CODEP

It is a pleasure and a joy to introduce you to Richard (Rick) and Kathy Land who will manage CODEP and do the work of Haiti Fund in Christ’s name in Haiti. They are seasoned missionaries, lived in Haiti for ten years, hail from Pittsboro, Indiana near Indianapolis, and are thrilled to be returning to Haiti and work in CODEP.

For the period from 1990 to 2000 Rick and Kathy lived in the non-denominational Christian mssion named Christianville near the town or Gressier, about five miles east of Léogâne. In fact, Rodney and Sharyn Babe also lived at the Christianville mission just prior to the opening of our L’Acul facility. So they know each other well!

Rick and Kathy arrived in Haiti on the 26^th of September 2006 and began the transition process to new leadership at L’Acul and CODEP.

The Lands were interviewed in their home in Pittsboro, IN near Indianapolis on September 6^th where they talked about their life in Christian ministry. Their thoughts and comments are shown below:

What led you into becoming missionaries?

God spoke to us the first time we arrived in Haiti on a short term mission trip. We knew we would return and that our lives would never be the same. How do you know when God is calling? It’s something hard to explain, but you know when it happens. It’s kind of like falling in love—you just know it. We were always in one accord, a confirmation of the call. It was unthinkable for us to believe God would choose us over more educated and talented people, but our hearts were moldable and we trusted that together He would never take us where we would fail. So that began a 14 year journey for the Lands.

What did you do during your 10 year stint in Haiti the first time?

The first year we were in charge of the farm and the guest house. We enjoyed learning the language of the local people through veterinarian calls and working with the nutrition center. One of our greatest opportunities was working with the old people’s ministry and USAID food program.

After the first year, we found ourselves in the director’s seat of the mission. This included making decisions regarding medical, dental, and eye clinics, 4 schools, including high school, 6 churches, a working farm and agriculture projects, fish ponds, and guest house. Later, we started the university.

What has drawn you back into this ministry?

We realized that we needed to come home and catch our breath. Also, we have aging parents and growing grandchildren. We needed the fellowship of our fantastic church and the accountability of our bible study groups. However, we longed for the “other” family that we had grown so close to in Haiti. We made annual trips back to work and visit, which helped the separation pain. It wasn’t until we met with some of Haiti Fund, board members in July that we realized how much we wanted to return for more than a visit. We still have a few good years left, and the opportunity to serve as interims for three years or so was a perfect fit. Leaving the comforts of our home was not even a question as we began thinking of our new Haiti home. Of course, granddaughters and mothers are always hard to leave.

 

What can you tell us about the culture?

We found that people are the same everywhere. Haitians have the luxury of being on a more simple schedule so their needs are easier to fill. Having spent a lot of time in the villages around the mission in Christianville and beyond, we have always felt safe and welcomed. Most villages have a leader, often a matriarch, or perhaps a hoogan. This is a key person when trying to sell an idea or make any change. There is still a lot of tribal (family) allegiance. After a while it is easy to distinguish what family group some one belongs to just by seeing his features.

Life in the province is much like it was 100 or more years ago. Many think that if something worked for generations it must still be fine for them. An example would be the lack of latrines and simple sanitation practices.

Voodoo still has a hold on much of the population, including “Christians.” Voodoo plays upon the fears of people. There are things that happen in Haiti that might never happen in the US, because of these fears. Having said that, we have no fear in that regard, and have engaged in relationships with voodoo believers. We always hope that God will use us to guide the lost to Him.

Unlike the case in other cultures, we have found the Haitian people to be very industrious and hard workers. Most would rather hold a job and be self-sufficient than not work. However, they do not like being paid in “rewards,” such as food, but would rather be paid in cash, so that they might have the free will to decide how that is spent. We know this is a result of the early years as slaves, paid only with tokens from the “company store.” We are excited about the incentive program that CODEP uses. It surely has worked well.

Have you heard of CODEP before?

Yes. The Babes have been our friends for years. In fact, they rented a house from our mission for 2 years while L’Acul was being built. Rick even helped some in the construction and planning. We have visited the CODEP project in it’s earlier stage.

What is your impression of this project compared to others which are similar?

We are familiar with a few similar projects around Haiti, which are all now gone and the trees cut down. Having come from a farming and agricultural background, we are excited to see the radical change in the mountains above. Also, helping the people so far from the city has a special attraction to us.

Do you know any of the local people who are in CODEP?

Rick has had contact with some of the animators and with the driver for CODEP. We do not know the villagers nearby the compound, but that will be first on our list of things to do!

What about your background and church affiliation?

We have been youth leaders and active in every church which we have attended. Rick was elder in 4 churches. Together, we were Campus Life coaches for 2 high schools for 10 years prior to going to Haiti. We have served on the missions committee and were forwarding agents and executive directors for Christianville for 4 years. We are members of the Gideons International.

We were active members of the Lasalle Christian Church in Gressier, Haiti and are now members at Cornerstone Christian Church in Brownsburg, Indiana. This is a non-denominational church, with a brotherhood affiliation with the North American Convention.

How about your family?

We have been married for 41 years and have 2 sons, Gary and Greg. They are married to Mary and Joy. We have 5 beautiful granddaughters: Morgan (11), Alex (10), Kayla (9), Madison (8), and Molly (2).

Please pray for grace-filled beginnings of Rick and Kathy’s new ministry in CODEP on behalf of Haiti Fund, Inc. and our partners Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.) and Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. We feel God’s grace continues to shine of the work being done by all of God’s people in Haiti and those who support their efforts. - Haiti Fund, Inc. Board of Directors