Haiti Trip, June 2012 - Day 5

The most beautiful site in the world! Newest Solar-Water Building in Les Cayes, Haiti.

Prayer Partners of the Day - Rollin & Linda Wycoff & Darenda Lease

Today, I woke up feeling the need to rewrite the sermon for tomorrow. So...at 6:30, I was at the table writing! Perhaps God will like this one better!

Hygiene education classes
underway in Les Cayes.

It's hard to do your work with one hand tied behind your back...but when that hand is being held by a four year old little girl who just wants to be near you and receive a little love, it's more than okay!

That's how today went! It was an early morning after such a hot, stifling night. The shower was actually warm, not the usual cold wake up call! Hank from Oklahoma joined Ancy, Frantzou and me on the daily adventure. On the way, we saw several stops with tons of people lined up outside. Each person had a yellow card in their hand. Turns out, they were lined up for mosquito net distribution! Good for the Haitian government.

On the schedule today were visits to three Global Orphan Projects, all of which have solar-powered clean water systems. We simply were stopping by to do follow up surveys and ensure the equipment was running properly.

Big House Solar-Water Building

Our first stop was at "Big House." This is a brand new installation, and immediately upon arrival, a little girl came up and barely let go of my hand the rest of the time. The pastor and operator were grateful to see us, and we were happy to see a system running flawlessly. After a wonderful chat with the pastor, we were back on our way. Of course, no adventure is complete without a random stop in town to buy a coke or visit with the fellows on the street, and this day was no different.

Next, we visited La Hatte, the site of an October installation. We saw the pastor on the way out, and I've always enjoyed visiting with Pastor Clotaire. Also a standard on an adventure is a hunt for a bathroom! Thankfully, along the dirt road, we stopped into another orphanage and they had a pristine toilet.

Cherette continues well.

Cherette was the final stop of the day. This is, by far, one of my favorite orphanages. The operator of the system, Robinson, always greets us so warmly, and he takes so much pride in his work and responsibility. Though the pastor and my favorite boy, Richard, were not there, it was still a fruitful stop.

By the time we returned to downtown Les Cayes, the team had completely finished the solar powered water system! Wow! A new record - set up in TWO DAYS! This team is unbelievable, and though most everyone is from a separate corner of the country, they have gelled wonderfully!

After a lengthy discussion with our LWW/SUTS In-country team, we were joined for dinner by a local surgeon, who is also in the Les Cayes Rotary Club. He took us to his house down the road for drinks and ice cream. I will simply say it was like entering a different world. The house was beautifully and impeccably decorated, and the wine was straight from France...

The joy of the evening came with a pouring rain and cooler air, and sitting in that rain to cool down and wash the stench off! It's a late night with an early morning approaching...!

The Tale of Three Trees...