Earth Day and Good Friday

Earth

I am the earth and the earth is me,

Older each day, wounded and scarred..Storm ravaged, bashed and broken by wind, quake and greed.

Someone plants flowers, rice, wheat and trees. Brown grass turns green with sunshine.

Rains wash away earth, reroute rivers as trees drink deeply and are reshaped.

Once tender and young, vulnerable and uncertain,

Now older and knowing destruction rearranges more than it destroys,

Pain a reminder of life and living and growing and changing.

Darkness and discipline the balance of tenderness and warmth.

Born of fire and passion, holding deep the warmh of the flame.

Spinning and rolling and turning face to the sun and the dark side of the moon.

Dry barren places where nothing can grow, Gardens and forests filled with poety and song.

I am the earth and the earth is me. Enduring all in the promise of tomorrows memories.

Wars and weddings; danger and dancing; death and resurrection.

Chaos and harmony.

An always tomorrow, unknown, uncertain, but always.

I am the earth, the earth is me.

Today is Earth Day. A day in April when I find myself meditating on life and death, where we come from and how we become and are undone. Two people shared a birthday in April many years apart. One died long before her death and one was living when she died. Yet, both live in me and memory.

There are many ways to "observe" Good Friday. The day a man died for a world filled with sin and shame. The day that goodness won a victory over power, prestige and privilege. The day that by all rights should have been forgotten 2000 years ago. A day that puzzles many, turn millions to "the church" and turns others away. A day of reality followed by a period of puzzlement, then a day of celebrating the impossible, improbable and unbelievable.

Earth Day. Is there a Wind Day, Fire Day, Water Day....or would that be too Buddhist for a western comtemplitive? Yet, who will deny that air is life, water is life and fire is both light and life, all elements Christians revere and children delight in and all life depends on.

Pink Bunnies delivering decorated eggs; "Rites of Spring;" a literal or metaphorical belief that a man died and lived again; somehow we spend the next 2 days thinking about darkness, anticipating a day for celebration of life.

Some are attracted to "the church" by Christian belief in resurrection and many rebuffed by the impractical, impossible story. History, science, literature and Hollywood have a go at "Harvey & Jesus" as the earth turns.

Looking out the window, the sky has stopped melting and sunbeams are peeking through the buds on the trees lighting greening and growing grass that was in remission for so long. I think about my life and earth history. I think about the nature of disaster and recovery; of vulnerability and resiliency; of chaos and consistancy; of memory and of two that live in me.

I think about the earth. I think about life.

Many (most) have salty water to drink as cracked cisterns refuse to hold the little rain that fell the last rainy season.

Homeless residents and refugees live in multifamily homes with little money to purchase the food and clothing at market.

Broken churches are ministering to broken people in a very dry, dirty and thirsty land.

Broken schools and orphanages, struggle to find space, supplies and food for children who are homeless or from homes with little or no resources.

Yet, on the island of La Gonave, organizations and leaders, interact and plan for a better future.

To drill a 100 wells, takes time. A newer, larger hospital takes time. An extended microfinance program to help retailers to improve industry takes time.

A year and a half after the earthquake, transitional homes are beginning to spring up in places, and there is both hope and despair as life goes on in the most remote area of Haiti.

I returned to La Gonave, March 21st with 3 "explorers" from Kanasas West and Bill from COR. We landed and took a van to Caraisse then a "flyboat" to Anse a Galets, La Gonave. There by early afternoon we were ready to address water issues of recent phone calls, and meet with students claiming and asking for laptops and tuition for the next semester.

It is exciting to answer requests for notebook computers as Church of the Resurrection has a ministry that "resurrects" donated notebook computers. The university students we support with Round up funds, are thrilled to recieve a necessary item to help with their education. Matt and Catherine had a bag of flashdrives to offer recipients. These are very expensive in Hiati.

Tuesday the group traveled by AAPLAG Land Rover to market at Ti Palmiste. We met with delegations about water concerns on the south and west of LGN. The well at Soucafilip had been serving 25 communities until the overworked generator broke. Their only water souce was two salty wells on the south side. Port a Racquette well was down to a dribble as was the Presbyterian dug well at Nan Sema.

Pastor Dorvil requested assistance to repair the broken cistern that serves the school and community of Delsie. $1200.00 US and the church would volunteer work to repair. It was nice to once again greet his wife who had offered such lovely hospitality the first time I preached in their small church with palm panel sides. The school, they said had more damage since the eq.

Wednesday we met with the new water manager for Concern WW and an expert from the Congo. Haiti Outreach engineer, Javan joined us. We were pleased to hear of plans for 100 bore holes in the next year, and even more pleased when all agreed to address some sites on the West we have identified as critical.

The group was introduced to Pastor Medina and his wife at the Anse a Galets Methodist Chapel which was only half completed when the earthquake added to problems. Members have been involved in outreach to the poorest of west AAG, with Mme. Medina organizing 3 women's conferences and procuring food from NGO food distributions.

Estimates, contractors and team schedule was approved with a call to Pastor Admirables, the Circuit Superintendent, then a tour of the building was made. A journey to the Wesleyan Guest House to make plans for future team housing ended the day.

Fifi, who manageds the Service Chretian Guest House, delighted us with full festival fashion, with three meals a day and warm hospitality between meetings.

A trip up the hill to Celebrate Jesus, resulted in a broken u-joint on the Land Rover and a dusty jaunt for the team. A group of doctors and dentists from Scotland, were visiting schools and running a clinic for their third year. We learned of their commitment to purchase land and fund an orphanage.

Later the team visited an independent school and church, College Ralph Tuthill. It is directed by a Hiatian Presbyterian pastor we met years ago. Pastor Agonus is now up to 85 students from the poorest section of AAG and funds the school almost entirely with money from his 54 ft sailboat profits.

Pastor Angous will have to move his school out in the next few months and is considering pouring a foundation and setting up a large tent. Feeding these school children is more difficult with increased prices and deminishing assistance from the Presbyterian church.

Pastor Medina, President Ocule of AAPLAG, Celebrate Jesus, Missionary Aviation Federation all work to keep these poorest of people and much needed independent schools operating.

Jules Enolet, President of PLATIG, a political (sort of like a lobbying group) with leaders in each section on the island, invited us to participate in a meeting lead by Concern WW. The meeting was to address future mitigation related to hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. It was a good opportunity to visit with mayors, Haiti Red Cross, and other leadership on the island.

On Friday, we were blessed to meet with the President of AAPLAG and other officers who explained the Microfinace program they have promoted for many years. The group of leaders we trained in 2009, have now organized as an Association (APG) and participate with AAPLAG with a goat park, fishing cooperatives, gardening groups and are considering a magazine (store) at the market in Dangirin. We gave APG $300.00 to purchase a mule to haul water to the goat park.

We have committed to help AAPLAG with transprotation issues as they act as the "hub" for education, industry and infrastructure on La Gonave.

In the afternoon, we visited another independent orphanage, SAMVAYE Joe and I discovered a year ago. At that time there were 11 malnourished child refugees from the earthquake. Now the bright, healthy children sing and show evidence of great love and care. A legal insititution with a school teacher and house mother, they limit the number to 11 and are in need of a new home in two months.

Well fed and very worn out we flew MAF early Saturday for our American Airlines flights from PaP. As typical for Haiti, the three from Wichita could either wait and fly Tueday OR (thanks to a familiar agent) take a detour to New York.

Interestingly, as I reached home on Sunday, and called Wichita, they were retrieving their luggage from the carrosel.

It was a great journey.

The destination has great needs. BUT we did get the generator fixed!!

Pastor Shirley Edgerton

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The Apostle Paul lamented he didn't do the things he should and did the things he should not. Well, life goes too rapidly when I want it slow, but I am too impatient to wait for the things that take so much time. Perhaps these imperfections are what make us human. This Ash Wednesday week is all about looking at our humanity. Genesis 2, God says, you came from dust AND to dust you return. That is a very big "and".

I'm scheduled to return to La Gonave, March 20th. This time without Joe but with three who will experience Haiti for the first time. I want so much, but experience tells me the time will quickly pass as we meet to talk about issues of water, education, industry and construction on the Anse a Galets' Methodist Chapel.

Before leaving, there is a grant application to propose to UMCOR, a building estimate to somehow get from the contractor in AAG, a project profile to file, and even the need to finalize transportation to the island.

Involved in some of this is the Kansas East Haiti Task Force and Conference VIM/Disaster Response committees, who are probably wandering just how this all ties into our KEC / EMH Covenant.

Experiencing life in Haiti for two years and one week of the earthquake and the disaster of human suffering makes me impatient. I want people out of the muck, eating food on a daily basis. I want things "picked up and put away" and water pumping clear and clean. I want the chaos in the world to stop happening just long enough that we can "get things picked up and put away" like after a birthday party. The only pattern I'm finding in the chaos is more chaos. I want to understand that there are others walking the wilderness with me. I guess I've needed this Ash Wednesday week to help me understand the Lenten journey.

To focus on the "and" between the dust of birth and ashes of death for my life alone is not only scary but self-centered. The AND includes Haiti, Liberia and my daughter.

I'm sure there is an answer to the song, "What's It All About, Alfie?" But, like God said through Haggai, "my house is in ruin; rebuild my house." Not to worry about the "dust or ashes" but to trust the journey does not end in the wilderness.

Project La Gonave

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We have been asked by the Haitian Methodist Church to finish building the church in Anse a Galets as a post earthquake project.

We visited with the pastor and his wife in early December for information related to publishing a project profile with the United Methodist Church. We took photos of the church where we had hosted construction teams in 2008.

The partially completed building has hosted three women's conferences since 2008 with the last, a large conference in July following the earthquake.

The women and congregation have been providing an outreach ministry to the poorest of Anse a Galets and local area with few resourses. We provided funding for the conferences and Shirley was honored to be a keynote speaker at the first scheduled conference. At that time birthing kits were distributed to many very poor, pregnant young women from the airport area of AAG.

Following our visit and photo shoot in Dec. we contacted a contractor, recommended by AAPLAG, to prepare an estimate to complete the building.

The Smilebox Collage, "La Gonave Project" has photos of the church, that will zoom with a curser click, plus other issues we noted in our December visit.

World Vision and Concern have been trying to address post earthquake issues by building some transitional houses and checking wells. The KEC Water Project is an on-going concern, particularly since most cisterns and wells were damaged by the initial earthquake and a 6.3 tremor that followed on the island the next day.

It is difficult to discern the exact damage to churches, schools and cisterns as most were damaged by previous hurricanes in 2008, numerous tropical storms and lack of upkeep.

We believe it is critical to the 16 Haitian Methodist Churches on La Gonave that recovery projects help them repair and complete churches in outreach ministry as we also look at providing transitional homes for the more that 1100 local homeless and 10,000 earthquake refugees on the island of La Gonave.

We ask for prayers this building project be approved and the UMC can join with other NGO's and Christian Denominations to help the broken people on La Gonave.

Tonight: "God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses”

Sitting here tonight thinking of where I was and what I was doing just one year ago. At this time we were triaging numbers of injured in broken down tap taps, under guest house tables and between vehicles. Broken legs, broken heads, people still trapped in homes nearby and our three comrades in dubious danger at the Montana Hotel. A couple of confused UN personnel stopped in stunned disbelief that they had nothing to offer.

Much later, only Joe and I, felt secure enough to rest awhile inside the guest house. The night was full of sound and chaos, but only restlessness and groans accompanied the disbelief of what had occurred.

Very early this morning, Enicson called from Petit Goave just to check on us and Bruce from S. Dakota exchanged multiple brief emails about “the news” or lack of it in our local papers. I tried to call Ronald to say “how ya doin” as he does when he calls me. No answer.

During the 35 seconds of death and destruction, I knelt with a firm grasp on his arm keeping him out of the swimming pool.

A call from Louis to say the S. Dakota team was working hard in Anse a Galets

but had all paused for prayer and remembrances. They were there this time last year. Louis, Mr.B and all have been much in my thoughts today.

The last two trips we by-passed Port a Prince, as our route to the guest house generally takes us through the 95% of the rubble that remains to hide the unfound bodies of now a year dead.

La Gonave, in early December we watched election results, a few burning tires and pondered the future. We met with church members to discuss the ministry and building needs of the church in Anse a Galets. We drove through Zetwa and looked at some transitional houses then on to the water well and projects of the future. It seemed more civilized than when last in Port a Prince.

On La Gonave, NGO’s seem to be working together to undo, do-over and just “do” something to get life a little better than normal. The beggars remember us, Fifi sets a festival table and offered bottled water for bathing safety, and most debris is the accumulation of stuff from the last rains. They wonder when the cholera will stop and where all the money went, but tell us of weddings, funerals and the wives that have left.

Tonight I look at photos of scholarship students grinning at the promise of a university partn

ership and school tuitions paid; photos of goats, and wooden houses, and a small group studying a geoglogical map and planning a well, and a church we will eventually finish.

Tonight, I wander why Ronald didn’t answer his phone in his tent in Port a Prince.

Tonight I know where Jim and Sam and Clint are. I’m uncertain if yet I know what witness their lives will be. There are still too many bodies under rubble and too many who don’t answer their phones. In March I may stop in Port a Prince for a little while.

Pastor Shirley, January 12, 2011. Not there this time.

A Common Goal

Not certain my frustration levels can handle a blog but here goes.

Watched Haiti Alerts as we sat at Sue's bedside listening to her machines bring her back to us, and wandered just what will "bring Haiti back"? Bring Hiaiti back "to what?" More of what has been? More hunger? More chaos? More oppression by world powers and well meaning NGO's? Must Haiti "come back" or is there a possibility of "going" forward?

Church leaders and friends in Haiti, have wished us blessings for a New Year and prayers for our crisis. Sue's illness in December initiated a journey home through the Dominican Republic we felt was assisted by the 100 prayer angel's in our luggage. Since hurricanes of 2008 there have been over 1000 angels sold for $20.00 each to fund industry on south la gonave. Still available, the sale of angels funds wood workers and APG, the developing industrial group.

We greet 2011 with gratitude for those who help us "market" and those who purchase and pray with the angels for the broken people of the world.

In cooperation with Service Chretian D'Haiti and AAPLAG we trained 18 community leaders to plan and implement industrial groups. A goat park and fishing cooperatives, plus assistance for agriculture groups has grown out of the training. A meeting was held Dec 29 to 30th, with leaders from SCH and AAPLAG. These meetings reinforce early training, and help community and church leaders understand the value of working together for the good of all.

Each participant invests either money or labor to

join a group and receive training and resources. APG is growing and we hope soon to provide assistance for office space, internet
and transportation beyond a motorcycle to enhance the relationship with AAPLAG and GBGM and Methodist projects on La Goanve. The expansion includes water projects and recognition by local government and other NGO's and Hiatian agencies working to improve life and living conditions on the island.

We have learned the greatest progress is directed by Haitians who want a better life and help with the hurdles of history, geography and climate. We experienced greatest progress when there was cooperation between related entities that share common goals.

As we look forward to future development on La goanve, especially the remote south side we feel God has guided us to resources and agencies that share our same mission. These common goals enhance and strengthen the Haitian Methodist Church and other denominations in Christian mission for the people of Haiti.

Years ago the Haitian Methodist Church was part of Service Chretian D'Haiti, and today the Sec. of the EMH Committee on Development serves on the Board of Directors.

The President of AAPLAG, Wilter Ocule, and the Director of Service Chretian, Peter Graff provide wisdom and assistance for us. The group is highly respected and this association has made possible advances we could never do alone.

I believe Haiti can only move ahead, when the Haitian voice is heard and respected by the world, and things get done the "Haitian way". Haitians working together utilizing their unique resources of ingenuity and endurance can rebuild. The world providing information and technology to confront the elements that put mountains on every horizon, will reach a common goal of a new Haiti.

December Dreaming

The missed opportunity of a new Land Rover does not stop the dreaming for and about La Gonave.

We returned Dec 6th to the Service Cretian Guest House in Anse a Galets and Fifi's wonderful Haitian cuisine and hospitality. It was good to be warm.

Cholera has raised awareness on the island and Fifi was careful with our bath and food preparation. Fist bumping has replaced the traditional hand shake and cheek to cheek greeting.

Pastor Admirable had asked us to assess the possibility of completing work on the Methodist Church building in AAG. We met with Pastor and Mm Medina to take photos of the church and to discuss the current ministry and future dreams. As soon as we receive the performas (estimates) of plans discussed I will file team project profiles with the jurisdictional directors and VIM.

We were thrilled to meet with some of the scholarship students and receive progress reports. Best was getting to give Benoit Dorvil, an engineering student, photos and notes from his new church sponsor. The Kansas City Congregation has pledged to see him through university, which for a bright, young adult on La Gonave is a dream come true.

Receiving reports and meeting with Louis and Davilma, leaders of the industrial group, APG, was rewarding. The local mayors have recognized the group and several programs beyond the goat park and agriculture have been initiated. They asked that AAPLAG provide another 3 day training for reinforcement of the program and to invite other community leaders to help them understand the impact for industry on the south side.

We met with Haiti Outreach at the well at Dent Griern. A camera dropped down the well revealed a sucker pipe at 236 foot and small rock obstruction at 258 foot. Attempts to retrieve the pipe failed. There are "do overs" in Haiti so we reclaimed stored solar energy pumping equipment and materials to use to repair the Port a Rocquette well. When our well is FINALLY opened it will be replaced but DG folks are uncertain why we were removing their hope for water. There is work to do before that dream comes true.

From Dent Grien we forged our way to Troubaigai on a burro path to a well site recommended by the geological studies done earlier. We will attempt at places where water is most likely, but maps are not encouraging. Water is a limited commodity not where it should be and found in unlikely spots. Concern WW, the Haiti Government and numerous NGO's are attempting to provide a supply that is precious as gold and far more life giving.

Friday the 11th, as post election protests halted all airlines we received word our daughter was on life support in Wichita, Kansas. It was doubtful we could swim to Miami so Missionary Air Federation flew us to PaP where we then went to the DR and home. Arrived in Wichita on Sunday evening and now I stand at the bedside of our daughter dreaming her eyes will open to see me.