Haiti Trip, June 2012 - Day 4

Can you imagine going down to the watering hole to get your household's supply of water for the day?

Prayer Partners of the Day - Diana Grace & Carla Barnard

What a great day! The song, "This is the day...That the Lord has made!" was written about today.

Sleep didn't come easy last night. It was so, so hot, despite my breezy suite. I woke up on my own at 5:30am, but one thing I have found very surprising is how quiet it is even though we're in the middle of downtown. It's nowhere near as loud at night as Arcahaie or the like.

Ancy and I went on one of our patented adventures today. Bill, one of the team members from Oklahoma, joined us.

Torbeck is ready for its water system!

We first rode over to Torbeck to complete measurements and find answers for the team in Pittsburgh, who will be installing a solar-powered clean water system there in November. It was already hot, hot, hot in the sun, but we had a blast with the measuring tape and making our drawings. We were so happy to see the building already in place, and it is beautiful. Since Pere Alphonse was not there, we only stayed for a short while.

Off to a new place....Chavaneau! This was another site survey for the Pittsburgh team with This is a project with Hearts United With Haiti. The directions to the site were priceless... Go across the river, turn right at the building with lumber in front of it, turn left, cross two creeks and take another left! This was all on an unpaved, bumpy road....for 44 minutes.

Ancy, Duckenson, and Bill

Once we arrived, we were greeted warmly. There is a school and church on site with plans to build a new site across the street on a beautiful peace of land. We again took measurements and met with the community leaders. This is always my favorite part of the job... Meeting the great community members, hearing their stories, and learning of their passions. Arris Duckenson, the principal of the school, could not have been much older than me. If Haiti cultivates great leaders like him, the future will be much brighter...

After Chavaneau, it was important to send Ancy to the mechanic to see about the radiator. Did I also mention the a/c stopped working in the Kia? :) Ancy dropped us off at the Hosanna House, where I stayed last February with the team from Pittsburgh. The upstairs porch has a great view and the perfect breeze to keep "cool." It also offers wireless Internet, hence the facebook & blog updates on Friday afternoon. We ended up there for several hours, which gave us plenty of time to debrief the morning, write up reports, and even begin sermon preparation! Truly a treat!

This team is unbelievable!

Once arriving back at our installation site, we were shocked and pleased to see the water board completely up and the solar system completely wired! The fellas worked tremendously hard, and this is the first time the system has been almost finished in ONE DAY! Wow.

Our friend from Chavaneau, Duckenson, rode a motorcycle all the way from the mountain to see a system firsthand. He was so interested, asked so many questions, and took tons of pictures. He is even coming back tomorrow to attend the hygiene education class! I was amazed!

Also, awaiting our arrival, was Pierre from Pignon. He has been interested in a water & solar system for months, and he came from close to 8 hours away to see our installation in progress. Like Duckenson, he was a sponge for information, and he, too, will return tomorrow for the health class. These young men taught me so much - from their dedication and devotion to their communities to their passion for their ministries.

What an amazing day. Truly a day the lord made especially for us. This team, representing six states across the USA, has come together in record time to form friendships and serve alongside our Haitian family to bring clean water & solar power to downtown Les Cayes, Haiti. How lucky am I to simply be a part of it all?

Taking time for reflection!