Here is an update from our new place!
Today I am waiting for a “boss” to finish a couple of things – sink in the bathroom and rewire a couple of outlets. When this place is finished, it will be top notch. It has power (when the rest of the town has power), it has a reservoir on the roof for the modern bathroom (shower, sink and flush toilet), it is on a paved road and it has a big back yard.
| This will be the kitchen area |
| This is the dining area, I will build a raised floor over the well head. |
| This is the front of the house that faces Route Basin (the road to the new hospital) |
| This is looking to the back door, my shop area. |
This will be our home for the next year at least while we look for land to build on. As you walk in the front door, everything in on your left. Dining area, kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, second bedroom. The right side is completely open from the front to the back and is around 18 feet wide. The majority of this space will be my carpentry shop and the back bedroom will be my office and work area for repairing computers and other electronic projects.
24 Desanm
The 24th of December is when the Haitians celebrate Christmas. All of the streets are cleaned up, yards are organized, lots of food is prepared. This evening just before sunset, the festivities will begin. Some people call this a night of no sleep. The parties will be going well into the morning at most houses.
Family news
Victoria is so much fun. She is starting to talk and she speaks a mixture of Creole and English. She loves animals, she misses the kitten from the other house…but she has a new friend for now. We are watching the Brooks’ new puppy until they get back in January. They got a female Rott. Ruthcher’s pregnancy is going well, she is 7 months now and everything appears to be normal with her. Hoping for a February delivery.
| All dressed up for church! |
| People watching and playing her little piano at the new house. |
| Victoria playing with the new puppy |
Tile Project
I took on what I thought was going to be a quick project at Jan Thompson’s orphanage. We were to remove all the old tile and replace it with something pretty and pink, pink toilet and rebuild some closets. Tile is very difficult to remove from a concrete block wall, plumbing fixtures don’t work the same with gravity pressure as opposed to pressure from city water, trips to get plumbing supplies involve three or four different stores, thin set does not go very far on a rough surface – and it is only available in Port! All of those problems, but we managed to get the tile done and Jean Philippe is working on the closets as we speak!
| Jean Philippe removing the old tile |
| The old white toilet |
| Removing the old fixture involves a demolition hammer! |
| Starting up the wall with the new tile |
| And a pretty border tile on top |
| Nearly finished with the tile |
| Installing the pink toilet! |
My investment