Back to the Greatest City in America

We arrived to Baltimore on January 20, 2020 our new apartment, 2020 St. Paul St., Baltimore MD. 

Nate is at Catholic Relief Services, and Cecilia continues her work on Global Diet Quality. It's been a wild ride, and we are excited for where God has placed us.  Community organizing in Baltimore is all-consuming, and we are engaged in struggles with our neighbors to save homes, elevate the voice of residents in community development, and prevent the undue closure of community schools. Sometimes it feels like the city government and corporate forces are actively trying to destroy its own city.  We resist by organizing and coordinating resistance through non-violent, grassroots activism through our church organization, PROAction.  (People Rising to Organized Action).  

#shaastrong
#organizepoppleton
#blackneighborhoodsmatter

We're in South Florida!

We have exciting news...   
We're relocating from Baltimore, MD to Fort Lauderdale, FL!  
Cecilia has joined a multi-national company that provides certifications on standards of excellence (e.g. organics, fair trade) for the food and agriculture industry, among others (industries/services).  Her primary role is to help companies implement sustainable farming practices in the sourcing of raw materials.  She can tell you all about it, if you're interested.
You may ask, "So what's Nate going to do?" Well, we're working on that.  In the meantime, check out his website with some past work.  www.natetarter.com.

Read more about where we've been

Nate and Cecilia in a new location

See you soon Ayiti cherie, we moved to Baltimore!

Our term as volunteer church engagement coordinator and agriculture project manager came to an end in May 2012.  By the end of our term there, we had learned so much and had made many new friends.  When we said goodbye, we both had a sneaking suspicion that we'd be back, if only to visit.  We left many agriculture and church engagement projects in progress, and we left good people who would champion those projects and lead them forward.
One such project was a huge greenhouse building that will eventually house grafted fruit trees, tomatoes, and other vegetables.  It's quite an impressive structure, but it was most impressive to see the local Haitians learning quickly to do something they've never done before, and never showing any fear to walk the rafters high above.





Before we made our way back home, World Relief asked us to come on board as staff in their home office in downtown Baltimore.  We accepted a temporary contract with them, and we've been in "Charm City" for about 2 months now, enjoying the city life.   
Now, Cecilia is on her way back to Haiti for 1 week as acting program officer for Haiti.  For now, that feeling we had as we left has come true for Cecilia.  She's due in Port au Prince on Monday morning.

Not so random encounter with David

Cecilia, Nate, David and Gina at their house in 2010

Last August, we were planning and trying to book flights for Ecuador in December.  There was a glitch in the online booking process which caused us to have an extra stop and a 6-hour layover in Atlanta.  We did not mind it too much as we at least saved some money that way, and we thought one of our friends in Atlanta might have time to come and see us at the airport.

The day before our flight, Cecilia posted a note to our friends who live in Atlanta to ask if they want to stop by the airport to visit.  We got no response, but when we got to Atlanta we figured we’d try to connect with them again. 

Since we hadn't been in the US for a while, we didn’t have a cell phone plan.  Our only hope was to contact them through the Internet.  Most airports do not have free Internet, and it usually costs an obscene amount of money to log in for just a half hour.  But when Cecilia opened her laptop, it quickly connected to the Internet, free of charge.  What a nice surprise!  Nate was carrying his laptop too and tried to do the same thing, however his computer wouldn't connect at all.

Cecilia made a call from her computer to the home of David and Gina Ashley, great friends living in the Atlanta area.  Gina answered and told us excitedly that David was actually IN the airport right then, waiting to catch a plane!

She gave us his cell phone number and she told us she'd try to call him too so we could meet up.  We were in concourse A of the busiest airport in the USA.  We called David’s cell phone, but with no answer.  We called Gina back, and she told us that David was ALSO in Concourse A, in the food court looking for us.  We happened to be sitting just 40 yards away.  We made our way there and sure enough, there he was!

We embraced and sat there just amazed that we made that unbelievably improbable connection.  It was even more amazing to hear that David was planning to take an earlier flight and shouldn’t have really been there.  Somehow, the furnace in his house broke and it was exceptionally cold that day.  He needed to change flights due to his heater malfunctioning. 

We got a chance to catch up and talk about some of the important things going on in our lives.  We walked with him to his gate and saw him off, the last one to get on the plane.  We only saw each other for a total of about 30 minutes.  After he caught his flight, we still had about 4 hours to kill.  We sat back down and Cecilia once again pulled out her laptop.  Nate remarked, “It would be pretty spooky if you couldn't connect to the Internet for free now.”  Cecilia opened her laptop, we waited for it to boot up, and opened an Internet browser.  To our great shock and amazement, the internet was not available.  It was and always had been a service that cost about $8 per hour of use.

It is kind of a long story, but we had to tell you the details in order to realize that this was not only a coincidence, it was “arranged.”  It is not the first time this kind of thing has happened to us.  Sometimes we feel all that we are doing is kind of crazy and we want to know that it is not just us doing whatever, but that God is truly with us.  So God shows us his love and care by arranging such unlikely meetings with dear friends and mentors that encourage us.  But the most encouraging thing is to feel God's love so tangibly. 

On that flight from Atlanta to Quito, we experienced the worst turbulence we’ve been through, then our plane couldn't land in Quito, so we were dropped off in Guayaquil, a coastal city in Ecuador.  That experience at the Atlanta airport was very helpful through the next things: to remain at peace knowing that our lives are in God’s hands.  So we were able to enjoy our day in Guayaquil, the hospitality and food of the Hilton hotel (courtesy of the airline), and wait again in Quito to receive Nate’s family coming delayed.  We spent two full days in airports and then we arrived home to spend a full wonderful week with two of our families together.  What a treat from God this life is!

Two families enjoying breakfast in Quito, Ecuador

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

Umoja: Ansanm nou kapab!

“It’s not like it used to be,” we hear our friend say, “my father tells me that 25 years ago people cared for each other in Port Au Prince.  There was a sense of community.  And now, everyone fends for himself.”  He tells us this with nostalgia and with a desire to recover that which was lost.  Our friend is the coordinator of the exciting work we are involved with: working with church leaders to come together and care for their community through a process called Umoja.

“Umoja, which means ‘togetherness’ in the Swahili language of East Africa, is an exciting and transformational church and community initiative. It helps church leaders and their congregations work together with the local community to bring about positive change for the whole community.” Tearfund website

Recently, we had the privilege to be part of the first Umoja workshop in a community near Port Au Prince.  Going through the crowded streets of Carrefour, looking carefully to not miss the turn to Bertain, the dirt road became narrower, we crossed the river and went up and up on a bumpy road wide enough for only one lane.  At the end of this road is the church, where the workshop took place.  As we stood at the door we could see the hills full of houses and a ravine dividing the two hills and the turquoise blue sea in the distance.  We can close our eyes and feel like we are back at the door taking in the view and all the life of the place.

View from the church in Carrefour Bertain

Inside the building, any breeze that came through the open windows was a refreshing relief from the heat.  It was hot, not only from the weather, but also from the intense discussions that went on throughout the week.  Jokingly at first, the pastors came up with a slogan for the workshop.  One person would yell “Umoja!” and the others would follow “Ansanm nou kapab!” which in Creole means “together we can!”  By day four, it had deepened into the minds of the whole group that yes, together they can bring change little by little to their community.
We were not only observers, but were able to participate.  Nate prepared one of the sessions trying hard to use his limited knowledge of Creole and with the help of our fearless, multilingual leader.  We organized games and activities to energize the group.  It was great fun to see the church leaders get into a game of “dog, cat, rooster” (our full-body, Haitian-adapted version of “rock, paper, scissors”).  On the last day we finished strong with a celebration and were pleasantly surprised by their outpouring of gratefulness.  They had prepared a fruit basket, books, a framed plaque and even a hand-made Umoja flag!

Receiving a plaque and fruit basket from participants on the last day

It was so encouraging, not just because of their gratitude, but because it showed they can do great things together to care for one another.  This was a step towards the church awakening to its role as a catalyst for community change.  We pray God will give them strength to carry out the things they have purposed in their hearts: to pass the vision to their community and see it become an attractive place to live and raise a family.

Ayiti Cheri: Perceptions

Ayiti Cheri means “My Dear Haiti.” We’d like to share with you about some of the things we’ve experienced in this country that is becoming dear to us and tell you how we perceive these experiences: two foreigners in a beautiful land with beautiful people, but with many struggles as well. This is the first of a series of stories about our life in Haiti.

Questions of conscience

One thing is to talk about disparities between the rich and the poor, but another thing is to see them both living in such close proximity. Imagine eating at an expensive restaurant while you watch a video about starving children. Would you be able to enjoy your meal? What kind of things would come to your mind? Think about it.

One day we were celebrating a friend’s birthday at a nice restaurant in a wealthy neighborhood in Port Au Prince. We were very happy to share that special time with friends and we enjoyed ourselves. The menu has its prices in US Dollars and if you want to pay with the local currency, they’ll charge a higher exchange rate… How interesting, do they think we are rich?! Well, maybe we are rich here: we have access to private transportation, we eat more than one meal per day, we drink water that does not make us sick, and we are blan (white, foreigner), which puts us in that category by default anyways. But as we stepped out of the restaurant, right in front of us, there was a sight that brought uneasy feelings: the park was filled with tents and people living in them. Then the questions came:

“Is it right for us to spend money at a place like that when there are so many people living in such circumstances? But, we ourselves can’t take care of all who are in need. Maybe it is okay to enjoy ourselves like that sometimes. What kind of people are we that we feel okay spending in the same way, as long as there is no sight like that in front of us? How interesting is human nature, that we prefer to separate ourselves from that kind of sight, so we can feel okay about living our lives comfortably.” These were all thoughts that came to mind and things we had to “debrief” with each other. Questions of conscience. And they keep coming.

They keep coming as we finish having lunch during field trips and old ladies come begging for money touching their bellies and saying “I am hungry, give me some money,” as we drive through the busy streets of Pòtoprens and little kids offer to wipe the car if we give them some money, as we drive with teams of Americans and people yell in English “Give me one Dollah!” when they see us pass by. We struggle saying NO to people because it is easier to give them a coin and feel good about ourselves. But we say NO. We decided we won’t give money to people asking or begging for it because if we do, it’s almost like making a contract with them that says “I will give you money, if you get out of my way.” We feel we don’t treat people with dignity when we hand out money or things without knowing their names, their family or whether our “help” is really what they need to have a life with dignity: to come out of poverty, to take care of their families, to leave a legacy to their grandchildren, and to see others and themselves in a healthy way in order to interact with each other honorably and respectfully.

And you know what? We wrote this yesterday, but today instead of saying NO, we said apre (later) to the kid outside the bakery. We brought a snack out in case he was still there, and he was. And as we were leaving we saw him share the little snack with a younger child. As you see, each day is a new day, and we can’t base our actions on strict dogma. We will keep asking God to guide our interactions to act wisely, and to help us wrestle with the big questions about life, development, poverty and true riches.

How we got to Haiti the long way around

“Where are you from?  Where did you use to live?  What drew you to Haiti?” are frequent questions we get, but we lack simple ‘conversation-friendly’ answers because we are a cross-cultural couple and lived out of suitcases for more than a year.  It seems the answers are getting more and more interesting the longer we are together.

Where are you from?

Nate: “Well, I am originally from Massachusetts”
Cecilia: “And I am from Ecuador, but we used to live in Ithaca, NY until about a year ago”
Nate: “Then we travelled to many places for a full year”
Cecilia: “We did not intend that, it just happened that way”

On a mountain with Port Au Prince in the background

Interesting… So how did you end up in Haiti?

Mural Painting

 While at Dulce Refugio, we worked with the kids and leaders to paint a mural on one of the walls of the new building.  It was a blast!

Ecuador update: Looking back, looking forward

This is a brief recount of where we’ve been and what we are doing now in Quito, Ecuador.

Nate, Cecilia, and some of our work-mates at the church, Dulce Refugio

Port Au Prince: SUPPLIES!

In October 2010, we went to Haiti with Mercy Ships as part of a short term medical team.  We went to work in a clinic that is part of a larger organization called Mission of Hope. Since the earthquake, this ministry has been instrumental in distribution of food and medical supplies, and in providing healthcare to the Haitian people around Port-Au-Prince.
On our 2 week trip we learned more than we could have imagined.  Please enjoy the following short account of just one aspect of the work we did there.

Sierra Leone: City of Rest

The Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre front door in Sierra Leone where we went to an international Christian fellowship.

We walked through a metal door in a high concrete wall with a sign on the side that says "Mercy Ships Sierra Leone: Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre".  Years ago, Mercy Ships helped to construct and staff a women's fistula clinic in this area of Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Slowly and carefully it is being turned over to the Freedom from Fistula Foundation. We went there and made a quite expected connection.

Sierra Leone - Land of Beauty

Our first impressions of Freetown as we went up to the team house on the hill that first day were of beauty and majesty. We will never forget it.

The Pocket Notebook

On our journey from Ithaca to Texas to Africa, we've collected a few things along the way.  However, none have been so helpful and used to such benefit than one spontaneous and seemingly insignificant gift from a friend in up-state New York.  It's a little nicely bound pocket notebook.

A couple pics from Benin

We just wanted to update you with a few pictures before we depart Abomey, Benin tomorrow.

This is Mama Arlette, the Children's home leader, where we worked with the kids and on some various building projects.  The kids are awesome.  She's reading out some letters the kids wrote to us on the last day.

This is Abbalo.  He's one of the orphans at the Children's home.  We got a chance to have a full-on water balloon fight in the courtyard.  Boys vs. Girls.  Abalo was the last man standing, so we eventually snuck up and doused him with water from the balloon bucket.  He was still smiling though.  

More updates to come.  We are on the eve of our departure to Togo.  Pray for safe travels!

Basic Safety Training: Fighting Fires

This week marks the last week of our training in East Texas.

It began with Fire Fighting practical training.  

In the hot sun, in a hotter shipping container, with full turn-out gear and SCBA(all the stuff we're wearing)

It was nice to get out of the heat after a couple hours in those suits. We salute the firefighters who risk their lives in such gear and conditions.  The work they do is unlike any other.