By Betsy Finklea
A group has recently returned from a mission trip to Jacmel, Haiti.
The team consisted of Rev. James Orr of Pyerian Baptist Church, Michael and Susan Dickens, Melissa Thompson, and Timothy Cooper.
The team left on March 17th and returned on March 22nd.
One of the purposes of their trip was to celebrate the construction of a new orphanage. This was especially meaningful for Michael and Susan Dickens who worked to raise money to build the orphanage in memory of their daughter, Lauren, who lost her battle with leukemia this past year.
In a travel journal kept by Rev. James Orr, he says that he and the group were surprised by how nice the school and orphanage was. He said Pastor Joseph Abraham Comper, who Pyerian Baptist Church has had an ongoing relationship with for the past several years, had used the monies and resources given to him well. There are nearly 800 children at the school and 26 orphan girls. Rev. Orr notes that Pastor Abraham and his team “are doing a wonderful job with them.”
“There are no plans to put these children up for adoption, he continues. “They will receive an education, food, healthy treatment, love, Christ and be prepared to be the next generation for the betterment and hope of Haiti’s future.”
Rev. Orr expresses his surprise about Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, which is about 30 miles from Jacmel. He says that it is cleaner than the last couple of times he has visited. This was Rev. Orr’s fifth trip here in the past eight years. Rev. Orr notes that there is “still a lot of rubble and earthquake damage but not nearly what he expected.”
One of the things they did while they were there was hang mosquito nets for the girls orphanage.
Rev. Orr mentions a two-year-old girl at the orphanage named Rebecca. Rebecca has a serious medical problem and needs surgery. Rev. Orr describes her as “very fragile and cute.” She is on standby to have surgery in Port-au-Prince when an overseas surgeon comes. The team decided to donate $600 towards her surgery.
Prayer services were a part of the trip. Rev. Orr specifically speaks about a 2 1/2 hour long prayer service that he called “very emotional.” He says that those in attendance were “very intensely interested in Lauren Dickens story.” He said that Michael Dickens spoke of Lauren’s desire to be a missionary.
On another day, they tried to take the children to a children’s festival on the beach, but it was a “circus” as they expected so they brought the kids back to the orphanage and had a party for them.
A baptism in the Caribbean Sea was another part of the trip. Rev. Orr baptized 12 people.
Rev. Orr also officiated at a wedding for two couples which lasted 2 1/2 hours. The reception lasted 1 1/2 hours. The church provided a one night honeymoon at a nice hotel for the two couples.
Overall, the trip appears to have gone well.
In one of his entries, Rev. Orr writes, “The world needs Haiti. I believe that God is calling missionaries out of his church and they are to send them to go.”
