I was very enthused to see this report in my inbox this morning from my former Sugar Hill Mission, NYC roomate and friend, Trevor Toews of Center, CO. He had informed me a week or two past of going to Haiti to volunteer his time. Here is his report. He informed me that it was constructed out of hastily written emails, etc. He didn't have time to really go through it and edit out the grammar errors, etc. Yet I will inform you everything on Operation Noah is done pretty hastily and we don't sweat the small stuff as long as the message shines through. I took the liberty to break it up into parts. So thank you Trevor and may you readers continue to be inspired to pray and remember our "neighbors" and brethren in Haiti.
Haiti Tent Project
by Trevor Toews
PART ONE: Just Getting There
This is a conglomeration of the emails I sent back home while I was in Haiti, as well as some added comments, etc.
I wrote after I was home. Feel free to call me if something doesn’t make sense.
February 15th - I left home at 4:30 Monday morning. I just had to drive to Alamosa, 30 minutes away and get on a
small plane to Denver. I had the idea to call ahead and make sure the plane wasn’t cancelled or something. Sure
enough, it was. Cancelled due to mechanical failures, apparently, although I was pretty sure that I was the only
paying passenger and they had decided it wasn’t worth it. So at 4:45, I turned around on the deserted highway,
and sped toward Denver. There was really little chance I would make my 9:15 flight, since it is usually a 4 hour
drive to the airport. I faced icy roads, Denver rush hour, one fuel stop, and then the long morning lines at DIA
ticketing and security. I was pushing the speed limit all I could and I came up behind a certain white car, which I
pulled out to pass. It was the Park County Sherriff and he didn’t like how I was going 72 in a 65 and also following
pretty close. He was a nice chap and we decided on a written warning. At that point I just told the Lord that if he
wanted me to get that plane, He would have to work a miracle, because I wasn’t going to push too hard anymore.
Well it happened. Somehow, there was zero traffic through Denver at 7:45-8:15. And somehow there were no
lines at the ticketing counter and they let me go through the crew only line in security. It was as if Denver and DIA
were waiting for me and I whisked through the entire process quicker than I ever have. I got to the gate as they
were boarding. What a relief. Flight to Denver, I sat beside a very enthusiastic pianist and we chatted almost all the
way. I met Dean Fricke from Grafton, ND in Miami and we got reacquainted. It’s been years since we attended
class together. At 5:00 we boarded the plane for Santo Domingo.
We landed in DR after a cramped flight in a full 767. Dean had had to gate check his carryon and had inadvertently
left his passport in that bag. They didn't let us have it back at the gate here in SD so we didn't know what to do
because we didn't think we could get through customs to get to that piece of luggage. We decided to try. Went
through about 3 lines and finally got through without the passport. Different than home. Then we searched high
and low for his luggage etc. Asked around in awful spanish, etc. Finally found the luggage but didn't make it out to
the street until an hour after the plane. Nobody was there to pick us up so we called around to the missionaries
etc. Victor Miller, the coordinator that is in charge of conveying volunteers from DR to Haiti had not checked his
email and wasn't aware we were coming in til 11:30. So we were on our own for a few hours. Found an amigo and
managed to get the point across that we were needing to exchange some cash. He said no banks were open. But
he exchanged 20 bucks for us at a good rate. Then we asked around for a mapa. Couldn't find one. A taxi driver
saw us asking around and came and offered his services so I started trying to ask about the area. Where we could
eat etc. All in hideous spanish and gestures. Finally established that he would take us 15 km away to some
restaurants. It would take 10 min and would cost us $20 one way. Of course that was too high so we bargained a
while and got him down to $24 round trip. Well the place was no 15 km. More like 2. But here was a nice little
dimly lit patio restaurant serving fish and chicken. I spent a while slugging through ordering with them there. Oh it
was delicious! A whole fish right out of the freezer and rice and beans just like we’ve had at Paul and Carolyn’s. We
sat and talked to Rogelio our taxi driver. He was just waiting til we were done and then he'd take us back. During
supper, I called Vic and he asked where we were, then a little later he stopped by. Made us feel a little more
secure by chatting fluently with the restaurant folks and Rogelio. Then we transferred our stuff to Vics van. Turned
out we had paid too much for taxi even after trying so hard. Anyway, after a while we drove back to the airport to
wait another hour on another plane load of people. Vics are nice. Talked a while. Then the others showed up.
Darcy Nightengale. Shannon Unruh. Norma and Jima, two older ladies coming as nurses. We crammed, I mean
crammed! our luggage and bodies into this van and drove through the quiet streets of SD. Big modern city. Now
we are out west of town. Gonna all stay at Luis Polanco’s (Andrales' parents) house for night. They say it will be
very cramped. Andrales will be home tomorrow morning so hoping I can finally meet him. Heading to Haiti right
away in morning. Some of us have to take public bus and I offered to be one of those. Awesome day.
February 16th - Woke up this morning after not near enough sleep. Had gone to bed at 3 am and woke up at 7,
which is 12 to 4 mountain time. We were staying at the home of Luis Polanco who has a nice big compound with
enough floor space for all of us to sleep inside. He is Andrales' father and Andrales, with his wife Jenny, lives right
next door as well as his only sister Natalia and her husband, Otwal. I had a cold sponge bath which was long
needed, then came out to meet Andrales and Jenny. They are a super nice couple with 3 children. We talked as
best we could with his limited English and my limited Spanish. I wish so bad we could have really visited. Dave has
talked so much about this amigo. Anyway, we had fruit and pan in the gazebo, then devotions. It was funny, we
were sitting there and someone asked Andrales how old he was and he said 31. Then he asked each of us boys
how old we were and everyone tried to say the number in Spanish. When he got to me I said, “veinte y siete” and
then it hit me and I said “o no veinte y ocho!”. And Andrales caught on that it was my birthday and really started
hooting. I hadn't thought of it yet. They all sang HB in both languages and then the Polancos sang another
traditional BDay song with hugging actions and stuff. Fun. We went over to see Natalia in her house because she
had an accident and can't walk very well right now. She knew me from my songs and from Harlan’s sister Sheila.
She also writes songs and we sang one of hers together. She talked and talked and we finally had to go. Loaded the
van again. No small feat. Then drove 5 hours to Haiti. Lots of sights and sounds along the way. Somewhat
uncomfortable but we had a good time driving and talking. Stopped and walked a while through one town. Nice
roads. DR is very civilized. Happy people, all out and about, seemingly with little to do. Stopped for 3 coco frios to
drink. Talked lively about many topics. Finally got to the border. WOW what a difference! Instantly more people,
dirty, dusty atmosphere, deplorable roads and a sense of weight and poverty. We were waved through the
checkpoints, then drove along the lake which has no outlet and is slowly rising, lapping at the edge of the road and
threatening many buildings. Saw lime mines where they dig everything by hand. Short drive to Fond Parisien and
found the church. Big building and amazingly good accommodations. Electricity running water showers real beds
fans etc. There have been several brethren working on converting the back half of the church into a unit house.
Met a lot of people that are involved here. Had a good lunch then unpacked and settled in. Dean and I went out to
look at the supplies. All the tarps, rebar, sewing stuff etc. Is right here where we live. All the work will be done here
except assembling the tents onsite. Also we are setting up a 24 X 40 big tent to do the sewing in since it will rain a
lot. We were suddenly faced with the immense responsibility of this task as it really was. I always thought this
project was a snap. Not so when faced with the real picture. Where to start. How to set up. So many variables.
Powdery white dust 2 inches deep. We laid out plywood for a temporary floor, I set up a new welder, then we
worked the afternoon on building one prototype tent. It’s almost done but Dean already had a tarp sewn so I
didn't touch the machines yet. Just welded and brainstormed until dark. After supper, Lydia Mandella, an older
nurse told us all her fascinating conversion experience about leaving the hutterite colony in ND and coming to the
church. Then I showered and went to bed.(Part II Tomorrow)
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