Too Fast

Another trip comes to a close.  It always flies by too quickly.

After the recent hurricane, the families took the materials from the broken
shelters and sold them to buy chickens and feed.

Michel Delecia will have a baby by the time I return.

They do have a partial set of Dominoes.

Broken drain on the well.

Edison

From the minute I met this gem, he stole my heart.  Edison (eight months) has been living in the village with his grandmother for just under two months.  His mother died in an accident and he has not been taken care of.  My heart hurt when I found him crying in a house by himself.  I hold him most days and spent half of a day trying to buy formula and a bottle at the outdoor market just to feed him.  Whenever I see him he is always dirty and nearly always alone.  When I ask the people who is responsible for him while his grandmother is in town, no one responds.  He is alone and usually forgotten.  He is treated like a burden to those around him.

When I found him on this particular day Edison was naked and dirty.  I scooped him up and took him to the van.  The kids of the village started laughing and followed me.  Carlitos held him while I washed his body with water and face with a wipe.  Then we held him and prayed for him.  Carlitos in Spanish and I in English.

Edison is very little.  He is able to sit but can't do much else as his legs are not strong enough.  His hair is patchy from malnutrition.

These are the types of circumstances I come across that break my heart for this country and for the world.  I've been in Haiti, but there are children just like these suffering in our neighborhoods, schools and even churches in the United States.

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it."

"Well why don't you ask Him?"

"Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same question."  -Anonymous

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."  

-Proverbs 21:13

Sometimes I need to get away from the work and that is when I visit Jeanilia.  She is always the person I need to see.  We worked side by side at Victory Compassion my first two months in Haiti this year.  She is so sweet and we communicate speaking Spanish.  Jeanilia is a remarkable woman and ray of light to those around her.  She is so wise and has a gentle spirit.  I spent all afternoon with her catching up, laughing, and just enjoying her company.

Jeanilia's Dad and I with their "pets".

Jeanilia and her family in her home. 

Carlos and I spent some time in Jeanilia's village and the girls wanted to do Carlos' hair.
It was the afternoon entertainment.

Jeanilia's home.  She lives on one side with her two children and her Dad lives on the other.

We walked to a small hut to buy cokes.

The locals got a kick out of us.

On our walk back, Jeanilia's kids had to walk by their friends who were at the well getting water for their families.  If you look closely at the left - her kids are hiding their cokes behind their backs so their friends don't see their treats.

Village Photo

Small damage from a recent Hurricane.  I planted this tree last year.

The People

Checking in on the people.  They always make me smile.

Edison  <3

Bathtime with Stefana and Mom Nerlande. 

Rodella and I near the well house.

Hardware Stores

For those who are curious.  Here are the insides of two hardware stores.

MSC - the biggest hardware store in Port-au-Prince. $$$

Medium-sized Hardware Store

Plumbing Fixtures and Tile. My favorite since I work as a Project Engineer in between trips.

Parengcoy Medal Parade 2012

Many congratulations to my Parengcoy friends

(Paraguayan Engineering Company) on their year of service in Haiti!

September Trip

I was so honored to be invited back to Haiti to celebrate the Medal Parade Ceremony with my United Nations' Paraguayan Friends.  They have played such a big role in my Haiti experience and I was overjoyed to spend their special day with them.

Due to bad weather in Florida, my flight was delayed and rerouted.  To make matters worse, I missed my flight and it was the last flight to Port-au-Prince for the day.  Along with nine others, I had to stay in Fort Lauderdale for the night.  After a long and stressful day, there was an upside.  I met a new friend named Cara.  Cara was heading to Haiti for three months to work on a project she started with a friend to help kids overcome hunger.  Completely inspiring and encouraging!  I was definitely supposed to miss my flight to meet her.  We had dinner and even ended up sharing the cost of a hotel room.  I know we will be in touch.  It is fun to meet people and feel understood.

Traffic. Ugh.

If you think traffic is bad here...you haven't seen anything until you've been in Haiti.

Typical.

Work Days

Every day is different.  Every single day in Haiti has been different in so many ways.  It is an adventure even when steps forward end up being steps backwards.

Today I spent time with the villagers have a variety of conversations.  Then, we began the revolving fund!  This is something I have wanted to do for some time but wanted to make sure it was something the people would buy into.  Max, my dear friend and currently translator, was a big help in this as he has a small business with his wife and often provides business opportunities to those around him.  I really appreciated his help in this context.

Handing out school supplies so the kids can continue reading
and writing while school is out for summer.  They won't go back until October.

This photo was taken on a Sunday.  He was preparing the family's meal.
Most of the families in the village still do not have money to eat regularly.  This is the most food I've ever seen in the village besides one meal we ate together after a donation was given from the Doctor.

A meeting with four (4) women who are part of our revolving fund.

The contract with the women for their loans.  Note how two of them are unable to sign their names.

New Addition

Please welcome the newest addition to the village - Stefana!  She is the second baby to be born here.  Both Mom and baby are doing great!  Unfortunately, the father is not in the picture.  This is Nerlande's first child and she has great support from her sister.

Village Map

The new homes are complete and completely beautiful.  To be able to see the homes on the drive in everyday is a breath of fresh air in the area.  Just beautiful.

When I arrived this morning, I needed to create a new village map because everyone is now in their new homes.  Who better to help then all the kids?  It was a fun little game as they were brutally honest.  I love them.

Spent the day visiting the villagers in their homes.  They were really proud to invite me in and show me their new homes.  The dynamic has totally changed here and an attitude of pride is noticeably present.

Jean Fritz showing me his family's home.

Some were creative in their new homes.  Roly made a closet.

Solar Pump

I love Haiti.  It feels good to be back again.  I have missed these people.

My trip starts by joining Marty T, Kevin T and Don S on the end of their trip.  They have been working to complete the solar pump that we began the last trip.  Showing up and seeing progress feels amazing.

Putting the finishing touches on the pump.

Ready to flip the switch to test the pump!  Kevin T, Don S, Juckson, Marty T, James

On the other side, the well will service the garden and

on this side the community will be able to get the water they need.

It works!  What a relief to see that the water will be able to service the community!  Now, it is time to get the land prepared to plant.