Wednesday started out at 6AM and we drove to the airport, got on the helicopter and headed to Gonaives. On the helicopter, there were five of us in our group including myself and our translator and two others in another group from the World Food Program. This was the helicopter - it was Ukranian and so was the crew:
Once we landed, we had a hired driver take us to the church where the water filter was delivered to from Port-au-Prince. We had to load it into the truck and head up to Bassin Bleu. There was a little trouble getting out of the UN in order to get back in - we had to schedule our rearrival for our departure (does that make sense?). But we did eventually get out.
We had to load the filter equipment into the truck. Two of the four containers were light because they were just 1000 liter water containers, but the other two were very heavy. One contained the diesel generator and the other contained two 250 pound filters and other heavy stuff. One weighed 700 pounds and the other 800 pounds. One of the Samaritan's Purse guys asked if they were going to bring a forklift out to load the truck because there was no way we could lift those containers - it was apparent that he hadn't been in Haiti long. We lifted it with no problems (although it was heavy - yes I took a picture of one of them being loaded showing that I didn't lift that one, but I helped with the heaviest two). The vertically challaneged guy in the picture was solid muscle!.
There was child playing with a homemade toy on a string made out of plastic bottle parts:
It was an amazingly rough ride there and back in the truck. I was in the back for 3/4 of the total trip. Three of us were in the back and two rode in the cab. In the back of the truck on the way there we could stand on the containers and get fresh air (and lots of sun). On the way back home, there was little reprive from anything.
When we got there, we ate a hole in the wall restaurant with the typical one room seating and about 10 chairs at one table. I feel like I really put myself in the Lord's hands when I eat at places like this - prayer before meals like this seem extra special.
After we ate, it took a while to figure out where we would install it because the system came with 20 feet of hose and it needed to be locked up. After checking out a few places, we found a hospital that was being finished that was close enough and installed most of it that first day. Because it got dark and we were running out of flashlights, we quit until morning.
From the river:
To the pump on the other side of the wall:
We found a hotel (the only one in town) and we were the only ones staying in it. There was no electricity and no running water. There was a toilet and a tub/shower, but again... no running water or even toilet paper. The beds were decent, but the rooms were very hot. I was one of two people who took a room. The rest asked for the beds to be brought to a patio portion of the second floor by the rooms. The mosquitoes didn't come out until about 10PM if I remember right. I am not sure that I slept at all. There were a couple major dog fights throughout the night and every once in a while a large truck would come barelling down the road (right next to our rooms and the patio area). They would blare their horns and it felt like they were going to run in to the building. I went to sleep on the cool concrete in the patio area for about a half hour and got uncomfortable - go figure that concrete isn't soft (again this Blogger rotated the first picture on me).
We started at 6AM on Thursday and finished the pump at around 10AM when we headed back. The battery on my camera ran out right before we started to pump water (I know Dad - I said that I never ran out of battery on this camera, but this was the first time).
Again, the ride back was pure torture. I likened it to being a professional bull rider only instead of riding for 8 seconds, it was three hours. We started the ride back all in the cab and I didn't think it was going to work, but they convinced me to get in. After about a quarter mile, the driver said that the guy near the shifter would have to move because he couldn't shift. At that point I said that I would go in back. I had to choose between barely being able to hang on up top and in front or stay in the back of the truck and get blasted by dust. I chose to do both switching it up. About half way, one of the Samaritan's Purse guys offered to switch - I think he saved my life. It really was hard to be back there.
When we got to Gonaives at the UN facilities, on guard told us to go in, another said to pull up a little ways and stop. We kept going and really angered them. Security personel came to get us and took our translator, the head Samaritan's Purse guy (who was in the back when we got there and didn't hear anything - he doesn't speak Creole anyway), and they chased down the driver. After about a half hour of intimidating by the muscle at the UN, they let us go just in time to catch the helicopter ride...but for one problem - they old had three of our five names on the flight list. This flight was packed. Two would have to find another ride home. I was fortunate my name was on the list (thank you Lord)!
There are many other stories to tell about this trip (such as arguing over the price to take the filters up north from Gonaives, such as the large truck that tipped over in the middle of the one lane "road" and lost its load, such as the kids who liked the candy that I passed out), but I'll save that for another time perhaps or in person sometime.
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