The document summarizes the experiences of Ann Brau and Joyce, nieces of Fr. Bernard Reiser, during their first trip to Haiti in May 2012. Some key points: - They were struck by the poverty but also the resilience and friendliness of the Haitian people. - They helped deliver water in Cite Soleil and were moved by the living conditions yet joy of the children. - Over time they felt changed by experiencing Haiti and better understood their uncle's passion for helping the people. - They provided basic medical care and meals to impoverished elderly people, wanting to alleviate their suffering.

2. Fr. Reiser’s Nieces take to the streets of Haiti
nieces of its
late founder Fr. Bernard
Reiser. Here's what they
had to say during their first
trip to Haiti in May 2012:
Ann Brau
~ Ann Brau
Our first there could be so much in every direction we
day! We poverty in such a beautiful looked. The Haitian
spent setting. But reality set in people we have met so far
most of it after we left the airport and are friendly and
traveling, saw villages of tin shanties, accommodating, and we
so we dirt roads covered with are blessed to be staying
didn’t get litter, and signs of poverty in a guesthouse with
a chance to see
much of Haiti
except for when
we were coming
in for our landing
and on our short
drive on our “tap
tap” from the
airport to the
house. As we
were landing, I
was struck by
how beautiful the
city looked from
the air. Largely
surrounded by
mountains, it was
hard to believe
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3. 3

4. Amongst it all, there was a presence of God
them living 6-8
people in these dark
one-room shacks,
elderly people sitting
inside dark homes or
outside in the hot
sun with nobody to
look after them,
small children
carrying buckets of
water weighing more
than themselves
from our water
trucks to their
“homes,” countless
children with no
clothes at all,
children playing in
sewage-infested
delicious food and air no windows, no beds, no waters and walking
conditioned bedrooms.. furniture and no sign of barefoot over filth and
food to be eaten, many of garbage, small babies left
~ Ann
How can I begin to
describe a day like
yesterday? A day
surrounded by a city made
up of dirt-packed roads,
garbage everywhere,
children with visible signs
of malnutrition and
physical impairments that
had never received medical
care, people of all ages
living in tin shanties with
dirt floors, leaking roofs,
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5. The little red truck that could..... save more more lives every day. 5

6. crying and alone in darkness
while their mothers were out
getting water for their families,
no bathrooms or running water,
no hope for the future.
And yet, children running from
all directions to greet us,
children with huge smiles on
their dirty faces begging for
hugs, wanting to be held,
tugging us from all sides, naked
children
finding joy in sitting under the
water trucks drinking the water
dribbling down the back of the
truck or trying to catch it in
small buckets, children wanting to tell us their names, ask us our names, play games
with us, babies that were happily willing to be scooped up in our arms and stay for
endless periods of time, children climbing into the newly-fetched buckets of water with
delighted grins on their faces as they splash in the cold water, children joyfully following
us through the garbage-filled
streets, alleys and beaches gladly
posing for pictures as we
examined their lives and their
homes, children who found
happiness in a street, city, country
that has so little to offer and so
little hope for the future.
And amongst it all, there was a
presence of God…
It can’t be described. I couldn’t
bear to be there, yet I couldn’t
bear to leave—all in the same
breath. Words can never do
justice to the experience. Not even
pictures can explain it. Yet I share
a few with you.
Blessings,Ann
6

7. This is my one commandment, that you love one another
~ Joyce
We were asked yesterday to choose one word to describe our
day.
The first word that came to my mind was grit, probably because
I was so dirty when asked to think of a word! I had grit on my
hands from turning cartwheels with the kids, grit between my
fingers
from
holding naked children, grit on
my shorts from holding children
who ran through garbage and
sewage with no shoes, grit on my
face from dirt blowing from
unpaved roads, grit in my nose
from breathing smells that come
from no access to sewage
systems.
Not to mention the grit that it
takes the people of Cite Soleil to
survive from day to day.
It’s one thing to imagine what it
would be like to live without water, but quite another thing to carry 50 pound buckets of
water through narrow
alleyways to shanties to lift that
burden from a skinny child,
pregnant woman, or elderly
woman, and then turn around
and do it all again and again.
But then another word came
to my mind as I was reflecting
on the Gospel of John 15:
“This is my one
commandment, that you love
one another as I have loved
you…. You did not choose me
but I chose you.”
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8. This is the first time in my 42 years on earth that I have felt like I could quite literally be
the hands of Christ in this world. “For I was thirsty and you gave me water to drink.” It
was so simple and pure
and good and true. So I
changed my word of the
day to HANDS.
God used my hands to give
water to the thirsty. How
incredible is that? God
used my hands to hold
babies needing love. God
used my hands to play with
children looking for
validation. God used my
hands to lift heavy buckets
onto women’s heads so
they could cook, drink,
bathe and feed their families. God used my hands to hold a water hose and fill
buckets.
God used my hands to move buckets into place and out of the way. God used my
hands to show his love. It’s easy to smile in Cite Soleil because all the children are
smiling at you. In fact, I couldn’t stop smiling for the first half of the day. And then we
walked back to the furthest recesses of the slums. Back to where the sewage and muck
stagnates. Back where people perch on outhouse structures over the ocean to go to the
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9. I can’t walk away from misery and do nothing.
bathroom and where other children swim
nearby because they have nowhere else
to swim. Back where people have to
struggle more than their neighbors just to
carry a bucket of clean water.
Where sharp corroded sheet metal and
rusty nails poke out around every corner.
Back where pigs root, and chickens
squawk, and the barefoot kids wince
because the ground is so treacherous
with sharp shells and garbage.
And I couldn’t smile anymore. My face
wouldn’t move. But all the kids around
me were still smiling.
As Fr. Reiser said, I can’t walk away from misery and do nothing.
Peace, Joyce
~ Ann
Change… Tonight I was recalling
an event that happened yesterday.
I paused and had to be sure—was it
only YESTERDAY that we did our
water truck delivery?
How could only one day have
passed and yet I have changed so
much? Who could have told me
even one day ago that today I’d be
rubbing lotion over the bodies of
sick and dying women of all ages
ranging from younger than my own
daughters to women older than myself and be completely comfortable with it?
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10. And how could I have known I would have the opportunity to visit a school that my
beloved late uncle helped to fund and see 625 smiling faces of children, being taught in
classroom settings that are
primitive compared to what we
are accustomed to at home and
they were thrilled to meet us?
I visited a medical clinic so far
behind United States standards
that there was no comparison, but
yet I found myself truly impressed
with what they DO with what little
they have. And finally, that I
would go to an orphanage filled
with so many sick and dying
babies, hold them in my arms and
feed them and love them and
somehow be able to walk away
broken-hearted at the end of the day only comforted by the fact that I WILL be back to
see them again?Everything about today was so detached from my “real” world but yet
so completely comfortable for me to do in the world I live in here in Haiti.
I think our Lord
is allowing me to
experience this
knowing that I
will go home a
“changed”
person. My
picture of what
Father Reiser saw
here in Haiti,
what moved him,
and what
inspired him to
want to help
these people is so much more clear to me. The importance of what we are doing at
Reiser Relief has deepened.
My interest in continuing Father’s mission has turned into a passion to continue. We
ARE needed here in Haiti.
Blessings, Ann
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11. ~ Joyce
My word for today is RESILIENCY My
word for today is RESILIENCY.
Today we drove to Reiser Heights; a
school that Reiser Relief supports. It
is in the mountains above Port-au-
Prince, so I was able to take in the
beautiful Haitian countryside and
even catch a couple of ‘cool’
breezes.
On our way to Reiser Heights (we
rode in the back of a pick up part of our way
there…brought me back to my farm days!), I
noticed a woman with one leg begging for
help from
passing drivers.
And I was
struck that this
was the first ‘beggar’ I have seen in Haiti. I truly see
more beggars in downtown Minneapolis than in Port-
au-Prince and Cite Soleil. The Haitians have an
incredible resiliency that I am coming to admire. If a
building is too structurally damaged to use, they pitch a
tent along side it and set up shop or housing on the
same land.
If they need to make money, they find something,
ANYTHING, to sell or peddle. If they need to
pitch a pile of rocks into a dump truck and they
don’t have a bobcat, they use a shovel. If they
don’t have electrical lines to their home, they
string their own. If they don’t have tillable land
on which to grow crops, they grow them on
hillsides, in pots and in crevices. If they can’t
afford a butcher, they butcher on their own right
Reiser Heights School
11

12. in the street. If there is no seat
on the bus, they hang off the
back. If they don’t have a
chainsaw, they use and ax. If
they don’t have an ax they use a
machete. They don’t wait for a
hand out or assistance or aid or
the Red Cross, they just make
do.
The kids at the school today had
no electricity, no flushing toilets,
no iPads, cell phones, white
boards, and sometimes no
paper or pencils. But they are
resilient. They learn and make
do with what they have. We
passed out candy and stickers,
and the kids were so cute,
sticking them to their hands,
foreheads, tummies and noses.
There is something so
incredibly refreshing in
this resiliency. I live in a
world filled with
regulations, protective
services, social services,
insurance, lawsuits,
ordinances, judgments,
laws and programs. Not
that any of this is bad; it
makes us safer. But does
it make us too safe?
Does it make us
dependent? Does it
make us reliant? I’ll say
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13. this, it sure was fun to ride in the back of a pickup truck again, just like I used to do as a
kid with the bull calves on our way to the Sales Barn.
I read a beautiful devotion in a book today
called “God is No Stranger.”“Father,
They say I am poor.Thank you, Father.May I
also be poor in spirit, that I may inherit the
kingdom of God.”
What kind of world would we live in if we all
thanked God for everything that we view as a
misfortune? Peace, Joyce
God was everywhere ~
Ann
Similar to questioning as a little girl why Santa
Claus didn’t bring Christmas presents to poor
people, I’ve always questioned why God could
allow for there to be poor people in the
world. Today, as we were driving up to
Reiser Heights, a school founded by Father
Reiser, I finally realized that God had not
forgotten the people of Haiti. As we
climbed higher and higher into the hills of
Haiti, God was everywhere.
He was in the clouds that formed around
the tops of the mountains, He was in the
lush green trees
and plants that
adorned the
roadsides as we
drove higher
and higher, He
was in the
valleys lined
with crops
meticulously
tended by hand,
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14. by Haitian hands, and when we finally arrived at Reiser Heights, He was in the eyes of
the children that greeted us. Sometimes it takes things less than perfect for us to be able
to see what is truly good. And today, God looked down on the world and saw that all
was good. Blessings, Ann
~ Joyce
My word of the day is MINISTRY. We started our day at a
sunrise worship service in a tent that is almost beyond
description. The Haitians are so unabashed in worship
and so filled with the Holy Spirit. It set the tone for a
beautiful day. After breakfast we traveled to Titanyen, a
village outside of Port-au-Prince where Grace Village is
located. On the
way there we
stopped at a
school with dirt floors, no bathrooms, no
playground, no food, and hundreds of children.
There are so many opportunities to make such a
huge difference in Haiti.
We also stopped at a mass grave where tens of
thousands of Haitians were buried, unidentified,
after the devastating earthquake in 2010.
One of our Haitian guides and translators,
Wilson, shared the story of how he lost 55
classmates in the earthquake. He had stepped
out of his school to buy a
bottle of water, and was across
the street to witness the
collapse of his three-story
school that killed all of the
students in his class.
He also lost his father in the
earthquake. The next words
out of his mouth after
describing his losses were, “I
give thanks to God.” What an
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15. Serve the elderly through what I will call guerilla health care
incredible example of faith. God calls him to great things.
In Titanyen I had the opportunity to serve
the elderly through what I will call
guerilla health care and meals on
wheels. Guerilla health care involves 3
untrained women (me, my sister Ann,
and our teammate Shelley), attempting
to minister to the needs of the forgotten
elderly with Neosporin, powder, basins,
peaches, Spam, straws, water,
washcloths, clean sheets, clothing, and
wet wipes. Shelley gave sponge baths
while Ann and I applied powder and
distributed food and water in their shanties. My
heart was broken wide open when we
ministered to Antonia. A paraplegic, Antonia
suffers from bedsores and a fungal infection on
her feet, and was on a flea-infested blanket on
a filthy mattress soaked with her feces and
urine. If a dog were found in such conditions in
the United States, the owners would be charged
with animal cruelty. I couldn’t stop crying. We
did what we could to clean her up, apply
ointment, change her bedding, pray with her
and give her nourishment. But it was clear that what she truly needs is 24-hour care in
an elder care facility. This is not an option
for Antonia…
After guerilla healthcare I set off on a 4-
wheeler with our Haitian guide and
translator Andrenoi. At age 29, Andrenoi
is compassionate beyond his years and
ministers to the elderly.
Six days each week Andrenoi delivers hot
meals in Tupperware containers to 10
suffering elderly in Titanyen. He will soon
expand his ministry to 20 elderly.
Andrenoi
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16. Andrenoi supports his parents, brothers and sisters on his salary from Healing Haiti, and
feels so blessed to have the opportunity to do what he does. Half way through our
meals on wheels deliveries
Andrenoi asked me, “What is
your ministry?” I have never
been asked that question
before and wasn’t sure how to
answer. I told him about
Reiser Relief and Fr. Reiser and
the ministries we support.
But, after all that I have seen
this week, I can honestly say
that the ministry closest to my Nov 9th 2012 - It is with a heavy heart that we tell
heart is the elderly. you our dear friend Antonia has been called
People like Antonia are beloved Home. Please pray for Antonia, her family and
children of God, and as such friends, and those from Reiser Relief and Healing
deserve to live their final days Haiti that loved and cared for her. We rejoice that
in dignity and love. God has accepted her with open arms, and that
she is finally free from suffering! Amen.
Thank you, Andreoi, for
revealing my ministry to me. Thank you, Haiti, for opening my eyes and heart to God’s
will. Peace, Joyce
~ Ann
Today was our day of endings. First of all, it was our last full day in Haiti—our last day
to take in a few more pieces of this beautiful, complicated country.
We started with a 6 a.m. tent service
that was anything but an ending. It
was an inspiring start to our day
inside a huge white tent filled with
people of all ages singing and
praising the Lord. Haitian people are
filled with the love of God, and
watching them praise His name is a
joyful thing to behold.
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17. Thankfully, the tent service gave us the
strength to witness
some of the things we
experienced the rest
of the day.
Our first stop was at
Redemptor School,
another very poor
Haitian school with so
many needs but yet,
like the other schools
we have seen, it’s
filled with the smiling
faces of Haitian
children who seem to find the beauty in every
day despite a poverty-filled existence. We then
visited the mass graves in Haiti made after the
2010 earthquake.
It was painful to look out at the crosses and
memorials scattered over the mass grave and
think of the horrific
way these thousands
of peoples lives had
ended in the
earthquake and even
more painful as we
listened to the stories
of some of the
Haitian men with us
who shared their
stories about loved
ones lost in the
earthquake.
From there, we went to . It was
such a contrast in comparison to what we’d
seen so much of what we’d seen during the week—a beautiful complex of brightly
colored buildings and so much more building still taking place.
Besides the 43 smiling orphans we met who were so lucky to have been placed in such
a love-filled environment, there is a feeding center and plans for elder care, a church,
medical clinic and much more. Good things ARE happening in Haiti.
17

18. Ann and Joyce with Elder
Moreland, principal at Terre
Promise School
women & children carry
everything on their heads
from water to eggs
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19. 19

20. 20

21. Reiser Relief Inc has assisted in funding for the purchase of 16 lacers of land and funds
for a feeding a center and currently working on funding for a future eldercare facility.
Grace Village is owned and operated by Healing Haiti.
- Forty of the orphans Healing Haiti
cares for moved into Grace Village just before Christmas 2011! The children were
thrilled to settle into their beautiful and comfortable new home. The children were so
grateful for the support of so many and the goodness of God that have made Grace
Village a reality. Many of these children have lost their families to extreme poverty,
hurricanes, cholera or AIDS. Through Healing
Haiti and it's donors, God provides for needs Feeding Center
of the 56 children now living at Grace Village
by furnishing clean water, food, school and
medical care. We are so honored to be able to
be the hands and feet of Christ to these
children and they are such a joy to us
Most of these orphan children will never be
adopted and so we have committed to equipping them to live a God centered life... one
with significance. By caring for their spiritual needs, their personal needs, educating
them and eventually teaching them a skill or trade, they will be able to be self sufficient
and provide for not only themselves but their future family. Our goal is to raise up the
next generation of Haitians leaders
that will help build a better future for
all.
Feeding Center Construction of Phase I of Grace
Village in Titanyen, Haiti is complete!
The two dormitories, cisterns and
Feeding Center now are home to 58
children with the ability to feed an
additional 75-125 street children
each day.
We have finished some aspects of
Phase II as well. The Host Missionary
Home is complete and the
Medical/Dental Clinic is scheduled to
be finished at the beginning of 2013. The Integrated Aquaponic Tiiapia Farm in
complete and operating. It provides a constant source of protein and fresh vegetables
for the children to eat. The temporary buildings for Grace Academy are complete and
school started on October 1st for 305 children!
Phase II will also include additional housing for children and orphaned elderly.
21

22. But, sadly, the next part of
our day was back to all
about endings. We made
visits to sick, elderly people
living in one-room huts
who were sleeping on
filthy, flea-infested
mattresses on the dirt
floors (if they were lucky
enough to have a mattress
at all), with soiled clothes,
painful bedsores, little or
no food and water, and
little or no loving care.
What we were able to do
to help these elderly
people in their final stages
of life were so small, yet
they were better than the
alternative of nothing at
all. In the United States,
we rightfully put so much
emphasis on dying with
dignity, and to many poor
elderly people in Haiti,
there is no dignity at all in dying--only loneliness, hunger, thirst, filth, and pain. It was
such a tragic thing to view on our last day in Haiti.
Yet, maybe God had that in his
plan for us, because now, besides
leaving Haiti with a passion to
help the children of Haiti, we are
leaving with a passion to help the
elderly.
I have truly been blessed to have
the opportunity to see, hear, and
touch Haiti, and I am filled with a
sense of urgency to come back
here. There is so much left to do,
and so many hands are needed
to complete God’s work. I thank
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23. Father Reiser for “giving me the nudge” to go to Haiti, and I thank the people of Haiti
for being so willing to share a piece of each of their lives
with me.
My deepest gratitude and love to every person I have met on
this trip, and my sincere thanks to those who have supported
our mission and continue to do so.
I will end my Haiti blog with a quote from Mother Teresa:“If
we want the poor to see Christ in us, we must first see Christ
in the poor.”
Blessings, Ann
-To provide relief, hope and dignity to the poor, elderly and homeless people of Haiti.
-To provide relief from malnutrition and water born illness by providing food and clean
water to women, children and elderly living in slums and impoverished situations.
-To provide hope for the poorest children and orphans by funding education and
housing.
-To strive, by the Grace and Greatness of God, to be the hands and feet of Christ in
serving the most vulnerable Haitians.
Reiser Relief Inc. PO Box 48096 Coon Rapids, MN 55448 (763)280-3433
http://reiserrelief.org
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