Faith and Sweat

Day 3

Today we leave a little early.  Jennifer had asked if we would like to grab a couple of souvenirs.  This will be an experience.  Pulled over on the side of the road, we get out and start walking over to the stands.  But, since we are the only white people it's pretty obvious that we are tourists.  The people are very polite just trying to make a few bucks but we are surrounded by many people trying to sell us stuff.  Jennifer says to not buy anything until she haggles with them.  She says they really raise the prices when they see tourists.  After some heated negotiating I ended up getting a necklace (for me) with matching bracelet (for Becky) and some little trinket boxes for the kids.

Excitement is setting in as we arrive at the orphanage.  Today we are really pumped to get all this garbage out of here.  We go right after all the garbage and just as we start going the dump truck pulls up.  We end up just about filling the dump truck.  This is the only way to get rid of garbage down here.  They have to pay $100 US to get rid of garbage.  We fill it with a lot of stuff including a broken down fridge.  We try to get rid of a stove too, but Elizabeth says no.  I think we are doing so much so fast that it's to much for her.

The truck leaves and comes back.  Little did we know there was another big pile she wanted us to get rid of.  See over the prior week there was two guys hand digging out the new septic for the new house.  This thing was about 8 feet wide, 12 feet long and about 16 feet deep.  So it was now our job to get rid of all that dirt.  For the next 3 hours about 6-8 of us take turns with about 12, 5 gallon buckets filling up the truck.

Today is the hottest day at about 97.  We are getting pretty wiped out pretty fast and running out of water quick.  Jennifer leaves to get us some more water.  She comes back with 4 cases of water and 2 cases of Gatorade.

Elizabeth wanted to make us a meal while we were there.  She spent the morning and most of the of the afternoon preparing it for us.  We take turns eating so that we can get all this dirt out of here.  She made a wonderful lunch with chicken, rice, re fried beans and fried plantains.  It was really good.  They use some pretty amazing spices and some pretty delicious flavors down here.

At this point we are all running low on energy, especially Tyler.  We all notice he is not looking good and he is heading for the bus.  So me being the EMT, I have been put in charge of watching over him.  I go and check on him and he is definitely overheated.  He seems to be with it though when I ask him a bunch of questions.  But I go and make up a few ice bags for under his neck and legs.  It takes a little while but he slowly comes back.  But I am still a little nervous because he is a little slower and really wiped out.  I ask him to take it easy the rest of the day and no more labor work.

The kids are returning from school.  We get the added bonus today of seeing all of the kids all 50 plus of them.  Since they are all here we get out all of our gifts.  We have balls, yoyos, soap and wash clothes, toothpaste and toothbrushes.  Elizabeth seems very thankful and grateful as she starts to tear up.  It's just amazing to me how grateful one can be with soap and a washcloth.  It's amazing to see how fast we get our energy back when the kids get home!!!

Mike, Chad, Tyler and I take all of the boys to an open field about a half a block away to play some soccer.  I am not really sure who had more fun us or the kids.  But if I had to guess I would say it was us.  It was cool to step back and just watch the kids.  I have never seen all the kids playing anything with so much joy.  I never thought I would enjoy playing soccer but I have to admit.....I did.

Mother Renee comes and says its time to go.  We really wanted to get a picture of all of us with ALL the kids.  That was tougher than I thought it would be.  We really thought it would be easy to get all the kids in, but there was quite a few that were being really shy.  It took about nine tries but I think we finally got a good one.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in it's various forms.  1 Peter 4:10

Faith and Sweat

Day 2

The excitement is very high and we haven't even finished eating breakfast.  We are really going to get a lot cleaned and piled up today in anticipation for the garbage truck tomorrow.   The amount of garbage is quite excessive.  There are many metal bed frames all over the place some look usable and some she is saving for recycling, she will actually get some money for them.  So we separate all the garbage into piles close to the entry door.

The contractor and carpenter have not arrived yet so we really get cleaning.  Then the sound of a large truck coming down the road.  He pulls in with a bed full of bags of cement.  In the end we unload over 100, 94 pound bags of cement.  The delivery guys watch as Christy joins all of us men and at first attempt to shake her off but in the end they are calling her wonder woman.

Just after we finish another truck comes with a load of sand that they will mix with the cement for the finish coat on the interior walls.

Elizabeth tells us that she really wants the house done as soon as we can.  Just after that message the contractor and carpenter show up.  They get a few of us going helping in the house.  There are windows and doors to get set in and then cemented over.  We are constantly digging or moving sand or dirt around.  Sometimes it feels like busy work but we have already gotten so much done.  We have a long ways to go though.

The kids start arriving home from school just after one.  They go to three different private schools.  As they walk through the door, they run around and find all of us.  They are shaking our hands, giving high fives and fist bumping everyone.  Lunch is already waiting for them, so they quick change out of their uniforms and sit down for lunch.

As they are eating I am taking pictures, talking with them and playing with them.  Which in turn gets them in trouble for not eating their lunch.....I guess some things are the same no matter what country you are in.

After lunch they really open up to us.  They are really loving getting their pictures taken.  The better part is that after I take a picture, they come running over to see what the pictures look like on the display.  We also get the jump ropes out and they are really good.  Sometimes two and even three of them at a time.  It looks like so much fun, that I decide to join in.  The soccer ball comes out and quite a bunch of us gather to kick it around.

Their curiosity is quite funny.  They pull my cap off and rub my hair.  I personally think they were baffled at the lack of hair.  Tattoos.  The kids are really not sure about them.  They look at them with such confused looks as they stare and rub them.

Tonight we are treated to a dinner in the entertainment district.  It's pretty exciting.  We are about half way up a mountain in an open air restaurant that's got two floors.  It's really cool.  Who knew that pizza would be awesome in Haiti.  But then again how can pizza not be good any where.

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.  2 Corinthians 6:10

Faith and Sweat

Day 1

Excitement is filling the air as we finish breakfast.  Our drive to the orphanage seems to take forever.  Part excitement and part heartbreak as we really start to see the destruction all around.  There are so many people living in tents.  They live in "tent cities" which is basically tens of thousands of people living in a few city parks that are no more than 6 or so square blocks.  Full families living in 8x8 tents.  I feel terrible, humbled and blessed at the same time.

The wait is over!!!  We arrive at the orphanage for the first time.  The properties are some what similar to ours but instead of fences surrounding the property, they have 8' high concrete block walls.  At the front of the orphanage there is a 12' high by 12' long solid steel rolling gate.  The first thing I notice is little hand prints all over, and I picture the kids getting home from school joyfully waiting for someone to open the door.  The door is opened and every sense is on over load.  Bad smells of animals, garbage and mold.  Beautiful sights of trees and the close to getting finished new house.  Weird sounds like turkeys, chickens and goats fill the air, sounds that you wouldn't necessarily think of when describing an orphanage.  But they use the milk from the goats, eggs from the chickens and later on they will use the meat from the turkeys.

The mold is coming from the main tent that the kids sleep in.  It's about 25' by 20' and about 12 feet high in the center.  It's covered by canvas and with the rain they get everyday almost the entire thing is moldy.  It is awful and none of us can stay in the tent long enough to see what's in it.  We have to put on masks to be not just in it but around it.  Tearing this tent down becomes priority number one for all us.

We meet Elizabeth.  She is the director of the orphanage.  She is the only adult there and wears many hats everyday.  She is a wonderful woman and I can clearly see she is very devoted to these kids.  She is also some what of a hoarder and we will have some tough tasks cleaning this week as she doesn't have much so she keeps a lot of stuff.

I start by helping the carpenter redo some of the bracing for the roof of the new house and finish the roof.  We are redoing a lot of the house because the last contractor that came in basically did a crap job and took all her money.  Everything is done by hand here and it has been a long time since I used a hand saw to cut 2x4's.  It gets easier but I am clearly not used to this.

The kids start to come home about 1 pm and they look so full of joy but also so very mature looking, especially with their matching school uniforms.  The kids go to three different private schools and are well educated.  They are pretty shy so we start to hand out some things;  silly bands, jump ropes, footballs and soccer balls and yo-yo's.  They start to open up a little.  They have their own little cliques to.  But they are so happy running around or doing each others hair.  It was so great to see them play and watch their eyes light up from simple things like these.

The day wraps up with us cleaning and piling up garbage and really getting a lay of the property.  The kids have no where to play.  There is really no organization there is animals every where and tents every where.  The ground is dirt, mud or rubble with no grass anywhere.  One of the things we hope to accomplish this week is to give them a play area so they can have some sort of normal kid life other than school.

I feel so humbled because these kids literally have nothing and seem so full of joy.  I feel blessed that the Lord has entrusted me to come down here and change some lives, including my own.

At the present time you surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality.   2 CORINTHIANS 8:14

Faith and Sweat

Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
you will restore the foundations laid long ago;
you will be called the repairer of broken walls,
the restorer of streets where people live.
Isaiah 58:12

ARRIVAL DAY

We fly into Haiti to the makeshift airport.  I can already see the massive damage to this beautiful country and we haven't even gotten off the plane yet.  There is only 2 runways and there is really nothing left of the airport itself.  

We are met outside after going through customs and picking up our luggage by many Haitian men eager to take our bags.  Through the crowd we see a woman holding a Crossing sign and rush excitedly to her.  She is Jennifer, our guide and interpreter for the trip.  It's really uncomfortable so many people just grabbing at our bags, we understand they mean well, but Jennifer steps in and makes room for us to get to the bus.  

We are really hurried like cattle to our bus.  We meet Claudelle our driver for the week.  There are no rules to the road, no signs and only a couple of signals.  Because of his driving we nickname him, Ice Man.

I am taking in the damage but it's so much to comprehend my heart just aches for these people and we really haven't seen much. There is garbage and rubble every where.  It looks as though where they have rebuilt, they took a bulldozer and pushed the pile of rubble to the street and just left it there so they could build a new house or building.  

The roads are terrible.  There are potholes that we could have put our bus in with room to spare.  I don't see much grass anywhere.  It's like a concrete jungle.  When I look at the people on the streets shopping or working they are all dressed very well.  It seems they take a lot of pride in their appearance.  

We arrive at the hotel and I think it's an oasis.  There are beautiful trees and many bright colors.  I like it a lot but feel a little guilty staying there when our orphans are staying in tents.

We meet Seguinde who will also be an interpreter for us.  He is kind and willing to answer many questions from us.

We then meet Didie who is our contact from Hunger Relief International.  Some say that Usher looks like him.  He is very nice.  He maps out our week including what, when and where our dinners will be.  He asks what we would like for dinner our first evening chicken, pork, beef or goat.  It's chosen to be goat for everyone.

Didie took us on a tour through some parts of the city.  Our first stop is the Blessed Mother of Assumption church.  It was built in the 1860's and by looking at what's left, I am guessing it was gorgeous.  There is just a few walls left of the building and I am guessing it stood about 50 feet tall.  300 people didn't make it out of the building during the earthquake.

Next we head to the Palace.  It's completely useless.  The building is a big pile of rubble.  But the Guard still comes out every morning to raise the flag and every night to lower it.

Dinner.  Goat.  Suprisingly delicious.  I would definitely eat it again.  Everyone seems to like it.  The sun goes down about 6 down here so we use the nights to compare thoughts.  We are really looking forward to tomorrow and visiting the orphanage for the first time, especially the kids.

What amazed me was seeing the peoples faces.  Full of hope and life.