Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Working in the Heat
I'm tired. We spent the day working on replacing the roof on the hospital administrator's house. By lunch time we had removed the old tin from 1/4 of the house; we had fastened the new purlins in place adjacent to the old ones; and fastened a couple sheet of new tin. In the afternoon we finished the new tin, and began work on the next section. By 6:00 pm we had 1/2 of the roof completed. Hopefully we'll be able to finish the roof tomorrow.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Work on the Island
It's been a great day!
Our nurse has connected with a surgeon who comes frequently. Today was especially rewarding. There is a young boy who has a very large tumor on the right side of his face; it continues to grow. The doctor was concerned about the operating procedure, but was advised and encouraged by a colleague in the states to do the operation. This afternoon they did the operation. Although there were some tense moments, the operation was completed; and the boy is recovering.
The rest of us began working on the new guest house. Screens and safety bars need to be installed in the vents of the rooms, and a moisture barrier needs to be installed on the vertical portions of the center section. About 10:00 I joined one of the missionaries for a trip up the mountain to Fontina. Since we would be traveling on 4-wheelers, I was given an oral driver's exam by the missionary; it went like this: HIM: Have you ever driven an ATV? ME: no; HIM: Have you ever ridden a motor cycle? ME: no; HIM: Have you ever driven a car? ME: yes; HIM: That's good enough; let's go. We spent an hour on two ATV traveling about 2 miles. I had the opportunity to walk around the property where a pole barn church was erected by a Penn-Jersey team in the summer of 2010. There is also a Compassion school on the property. The trip down the mountain took only 45 minutes. Several places along the route provided beautiful views of the town and the water.
The afternoon was spent on the guest house. Mid-afternoon Greg, the station manager, and I visited the home of the hospital administrator. This house has a deteriorating tin roof, and needs repair or replacement. Later in the afternoon several of us went to the "hardware" store to buy the needed 1x4s and tin and take them to the house. Tomorrow we plan to start the roof replacement.
Our nurse has connected with a surgeon who comes frequently. Today was especially rewarding. There is a young boy who has a very large tumor on the right side of his face; it continues to grow. The doctor was concerned about the operating procedure, but was advised and encouraged by a colleague in the states to do the operation. This afternoon they did the operation. Although there were some tense moments, the operation was completed; and the boy is recovering.
The rest of us began working on the new guest house. Screens and safety bars need to be installed in the vents of the rooms, and a moisture barrier needs to be installed on the vertical portions of the center section. About 10:00 I joined one of the missionaries for a trip up the mountain to Fontina. Since we would be traveling on 4-wheelers, I was given an oral driver's exam by the missionary; it went like this: HIM: Have you ever driven an ATV? ME: no; HIM: Have you ever ridden a motor cycle? ME: no; HIM: Have you ever driven a car? ME: yes; HIM: That's good enough; let's go. We spent an hour on two ATV traveling about 2 miles. I had the opportunity to walk around the property where a pole barn church was erected by a Penn-Jersey team in the summer of 2010. There is also a Compassion school on the property. The trip down the mountain took only 45 minutes. Several places along the route provided beautiful views of the town and the water.
The afternoon was spent on the guest house. Mid-afternoon Greg, the station manager, and I visited the home of the hospital administrator. This house has a deteriorating tin roof, and needs repair or replacement. Later in the afternoon several of us went to the "hardware" store to buy the needed 1x4s and tin and take them to the house. Tomorrow we plan to start the roof replacement.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Worship and Rest
We joined the last 2 hours of the morning worship service at the Anse-a-Galet Wesleyan Church. Although we understood very little of what was said, we did recognize the tune of a couple songs. The service was certainly energetic and loud. We also joined the missionaries for a service in English.
After lunch some of our group went swimming and snorkeling. A couple of us were taken on a tour of the water line that WISH installed to bring water to the town. It's amazing that the system works as well as it does.
A large medical team arrive today from Scotland. Tonight there will be 6 of us in the new guest house room; six persons and 1 bathroom --- it should be interesting.
Tomorrow it's to work in earnest. Most likely we'll be working on the new guest house at least for a couple days.
After lunch some of our group went swimming and snorkeling. A couple of us were taken on a tour of the water line that WISH installed to bring water to the town. It's amazing that the system works as well as it does.
A large medical team arrive today from Scotland. Tonight there will be 6 of us in the new guest house room; six persons and 1 bathroom --- it should be interesting.
Tomorrow it's to work in earnest. Most likely we'll be working on the new guest house at least for a couple days.
Back to the Island
I started this about 8:30 pm Saturday, but ran out of time, energy and electricity.
The Wesleyana boat ride to La Gonave was one of the smoothest rides I've had. The cooks had lunch ready for us; it was good to see the folks again and to catch up on all that's happened.
Progress on the new guest house and the new hospital is beauty to behold. Seeing first hand on site is so much better than seeing the pictures that Greg and Justin have posted. I'll have to take many pictures to try to capture all the progress.
The three guys on this trip are staying in a room in the new guest house. The plumbing is functional; electricity is supplied from the WISH generator from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm just like the rest of the station. In our room we have batteries and an inverter that will power two fans through the night.
The Wesleyana boat ride to La Gonave was one of the smoothest rides I've had. The cooks had lunch ready for us; it was good to see the folks again and to catch up on all that's happened.
Progress on the new guest house and the new hospital is beauty to behold. Seeing first hand on site is so much better than seeing the pictures that Greg and Justin have posted. I'll have to take many pictures to try to capture all the progress.
The three guys on this trip are staying in a room in the new guest house. The plumbing is functional; electricity is supplied from the WISH generator from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm just like the rest of the station. In our room we have batteries and an inverter that will power two fans through the night.
Friday, March 16, 2012
A Good Days' Work
Travel for the day unfolded largely as planned. Flights were on time; all bags arrived with us; our porter and taxi driver were waiting for us. We arrived at the Ortlip Ministry Center in Croix Luly about 2 in the afternoon. Joy and Ser Lousani had lunch waiting for us.
The one project on the list for Croix Luly was the installation of a water pump for the washing machine. On a previous trip we hooked up a washing machine, but the water supply was via faucet and hose; it required manual attention to fill the machine for both wash and rinse. A couple guys on that trip thought a pressure controlled pump could be connected to provide unattended operation. A pump was obtained; a mounting fixture was fabricated; and fittings were assembled. The pump was brought with us, and this afternoon we completed the installation. An initial run this evening was as expected. Perhaps Joy will test it thoroughly tomorrow.
Some of the team cooled off in the water. Some just rested. After dinner we visited with Dan and Joy and learned more about their ministry here.
Tomorrow about noon we're scheduled to head to La Gonave for the rest of our time here. It will be very exciting to see first hand all the progress on the new guest house and the new hospital.
The one project on the list for Croix Luly was the installation of a water pump for the washing machine. On a previous trip we hooked up a washing machine, but the water supply was via faucet and hose; it required manual attention to fill the machine for both wash and rinse. A couple guys on that trip thought a pressure controlled pump could be connected to provide unattended operation. A pump was obtained; a mounting fixture was fabricated; and fittings were assembled. The pump was brought with us, and this afternoon we completed the installation. An initial run this evening was as expected. Perhaps Joy will test it thoroughly tomorrow.
Some of the team cooled off in the water. Some just rested. After dinner we visited with Dan and Joy and learned more about their ministry here.
Tomorrow about noon we're scheduled to head to La Gonave for the rest of our time here. It will be very exciting to see first hand all the progress on the new guest house and the new hospital.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Journey Begins - Again
In a little over 9 hours five of us are scheduled to head to Haiti by way of Miami. Four of us from Chi United Wesleyan and another from Stroudsburg Wesleyan are planning to spend a week at our mission station on the island of La Gonave, Haiti. Most likely we will be helping with repair and maintenance of homes (missionaries or Haitians) or construction of the new guest house.
As before, I hope to update this blog periodically. Stay tuned.
As before, I hope to update this blog periodically. Stay tuned.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
In Retrospect
For several years Area Director Dan Irvine had been watching a property just southeast of the Wesleyan Wharf in Croix Luly near the town of Montrois and directly across the channel from La Gonave. Through a sequence of God-ordained events this property has been leased with the intent to purchase. Named the Ortlip Ministry Center in memory and honor of Henry and Elizabeth Ortlip who devoted more than 30 years of ministry in Haiti, this Center is envisioned to provide facilities for pastoral training, missionary respite, and logistics coordination.
This waterfront property with a main house, a second house and a smaller auxiliary building has been uninhabited for many years. The buildings are structurally sound, but termites have left their marks, screens have deteriorated or disappeared, plumbing repairs are needed, electrical wiring would never pass code, and cisterns hold water without pumps to fill the rooftop tanks. A list of all the projects addressed during our visit fills more than a page. The list includes: Installed the plumbing and electrical service for the pump that fills the rooftop tank so we actually have running water in the house. Fashioned shower heads for low pressure use by drilling small holes in a PVC end cap. Repaired plumbing that catches rain water and feeds the underground cistern. Positioned and connected the washing machine. Connected plumbing for outside shower. Located and repaired a leaking joint in an upstairs bathroom. Since much of the plumbing is inside concrete walls, the troubleshooting was a bit more challenging. Fashioned four new stairway posts and railing to replace the ones enjoyed by termites. Sanded and painted many surfaces. Re-screened several windows. Converted a room in the auxiliary building into a bedroom for the cook --- painted walls, repaired screens, repaired wiring, installed new lock. Built a small bookshelf for the watchman. He took great joy in painting it. Replaced 2x6 frames in doorways; hung doors; replaced hinges. Replaced the base support in a love seat. Repaired a dining room chair.
For now the need for electricity is primarily met by the on-site generator. Power lines run to the house, but Haiti power is only occasionally available. During our stay the generator was typically run from mid-morning until about 10 pm. That provided electricity for the power tools and lights & fans for the evening.
One day we had the opportunity to visit the island of La Gonave. We crossed the channel on the “Breezy Sea” (a retro-fitted lobster boat) to spend a few hours visiting our mission station and hospital there in Anse-a-Galets. However, time management in Haiti being the way it is, the few-hour visit was recast into an overnight stay. The following day we heard about a severe storm on the mainland that could have possibly caused significant damage to the boat had our plans not been changed – just another reminder that our plans are often incomplete, and our inconveniences are often a consequence of some greater good that was beyond our conception.
Work on the new guest house on La Gonave is progressing. One third of the floors have been poured. The exterior block wall is finished. Two “joiners” (carpenters) from the UK are framing and pouring the tie beam around the top of the wall. It will soon be time for construction of the roof trusses. A project manager for the hospital rebuild has been recruited; he and his family will relocate from England to La Gonave in January.
One Sunday we had the opportunity to worship with another team and the folks at the Cite Soleil Wesleyan Church (Cite Soleil is an area of Port-au-Prince that is know for its civil unrest). Dan introduced us to Pastor Michel, and recounted how the Pastor had regularly met with the congregation even during years when Cite Soleil was plagued with violence and crime. Some of us also had the opportunity to visit Babaco, a rural village east of Port-au-Prince toward the Dominican border. Last year the team from Pine Grove erected a “pole barn” structure for their church. This year a team from Moncton, New Brunswick, is coming to build four classrooms for schooling the children.
On trips like these it is not unusual for unexpected opportunities to arise. On our second day in country we learned that the rudder control on the “Breezy Sea” was not reliable. One of the team members volunteered to look at it while it was at the wharf, and he discovered that the hydraulic pump mounting was loose and the belt was worn. He was able to reposition the pump and tighten the belt so the “Breezy Sea” could make the return trip to La Gonave. There was also a need to generate a scale drawing of the floor plan of the Carrefour Feuilles church that shows the location of all 40 columns that had supported the roof prior to the earthquake. Carrefour Feuilles is the largest Wesleyan church in Haiti with attendance of more than 1000. This floor plan is a prerequisite to designing a permanent roof. So a couple of us spend a day travelling from Croix Luly to the south side of Port-au-Prince to gather measurement data of column placements. It just so happened that we also joined the last hour of a mid-week morning worship service.
Progress is being made in Haiti, largely due to the commitment of charitable organizations who refuse to walk away. Although much remains to be done and the pace is slow, there are clear signs that recovery is happening.
Initial plans are being made for trips in March and September 2012. Thanks for your continuing interest and prayers.
This waterfront property with a main house, a second house and a smaller auxiliary building has been uninhabited for many years. The buildings are structurally sound, but termites have left their marks, screens have deteriorated or disappeared, plumbing repairs are needed, electrical wiring would never pass code, and cisterns hold water without pumps to fill the rooftop tanks. A list of all the projects addressed during our visit fills more than a page. The list includes: Installed the plumbing and electrical service for the pump that fills the rooftop tank so we actually have running water in the house. Fashioned shower heads for low pressure use by drilling small holes in a PVC end cap. Repaired plumbing that catches rain water and feeds the underground cistern. Positioned and connected the washing machine. Connected plumbing for outside shower. Located and repaired a leaking joint in an upstairs bathroom. Since much of the plumbing is inside concrete walls, the troubleshooting was a bit more challenging. Fashioned four new stairway posts and railing to replace the ones enjoyed by termites. Sanded and painted many surfaces. Re-screened several windows. Converted a room in the auxiliary building into a bedroom for the cook --- painted walls, repaired screens, repaired wiring, installed new lock. Built a small bookshelf for the watchman. He took great joy in painting it. Replaced 2x6 frames in doorways; hung doors; replaced hinges. Replaced the base support in a love seat. Repaired a dining room chair.
For now the need for electricity is primarily met by the on-site generator. Power lines run to the house, but Haiti power is only occasionally available. During our stay the generator was typically run from mid-morning until about 10 pm. That provided electricity for the power tools and lights & fans for the evening.
One day we had the opportunity to visit the island of La Gonave. We crossed the channel on the “Breezy Sea” (a retro-fitted lobster boat) to spend a few hours visiting our mission station and hospital there in Anse-a-Galets. However, time management in Haiti being the way it is, the few-hour visit was recast into an overnight stay. The following day we heard about a severe storm on the mainland that could have possibly caused significant damage to the boat had our plans not been changed – just another reminder that our plans are often incomplete, and our inconveniences are often a consequence of some greater good that was beyond our conception.
Work on the new guest house on La Gonave is progressing. One third of the floors have been poured. The exterior block wall is finished. Two “joiners” (carpenters) from the UK are framing and pouring the tie beam around the top of the wall. It will soon be time for construction of the roof trusses. A project manager for the hospital rebuild has been recruited; he and his family will relocate from England to La Gonave in January.
One Sunday we had the opportunity to worship with another team and the folks at the Cite Soleil Wesleyan Church (Cite Soleil is an area of Port-au-Prince that is know for its civil unrest). Dan introduced us to Pastor Michel, and recounted how the Pastor had regularly met with the congregation even during years when Cite Soleil was plagued with violence and crime. Some of us also had the opportunity to visit Babaco, a rural village east of Port-au-Prince toward the Dominican border. Last year the team from Pine Grove erected a “pole barn” structure for their church. This year a team from Moncton, New Brunswick, is coming to build four classrooms for schooling the children.
On trips like these it is not unusual for unexpected opportunities to arise. On our second day in country we learned that the rudder control on the “Breezy Sea” was not reliable. One of the team members volunteered to look at it while it was at the wharf, and he discovered that the hydraulic pump mounting was loose and the belt was worn. He was able to reposition the pump and tighten the belt so the “Breezy Sea” could make the return trip to La Gonave. There was also a need to generate a scale drawing of the floor plan of the Carrefour Feuilles church that shows the location of all 40 columns that had supported the roof prior to the earthquake. Carrefour Feuilles is the largest Wesleyan church in Haiti with attendance of more than 1000. This floor plan is a prerequisite to designing a permanent roof. So a couple of us spend a day travelling from Croix Luly to the south side of Port-au-Prince to gather measurement data of column placements. It just so happened that we also joined the last hour of a mid-week morning worship service.
Progress is being made in Haiti, largely due to the commitment of charitable organizations who refuse to walk away. Although much remains to be done and the pace is slow, there are clear signs that recovery is happening.
Initial plans are being made for trips in March and September 2012. Thanks for your continuing interest and prayers.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Home Again
Just a quick note for now. The flights were relatively on time. It's
good to be home. Perhaps in a few days I'll have the time to reflect
on our 2 weeks. Thanks for all your interest and prayers.
good to be home. Perhaps in a few days I'll have the time to reflect
on our 2 weeks. Thanks for all your interest and prayers.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
One Last Day
Three of us finished up some final work: an outside shower installed,
another shelf hung, a chair repaired.
Two of us headed to Port-au-Prince to capture a floor plan and
column placement from the church at Carrefour Feuilles, the largest
Wesleyan church in Haiti. The plan was to get to the church early,
quickly complete the measurements and get back to Croix Luly by
early afternoon thus having plenty of time to relax and pack.
If you were reading this carefully and remembered that we're in Haiti,
you would expect more to the story. Here it is.
Instead of leaving at 7 am, we left a little after 9 am and made a
couple unplanned stops. We arrived at the church about 10:50 am
and discovered that a worship service had begun and would continue
until noon. So we sat in the rear of the church and enjoyed listening
to a sermon in Creole. The worship services in Haiti are certainly
energetic with significant congregational participation. Once the
service had concluded and the congregation had exited, we got to
work. The idea was to locate the position of every column on the
floor plan so an architect could use this data to design a permanent
roof structure. There were about 40 columns. After about 2 hours,
the columns were positioned, and we headed home.
We were on the opposite side of Port-au-Prince from where the
road to Croix Luly lies, and we wanted to get some pictures of
Judain's house so by the time we finally arrived back at Croix Luly it
was after 5 pm. Just enough time to eat, rearrange and pack the
suitcases, and write and post this blog entry.
We're scheduled to leave the house here about 5:30 am for the hour
or so trip to the airport. Scheduled departure from Port-au-Prince is
8:45 am, and arrival in Philadelphia is 5:35 pm. It has been an
exceedingly productive trip; Dan & Joy Irvine are very pleased with
what we've been able to accomplish. It will be good to be home.
another shelf hung, a chair repaired.
Two of us headed to Port-au-Prince to capture a floor plan and
column placement from the church at Carrefour Feuilles, the largest
Wesleyan church in Haiti. The plan was to get to the church early,
quickly complete the measurements and get back to Croix Luly by
early afternoon thus having plenty of time to relax and pack.
If you were reading this carefully and remembered that we're in Haiti,
you would expect more to the story. Here it is.
Instead of leaving at 7 am, we left a little after 9 am and made a
couple unplanned stops. We arrived at the church about 10:50 am
and discovered that a worship service had begun and would continue
until noon. So we sat in the rear of the church and enjoyed listening
to a sermon in Creole. The worship services in Haiti are certainly
energetic with significant congregational participation. Once the
service had concluded and the congregation had exited, we got to
work. The idea was to locate the position of every column on the
floor plan so an architect could use this data to design a permanent
roof structure. There were about 40 columns. After about 2 hours,
the columns were positioned, and we headed home.
We were on the opposite side of Port-au-Prince from where the
road to Croix Luly lies, and we wanted to get some pictures of
Judain's house so by the time we finally arrived back at Croix Luly it
was after 5 pm. Just enough time to eat, rearrange and pack the
suitcases, and write and post this blog entry.
We're scheduled to leave the house here about 5:30 am for the hour
or so trip to the airport. Scheduled departure from Port-au-Prince is
8:45 am, and arrival in Philadelphia is 5:35 pm. It has been an
exceedingly productive trip; Dan & Joy Irvine are very pleased with
what we've been able to accomplish. It will be good to be home.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Winding Down
We decided to take it easy today. Well --- almost. The pace was a little slower than the past few days. We did make a small 3-shelf bookcase for the watchman. There were more frequent breaks for water and resting.
There was an opportunity to drive up the coast to the next small towns, but we decided to just stay here.
The list for tomorrow has an initial priority. A little more plumbing and electrical work. Another shelf to be mounted. Some measurements to be made at one of the rebuilding sites.
There was an opportunity to drive up the coast to the next small towns, but we decided to just stay here.
The list for tomorrow has an initial priority. A little more plumbing and electrical work. Another shelf to be mounted. Some measurements to be made at one of the rebuilding sites.
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