The Village Champion

One of the projects of the Mission of Hope in Haiti is what they have called "Blue to Block" which has built over 500 homes to move those displaced after the 2010 earthquake from a blue tent into a block home. This project has moved from 500 + homes to also include a church and school in just 4 short years.  This village is called Laveque and not only houses those who have received homes there, but also a large deaf community that also participates in church services and school. A missionary team was conducting summer school for the deaf students while we were there - AWESOME. When we first visited Laveque, there were a few homes built and that was about all. Our job was to clear and prepare the "yards" for homeowners to produce a garden.

This is a picture from our first visit.  The houses are painted in beautiful colors and it is an amazing site.  And the next picture is from the same view this past week.

Last year (2013) Leslie Rich and I stood at the top of a hill in the middle of the village and mapped out, as well as we could, the houses, roads, common restrooms, and any other markers that would make reading the map easier. We simply drew small squares and tried to label the colors of the houses that we could see. We then walked the streets and put house numbers on the ends of the rows to help guide whoever would be using this map. And we left that little piece of paper with squiggly lines and cramped edges without really knowing what its purpose would be. Since that time, a man they call a "Village Champion" (they actually have these in all of the villages that the Mission and teams work with) has taken our makeshift map and transposed it onto a poster. But he didn't stop at the color of the house... One each little square that represents a house, he has a house number, the names and ages of the persons living in the house, and any special notes, or needs of that household. He also uses it as a record of services that have provided to that house or what still needs to be provided. I guess you could say that this Village Champion knows his village inside and out! He is their CHAMPION!  On one of the first nights, one of the Mission staff members challenged us to start thinking of our neighborhood, our work place, our church, whatever we are involved in, the way that this Village Champion thinks of his village. I am not a champion. Not even close. But I want to be. There are more than 500 homes with many people in that small area and I would say he knows almost, if not all of them by name. (And I do believe there are a couple of Village Champions at this location, but still!) I don't even know everyone on my side of Avenue S!  I know God is calling me to be a village champion. I will become that champion.

Side note:  You have no idea how much I have struggled just to write this because I honestly do not want to do what it takes to be a village champion. I don't want to know people that closely or them me. I don't want to step out of my private life and open up to others. And I know if I write this, I need to commit to working to become that champion.  I want to delete this so bad right now, but I can't. That's why I didn't write yesterday because I was struggling with writing this particular story and I didn't want to but can't get away from it.  So there - you know how I really feel.  

Big breath - now that's out of the way, I can share some pics of the church and new school that opened in October.  It is amazing - there was no structure of the school when we left last year. God bless Laveque. God bless the Village Champions. God bless Haiti.  For more information and stories, visit mohhaiti.com.  Love to ya, Tori