January 29, 2007
Dear Friends,
It has been a very long dry season for us. However, I believe
we are about to spring to life again. You have been a real encouragement
to us during this time. Please mention our appreciation to the
congregation, especially those who have written. I'm afraid they
must feel they're trying to communicate with a black hole. Truth
is it has been very difficult to write, even to friends. I have
hesitated to respond because hadn’t decided whether try
to adapt to the constraints we were being put into. We were both
very close to just returning to a normal life of Starbucks and
air-conditioned offices in the United States. Lots of folks said
they couldn’t picture us like that, but honestly I couldn’t
picture us in the mire into which we were dropped.
Things are moving for us at least laterally, if not progressing.
We made a short trip to the States in December, then returned
to Haiti after some doctor visits and family time over Christmas.
The apartment we thought would be available is still not ready.
Classes started for us, but the university had posted two dates
a week apart: the English announcement and the French announcement.
So, even though classes began, we have to re-do everything for
those who read the wrong announcement and are starting a week
late. I tried to help Mimi get the truck licensed, but that’s
blocked temporarily by government red tape.
My shoulder operation is just about healed, and Sharyn’s
tooth is now just about normal, and the local politics have just
about cooled down. Then again, carnival season is ramping up and
Port au Prince is really noisy.
Things at the university are definitely progressing. I’ve
met with the elusive dean of agriculture and things are developing
for this coming semester. The small farm/agricultural entrepreneurship
business class he proposed for me to teach is on the schedule.
Sharyn works through the dean of education, who has been helpful
from the beginning.
We are feeling better about being able to continue serving in
Haiti. Consequently, the pen once again scratches across the page.
Our ability to access the Internet has decreased dramatically.
We used to have access 24/7, but we’re now limited to intermittent,
frequently interrupted, occasional chances to find a place to
connect. In our previous work, we had budgetary discretion to
adapt to changing demands as our Haitian friends developed. We
tended to sacrifice our personal well being, family time, and
relationships with friends like you in the United States to encourage
just one more poor family, teach one more child, plant one more
tree. The result was that we built a phenomenal organization in
Haiti but neglected the life-giving relationships in the United
States. Reassignment to the Episcopal University of Haiti (UNEPH)
in Port-au-Prince stripped us of the resources needed to work
in this new environment and placed us in an impossible living
situation. Plans to ameliorate some of the problems are in process.
When complete, this will restore our functionality and productivity.
We are truly embarking upon a new dimension in our work. I hope
we can resist the inclination to simply “fix things.”
There are a host of needs, and so many of them could be addressed
ever so simply. Some of the obvious frustrating ones could be
dealt with by a handyman and a few dollars. I’ll give a
simple example: the university apartment has water about three
hours per day because the cistern goes dry. Students leave one
or both spigots open. The five toilets (for 900 students, plus
staff) all leak. The reservoir on the roof is 150 gallons. Seems
like a couple push-down, spring-loaded spigots, a few replacement
toilet flappers, and a bigger cistern could help a lot. Going
to bed after a day in Port au Prince un-showered, unshaved, and
with a day’s chalk dust still on my hands and face makes
it difficult to resist the “fix-it” urge! Or, for
another example, imagine spending several hours pulling up a Web
site. With a few minutes, a few dollars, and a local technician,
we could align the satellite so the Internet would again work.
Being more of a Martha than a Mary (in the Lazarus story), the
metrics I use for evaluating a day’s productivity certainly
tend me towards “fixing” some of the horrific time-wasters.
But as one of my bosses says, “Lord grant me patience.”
We have begun the groundwork through the university and the Episcopal
Church for an agricultural self-development program that is going
nationwide. We've met with trainers, scoped out costs, prepared
and presented lessons on family planning, fish culture, reforestation,
Christian creation restoration, and we’ve met with people
who will be change agents. Church leaders in Haiti and in the
United States have said we have proved it possible for miracles
to happen in rural Haiti. Far from miracle workers, we are glad
to be part of the winning team. I hope you feel the same. You
and your church have been integral in the process of creating
Haitian miracles.
I just wanted to thank you again for your friendship and support.
As we move into this new phase of work in Haiti, I hope we become
as effective and efficient communicating with you as we have been
organizing our Haitian co-workers. And although email connection
is sporadic, it remains the best option for writing. Yesterday
I opened a new snail-mail account, so those who don't have email
can continue communicating the old-fashioned way. Our return address
on this letter is correct.
Many thanks for being the church and for your continuing prayers,
Rodney & Sharyn
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
49 |
