August Trip Highlights!
Executive Director Rennae Henry and Incoming Board President Mark Hopkins recently had the opportunity to visit Terrier Rouge. Please enjoy Rennae’s report on this productive and informative trip below!
The energy and joy of the schoolchildren were missed while École St. Barthélémy was on summer recess, but that allowed us to take a deeper dive into other aspects of the programs, including Jatrofa Projenou (JP), Clinique Espérance et Vie, and the NGO’s farmland. We are so thankful to Father Bruno, Madame Bruno, Dominique Bruno, Dr. Pierre, Dr. Lubin, Frislyne Lorme, and the many others who made this visit so successful!
Given Mark’s career as a scientist with the University of Georgia’s peanut laboratory, the trip had a special focus on agriculture and science. We visited the farmland owned by Espérance et Vie (the NGO), located a couple of miles outside Terrier Rouge, and discussed additional uses for the land to increase food security for the School. We also paid a visit to Father Bruno’s personal herd of cows, all the while learning more about the flora, fauna, and ecology of northeastern Haiti. With a continued focus on increasing food security and educational opportunities for students, Mark and Father Bruno discussed the potential for agricultural use of the land held by the School and Clinic.
We were thrilled to spend a full day visiting JP facilities under the guidance of JP co-director Frislyne Lorme. We started off touring the JP complex near Terrier Rouge and visiting with the staff to learn more about their operations. The complex includes JP’s store, a tree nursery shade garden, a new cassaverie and their jatrofa processing facility. The nursery shade garden was especially impressive as it was FULL of small trees growing under the watchful eyes of JP agronomists, all with the objective of reforesting hillsides once the fall weather begins! Then we headed up into the hills to the south of Terrier Rouge with Frislyne, with our destination being a live demonstration of cassava bread making at another cassaverie built by JP, located near Perches, Haiti. Perches is only about ten miles away from Terrier Rouge, but reachable only— and very slowly—by an extremely rough dirt road, which was an adventure in itself.
At the cassaverie, we were able to see the entire process of making cassava bread: from the plants themselves, through the multiple steps required to convert the tubers into a relatively dry “flour,” which is then baked on a large griddle into a crispy, thin bread. We also enjoyed the hospitality of our hosts, the operators of the cassaverie, fresh coconut milk, and, of course, plenty of cassava bread fresh off the griddle! Stay tuned for a video on this fascinating and special experience!
Our trip also included a visit to Clinique Espérance et Vie. We were so thankful to deliver a large suitcase full of dental supplies, donated by Houston-area dentists, to Dr. Lubin, the Clinic’s current dentist. The director of the Clinic, Dr. Pierre, gave us a thorough tour and an update on the Clinic, including the area being outfitted to allow for a much-needed expansion of the vision department. Thanks to Mark’s expertise, we had an excellent discussion with the Clinic’s two laboratory technicians, Virginia and Nadedge, about specific equipment needs for the laboratory, which we will work to supply.
We also attended the Sunday services at the church of Episcopal priest Father Jabnel, who also serves as St. Barthélémy's chaplain and as the director of the St. Barnabas Agricultural School, which was founded by Father Bruno in 1984. The sermon was on Matthew 14:22-33, in which Jesus walks on water during a storm, and Peter begins to as well but becomes distracted by the storm, loses his focus on Jesus, begins to sink, and must rely on Jesus to save him. Father Jabnel’s sermon was in Creole, but his expressive preaching style and love for breaking into song with applicable hymns mid-sermon meant it transcended the language difference. We must keep our faith and primary attention on Jesus during hard times, instead of on problems. The service included beautiful singing by the congregation and a special birthday blessing for the Clinic dentist, Dr. Lubin.
Even with School not in session, there were opportunities to interact with students and alumni. Many current St. Bart’s students were on campus participating in the Cemucha (Circle of Christian Musicians of Cap Haitian) summer music program, preparing for marching band, and getting their School registration in order. It was fun to see the veteran marching band members working with the younger students joining the band for the first time this year. We were also able to deliver some donated musical instruments just in time for marching band season!
I was able to meet with Stanley Riviere, who had just graduated this spring from Saint Barthélémy and plans to earn a university degree in engineering while also pursuing a vocational certificate in plumbing. This ambitious and industrious young man has lost both his parents and lives with his grandfather and his younger brother. He wants to earn a vocational certificate so he can support his family by working as a plumber while also attending university.
Mark and I also met with St. Bart’s alumni ambassador Lucanes Louis, who took us for a walking tour of Terrier Rouge, as well as another St. Bart’s alum, Nathanaelle Alouidor. Just after our visit, both Lucanes and Nathanaelle graduated from the Université d'État d'Haïti (Campus Roi Henri Christophe) on Sunday, August 16th, along with two other alumni of Saint Barthélémy. Seeing the School's alumni succeed and meeting them to hear their personal stories is so incredibly heartening and inspiring. Every graduate of St. Bart’s has the potential to make such a difference in Haiti!
Other trip highlights included visiting the Terrier Rouge market, learning how to make Madame Bruno’s famous herbal tea (recipe and video to follow!), seeing the progress on the new computer laboratory at the School, meeting with the accounting staff who have implemented real-time financial reporting in QuickBooks, and the amazing food provided by the School kitchen staff.
The trip reaffirmed the amazing work of the programs and the potential to accomplish so much more: A Haiti transformed by God's love, where empowered communities rise from poverty to live with dignity, purpose, and hope. That is the vision of Bethlehem Ministry, and I am so thankful to the many people and churches who support this, and I pray you will continue to do so. Please reach out to me at rhenry@bethlehemministry.org if you would like to know more about the trip or the programs! I would love to hear from you!
Rennae Henry
Executive Director
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