"Providence is more than a home. It is God's work within us." -Gertrude Bien Aime
Gertrude was born in the small town of Coteaux outside of Les Cayes, Haiti, a member of a family of seven children. She received her primary education in Coteaux and attended high school in Port-au-Prince.
Gertrude is also a good friend and program director for Rays of Hope for Haiti. She has committed her life to helping the poor and more vulnerable in society. As a young woman she entered into the religious life as a Missionary of Charity committing her work to helping children who were sick, neglected, and abandoned. This became her calling and felt very strongly about helping Haiti’s most weak and silent victims of poverty, the children. When asked to go to the USA Gertrude could not bear leaving Haiti and the children. She requested, and was granted permission to depart from the religious order as a Sister of Charity. However she continues maintains close ties to the congregation and continually supported them in their ministry by often visiting their home for malnourished children in Delmas and their home for the sick and dying in San Fils, Haiti. In fact, Gertrude, has pursued various opportunities in Haiti to help others independently from the religious order, yet no so strongly as the opportunity to help abandoned children and provide for them a safe home environment.
As a single woman in a very male- dominant society this was no easy undertaking. In the early 1990’s Gertrude spent hours working as a host at a guest house while assisting a US missionary at a local home for disabled children. Helping the children was her passion and when the opportunity arose she gladly stepped into the leadership role of the home called Notre Maison, which means “Our House.”
As a longtime friend of Gertrude’s, going all the way back to beginnings of Notre Maison, I remember talking to Gertrude during the early days when she would say that taking over the home was a true step in faith. She told me about the time she got a US Visa and came to the US. She said, “I was in the US and visited a department store and saw such pretty napkins and plates, sheets for bed and soft pillows. All the things you do not find in Haiti. I said to God, if I am going to keep the children of Notre Maison alive, I need to raise money. Perhaps I need to invite others to come and stay with us and help us with the children.” Thus was born Providence Guest House where guests were invited to come to Haiti and help in the ministry and care for children with special needs. And to accommodate the guests, Gertrude knew that she needed to make Providence Guest House comfortable for her guests who give of their time, treasures, and talents to help the many children of Haiti.
It is often said that God works in mysterious ways and His Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Before long, as Gertrude would testify, she was receiving containers of supplies for the guest house. These supplies included the same pretty plates and napkins she saw in the USA; along with beds and the lovely sheets and soft pillows from people who knew her and were moved by God to help make Providence Guest House a reality. Gertrude says with a smile of gratitude and blessing, “I began to realize how much God loves me in a very real and tangible way. In addition I was overwhelmed by the expression of love shown by so many other people who allowed God to work through them. Not only did they believe in and trust God, but they believed in me and trusted me in this work. It still makes me cry. These gifts, entrusted to me in order to make Providence Guest House exceptional in its hospitality were a true blessing from God and nothing short of a miracle as God used my wonderful friends whom I still love and hold close to my heart and prayers to create this miracle.”
Gertrude never refers to her guest that visited Providence Guest House as a “guest”. They were to be called and treated as part of her “family.” This is the unique difference in Gertrude’s approach to opening a guest house. These guests are treated as family and each one loved dearly.
The earthquake of 2010 changed all of Haiti. This impoverished island country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere was turned upside down by a natural catastrophe unlike any ever experienced. Some reports say that nearly 200,000 died within 35 seconds of the first quake with another 100,000 dying following the aftershocks and traumatic injuries. We might not ever know the final number as bodies were buried in mass graves creating new hillsides along the Haiti landscape. Where once there was a flat plain of grass, now a mountain of earth entombed with bodies of those killed in the earthquake.
On the day of the earthquake Gertrude was at the Providence Guest House. She had three American guests staying with her, but they were just out for the day. Indeed, our group, from Grand Rapids, MI had left just the day before because of a date change in our itinerary. We were originally planning to stay until January 13, 2010, which would have put our Rays of Hope for Haiti, Hug a Child team at the guest house during the earthquake.
Gertrude, having the home nearly empty now decided to catch up with some friends. Gertrude says, “The day started like any other, it was busy as I had to prepare breakfast and a sack lunch for some of the few visitors to the Providence House. I wanted to run and check on the children at Notre Maison, and time was just getting away from me.” The day of the earthquake she was treated to ice cream at the Hotel Montana by one of her close friends. She recalls that the ice cream tasted so good on that day, and she, on impulse, purchased some to bring back to the children of Notre Maison. Then she had an idea upon returning to the guest house that she would make a special cake to go with the ice cream for the children of Notre Maison. After completing the cake and frosting it with a special message for the children she decided to take a nap. This was about mid-day. She went to her daughter’s room located in the basement of Providence Guest House, which was one of the coolest rooms in the home. There she settled in and went into a deep sleep. At about 4:53 she was awakened by a loud rumble and shaking.
Gertrude recalls, “All of a sudden the earth began to shake violently. It woke me up and I was so confused. "What was going on? I said to myself out loud. I saw my daughter's dresser slide over towards me as if it had feet and could walk. I heard everything falling down and crashing. I thought that a bomb had gone off or perhaps a gas leak caused an explosion. Then the floors of my home, the Providence House began to buckle. I could hear the upstairs as it came crashing onto the main level and then as part of the main level gave way and crashed into the basement. I never thought about myself or my safety. I was just so worried that possibly someone might have come and was in the house that had exploded. I still had no idea that we had just experienced an earthquake.
Then I heard a voice outside yelling to me. "Madam, madam, are you OK, are you inside?" It was the voice of our security guard at Providence Guest House.
I responded, "Yes, yes, I am OK." Then he frantically called for me to come out of the house. There was panic in his voice and I thought maybe the explosion had caused a fire. He said, "Madam, you must come out now, do not wait, where are you and I will help get you out... you must come out now." My guard helped pull me through an opening between the basement and what used to be the main floor of Providence Guest House.
At first look of the daylight I was amazed and at first I refused to take in what I was seeing. The entire neighborhood around me, everything and every building was crashed to the ground. I could hear people screaming and crying- mothers frantically trying to get help to rescue their children pinned inside fallen stone buildings. My neighborhood had become a living hell in the sense that there was great torment and suffering everywhere.”
Gertrude was in a state of shock after seeing the devastation. Residents from the neighborhood and beyond began to come to her front gate. They knew that often she hosted doctors and nurses and many of those coming were severely injured. Gertrude said to the growing masses outside her now collapsed home that she was in the same situation, but by now the injured could not move any further. She had her security guard load up as many as they could in the truck and go to the hospital- not knowing if it was still intact or not. Unfortunately many of the injured could not fit in the now overcrowded truck. Many of the injured died at the gate of Providence Guest House. “Still,” Gertrude recalls, “I could hear the cries of mothers trying to get to their babies and children and old people trapped in fallen homes. As long as I live I will never forget those desperate cries and how helpless I felt.”
“Suddenly,” continues Gertrude, “my heart was gripped with absolute fear which could not be reconciled. “Where is my daughter? Where is Rosie,” she said aloud. No one could answer her. The last she knew was that Rosie was across town at her school. Rosie could not be reached by cell phone. Gertrude stated that she was frantic to find out about her daughter and felt helpless to get an answer. “It was not until many hours passed that I received word that Rosie was OK and survived the earthquake.” She says. “In fact, all the children at the orphanage survived as well. It was only by the grace of God. Had I napped in my bedroom that afternoon, I too would have been one of the hundreds of thousands killed.”
In conclusion Gertrude shared with me her belief in God’s providence. She states, “I believe that my survival and the survival of my loved ones and the orphanage were for a reason. We must be faithful to that cause and faithful to the heart of Jesus with everyone we meet. Indeed, Providence Guest House was a beautiful home and I loved being a home owner and catering to the missionaries who visited to help us at the orphanage. But Providence Guest House was just a home; the true heart was found in the friends who came to our rescue. I have found a home in the love of God as expressed in the benevolence of others. This benevolence has enabled Notre Maison Orphanage to pick up where Providence Guest House left off. Our guests, who we call friends and family, now have the joyous opportunity to stay with the children all the time. I think of the song I heard, the words are so true, "even in my darkest valley, I will praise you Lord."
The programs of Gertrude Bien Aime (Haiti)
The following three programs that touch the human spirit and provide immediate help and comfort to others all operated with the funds raised through Gertrude Bien Aime’s Providence Guest House. The Providence Guest House was a center for visitors to Haiti to come and stay at a very modest price. The Guest House provided clean accommodations and meals to guests, whom Gertrude referred to as family.
The three programs were funded solely through monies raised by guests staying a Providence Guest House. On January 12 the earthquake completely destroyed the Providence Guest House leaving a large gap in the needed financial support to sustain the children of the orphanage and the operation of Veronica’s School.
The need is greater than ever since the earthquake. Gertrude continues to work with her staff to feed and care for the children, but without funds it is impossible to buy food, provide medical care, or pay staff. Since the earthquake Gertrude had remodeled part of the orphanage to accommodate guests. Visitors now stay on the top level of the orphanage and the children on the lower level. Even now, she is building two additional dormitories for the children’s permanent residence behind the current structure.
St. Joseph's Orphanage St. Joseph's is an orphanage for healthy, mobile children and babies. When it first began a few years ago most of the children who came to St. Joseph’s were abandoned after the devastating hurricanes in Gonaives in 2007 that killed over 3000 people from the resulting mudslides. The more recent arrivals come from the streets of Port au Prince where parents have died or could no longer care for their children after the earthquake. Upon arrival, many of the children were suffering from severe malnutrition, worms, and other diseases.
Veronica's Sewing School Veronica pou lavi miyo (Veronica for a better life)
Tradition states that as Jesus walked the road to Calvary, Veronica wiped the face of Jesus, and his image appeared on the cloth she used. The selfless act of help someone else, was an act of love and dedication. Gertrude named the school “Veronica’s School” to remind all that each time we help someone; we are helping Jesus through that person.
When the ladies of Veronica’s school gather together, they not only sew but they share in their daily life experiences. All of the women come from the most impoverished slums in North America that is Cite Soliel. Many of them were abused in their households or forced into prostitution to care for their children. Their lives were trapped in despair and the threat of disease.
Veronica’s School is so much more than a trade school where the women learn a marketable trade sewing uniforms for children as well as beautiful embroidery which is sold to visiting guests. Veronica’s school has brought hope and dignity to these women and an outlet to discuss shared life experiences which comforts them and empowers them emotionally with friendship and camaraderie. They share their bad and good time and tell stories. They sing songs constantly It's a time to support each other. They become one and share in life’s trials. Together they become strong and more confident. Gertrude says, “They always sing and leave much happier, that's why we call it Veronica. In a way, the women wipe the faces of tears from each other though the mutual shared experiences and uplifting of each other during their visits to the school”
Veronica's Sewing School is currently in the same compound as Notre Maison and St. Joseph Orphanage, where daycare is provided for the women’s children while they are at school.
Notre Maison Notre Maison is an orphanage for handicapped children. Gertrude helped start Notre Maison in the early 1990’s with an American missionary. In time the missionary had to return to the US, and Gertrude took over the responsibilities of Notre Maison. The children of Notre Maison are dependent upon the home for their lives. As children with special needs; loving and professional care is provided around the clock to ensure the comfort and health of the children. Just as important Gertrude has established the children to feel the nurturing warmth of a family environment where the children are truly loved and accepted. Part of the funding from Providence House paid for a the full time workers to assist with the children of Notre Maison. Gertrude hopes to have funding to hire a regular full time therapist at Notre Maison.