By SHARON KNIGHT
Houston County Editor
Two Erin residents recently took a mission trip to Haiti, but came away with far more than they left behind.
“We didn’t go for pleasure, although we got a lot of pleasure out of it,” said the Rev. David Turner, pastor of Bible Crusader’s Chapel.
He and church member Tommy Claxton went to the Caribbean island country April 18 to 25 with the objective of helping the Mountain Faith Mission/La Mission Emmanuel Par La Foi, a project started by the Rev. Lee R. Carroll and his wife, Molly, in 1947 – with a plan to work on a wall being built around the compound, dig a pond and plant a grove of banana trees. In addition to all that work, they were also there to expand the mission’s objective to “do the Lord’s work,” Turner said.
“But it’s not just spiritual,” he added. “It’s such a poor country that we feel like if we are doing that, we are not doing justice.”
Turner explained that wall encasing the compound is a necessity in Haiti, where there is very little law enforcement protection.
“What little justice they give is only available if you have a wall – some type of barrier,” Turner said.
The wall is about 30 inches wide, 10 feet tall and eventually will have some kind of electric or coiled wire around the top. The fence is powered by solar panels.
This was Turner’s third trip to Haiti. On the first trip, he delivered 10,000 Bibles (and later sent another 10,000). On the second trip, made just nine months ago, he delivered a large quantity of banana trees – several different varieties.
“This time, Tommy and I and the natives dug a pond by hand, pick and shovel,” Turner said.
The pond, with a circumference of 30 feet and about 4½ feet deep, was dug in one day and then filled with water. It was necessary to dig a trench to a nearby spring to provide a natural flow of water. Then they added a quantity of fish – a local species favored by the natives. The hope is that the pond will supply abundant fish for the 15-20 acre compound. The goal is to eventually have seven ponds on the compound.
“It was tough,” Turner said of the pond project. “We started at 6:30 or 7 (in the morning) and it was close to sundown when we put the fish in.”
The next day, the job was to work on a large church building under construction on the compound. The building will have the largest sanctuary in the country – 300 feet long and 64 feet wide.
Turner said the job that day was to “square up” the walls so trusses could be set.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” added Claxton, who has made two trips to Haiti himself.
Both men said they could feel the effects of the day before as they worked on the church.
“I can tell you, I was sore going up and down the ladder after dug that pond,” Turner said.
Other than the physical jobs, the men were also involved in a “street meeting”
“Responsiveness of the Haitian people is remarkable,” said Turner, who has been involved in mission work since 1989. “Haitians are tender … more receptive to the gospel than any other country I have been in.”
Turner came by his love for mission work honestly. His parents, Richard and Wilma Turner, have been missionaries in Haiti for since the early 1990’s. The Turners had lived in Houston County since 1969 and raised their family there.
Richard Turner took the first trip to Haiti alone.
“It was during the embargo and he saw thousands of Haitians starving to death,” Mrs. Turner said. “He felt so helpless. He said, ‘Lord I do not have enough to help all these people.’ However, he realized that all we have to do is all that we can.”
The Turners first lived in the town of Mirebalais before moving into the same house in Saut’ d Eau in which the Carrolls had lived so many years before.
“We have experienced countless battles, as most missionaries do, as we ministered to the Haitians, but with God’s grace, we have persevered,” Mrs. Turner said.
Mountain Faith Mission currently consists of 20-plus churches – although only one is located on the compound --seven schools, vocational school, medical clinic, bakery, and orphanage. It continues to operate as an independent work that relies wholly upon donations. The church on the compound has about 500 members.
David Turner said like his parents, he loves foreign mission work.
“We don’t realize how really blessed we are,” he said. “God has blessed America.”
Turner and Claxton saw many people suffering because of the rising food costs. Rice is the mainstay of the Haitian diet but the cost has soared to beyond the reach of the average Haitian.
There is a bakery that has been a tremendous help for the hungry, Mrs. Turner said. “We have two pizza ovens and each morning about 3 the bakery begins to bake what we think is delicious bread. Along with the gospel, we give them the ‘bread of life.’ We give the most of it away to the elderly and the young kids that roam the streets. We also sell some small loaves for a minimal amount of money that some people can afford.”
“We also buy our bread from the bakery,” she said. “We are trying to get it on a self-supporting basis. The word ‘trying’ is a big word.
Despite all the hardship, Turner – like his parents – knows that whatever help he can lend is worth the cost.
“Our worst day (in America) is better that the best day in a third world country like Haiti,” Tuner said.
