Week 2 begins

Today was the first day of my second week in Haiti. It was the first morning I awoke not feeling sore all over, so it appears my body finally has adjusted to physical labor. What my body has not adjusted to is the heat. I don’t know what the daily high temperatures have been, but they seem to be reached by 10am and stay there until 4pm or so. On a typical day, I’d say I drink 10 bottles of water. I learned pretty quickly not to go more than an hour or so without chugging a bottle. There was a brief shower last night, which served to reduce the dust a bit. So, all things considered, if I drink plenty of water, I get along fine.

The barge-that-won’t-dock saga continues. The barge was supposed to dock at noon today, but a Mexican Naval ship somehow found it’s way to the dock ahead of the barge, blocking its entry; so, it’s still sitting about 300 yards off shore. The last word is that the barge is now moving to a different dock with a promising of docking tomorrow morning by 7am.

There are many reasons we need the barge to dock soon. Primary among these is that unloading the barge, loading trucks, and unloading them at the compound provides work for young men in desperate need of work. They were expecting that opportunity at the end of last week. Another reason we need the barge to dock soon is that it is carrying a much-needed supply of food. At this point, we have no food to give out and, as you might imagine, many people who pass through the compound are asking for food. I sometimes work next to the office where these people meet with one of our staff members, and I hear him tell person after person that we have no food to give. This is not the position we want to be in. Please pray for the arrival of the barge and quick processing of its contents.

You might wonder what I am eating in Haiti. Before I arrived, I was told to expect beans and rice for every meal. Fortunately, a volunteer who arrived just after me has extensive experience cooking in circumstances like these and has significantly improved the daily fare. On the menu at dinner tonight:

• rice and beans (always)
• bbq goat
• mango
• some sort of fried local vegetable
• fried bananas
• “pickly” (a local version of cole slaw not unlike eastern NC cole slaw)

My secret plan to lose weight while in Haiti has been thwarted!

Workwise, I continue playing Rick the Carpenter, preparing the compound for use by staff and volunteers for the next few years.

In terms of staff, the first longer-term staff person arrived today. She will staff the finance office for one year. The hope is that key staff positions like that will soon be filled by longer-term volunteers, because the 2-3 week rotating scheme that is the norm right now does not work well for certain key staff positions.

I don’t think I have mentioned that the clinic in City Soleil opened on Monday. As planned, the volunteer medical personnel working there  saw 50 patients on Monday and 100 patients today. They will go to full capacity, about 150 patients, beginning tomorrow.

Thank you for your continuing prayer for me, Samaritan’s Purse and the other ministries providing aid, and, most importantly, the Haitian people, who are facing an uncertain future while dealing with unimaginable losses and lingering fear.

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