God is All Around Us

We spent another day at the Village of Hope School and the Health Center.  Jim stayed back at Hope House again.   We are happy to report that our rat-proofing efforts paid off! There were no new rat droppings to be found this morning! 

The Health Center has a food distribution program for people with malnourished children, nursing mothers, and expectant mothers.  Several of the people were already waiting as we pulled up the school.  We carried in all the bags of rice and beans that we had packaged last night.  From there, we split into our groups for working.

Before lunch:

• Christine and Diane started the day cleaning the cloister blocks at the top of the exam room walls.  They then helped distribute the food to the people waiting.  They had an interesting experience as the crew ran out of rice and beans.  They aren't sure what the people were yelling at them, but they know that they were not happy about not getting their food!  It's a first come-first serve program so our understanding is that this happens every once in a while.   
  
• Richard and I fixed a screen to rat-proof the storage depot and then installed another window frame.  Then I went up to mingle with the masses waiting for their food.  I had been told that there would be many babies to be held but wasn't sure how to go about asking these women who don't know me at all if I can hold their babies. I needn't have worried!  Apparently if you just ooh and ahh over a baby, they hand them to you!  I snuggled with a few, made one laugh, and thoroughly enjoyed getting my baby "fix."
  
• Paul, Greer, Tom, and Christophe worked sifting the sand for the mortar mix while Dave, Chris, and Bert went to the Bloc Shop to get cement and cinder blocks. Then Dave, Chris, Christophe, and Populaire build four out of the 10 rows of the incinerator.  Christophe is the grounds keeper at the school but used to be a mason so he lead the building project.  Paul, Greer, Tom, and Richard then did some odd jobs before taking a break!

After lunch:

• Chris, Dave, Populaire, and Christophe worked some more on the incinerator after getting more cinder blocks from the Bloc Store.  
• Greer and Diane tackled the records room again and worked on cleaning out more rat droppings.  
• Paul and Christine cleaned more cloister blocks.
• Tom, Richard, and I walked up to the upper part of the school where the older classes are held.  We looked around for more glass slats that could be used in the office.  We also have experienced being rock stars with groupies as we were mobbed by a few end-of-the-day stragglers.  

After leaving the school and health center, we went to Little Children of Jesus.  For many of us, this is the highlight of our trips here to Haiti.  The 94 children (with some adults) at LCJ are mentally and/or physically delayed.  They love to have visitors!  We walked around and visited the children who aren't able to leave their beds before getting down to business.  Balloon hats were in high demand, as were hugs, smiles, and love.  Dave lead us in song, the kids sang to us, and we also blew bubbles.  One boy, Stevenson, who we all love (we see him every year), doesn't have any fingers.  He managed, however, to unwrap the balloon creations we gave him and tie them all together in a long line.  He then had the kids and adults jumping over the string of balloons!  It was another great visit!  As Josette, the new director of LCJ, told Dave, the kids there are all little angels. 



Dinner tonight was lasagna, salad, and bread.  We can't get enough of the french baguettes here.  Yum!  Dessert was three kinds of ice cream and "tablets" (little cookies).  We are all quite tired as we approach the end of our time here so most folks have already hit the hay!


Tomorrow the men are going back out to the school and health center to finish the incinerator and any other little odd projects.  The women are staying back at Hope House with Roberta.  Because of the truck being out of commission, and Roberta needing her car to go to the airport to pick someone up, we can't all go to the school.  The women will have a project here to work on and may get to go on an adventure with Roberta.  We will let you know! 


Continue to keep us all in your prayers, but especially Jim and Bert.  Jim is getting better but still not 100% and now Bert is getting sick.  Also pray for the children and staff at LCJ, the children and staff at the school and health center and all those in the food distribution program.