Students Work in Haiti during Anniversary of Earthquake: Photogallery
January 12, 2012, marked the 2nd anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that devastated the country of Haiti; it also marked the sixth day of service of Trinity students on the Hope for Haiti Interim trip.
Students served through Mission of Hope (MOH), praying with people in the streets, engaging children in games, leading VBS lessons, and painting homes in the village.
In remembrance of the 2nd anniversary, students worked in Leveque, also known as MOH 500, because of the 500 homes Mission of Hope built for earthquake survivors. Students, along with scores of other MOH volunteers, helped dig a 2,000-foot trench to provide easier water access to the village.
Junior Benjamin Borst, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was overwhelmed by his first view of the extreme poverty, but soon witnessed the work of God among the piles of rubble. While attending the church services at MOH, Borst was amazed by the way the Haitian people praised God.
“Through our eyes we saw poverty, but through their eyes, they saw the blessings of our Lord,” he said. “Hearing them sing and seeing their hands raised high was the most humbling experience of my life. I will never forget the faces I saw, because the love of God was truly shining through them.”
Nursing student Lisa Vander Meiden ’14 of Pella, Iowa, said, “I really enjoyed watching God work in and through my team. We lived out Matthew 19:14 and ended every day covered in dirt, paint, and sweat, but God was using us. He is truly making beautiful things out of the dust in Haiti, and I thank Him for the opportunity to witness that.”
Accompanying the group of students were Bill Schepel ’85, assistant professor of physical education, and Liz Metcalfe ’83, assistant professor of education. Schepel and Metcalfe worked in Haiti the year of the earthquake through SCORE International, a sports ministry organization. Metcalfe had taught for three years in Port-au-Prince at the Quisqueya Christian School, which suffered no damage during the earthquake but became an oasis in the devastation.
“I am happy to report that after being in Haiti on the two-year anniversary of the earthquake with our Trinity students, we got to see first-hand that God is restoring, rebuilding, and renewing Haiti,” Metcalfe said. “Mission of Hope is literally bringing hope to a nation every single day.”