Baker: Haiti still needs donations, help


The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church.

A Wahpeton church leader recently returned from a week-long trip assisting Haiti residents rebuild their lives.

At the end of May, the Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church flew to Fond Deux, an area 50 miles west of Port-au-Prince, to help construct the foundation of a church. According to his Web site, rebuilding the church will be essential for the community.

"It may be used as a community shelter during tropical storms and hurricanes," he wrote.
The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church. photo submitted

As a disaster relief coordinator on behalf of Dakotas United Methodist Church, Baker accompanied eight other church leaders from across the nation to help out and hold a health clinic at the site. He was asked to go on the annual trip because of his experience with natural disasters.

The trip was intended to introduce mission trip leaders to Haiti so they could go back and take others, said Baker, a first-time visitor to the country.

"Hopefully, it will just continue to multiply," he said.

It's been five months since the earthquake struck the Caribbean nation, which killed more than 200,000. Residents everywhere are still living in tents for fear of aftershocks, even if their home wasn't damaged by the earthquake.

"They'll go into the houses in the daytime, but they're afraid to stay there overnight, so tents are everywhere," he said.

As residents continue to rebuild in one of the poorest countries in the world, their progress is considerably slow without heavy equipment. Half of the machines at Fond Deux - Baker saw five total in the week he was there - were provided by the United Nations. Essentially they're trying to do it with picks and shovels, he said.

"You look at all these houses and buildings that are flat and you wonder if somebody died there," he said. "It was a sad experience. But it was also just exhilarating meeting the people and seeing how much hope they had. Their faith is extremely strong."

Last year, Baker helped coordinate the Dakotas United Methodist Church response to the 2009 flood. He also coordinated relief efforts for the city of Dickinson, which suffered from housing loss after tornadoes battered the area.

"People tend to forget within a few weeks or months after the disaster is over that it takes years to recover," he said. "It's so important to keep our eyes and ears open, even though it's out of the media. The disaster is still going on in people's lives."

Baker, who intends on returning to Haiti this winter, said he encourages others to donate.

"Any donations to a charity working in Haiti would be more than appreciated," he said. "I think it's important to go over there, too, to let them know you care if for no other reason."

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