SpRING 2010

Voices from By Bob Morikawa, Technical Director

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Bob spent nearly a month working in Haiti with our local staff and the communities where we work. Below are some of his reflections from his time there.

Since arriving in Haiti, I have thing told him he should change trauma which will not be erased heard story after story of how what he was doing, so he started easily by laughter or enthralling people have survived. The other outside. Just at that moment, the story telling. Our national Haiti di- night, a mechanic who does some way he described it, the ceiling rector, Guy Paraison, was visiting work for us from time to time was fell on the very spot where he had our project in the north of the coun- describing how his wife was at been. Many have described how try and was away from home when home, and pretty much trapped, they were thrown from side to the quake occurred. His 3- year-old when a large hole suddenly side, and when relating the story son, not seeing his father, asked his opened in the wall in front of her move their bodies to illustrate. mother, “is Papa dead?” and she was able to get outside to Many describe it as ‘dancing’ and safety. Another young man from laugh heartily as they tell of their A couple of days later when our Cheridant in our project area was experience. director got home finally, his son helping with some repairs on the asked him, “Papa are you dead?” local Episcopal church. While he The laughter, although brave, I Adults will not speak so frankly, was working, as he put it, some- think covers for an underlying CONTINUED on next PAGE

Formerly known as Floresta USA Testimonies from Three Ways you can Help Haiti: families in Haiti: Voices from Haiti 1 Pray “Before the earthquake there that Plant With Purpose will be able to give an appro- were 11 people in my house. priate response to the needs of the victims of the earth- They ate 3 times per day and quake, and for protection against any perils the rainy we sent 6 of them to school. season may bring. After, 9 more people joined the family. I keep trying to 2 Sponsor a Village give them 2 meals a day be- in Haiti and help transform an entire rural community cause things are getting diffi- by empowering them to create economic opportunity cult. There are 2 whose moth- and to protect their greatest asset, the land. CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE er died in the earthquake. In that sense, I say to Plant 3 Give to long-term Haiti recovery efforts but I think the fact that even people whose homes are still intact are clos- With Purpose thank you be- at www.plantwithpurpose.org. ing off huge sections of city streets at night so they can sleep in the open cause they helped me to give is a sign of something. Franquer Delva, Lompre, Haiti my family several hot meals. I ask God to show Plant With Nevertheless, in my experience, Haitians seem to always find a way to Purpose a way to have the get through even the most impossible of circumstances. The most popu- means to continue to exist.” lar song on the radio at the moment was written after Jan 12TH, and in- - Franquer Delva, a Haitian cludes lyrics like, “I have faith, I have hope, the people of Haiti will be woman who lives in the re- victorious,” and “Haiti is on its knees, but not down yet.” gion of Kafe Lompre, Haiti.

One cannot help but be moved, inspired, and humbled by such sentiments. Frankel Brevil is a Plant With Purpose member from the Haiti Relief and Recovery Project as of 4.3.10 group Saint Louis d’Haiti. After the quake, two of his • Organized a work group of 150 people to repair a major road in our children, ages 10 and 22, re- project area turned home to Fonds Ver- • Distributed 250,000 pounds of rice to thousands of rural farmers rettes from Port-au-Prince where they had been attend- • Distributed 79,000 pounds of bean seed to thousands of rural farmers ing school. As a part of Plant Breaking News • Employed 489 workers to construct more than 35 miles of soil With Purpose’s Short-term conservation barriers Employment project, Fran- kel was paid to construct soil Floresta is now Plant With Purpose • Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised over $500,000 toward our erosion barriers. The bar- overall goal of $1.3 million riers conserve soil and pro- tect farmers’ crops in Fran- As many of you are aware, (and tunities Plant With Purpose is the lives of the rural poor will kel’s community, giving him can see by the new design of providing us to share our work remain the same. Please don’t a meaningful way to earn income and support our newsletter) we have been with a wider national audience, hesitate to contact us if you his family. “The project helps. Any little income in the process of launching and we hope that you will be have any questions about this helps.” “Plant With Purpose” as the as excited by this new oppor- transition. As always, we wel- – Frankel Brevil, a Haitian man who lives in the new face of Floresta. We are tunity as we are. Of course, the come your feedback and value region of Fonds Verrettes, Haiti very encouraged by the oppor- focus of our work to transform your partnership!

Frankel Brevil, Fonds Verrettes, Haiti 2 www.plantwithpurpose.org 3 dIRECTOR’S CORNER A Nice Time By Scott Sabin, Executive Director By: Doris Adrian

Doris Adrian I’ve seen the blue Kansas sky, To receive a plaque honoring our support of And millions of stars on a clear Kansas night. forestry in the DR. I’ve stood on a plain in New Zealand I’ve sat in a rocking chair holding my four And gazed at The Southern Cross. grandchildren … Milano and Kimo and Matthew and Chloe. I’ve sat in a little brick Presbyterian church Rocking them in their great-great grandfather’s And learned that Jesus loved me chair As he loved the whole world. As I rocked my own babies. And I heard his saying that I can’t forget … As you have done it unto the least of these, I’ve ridden an elephant in You have done it unto me. And horses and burros in the Dominican Republic. I’ve ridden in a gondola in Venice At 18 I had to choose…a secretary, a nurse or a And a puffy little train going to Arosa in the Swiss teacher. Alps. I hated typing, didn’t like blood, so it was a teacher. I’ve ridden in a train in the British countryside, At first I didn’t like that much either, but I learned Enjoying fields of yellow rape and lavender. There have been many blessings Doris was more than an ordinary And even in retirement love teaching English … in working at Plant With Purpose, volunteer, making dozens of trips to non-English speakers. I married a good man but none greater than the peo- to the Dominican Republic, where And we built a house in the country ple I have been privileged to she knew all of the farmers and I’ve learned Spanish and traveled in Where mother quails led their young to their nests work with. One of the most spe- their families and served on the the Dominican Republic, And the coyotes howled and the crickets cial, Doris Adrian, went to be with Dominican Assembly. In 1999, and and Central America Kept our 3-year old daughter awake. the Lord on December 31st. It is she and Don were publically rec- making friends in places tourists don’t go. no exaggeration to say that with- ognized by the Dominican gov- Now there’s a house near the sea out Doris, Plant With Purpose ernment for their contributions to I’ve seen a small impoverished mountain community I rejoice in its many moods… would not exist today. Doris and the country. change to a “community with opportunities.” Blue with splashy white waves, her husband Don have been in- Grey and quiet with a ship in the distance, volved since the mid-eighties and By way of tribute to this remark- I’ve seen once barren hillsides in the Dark, roaring, threatening. for many years it was their energy able servant of Jesus, I want to Dominican Republic A beauty, a blessing this Kansas farm girl and support that kept us going. share with you an excerpt from a Covered with tall, green trees. Could never have dreamed of. poem she wrote in the last weeks I’ve stood on platform with my husband in the of her life. Palacio deBellas Artes I’VE HAD A NICE TIME.

4 Formerly known as Floresta USA www.plantwithpurpose.org 5 Breaking News continued Volunteer of the Quarter: Tending to Eden Debut Mark Portrait It’s here! Plant With Purpose Ex- or Bible study can more deep- ecutive Director Scott Sabin has ly explore and apply this con- recently written a book called cept. You can purchase the book Tending to Eden: Environmental through our website at www. Stewardship for God’s People, plantwithpurpose.org. For every which helps connect the dots purchase that is made through between and the envi- our website, Amazon.com will ronment, and makes the bibli- donate a portion of the proceeds cal case for how as Christians it to Plant With Purpose, which will is our job to care for the earth. go toward directly benefiting the Mark has done a phenomenal job of supporting our work in Malindi, . Tending to Eden also comes rural poor. Thank you for your Just this past year, Mark launched friendsofmalindi.org, a website dedicated with a creation care Bible study, support! to raising funds for Malindi through coffee sales. Mark has also joined our so you and your congregation Board of Directors. Here is a little bit more about Mark: The Sower Issue #88

The Sower is published quarterly How did you hear of Plant With short of remarkable. The time we God, which is our spiritual wor- by Plant With Purpose. Purpose and what drew you to spent with the staff gave us a new ship.” This is my favorite aspect the organization? insight into the mission and heart of volunteering. It is worship. Editor-In-Chief I first was introduced to Plant of the effort in Tanzania. Actually Kate McElhinney With Purpose by Doug Satre, Di- having the opportunity to visit Do you have any favorite hobbies [email protected] rector of Outreach and Develop- the people, their homes, and the or interesting facts about your- ment. Doug was serving as the communities where we work was self you would like to share? SAVE THE DATE 4903 Morena Blvd. Suite 1215 Associate Pastor at my church in amazing. But the best part of the I love cooking, amateur pho- San Diego, CA 92117 Oregon. When he moved back trip was the effect it had on my life tography, and hiking. I’m a big Planting Hope Gala Ph: (800) 633-5319 to San Diego to join Plant With and how I view my place in the de- Oregon Ducks football fan, and Fax: (858) 274-3728 Purpose, he shared their vision veloping world. my friends know I’m a hopeless Email: [email protected] and invited me to get involved. gadget geek. And I just became a O ctober 9, 2010 What is your favorite aspect of www. plantwithpurpose.org grandfather, which is the coolest San Diego Marriott La Jolla Briefly describe your visit toM a- volunteering? thing ever. “Please consider including Plant With lindi and how it impacted you. In Romans 12:1 we are encouraged Purpose in your wills and bequests. My visit to Malindi, Tanzania in to “present our bodies as a living Thank you, Mark, for all your February of 2009 was nothing sacrifice, holy and acceptable to support!

6 Formerly known as Floresta USA www.plantwithpurpose.org 7 Plant With Purpose NON PROFIT ORG. 4903 Morena Blvd. Suite 1215 US POSTAGE PAID San Diego, CA 92117 PERMIT NO. 236 Ph: (800) 633-5319 OCEANSIDE, CA Fax: (858) 274-3728 Email: [email protected] www.plantwithpurpose.org

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