Haiti Update: Dinner & a Show

Thursday, July 29

Today Peter returned from Port Au Prince with his truck fixed and the building supplies Paul was waiting on. Yes, Paul Brant was a kid in a candy store with his tools from home and the wood for building. Paul set to work building a bed for our family. (We have been sleeping on cots with springs pushed together. Let's just say it's way too easy to fall through these.) Paul had five Haitian young men working with him as kind of apprentices. We all enjoyed watching them get to work with such passion. Troy even got in on some of the action.


Today was a full day for Troy and Allison for filming and photographing. We had all of our school teachers come here to the mission complex so the Vasquezes could meet them and we could tell some of their stories. We are hoping to garner more sponsors for our Teacher Sponsorship Program. Ericlee and I had the chance to give them a word of encouragement. Some of them told us about their classrooms that are busting at the seams with 50 or more children in them. We served them some American granola bars for a snack and then a Haitian spaghetti lunch of appreciation.

In the afternoon, Paul stayed back to continue building. Peter and Louis took the rest of us to see the sugar cane machine in action. The machine was bought by The Bridge Church as part of the Missions Month 2009 project. We were really excited to see it in action. On a piece of land owned by Louis, the machine sits. They grow sugar cane there and then process it to make a syrup, which is sold at the market. More than 30 jobs have been created as a result of this income-generating project. (Videos coming soon!)

Meilani is becoming quite the little photographer. Allison has been teaching her about good photos and allows her to carefully use her camera. (This is a great way to get Troy and Allison in some candids too!) Meilani is thrilled to death. She runs around and copies every thing Allison is doing with the camera. Not bad for age four!

Tonight we had "dinner and a show" as Troy called it. Perhaps this was a little different than what we would have at home. We made chicken salad sandwiches, turned on the oven here for an hour and made brownies and watched the most magnificent lightning show from the yard.