The Mobility Worldwide team is actively taking in their new surroundings. They are intrigued by the jostling market and countryside terrain but appreciate the oasis found within the Many Hands campus. Keep reading to discover the group’s first impressions.

Haiti Trip – February 7, 2020

We are a group of midwesterners (from Iowa and Ohio) in a very foreign and different land. From the moment we got to the airport it was obvious that we were “not in Kansas any more”.
We flew from Ft. Pierce airport on a re-purposed DC-3. The passenger seats were installed on one side and the baggage was loaded behind cargo nets on the other side. The flight was uneventful as we went through customs at Port-au-Prince and then flew to Pignon. We landed in a pasture and we were all surprised to hear our plane blow its horn to make sure the runway stayed clear.

We found out in short order that transportation would be very different in Haiti as we loaded all of our luggage and passengers into the backs of three vintage pickup trucks. The unpaved roads were extremely rugged making rough travel for the passengers. After settling in to our guest house we ventured into Pignon to buy food supplies. Pignon is a chaotic place with lots of people and animals, as well as dirt, dust and trash everywhere. Walking through the open market was both fascinating and assaulting to our senses. There were smells of charcoal burning and trash. Pigs, chickens, goats and dogs roamed freely. And everywhere we went we drew a crowd. We were the “blancs”, the white people. Many were willing to engage us by shaking our hands and wishing us bon soir (good afternoon). Some allowed us to take their pictures.

As we returned from the market, it was a great feeling to turn into the drive to the MH4H compound and have the gate opened to us. MH4H has been able to build an oasis in a chaotic, rugged, hard country. The MH4H campus is serene and peaceful. It has plants and gardens with clean, simple, modern buildings. It is a nurturing place where new mothers bring their babies for the “first 1,000 days program” and children, up to age 6 go to school. It is an industrious place where meals are prepared for hundreds each day, the campus is constantly maintained and upgraded. Dozens of people come through each week looking forward to ways to connect with the Haitian people and help them.

First impressions of Haiti from our first day is that Haiti has many beautiful features with the ocean and rugged mountains as well as beautiful people. But, Haiti is also a harsh, difficult, hard place to live. Most people have extremely limited resources. There are many needs and many difficult circumstances that can’t be easily fixed. We are all expectantly looking forward to how God will move us get out of our comfort zones this week and challenge us with new opportunities for spiritual and personal growth.