Mission Moments: Haiti
Coming to Colorful Colorado
By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Gilbert walking a trail while Russell films. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
We drove to the Foothills Trail in the Reservoir Ridge Natural Area on the west side of Fort Collins so Russell could film Gilbert outdoors shortly after sunrise. This was Russell’s last day with us. We drove him back to Denver to fly home to Detroit then we took Gilbert to visit our daughter Hayley, son-in-law Mitch, and grandson Jones. We had dinner together before returning to Fort Collins. They, like everyone else, are proud of Gilbert’s accomplishments and praying the best for him in the years ahead.
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Gilbert greets Joe Johnson with a photo of himself from a special medical school function. (Photo by Elaine Fallesen)
Joe Johnson, the former Paralympic skier and founder of Quorum Prosthetics, which has blessed Gilbert with a prosthetic leg for many years, had a new knee waiting for Gilbert. Gilbert has been using the prosthesis nearly every day since he visited Quorum in Windsor last year despite having a bad mechanical knee. Joe made a quick change and some other adjustments to tweak the leg all while being filmed by Russell for a documentary on Gilbert’s life. Joe then sat for an interview with Russell.
Later in the day, it was Gilbert’s turn to be interviewed at the AirBNB where we’re staying in Fort Collins. Our daughter Hayley, who lives in Denver with her husband and our 14-month-old grandson, FaceTimed with us to translate. Gilbert, a Haitian native, speaks Creole and Spanish as well as some English. We did the interview in Spanish.
Russell, left, films Gilbert as he speaks to Hayley Fallesen on Gary’s phone, next to the laptop at right. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
Hayley said she was impressed by much of what Gilbert said as he relived the moments of his life-threatening injury in the Haitian mountain village of Gentilhomme and how God rescued him and blessed him with an education that will result in graduation from medical school next month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“But definitely how he described all things being possible with God,” Hayley said. “I like how he described what God brought him through but is also aware that he still doesn’t fully know the plans He has or what doors God will open for him.”
Gilbert has expressed a desire to continue studies in a “specialty,” perhaps surgery or – appropriately – orthopedics. He will also keep leading Climbing For Christ’s New Generation doing ministry in Haiti and, our prayer, serve mountain villages where there are no medical facilities in a C4C clinic or clinics.
Gilbert reading a card from Board member Steve Quakenbush.
Elaine made spaghetti sauce for a pasta dinner – one of Gilbert’s favorites – and we gave him eight congratulatory cards from members at Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City. He opened and read each one aloud. He was grateful for the well-wishes. Our brothers and sisters at CFF donated nearly $3,000 for Gilbert and Mission: Haiti at last weekend’s celebration of Gilbert’s medical school graduation. Sadly, Gilbert missed the celebration because of cancelled flights. He arrived in Colorado last night.
Monday, Jan. 13
Gilbert was greeted by Gary and Elaine, and documentarian Russell – in the back with his trusty camera equipment.
It took several days of frustration, but Gilbert landed this evening in Denver on an American Airlines flight from Miami. He had no problems getting out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic this afternoon, making his connection, and finding his way through Denver’s mammoth airport. His luggage arrived, too, and Elaine noted that it was the quickest, easiest pick-up of Gilbert we’ve had at DIA. Of course, from the scheduled start on Friday to our airport exit, it was actually the longest, most difficult arrival Gilbert has experienced. But we are thankful he did finally make it.
Sunday, Jan. 12
Let them eat cake. (Photo by Laura Copper)
Gilbert was honored in absentia today at Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City, CO. He was talked about during our “Mission Moment” in worship and at the reception after worship. I shared a message he wrote to the church during the reception.
“Wow! Thank you very much for the greeting,” Gilbert messaged after we sent him photos and videos from the reception. “The glory is for God!
“Thanks to those who made this day a special day.”
The CFF congregation arriving at Gilbert’s reception, above. (Photo by Gary Fallesen) Below, Gary preaching. (Photo by Elaine Fallesen)
I was honored to preach the message, “How Can They Hear Without Someone Preaching to Them?” based on Romans 10:14.
Our brothers and sisters at CFF donated about $2,500 USD for Gilbert, who is graduating from medical school next month.
Russell, center, assisted by Charley, sets up to film Steve at his home. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
After worship, Steve and I were interviewed by Russell for the documentary we are making about Gilbert’s life.
Saturday, Jan. 11 (10:30 a.m. Mountain time)
Delta provided no other options to get Gilbert out of Santo Domingo today, so we have cancelled the ticket. Gilbert is booked on American Airlines on Monday to Denver. Unfortunately, he will miss all of the celebrations planned for him in Canon City, but we will get him to Quorum Prosthetics starting Tuesday, Lord willing.
Saturday, Jan. 11 (9 a.m. Mountain time)
Please continue to pray for Gilbert’s travel. His flight today has been cancelled again – “due to an operational issue,” according to Delta. Gilbert was on his way to the airport and will try to find a solution there. If he cannot get proper assistance from Delta, we will cancel that ticket and rebook him on another airline to Denver on Monday (avoiding Atlanta). That way he can at least be at Quorum by Tuesday for work on his prosthesis and be filmed by Russell before Russell is scheduled to return to Detroit on Wednesday. Of course, the flight to Denver will cost three times the original ticket.
PRAY for resolution to this travel dilemma. We are extremely frustrated and discouraged by the usual difficulties in getting places. I am sad for Gilbert who was looking forward to his celebration at Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City, and for our brothers and sisters here who were excited about congratulating Gilbert on his graduation from medical school. We will continue to give thanks and glory to God for ALL He has done in Gilbert’s life. I will represent Gilbert at today’s luncheon and in worship and an after-service celebration tomorrow.
Pray on!
Friday, Jan. 10 (5:45 p.m. Mountain time)
The world’s busiest airport (ATL) was grounded by a snowstorm.
Gilbert was rebooked on the same flights tomorrow (Saturday) as he’d been scheduled to fly today before a winter storm blanketed Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport and cancelled more than 1,000 flights. He got the last seat on the Santo Domingo-Atlanta flight. Pray that Saturday flights actually happens and Gilbert lands in Colorado Springs at 9 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10 (5:30 p.m. Mountain time)
A prayer flare was sent to our global Prayer Team …
Gilbert, faced with the many obstacles of serving in Haiti, likes to tell me: “As we know every time we try to do something good, something tries to discourage us.”
We are trying to do something good for and with Gilbert this weekend. Naturally, it has been met with discouragement.
Gilbert’s flight from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he is finishing medical school, to the United States was cancelled. “Inclement weather” in America’s Southeast was blamed. He was scheduled to fly to Atlanta and then to Colorado Springs, where we were waiting to bring him to Canon City. A celebration for him was scheduled at noon tomorrow at Board member Steve Quakenbush’s church, Christian Family Fellowship. Gilbert and I are scheduled to share a “Mission Moment” at CFF during worship Sunday morning.
Then we are scheduled to be at Quorum Prosthetics in Windsor, CO, on Monday for work on Gilbert’s prosthesis. Prosthetist Brendan Tuchowski said, “We are ready to keep Gilbert going!”
We also have with us filmmaker Russell Yandura, who made Climbing For Christ’s twentyfold HIStory film last year. We’ve recruited him to make a documentary on Gilbert’s life.
All of this is on hold as there appears to be no flights available today.
Discouragement, get thee behind us.
PRAY for resolution to this problem and for Gilbert to reach Colorado in time to be celebrated and have his leg repaired. PRAY for the “something good” we are trying to do to
Introduction
The New York Times headline and story screamed about “Haiti’s Bleak Spiral Into a Failed State.” Failing or already failed, it is heading toward complete anarchy.
“One of the words that is heard frequently from Haitian citizens outside and inside the country is: ‘We do not have a government!’” said Gilbert Lindor, a Haitian native and Climbing For Christ Kingdom worker finishing medical school in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
“This is repeated every time they address issues such as the Dominican Republic’s immigration policy toward Haiti, the increase of gangs with their massacres, and the living conditions of every Haitian citizen.”
In December, back-to-back three-day killing sprees by gangs claimed the lives of more than 350 people. One massacre in an impoverished, gang-controlled area of Port-au-Prince went unchecked because of the lack of police presence and “older people were dismembered and thrown to the sea without authorities finding out,” according to The New York Times.
More than 5,600 people were killed by gangs in Haiti last year and 700,000 forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
“A people with a state should have security, job creation, access to basic services such as food, education, and health,” Gilbert said. “For years we have not had people to guarantee these services. Our people have been without defense for a long time.”
Chaos has reigned since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021, with gangs gaining more and more control of the country. Haiti already was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere before this latest round of despair began.
Despite the threat of gang violence, Gilbert and Climbing For Christ’s New Generation (C4CNG) have continued to serve in Haiti’s mountains. This month a third school will open under C4CNG’s care. Gilbert successfully conducted two days of medical clinics with a team of doctors and nurses before CHRISTmas.
Next month, he is scheduled to graduate from medical school in Santo Domingo and our vision for the future is the construction of clinics in the underserved mountains, where medical care is absent. The lack of medical care nearly cost Gilbert his life in 2007 when, at the age of 10, he suffered a compound fracture of his leg and was left for dead in his home village of Gentilhomme. Climbing For Christ evacuated him 27 days after his accident, rescuing him from the jaws of death.
Gilbert lost his gangrened leg – it was amputated in a hospital in Santo Domingo – but gained his soul. Today, he is a missionary doctor.
We are bringing Gilbert back to Colorado tomorrow for more work on the prosthetic leg made for him pro bono by Quorum Prosthetics in Windsor. This is the seventh time Gilbert has visited Quorum (first in 2009 and then every year since 2020).
Gilbert walking on his prosthetic leg under the watchful eye of prosthetist Brendan Tuchowski at Quorum Prosthetics in January 2024. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
While he’s here, Gilbert will be honored at Christian Family Fellowship (CFF) in Canon City. CFF is the home church for Board member Dr. Steve Quakenbush and a number of other active C4C members and is a big supporter of Climbing For Christ for which we are grateful.
Steve and several others from Colorado went on mission with C4C to Haiti from 2005 to 2013. During that time, we employed a national to oversee daily operations. After a parting of ways with that worker in 2015, Gilbert organized the New Generation to continue the work God started through Climbing For Christ. That included schools in places where there had been none.
Education is important to Gilbert. He had become the best student in his first year in the school in Gentilhomme, which was opened in the church God used C4C to build in 2006. After a long recovery from his accident, he returned to school in the Dominican border town of Jimani where our worker at the time lived. Gilbert taught himself Spanish while attending classes. He graduated from high school in Jimani in 2017 and began medical school in Santo Domingo in January 2018.
The state of Haiti might be failed or failing, but Gilbert is getting good grades and passing on the opportunity of an education to hundreds of other children in the mountains.
“I am very excited to attend my graduation celebration,” Gilbert said about his trip to Colorado. “To see my dear brothers and sisters and share with them. It is a blessing and honor to enjoy these moments with the family that Christ Jesus has given me.”
We’ll also spend time planning the year for the New Generation as we always do. But, as Gilbert acknowledged, “It is a different trip than the previous ones. God is acting in a special way at every moment.” 
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