Haiti Mission Possible: Day 4

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 – Today was a hard work day; Sarah, Phyllis and I basically stayed in our work area glued to our laptops programming, space planning and planning the site. After meeting with the client for a brief planning update, I think it dawned on all of us just how much work needed to be done on this master plan before we leave. Despite the work, I did get to pull away for a few moments to observe the ministry’s work.
Currently, there are three pieces to the ministry’s work in Cazale; a medical clinic, short and long term medical rescue services for infants and children and community development activities. Our work space is right above the rescue center so we have to walk past the children every day. The rescue center is a place the Cazale and surrounding area residents can come and bring their children to receive medical care for various health issues that need to be medically addressed for longer periods of time. Most of their issues are related to malnutrition during the mother’s pregnancy or after they are delivered; some kids are there for just a few weeks and some are there for a year. Some parents are excited about picking up their children after they are well, while others abandon their children because they don’t know how to or don’t want to deal with more severe ailments.


Today, as I was walking downstairs, I witnessed a father picking up his daughter from the rescue center. He was grinning from ear to ear with pride because he could now say his daughter was healthy. She was about 4 years old and suffered from a form of malnutrition. Her body was retaining a lot of water, which is a sign that she lacked protein in her diet; the catch to her story is that she also has “Down’s Syndrome”. Here in Cazale (and most of Haiti) Down’s syndrome is not recognized as a disability; there is no wide recognition or information available about the disease. Licia (one of the Zachary’s and she runs the rescue center) told me they didn’t tell the father that his daughter had Down’s Syndrome because he would not recognize what to do to manage his daughter for the rest of life. They made this decision because unlike a lot of parents in the area, he truly wants to take care of his daughter and wants to push her to do well and succeed. If he knew she was disabled he might become discouraged and lose the joy he seems to hold on to so dearly.


I chatted with this father about his family learning that he had seven other children and proudly proclaims that all seven children are from the same mother (which is not always the case); he boosts about how he’s work extremely hard to make sure all his children go to school and get an education. He told me he wants to send his daughter to school, but he hasn’t done so because she won’t talk. He thinks his daughter is just a late bloomer, and one day she’ll start talking and he can then enroll her in school. Although my heart broke because he doesn’t understand the severity of his daughter’s disability, I was honored to be in the presence of a man who loved his children so much and wanted the best he could provide for them. He kept telling me how grateful he was for the rescue center and how there was no way he could have paid for the care they provided his daughter. He just continued to shower them with “Thank yous” and “God bless yous”. Once again, the work that Real Hope for Haiti does for this community is awe-inspiring and completely grace-filled because they have the ability to be a blessing to so many people.

Haiti Mission Possible: Day 3

Monday, June 28, 2010 – Today marked the official start of our technical work for the Zachary’s mission. We broke off into our separate work groups and began our assignments. I’m part of the architect team with Phyllis and Sarah who are both architects. Our primary roles is to master plan the site and design the buildings for the first phase of this project; my individual role is to act as support to the architects by programming and space planning for different facilities that will be on the site.

This morning we met with the key members of the mission’s board of directors to get a better understanding of their vision for each facility on the future compound. After about 3 hours of programming, we’d gathered enough information to move forward and begin some loose site planning. During our time spent with the board members, I was so amazed by their desire to serve the people of Haiti and minister to the islands’ many disenfranchised. How does one tap into that part of their heart that enables them to have an attitude of complete servitude? Where do they gather the strength to give of themselves wholeheartedly without personal expectancy or obvious reward? The only thing they expect is make a difference in the quality of life and health of the community’s people, which is ultimately spreading God’s gospel through action.

I also spent some time this afternoon visiting the future site with the civil engineers and observe the surveyor’s work thus far. Jeremy (a board member visiting from Indiana) and Carmelo (Licia’s 13 year old son – Licia is one of the Zachery’s, and she oversees the rescue center piece of the mission). I tagged along to this side trip to just observe and get a better understanding of my project team members’ specific disciplines and to walk the entire mountainous terrain since I could complete the entire hike in my dress when we were there on Sunday.

What I didn’t expect to experience was a true appreciation into all the work that goes into effectively analyze a piece of land (20 some odd acres is a whole lot of land especially when you’re walking it. During our trek back to the mission’s existing facilities, Carmelo walked us through the woods. On that walk we got to see the people who live in the bushes. There were little shacks throughout hidden among the trees. These shacks were smaller than most bedrooms in the states, and entire families lived in these tight spaces.

I enjoyed my fair share of saying “Bonsoir” which is the way to say “good afternoon” or “good evening”. One Haitian man even took the opportunity to salute us with a more welcomed response, and I decided to take the chance to practice my Creole and have a more detailed conversation. He told me about the deep ravine in front of his shack that prevented them from taking the shortcut into the village. He showed me where they’re previously constructed a bridge to the other side with trees; he had recently dismantled the makeshift bridge after a tree broke off and his son fell into the ravine. He told me he couldn’t accept the risk to his children and the other village children, and were it not for the grace of God, his son might not have made it.

All I could think while speaking with him (I’ve since forgotten his name since I’m writing this entry 2 days later) is how in the midst of his disparity and near loss, he praised God for his grace and not once complained about his circumstances. He went on to share some more information about his family; I think he simply wanted an outsider to listen to him who understood the language and appreciated his human circumstance.

At the time, I really didn’t think there was anything extraordinary about my listening to and speaking back to his circumstances, but after sharing the story with Pat (one of my team member’s I was with) said to me that I’d just done something very powerful in my 5 minutes spent with that man. I’d ministered to him and circumstances by simply taking the time to find out more about him, recognizing his human needs and offering conversation which could have been responding to a specific spiritual need he might have been waiting on. I wanted to cry, but I held back the tears, because at that particular moment, I didn’t want the tears to overpower my ability to show hope to the villager I’d just spent time with; but the tears would eventually come as I later lay in bed and reflected on the day’s occurrences.

Haiti Mission Possible: Day 2

Sunday, June 27, 2010 - Today started off early. After a quick breakfast, our team decided to visit church with our client. To my surprise, the church located in Port-au-Prince was English speaking. Church was a great experience because the Praise & Worship was much like that at home and they played familiar tunes. It was also nice to see young Haitians mixed in with American missions group all experiencing their faith in such a real way.

After church we headed back to Cazale, and although the sun was beaming hot, the 2 hour ride was bearable because of the wind coming through the truck’s uncovered cage where we sat (by the way this is the norm in Haiti; passengers are loaded up unto the back of trucks and sit on benches or stand while packed as tight as possible). This ride was a bit difficult to stomach because of the earthquake rubbish that was still very present along the city streets. But to the natives, it has become a part of their day-to-day lives. I’m not sure how I would feel if this was my reality, but I guess you assimilate and go on (or do you?).

On the way back, we were able to stop by the site we would be planning. Real Hope for Haiti had recently acquired 23 acres of mountainous land in Cazale where they intend to build their desired facilities. The client gave us a rundown of the site and where they envisioned placing the various planned facilities. The site’s natural landscape was just gorgeous, but posed some interesting master planning challenges. I made it up one of the mountains on site in a dress (since we’d just come from church and Haitian culture expects that women wear dresses/ skirts when going to church) and some shoes that definitely were not intended for mountain climbing. But that’s the beauty of this trip; I’m being flexible and learning to manage circumstances that may be less than ideal.


Despite the fact I was visually and emotionally shocked by earthquake shattered buildings in the city, almost tumbled down the mountain once or twice and got stung by bush thorns and awed by the beauty of Haiti’s natural landscape, all I could focus on was how happy and full of spirit most Haitians I encountered today appear to be. It’s a deeper joy than most of us can tap into in light of insurmountable odds.

Haiti Mission Possible: Day 1

Saturday, January 26, 2010 - WOW…I don’t even know where to begin. After about 8 hours of travel (air and land), I finally made it to Haiti. I didn’t really know what to expect or how I would feel; I simply knew this would be a completely foreign experience, and I hoped I would handle it with grace. The airport process was actually a lot smoother than I would have guessed, but everything else was a completely unpredictable.

As we walked out Port-au-Prince’s airport gates, I had an overwhelming sense come over me as if it were letting me know that my world education had just begun. From the cargo truck we boarded that would take us on our 1 ½ hour drive to Cazale, to the many tent villages that line the city streets, all I could think about is what would I do if that were me. Within 5 minutes of the ride, I saw a man bathing himself out in the open behind his tent, which was exposed to the street. All it took was 1 ½ hours for me to become quite acquainted with the polar extremes of the have and the have-nots in the world.

Along this ride of social awareness, it occurred to me that the one thing I noticed in the demeanor of all the Haitians we drove past on the streets was a certain zealous spirit that touched my heart and kept me from bursting out into tears. There’s a certain resilience these Haitians exuded that made me far more invigorated to help as opposed to my self-righteous pity for how I thought they should be living.


We made it to the Zachary’s in one peace and even beat the rain. There was a rainbow along the horizon just as we arrived in Cazale, it seemed tailor made by God, as a sign that we were in the right place at the right time with the right heart and the right frame of mind. We’d answered the call to duty and that rainbow signified our favor in God’s eyes.


After meeting the Zachary family, meeting some of the sick children being cared for, breaking bread and getting acquainted with one another and the Real Hope for Haiti staff, it was time to turn in, but ironically, sleep was the last thing from my mind. All I could do was rewind all I’d seen within my first 6 hours in Haiti. Now on to day number two…


“God grant me the strength to change the things that I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

On the Way to Haiti

So here I am, 3 days away from the biggest trip of my life to date. Though close in proximity to the United States, Haiti couldn’t be any further away from American societal norms. The spaces between us vary so drastically on so many levels.  Aside from being a part of the Western Hemisphere, there is very little comparison to be made between the United States and Haiti. Although I have a closer link to Haiti than most of you reading this post, I have so many questions that can’t be answered until I’m on the ground and experiencing the island nation for myself. There must be a reason why my parents left Haiti all those years ago and never brought me to experience their homeland on their various trips back during my childhood. Apparently, I wasn’t mentally or socially ready for the experience, and by the time I was, life got in the way.

Life is a funny thing, and God never ceases to amaze me. On the surface and on paper, I wouldn’t appear to be the person who would end up on a mission trip to design a medical rescue facility for a rural area of an island nation, but somehow, all my life experience has effectively prepared me for such a time as this. I guess the only thing that really had to catch up was my heart and willingness to answer the call.

In the wake of the Associated Presses’ recent report on Haiti’s progress since the earthquake, I am nervous with apprehension yet filled with childlike glee about what’s going to happen during my 10 day trip. How will I feel? What will I see? Will my Creole be good enough to effectively communicate with the locals? Will I laugh, cry or both? Will I be an effective consultant to the project team and our clients? Will my work actually make a difference in the lives of Haitians? Will my service make my family and friends proud? Of course, I know in my heart that the answer to all those questions in “yes”, but it doesn’t stop me from being scared to disappoint. For whatever reason, God deemed it appropriate for me to experience Haiti for the first time with an attitude of service, and I can’t wait to come back to share what happened. I hope to be able to post while in Haiti, but if I am not able to, I’ll definitely do so the minute I get back. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and those of you who have been to Haiti (pre and post earthquake), please share a bit about those experiences. So until next time, never stop exercising faith.

 Ronnie B.

Welcome to "The SPACES Between Us"

The “Spaces” in the title of this blog can refer to a myriad of space types: physical, mental, spiritual, cultural, socio-economical, you name it and that space can fit into this title. This blog pays homage to my space, my first true love: DESIGN. I’ve spent practically my whole life admiring the aesthetic appeal of everything around me; trying to make a certain connection between a thing’s purpose and its visual capacity to move me. It doesn’t matter what area of design (graphic, interior, architectural, fashion and so on); so long as it visually stimulates me and serves a purpose (both obvious and not so obvious), I’m like a kid in a candy shop. I love it all.

However, there is one particular area of design that stands atop the podium of my heart and that’s interior/ architectural design. I love it so much, I managed to find a way to hone my skills and talents and make it into a viable career. For the past six years, I’ve immersed myself in interior design; first getting a formal education within the field (despite the advice of many around me) and ultimately landing my first design job where I learned so much under the guidance of my former employers and became a successful emerging designer. All was perfect in my world, or was it? As happy as I was in that professional setting, I knew there was something missing. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was missing, but there was something stirring up inside of me that couldn’t be ignored. As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” That professional relationship had runs its course, and it was time for me to spread my wings and reinvent my professional self.

I currently find myself at a professional impasse; I’m an independent contractor for hire, but I’d like to be employed full-time and I also want to use my professional skill set to help others in some way, shape or form. I guess you can say: I want it all. The optimist in me believed that my desire to volunteer would automatically translate into some fellowship opportunity to go do design work in some third world country for a year or two; I’d come back, all would be right in the world and I could return to some professional interior design post. That was my dream, but what I’ve learned over the past 4 ½ months is that dreams are great, but they have to be aligned with a certain set of goals, planning and prayer.

After that epiphany, I began the proper planning (over the last 2 months) to setup up a scenario that would involve my professional reinvention. This reinvention would involve my relocating, preparing my professional documentation to begin interviewing and making room for my humanitarian heart within that scenario. I know that getting my next interior design job is going to be difficult in this current economic climate, but I do believe I will obtain that position that will allow me to exercise all sides of my multi-faceted self. I honestly have no clue, where this journey will lead me, all I know is that I want to perform design work that is visually dynamic, serves a purpose and allows me to collaborate with other professionals on designs that capture a sense of wonder and amazement.

My next entry to this blog will be in preparation for my trip to Haiti. I will be part of a team of design professionals traveling to Casale, Haiti from June 26, 2010 to July 7, 2010. I will be chronicling the experience through entries and photos posted to this blog. I can’t think of a better way to begin analyzing all the spaces in between us.

I am writing this blog as a perpetual reminder of my love for design; my hope is that it will keep my passion burning while I search for that next career opportunity. I hope you all will come along for the ride, and I welcome your comments along the way. Happy reading!!!

-Ronnie