Trip Reports and Reflections
The mission experience has impacted many lives both here in Colorado as well as in Haiti. Over the years, many mission trip participants have written eloquently about their personal experiences in Haiti. Below you will find a sampling of these stories in the form of a brief excerpt along with a link to the full story.
CHP Mission Blog
PAST BLOGS
2010 Medical Mission blog
2009 Education Mission Blog
Life Changing Moment
"I vividly remember the exact moment my reality shifted. There were nine metal bed frames, some with mattresses, some without. There were twelve patients; three were on the concrete floor..."
Ruth's Reflections Trip To Haiti
"Today we put about seven Glad bags of trash outside behind our garage in the alley to be picked up tomorrow morning. Seven is a lot; we missed last week and are eager to get rid of the ripe smell that omission has created in our garage. Two weeks ago I peered out of the backseat of an SUV in Port au Prince Haiti to see the equivalent of literally thousands of Glad bags of trash strewn along the edges of the streets as we drove through the city. At night, we could smell..."
2008 CHP Medical Mission Trip
"Every trip to Haiti is unique, yet many things seem to be constant - the hunger, poverty and disease that we encounter, the love and faith of the Haitian people, and the joy of reunion with our Haitian friends..."
A Personal Perspective
"After a night in the surreal luxury of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, we board our hired transportation, a Haitian bus, brightly painted on the outside, and like Haiti itself, in disrepair and soiled on the inside. Atop the bus, a sea of duffle bags, plastic tubs, cases of food, bottled water and several Haitian passengers complete the load. We follow the jeep that leads us out of Port-au-Prince through Carrefour and on towards our destination. We weave our way through chaotic traffic strewn..."
Surgical Mission to Gonaives
"He tells us of the problems the hospital has had since the hurricane, which flooded Gonaives 3 years ago. Many people in the hospital died. They lost all their beds due to looting. The hospital was then used..."
Passionate Potters Shoe Story
"Without speaking, this elegant little lady slipped off the old, worn slippers that sufficed as her shoes. The poorly fitting 'shoes' told the story of the many miles and days she traveled just for a few precious moments with a physician..."
Education Mission - 2007
"In the crowded classrooms, students had little room to write in their notebooks. Their notebooks are what we would call composition books: smaller than a spiral notebook, and with a hard cardboard cover. The Math classes used..."
Pat Laudisio
"It was Carnaval time; and for the first time in three years, people were able to celebrate. So, in spite of Fr. Kesner’s best intentions, both the school and women’s center were closed on Monday and Tuesday. This mission was..."
Microcredit Comes to Petit Trou
"For me, the highlight of the mission week took place on Tuesday, watching 75 people from Petit Trou file into the 2nd grade classroom to hear a briefing by 3 loan officers from Fonkoze. This was a long-awaited milestone..."