HOME to Haiti with RoRo and Eline

Think of the last long and difficult trip away from home you had to make. A vacation where nothing went as planned; a road trip where the car broke down and left you stranded; a life event that caused you to leave home in a hurry. Think of the strange places you laid your head at night (and no matter how comfortable, they still were not your own bed) or the irregular routine that takes place during these times away. As this trip started to come to a close, and you knew you were headed home, it’s possible you found yourself saying or thinking something like:  “Home is where the heart is,” “Home sweet home,” or “There’s no place like home.” Now, imagine that trip was extended for sixteen months. 

That is a glimpse of what RoRo and Eline have endured being away from their home for the past sixteen months. Three times, we have tried to return them home, and three times, God said, not yet. Then, God opened a window. September brought calm and peace in our hearts, and all the pieces aligned for them to make a trip home! It was with wise counsel and discernment, detailed planning, and trust in a faithful Father, that we made the collective decision to send RoRo and Eline back to Haiti. Although only for a brief time, they got to go home!

Eline: “After being in the States for so long, we were ready to go back home to be around people we love, people we work with, and specially to see our “HAITI CHERIE”  (beloved Haiti); a country we love dearly. My heart was so full of joy that I couldn’t hold my tears when we were about to land.  When we finally hit the ground, I took a deep breath and said:  I AM FINALLY HOME!” 

When they left, all those months ago, they never imagined they would not have been able to return for almost two years. There were no preparations in place for being gone for so long. Once they arrived on campus, it was evident that time, weather, natural disaster, and the circumstances of the country had taken its toll not only on the physical structures of the campus, but also the people of the community. 

Eline: “I found myself asking, ‘Who is that person?’, on numerous occasions. I didn’t recognize some people that we had worked with for years because they were so skinny.”

RoRo and Eline started work immediately. There were twelve hour days full of assessing the grounds and meeting with different work crews. They found the men’s and women’s dorms in much need of repair. For instance, the roofs are leaking, the toilets and showers are no longer working, and the bunk beds all need to be replaced. 

Eline: “Outside of the church, the hospital is our favorite place to work! Within those walls, the birthing room is my favorite place to be! This is where wonders happen! Unfortunately, this room is screaming for attention as well.”

Madam Pas (as Eline is tenderly referred to on campus) goes on to describe the ceiling crumbling and falling apart, the walls desperate for a new coat of paint, and possibly some amenities that would give it a more gentle and feminine feel. The numerous babies born in this room will never remember the way the room looked or felt, but those mothers who trust in the Peredo Community Hospital for care deserve as great of a birthing experience as we can provide. 

Eline: “It was really exciting to get up every day, looking forward to new adventures. We said adventures because there was always something different to take care of.”

RoRo and Eline worked from sunrise to sunset in Peredo this past month. It was not simply assessing the needs of the physical structures or taking pictures to bring back to share with our partners. Their time spent at home was uplifting for themselves and for those within the community. Returning home brought with it an increased sense of hope for the future.

Hope that the exiled people will return home for the long term one day soon. 

Hope that though the wall and storehouses are in ruins, God has plans to rebuild. 

Hope that reflects Isaiah 32:18 “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, and undisturbed places of rest.” 

Hope that tells our brothers and sisters they are not alone and they have not been forgotten. 

Eline: “There is so much more work that needs to be done and that God is doing in our home… in Haiti!”

And He is using our brothers and sisters on the ground to do this work! He is restoring their home, making things new. So in the words of Nehemiah 2:17, we invite you: “Come, let us rebuild…” 

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