The area of Bombardopolis is very remote, but also very beautiful. The land on which Pastor Steve's father built his ministry is about one acre or so. There is a Church and a school along with the home on this property. Pastor Steve's father was a highly respected Pastor in this area. He developed a ministry which reached out to many hundreds of people in the surrounding area. Sadly, Pastor Paul passed away last winter and many thousands of people came to his funeral. Pastor Steve now takes on this responsibility along with his Reaching Haiti 4 Christ Ministry and the Church in Port au Prince. He also maintains a Church in the Fort Lauderdale area as well as working full time. His energy is amazing! Fortunately, he has some very capable leaders that he is mentoring to help him grow and continue his work in Haiti. 
Pastors home is very classic Haitian. It is a simple cement block structure with rafters that have been crafted from long sticks. It has an open ceiling and a tin roof which makes even a light rain sound like a torential down pour! There are two bedrooms and a dining area, a storage area and an additional larger room which currently houses a mom and her 4 children. She had been the cook for Pastor Steves father, but recently her husband was killed so Pastor Steve is trying to help her until she can figure out what to do.
The kitchen is a separate small building which holds a small table and an iron. open grate stand which holds the charcoal. There is an area to put a pot on to boil or to fry food. It is basic, but efficient.
Because I was coming, gas was brought to power the small generator so we could have lights at night. Usually, the Haitians are in complete darkness or have small fires to give light. It is dark by 6:30 pm and light at about 4:30 - 5:00 am. It is a different cycle of time than we are used too in MN. Early to bed and VERY early to rise!!!!
The bathroom situation in Haiti is limited everywhere and in Bombarde it is no different. There is a latrine built up by the school and church about 50yds or so from the house. It has three stalls, one of which has a seat! The latrines are kept under lock and key and are used only for certain people or occasions. ( My visit being one of those occasions!) Not to be too graphic, but anti bacterial wipes were kept in the stall with the toilet seat along with toilet paper. But I learned it was also prudent to either wiggle the toilet seat or flash the flashlight into the hole to cause the rather large cockroaches (2-3 inches) to scurry on their way before attempting to be seated myself. Once I got the routine, it was pretty easy. As long as we are on the topic anyway just an FYI for any travelers to Haiti, especially the women. In general, there are no public bathrooms as we know them. You leave the house in the morning to go do your work and do not use the bathroom again until you return home in the late afternoon. (7:30am - 6:00pm) It is difficult to correlate that with "you need to drink plenty of water"! Anyway, as I said just an FYI.
Clean water is also a very limited commodity in many parts of Haiti. This is especially true in the mountainous regions of the North West. Some people have the resources to build cisterns to collect the rain water. In the villages around and in Bombarde, most have a large community cistern which is controlled by a mayor or commitee. The closest deep well to where Pastor Steve has his house is about 3 very difficult miles. Most people go there every day or so to collect the water in plastic jugs or buckets. It is a long hard walk for a very precious resource. When I first was learning about the Bombarde area a few years ago, I thought, why don't they just go in and dig more wells? After talking with well drillers and others and especially now seeing the difficulty of getting to the area, I can see why cisterns have become the option of choice. Drillers have been in but are rarely successful due to the depth needed to reach ground water and the difficulty of accessing an appropriate site. The Hospital in Bombarde has trained Haitian workers who will go build and install cisterns for families if the funds are available or the family has the resources to purchase a cistern.
Bombardopolis is a lovely area blest with many fruit trees and agricultural opportunities, if the weather cooperates. It has very gracious and giving people who understand the importance of community, family and working together. They also understand in a very tangible way, that their survival depends on the grace of God and they are so very thankful for every little blessing that comes their way. Seeing Pastors home and the area brings a perspective to life that is often lost in our busy American lives. While certainly there are problems related to the poverty in the area, the people show a resilience and strength of character that is rarely found in most US communities. It is inspiring.
Blessings, Susan
Clean water is also a very limited commodity in many parts of Haiti. This is especially true in the mountainous regions of the North West. Some people have the resources to build cisterns to collect the rain water. In the villages around and in Bombarde, most have a large community cistern which is controlled by a mayor or commitee. The closest deep well to where Pastor Steve has his house is about 3 very difficult miles. Most people go there every day or so to collect the water in plastic jugs or buckets. It is a long hard walk for a very precious resource. When I first was learning about the Bombarde area a few years ago, I thought, why don't they just go in and dig more wells? After talking with well drillers and others and especially now seeing the difficulty of getting to the area, I can see why cisterns have become the option of choice. Drillers have been in but are rarely successful due to the depth needed to reach ground water and the difficulty of accessing an appropriate site. The Hospital in Bombarde has trained Haitian workers who will go build and install cisterns for families if the funds are available or the family has the resources to purchase a cistern.
Bombardopolis is a lovely area blest with many fruit trees and agricultural opportunities, if the weather cooperates. It has very gracious and giving people who understand the importance of community, family and working together. They also understand in a very tangible way, that their survival depends on the grace of God and they are so very thankful for every little blessing that comes their way. Seeing Pastors home and the area brings a perspective to life that is often lost in our busy American lives. While certainly there are problems related to the poverty in the area, the people show a resilience and strength of character that is rarely found in most US communities. It is inspiring.
Blessings, Susan
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