These are church pews. Yep…how would you like to sit on one of these for 2-3 hours on a Sunday morning? The Women’s Group at the Carissade Church of Christ would like some new benches. We are now gathering a list of the materials needed and the price to make 20 benches, 10 on each side of the aisle. I have looked at prices of some nice all-ready made benches and they run anywhere from $80 to $120 each (made and purchased in Haiti). We offered to buy the materials if the men of the church could make the benches. Would you consider a donation to help pay for the benches? Once a school is started, these benches will also be used by the school children for class. Please help us by donating via Paypal or by sending a check to: Caring Hearts for Central Haiti, Inc., P.O. Box 5348 Cortland, NY 13045
Old BenchesChoosing Wood for Church BenchesPlaning Wood for the BenchesNew Benches
Every Saturday, Pastor Casseus travels 3 hours north, usually in a Tap-Tap (see below) filled with about 15 people on a very curvy, mountainside road. As he rides in the back of the Tap-Tap, he is never really sure the road will be open for him to pass through and continue his journey to Hinche, near Carissade, located in the Central Part of Haiti. (As I’m writing this, [July 6, 2109], he has had to turn back because of anti-government protests with road blocks. Trying to cross one of these roadblocks is very dangerous and could cost him his life).
If he makes it through to Hinche, he is able to spend the night either at a friend’s house or stay overnight at his parent’s house.
Early Sunday morning, he awakens and gets ready for church at the Carissade Church of Christ in Carissade, Haiti. He is the newly ordained Pastor there. He either hires someone with a motorcycle or finds a friend who will take him to the church. On paved roads, the trip from Hinche to Carissade would be about 5 minutes, but on these roads, it is very, very slow because of potholes and thousands of rocks on and embedded in, the road. Along the way, he also has to cross a river.
I have ridden in a vehicle over this same road 6 days ago. The condition of the road is TERRIBLE. The water level of the river was low, so we were able to cross the river without a problem, (in an all-terrain vehicle), but can you imagine crossing it on a motorcycle?!? The water level doesn’t matter when you’re on a motorcycle…you’re going to get wet…that’s all there is to it…you’re going to get wet.
After church, Pastor Casseus, once again, has to ride a motorcycle into Hinche and find a Tap-Tap that is going to Port-au-Prince, where he presently lives. Another 3 hour drive in good traffic, but it can be as long as 5-6 hours. He arrives in Port-au-Prince completely exhausted. Another week goes by and he repeats the process all over again, BUT…
…he will continue to do it. He loves the Lord, he loves the people of Carissade. He wants to preach the Word of God and see lives changed. He will do this same trip…every week…again and again.
If Caring Heart5s for Central Haiti, Inc., can rent a small office space in Hinche, Pastor Casseus can move to Hinche and be closer to the church in which he serves as Pastor. Doing this would eliminate the 6-8 hour round trip to Hinche and back every weekend.
The next larger request is an all-terrain vehicle, like a Land Rover, ($35,000-$40,000 new), which would allow him to navigate the road to Carissade easier, but would also provide a safer vehicle for him to use for necessary travel for the organization and/or for transporting supplies and other personnel when necessary.
Caring Hearts for Central Haiti, Inc is a fledgling organization run by 3 senior citizen women. We have many needs, but our vision for the people of Carissade is great and we serve a great God who will supply all of our needs as He sees fit. Purchasing office space and a reliable vehicle is just the start of something big we believe God is doing in the Central Plateau of Haiti…won’t you join us and be part of what God is doing?
Tap-TapCrossing the River to Carissade Church of Christ
With arms full of gifts of fruit, and slowly walking up the aisle, the women’s group of the church sang, “Welcome, welcome, Pastors, Joanne and other visitors, we have a small gift for you.” The people of the church welcomed us so nicely. The children, youth, men’s and ladies groups all sang a song for us. Pastor Casseus delivered a powerful sermon based on Ephesians 5:16 “Redeeming the time because the days are evil.” Twenty three people, young and old, accepted Christ as their Savior and were baptized that day. Such a vibrant congregation!
At the end of the service, the entire congregation stood, faced us, and each individual prayed out loud, their own prayer, as they held their hands out toward our group. What powerful praying! With tears in my eyes, I felt SO blessed. I had a feeling I would LOVE to attend that church every Sunday!
After church, a very delicious meal of rice and beans, chicken, and salad had been made for us. These wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ really know how to worship! They gave out of their heart’s desire to celebrate our visit and to glorify God…and can they EVER SING! It was a beautiful day worshiping with the congregation at the Church of Christ in Carissade, Haiti.
Carissade Children’s GroupCarissade Youth GroupCarissade Ladies Singing Group
I hung up the phone with an ache in the pit of my stomach. You know, the kind you get when you have received really bad news…or a bad diagnosis… or when someone who was supposed to love you forever…doesn’t….that kind of ache. I had just had a conference call with Pastor Duronel Casseus, with whom I had expressed an interest in helping in Haiti in some way. It was suggested I start a non-profit organization in order to accomplish the vision we had for an area of central Haiti called Carissade.
I have to admit, when I hung up the phone, feeling that ache, I started crying. It was mid-afternoon and I cried all the rest of the afternoon, the evening and the night. In between crying, I was praying. I now felt this HUGE responsibility for a community in Carissade, Haiti. It was no longer me helping a friend with his ministry. It was now feeling the responsibility for an entire church and community. Immediately, I felt this overwhelming feeling of failure, that I would not be successful. This community and Church were depending on me to follow through, not to mention Pastor Casseus. I truthfully cried all evening and night, sometimes saying to God “Why am I crying? I don’t even know why I am crying!” I felt totally inept and out of my comfort zone. The other part of this was my age. I had been thinking about what retirement would look like, but usually after 2 days of no work, I get pretty bored….and so I cried….some more.
By morning, it was settled. I realized this had been a spiritual battle. What had I been asking of God the past 6 months? For a purpose. What had been my routine daily Bible readings over the past 3 months? All about helping the poor and needy. Helping the orphans and widows in their distress. Helping when it is in my power to do so. I said to God, “O’kay, I’ll do it, but YOU have to bring people into my life who know what they’re doing, because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
As far as my age is concerned? If I do nothing, in 10 more years, I will be 10 years older and will have done nothing.
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