One Hot Day

The first work day is over, and we have survived. The site of the new guest house is in the direct sunlight; at noon today the temperature was 126 degrees F. Needless to say we are both exhausted. However, it was a good day of work. Several Haitians worked with us -- some laying block, some mixing mortar, some carrying blocks, mortar and water. We look forward to more of the same tomorrow.

On Time Travel

The journey was uneventful and on-time --- actually a little early. We arrived at the mission station about 1:30 and were greeted with the 90/90 climate as usual (90 degrees, 90% RH). After lunch Barry and I joined Greg (the station manager) for a tour of the work site. Much of the exterior foundation wall has been laid up to floor height. Most of the interior foundation walls are yet to be laid. A few hours were spent digesting the drawings and getting familiar with the dimensions for placement of doorways. Tomorrow we get to work.

To the South - Again

During our last trip to Haiti we saw footers being dug for a new guest house at the mission station on La Gonave. Since then footers have been poured and folks have been busy laying the block foundation walls. While we were there last March, the station manager had expressed a strong desire to have some block masons from North America come to work alongside the Haitians. Tomorrow morning a friend who has over 30 years masonry experience is joining me for a 2-week trip to work on the new guest house. Hopefully, I'll be able to post daily updates.

Wrapping it Up

Another trip to Haiti is history; it was certainly a worthwhile trip from several perspectives --- work accomplished, friendships strengthened, encouragement provided. In Haiti there is always much more to be done, but the people are extremely grateful for every little bit that is accomplished.

On Thursday the ceiling repairs in the apartment were completed; roof sealant was applied to the rest of the main storage shed; and scores of books were sorted in preparation for the opening of a library that is currently under construction.

Two major construction projects are underway on the La Gonave mission station: a new hospital to replace the overcrowded, 50-year old original, and a new guest house to accommodate larger groups and provide meeting space for training seminars. These projects are being spearheaded by a group from Scotland (http://www.lemonaid.org.uk/) and will rely heavily on volunteer labor. The land for the new guesthouse had been cleared before our arrival, and the last tree to be felled came down while we were there. It was fascinating to watch the Haitian workers trim the limbs and section the tree using only axes and machetes. Corner stakes for the new guest house were set, and a volunteer from New Brunswick, Canada, was operating a backhoe to level the ground.

Thursday afternoon our group was taken on a tour through the town of Anse-a-Galets and up the mountain. The views were impressive, the contrasts stark -- the bay in the distance, the mountain range beyond that on the northern arm of the mainland, the arid land where people eke out a living with small gardens and an animal or two. The road was narrow, rocky, and at times, barely passable. Yet some commute daily to the town below either on foot or by motor bike.

We also toured the saline - a flat area along the shore where folks who have no other place to live scrounge wood, blocks, tin and cloth to frame a shelter they call home.

Thursday evening we were able to enjoy a visit with the missionary families and also to identify additional projects that we were able to fund including the hiring of local labors to do some of the needed repairs.

The trip home began Friday morning at 3:30 am. Due to other schedule requirements we were provided a pre-dawn journey across the Saint Marc channel with the added benefit of watching the sun rise. The two-hour truck ride to Port-au-Prince was interrupted with a stop at a large, flat area sprinkled with crosses; We were told that more than 200,000 earthquake victims are buried here.

Following lunch we were taken on a tour of Port-au-Prince. Much of the destruction remains untouched; the palace, the cathedral and several government buildings look little different from the days immediately following the earthquake. Tent cities are still prevalent, and people walk distances and stand in lines for water. Yet, life goes on; street vendors and open air markets are open, and folks are selling their charcoal and sugar cane along the roadways.

Saturday was a typical travel day --- standing in lines, sitting in boarding lounges, sitting on airplanes. A seven hour layover in Fort Lauderdale allowed us plenty of time to feast on American food (and gave our bags a chance to get to Philadelphia before we did).

On this trip I was reminded of additional reasons for North Americans to visit our missionaries on the field. I've often observed that words and pictures are inadequate descriptions of life in Haiti; there's no substitute for being "on the ground". There is clearly much more to be done that can be accomplished by the missionaries themselves; added human and financial resources meet needs that would otherwise be delayed or overlooked. On this trip several of the missionaries commented to me how much they were encouraged just by our coming; I also realized that our presence is a statement to the Haitians that they have not been forgotten, and there is reason for hope.

Home Again

We landed in Philadelphia about 10:15, but since our checked bags took a different route, it took a while to locate them. We got home just before midnight. It was a very productive and rewarding trip. Thursday was a long day, and I didn't take time to report; Friday I had no access to internet. In the next day or so, I'll fill in the rest of the story. Thanks for all your interest and prayers.

More Work; Some Visits

It was another good day of work even though we only worked for the morning. Roof sealant was applied to the main storage shed (the depot); the remaining propane tanks were cleaned and painted. Significant progress was made on the ceiling repairs in the apartment.

After lunch we visited an orphanage in town where 61 children (24 boys and 37 girls) are being cared for. We passed out gifts of candy, toy cars, beany babies, and silly bands, and were entertained with energetic songs from both boys and girls. We also passed out crayons and pages from coloring books and visited with them as they colored.

Before supper we sat in on two English classes and had the opportunity to interact with the students. They are very eager to learn, and a discussion about a paragraph they have read often extends beyond the language to the content of the paragraph. For example, as they read about the Great Depression, they asked what caused it and wanted to explore the economic climate of the time (Why did the stock market crash? Why did the banks fail?).

Following supper we attended the advance English class, and after a lesson on past tense and negative past tense, we joined them in playing "You've Been Sentenced". It is a great tool for teaching sentence structure, syntax and vocabulary, and it provided many reasons for laughter. After each round the teacher would review parts of speech and talk about the definitions of newly encountered words.

We are down to our final day on the island. The plan is to work in the morning then tour the area around and outside the town.

A Good Days Work

A second coat of sealant was applied to the station manager's house roof. Two windows in a storage area were boarded up, caulked, and painted in preparation for storing bags of concrete. More propane tanks were cleaned and painted. A ceiling in one of the apartments showed signs of significant deterioration and termite damage. The attic floor was vacuumed and a few reinforcement boards were set in place in preparation for a new ceiling panel. Throughout the day there were opportunities to share with the missionary families and to renew friendships with nationals we have met on previous trips. Several trips to other ministries in the area are being planned.

The Last Few Days

It seems that each trip south incorporates special "perks". I knew our check-in last Saturday at US Airways would be "different" because there were 6 of us checking 16 bags - many of them at or (slightly) over 50 pounds. Although some details of that exercise require follow up, all 16 got on the plane with us. An early arrival at Fort Lauderdale started me thinking that this trip was going to set new records for smoothness. However, the oversight of US Airways in not providing boarding passes for the American Airlines flight to Port-au-Prince and a security check line that extended through three waiting queues and continued outside the terminal building made me thankful that we had over two hours to make the connection. In the boarding lounge we were joined by the two other members of the team (and their four checked bags), and the eight of us were finally on board only 45 minutes behind schedule. For the next half hour we sat while the pilot waited for the report of aircraft weight, and the baggage handlers were "moving bags around" in the baggage compartment. Providentially, all 20 pieces of checked luggage were waiting for us in the Port-au-Prince baggage claim area when we finally exited immigration a mere hour and 30 minutes after touching down. A typical Haitian meal of rice and beans and a tasty meat sauce accompanied by fried plantians welcomed us to the guest house for the night.

Sunday we began the two hour ride up the coast of the northern arm of the country in a covered flat bed truck and an SUV. About midway in the trip we stopped at Source Matelas to join their worship service and greet the people. At the wharf we loaded our luggage along with a scale for the hospital and a refrigerator for the guest house onto the diesel powered refurbished lobster boat for the hour and a half, 12-mile ride across the Saint Marc channel to the town of Anse-a-Galets on the island of La Gonave. Lunch was waiting for us at the mission station guest house following which we visited with the missionaries stationed here and previewed the projects waiting for us.

It is no surprise that the project list is sufficient to keep many teams busy for many weeks. For today the main focus was seal coating the tin roof of the station manager's house and wire brush cleaning of several propane tanks in preparation for painting them. Finally after dinner there was time to relax and learn more about the ministries that are taking place in the town and on the island.

On the Island

We've arrived on the island of La Gonave. The trip so far has been mostly as expected although we do have a few anecdotes to tell. Both Saturday and today have been full, busy days. Yesterday I never took the computer out of the bag, and I've just connected to the Internet a few minutes ago. We sort of have a plan for tomorrow, and it's shaping up to be a busy week. Hopefully I'll write more tomorrow.

The Adventure Continues

It is once again time to pack our bags and head south. In about 9 hours six of us should be boarding a plane in Philadelphia bound for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, by way of Fort Lauderdale (where we'll be joined by two more). Our destination is the town of Anse-a-Galets on the island of La Gonave. The current plan is to spend most of our time at the Wesleyan Mission Station and Hospital; we expect our efforts to focus on the current, pressing needs for maintenance and improvement. As on prior trips, it is my intention to publish updates daily; achievement of this goal is dependent on both the availability of Internet access and an adequate level coherence and energy on the part of the author. Neither condition is guaranteed. Stay tuned.