Called to Haiti
16 January 2020
“Come over…and help us”
“10 years ago we walked into church in UK on a Sunday morning and found the foyer in chaos with chairs upturned, books and other items strewn around and wondered what had happened. There was a note saying this is minor compared with what the people of Haiti are suffering today. We did not imagine that we would be in Haiti, less than 2 years later, looking at the reality on a mutual interview to see if we could come to share and assist the Methodist Church of Haiti. "Come over ..... and help us"(Acts 16v9). A few months later we arrived in Haiti for what turned out to be 7 years living and sharing life with the Haitian people.”
John and Sharon Harbottle were our mission partners in Haiti until June 2019. John was working alongside the Haiti District’s Health Department, developing community health programmes at the District’s 11 clinics. Sharon was working alongside Haitian colleagues in the Christian Education Department, helping to develop the teaching materials for Sunday School, Youth, Women's and Men's groups as well as updating training for local Preachers and circuit stewards.
These are their thoughts as they reflect on their time in Haiti and the 10 year anniversary of the earthquake:
“Having worked alongside friends, colleagues and others in Haiti, we see their resilience, determination and tenacity to quickly resume life as close to normal as possible, while slowly improving their quality of life and obtaining resources to clear the debris and rebuild under the theme "build back better". Hence all the buildings the Methodist Church in Haiti has reconstructed should meet the recommended earthquake resistance standards, as advised by experts from Japan. Many major projects, such as the Cathedral and the National Palace are not yet started as it has not been possible to collect sufficient funds to date. In a similar way individuals and small businesses have also not been able to rebuild as there was no insurance nor government grants available, but people live in temporary housing, homes with temporary repairs, or run their business at the kerbside with the ruins of their property behind them.
In their personal lives we were struck by the level of courage and faith folk showed that God would help and protect them through these difficult times. These qualities were seen again after each of the hurricanes, flooding and Tropical Storms the country was subjected to during our time there. In church services Psalm 46 is regularly volubly recited by heart.
"1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Prayers will be said in churches and civic ceremonies remembering the quarter of a million plus who died, the work achieved so far and for hope, strength and guidance for the days and years to come. We will miss not being there in person with them”.