Friday, February 17, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Local Newspaper Article
Our happy little mission made the local paper this week. Thanks again to the Daily News-Record:
Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA)
February 10, 2012
Section: News-Local
A Hand For Haiti
DOUG MANNERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HARRISONBURG - Eric Kramer could see and feel Haiti's rebuilding efforts on the four-hour ride from the capital city of Port-au-Prince to the rural village of LeGene.
Bumpy roads that were unpaved and unpainted two years ago are now hard-surfaced. Power lines are starting to go back up in places. And the orphanage in the central Haitian community features a new bunkhouse.
Yet people still live in huts with no plumbing and there's no commercial electricity. Many residents remain out of work.
Beautiful people in a bad situation - that's how Kramer described life in the impoverished Caribbean island nation still healing from a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake two years ago.
"The local townspeople are amongst the happiest people for their condition that I have ever met," said Kramer, an emergency department physician at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. "They don't have much materially. ... I call them sanguine, but content in their relationship with the church."
Kramer, 45, traveled to Haiti in late January with eight other area residents for a one-week medical mission at the Mount Carmel Orphanage just north of the small city of Pignon.
The Rockingham County resident first visited the orphanage in February 2010, one month after the devastating earthquake. He was forced to cancel his trip last year after the U.S. Department of State deemed traveling in Haiti too dangerous amid political unrest.
`Pray For The People Of Haiti'
This year, Kramer provided medical care to about 500 Haitian villagers at a temporary clinic with assistance from Clint Roberts, an RMH patient care technician.
Kramer treated mostly common ailments, including respiratory conditions and back pain. Each patient left with a bag full of vitamins, medications and "dewormer" pills to combat parasite problems.
Even a basic medical checkup is far from routine for many villagers.
"Just having a doctor attend to you is a big thing because they're so limited there," said the Rev. Henry Elsea, pastor at Mount Pleasant Church of the Brethren.
Elsea and his wife, Janet, helped spearhead the mission trip, his sixth to Haiti since 2000.
He first met the pastor who runs the Haitian orphanage, Geordany Joseph, about 18 years ago while living in West Virginia.
Joseph feeds, clothes and helps educate about 30 orphans. Most were rescued from the streets because their parents either died or abandoned them, Elsea said.
In addition to providing medical care, the group of nine local residents - all affiliated with area churches - worked to install solar panels for electricity, fixed trucks and prayed with villagers in the community of about 800 people.
For most in the group, helping in Haiti is a lifelong commitment, Kramer said.
"We're always raising funds for them and in communication," he said. "They have rudimentary email capabilities in places. The ones that can type English, I communicate with, including Pastor Joseph."
Elsea, 64, hopes to lead mission trips to Haiti every January or February, an ideal time because the weather is comparatively dry and cool.
"Once you are there, it grabs you. You have a heart for it. You're always thinking, how can I help these people?" Elsea said. "People need to pray for the people of Haiti, especially her children."
Contact Doug Manners at 574-6293 or dmanners@dnronline.com
Copyright (c) 2012, Byrd Newspapers, All Rights Reserved.
Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA)
February 10, 2012
Section: News-Local
A Hand For Haiti
DOUG MANNERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HARRISONBURG - Eric Kramer could see and feel Haiti's rebuilding efforts on the four-hour ride from the capital city of Port-au-Prince to the rural village of LeGene.
Bumpy roads that were unpaved and unpainted two years ago are now hard-surfaced. Power lines are starting to go back up in places. And the orphanage in the central Haitian community features a new bunkhouse.
Yet people still live in huts with no plumbing and there's no commercial electricity. Many residents remain out of work.
Beautiful people in a bad situation - that's how Kramer described life in the impoverished Caribbean island nation still healing from a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake two years ago.
"The local townspeople are amongst the happiest people for their condition that I have ever met," said Kramer, an emergency department physician at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. "They don't have much materially. ... I call them sanguine, but content in their relationship with the church."
Kramer, 45, traveled to Haiti in late January with eight other area residents for a one-week medical mission at the Mount Carmel Orphanage just north of the small city of Pignon.
The Rockingham County resident first visited the orphanage in February 2010, one month after the devastating earthquake. He was forced to cancel his trip last year after the U.S. Department of State deemed traveling in Haiti too dangerous amid political unrest.
`Pray For The People Of Haiti'
This year, Kramer provided medical care to about 500 Haitian villagers at a temporary clinic with assistance from Clint Roberts, an RMH patient care technician.
Kramer treated mostly common ailments, including respiratory conditions and back pain. Each patient left with a bag full of vitamins, medications and "dewormer" pills to combat parasite problems.
Even a basic medical checkup is far from routine for many villagers.
"Just having a doctor attend to you is a big thing because they're so limited there," said the Rev. Henry Elsea, pastor at Mount Pleasant Church of the Brethren.
Elsea and his wife, Janet, helped spearhead the mission trip, his sixth to Haiti since 2000.
He first met the pastor who runs the Haitian orphanage, Geordany Joseph, about 18 years ago while living in West Virginia.
Joseph feeds, clothes and helps educate about 30 orphans. Most were rescued from the streets because their parents either died or abandoned them, Elsea said.
In addition to providing medical care, the group of nine local residents - all affiliated with area churches - worked to install solar panels for electricity, fixed trucks and prayed with villagers in the community of about 800 people.
For most in the group, helping in Haiti is a lifelong commitment, Kramer said.
"We're always raising funds for them and in communication," he said. "They have rudimentary email capabilities in places. The ones that can type English, I communicate with, including Pastor Joseph."
Elsea, 64, hopes to lead mission trips to Haiti every January or February, an ideal time because the weather is comparatively dry and cool.
"Once you are there, it grabs you. You have a heart for it. You're always thinking, how can I help these people?" Elsea said. "People need to pray for the people of Haiti, especially her children."
Contact Doug Manners at 574-6293 or dmanners@dnronline.com
Copyright (c) 2012, Byrd Newspapers, All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Video
I have put together a video slideshow of the Haiti trip which can be viewed on YouTube. Depending on what you use to view it, it may run without the music (song copyright infringement) or may not run at all. I have had the best luck on a laptop and the older generation iPad or smartphone.
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RbJT3b0qD4
E
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RbJT3b0qD4
E
Friday, February 03, 2012
Closure/Final Thoughts
It is quite possible- in fact likely- that a mission to Haiti provides more for the missionaries than to their Haitian benefactors. Reflecting back on the last couple of weeks, I have memories that will be tattooed on my soul for the rest of my days and beyond.
It never fails that seeing, doing, and caring in that tiny little land with its ruggedly beautiful landscape and its loving and beautiful people has a huge impact on us as Americans. Particularly with one's first journey, as happened with me, one looks inside oneself for ways to improve personally. Right after returning last time in 2010 I cleaned up my life, bettered myself, improved my relationships and my career. I hear others pledge to be better people- to embark on a new line of study, to improve health, to mend fences. Maybe it's the influence of God's aura on the people that rubs off on us, perhaps divine intervention itself, perhaps being unencumbered by the selfish and convenience-driven never ending to-do lists in our daily routines which obscure the true meaning of life....but whatever you believe, Haiti changes you.
I am experiencing a comfortable mellowness that seems to come with the post-trip afterglow. Much like a "runner's high," I am floating thru my days back home with a calm I have not felt since, well, after my last Haiti trip. It is reflected the relationship with my family, my work, and my daily routines. I hope I can hold this feeling as long as possible....
I look forward to my return to the orphanage. I will occasionally solicit for contributions from family and friends (see the PayPal link in the right upper corner of this blog). Emails communication with Haitian friends, new and old, have already started to flow. My vision is sharp, my head clear, and heart joyous I feel at ease with my life, in the grace of the Almighty God, without whom there can be none of this.
I would like to give special thanks to my brothers and sisters in whose mission I shared:
Pastor Henry- your leadership and guidance was the foundation of our success.
Janet- Part inspiring, part comforting, with a love of the Haitian people unrivaled.
Clinton- thanks for all your support and great job providing excellent care!
Kim- I can never thank you enough for the friendship, your shared stories of personal triumph, and general companionship.
Scott- Your spirit was a gift to us all; your words uplifting...and the pictures you took are some of the great take-home treasures
Kellie- Your good-humored nature put us at ease and made us laugh; your knack for running the pharmacy was unrivaled
Diane- Thank you for all your stories, words of wisdom, and for filling up what might have been some quiet moments
Crystal- I will never forget the look in your eyes as you look into the eyes of the Haitian children. Whatever path you choose, may it come from your heart. Best of luck to you.
----
I shall be "going dark," so to speak, on my blogging for a while but will try to upload some more pictures, perhaps even a video slideshow if I can get one working. In the meantime, thank you for reading and please keep Haiti in your prayers.
God Bless,
Eric
It never fails that seeing, doing, and caring in that tiny little land with its ruggedly beautiful landscape and its loving and beautiful people has a huge impact on us as Americans. Particularly with one's first journey, as happened with me, one looks inside oneself for ways to improve personally. Right after returning last time in 2010 I cleaned up my life, bettered myself, improved my relationships and my career. I hear others pledge to be better people- to embark on a new line of study, to improve health, to mend fences. Maybe it's the influence of God's aura on the people that rubs off on us, perhaps divine intervention itself, perhaps being unencumbered by the selfish and convenience-driven never ending to-do lists in our daily routines which obscure the true meaning of life....but whatever you believe, Haiti changes you.
I am experiencing a comfortable mellowness that seems to come with the post-trip afterglow. Much like a "runner's high," I am floating thru my days back home with a calm I have not felt since, well, after my last Haiti trip. It is reflected the relationship with my family, my work, and my daily routines. I hope I can hold this feeling as long as possible....
I look forward to my return to the orphanage. I will occasionally solicit for contributions from family and friends (see the PayPal link in the right upper corner of this blog). Emails communication with Haitian friends, new and old, have already started to flow. My vision is sharp, my head clear, and heart joyous I feel at ease with my life, in the grace of the Almighty God, without whom there can be none of this.
I would like to give special thanks to my brothers and sisters in whose mission I shared:
Pastor Henry- your leadership and guidance was the foundation of our success.
Janet- Part inspiring, part comforting, with a love of the Haitian people unrivaled.
Clinton- thanks for all your support and great job providing excellent care!
Kim- I can never thank you enough for the friendship, your shared stories of personal triumph, and general companionship.
Scott- Your spirit was a gift to us all; your words uplifting...and the pictures you took are some of the great take-home treasures
Kellie- Your good-humored nature put us at ease and made us laugh; your knack for running the pharmacy was unrivaled
Diane- Thank you for all your stories, words of wisdom, and for filling up what might have been some quiet moments
Crystal- I will never forget the look in your eyes as you look into the eyes of the Haitian children. Whatever path you choose, may it come from your heart. Best of luck to you.
----
I shall be "going dark," so to speak, on my blogging for a while but will try to upload some more pictures, perhaps even a video slideshow if I can get one working. In the meantime, thank you for reading and please keep Haiti in your prayers.
God Bless,
Eric
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Home Sweet Home
I'm starting to feel clean and rested. And clean. And shaved. Going over a week without a shower is something somebody should do no more than once a year, if avoidable. I was starting to feel a little bit gamy and scruffy....
We returned last night after an almost 24 hour journey door-to-door; I showered and went right to bed. This morning I was back at it with the family routine, getting up with the children and bringing them to school, but not before I was able to hand out the souvenirs. Baby mama got a hand-embroidered Haitian tablecloth and hand-carved pill/jewelry box. My daughter received two Haitian dresses, and for the boys it was a couple of handcrafted wooden decorative machetes. I also picked up a first grade level Haitian Creole reading and writing workbook, which one of my sons promptly brought to school for show-and-tell this morning.
After I dig out from underneath the pile of bills and finish unpacking, I'll be putting together a little more detailed prose with regards to the trip overall. In the meantime here are a few more photographs. Enjoy!
We returned last night after an almost 24 hour journey door-to-door; I showered and went right to bed. This morning I was back at it with the family routine, getting up with the children and bringing them to school, but not before I was able to hand out the souvenirs. Baby mama got a hand-embroidered Haitian tablecloth and hand-carved pill/jewelry box. My daughter received two Haitian dresses, and for the boys it was a couple of handcrafted wooden decorative machetes. I also picked up a first grade level Haitian Creole reading and writing workbook, which one of my sons promptly brought to school for show-and-tell this morning.
After I dig out from underneath the pile of bills and finish unpacking, I'll be putting together a little more detailed prose with regards to the trip overall. In the meantime here are a few more photographs. Enjoy!
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