Over the last twenty years, a major ministry of Mercy International has been to travel to the mountains north of Les Cayes, Haiti and set up medical clinics in a very remote part of the country called Joli Guibert. The extreme poverty and lack of health care has caused me to return many times as the needs are far greater there than in the big cities.
The last 42 miles generally take six hours of four wheel driving on mainly single-lane mountain roads without any guard rail along the way. That, coupled with concern over the water level at the river Glaz, always causes us to pay close attention. Many vehicles have been swept away and lives lost when the water levels are high. Abandoned vehicle-remains are a common sight downstream from the crossing. Attached are some pictures of one such accident.
Not only have we spent unscheduled stops for the night in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the water to recede, but there was also the concern that the river would be high as we headed back to the airport. It was always a relief to reach the river and realize we could cross it without any problem.
Many of you know the Kennedy family, who have been great friends and missionaries to Haiti and Mexico for decades. They are presently on a medical mission to that area and sent a picture to show me that there is now a bridge over the river Glaz! The road there is being improved also. I have been joking that we will have to find a new place that is more remote and exciting than that for future trips. That is only a joke, as we know full well the desperate poverty and the great need for basic health care there. A number of orphans from HCRM have come from that area as a result of those remote clinics.
Lord willing, we will continue with our remote medical clinics to that area for a long time to come.
