Haiti is a poor, underdeveloped Caribbean nation, stunted by years of political turmoil and seems an unlikely place to go for an enjoyable time.

Thursday, March 21, 2002

Haiti is a poor, underdeveloped Caribbean nation, stunted by years of political turmoil and seems an unlikely place to go for an enjoyable time.

However, for ten members from the First United Methodist Church in Austin, what started as a mission trip to one of the most impoverished countries in the Western Hemisphere, turned into one of the best experiences of their lives.

Rev. Patricia Toschak and her husband, Rev. George Toschak, led the mission to repair and rebuild churches in Haiti and donate medical, school and personal hygiene supplies from Feb. 21 to March 7.

This was Patricia’s second mission trip with the church and she says the First United Methodist Church always "has been committed to sending volunteer mission teams internationally every other year. Teams have gone to Uganda, to Haiti and to Mexico, and there are a lot of others who do missionary work all over the globe."

"I brought an interest in Haiti from my previous appointment," she says. "I first went there in 1994, during the U.S. embargo and it was extremely different at that time. Each time I’ve gone, I’ve seen an improvement in the life of the people, but the political situation is still very unstable and not very hopeful."

However, Patricia says continues to do mission work there because she sees "so much hope in the people. They’re Christian people. They’re very faithful and committed, they’re very hard-working and are working for each of their children to have an education."

George explains "the average family spends a good portion of their income on a private education because they see education as their one great hope."

"When folks come from other countries, it increases their hope and they realize that people outside Haiti care about the country," he adds. "They need the money, that’s important, but more importantly, they need friends from the outside."

The group of missionaries sent by the Austin church went to show the Haitians just that. Members of the group ranged in age from 25 to 70 years old and they worked on two different projects.