First off……thank you to all of our friends who helped make Rainbow Loom bracelets. We passed them out today and the kids LOVED THEM!
We indulged in a little Haitian pizza tonight. Bernard from the Leviya hotel hooked us up….Thanks Bernard! It was very good and made us all a little homesick for some good ‘ole American food….at least that’s what it did for me J.
Some of the pictures uploaded tonight of one of the houses is of the house we worked on last time we were here. Our team worked on the house of the “Tap-tap” driver and it is beautiful, with many roosters frolicking about. The landscaping/yard is flat and free of rebar and chunks of concrete thanks to our efforts.
The time here has gone by so fast, yet much has been accomplished. The Haitians have been as welcoming as I remember from the trip we took 2 years ago. I have seen familiar faces and received familiar hugs from many. The community looks very much the same with a few exceptions. There has been some progress made on the building of the new school…Pastor LaFleur’s vision for this community and its children.
I have spent much of my time in the Restore Center working on the computers there. It is the biggest reason why I am not in many pictures…boo hoo. I have not had to break my back digging like the others, but my work has been challenging and extremely rewarding. The new technology in the center may be hard to grasp for some, but represents a GIANT leap forward into this decade. With the old computers removed, there was space for the newly restored desks/tables and the new technology. What an amazing difference with properly built, configured, and current systems. We succeeded in upgrading their Internet connection to a new provider and the computer users are much happier with the performance. Facebook is as popular, if not more so, than it is in the States. I watched as dozens of people walked in and immediately logged into Facebook, FB chatted with friends, viewed news feeds, etc. It’s funny how even though the systems and infrastructure here are decades behind, they still manage to stay connected to each other.
As I sit back and think about all I have seen and experienced this week, I can’t help but be amazed at the way the Haitians relate to each other. The community helps in the raising of each other’s kids and those children have a tremendous amount of respect for the adults in the area. Today, when we walked into the school there were a few classrooms where the kids stood up as soon as we walked in. I don’t think it was because we were white (blanc…in their terms). I think it was because they have respect for their elders. Have we lost our way in the States to the point where our younger generations have little to no respect for their elders? I think, maybe.
This week in Haiti has opened my eyes to new things, new ideas, and new respect for our neighbors to the South. They persevere through unthinkable conditions and have genuine joy that does not come from the newest car, newest iPhone, or coolest clothes. They exist for relationships, with God and each other. Like I said before, maybe they DO have it right!
Off to the beach tomorrow! Should be fun.
Chad
We indulged in a little Haitian pizza tonight. Bernard from the Leviya hotel hooked us up….Thanks Bernard! It was very good and made us all a little homesick for some good ‘ole American food….at least that’s what it did for me J.
Some of the pictures uploaded tonight of one of the houses is of the house we worked on last time we were here. Our team worked on the house of the “Tap-tap” driver and it is beautiful, with many roosters frolicking about. The landscaping/yard is flat and free of rebar and chunks of concrete thanks to our efforts.
The time here has gone by so fast, yet much has been accomplished. The Haitians have been as welcoming as I remember from the trip we took 2 years ago. I have seen familiar faces and received familiar hugs from many. The community looks very much the same with a few exceptions. There has been some progress made on the building of the new school…Pastor LaFleur’s vision for this community and its children.
I have spent much of my time in the Restore Center working on the computers there. It is the biggest reason why I am not in many pictures…boo hoo. I have not had to break my back digging like the others, but my work has been challenging and extremely rewarding. The new technology in the center may be hard to grasp for some, but represents a GIANT leap forward into this decade. With the old computers removed, there was space for the newly restored desks/tables and the new technology. What an amazing difference with properly built, configured, and current systems. We succeeded in upgrading their Internet connection to a new provider and the computer users are much happier with the performance. Facebook is as popular, if not more so, than it is in the States. I watched as dozens of people walked in and immediately logged into Facebook, FB chatted with friends, viewed news feeds, etc. It’s funny how even though the systems and infrastructure here are decades behind, they still manage to stay connected to each other.
As I sit back and think about all I have seen and experienced this week, I can’t help but be amazed at the way the Haitians relate to each other. The community helps in the raising of each other’s kids and those children have a tremendous amount of respect for the adults in the area. Today, when we walked into the school there were a few classrooms where the kids stood up as soon as we walked in. I don’t think it was because we were white (blanc…in their terms). I think it was because they have respect for their elders. Have we lost our way in the States to the point where our younger generations have little to no respect for their elders? I think, maybe.
This week in Haiti has opened my eyes to new things, new ideas, and new respect for our neighbors to the South. They persevere through unthinkable conditions and have genuine joy that does not come from the newest car, newest iPhone, or coolest clothes. They exist for relationships, with God and each other. Like I said before, maybe they DO have it right!
Off to the beach tomorrow! Should be fun.
Chad