Haiti Again?

I was in Haiti a year ago, May of 2010. It was the toughest place I've ever been. Upon return I knew I wanted to go back and form a long term relationship with the people, with the country work towards change. I wasn't quite sure how but there was a girl I was there with, she had the same idea. The thought was we'd return and collaborate to create a nonprofit that would help a specific slum village there. I was on board until I realized there are some people you can only be friends with and not business partners. My friends dad always warned of the distinction, and keeping that sacred. So she continued with the venture as I decided to figure out another way I could be involved with Haiti. I recently had a random wondering about the organization she started so I went on her website and saw that it hadn't gone very far. I'm not sure what that means, there just wasn't a lot of money raised towards the project. I haven't talked to her so it could be anything. It sparked nothing. But today I saw this article in Rolling Stone and the flame was reignited. Another tug in this time of transition that I'm not sure what to do with.

Wut Metaphysical - "Empathy Was a Liar"

My boy Wut Metaphysical's music video for Empathy Was a Liar featuring lots of good footage from our trip to Haiti in May.

Body Damage in Haiti

Here's the game. See how much damage one can do to his body over a 2 and a half week period in Haiti.

Haiti Injury Count:

-Cuts in shoulder from my heavy backpack. Painless but pretty clearly there when I finally notice them.
-Really bad sunburn all over my entire back, pretty early on my second day out there from the beach expedition. I could've sworn I covered myself with sunblock but practically that doesnt make sense if I applied it myself. Painful.
-Mosquito bites like mad. Covered. So itchy, especially my feet. The first few nights I slept outside I didn't use any repellent or even have a net so I suffered, got very little sleep.
-Cement Burn. Dude cement burns. Did you know that? I didn't. Apparently the lime in the concrete mix does something chemically that causes it to be acidic or basic, on eof those two, it eats flesh. So you get open wounds and then your foot swells. Oh and the cement binds to your skin so it gets rashy and irritated.
-Swollen Hands. It's either what naturally happens when your body tries to retain heat or the cement again.
-Diarrhea. I introduced bacteria into my digestive system I think when I first ate the Haitian BBQ from a street vendor. And then again when I had the fish and fried plantains at the beach. Again from the corn. Again with the calamari. All of which were delicious and well worth the uncomfortable bathroom situation. Plus I had prescribed Ciphro (antibiotics - oh the wonders of med technology).
-Got a cut about 2 inches below my right knee I forget exactly how but during the construction process somewhere.
-One of the mosquito bites on my elbow got infected.
-Got my big toe smashed during a game of soccer. Came home to find my sock bloody and a cut beneath a broken toe nail.
-Bloody blisters on both of my palms from bashing walls with a sledgehammer without gloves.
-Massive migrane that put me down for an hour. Probably from dehydration or a mild case of food poisoning.

Haiti Video

Everything Falls - Fee

The work of Hands and Feet for Haiti.

I'm Out!

I'm off for Haiti.
I might die out there but I'm ready.
So if I die I'll see you in heaven if not I'll see you back here.
Peace everyone. I'll come back with stories to share and life change to impart.
Thanks for the prayers. Every step I take is because someone is praying. Like an engine. If I stop a few feet from my destination its because someone fell asleep while they were praying and didnt quite finish. Wake Up!

Haiti bound

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s been a while for some of you. Let me know seriously how you are doing. I really want to know and if I knew how to manage my time better and had endless amounts of cash I’d go and hang with all of you.

So a quick update. I’m still up here in Oakland, my third year in the reportedly third most violent city in America. I still work for Regeneration Church, working to help transform community and change the culture that feeds into gangs, drugs, sex trafficking and violence. As a part of that I get to plan and host college and high school groups from as far as Texas who come in see what inner city urban life looks like, with my personal goal being they fall in love as I did and come back to serve here. I'm also involved with the launch of Commuity Rejuvenation Project, a non-profit that aims to beautify Oakland through murals, gardens, cleanup, food, celebration all the while engaging the local communities. I invite all of you to come and visit. It’s honestly not anything like you’ve probably heard, Oakland’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever lived in because there’s such a beauty in people coming together to rebuild the fabric of a broken place. As a part of my job I get to work directly with a lot of these amazing people. It’s so awesome, I really feel fortunate to be where I am but sometimes I feel like I need to get away, so after much thought and prayer I’ve decided that instead of going on a wasteful vacation I’d go to Haiti and serve the needs there. I know I’ll be the one getting served, coming back shifted from the experience but I know that’s something I want to do and bring back to share with all of you.

The details:

May 14-22

I will stay and work in the Kingdom Kids Orphanage/Church in Port Au Prince.

Clean up and work on post quake construction projects.

Support families with rice deliveries.

Serve hot meals in La Saline (a poor neighborhood in Port Au Prince)

Be open and willing to do anything that needs to be done.

And lastly but most importantly spread the love that was unconditionally given to me.

Partner:

Prayers and encouragement, I seriously can’t do this alone, I am self centered and full of pride. And if you want to partner with me financially, the trip will cost me $1400 total, with $700 going towards room and food for the week, transportation, an outing for the orphanage children, food for a feeding outreach in La Saline and building supplies for a construction project we will do out there. The remaining $700 will go towards airfare.

Regeneration
P.O. Box 10045
Oakland, CA 94610
(made out to Regeneration, memo line: Haiti or Dave)

If you have any questions at all about what goes down in Oakland or the trip to Haiti or you just want to catch up feel more than free to get in touch.

http://eastmeetswestteam.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Dave Y. Kim

Bowl Haiti

Here's a poster I did for a Haiti Bowling Benefit Tournament my friends in the city are putting on.

Bowl Haiti

Date: February 21st, 2010

Time: 11:00 AM

Location: Serra Bowl, Daly City

For information and registration, go to www.jrunkinc.com

Prints were made and the original is being raffled off at the tourney. If there are any left, they'll be for sale. All proceeds of course going to Haiti, not sure which specific org.

Water color and ink on heavy watercolor paper. 26x40