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A group of six youth and nine adults from the Kincardine area is headed on a mission trip to Haiti in May to help provide a new home for a family there.

Operating under the "Welcome Home Haiti" program and Haitian Christian Ministries, the team will be painting the house and completing the roof so a mother and her two teenaged children will have a better place to live.

Joining the team are adults: Jamie and Laurie Convay of Tiverton, Ken and Nancy Craig of Kincardine Township, Morgan (Craig) Hoffarth of London, Colleen Craig of Kincardine Township, Sam Bisson of Toronto, and Shirley Thomas and Judith Bond of Kincardine; and youth: Olivia, 14, and Alex Convay, 12 of Tiverton, Danielle, 13, and Jaclyn McBride, 17, and Dana Craig, 10, all of Kincardine Township, and Marissa Parsons, 16, of Walkerton.

The home costs $14,000, for which the group members will be fund-raising before they head to Haiti May 4.

The house will be built by Haitian contractors and Haitian Christian Missionaries vocational students. The Kincardine mission team will then spend the week (May 4-12) painting the house and finishing the roof so Dorelus and her family can move into their new home.

The idea for the mission trip began with Hoffarth (daughter of Ken and Nancy Craig) who went with her family to Haiti on a similar trip.

"Morgan went the last time, and came home with the feeling that she wanted to do something more," said Nancy Craig.

So, Hoffarth sent out an E-mail message to those interested.

Laurie and Jamie Convay signed up, with their children, Olivia and Alex. "We've always wanted to take the kids on a mission trip," said Laurie. "We knew Ken and Nancy and their family had been to Haiti before, and it's the same place we're going and the same group they worked with."

Marissa, Laurie's niece, has always wanted to go on a mission trip to Kenya with the "Me to We" program, so she is pleased to be involved with this project.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the difference between our country and theirs - what they have and how they live," she said. "I want to interact with the people, especially the little kids."

Olivia said she wants to go to Haiti and visit her family's foster child, Chammedieuline Gabelus, 13, whom the Convays have been sponsoring for 10 years.

Danielle is looking forward to completing the house and playing with the neighbourhood children.

Alex wants to play basketball with the kids, and try different food from another country.

Jaclyn and Dana want to play with the children.

While they are excited about going on the trip, they are a bit apprehensive as well - unsure of how they will be received by the local people.

The house is fairly small, compared to North American standards, said Nancy Craig, and includes a living room and two bedrooms. The kitchen and washroom facilities are located outside.

The team will stay in the home of Pastor Emmanuel Laguerre (Pastor Manno) of Haitian Christian Ministries, who built his house with the idea of bringing missionaries in to help build homes in his community.

To help pay for the house, the Kincardine group is welcoming donations toward the project. People can purchase a "brick" for $25, with 100 per cent of all donations going toward the house.

To donate, you can make out a cheque to Chalmers Congregational Church, with the memo "Haiti Mission" and send it to the church at RR 5, Kincardine, Ontario, N2Z 2X6. Donations can also be dropped off at Baxter's Row Fashion in downtown Kincardine, or contact the Convay family at 519-368-7980 or the Craig family at 519-396-8767.

The team is also holding several fund-raisers:

• A Family Dance at the Tiverton Winterfest, Friday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., at the Whitney Crawford Community Centre in Tiverton - tickets are $5/adult and $20/family.
• Chili Lunch at Chalmers Congregational Church, Sunday, Feb. 12, by donation.
• Community Dinner at Kincardine Baptist Church, Friday, March 30, 6 p.m., by donation.
• Dinner at the Whitney Crawford Community Centre in Tiverton, Friday, April 13, 6 p.m., by donation.

The team will be painting the house and finishing the roof when it goes to Haiti May 4-12

Elaine Dorelus (R) and her two teenaged children stand in front of their current home in Haiti
photo courtesy of Laurie Convay

In addition, the team is collecting new or slightly-used items:

• black shoes, crocs and sandals
• sewing kits and sewing materials
• backpacks and school supplies
• towels and flat sheets

Each member of the team is allowed to bring 10 pounds in carry-on luggage, and 50 pounds in checked luggage. Most of that will be items for the community in Haiti.

Haiti is located two hours south of Miami. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Its people are beautiful, but with unemployment and illiteracy at 80 per cent, there is little hope for the future.

The vast majority of Haitians live without clean water, electricity, indoor plumbing or a daily meal. With the average Haitian family making just $1 per day, it is impossible to provide both food and shelter for the entire family.

The Dorelus family lives in Pillatre, outside of Cap Haitian. The house they currently live in is made of grass, mud and sticks and lacks the ability to provide adequate shelter. Dorelus is an active member in the church at Pillatre and works hard to provide for her family; however; she is unable to provide both food and shelter for her children.

The Welcome Home Haiti organization purchased land in 2011. There are currently nine houses on the property and a new well. Six of the nine houses were built last year. Seventeen additional houses are currently in process for 2012.

For more information about Welcome Home Haiti and Haitian Christian Ministries, visit their websites at:
http://welcomehomehaiti.com/Home_Page.php
http://www.hcmin.org/

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Sunday, January 29, 2012