Haiti: Monday-Wednesday

Day 4: Monday.

One family went to sign paperwork, waiting hours at the Embassy, only to find out their stuff wasn't there. At least the Embassy has AC.

Linda said the girls could stay at the hotel with me instead of going to school. I was grateful to have some time with the girls. Some folks went to the O to work. The guys worked on bisecting the toddler lunchroom into an office and larger infirmary/quarantine area.

Some other things happened during the day that were devastating. I don't feel at liberty to post what happened, but please keep the family in your prayers.

Islande, Katiana and I spent most of the day by the pool, had lunch in the restaurant with Lisa and Anne, jumped rope, and took a nap.


Katiana worked really hard to turn that rope!


Nagez!


Katiana cracks me up.


Katiana and Lisa's Josephine.


Islande jumping rope.

Day 5 Tuesday.

When I got to the O Tuesday morning (our last full day), Islande headed off to school, and came back to tell me that her teacher wanted to see me. I went up there and Teacher Franz chided me for not bringing Islande to school the day before. I explained that Linda and Pierre said she could stay at the hotel with me. He explained they have a program and she really needed to be there. I also was chided for her being late that day (like I had any control over that, but oh well). But I apologized and thanked him for his hard work. He really is dedicated, which is awesome. The teachers teach the children in English and make the children speak in English during class, which they don’t want to do. They want to speak in Creole, but the teachers try to make incentives for the kids.

The guys worked on the new office, dividing the preschool lunchroom in half, while most of the women sorted out another storage area.

I spent the day taking photos of each of the 130+ children for the web updates. Lisa helped me the majority of the day, and then Anne helped me finish up. We started with the babies, who generally weren't happy about being brought into the office to be photographed by a strange white woman. Half of them were sleeping, so we had to wait for them. The nannies didn’t want me to take photos of the toddlers until after lunch, so they could get them cleaned up. We were told the elders were sleeping, but they weren’t. A bunch of boys were out playing on the new basketball hoop, so Lisa and I got their photos, and a nanny started bringing out the kids to the tree where I was photographing. We didn’t have a list of the elder kids, so we just wrote down names and picture numbers. We got most of them. Then after lunch I went to do the rest of the babies.

At 3 something, the van was ready to go back to the O, but I wanted to finish the toddlers and the few elders I missed (after I was given updated list), so Anne helped me with the rest. It was great to take photos, because I got to put names with faces for kids I wasn’t sure who they were.
We got back to the O at 5 and I let the girls swim a bit, since Linda said we were going to meet upstairs at 5:30 for dinner and trip debriefing, which actually started after 6:30.


The kitchen and the hard-working cooks. God bless the hands that prepare the meals!


One of the laundresses. I can't imagine washing clothes for 130+ kids by hand with lye soap every day. God bless their work!


Bill, Max and Jock work on the room division.


One of the nannies who work tirelessly to care for our children. She's holding 7-month-old twins, Roodsen & Kervens, who were brought in that morning.


Another nanny feeding a baby lunch.


The back yard of the O, with the pool recovered with angled corrugated tin.


My sweet girls.


The view from the stairs near our third-floor hotel room.

Day 6: Wednesday.

My last day in Haiti started off bad, confronted by an overflowing toilet! I used all the hotel room's towels and the sheets off my bed to clean up the water and keep it from continuing to seep into the bedroom. I went downstairs to find a plunger, and got the toilet to flush. Then I searched for a mop. The very kind janitor came and cleaned up all the water and nastiness. I tipped him big time. But everyone was having plumbing issues all week. But when I was in the shower a little later, I saw Katiana put a huge wad of paper in the toilet. (Note to self: We’ll have to work on that.)

Jock and Lisa and I got packed, went to breakfast, and then said our good-byes. The van came to take the kids back to the O. There were many hugs, kisses, and tears. The "good-byes" are the hardest, but I think the girls understand I'll come back. I pray they know that.

Most of the team left, while some were staying longer.

We had no problems at the airport in Haiti. We got into Miami, through customs, and everyone dispersed – especially since our layovers were short. But my bag came much later than everyone else’s (even though we all checked in at the same time at the same counter!), so I told my travelling partners I’d catch up with them. I found them at Starbucks! (woohoo!!)

Then we sat at the wrong gate. Anyone want to go to Nicaragua? We ran 10 gates down to the right one, in time for the final boarding call.

Then the flight was delayed to the auxiliary engine needing to be recharged. That means we had no air conditioning as we sat on the plane. They also couldn’t start the plane until that engine was charged. Hahahaha. That flight became really bumpy half way through.

But we got home safely. Mark picked up my travelling partners and me, and took us home. We got home about 11 p.m.

On Thursday, I sent the update photos to the person who deals with them, and realized I missed a couple of boys in Baby Room 2. Drats.

But then we left Friday to get Charis from her grandparents' house 6 hours away. Came home Sunday.

I. Am. Tired.


The morning waitstaff and cooks at the hotel.


The cooks and their crowns!


The Week 1 team and kids, minus Larry, James and Rachella, who went home the day before.

Thank you for your prayers!!! Other than some lingering tummy issues, I stayed well. The girls are healthy and growing. The trip was great and I look forward to going again later in the year (if finances allow).

There was no progress with our file during the trip. We are still in dispensation, awaiting another presidential pardon, before we go back to IBESR. We've been there nearly 18 months. I am trying to convince myself that it will be another 2 years until the girls come home.

We covet your prayers: for the process, for the girls, for God's provision and protection!