Final Day in Haiti!

...Actually, this is our final full day.  We leave here for the airport at 6:00AM tomorrow and return to Nanaimo on Friday morning.

Last night Pastor John and I went to the grocery store for a few supplies.  It's very near by, and they're extremely thankful for it.  It went up quite quickly several months ago, and features aisles of shelves like we're used to; not ladies on sidewalks with baskets.  The building is made of foam.  The walls, and the roof.  It might not stand-up to a hurricane, but I think it'll flex a bit in case of another earthquake (heaven forbid.)  While inside a thunderstorm kicked-up.  It came on fast and there was thunder and lightening and rain most of the night.

The morning was a little cooler as we left the big-house for the day.  Even though he's here to serve and protect, he's about the friendliest guy you'll ever meet. We headed into tent city to drop off some plastic glasses that we bought for the school.  We passed a scene that reminded me of Jasper; although this mountain was a bit smaller.

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After that we picked-up Debbie (Pastor John's wife and resident missionary) and the Jackie and Becky who are from Wales and Scotland respectively and headed to a school up in Pationville (Pay-Shawn-Ville).  On the way we had to skirt President Martelly's motorcade which consisted of several official looking SUVs plus a few vehicles who took advantage of their procession and joined in their wake.  Pationville is a town just up the hill from P-Au-P, and is where Yvette lived for 6 months as a child while her father worked for the Bank of Nova Scotia here.  She doesn't remember much, but it was still very interesting for her.



We visited a school run by a man named Derek.  He has been coming to the Foursquare church here for a while and has begun to ask if the church can help him build an orphanage.  You see, like Pastor Bellande, Derek loves giving his time and energy to children.  Twice a week he runs a school program for local kids; many of whom are orphans living with family members.  They sure impressed us with their singing and recitation of many memory verses.

This is in a nicer area of Pationville, although the road to it resembles a goat trail.  No wonder there are almost no sedans, mostly trucks and SUVs.  We brought some treats for the kids, and Yvette and Tara made a bunch of friendship bracelets that we tied on each kid and even a couple of the adults.  What a beautiful view from up there!!!

There was one kid there with a soccer jersey from Tim Hortons.  So we greeted them from the land of Tim Horton's Football.

Below is Debbie explaining what Derek would like from Foursquare, and how we try to establish relationships for a while before committing funds.  Funding is in short supply and they have many people trying to seek help.





Below are Jackie and Becky.  Becky was a pastor in Scotland and Jackie has just done three years' mission work in Malawi.  Both have committed themselves to spend three years here in Haiti and have hitched their missionary wagon to Foursquare.

In the afternoon, we went over the church property with Becky whose corn garden failed on the first attempt.  We helped her try and try again!  It'll work this time because the rain has begun to fall.  It's supposed to be a rainy season, but not in Port Au Prince so far.  Last night and this afternoon (as we were finishing) it rained.  You wouldn't believe the swarms of fruit-flies today; maybe because of the rain last night.  We were sweating up a storm and found dozens of these little flies drowning on our arms and necks.  I know ... gross, huh.  We also dug-up a few tarantulae while turning the soil.


I think we've made a mark on Haiti with our efforts.  To cap it all off, we signed our names to the cross at the church property.  It's been a priviledge to be part of the amazing love, work and blessing that is going on here.