The American Way?

I’ve been in Haiti for almost 2 weeks now, which is longer than either of my previous two experiences.  Sometimes I feel like I should be going home right about now, but soon realize I still have six weeks left.  Since I am going to be here longer than before, I have been experiencing a lot more things in the same amount of time of my previous trips. This time I feel like I’m actually eating more of a variety of Haitian food.  I’ve also been told way more now that “that isn’t the way we do it in Haiti.”  While spending a lot of time with Dr. Jacque, he has given me some real lessons on “the Haitian way.”  He has shown me different techniques to eating some of the food they eat.  He has also shown me the best way to eating meat off of the bone. When I eat fish or other meats in the United States, usually I don't worry about the bones most of the time, unless it’s something like chicken.  When I eat the fish here I get a whole fish and have to look out for every little piece of bone. 

Driving in Haiti reminds me a lot of driving around the University of Nebraska on a home football game day.  I’ve told Verbo that I’m not sure I could drive in Haiti.  He just laughed and said that I could if I stayed long enough.  A lot of the side roads are really rocky and go up or down pretty steep hills.  There aren’t really any sidewalks in Haiti like there are in the States.  Drivers seem to get dangerously close to the people walking around and can come within inches of other vehicles at any given moment.  Motorcycles also seem to go wherever they please. I’ve been able to ride on a few and might try to get one when I come home, but I don’t know how my mom will feel about that one.  And parking is a mystery to me.  They don’t have the parking lots we do and usually will park on the side of the road.

So many times we as an American society we try to force our way of life and culture on other people, it’s been part of our history.  We sometimes have the mindset of it’s my way or the highway, which is probably why Americans are seen as arrogant around the world.  I try to take it as a challenge every time I’m told “this is how we do it in Haiti”, to break that American stereotype.  The way they do it in Haiti isn’t necessarily better or worse than we do it America; it’s just different.  Most of the time their way actually works better than the way I might do something.

Learning the Haitian Way,
Alex

"Blanc" by Alex Henning

Walking back from Tetkole, the school program I’m serving at, I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Jacque who has been with me all week.  A girl had called me a “blanc” or "white person" in Creole.  And his response to her was “Are you talking to me?"  So I asked him what he said and talked to him about whether or not it had a negative connotation towards me.  Simply said, he told me that it’s just something they call white people, it's not bad or anything.  

But being a “blanc” does attract a lot of attention.  Many people come up to me knowing that I’m likely American who has lots of many.  It’s hard to tell them that I don’t have money when I really don’t and I have no goudes, or Hatian money.  Pastor Rhonda and I have talked a lot about this.  What we do at Tetkole and with the other Haitian Timoun Foundation is work with the people of Haiti.  We focus on building relationships through grassroots organizations, “To create a future of hope, sustainability, and dignity for the children of Haiti." That's the HTF mission statement. We work with the people of Haiti to empower them to develop their natural and human resources.  By doing this, we try to avoid first world paternalism by just giving them money and having them depend solely on that. We want to get to know them personally and work with them. 

One of the many relationships I made was with this little girl.  I saw her on the first day and I’m not sure whether she is a part of Tetkole or a neighbor who passed by.  But when I first saw her she was really shy and gave me a look of sort of distrust.  But she hung around, and when I started to play a little soccer with some of the kids, she was on my team.  She seemed to warm up to me, when we scored we gave each other high fives. After the game was finished, I went to stand on the front porch. A couple of older boys going home from school yelled at me “Blanc!” and I didn’t really think much of it.  Then, when I started walking back inside this little girl went running out and told them in Creole, “Silence!"  The fact that in a way she stood up for me meant a lot.  And I hope to see her again so that I can learn her name.

~Alex

Heading on a Haiti Mission

Written Sunday, May 12.

As I write this, I’m in the Dallas airport looking forward to getting into Haiti early Monday morning.  I'm truly grateful for all the support that I was given today throughout the church services this weekend.  I have a lot of down time in the airports and it is giving me time to think and mentally ready myself for this journey.  
Before entering Haiti I’m excited and nervous at the same time for the challenges that I will have to face and the stories I will learn. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to travel alone, let alone leaving the country on a solo expedition.  I’m most nervous about the moment I step out of the airport in Haiti and have to look for Verbo, our HTF Haitian partner, because of the activity and busyness of the airport. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to fully immerse myself into the Haitian culture and language.  I’m not sure how I’ll learn a completely new language, but right now my Spanish classes seem a lot easier. At this point I feel ready for the unknown.  Whatever happens will happen and I know that God will be with me and I’ll have the support of my family and of the people of Sheridan.  Thanks for your prayers and support. 

Alex

Sheridan Missionary heads for Haiti

Jacky Asse (left) and Alex Henning (right) following a performance
 of the Resurrection Dance Theatre from Haiti in March 2010.

Sheridan’s missionary, Alex Henning, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore, is returning to Haiti following two previous trips for a two-month summer internship with Sheridan partner Haitian Timoun Foundation. Alex will be working specifically with Tetkole in Jacmel creating and auditing biographies of the street children involved with its programs. Alex will be closing his time in Haiti preparing for and helping with the VBS camp, called Fet Bondye, that a group from Sheridan will join him to help lead. He is truly grateful for this opportunity and asks for prayers throughout his journey.

Alex will be in worship the weekend of May 11 & 12, for a blessing and sending as he starts his journey to Haiti Sun., May 12.