Travel Day: Electricity or Running Water?

Do you ever wonder sometimes how you function on limited to no rest?  After finally falling asleep by 1am, we got up at 4am to finish packing the food and to head out.

To Haiti in record time. Out by 5:45am,  across the border by 2pm. Stopped at Victory Compassion to drop off produce we bought for them in the DR.  Mary talked about what Pastor Rod said about me and it was very encouraging.

To new land by HELP and the corner posts were not in the right place.  We had spent a good portion of our Sunday drive back during the last trip going by the Doctor's instructions on what would be ours.  The Victory Compassion group came out and put our nice posts in the ground with cement and apparently the Doctor changed his mind or there was some sort of miscommunication.  Kendra was not pleased.

To village to see Edouard ("security") and the few families of HELP employees that have moved in.

Eduoard, our security.  He doesn't know English.

Drove to Juju's to set up our supply room. Since we made good time we were looking forward to a somewhat relaxing evening.  Unfortunately, it is a full house so the girls are in the supply room on cots for the week. When Xiomara heard this room would be where we were staying she said "give me a broom" to us in Spanish. She didn't stop - sweeping the ceiling, wiping the walls, bleaching and re-bleaching the floors. Kendra was sure to highlight the difference between Dominicans and Haitians in this case. Dominicans tend to be more "clean" overall - appearance, household, etc.

If you had to choose between running water (for showers, drinking, and cooking) or electricity (for fans in the heat and to have some sort of light in Haiti), which would you choose?  Un-lucky for us, both were out when we arrived, but the electricity did come back on late at night so our fans would work - YES!  For the record, I would choose electricity at this moment, but that answer could change in a few days.

Short nap, showers, and to Paraguayan base for dinner. Tonight Kendra, Xiomara, and I ate with Captain Florentin, Captain Torres, and Major Rodriguez. They set up our table outside the mess hall, under the stars.  I think it is fun for them to have visitors since they are here for the year, usually without anyone new around.

Back to the house by 11pm, said hello to Johnbern, then Kendra and I helped him pitch a tent because all the rooms in this 6 bedroom home are taken...may I remind you that the kids only sleep in 1 room and the rest are usually empty. They have had visitors from around Haiti and from the States the last few weeks.