Day 2, March 1, 2012

This morning, before leaving the Guest House, I gave the team a tour of the adjacent Freres School, a Haitian Methodist School for K-12.  Including a vocational school, it has about 1300 students.

Immediately after the earthquake, much of the 5 acre campus became a tent city.  Today, one would never guess that over 400 families spent nearly 9 months camped on the campus.  And, all damage has been repaired.

Again, we purchased bread rolls in the way to the Croix des Mission work site.  As soon as we drove up, neighborhood people came for their morning breakfast of peanut butter and bread.

At the work site, the workers continued removing earthquake damaged areas.  When I say remove, it is being done with sledge hammers.  Hot, hard, laborious work busting up the concrete.  And, the workers are standing on flimsy scaffolding made with used 2 x 4s.

Stevenson came and we practiced our two Creole hymns for Sunday.  Some of the church members and neighborhood people joined us.  They helped us pick up the words and pronunciations.  I am thinking that the church members practicing with us should be part of our presentation.

The food arrived about noon or so.  Again, a very good meal served to about 60 - 70 people.  If we had school aged children present, it would have been double the number.

I am getting many requests for medical help.  There seems to be a woman with breast cancer, and another with an abdominal tumor.  Another lady needs special tinted eyeglasses for an eye condition.  A young man has a skin rash that needs treatment.  And, others . . . .  However, I do not have the funds to help.  The neighborhood needs are so great and our resources so limited.

At the Guest House this evening, I talked for an hour with Rev. Marco Despestre who has, among other responsibilities, Croix des Mission.  I mentioned that we have not been able to work although the sand has been delivered for the concrete wall coating.  He immediately called the "engineer" and was assured that we would have work today.  Could be a case of being careful what one wishes for.

I also asked Rev. Marco to have neighborhood men hired on the site instead of "outsiders".  That also is supposed to happen today.  These people very seldom have the opportunity to have paying jobs even if only for a few days.

Rev. Marco and I went over the Croix des Mission account.  I am satisfied that all the construction funds have been used properly.  If not for the earthquake, the church would be finished except for the pews and other furnishings.  (Previously, over $15,000 was spent reinforcing the foundation and providing rebar for the concrete floor.  Also, an earthquake damaged security wall had to be rebuilt.)

It will be interesting if we do actually work on day 3.  Bob