A letter from Cindy Corell preparing for service in Haiti
March 2013
An old farmer attending the Mouvman Peyizan Papay 40th Kongres in Papaye, Haiti, in mid-March
As we sat in the chapel at the Presbyterian Center my eyes were drawn to two structures. The first was obvious, fitting for a small chapel where people regularly have gathered—to worship, to mourn, to celebrate—or, as we were, to commission God's co-workers and send them onto fresh, exciting journeys across the nation and around the world.
But beyond that, through the wide expanse of windows, I saw another structure, a bridge made of concrete and steel supporting vehicles and pedestrians across the Ohio River. Along with 10 other new mission co-workers, I was about to step into a bright, new calling, and thankfully the bridge upon which we walk is strong and firmly rooted.
In May I will go to Haiti to work as a companionship facilitator with Joining Hands. I will be a bridge, connecting leaders of grassroots agricultural organizations with one another and with members of congregations and presbyteries in the U.S. The primary objective is simple—to help FONDAMA, an association of the Haitian organizations, provide training and resources for Haitians to produce more and better food to feed their families and to sell products at market to make a livelihood.
Little girls in front of a house in an Eco-Village near Papaye, Haiti
Since their ancestors broke the bonds of slavery and won the small island nation's independence in 1804, Haitians have enjoyed little prosperity. The refusal of other countries to trade goods, political corruption, a heavy debt load, and a myriad of natural disasters have left most of the island's residents among the poorest of the poor. In contemporary times the capital city of Port-au-Prince, built to sustain fewer than 250,000 people, has been home to 3 million or more. Even before the catastrophic earthquake of January 2010, Haitians have suffered from malnutrition, political instability, crumbling or non-existent infrastructure, little or poor housing, illiteracy, and a lack of education and health care. When the earthquake struck, frightened and hungry survivors swarmed into the countryside, burdening small communities with more mouths to feed. Very quickly extremely sparse resources dwindled further.
FONDAMA, the national farmers' group association, had been created two years before, in 2008, but quickly its mission turned to emergency services—finding ways to support the earthquake refugees and other rural residents. Now it is going back to its original priorities—advocating for food sovereignty and land reform and against harmful chemical fertilizers and genetically modified seeds. So what does this all look like? In mid-March I was able to attend an anniversary celebration of one of FONDAMA's largest organizations—Mouvman Peyizan Papay, or the Peasants Movement of Papaye. Hundreds of MPP delegates worked to refine priorities, while learning about the country's history, particularly its prevalent framework of slavery and colonization. Current aggression by international companies to mine the nation's wealth of gold and threats of industrialized farming (aided by Haiti's government, which has declared the country “open for business”) are at the top of the list.
A young girl living in one of the Eco-Villages near Papaye, Haiti
And what I learned most of all during that week was just how much I need to learn—and quickly. This work is important. My role is clear—to work alongside my Haitian colleagues, aiding them with research and helping to tell their success stories and tackle their obstacles.
But this image of the bridge keeps me centered.
I am a bridge between our Haitian partners and members and staff of Presbyterian churches. I am a bridge between cultures. And I hope to be a bridge among members of FONDAMA, facilitating communication and networks.
In these months before I leave for Haiti to stay, I've met with so many of you to share my call and my love of Haiti. My stories have been met with such enthusiasm and joy, I've been moved to tears.
When I thanked Bill Metzel for his and his wife's decades of missionary service in Africa, he humbly ducked my gratitude and thanked me instead.
When I spoke about the hardships facing the desperately poor in Haiti, a woman in the congregation approached me in tears, asking what she could do to help.
When I shared stories with children at a Charlottesville church, they eagerly took photos of the Haitian children I brought with me, and a 10-year-old boy hopefully told me that three years (my term in Haiti) was the same as 1,095 days. “That's a lot,” he added.
And so many more.
Of course any effective bridge must be firmly rooted on either side, and I am well aware of the foundations my bridge employs. Here in this country of my birth and my raising, I am rooted in tradition—history and a culture of faith and generosity. And in my new land, I will be rooted in the deep values of a people who have known such hardship as I've never seen but live as if impervious to destruction. I am drawn to these people—beautiful children who reach for my hand upon meeting me, hardworking families who share with me what little they may have, old men and women whose faces are lined by the depth of hard lives but whose eagerness to know me melts my heart.
And my bridge's great foundation is a deep faith in God, a joyful and abiding dedication to following His word and caring for our neighbors—all of them.
I am blessed to walk with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I am blessed to share with you what they desire and how we can work to improve their lives. And I will share with each of them the love and joy you have for them in your hearts.
And from the bottom of my heart, I am grateful to you for all your love, support and, most important, your heartfelt prayers. Please know that you are in mine.
Cindy
2013 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, Haiti, p. 25
Read more about Cindy Corell's ministry
Write to Cindy Corell
Give to Cindy Corell's sending and support
