Haiti Trip, January 7, 2013

Is there anything more beautiful than a Carolina Blue sky in Haiti?

Prayer Partner of the Day: Carrie Delisio

The alarm went off at 4:30am. Yes, there were roosters crowing. Yes, there were goats baa-ing. Yes, I should be used to it by now. But anytime the alarm goes off that early, it is just unnatural! 

Thankfully, God had a surprise in store. I walked out onto the rooftop balcony while it was still pitch-dark. The stars were the brightest and the most magnificent I have ever seen in my life. Within minutes, the stars began to fade, and the sun slowly crept up over the mountains. The beauty was overwhelming and awe-inspiring. It only seemed natural to say the rosary while driving to Jacmel. 

Meg & Sister Eno are beasts!

The ride to Jacmel goes from the north shore of Haiti to the south shore over mountains which are incredibly beautiful. Seeing the sun come up at 3400 feet made the day that much more special. The trip takes about 90 minutes and we showed up at the Spiritian Sisters just in time for breakfast. We had a board to put up, two tanks to mount on the roof, electrical to attach and a well pump to drop, so the day was full. As Bob said, this is really the time you find out how well the team is going to work together and we could not have been blessed with a better group. 

With so many hands on deck, organization of parts was especially needed. I sat with the boxes on the porch and opened up a "shop"! Of course, when it came time to drill concrete, I was first in line! We had a roof crew, a building crew, and the shop, and all worked flawlessly. The only hitch was that there was no generator on site as there had been when Bob did the site visit back in July. The good news was they now had city power, but the bad news was it did not come on until noon. This didn’t matter as we didn’t need the electricity until late in the afternoon. By 4pm we were ready to begin testing, turned the well pump on and water began to flow. Five minutes later, however, it stopped. Same thing happened again. Turns out, we had packed the wrong pump - a 240V instead of a 120V. Yikes! Rewiring will be first on the list the next day. 

And he calls me the 5-year old!

Sister Eno was pleased with the first day's progress. Our intent was to come back the next day and finish, but we only had Bill and Meg one and a half more days and so we decided to do the DuFort install while we had the most people power. This was God’s plan all along because when Bob spoke to Sister Eno, she then told him Thursday was better for her because she worked Tuesday and Wednesday. Because Haitians are so polite, she would not have told us that unless Bob had asked her directly. 

Check out that amazing board!

Now, we just had to get back to the monastery before dark. Driving in Haiti is scary enough; driving in Haiti in the dark is downright dangerous. We made it safely, and after a quick dinner, Bill, Meg and I had a LEGO party! This started with dear Intern Sean years ago, and at Solar Schools and Haiti trips since, LEGOs are the perfect way to unwind and reflect on the day. Well, LEGOs and Prestige! 

After a bit of star gazing on the roof, it was time for bed. God is indeed good. Carrie Delisio, Dutch, your prayers made this day complete. Y yooo!

We saw the sunrise and the sunset today. God is a beautiful painter!

Haiti Trip, January 6, 2013

Prayer Partner of the Day: Emily Ronis

Sundays are a wonderful day in Haiti. Usually we rise early and go to a beautiful worship service. Today, however, we awakened in Port Au Prince! Bill and Chris came banging on my door early, as they had read the airplane itinerary wrong, and we needed to be at the airport much earlier than anticipated! Never a dull moment in Haiti...!

After saying goodbye to Chris, we eagerly awaited Meg's arrival. To pass time, we had a bit of fun!

It was a lazy day in the Kia for the most part. We jumped up and down to greet Meg, stopped for the clean restrooms, and enjoyed the company of Ancy. Once we arrived at the monastery, and saw that Bob and co were out with Surpris in Port Au Prince, we decided to take an outing to Jacmel. Bill and Meg had never been, and Ancy, Daniel, and I were eager for R&R. At Hotel Lamandu, we had our fruit punch and enjoyed the luxury of wireless internet to connect with the world.

The ocean was so blue, only to be matched by the gorgeous sky. Arnie was in heaven, clearly!!

Tonight, when we arrived back at the monastery, I was more thankful than ever for Bob. Bill and his daughter Meg were on one side, and Jim and his daughter Peggy were on the other. Bob truly became my father, as he has so many times. How lucky I am to be surrounded by such loving and caring  individuals! God has truly blessed me not only with this mission, not only with a Haitian family, but with kindhearted people to work and serve alongside! Peace, my friends!

Haiti Trip, January 5, 2013

3rd Annual Operators Conference, 2013, Palmiste A Vin

Prayer Partner of the Day: Brenda Phillips

With 92 people staying in one place, the noise levels went on into the wee hours and the began earlier than expected. Apparently, a virus went rampant through the conference, as well. Was it the chicken?

We had placed a banner outside for the participants to paint with their handprints, and everyone seemed to enjoy getting their hands dirty! Following breakfast, we had our annual group picture. It warms my heart to see how the group grows and grows every year. (See posts from 2012 and 2011.)

The first two operators conferences held in Montrouis, Haiti.

For the last two years, we promised to give out awards for the "best" systems. Following the evaluation trip in October, we were able to decide on five different categories. And the winners are...

Most Gallons Sold: St. Charles Clinic, Palmiste A Vin & Jela School, Limbe

Best Record Keeping: Arcahaie

Best Operator: Marie Michelle, Chatuley

Best Overall System: Blanket 

Best Overall System: Balan

The participants were so excited and proud of their work. As the conference came to a close, we said our goodbyes to friends and family. The paperwork and reimbursement went smoother than ever, and we recorded our recommendations for the next year.

Chris scheduled an early morning flight tomorrow, and Bill's daughter, Meg, is coming in. To keep things fun and interesting, I hopped in the Kia and ventured with them to Port Au Prince for the night. We lodged at Walls Guest House, and young Gerald stopped by to see us. He simply loves Chris like a father. With all the craziness of the last couple of days, bedtime is NOW! Good night, and many thanks for the uplifting prayers of encouragement and love.

Haiti Trip, January 4, 2013

We had seats for 60... 92 showed up!!

Prayer Partner of the Day: Diana Grace

Once again, the brothers were up at 5:30 to worship, and I was down at the green table for quiet reflection. There really is no better way than to start the day with God in quiet peace. 

Bob, Olizard, me, Surpris & Bill ~ The "A" Team

After breakfast and a meeting with Chris, Bill, and Surpris, we had a bit of down time to prepare for the conference. We took a walk up to the distillery and enjoyed the amazing view of the mountain and the ocean. By the time we walked back to the dining area, the participants began to arrive!

This was the first day of the 3rd annual LWW (Living Waters for the World) Operators conference where the operators from all over Haiti come together for fellowship and further education about the clean water systems. It’s an overnight affair starting at noon and going to noon the next day. We had contracted with Brother Olizard to house 60 people, and while we had heard 82 responded they would come, we never expected they would! Weren't we surprised with 92 showed up!  

I immediately went into panic mode! Chris and Surpris began the conference at noon, while Bill and I worked on finding everyone a place to sleep. After a couple of hours, we finally had a plan. We arranged for Ancy and Ronald to shuttle everyone who lived in Leogane back to their homes following the last meeting of the night and pick them up the next morning. 

Valdes can preach!

When I say it was a family reunion, it truly was. Nearly every Living Waters and Solar Under The Sun system was represented at the conference. So many of my old friends - Kerby from Gonaives, Michel Paul from Limbe, Pastor Evens from Blanket, and all of the Episcopal Priests - were in attendance. Hugs were aplenty, and laughter and joy abounded. 

Chris, Surpris, Ancy, Bertone and Valdes led most of the conference, while Bill and I recorded the discussions and Bob filled in with business plans and models. This is all part of the sustainability education we continue to impart on our Haitian brothers and sisters. We even had the head engineer of DINEPA, Emmanuel Moliere, in attendance. DINEPA is the Haitian organization responsible for potable water and sewage in Haiti. He was there to speak briefly to the group and then would leave.
As it turned out, the water systems we had prebuilt were sitting against the wall in the dining room, so Bob grabbed Bertone to give Engineer Moliere a short lecture on how the system works. He was very impressed and later told the group that the work LWW is doing with these water systems supporting small communities of 2000-3000 is exactly what Haiti needs. With that endorsement, I felt we had made great headway into unofficially staying on the good side of the Haitian government. 

The Duct Tape "T" still works!

In other news, Jake Sangster from Coreluv did bring a water sample from Gonaives! Bill got to work rebuilding the sand filter with a new non-leaking bucket, new river sand, and clean gravel. As an extra filter, I sacrificed a corner of my bedsheet to also run the water through a cloth. Would you believe the filter brought the water levels (TDS & hardness) down to LWW treatable standards? We did a little happy dance!

All in all, even with the ups and downs, finding corners and floors for people to crash for an evening, and hearing the news of my dad being hospitalized back at home, God gave us an Spirit-filled day, and to Him the glory is given. 

Haiti Trip, January 3, 2013

My big green table

Prayer Partner of the Day: Becky Memmelaar

The first morning as the brothers begin chanting at 5:30am is always a beautiful awakening. I took my Bible and headed down to the big green table under the cover of so many trees, and the words to "Spirit of the Living God...fall afresh on me" came to my heart. I hummed the words over and over and a wonderful sense of peace engulfed and prepared me for the day!

The two boards looked mighty fine!

As has been our practice with Bob the past couple of years, we pre-built the two water systems on the 4'x8' plywood sheets at the monastery. Bob had shipped the boxes to Haiti weeks ago, and after a quick run for supplies at the warehouse, Bertone, Bill, and I got to work. Yes, Bob left me in charge! This was a great idea, and while I am fully capable, when you put Bertone, Bill and I together, we end up being a little more silly and a little less cognizant of what we are doing. Thus, the two ozone churns I built were crooked messes, and come to find out later, we put two filter heads on backwards.

Please no comments on the churns!

Thankfully, we took a break for lunch to regroup, and by that time, Bob returned to oversee the rest of the work! I gathered the "boys" - Ancy, Valdes, and Bertone - for a staff meeting. I am more and more amazed with the leadership they are taking and the ownership they are taking for the projects and systems. Valdes continues to impress me with his ingenuity and creativity.

Before dark, we piled in the Kia to retrieve Peggy, a young gal from Huntsville, from the Notre Dame orphanage. Though I say it so often, it was again a family reunion of seeing the kids, playing crazy games, and simply sharing love. And yet another reason to pile into the Kia for a late afternoon drive... Ice Cream at the Total Station!

When we returned, Bill and I began work on building a mini-barrel sand filter. We have been working with Coreluv, a mission organization out of Houston with an orphanage near Gonaives, to solve the problem of their nearly untreatable untreatable water, and Jake, one of their missionaries, is planning to bring a 5-gallon bottle tomorrow for us to test. On the way back up the mountain, Bill & Bertone "shopped" for a 5-gallon bucket, sand and gravel. (Easier said than done!) While I won't bore you will all of the details, building a sand filter in the dark is quite a challenge! First there is hole drilling, followed by cross building. Since Bill had forgotten to bring a PVC "T", I made one out of duct tape! Impressive, huh? Once we got the gravel washed and built the layers on top of the "T", we were so excited to run water through and see what how it worked! Unfortunately, come to find out, we had a bucket with a leak and sand that turned out to be limestone! Thankfully, we had so much fun and shared many laughs.


And so ends another wonderful day in Haiti! Tomorrow the Operators Conference will begin! We are expecting 60+ folks!

By the way, Chris arrived tonight! We have the entire team together. It's a very good, Spirit-filled day!

Haiti Trip, January 2, 2013

Welcome to Haiti!

Prayer Partner of the Day - Carl Jones

The day started just any other first day going to Haiti. The alarm clock buzzed at 3:30am, and the groaning began immediately. BUT then, I remembered I was going to Haiti! And this is not just any trip to Haiti... This is my 14th trip to Haiti! Plus, so many of my valued colleagues are coming on this trip. Plus, we are hosting the Operators' Conference, and it will be like a family reunion from all across Haiti.

We called a taxi to take us to the airport will our 500 pounds of luggage. Unfortunately, a family of three jumped in the taxi awaiting us and left. By that time, the airport shuttle began running...but it was quickly being filled by another family group heading to Central America for vacation. Thankfully, the driver had pity on us, loaded us up, and off the airport we went. The poor baggage man outside the airport saw us coming and had dollar signs in his eyes. After trying to convince the poor lad to forgive the fees, we rerouted indoors. At that point, the airline ladies were crabby and did not even want to let us check in. Apparently, we were running very late! Once they finally checked our bags, they detoured us from the long, long line at check point one, only to have us walk three miles to check point two, which was closed, and then finally to checkpoint three, which had a "priority access" line and let us through. The worst luck and the best luck were combining for a hectic, but amazing morning.

Though we were the last on the plane, we were on the plane. Upon arrival in Port Au Prince, we were shuttled to the new arrival terminal, which could be mistaken for any international arrival area! Ancy was awaiting us outside, and after a quick loading, we were off.

It truly is like being back home. The sights, the smells, the laughter and the friendship are as if we had never left. With it being a holiday, traffic was incredibly light. We stopped by to visit Ancy's family in Carrefour and inspect the new addition to his home. Lorna, Hans, and Kerry were very excited to us, and the "million dollar view" from the balcony grows more beautiful by the day. Our next stop was to say hello to Roody Joseph. The day was so beautiful, the sun shining so brightly, and once we arrived at the monastery, it truly was as if we had come back home.

Olizard greeted us, and after we toured the new buildings and situated our belongings, the rest of our group arrived. What a good, relaxing first day in Haiti... How good it is to be home.

Wanted: Prayer Partners

On this very last day of 2012, I am packing and eagerly awaiting a trip to Haiti where I will spend the first two weeks of the new year!

What is the most important item on my packing list?? Prayer partners, of course!

This trip is no different, and we have much to accomplish. First we will host the third annual Living Waters For The World Haiti Network Operators Conference! We have 82 participants signed up, and we are stoked! Members from all across Haiti will be joining us for this continuing education event, as we discuss technology improvements and share successes and what is working for individual systems. We'll design business plans and warehouse procedures! Oh my! On top of this, following the conference, several of us will stay to install two new clean water systems. Does it get any better than this?

If you feel led, we would love to have you lift us in prayer. Simply pick a date from the list below, and we, too, will pray for you on that day. Thank you, friends, and Happy New Year!

January 2 - Carl Jones
January 3 - Becky Memmelaar
January 4 - Diana Grace
January 5 - Brenda Phillips
January 6 - Emily Ronis
January 7 - Carrie Delisio
January 8 - Leslie Toth
January 9 - Stephanie Lada
January 10 - Sean Devolites
January 11 - Josh Hagstrom
January 12 - Jay Horstman

In addition to those listed above, I am especially thankful of those who are lifting us in prayer everyday... Mom, Dad, Becky Keller, Bette Wilson, Shane Phillip and more! We could not do this without you!