The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2016-02-11, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016. Blyth -area residents return from Haiti mission Boots on the ground When it comes to foreign aid, Mission to Haiti Canada thinks the best way to handle helping the third world country is to have the Haitians identify what they need help with and having Canadian missionaries fill those needs. Sometimes, it's building a church, mending a roof or running a Vacation Bible School. Other times, it's giving a hug, like Dawn, left, and Tiffany Uyl did above during their trip to Haiti last month. (Lisa Pot photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen Several Blyth and area residents recently returned from Haiti as part of a mission trip to the community focused on constructing the roof of a school and church building, running a Vacation Bible School (VBS) and helping out the locals as best they could. Run through Mission to Haiti Canada, approximately 30 people from all over southern Ontario, including Woodstock, Forest and Blyth, travelled to Haiti on Jan. 18 for 10 days. Lisa Pot, Auburn -area resident and editor of The Rural Voice, an agricultural magazine produced by The Citizen's parent company North Huron Publishing, was one of the locals to participate in the trip and she said she got involved to put action behind her faith and to keep up a familial tradition. "My dad was a regular," She said. "He asked me to go the year after the earthquake hit Haiti, but we didn't end up going until the year after [2011 ] when I brought my daughter." Pot has since taken the trip with her children, making sure to share the experience with them. "I wanted to have something with my kids that showed them how they can help in the world and show them how the world is for those outside our bubble," she said. This year marked the third trip for Pot, who said she feels it's a blessing to share the responsibility of the mission with her children. "So many people live like those in Haiti do," she said. "They are hungry, they have no water, inadequate housing and no electricity. Every time I go I come back changed, as do my children." A connection One of the best parts of going to Haiti through the Mission to Haiti Canada program, according to missionary Lisa Pot, is connecting with people there. Pot, shown here connecting with one of the orphans in the community that she visited earlier this year, spoke with The Citizen about what keeps her returning annually. (Photo submitted) Pot said there are different trips every time that usually consist of medical practice, the VBS and sponsorship opportunities. This particular trip focused on building a roof for the local church which functions as a school for the rest of the year as well as the annual giving of goats to local families. "It's a pay -it -forward kind of thing," Pot said. "We give people the goats and, when the goats have their first kid, [the people] are supposed to give it to another family." The goat donations are for the people on the trip as well as those who can't make the commitment to travel to Haiti for 10 days in January. "Anyone can pay the $75 for a goat and have it delivered," Pot said. "It really helps out." The missionaries also distribute food, according to Pot, providing rice, oil and soup mix along with clothes and toys and staples like toothpaste. "We put those items in bags and distribute them to the people," Pot said. "It's really a meaningful day because of what you see when the families get those bags. We take turns, giving out the bags, but it isn't just handing them to the people there. You take them by the hand, and you connect with them, which is a great way to do things." Pot believes in the missions because they aren't dictated by people in Canada, but by Pastor Charles, a Presbyterian leader who decides what needs to be done by the missionaries. "He's Haitian and figures out the projects," she said. People are drawn to the trips, especially after they have experienced them Pot. "It's something people do repeatedly," she said. "You get there and you connect with the community and the orphans and it's really a special thing to be a part of." Pot points to her own experience during a slow day on the construction site as how she feels that the trip is magical. "I took some French books and went to the courtyard at the site," she said. "Within minutes I had 20 kids teaching me French. They were telling me what words mean." She said the bonding experience is amazing. Proof of Pot's statement that people keep coming back can be found in the youth attending the trip like Tiffany and Dawn Uyl and Herman Thalen who spoke to The Citizen previously about the trip and Ben Nonkes, who returned this year after a serious motor vehicle collision prevented him from attending last year. "I was there two years ago, and I had heard about it because people from my church [the Blyth Christian Reformed Church] attended it and my grandma told me about it," Nonkes said. Nonkes was excited to return, saying that he looked forward to being a part of the construction project as well as the VBS team that organizes activities for the orphans at the complex they visit. "During the first VBS session, I think there were 350 kids there," he said. "It just kept increasing from there each day the VBS was in operation." The children that take part in the VBS are the main reason that Nonkes came back and plans on returning, possibly after he finishes his post -secondary education. "They are why I want to keep going back," he said. "They are so happy to see you. They love to get picked up or to [have you] hold their hand." Nonkes said that anyone who wants to make a difference should get involved by visiting mthcanada.org. "You just have to apply to go there," he said. "It has all the information and what the organization is all about and all the money donated goes to Haiti and the projects there. They don't have any paid employees." Viitculine' Give a book they'll love FROM LOG CABIN TO MANSION: The Story of Joshua Tennant Blyth historian Janis (Morritt) Vodden tells of Blyth's first teacher and the fascinating detective work, done in conjuction with interested researchers all across the continent, to discover more about him. $10.00 II OM. 'I'0 Think la m LIKE A Imu„nw Horse Cl,e,ry hill HOW TO THINK LIKE A HORSE Noted horsewoman Cherry Hill argues equine behaviour makes perfect sense if you understand a horse's survival instinct and fears and know what makes him feel calm and confident. She tells how to use that knowledge. $24.95 Vk TERI).V1 M�;nexts... YESTERDAY'S MOMENTS ...TODAY'S MEMORIES Huron County author David Turner returns with his third collection of stories of a rural and small-town youth spent in Perth, Grey, York and Peel Counties — times when life was different than today. $23.95 OUR FAMILY FARM 12 writers tells stories of life on family farms in Grey and Bruce counties from the city girl who becomes a farm woman to a kid's world where a gravel pit becomes a playground in this celebration of the International Year of Family Farming. $15.00 FAMILY HISTORY TRACING YOUR IRISH FAMILY HISTORY Millions of Canadians can trace their family history back to Ireland. This comprehensive guide helps you discover your Irish roots with guides to civil and religious registries, a dictionary of Irish sources, and information on Irish names. $29.95 TOP 125 UNUSUAL THINGS TO SEE IN ONTARIO TOP 125 UNUSUAL THINGS TO SEE IN ONTARIO Ron Brown just keeps finding more fascinating things to see in Ontario. This latest book includes castles, ghosts and the world's shortest railway. Several of his recommendations are close to home. $24.95 ONE WOMAN v LIFE !x.1140 - .- 51-IEE12 JENNA 1°iliFOsEu RicR lam .II ONE WOMAN FARM Jenna Woginrich left a desk job to take up farming in upstate New York. Here she traces a year on her farm where she raises Scottish Blackface sheep and keeps chickens, pigs, goats and bees. She also writes for several publications. $20.95 Df. Ows StallSide Manner Rd�raw 6.47 re Dtn'+d Perrin DR. DAVE'S STALLSIDE MANNER The second book of Dr. Dave Perrin's hilarious series about his adventures as a vet dealing with animals from neurotic telephone -talking dogs to a hilarious tryst between a star-crossed mare and a wayward stallion. $23.95 Great selection of books available at... 413 Queen St., Blyth11he •• 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-523-4792 Citizen 519-887-9114