NHM IS A 501 C 3 NONPROFIT ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION
The mysterious bald mountains disappeared into the dense clouds as the nine passenger propeller plane
began its descent toward the postage-stamp size Cap-Haitien runway. The huge mountains -- only a
memory now, but a vivid reminder of how Haiti derived its name. The other mission team's plane had
already landed. Having gone through Customs at the Port-au-Prince Airport, both teams quickly boarded
the North Haiti Mission yellow school bus for the arduous twenty mile trip to the village of Cahesse.
Riding on this main road that ends at the Dominican Republic border is like being on the back of a
broncobusting rodeo horse -hard to stay seated. Potholes caused you to hold on to your seat like
it was the horn of a saddle. Holes are close together and endless - like looking at slices of
swiss cheese laid end to end for miles. Two reasons for our rejoicing upon arriving at the NHM
Mission Station -- the ride was finally over, and the greeting of old friends.
With each morning came a new expenence as needs were presented to us. Mothers brought their children,
explaining their condition. Some were sick, some had injuries, some had open sores on their bodies --
all were hungry! Other children would cry out, "fatra, fatra." That was my cue to give them a paper
bag to pick up any trash on the mission grounds. Their objective -one US dollar each!
Some projects on this trip:
- Continued building the new horseshoe shaped school.
- Checked on the solar lamp lighting system and battery charging station for this project.
- Held solar cooking demonstrations.
- Met with teachers to discuss their needs.
- Hired two nurses for the clinic.
- Visited some homes to assess the needs and pray with certain individuals.
- Visited an orphanage -- a broken down old building housing 51 children.
- Church services were held nightly and on Sunday morning.
- The gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed and well received.
After returning from this trip a nine-page color flyer was mailed to people interested in the needs
and work of NHM. A couple from Georgia who received the flyer responded by giving $25,000 to build
a new orphanage building, $3,500 to finish the new school, and $2,500 toward the solar lamp project.
Our next project: Stop the slaughter of trees used for charcoal cooking by introducing solar cooking
steel canisters. Beyond saving trees to prevent mud slides and soil erosion, this project would create
jobs. The hope is to have the solar cookers assembled in Haiti by Haitians, and then sold by Haitians.
Start up fund needed is $5,000.
I have been working with Rev. Verdieu Laroche, Pastor of the First Haitian Baptist Church in
Boston since the beginning of this mission in 1993. Many of the same people from different states
and churches have been traveling with us to Cahesse for many years now. We are not a hit and run
mission -the mission is there to stay!
