The White Rhino's Haitian Connection

I have had a soft spot in my heart for Haiti and its wonderful people. There is a good reason why the title of one of the volumes on my book shelf - a history of Haiti - is "Written In Blood." This troubled island nation has had a hard time establishing itself with a reliable government or infrastructure. Fear, corruption, backbiting and backstabbing, gratuitous violence, famine, disease and palace intrigue have been the hallmarks of this Western half of the Island of Hispaniola - almost since Columbus first alighted there in December of 1492.

Many of the readers of this Blog may not be aware that I spent a year living in the mountains of Haiti - 1974-1975 - working at the Baptist Mission at Fermathe, an hour's drive from Port-au-Prince. I served as Administrator of the Mission's hospital. During that time, with the help of many Haitian friends, I attained fluency in Haitian Creole - a fluency which I have managed to maintain to this day. Boston now is home to the third largest Haitian population in the U.S., so I have occaison almost every day to speak in Creole.

I have maintained a strong interest in Haiti overe the years - returning to visit and staying in touch through friends. When my friend, Dave Gebben, currently serving as a misisonary in Haiti, made me aware of this article, I thought it worth sharing with the readers of this Blog.

Haiti remains for many of us in the U.S. a "terra incognita." This article may shed some light on what conditions are like there currently.



KRT Wire 07/31/2005 Missionary pilot spreads the gospel in Haiti