Haiti-Tuesday Jim and Shawn

We started our day at Maries where the orphan girls sleep, eat, and play. They were all up and fed and cleaned up when we got there. Went with Marie inside her house, she was very nervous and we only stayed there for a little while. Everyone in Port au Prince (PAP) is sleeping outside for fear of another quake.


We then got in Marie’s car with several Haitian friends and drove into PAP. Incredible destruction nearly everywhere. Stopped at my friends store to see if she and her daughter were OK. They survived and went to the US. Her husband was managing the store. Her sister died when the store down the street (ABC Market) collapsed, many died in that collapse. This is a common story here. Everyone is affected. Many have incredible survival stories and many have stories of those who died.

We went to Marie’s sisters three story church—it is a pile of rubble now. Six people died, 20 plys injured. They were practicing for an upcoming adult immersion baptism to be held at Maries the following day.

We went into the tent city in her area which are formed everywhere there is open land away from walls and buildings—everywhere. We walk through the tent city and talked to many people. One woman had given birth to a baby boy on Monday, they were doing OK considering they live in a 6 by 4 “tent” made of sheets, and delivered right there. A first aid station was set up by a Haitian nurse from the neighborhood and she was treating people with the little she had in supplies. One woman, thousands of people. She looked weary.

From there we drove into PAP a few more miles. Massive destruction everywhere. The amazing thing is that the Haitian people are going about their day amongst the rubble. Street vendors selling their wares, store reopening, tap taps running. The Haitians are so resilient, so determined, they are amazing people. Death is not new in Haiti. “Stupid deaths” are a way of life here and have been for a long time. Conditions under which they all live would be incredible to any American—before the earthquake. They are worse now but the people are going about their day—surviving.

Many are still digging through the rubble but probably not for survivors they are digging for things. Many people are breaking up what is left with hand held hammers—solid concrete with hand held hammers. Construction vendors and laborers are hauling twisted rebar down the street, it will be used again somewhere in the reconstruction efforts. Anything that can be salvage will be. Crushed cars are being dug out for parts. The Haitians use everything they can for whatever they need.

We passed several buildings where Renee, our driver, would tap my shoulder and hold his nose indicating a building that had the stench of decaying bodies. He was right the smell was bad. We did see a couple of burned corpses on a couple of street corners. Skull and spine was all that was left of the bodies. Probably done a couple a days after the quake before anyone was able to move around. Very sad. People walking by them, carrying on with their life.

Drove to the Presidential Palace—massive destruction. Many federal building gone. Ninety percent of the school and colleges in PAP were destroyed. Tent cities in every park downtown. Thousands of people in the streets. I was very comfortable amongst the people as I walked with them. Everyone was peaceful and orderly. Lines at the banks were long but everyone was peaceful. There is a strange peace in the air and perhaps I am mistaken, maybe it is numbness instead. The Haitian people often have a stoic look about them anyway.

We drove by several familiar landmarks for us, the Caribbean Market is a pile of rubble. They would not let us into the site of the Montana hotel as they were still digging bodies out. I spoke with a US Army man there. Nice to find someone to have a conversation with.

Back to Maries and we walked down to the collapsed orphanage for the first time. This was difficult as it is a huge mess and will require lots of work tearing it down to rebuild—especially with hand held hammers. The Haitians will figure it out and get it done. We will continue to discuss our options with Marie and she will need time to think but she is ready for action and planning ahead—God bless that woman.

That’s all for now.