WISCONSIN COURT REPORTER MAKES MISSION TRIP TO HAITI
Andrea Reichle’s Mission Trip To Haiti
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 M earthquake hit the country of Haiti, near the Port-au-Prince, which is the capital. By January 24, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated 3 million people were affected by the quake. The 2010 earthquake has been rated as the third deadliest in history.
In June of 2010, I was able to join a group from Elmbrook Church who were going to Haiti for a week to learn of some opportunities to be involved with doing mission work. Our group split up once we arrived in Haiti. I was on the team that went to Jeremie, which is at the western end of the Haitian peninsula. It is a 45-minute flight from PAP or around a nine-hour drive from PAP due to the road conditions being so poor in parts.
While we were there, we worked with a doctor, Dr. Katie Wolf, and a nurse, Cherlie Severe. Their non-profit organization is called Friends for Health in Haiti. They currently have a small clinic that is located around 11 miles outside of Jeremie in a village called Gatineau. It takes about an hour, hour-and-a-half to drive there due to road conditions. Their patients are generally within a four-hour walking radius of the clinic site. On clinic days, which is now Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, there are around 40-50 people that come for treatment. One of our goals was to figure out a solution for designing a bridge over a creek to build a bigger clinic facility. There were a few medical people on our team, as well, that got to help in the clinic one day.
Over the last year and a half, plans have been in the works, and the construction has begun on the land. I recently got to return to Haiti with a group of nine men. The men had various degrees of experience in construction and were put to use right away. We built a hut to be used as a temporary pharmacy, chairs and benches that will be used at the clinic, shelving, etc. There will be future teams going with construction and medical experience.
It is important for Americans to remember those around the world that don’t have as much as we do and to help in a way that will be beneficial for the people and the country. Little has been done with the money that got donated to the country shortly after the quake. There is still much poverty and devastation from the earthquake in Haiti. Do your research before donating to an organization. Consider taking a mission trip to a third-world country to open your eyes to cultures around us and how you can make a difference.
Tags: Andrea Reichle, Charity, Elmbrook Church, Haiti Mission Trip
