Haiti Chronicles - Sounds like Narnia doesn't it?

There is so very much that we got done today. But we also got so very tired. The work on the bunk beds continue. Tomorrow - hopefully - will be our last day on them. We discovered one that we flubbed up on. A mistake - horror of horrors. The temperature today was upwards of 90 degrees and very humid. We're eating well and sweating a lot. We have no thermopmeter we're looking at nor any scales. So, we don't know a lot of things we would keep closeer track of while back home. So when I say it was hot, that's all I can say with true accuracy. And I can't say anything for sure about whether losing weight or not, as the food is good and we're hungry enough to eat quite a bit.

The team is growing closer together. We're doing a devotion together and that causes us to think together on spiritual matters. Plus, we ride back and forth between the house and the orphanage and that takes about 45 minutes or so each way. We ride in the back of a pickup truck with an open rack on it. Plenty of time to view the sights of Haiti between here and there. And we work together and eat meals together. The team is building.

I'm going to try and post some videos. The power is going off and coming back on, so we'll see how far I can get on this task. ....

You may want to link to Bec's blog and she'll give you a whole differnt perspective than I'm giving you: Haitiexpedition@blogspot.com

I didn't get very far.....  Tomorrow is another day.... Godnight All! Thanks for joining me on this great journey...the Chronicles of Haiti!!

 

Loved that Soccer ball...

 

 

Yeh - Cool!!

 

 

Say Hello to the camera

 

 

 

 

Along the way to our work site

 

A Day in the Mountains

To be lifted up and view the city from above was a wonderful experience. We could look at Port-au-Prince and see the urban sprawl. It includes Carrfour, Petionville and many other sub-cities. But it is all Port-au-Prince proper.The expanse of city, we were told, is about 10 million people. That has risen since the 2010 earthquake. Many additional people have come to the city to look for work. Most have not found it.

Our trip up the mountain was beautiful to experience. The ride  up reminded me of driving up either side of Cayuga Lake heading north out of Ithaca. The mountains here make the mountains and gorges of Ithaca look small. The temperature difference from down below to up higher was very refreshing.

We went to Lenny's home which he is building in the mountains. His home is built on top of his grandfather's house. That is common practice here. And it will be about a 45 - 60 minute drive from his home to his work when it is all done. He hopes to be done this summer. He will be getting married in the late fall to Dahlia.

This morning, Sunday, we spent from 6 am - 12 noon in Church. That is so un-American but very Haitian. I preached at the 6 am service and Jim preached at the 9 am service. It was my first experience preaching through a translator. That was different, but seemed to go well. God is quite capable of working through many different ways. It's quite amazing, actually.

Let me give you some pictures and a video. That may help you to feel like your with us here. Actually you are with us here in you  prayers and thoughts. THANKS! We all sense what it is you're sending our way. Merci.

 

In the morning..

 

 

See the early morning fog (clouds)?

 

 

Markenz (sp.?)

 

 

Markenz & Lennie (good friends)

 

 

Up the mountain on the back of the truck

 

 

Mountain Road...ended in a funeral...respect and shut off camera!

 

The Orphanage Kids...

Believe it or not, another day has passed. We were tireder today than we were yesterday. Pastor Wilson said that he's going to give us a Sabbath Rest tomorrow. Yeh! But, Sunday morning at 6 am and 9 am is church. I am preaching at 6 am and  Jim is preaching at 9 am. I'm preaching about John the Baptist as the preparer of the way for Jesus. His baptism was one of repentence and Jesus' baptism was one of the Holy Ghost. That's enough, don't wantto spoil my message. If you want to hear it, see you at 6 on Sunday morning.

We built 3 of the 5 bunkbeds. Hope to finish the other two on Monday. The 20 children in the orphanage will be back in school on Monday, so we have to confine ourselves in work to one area..a classroom. The other three classrooms will have students in them.

Rick and I played games with the boys today. One game was some sort of hand slap game. Another was a counting game (like musical chairs). Whoever it was that the counting landed on were out. I never could figure out what the number was. I don't understand Creole very well. I did learn a new word to day - "Oupre" and it means "Ready"? It's as though the r and the e are reversed when you pronounce it. One of the young men at the orphanage, we call him 'T', is a teacher. He was teaching me some words - writng them on the chalk board and all. I learn better by seeing it written rather than just by hearinging it. I am a visual learner. That is for sure.

I'm posting more pictures and videos below. Hope you enjoy them.Oh, by the way, tomorrow we're going up into the mountains. We're excited about that. Going to a Baptist Mission and also Lenny's house which he is building. Lenny is Wilson and Gladys' son. He is in his late twenties and will be our interpretter on Sunday morning. I think that is the case anyway.

Okay, here are the pictures and videos.

What a great sunrise...

 

 

Bec teaching a Yarn...

 

 

 

Playing a slap game of some sort...

 

 

Another "Up on the Roof" - this time at  Wilson's & Gladys' house...

 



"Up on the Roof"

Okay, I missed yesterday for a blog. There was not power for the internet, so it didn't happen. But today, for now anyway, it's a different story. I'm attaching a video I'm titling "Up on the Roof". It's a 360 picture of the surrounding area of the orphanage where we are working.

Today's work consisted of cutting more lumber and we have finished cutting all the lumber for the 5 additional bunk beds we're making. It was hot and humid but we worked mostly in the shaded area. Us poor northerners would probably melt if we were to spend that many hours in the direct sun. As it is, the energy is just drained out of us by the end of the day.

There was a distribution of some of the clothes that MacKinzie brought. They were distributed to the kids at the orphanage. Tomorrow, we may be doing some more distributing of stuff. I'll include a picture of that as well. Thanks to all of you who are following this and who are really such a part of us being here. It is exciting just knowing that through your prayers, your financial support, your soap, shampoo, crayons, coloring books,  soccer balls, etc. ect. etc, you are literally here with us. Thanks for coming to these wonderful people. Thanks for supporting us in being able to be here. It is a blessing beyond measure.

I'll go for now and get another post up within a day or two. Just keep checking back and I will keep you posted on our progress.

 

 

Distribution of Mackenzie's little girl dresses

 

 

 "Only The Shadows Know"

 

 

"Up On The Roof"

First Day in Hait

We arrived here at about 5:30 this evening. What a contrast: a snowstorm and nasty roads traveling to the airport this morning, around 87 degrees when we arrived and still very warm but with a gentle breeze blowing. The place we are staying is very nice and we have a wonderful family hosting us.

The airport was in quite a bit better condition than I remember it to be directly after the earthquake 3 years ago and it wasn't as crowded with people. Still had those who wanted to carry our bags....and of course make some money off us for doing it. We had quite a ride coming to our destination in Petionville. Up and around and over this hill and down the next one - it was quite an experience. One road was just recently paved and that was a treat. Most of the roads are so full of potholes that you don't dare very fast.

I thought it would be a good idea NOT to have my motorcycle here. I wouldn't be able to get it out of first gear. There was one motorcycle (small 250 cc) that was carrying 3 people. It's a cheap way to make money - haul up to 3 people besides the driver and do it on something economical to drive.

Tommorrow will be another day and today is almost done. Actually, I'm almost done. Good night!

Enjoy the pics!

Things thrown at you.....then catching it!

There are times when things get thrown your direction, which you have to make a choice on. It's either, you try to catch it or duck it and hope it misses you. In most cases, you're better off trying to catch it. How well it is caught is not always so readily observed. We had a tragedy in our community and it has impacted so very many people. And I felt as shocked - drained - imploded as everyone else felt. Not a good condition to be in to catch a fly ball, I might add. If there is to be any good that comes out of this, it's God's job to bring that to the surface. And do you know something? I am trusting that He will do just that. And I know that it will be surprising as to how He will do it. But God will do it and it will be accomplished through people. Sometimes, who the people are is as  surprising as anything.

So, how does this impact the Haiti trip? Well, along with this going on, I still have some packing to figure out - personal clothes to pack - a mosquito net to try out - make sure I've got all those items I need: bug spray, sun screen, necessary clothes, malaria pills, vitamins, flashlight, etc. etc.

Oh, and I have got my normal routine work, plus it's Holy Week. That means Maundy Thursday Service, Good Friday afternoon @ 3 with the carrying of the cross. Plus, the addition of a very difficult funeral and all the preparation for that. And not to forget that for a Preacher - Sunday's Coming! And this Sunday is Easter Sunday.

So, whenever things get thrown at you, try your best to catch it. How well you do at that, quite often, won't be really known till sometime down the road. Besides, God is especially good at taking some botched up messes and turning them for good. I'm especially understanding of that. I look in my mirror each morning. God has done some marvelous work with my life.

It wasn't on my list

I've made a list...and then I added to it. It's like a list all of us have made prior to making any journey. Some folks like lists when they go to the grocery story. I'm one of those who feel accomplishment when I check off items on my list. My wife will ask if I picked this or that up and I'll say "It wasn't on the list". So, as you might have guessed, I can get pretty tied to a list.

A list is what we practiced on in school when we were learning how to alphabetize things. You remember:

tuba
melon
almond
catnip
parsley
critter
title
appoint

And so on and so forth. Then you listed them alphabetically from the top (A) to the bottom (Z).

The list I've made was all the names of items people have given me to take to Haiti. Things like

soccer balls (including an air pump)
frisbee
tee-shirts
soap
lotion
dental floss
coloring books
crayons
silly putty

The way I listed them was according to categories. It wasn't in alphabetical order but in categorical order: toy - clothes - hair or body items - medical.

One thing I haven't done yet, is to weigh all this stuff. Now that will be important, because it can't be more than 50 lbs. I do know how much space this stuff takes up - one full suitcase, the largest allowed by the airlines. 

Next time you make a list, think about how you lay that list out: Alphabetized, Categorized, your personal favorites. I've got my list and I'm checking it off when I unload it. So, when my wife asks if I took this or that to Haiti, I can say "It wasn't on my list".

I guess I'd better get started on making a list of what I'm taking for me personally.