the girls...

Haiti Earthquake Damage

Haiti Earthquake Damage

While standing in a hot shower today...

trying to relax my mind, I had the thought that I wish I could give one hot shower to every Haitian as a gift.  I pictured their elation to just stand there and have the luxury to wash away all the grit and grime that I know covers them.  The more I thought about it the more it brought despair knowing that 99.9% of Haitians have never stood under a hot steaming shower - PRE-earthquake let alone now.  

Most have never even had the experience of standing under a little trickle or weak stream of cold water, or maybe slightly warmed by the sun.  Those would be the lucky ones who had a big refillable water tank on their roof.   A cold bucket bath is the norm.  Just another minor daily occurrence that we take for granted.  It's hard to understand all of this exists an hour and half from Miami! 

January 28; Haiti Update

Today is Jim and my 21st wedding Anniversary.  Marie always teased me and told me she was going to steal Jim from me....well, her wish came true.  I can't think of another person I would like him to be with on our day of celebration.  Unless of course it would be ME  with Marie and him at home.

 

We just exchanged, "I love you" on the phone as he called while standing on the roof of the school for the  best satellite phone connection.  Plus, he has a bird's eye view as he described the scene.  There are about 30 Haitian men with sludge hammers working away on demolition duty of the church/orphanage.  He was excited to see some of the things that they are salvaging from the church and orphanage.  While it didn't look that way to begin with, he thinks if you had been sitting down in the church when the earthquake hit you would have gotten a pretty bad headache - but that's about it.  The roof of the church stopped just short of that.  They were able to get out some of the pews. 

 

He said that they have taken long pieces of rebar and bent one end into a 90 degree angle and hooked it inside of a section of brick and then they all pull on the rebar and sections come tumbling down. Jim just kept saying, "This is unbelievable!" 

 

He brought masks with him and work gloves -- and while they almost gave away the masks, they see now what they were needed for.  The men are all in masks and so excited to have a pair of work gloves.  One group working with sludge hammers breaking up sections that have come down, while others prepare for the next section. 

 

The VERY BEST thing about the call, for ME - was that I could hear the men singing down below through the phone as they worked.  Tears form as I write this.  I am not surprised in the least.  You have NO idea, unless you meet one, of what Haitians are like.  These men will be SO thrilled to be paid a miniscule amount for their horrific labor today.  This means their family will be able to eat.  I am sure they are all celebrating the hope of rebuilding and returning to some form of "normality".  Jim said over and over, "We really have something to learn from the people of Haiti."

 

Jim had to hang up to go back to Marie's to get more gloves, but says he will call later.

One of us will share more later, but in the mean time.  Pray for the men's safety and I say --- "Let the rebuilding begin!!" 

 

ALL of you reading this are a part of this journey.  Without you, progress would not be made.  May you celebrate knowing your contribution and prayers are being utilized and answered in a mighty way.  "ROCK ON"....a very sick pun.  Patty