We woke up with the sun--around 5:30am. The dogs and roosters kept me up most of the night. Then, get this, it got cold in the middle of the night! Breakfast was yummy-- spaghetti (apparently common), watermelon, toast and hard boiled eggs. After breakfast we got to work! A few of the guys began sifting sand which will be used to mix in for the cement. The rest of us worked on moving rocks from a pile at the front of the church to the back where they are working on installing a footer for what will be a sacristy on the back of the church.
Then we worked as the bucket brigade. We passed buckets of cement down a line to dump into the holes of the footer of the building. Lunch was yummy: meatballs, fried plantains, fried okra, coleslaw and a homemade cake. After lunch we worked some more.
Then around 2pm, Colleen, Jen and I got ready for VBS. It took a while for the kids to make it over because many had just finished school. After a while though, we probably had about 35 kids. I read the creation story out of the Spark Story Bible and had the kids act out the different parts (blow like the wind, sparkle like the stars, be a tree, etc.) They had a great time and Patrick is not just a great translator but a great teacher. He got the kids attention when they started chatting off topic, and he reviewed what they had already learned as we went along with the lesson. After the story, they each drew pictures of something they were really glad God made. Some drew goats (because they eat a lot of goat there), they drew chickens, snakes, trees, sunshine, flowers, and people. Then we taught them Jesus Loves Me in English and they sang Jesus Loves the Little Children in Creole! (You can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=654621371742) We had snack (Peanut Butter Crackers) then we gathered in a circle and played with the frisbees. The kids had to call someone's name and throw them the frisbee. After playing for a little bit, we went back to the church and blew up a soccer ball for the younger boys (because the older boys wouldn't let them play) and got out the jump ropes for the girls.
While the kids played, Colleen, Jen and I went ahead and got our showers so we were out of the way when the guys finished work. While Colleen was showering, two teenage girls came over with a little boy (we weren't sure whether he was one of their sons or a little brother) about two or three years old probably. We are pretty sure they were trying to get us to take the little boy. It was an awkward and difficult situation especially since we spoke almost no Creole and they spoke almost no English. We were told that many families just want the best for their children and will try to get a better life for them in this way. How difficult that must be to be willing to give your child away to a stranger in order to offer them a better life. I pray that God will be with that family and they find a way to provide for their children long after we have left Haiti.
After my shower (a bucket of water and a cup inside a four walled no roof structure) I played jump rope with several of the young girls in the community until dinner time. They had a blast and had so many fun songs they sing as they jump. Dinner was pot roast with carrots and potatoes, white rice, beans and roles. We had devotions then came back to the church and made writing worksheets for VBS tomorrow. Patrick mentioned that they kids really need help with their writing skills and many don't know the alphabet (which is the same as ours which is helpful). So we made sheets that give them space to trace each letter and practice it on their own. Hopefully that will be a good start for them. I wish we would have known things like this before we came and we could have copied lots of different school type worksheets (and even left some with the church for school). Something to keep in mind for next year! More rock and cement moving tomorrow!
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| The shower! That blue barrel is full of water. |
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| Lay Pastor, Solomon's house where our meals were prepared. |
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