We had a group in last week from Hattiesburg, MS. Great group of go getters! We did a devide and conquer on some of our projects.
School bathroom update…Double the capacity! We purchased and installed two more toilets in the school restrooms…now there are two options in each bathroom! The team also ran the supply lines for the other toilets and mounted one of the sinks!
We were also blessed to have an ambitious carpenter in the group. We gave him the task of building a sun shelter that we can use as a cool place for people to sit while waiting for their turn at the medical clinic. The angle of the Winter sun has us scratching our heads a bit though…we might have made it too high…we might have to add some side panels to it…It will work great in the Summer, but it is still hot in the sun during the Winter months. We are all still learning things here!
Ben got the backhoe out and did some work around the school and the houses. He filled in garbage lake and leveled out a few more mounds. He also resupplied the piles of dirt / sand / rock that he is using with his brother Josh and his friends Chris and Isaac to build their “Sandbag House” in Jubilee.
This is the beginning of the “Sandbag House” that the boys are building. It is constructed of rice bags filled with sand and rock. The bags are placed and compacted. It will be dome shaped when finished. The idea is to find a way to build a solid structure that is affordable and that is manufactured from local raw materials. These guys plan on living in Jubilee when the structure is finished. Their goal is that once the house is finished and they are living in it, locals will inquire about building a similar structure. The funny thing here is that usually the Americans come down here and build houses for the Haitians…here the Americans came down here and the Haitians are helping the Americans build their house!
Back at the house, we have cleared out some space between the house and the wall to build a little structure. We are going to put together a little “Market” for all of the products that are being produced through “Trade School Haiti.” They have things like ear rings, bracelets, necklaces, Christmas ornaments, journals, wicker baskets…and more. All of these items are made in Haiti. Kathy has created at least 50 jobs here in Gonaives so far through this school.
I am still keeping busy taking care of any maintenance issues that come up. I’ll be darned if they didn’t figure out that I am somewhat knowledgeable about computers…after seeing everyone use a thumb drive to take their documents to the printer over and over, I “Magically” made it so they could all print from their laptops! Suprising how what seems like a little issue can mean a lot to others!
I have also become a regular part of a Sunday night English class. Neat group of guys that just want to improve their communication skills in English. Chris and I are working out a plan to give me some responsibilities in his group of English classes that will be starting again in January.
I am looking forward to next week when the next group arrives! It will be Jim Warren and crew from Journey Church in Gretna, NE. I hope to have many fun projects lined up for the willing and many fun activities planned as well. I still enjoy the trip up the mountain with the groups…I am sure we will do that again.
Scott
