On the Island

We had a very pleasant (hot and calm) voyage across the channel to La Gonave; the water was as calm as I've ever experienced.  After lunch Greg took us on a tour of the guest house and identified the remaining tasks.  There is plenty of work to keep us busy.  After dinner Julian gave us a guided tour of the hospital; words are inadequate to describe the outstanding work that he has directed.

I hope to occasionally post a few photos on my FaceBook page.

Tomorrow we start to work.

We're Here

Up at 3:30 am; at the airport by 4:30 am; in the air by 6:30 am; on the ground in Port-au-Prince before noon; pretty much as advertised.  In Miami we were joined by a lady going to La Gonave to teach ESL (English as a Second Language).  The Port-au-Prince arrivals area had been substantially renovated earlier this year.  We made it through immigration, baggage claim and customs without any difficulties.  Judain was waiting for us in the Canter.  We made a stop at DeliMart so Nancy could get some groceries before heading to the island.  For many of us it was the first experience in a supermarket in Port-au-Prince.  The inventory was quite large, but I would not want to buy the fish or meat on display.  We arrived at the Ortlip Ministry Center about 2:40 pm where we were greeted by Dan & Joy Irvine; it was great to see them again and to bask in the drenching sweat caused by 95 degree temperatures.

Tomorrow we head to La Gonave and have the opportunity to see first hand the progress on the hospital and new guest house (now know as the La Gonave Ministry Center).  We've heard that good progress is being made, but there is still much to be done before the September 28 dedication ceremonies.

We are all looking forward to a couple weeks of productive investment in our ministry in Haiti.

In the Skys Again

Tomorrow morning six of us from the Penn-Jersey District of The Wesleyan Church should be headed to Haiti for two weeks of ministry in the form of manual labor.  We expect to spend our time at the mission station on the island of La Gonave, which is currently a beehive of activity.

A brand new hospital has been under construction for the last 18 months, and the dedication celebration is scheduled for September 28. At the same time, a new La Gonave Ministry Center is being constructed to provide better living accommodations for teams that come to share their skills and for local church leaders to meet for training.  There is a strong desire to have the Ministry Center completed for the hospital dedication.

We may also have the opportunity to do some repair and refurbishing of school facilities at the Wesleyan Church in town.

As in the past, I plan to periodically update this blog providing the Internet is accessible and I'm reasonably coherent.  Your prayers for wisdom, strength and safety are always welcome.

Home Sweet Home

The trip home was largely uneventful thankfully.  The line at the departure terminal in Port-au-Prince was shorter than I have ever seen it; there was no initial x-ray and metal detector screening; we walked right in and were 4th in the queue for the ticketing agent.  There was the typical long walk from de-planing to the immigration area in Miami, and the exit through customs was the most congested I've seen (there were 4 lines stretching the width of the baggage claim area waiting to clear customs).  Once we were airborne from Miami the flight home was as expected.

It was wonderful to renew the friendships with the folks in Haiti.  The trip was beneficial, productive and rewarding.  The warm shower at home felt very good.  Thanks for all your encouragement, prayers and support.

Wrap Up and Head Home

The work was completed yesterday, and the day concluded with a celebratory trip to Edner's Cafe just up the street from the mission station.  The extended party didn't end until about 10 hence no blog post yesterday.

On Wednesday the remaining batten strips were attached, and a couple custom fabricated pieces of plywood and 2x4s were used to block openings at the corners of the ceiling and walls.

After lunch we were able to visit the Okipe Children's Village; the construction of the Okipe Children's Village is a cooperative effort to provide housing and living space for about 70 children in the care of Madame Solliette, who is currently caring for these children in an unsafe 3-story building without adequate space.  The move in date for these children is March 31.  We also visited another orphanage in the area (New Beginnings) recently begun by a young man who works for WISH and his wife.  On the way back to the mission station we drove through the saline, and area near the water that is home for many who cannot afford to live elsewhere.

Several months ago one of the business men in town opened a cafe not far from the mission station on the former site of the block factory he owns.  Several of us went there for a snack after dinner.

The Wesleyana ride across the channel this morning was quite pleasant.  The sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is higher and the sun more direct than we experienced on the island the last few days.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to depart Port-au-Prince at 10:25 am and arrive Philadelphia at 5:50 pm.  We've had a productive and rewarding trip; it will be good to be home.

Down to One

One more work day; we're making good progress.  All the ceiling sheets are up; most of the long batten strips are attached.  Still a few more short battens to attach and some trim work.  Hopefully, we'll take some time tomorrow to visit the new children's village just out of town.

Back to Work

Three more work days; time to get back to work.  Sheets of the ceiling boards go up today --- about 80% of the ceiling is covered.  Batten strips were put over the joints and in between to secure the ceiling boards to the joists.  A few more photos were posted on FaceBook.

The weather has been unusually mild. A little overcast most of the day; a slight breeze at times.  A couple evenings there was a nice breeze through the guest house.  With a full guest house and many fans the inverter is being taxed.  The generators are shut down from 9 pm to 6 am in order to manage expenses.  The last two nights the battery bank were depleted about 3:30 - 4:00 am; thankfully, the cooler temps and breeze sustained some level of comfort.

Two more days on the island.

Fontina Visit

We were able to attend the morning worship service at Fontina today.  It seems that the road is more bumpy that it was last fall.  There were about 70 or so adults and teens in the main service and another 30 or so children in their service.  As one might expect, the energy level was high.  Several folks made a point of greeting me.  Work has progressed on the church building, but they are not yet meeting there.  The worship service was in the room we used for our dining hall.  Windows and doors are all set in the new building.  The concrete sections covering the posts are done.  The exterior wall has been "plastered", but it is a textured surface not a smooth one, and I'm not sure if that is the final surface or if another layer will be applied.  The floor is poured, and a concrete and block raised platform area has been added.  Remaining work is to put a smooth finish surface on the platform and floor and to put steps at the two side doors.  Some photos have been posted on FaceBook.

After lunch back at the mission station, we took a walk through the market in town; I'm very thankful for supermarkets back home.

A few more hours of relaxation then its back to work tomorrow.

Work Day Two

'Twas another good day of work although at first glance one might wonder what work we did.  Blocks had to be cut and fit between the ceiling joists to provide a point for attaching the ceiling material.  Forty such blocks were put in place.  Working overhead while standing on bouncing scaffolding planks makes for very tired and sore legs (Brian's not mine).  We are thankful for a day of rest tomorrow.

Work Day One

Lazying around and chatting with friends is done (for a while); it's time to get to work.  Finishing a room in the new guest house is a multi-step process.  After the block walls are laid and the concrete floor is poured, wood studs run from the top of the wall to the sloped roof line.  Cross members are set; plywood is attached and a metal roof is installed.  The exposed studs on the sides is covered with plywood, and a masonite-like material is used to cover the ceiling.  Our task is to cover the sides and ceiling of one (or more) rooms.

By the end of work today we had the sides of one room covered.  On  to the ceiling tomorrow.

I've posted 3 photos in a FaceBook album (Haiti_13March).  If you can't view them, feel free to friend me on FaceBook.