Faces of Haiti: Peter

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His full name is Peterson Chery.  Everyone just calls him Peter.  He is John’s best friend.  He is a Haitian and this is his story.

Like many children in his country, Peter grew up in a home with only one parent.

“My mom was the man and woman of the family,” he said.  “It was hard.”

When Peter was twelve, his mother became very sick and required some time in a hospital.  During those months, Peter was placed in Morningstar Orphanage where Bill Carter, a missionary, took him on a trip to Detroit.

“I loved America,” said Peter.  “In America, the way I saw people treat themselves, each other, and their stuff, I realized that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

After his trip to the United States, Peter found himself cleaning and sweeping in order to stay healthy.

Peter feels that his experience in the United States taught him the value of healthiness and learning to keep his life clean.  He feels it helped guard him from many diseases and other harmful parasites.

“It’s good for my value,” Peter said.  “I am safer now because I have the United States custom.”

Peter arrived at the IGB base at Crois des Bouquets on Monday morning by bicycle.  He had no money for a taxi, so his mother had to wake him up early in order for him to bike the 20 miles it took to get here.

He has been helping there since the earthquake happened.  That night, Peter said that suddenly, “It felt like when you are on a bus and you are driving through potholes.  It was just shaking so much.”

Peter saw a whole wall fall over close to where his mother was standing.

He said, “My mom just stood there afraid.  I was in the house.  She yelled to me to get out!  I tried to run, but I fell because of all the shaking.  She came and picked me up and we got out of the house.  Outside, many people dead.  But God saved me.”

Peter did not see the earthquake as a judgement from God, but rather a message that God sees evil but plans good out of it.

“I know God will do something with Haiti,” he said.  “There are Haitians who have been doing so many bad things.  Even if you take a poor little dog and kill the dog, God will see.  But some kill people, some kidnap children.  God sees this.  And he has done something to show that he exists.

The earthquake was responsible for destroying many businesses and goods, contributing further to Haiti’s economic crisis.

“After the earthquake, it was hard,” said Peter.  “There were no jobs. We had been searching for work when Pastor Penya of IGB came.  He was a blessing from God to give it to me.”

Pastor Newton Penya runs the IGB Haiti Fund.  Peter explained that they had given his family a large amount of money to be able to buy food for their survival.  Their generosity has inspired Peter to also help his countrymen.

“I have a plan with my Lord for an orphanage,” he said.  “If I go to study in the U.S. I want to come back and give to Haiti.  Many kids need an orphanage.”

Although Peter was very open to share his story, he expressed that it was hard to talk about everything that had happened.

“I don’t like to tell it,” Peter said.  “It is so sad.  I remember everything, but it’s sad to say.  The story in Haiti is so sad.”

“Me, I am a Haitian.  My story is real long.”