Special report: Luther students and Decorah woman return from trip to Haiti

Cheri Lane and some of the people of Haiti

If you don't think Americans as a whole have a pretty good lifestyle, with plenty of material items and comforts, you might need to go on a mission trip to Central America or the Caribbean.

Decorah resident Cheri Lane traveled to Haiti last month with six Luther College students.  It was her fifth trip to the country.  The group of seven people from Decorah visited Fond des Blanc, a mountainous community of around 70,000 people, located southwest of Port of Prince.  The community is a 3- to 5-hour drive from Port-au-Prince—depending on the traffic.

At Fond des Blancs, the group worked with Haitian native Jean Thomas and his wife, Joy, who started their ministry in the area 30 years ago, starting a school named "L'Exode" (named after the Biblical Exodus account).  When the school first began, Jean and Joy had to go from home to home to encourage parents to send their children to Kindergarten.  Now over 100 pre-school age children are enrolled and the school has expanded to serve 1,500 children through 12th grade.

"It's amazing to see what they can do," says Lane, adding that some things Americans take for granted—like having clean water and drivable roads--are a challenge in Haiti.  That can be a shock to Americans who visit Haiti for the first time.  And many times it is American society that comes up looking less than ideal.  Says Cheri, "The contrast...is just amazing.  The more we have, the more we want."  She adds, "Each time I have gone to Haiti, I discover how much more I still have to learn about my own prejudices and American-filtered way of viewing the world. I have made some very close friends in Haiti who have been very gracious and patient with me, and I hope to spread the word about needs there and how we can help share some of our excess to help meet those needs."

NEXT: What is the best way for Americans to help?  A spirited discussion is underway across the country.

(Click on photos for larger images)

Some of the volunteers from Decorah