to the facility and the cartons had just been jammed into any available space; box heaped upon box with no idea of what was inside. In searing heat Fran took over unpacking the food, water, clothing, and medical supplies, creating a "pantry" of sorts from two storage buildings on the property. Carton by carton, she and others began to make order, her organizational skills at full throttle. Barry meanwhile began interacting with the numerous groups assimilated on the site: listening, learning, assisting and coordinating; with each new day serendipity seemingly opened new doors and he became involved in obtaining and delivering aid throughout the region to numerous groups and organizations making many valuable contacts.
As they began their third week, however, it appeared the initial rush was quieting down. Most come to assist for a seven to ten day period, and as many left, Barry began to feel that perhaps they had done what they were supposed to do and the upcoming return to normalcy at week's end was appropriate. NOT!!! That's when Fran had her epiphany. Although busy in the store rooms, her maternal radar was tuned into the children, who had their own strange story to tell. The 30-year old orphanage had suffered damage, it was secure with barbed-wire and around-the-clock armed guards. It is safer than most other places and serves as a lighthouse to the region because of its "extensive" facilities as well as it's proximity to the airport, especially since the earthquake. But for the kids, campus life had crumbled; the soccer field was now a campground for tents, schools had been closed and the church converted into a post-op medical facility. Port-a-potties graced the landscape. The 100 resident orphans of all ages (16 of whom are severely disabled) filled the crowded facility to capacity, while outside the compound 1,500,000+ live in tents without sanitary facilities and over 250,000 children roam the street, surviving a day at a time. No jobs exist.
That's when Fran told Barry "We need to talk"... and, if Barry has learned anything in 45 years of married bliss, it's that this is code for "duck...this is not good"...She said she had been praying and had a profound sense that the orphanage wasn't running as it was intended. The older boys were hungry; the handicapped children were being neglected. Who could deny such basic human needs? He suggested she talk to the orphanage's founder and director, Miriam Frederick. And, as if she had been lurking outside their tent listening to their every word a mere hour before, Miriam joined them at breakfast to express almost verbatim her same concerns about what was lacking at her own orphanage. She asked them to consider becoming a permanent part of the staff, to help her straighten out and reorganize operations. Fran, tearfully broke down, her heart convicted. Suddenly, the mission took on a new and almost even more bizarre tenor. What did they know about running a facility such as this? Handicap care? Permanent?!? WOW!! They already had commitments but they did agree to stay on for another two weeks, and so Barry flew home to pay bills and arrange for an extended stay while Fran stayed behind. They eventually left, promising to return again at the end of May.
On May 22nd the Barnards returned to flesh out their new responsibilities. Equipped with a new tent that didn't leak Barry started attending two the aging infrastructure, instigating critical repairs on generator, water and inverter systems...skills not previously honed as a CPA before retirement. In addition property acquisition and facility replacement analysis needed his attention and vocational and computer based educational opportunities for "their kids" had to be pursued. For Fran it was back to the store rooms as more containers had arrived in their absence and chaos had returned. They both got involved in the reorganization of all aspects of the orphanage. And if this isn't enough to keep a senior citizen occupied, NLCH was actively assisting more than 40 other orphanages and clinics throughout the region...distributing food, clothes and medical supplies...and holding medical clinics in the tent cities and the Pestel mountain region of Haiti where the latest team just returned with two more children for the orphanage rolls.
There is much to be done everywhere. Resources are scarce. We can't cure all the problems in our own community, state, or nation, let alone other nations in the world. What we can however make a difference in some lives... IF WE CHOOSE TO DO SO. But WE must make the choice... WE must act!!!
Prior to their recent return to Virginia their children complained that they had been gone long enough and that regardless of their efforts, whenever they eventually did leave, Haiti would still be Haiti. They agreed, but added that if they could just help mentor/rescue several....or 5 or maybe even 10 more.... who knows how many...inspiring them to develop the same character, morality, caring and self worth needed to guide their future offspring as successfully as those nagging them to return at the moment have been...then their joy would be reflected in the bright faces of future generations. And though numerically just a few, those few, and perhaps even Haiti in some microscopic way, would be the better for their efforts. But their joy will be obtained in the journey, not the destination.
Notwithstanding the very harsh, unhealthy living conditions, a hurricane season that seems to be building and an election at the end of November that has already sparked an increase in kidnappings and civil unrest, the Barnards will be wrapping up their brief respite at Wintergreen where much of their time was spent catching up with their active grandchildren in northern Virginia and Atlanta and enjoying the elixir found high in the Blue Ridge. Three more containers have arrived in port but are being held captive by the bureaucracy...the eventual release promises more havoc on Fran's now organized storage areas. New septic drain fields are a critical need. Kids need hugs and discipline. So October 7th they will return for another two months, striving to impact the young lives of their "new family" while continuing to look for opportunities to help other. Who's to say where this long strange trip is headed?
Their spirits bolstered with renewed sense of purpose, they are grateful for any contributions made through BBYN-Haiti Relief, Inc. 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation that their children set-up to assist with fund-raising for their outreach. Keep up with the adventure on their blog.
"What a Long Strange Trip It's Been"
Trucking...by the Grateful Dead
Since 1995, Fran and Barry have experienced the Wintergreen lifestyle. Besides retreat and cooler summers at their mountain top home, they have integrated their leisure time with community service: as Drivers and First Responders for the Wintergreen Rescue Squad, propagating plants for the WTG Nature Foundation, and the endless pursuit of the game of golf when not recovering from some recent surgical procedure. Back in Vero Beach, FL they had been active with Habitat for Humanity and accompanied their church group here in VA to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for a week to assist in the rebuilding after Katrina. That effort as you know is still not finished. Yet none of this could prepare them for the road that would lead to the New Life Children's Home (NLCH) in Port-au-Prince (PAP), Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12th.
What began as simply helping to organize and repack the relief supplies coming into the Missionary Flight International (MFI) hanger in Ft. Pierce,FL, from all around the country for reshipment to PAP on their DC-3's, quickly evolved into something very different. Soon after starting at MFI, a chance meeting with a stranger, Terry Foley, who was attempting to board a flight to return for a 2nd tour where he had been cooking at the PAP airport base of MFI to support other volunteer workers engaged in the relief effort, convinced Barry that he could be more engaged. With Terry's encouragement...that he could "probably" stay where he had been staying, and assurance...that he would "probably" be able to find something useful to do, Barry set off on his odyssey despite the common sense age, health, safety, and financial objections raised by wife and friends. Sensing that he had "lost his mind" and determined to keep him from doing something even more outrageous, Fran reluctantly signed on. They didn't tell their adult children of their plans until the evening before they left, sensing their non-support and anxiety.
On February 22nd they boarded an eight passenger MFI plane to PAP...beginning their "long strange trip". Equipped with just the first name (Justin) of a disorganized 20+ something American who "would probably" meet them at the airport, they arrived with no group affiliation and no agenda other than to find a way to assist. Justin, bless his chaotic heart, was no where to be found and the first half dozen or so people they asked had never even heard of him. Fran scowled!! Eventually, though, he did arrive and drove them to NCHL, a stone's throw from the airport but over an hour on the rubble and traffic cluttered PAP roads. (A week later, Justin was mugged by troops supervising a food distribution that got out of hand several blocks from the NLCH compound and returned to the U.S.) There they joined dozens of other volunteers...120 college kids from Miami included...who had chartered a plane to erect a tent that never arrived. With "no vacancy" in the guest house, the Barnards pitched their tent (which leaked like a sieve every time it rained), and set about the task of trying to figure out why they were there.
Like any mother, Fran's mind gravitated to housekeeping matters. Cargo containers had been delivered to the facility and the cartons had just been jammed into any available space; box heaped upon box with no idea of what was inside. In searing heat Fran took over unpacking the food, water, clothing, and medical supplies, creating a "pantry" of sorts from two storage buildings on the property. Carton by carton, she and others began to make order, her organizational skills at full throttle. Barry meanwhile began interacting with the numerous groups assimilated on the site: listening, learning, assisting and coordinating; with each new day serendipity seemingly opened new doors and he became involved in obtaining and delivering aid throughout the region to numerous groups and organizations making many valuable contacts.
As they began their third week, however, it appeared the initial rush was quieting down. Most come to assist for a seven to ten day period, and as many left, Barry began to feel that perhaps they had done what they were supposed to do and the upcoming return to normalcy at week's end was appropriate. NOT!!! That's when Fran had her epiphany. Although busy in the store rooms, her maternal radar was tuned into the children, who had their own strange story to tell. The 30-year old orphanage had suffered damage, it was secure with barbed-wire and around-the-clock armed guards. It is safer than most other places and serves as a lighthouse to the region because of its "extensive" facilities as well as it's proximity to the airport, especially since the earthquake. But for the kids, campus life had crumbled; the soccer field was now a campground for tents, schools had been closed and the church converted into a post-op medical facility. Port-a-potties graced the landscape. The 100 resident orphans of all ages (16 of whom are severely disabled) filled the crowded facility to capacity, while outside the compound 1,500,000+ live in tents without sanitary facilities and over 250,000 children roam the street, surviving a day at a time. No jobs exist.
That's when Fran told Barry "We need to talk"... and, if Barry has learned anything in 45 years of married bliss, it's that this is code for "duck...this is not good"...She said she had been praying and had a profound sense that the orphanage wasn't running as it was intended. The older boys were hungry; the handicapped children were being neglected. Who could deny such basic human needs? He suggested she talk to the orphanage's founder and director, Miriam Frederick. And, as if she had been lurking outside their tent listening to their every word a mere hour before, Miriam joined them at breakfast to express almost verbatim her same concerns about what was lacking at her own orphanage. She asked them to consider becoming a permanent part of the staff, to help her straighten out and reorganize operations. Fran, tearfully broke down, her heart convicted. Suddenly, the mission took on a new and almost even more bizarre tenor. What did they know about running a facility such as this? Handicap care? Permanent?!? WOW!! They already had commitments but they did agree to stay on for another two weeks, and so Barry flew home to pay bills and arrange for an extended stay while Fran stayed behind. They eventually left, promising to return again at the end of May.
On May 22nd the Barnards returned to flesh out their new responsibilities. Equipped with a new tent that didn't leak Barry started attending two the aging infrastructure, instigating critical repairs on generator, water and inverter systems...skills not previously honed as a CPA before retirement. In addition property acquisition and facility replacement analysis needed his attention and vocational and computer based educational opportunities for "their kids" had to be pursued. For Fran it was back to the store rooms as more containers had arrived in their absence and chaos had returned. They both got involved in the reorganization of all aspects of the orphanage. And if this isn't enough to keep a senior citizen occupied, NLCH was actively assisting more than 40 other orphanages and clinics throughout the region...distributing food, clothes and medical supplies...and holding medical clinics in the tent cities and the Pestel mountain region of Haiti where the latest team just returned with two more children for the orphanage rolls.
There is much to be done everywhere. Resources are scarce. We can't cure all the problems in our own community, state, or nation, let alone other nations in the world. What we can however make a difference in some lives... IF WE CHOOSE TO DO SO. But WE must make the choice... WE must act!!!
Prior to their recent return to Virginia their children complained that they had been gone long enough and that regardless of their efforts, whenever they eventually did leave, Haiti would still be Haiti. They agreed, but added that if they could just help mentor/rescue several....or 5 or maybe even 10 more.... who knows how many...inspiring them to develop the same character, morality, caring and self worth needed to guide their future offspring as successfully as those nagging them to return at the moment have been...then their joy would be reflected in the bright faces of future generations. And though numerically just a few, those few, and perhaps even Haiti in some microscopic way, would be the better for their efforts. But their joy will be obtained in the journey, not the destination.
Notwithstanding the very harsh, unhealthy living conditions, a hurricane season that seems to be building and an election at the end of November that has already sparked an increase in kidnappings and civil unrest, the Barnards will be wrapping up their brief respite at Wintergreen where much of their time was spent catching up with their active grandchildren in northern Virginia and Atlanta and enjoying the elixir found high in the Blue Ridge. Three more containers have arrived in port but are being held captive by the bureaucracy...the eventual release promises more havoc on Fran's now organized storage areas. New septic drain fields are a critical need. Kids need hugs and discipline. So October 7th they will return for another two months, striving to impact the young lives of their "new family" while continuing to look for opportunities to help other. Who's to say where this long strange trip is headed?
Their spirits bolstered with renewed sense of purpose, they are grateful for any contributions made through BBYN-Haiti Relief, Inc. 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation that their children set-up to assist with fund-raising for their outreach. Keep up with the adventure on their blog.
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