Border Crossing

We finished packing and helped Kendra write a few emails. Then, said goodbye to the family and dropped off 3 water samples from wells around the new community. We really need to get that resolved. They either have to drill a new well or deeper in this one but half the platform is done. When the results come back from Water Missions International, hopefully we will have a better idea.

We were on the road by 10am and through the busy streets of Port-au-Prince. Even though they have little, on Sunday mornings Haitians wear their best and even women wear heels through the rubble.

We stopped out at the land after dropping off a copy of the land contract to the HELP hospital. When we asked Edward how his first night with the Digicel light was, he just kept saying "bel, bel" (which means beautiful). He was very happy.

We drove to the border and had an easy time passing the Haiti side and inside the Dominican building went smoothly, but at the final checkpoint they gave the three American passports a hard time (because of the $10 tourism fee). Kendra started to walk back to the Dominican building and a guy she sees there often asked her what the problem was and he escorted us out. The guys at the gate just wanted to make some money.

Kendra spent a lot of time talking with Carter to figure out where he is coming from during the ride while we slept or listened to music.

For lunch, we ate in Barahona at the same place as we ate during our first trip with the DFMC group. Yum.

Then on to Santo Domingo to drop off Carter by 7pm, but then he took Kendra's cell phone so we had to turn around which added about an hour and a half.

Kendra was getting sleepy so we had dinner in the van and sang songs to her like Backstreet Boys and a few 80s tunes.

We got home at 10:30pm and went straight to bed. We didn't even empty anything from the van. Emily was so tired she slept in her jeans.

Our last night in Haiti

Today we started off the day packing up the supply room and having a hot dog for breakfast (we are trying to eat as much as possible of the frozen food).

After working for 2 hours on organizing and stacking up the bins, we left for the worksite around 9:00am. Interestingly enough, we were thrown a curve ball when Madam Thomas (grandma at the house) asked when we were going to take her to see what we have been working on. When we got down to the van, we saw Radal and Deborah (the two youngest kids) in the backseat ready to go. Emily’s first thought was "oh no". Once the kids were going we knew it had to be a half-day and even that would be a half-day too long to have them at the construction site. I'm not sure Madam Thomas knew what she was getting herself into. It's difficult to communicate with the three of them anyways because they only know creole (the kids know a little English). During the car ride, we couldn't even get the kids to sit down. Aye!

We are not sure they get out much because Madam Thomas really stared out the window when we would pass refugee camps on our drive out.

The latrines are almost complete, which is very exciting. Unfortunately, we ran into a well issue. Kendra took the water to be tested and the salt content is still too high, among other things. She asked them to stop working on the platform until we could get it sorted out. Digicel (cell phone company) came out with our solar light today. Security is finally going to be a little less of an issue until we can get a wall going. They provided the light for free but will be collecting a small fee from a cell phone recharging station at the base. It is an interesting concept but we are not sure if people will be able to afford it.

We finished painting all the pavilion pieces while Radal and Deborah explored the site and Madam Thomas sat in the shade. We worked until 4pm, took some final pictures, said goodbye to the workers and headed home.

We took showers at the house after work.  There were only about six buckets worth of water left because something else broke now.  Kendra has been reminding us the floaties in the water are ok, it's just like a lake she says, then instructs us to put 3 capfuls of Coptic in our shower water.  We did 2 more hours of packing and cleaning. There are a lot of supplies Kendra keeps here from canned foods to water filters, tools and your basic camping gear for Haitian survival.

Our last night in Haiti means seizing the moment so we went to pick up our Chilean friends (Marcos, Carlos, and Gianny) and our Paraguayan friends (Captain Florintine and Major Rodriguez). We took them up to Domino's for pizza. Only 1 of them spoke a few words of English, the rest only Spanish. Kendra and Carter speak Spanish, so it made it hard for the three of us to communicate. The night was very entertaining right away and they acted mildly impressed when we tried to practice by talking with them. Emily and Danny understand way more than Spanish than they can actually speak, but they were very patient. We dropped off the Paraguayans and as we were driving the Chileans back to their base camp, they all started swirling and saying no, no, don't take us back. We all got a good laugh out of it.

It was about 11pm when we headed back to the house and NO ONE was out on the streets, it was very weird. The Haitian way is to be ready for business by 5 or 6 am and in bed by 10 pm.

Chasing Daylight and Helping Hands

We got up very early to meet Russ to work on the pavilion. The bad news is that due to the fact that we had to order materials, the pavilion will not be complete by the time we leave.

On our commute out, Danny read a little of the book Chasing Daylight. It's very good. Danny chose to read chapter 3 on Uncertainty. Everyone enjoyed more of a devotional time today as we have only been having prayer time during our drive.

Alonda and Emily got back to work on painting and she started to cry. She said after hearing the devotional and song in the car that she knew exactly what God wanted her to do with the rest of her life. Emily felt honored to be there in that moment with her as she had this revelation after all our talks this trip.

Kendra and Carter went to hire some of Mike's workers for the day to really get things finished up quickly. A woman that knows Pastor Jeff Johnson gave him $50 to invest in Haiti. We decided to use a little of it in this way. Only 350 ($8.75 US) for the day per person - that's 100 more than Edward got, but these guys were the hardest workers we've seen and being Mike's workers, knew to negotiate.

About 6 people from the families that were promised shelters today came out to volunteer and help us finish up. We had about 35 Haitians on site at this point between the latrines, well drillers, and volunteers. Three boys came up and asked our names, then asked us for money. Alonda got really mad (this happens to us all the time here) and said no, you give me money. This little boy actually pulled out some goudes to hand to her. She tried to tell him he didn't need more if he already had some.

Not long after people started working, we began to receive water requests. Oops. We didn't bring enough for everyone and the volunteers who took over the painting were almost out of paint. This meant Alonda and Emily got to go on their first, very own adventure with Floyd. They took Max, a Haitian worker from Dr. Brutus' HELP hospital - he does the accounting. He spoke basically no English.... Only a few words, so Carter gave him the instructions and they were off toward downtown Croix-des-Bouquets. Emily said she loves driving here because there are no rules, no lines on the road, using your horn often is encouraged, no stop lights at busy 4 way intersections - it was great fun for such a bad driver.

They stopped at a few hardware stores, no paint. Finally about half way down the road back to the house they found one. They also got more cement, then went to the supermarket for cups and ice for our volunteers. Kendra began filtering water from the well but it was very cloudy and was taking awhile. Emily and Alonda got back after being gone for over an hour and a half. Wow.

Lunch time included Alonda and Emily making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone - a long process. Then, Kendra and Emily went out to get even more paint.

Back at the site we finished up for the day.  Dr Brutus and Miss Kuta (the head nurse) came by to see our progress. They both speak English well and have continued to support and get to know all of us better.

After work we went back to the house to shower and have dinner with our new Chilean friends, but their mission for today got extended into the evening and they wouldn't have permission to leave the base. The Americans of the group decided pizza sounded amazing because of all the rice and beans we've eaten. Carter told us there is a Domino's in Haiti! The group ventured out to find that Domino's was closed. We don't just mean closed for the evening, the only thing left of it is the sign and an open cement structure. Rain began to fall soon afterwards and everyone outside was frantically looking for cover. Carter told us that Pizza Garden was just a little ways up the mountain.  It took us almost an hour to park because the parking lot for the restaurant was actually a dead end side straight that people had just decided to park however they wanted to in.  We didn’t know this until we got all the way to the end and other cars had come in behind us and blocked us in.  It was crazy but after a lot of frustration we were able to get out and park on a side street.  This is the rich part of Haiti, so it felt like another world. It cost thirty American dollars for a large pizza. It was delicious though and a nice treat. The atmosphere felt like a club, a little bizarre for a pizza place.

We went straight home afterwards and got to bed.  We are praying we can wrap up everything we need to by tomorrow to leave early Sunday morning.

Peace Cobbler and Paint

Last night Korina did Emily’s hair while Danny made peach cobbler-ish with oatmeal for dessert. It was good. 

Kendra had another meeting this morning, so we got to sleep in, but Alonda and Emily heard a round of gun shots early this morning, so they couldn't really sleep. (Don't worry, from far away)

JohnBern left us today to go play with his jazz trio this weekend in Santo Domingo, then Santiago. We already know it won't be the same without him, but are glad we will see him in Jarabacoa before we head home.

We spent the morning cleaning the workroom, then we watched Iron Man on Danny's MAC.

Everyone lives outside here. We've made the same 45 minute drive everyday from the house to the land and it seems like there is always something new to see - people selling donated items, kids walking in their uniforms to school, trash and rubble everywhere, motorbikes and vehicles almost colliding. The senses are always on overdrive. Hopefully the first thing the new President does is pickup the garbage and remove rubble. That alone would lift spirits. We hope he doesn't just give away housing though.  Haiti needs a better plan to be more self-sufficient. The Delmas 6 camp is so delusional that they actually drew up plans for all 1,000 of them to live together in a new neighborhood with a school and houses. The crazy part is this blueprint has an amusement park in it, yes you read that right. So even though 60% of the Haitian government's budget is from foreign aid, they will definitely have money left over for rollercoaster’s and swimming pools. We still can't believe how badly the committee at Delmas 6 betrayed Kendra after all she did and that they are still expecting such big handouts. There are still some 860,000 displaced people over a year later. Even though we are here and can see it with our own eyes, it still boggles our minds. 

After driving in Floyd (the van) most of the time, this afternoon Kendra sent a HELP employee and van to pick us up. Before, when riding in Floyd, everything felt like we were watching a movie out the window and today, with the windows down in this smaller vehicle, we could really get the true sense of what we were seeing. From the noise to the smell and sights, it felt more 3D... More real. It sounds weird but it's true. The feeling was bizarre after being here so long.

On our way to the site, the 45 minute drive turned into an almost 2 hour drive because a box truck was turned completely on it's side. Traffic was insane.

We arrived at the site late in the afternoon to find Russ and Kendra working on the pavilion. Russ welded while Alonda and Emily painted. Danny continued to bury sides as Alonda, JohnBern, and Emily had done yesterday. Three of the guys from the latrines watched Alonda and Emily paint while they repeated "rete eciete" (which means "stay here"). Edward had taught it to us on Tuesday because he wants us to stay in Haiti. Luckily, Deborah (the little girl from the house) taught us "allay" which means, "To leave". We were happy to practice it.

Alonda and Emily painted the whole workday. The paint was terrible and it made the whole project very difficult.

Due to the accident, the traffic on the way back was ridiculous. On the way home we stopped and got Carter Haitian food, then got back to the house with barely enough energy to make dinner.

More Holes

Most days Alonda and Emily take bucket showers on the roof after a long day in the dirt and today was no exception as the water pump is still broken from last night. Today was a bit different though, because they saw a group of women gathered across the way, watching what some white girls were doing on the roof. We are not sure why Emily showering in a tank top and shorts on the roof is exciting because Haitians strip down wherever they want to go to the bathroom or wash off.  Maybe these women were confused by her modesty?
Today was not one of the best days. This is the weirdest day we have had here. Maybe digging holes for a second day in the heat has taken a toll or the lack of sleep or the miscommunication at the land. We really wish someone spoke Creole in our group.  JohnBern has been doing a good job talking to Edward (our land security until families move in), and then all of the sudden there were problems today.  JohnBern is very much a peace keeper, a lover not a fighter so it was weird when Edward's body language was all bent out of shape.  It was cleared up by the time we left, but we all wonder what Carter was actually saying the whole time to Edward when we weren't around. He kept telling us Edward is lazy. I'm not really sure about Carter at this point as this isn't the first thing he has done that made me raise my eyebrow.  We appreciate his help and he is interesting to talk to, but you can't help but feel weird.
Work started off rough too but Alonda, JohnBern, and Emily worked on digging to put the tarp sides underground while Danny and Carter finished the rain gutters. About 16 other people were around digging the well and finishing the 3 latrines.
After lunch, the kids from HELP came by again and wanted to talk, which is fun even though we have no idea what they are saying. They know Alonda and Emily's names and that is fun enough for us. We played kick the pringles can, then the girls wanted to pet Emily's hair.  Alonda and Emily walked them the quarter mile to the hospital where they get one meal after school everyday before heading home. Everyone wanted to hold their hands and give us hugs. They were the light we needed today.
Back to the house about 4:30pm, Danny is making spaghetti for dinner. We are going to bed as soon as we are done eating.

Holes

Knowing the election results could potentially cause issues with work and travel around Port-au-Prince, so we didn't make solid plans today.

Good news though, our Chilean friends whom we met and gave a Spanish CD and brochure while driving back from the work site called today. We are having dinner with them Friday. Another country to add to our list of food sampled from around the world. We asked Kendra why we even bothered to bring so much food from the DR when everyone here from the UN wants to feed us all the time.

This morning we got up early, but then Kendra decided to go pick up Carter as he will be staying with us now and driving back to the DR whenever we go back. He is Haitian, but he lives with his wife and two kids in Santo Domingo, DR now. They went to buy 25 trees with Pastor Vitale (a worker from the H.E.L.P. hospital who had a connection).

Since she was gone for so long that meant that after waking up at 6am we could take a 2 hour nap. Yess.

Kendra got back about 12:45pm and informed us she had a meeting at the land in Croix-de-Bouquets at 1pm (the land is 45 minutes away). That is one thing that is the same between Haitians and Dominicans even though so much else is 100% different...tardiness.

We arrived at the land and dug 4 holes in the afternoon for the pavilion posts. 3.5 feet deep by 18 inches wide. It was hard work in the hot sun. Now we know what Shia LaBeouf felt like in the movie Holes. Kendra ran to a meeting at the UN Log Base with Johan. We decided we were done at hole 4 so we sat in the foam core home to cool off (thank you DFMC!). The sun started to set and we were glad to see Kendra when she pulled up at 6:30pm. The solar lights aren't installed yet so it would have been pitch black pretty quickly with the main road being 2 kilometers of dirty hills away.

Instead of heading home, we decided to call our African UN police officer friend Amaudo. He is really lonely here and only hangs out with his other UN friends, so he calls us often to visit. We decided to take him out to Epidor (like McDonald's but with many more options).  We had pizza and during conversation realized how little English Amaudo actually knows. He did understand my multiple wives question as a follow up from our Sunday night dinner conversation.

At one point Emily commented to Alonda that people must be staring at us because we are so dirty from working and we didn't even get cleaned up. Alonda was sure to remind her they were staring because we are white.  We got home about 8:30pm and the girls played with Alonda and Emily's hair - braiding it every which way and putting their feet up so it felt like a spa.  It was cute.

A Step Forward

Emily, if you know her, is an enthusiastic young woman who likes to get the job done in a timely manner. Well, Monday morning Emily woke to thinking that is was 8:00 and we had discussed the night before that we would roll out at 8:30. So she decided to wake the rest of the house hold up. But really the time was 6:00 a.m.!!! Poor sweet Emily had woken all of us up before we realized the real time.

After finally getting all our sleepy bodies in the van we headed off to the project were we only had 2 more houses to wrap. The gentleman who is watching the camp for us was up and clean out the holes we are going to be using for the latrines and the group for the well came earlier. We all had a focus to get as much done that morning for we did not know what time the announcement for the election would be called and what the reaction would be from the public. Amazingly we were able to wrap the rest of the houses. After Kendra finishing up with the doctor at H.E.L.P. we headed back to the house to wait for the announcement.

At about 6:15 p.m. Emily and I were talking in our bedroom, and all of a sudden a loud roar of yelling, screaming, and clapping came from outside. At first it frightened us, but after we realized it was shouts of joy we were surprised and happy to hear their celebration of happiness. After hearing and seeing the Haitian people filled with such joy, we filled our bellies with wonderful Haitian food prepared by our friend John Bern and help from Danny. It was a feast of chicken, rice and beans, and a sauce of onion, potatoes and corn. After dinner the little girls that we are staying with, Karina and Deborah, helped Emily and I with the dishes. Then it was time for bed!

Sunday

After deciding to have a “day of rest”, we decided to call our blog post for today “Skipping Church with Pastor Kendra”.  She was sure to tell us we could not use that as the title.  Even though she gave us the option to stay home or travel out with her, we all ended up going with her on all the adventures for the day.

We started out by going to pick up her friend Carter who is a humanitarian for Haiti.  He has been working with Project Hope, but has recently resigned.  Carter’s parents named him after the US President Jimmy Carter because he was born after Carter was out of office and his parents felt he was a good leader for the United States.  While Carter currently splits his time between Haiti and the Dominican, it was fun for us to spend time with him and get another perspective on Haiti and the current election.  He has been so gracious to now spend the rest of his time here with us to help our project.

First, Kendra wanted to have Carter help us find two families from within the Delmas 6 camp.  We, of course, were elated to travel back to Delmas and this very “friendly” camp.  He looked for both families and while he found one, Carter was able to better understand the current situation there.  While talking to a woman who we invited to just come see the land, she informed him that she needed to “ask the committee first”.  This further proves the corruption and fear the people have from doing what is actually best for them as opposed to going against leadership that doesn’t actually even live in the camp.

Even though no one from the two families were able to join us to see the land, we wanted Carter to see the progress we have made.  He was impressed with what we had accomplished and was able to give insight into how we can acquire more funding and more connections with his network.  Carter seemed very excited and hopeful for the project and how it could help Haitians to become successful.

Carter lives on top of the mountain behind the UN Base Camp.  We drove up and up the hills to find beautiful homes that looked like they should be placed in Florida on the ocean…or even in Beverly Hills.  We dropped him off and drove a little ways down the street to see Kendra’s friends from FOHO.  Russ, Sherry, and Jack.

During our time with Russ, Sherry and Jack, Kendra updated them on the happenings of the Delmas 6 Camp as well as our current project in Croix-des-Bouquets. After, we listened to Russ, Sherry and Jack give us a few details on the day of the earthquake and the few days that followed.  It was amazing to hear how it affected their lives, but with God’s assurance have come back to Haiti to live out His mission.

By this time it was 6:30pm and Kendra’s friend Amaudo from Mali in Western Africa called to invite us over.  He works as a UN police officer for the minustah and had some very interesting things to say.  First, in his country, he is allowed to have four wives even though he only has one right now. He seemed to be very interested in discussing this with Emily and Alonda, if you know what I mean. But all in all we had a great time and he served us chicken, fries, and a sauce that was delicious! We were all very grateful for his hospitality. After a long day we found ourselves looking for our beds and yet wondering what tomorrow would bring us.  

Finishing Up

The last couple of days we have been trying to finish up the temporary houses. The houses are built but the tarps need to be stretched around the frames. We now understand why Hank and Royce really “loved” this job. So at this time we would like to say we miss Hank and Royce and wished they were here…hahaha… We’ve had several visitors to the camp like I.O.M that is putting in the latrines, Clear Blue that is digging the well and digicel that will be putting up security lights.

A Night In Paraguay

God has shown favor to Pastor Kendra in several different ways one is that she has been blessed to have a connection with the Paraguayan army that is stationed here as part of the United Nations. As Paraguay speaks Spanish she is able to communicate with them very well and they seem to enjoy their conversations together and in so they invited us to dinner at their base in the UN camp. So guess what? We got to travel along for the adventure!! It was so amazing and so much fun to have a personal tour by the gentlemen and to sit down for a real dinner in their mess house. You could tell they had such great pride for their country and pride to shows us around their camp. At the end of our tour they brought us into their education/media room to show us a slide show of their accomplishments in Haiti and their travel of staff and equipment to Haiti. Our project was a part of the show and our very own Danny was in it on top of one of the roofs of the houses.