COVER STORY
HAITI: THE AMERICAN RESCUE TEAM
Mary Virginia McCormick Pittman and her Mary Ministry joined another global charity organization to travel to Haiti in the aftermath of a terrible earthquake some years ago. Their mission was to rebuild, restore, and re-organize a Christian Orphan’s Sanctuary Compound school and church on the other side of the island from Port-au-Prince. This work would include helping some of the people in small villages, particularly the elderly, during this crisis. The team was comprised of twelve Americans, six men and six women, from all over the USA. The airlines accepted extra luggage free for such humanitarian causes; therefore, two bags from each team member brought forth clothes, medical supplies, medication, children’s shoes, children’s clothes, underwear, school supplies, toilet articles, and, of course, a few toys. The arrangement at the Christian Orphan’s Sanctuary campus was surrounded by a large fence for safety in their living area. A number of separate houses of different colors formerly were well-built, but now needed to be restored. These buildings were welcome homes to the orphans. A married couple acted as House Mother and House Father parents to different age groups of children arranged in small sibling groups, younger and older as in a normal growing average family, with love, with faith, and with spiritual values. Everybody had their small chores to do, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, etc.; family working together. The grand intent was to become capable of handling their own life someday, correctly and smoothly. It
The children then sang songs to thank the men for their wonderful endeavors. The women set about with diligence, bringing children’s physical and medical records up to date, and tenderly seeking any mental health issues that might be hidden. The children were excited for us to be there. They were very careful to present good behavior. They loved Mary Virginia’s red hair, and repeatedly asked timidly if they could touch it “one more time.” As she said “yes,” they would all giggle! Church was daily and held in short segments throughout the day. The children loved singing the Christian songs. They also sang some Haitian songs for the team. On a Special Event Day, the small children and teenagers presented their ever-growing individual talents: art, sculpture, singing, and some dancing. The gates of the Sanctuary were opened on that day, and tourists and townspeople would be invited to enjoy refreshments made by the children and to purchase some of the artwork and sculpture. Monies for these items were put into each child’s private bank account and would remain there until the child reached adulthood, when it would be needed. The children also learned about banking and saving money. During their days at the orphanage, all of their needs would be covered. However, there might be a time when a child would have a special wish. After all, it was their money! On different days, the team ventured out to assist the elderly of a village. One day, Mary Virginia, having had a medical background, assisted a midwife in delivering a baby in the
was a successful living set-up, and joy and happiness did abound. These children did not feel like forgotten orphans, but amazingly felt like they had a beloved family. It was heart warming to watch and to be a part of their togetherness. Their school was on the compound grounds, as was their church. The rest of the grounds were trees, grass, and lots of flora. “The American Rescue Team came when help was sorely needed.We brought joy, happiness, change, and friendship of humanity.” The Sanctuary was glad to see us, and we were glad to see them. Our friendships and relationships grew fast. We set to work. Our team repaired the houses and the school, and the men even built a playground for the children, including two see- saws, swings, a slide, and monkey bars. Those were a success, but the monkey bars were a real hit. The children had to have a small festival over that one!
46 EC Magazines | Fall Edition 2021
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