Here is something that I typed on the road and am posting from the hotel:
Here is my summary story of my trip here:
Leaving the mission was difficult. I didn’t want to leave my family there. I started missing them the minute the door closed on the vehicle and I watched them disappear through the window.
Things went well. When we got to the airport, two guys came up to the car to grab the bags. I was very happy to have them there – I didn’t want to fight the crowd and my bags. They grabbed the bags and did their job – I just kept an eye on them and followed. I paid them once I got through the security checkpoint and they put them on a cart for me. I got my bags checked in without any issues even though both bags were just under 10% heavier than they should have been (the scale I used at the mission wasn’t exactly accurate).
We left Port-au-Prince on time, if not a couple minutes early, on the plane. The guy that sat next to me and I started talking. It turns out that he is adopting from Haiti, too, and he was adopting from a place that I was not only familiar with, but I was in the process of helping the missionaries at that orphanage diagnose their car problems (Three Angels). We talked most of the way to Miami. He, Jason, was a great blessing to me not only in conversation, but as a distraction from leaving my family behind. Thank you Jason! We’ll continue to be in touch!
When we got to Miami, Jason helped me get through customs faster than I probably would have on my own. I got through the customs line first and waited for him. Just as he was getting done, a customs agent was trying to get my attention and said, “Sir…MOVE!” Apparently, they didn’t want me standing there waiting for him. He was done anyway so we walked together and he stayed with me helping me as far as he could.
I got to the gate to Atlanta on time, but it was full (I was standby using my dad’s pass because he used to work there – thank you Dad!). I sat around for another 1.5 hours for the next flight – it too was full. I sat around for another 1.5 hours and I barely made it on that flight.
All along through the missing flights and arriving I managed to easily find people that would let me borrow their cell phone – I quit my service over a year ago. It was so great to have so many nice people that would let me borrow their phone.
I got to Atlanta and the flight was supposed to be a piece of cake to get on according to what my dad saw on the list of passengers. It wasn’t. I was hanging on by a thread as I saw the list of standby passengers and the number of available seats. In the end, I made it by 1-3 people.
Getting to Minneapolis felt very good – very familiar. I walked to the baggage claim and I saw some feet that looked familiar as I descended the escalator. Those feet belonged to my sister and mom, with my dad and brother-in-law’s feet right behind them.
After hugs and some brief conversations, my bags were sitting there waiting for me. They got there before I did – probably on the first flight I missed.
As we walked to the car, seeing the cars all nice and clean without barriers/defense on the fronts and rears was very different than I had gotten used to. As we drove to my parent’s home, seeing the sides of the roads without debris or garbage or pigs or dogs with tumors hanging was strange. I had gotten pretty used to those things. It was good to see all of the familiar sights again.
As I started to unpack some things and talk with my parents, I was getting pretty light headed. It was overwhelming to be back in the States, I had a long day, and I hadn’t eaten much (hardly anything). I was ready for bed and went to sleep around 12:30.
I got up at 5:30 the next day and heard a cardinal outside. I went to sit on the front steps. That was my worst point thus far. I was completely overwhelmed thinking about my family and the amazing blessing that it is to be able to live in the States – we have it so nice here in the States. After a short bit, my mom came out to comfort me and eventually recovered.
On that Saturday, the first thing we did was go get tabs for my truck so I could pick it up from my good friend’s house (thank you Greg for hanging on to it in your garage for over a year! I bet it will be nice to not have that in your way any longer). It was good to see Greg and his wife and child. They are expecting in September and I forgot to take pictures for my wife to see – I’ll be back. They were on their way out and I continued my mechanic job – I replaced their thermostat before they left (it was the most difficult thermostat replacement I have ever done – not easy to get to).
We did some shopping and then headed back to my parents house. That’s about all of the somewhat interesting things that happened. I still have many things that amaze me that I hope I never take for granted again:
• High water pressure for showers
• Hot water out of the sinks and showers
• Access to many things at many stores – all readily available
• Cheap foods (some fruits and veggies are more here)
• Clean roads and rivers
• Smooth roads
• Green, lush grass
• Padded carpet
• Towels that don’t smell like mildew (not my wife’s fault)
• Mold that doesn’t grow in minutes
Many, many more things (I need to keep a list so that when I feel like complaining about something I can just turn to the list and feel more privileged than before I looked at the list).
Showing posts with label Trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trips. Show all posts
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Trip to the Beach...Again, Camera
Took another trip today. I helped to load Chris up this morning after fixing a wire for their transmission so it will shift to second gear and then headed out with them. The kids wanted to go with, too, so I let them. This was Kayla's first painful baptism.
The trip went well, slow at first, but well. We had to pick up various people on the way and continue to load the back of the steakbed truck where we rode. It was pretty well packed. We unloaded quickly and headed back (I didn't want to be gone ALL day - ended up being gone MOST of the day). The ride back was better because we could roam around in the back of the truck, but it was cooler and cold as we headed up the mountain because rain had fell and cooled it off quite a bit. I don't think that Kayla will go on a trip like this again. Carter loved it and thanked me many times for letting him come with.
Here are some pictures from the trip:
This says "Road Closed", but it really wasn't:
This is the market area, but it was not a market day:
In another area, it was market day:
This guy may have been coming from the market (just to stick with the market-theme):
Here is an SUV that was involved in a rollover, but apparently it still works. The police didn't seem to care too much that he didn't have a windshield. It even started to sprinkle a little on the while he was following us. Sorry it is blurry - I didn't manipulate it well enough - it is broken, remember? More on that below...
Just a nice scenery shot to end the photos:
Camera
Lynn and Ruth, uncle and aunt to the family-related kids here at the mission, gave me their camera because they heard mine was on the fritz. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! It is a great blessing to have a camera that focuses where you point it (a wonderful feature in a camera)!
The trip went well, slow at first, but well. We had to pick up various people on the way and continue to load the back of the steakbed truck where we rode. It was pretty well packed. We unloaded quickly and headed back (I didn't want to be gone ALL day - ended up being gone MOST of the day). The ride back was better because we could roam around in the back of the truck, but it was cooler and cold as we headed up the mountain because rain had fell and cooled it off quite a bit. I don't think that Kayla will go on a trip like this again. Carter loved it and thanked me many times for letting him come with.
Here are some pictures from the trip:
This says "Road Closed", but it really wasn't:
This is the market area, but it was not a market day:
In another area, it was market day:
This guy may have been coming from the market (just to stick with the market-theme):
Here is an SUV that was involved in a rollover, but apparently it still works. The police didn't seem to care too much that he didn't have a windshield. It even started to sprinkle a little on the while he was following us. Sorry it is blurry - I didn't manipulate it well enough - it is broken, remember? More on that below...
Just a nice scenery shot to end the photos:
Camera
Lynn and Ruth, uncle and aunt to the family-related kids here at the mission, gave me their camera because they heard mine was on the fritz. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! It is a great blessing to have a camera that focuses where you point it (a wonderful feature in a camera)!
Trip to the Beach
Yesterday, Carter, Kayla and I left for the beach house. My main goal was to replace all the wires in the "control box" of the generator-end that go around to various pieces. Some or most of them were cut or disintegrated. I got that done and Lenny, who left the night before, was there making sure all the electrical components were working correctly.
IT WAS HOT!!! I also brought the chainsaw to cut some trees that had fallen a couple days ago. They had some strong winds and the weak trees fell. I did a little cutting and then did the wiring. Sweat was pouring down my face so I took a 5 min cool-down in the ocean and then came back to finish the wiring.
I spent another 5-10 mins in the ocean and finished up the sawing.
The trip to the beach house was rough because we took the old pickup. Carter was crammed next to me and Kayla was on my lap for over two hours of rough riding (Haitian-style). We had filled the back of the truck up to bring food for the camp that Chris and Kelli are putting on the next two weeks for the youth of Haiti. On the way back, I rode in the bed of the truck which was now empty.
I am tired still and this post jumps around a bit - sorry. I have no pictures - too busy working I guess. I have get some car work done before the rest of the folks here leave for camp. The cars are in constant need of repair - all of them!
IT WAS HOT!!! I also brought the chainsaw to cut some trees that had fallen a couple days ago. They had some strong winds and the weak trees fell. I did a little cutting and then did the wiring. Sweat was pouring down my face so I took a 5 min cool-down in the ocean and then came back to finish the wiring.
I spent another 5-10 mins in the ocean and finished up the sawing.
The trip to the beach house was rough because we took the old pickup. Carter was crammed next to me and Kayla was on my lap for over two hours of rough riding (Haitian-style). We had filled the back of the truck up to bring food for the camp that Chris and Kelli are putting on the next two weeks for the youth of Haiti. On the way back, I rode in the bed of the truck which was now empty.
I am tired still and this post jumps around a bit - sorry. I have no pictures - too busy working I guess. I have get some car work done before the rest of the folks here leave for camp. The cars are in constant need of repair - all of them!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Two Trips to Town, Rain
Wednesday I took two trips to Port. One was inside one of our passenger trucks with Tina to go sign paperwork so that we can get our permits to be here and to get my driver's license. We should have it finalized in a couple days (too bad the adoption doesn't go this quickly).
The second trip was to pick up a few (3) crates that had been shipped here from Michigan. I rode in the back of our steakbed inhaling all the dust, diesel fumes, and smoke. It started out sprinkling up in the mountains and then was HOT down in Port. It is nice to ride out in the open and see all that there is to see. The crates that came in weren't large so it wasn't too much work. There is a mentally and physically challenged worker of ours that went with us and we almost left without him. It was a pretty funny scenario. I had to help him up into the truck by lifting his legs over the walls of the truck. He, himself, was smiling.
Rain
About an hour after we got back it started to rain and it rained HARD! We got three inches in no more than two hours. Our cisterns are full now! I was very happy that it didn't rain that hard on us as we climbed the mountain with materials from the crates.
We got some more rain today, but not as much. Tomorrow I'll be going back to the beach house to fix the old Lister generator - or at least try to get it running again. There is another group using the camp for an event this weekend so if the Lord wants the generator to be fixed, He might be pleased to fix it through me. I don't think the family will be going with me this time.
The second trip was to pick up a few (3) crates that had been shipped here from Michigan. I rode in the back of our steakbed inhaling all the dust, diesel fumes, and smoke. It started out sprinkling up in the mountains and then was HOT down in Port. It is nice to ride out in the open and see all that there is to see. The crates that came in weren't large so it wasn't too much work. There is a mentally and physically challenged worker of ours that went with us and we almost left without him. It was a pretty funny scenario. I had to help him up into the truck by lifting his legs over the walls of the truck. He, himself, was smiling.
Rain
About an hour after we got back it started to rain and it rained HARD! We got three inches in no more than two hours. Our cisterns are full now! I was very happy that it didn't rain that hard on us as we climbed the mountain with materials from the crates.
We got some more rain today, but not as much. Tomorrow I'll be going back to the beach house to fix the old Lister generator - or at least try to get it running again. There is another group using the camp for an event this weekend so if the Lord wants the generator to be fixed, He might be pleased to fix it through me. I don't think the family will be going with me this time.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Beach, Boring (non)Car Stuff
There was an issue with a water pump at BHMs camp location up north. I had the family pile in to enjoy the beach while I worked with Mr. Len. Carter and I rode in the back of the pickup truck the whole 2 plus hours there and the whole 2 plus hours back. Here are some pictures of the trip.
The wind holding my mouth open and Carter enjoying the breeze too:
Boring (non)Car Stuff...
It appears that the water pump isn't situated correctly to do its job (that's the first problem). The generator runs that pump (the big old green Lister). That generator was about to shake itself apart because it has been abused over the years, but it ran. I did a little tightening up of various parts (and have the video to prove how bad it was) and then we tried to start it - it wouldn't start. I figured it was because a couple mechanisms were removed that limited the travel of the throttle. Those limits were there because internal things (like springs and levers) weren't designed to go beyond the limits. When they went beyond the limits, things either fell apart or broke.
Since we have two of these generators and one is back at the mission, I took a look at the one here and think I have the solution to get it running (reliably), but won't be able to make it out there until late next week because Mr. Len and I will be the only two guys (American missionaries) here for a while. We just ordered the manuals for this generator, too, so we can get them working again (and order the right new parts). After that, we'll have to figure out a way to keep the maintenance up to par and not let people destroy it.
The wind holding my mouth open and Carter enjoying the breeze too:
Boring (non)Car Stuff...
It appears that the water pump isn't situated correctly to do its job (that's the first problem). The generator runs that pump (the big old green Lister). That generator was about to shake itself apart because it has been abused over the years, but it ran. I did a little tightening up of various parts (and have the video to prove how bad it was) and then we tried to start it - it wouldn't start. I figured it was because a couple mechanisms were removed that limited the travel of the throttle. Those limits were there because internal things (like springs and levers) weren't designed to go beyond the limits. When they went beyond the limits, things either fell apart or broke.
Since we have two of these generators and one is back at the mission, I took a look at the one here and think I have the solution to get it running (reliably), but won't be able to make it out there until late next week because Mr. Len and I will be the only two guys (American missionaries) here for a while. We just ordered the manuals for this generator, too, so we can get them working again (and order the right new parts). After that, we'll have to figure out a way to keep the maintenance up to par and not let people destroy it.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Kenscoff Market - TapTap
In my last post, I mentioned TapTaps (which act like the local taxi-like, public transportation). Tina and I went with Mr. Neal (who has been here for a few months as our horticulturist and who is with us for another week and a half) who has been up the mountain before to the Kenscoff market via TapTap. I waited until minutes before the trip to the Kenscoff market to inform Tina that we were going to be taking one of the TapTaps that go up.
She was surprised, but had no reservations of going. After finding one and paying 5 gourdes per person one way, we made it to our destination and bought beans, cauliflower, and carrots. We probably bought too many beans, but Tina blanched them and froze a number of them when we got home. It was a great experience and I think that we'll probably end up doing it again sometime. I wish that the opportunity presented itself to take pictures, but it was crowded on the TapTap and the market was crowded as well.
She was surprised, but had no reservations of going. After finding one and paying 5 gourdes per person one way, we made it to our destination and bought beans, cauliflower, and carrots. We probably bought too many beans, but Tina blanched them and froze a number of them when we got home. It was a great experience and I think that we'll probably end up doing it again sometime. I wish that the opportunity presented itself to take pictures, but it was crowded on the TapTap and the market was crowded as well.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Trip
We are all back - safe and sound. At one point were were 2 miles from the Dominican Republic boarder. The end stop was Cornillon (through Bouchon and Thomazeau).
Joas and I took the Blue Isuzu at 5AM (because the big trucks can't be on the mountain roads between 6 AM to 8 AM or 9 AM). We couldn't get all the supplies into the Ranger so we took the Isuzu, too. We dropped the wood and four workers off at a newer school that didn't have windows/shutters - it just had the holes in the concrete for them. Joas took the Isuzu back to the Mission and Pastor Rob and I left in the Ranger to go further out with boxes, two generators, a corn grinder, and a motorcycle.
This was the first "road block" - the concrete bridge collapsed but it wasn't too deep to successfully pass on the right (before we dropped the guys and wood off):
Here was the second road block. These bovines (because I can't remember if they were cows or bulls, Becky) were in the way for about 15 minutes. They were so tangled up in their rope that some of them had their heads twisted and others had their heads stuck (with horns) against the underside of another. The owner(?) was having trouble getting them by us. There was a steep mountain drop-off to the left and a steep hill up to the right. They had to pass by on our right and as they went by, there were bumping and moving the truck.
We made it to the final destination and on the way back, we ran in to this road block:
There was one more road block that I didn't get a picture of, unfortunately. These roads are sometimes not wide enough for one vehicle let alone two. There was a big truck with rear wheel/axle problems and we had to get by. I got out to direct Pastor Rob (because I was scared) around the truck and NOT off the side of the mountain. The only thing stopped me from protesting fiercely was because if he went off the side of the mountain, there was a ledge about 10 to 15 feet down that would have stopped him from going all the way down (maybe). It had rained the day before and the ground was moist. Right where the tire was going to go on the drop-off side there was a chunk of ground that had loosened itself downward - if it were up to me, I probably would have waited the hour or longer until they fixed their truck. This story has a good ending because he made it with an inch (two at most) to spare on each side.
Interesting Stuff...
I think that I saw this picture in the Guinness Book of World Records for how many people you can fit on a Chinese-made 125cc road motorcycle used primarily on off-road terrain. If a motorcycle could be a school bus, it would look like this. I saw this guy drive by twice with 5 other people with him on the motorcycle.
Can you find all of the items on this device (hint: There are five)? I think the only thing that it is missing is the kitchen sink.
Justice of the Peace/Courtroom/etc...
There may be more to say - I am just too tired right now to think of it...
Joas and I took the Blue Isuzu at 5AM (because the big trucks can't be on the mountain roads between 6 AM to 8 AM or 9 AM). We couldn't get all the supplies into the Ranger so we took the Isuzu, too. We dropped the wood and four workers off at a newer school that didn't have windows/shutters - it just had the holes in the concrete for them. Joas took the Isuzu back to the Mission and Pastor Rob and I left in the Ranger to go further out with boxes, two generators, a corn grinder, and a motorcycle.
This was the first "road block" - the concrete bridge collapsed but it wasn't too deep to successfully pass on the right (before we dropped the guys and wood off):
Here was the second road block. These bovines (because I can't remember if they were cows or bulls, Becky) were in the way for about 15 minutes. They were so tangled up in their rope that some of them had their heads twisted and others had their heads stuck (with horns) against the underside of another. The owner(?) was having trouble getting them by us. There was a steep mountain drop-off to the left and a steep hill up to the right. They had to pass by on our right and as they went by, there were bumping and moving the truck.
We made it to the final destination and on the way back, we ran in to this road block:
There was one more road block that I didn't get a picture of, unfortunately. These roads are sometimes not wide enough for one vehicle let alone two. There was a big truck with rear wheel/axle problems and we had to get by. I got out to direct Pastor Rob (because I was scared) around the truck and NOT off the side of the mountain. The only thing stopped me from protesting fiercely was because if he went off the side of the mountain, there was a ledge about 10 to 15 feet down that would have stopped him from going all the way down (maybe). It had rained the day before and the ground was moist. Right where the tire was going to go on the drop-off side there was a chunk of ground that had loosened itself downward - if it were up to me, I probably would have waited the hour or longer until they fixed their truck. This story has a good ending because he made it with an inch (two at most) to spare on each side.
Interesting Stuff...
I think that I saw this picture in the Guinness Book of World Records for how many people you can fit on a Chinese-made 125cc road motorcycle used primarily on off-road terrain. If a motorcycle could be a school bus, it would look like this. I saw this guy drive by twice with 5 other people with him on the motorcycle.
Can you find all of the items on this device (hint: There are five)? I think the only thing that it is missing is the kitchen sink.
Justice of the Peace/Courtroom/etc...
There may be more to say - I am just too tired right now to think of it...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Paint, Canter, Trip
Happy St. Patrick's Day! The kids paraded around to everyone's place this morning wishing everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day. The Dog was a big star.
Boring Car Stuff...
Paint
I took the cage off the new Blue Isuzu a few days ago and we had the guys paint it black - much better looking (and it will prevent corrosion) than the bare metal look. I put it back on this morning.
Canter
To weld the frame back together on the Canter, I had to remove the front half of the rear leaf spring and so I ended up just removing it all to get it out of the way. It's really, REALLY front-end-heavy now! I can just lift it up by hand. We are going to weld a plate on the outside of the frame in the hopes of making it last longer.
Trip
I am taking a trip tomorrow with Pastor Rob and a bunch of guys to bring materials out to one of the pastors. The materials includes a new motorcycle, two generators, a bunch of wood, and some other stuff. It will be a one to two night trip, so I'll be away for a while.
Boring Car Stuff...
Paint
I took the cage off the new Blue Isuzu a few days ago and we had the guys paint it black - much better looking (and it will prevent corrosion) than the bare metal look. I put it back on this morning.
Canter
To weld the frame back together on the Canter, I had to remove the front half of the rear leaf spring and so I ended up just removing it all to get it out of the way. It's really, REALLY front-end-heavy now! I can just lift it up by hand. We are going to weld a plate on the outside of the frame in the hopes of making it last longer.
Trip
I am taking a trip tomorrow with Pastor Rob and a bunch of guys to bring materials out to one of the pastors. The materials includes a new motorcycle, two generators, a bunch of wood, and some other stuff. It will be a one to two night trip, so I'll be away for a while.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wings of Hope, Wisman
Troy and Tara Livesay called a few days ago and wanted to know what we knew about Wings of Hope which is a home for disabled children. We talked and I mentioned that we would like to go there too to visit. Wings of Hope is right next to our Mission.
They had various kids in all stages of disabilities. Some could walk and talk OK and others were older, completely bedridden, and wore diapers. We all interacted with them as much and best as we could. Kayla and Carter spent some time pushing them in wheelchairs which the children really enjoyed.
This guy is somewhere in his 20s and is autistic. He loves to show people around (as I found out). He was holding my hand (what a grip!) and pulling me all sorts of places for over a half hour - it was a behind the scenes tour. We went to the roof and all around. He didn't talk, so that was unfortunate, but he did understand Creole.
The people that manage/run this place are incredible people. Those are tough circumstances to live and work in on a daily basis and the Lord is giving them the strength to persevere. I have never appreciated what I have more than I have today. From feet to hands, from eyes to mouth - I pray that I will always thank the Lord for the health that I have (and my whole family has) for it may not be in His will for us to have it through the rest of the day.
Wisman
A few weeks ago Wisman, who is not 100% mentally, wanted a cage built for his rabbits at his house. The dogs have been getting to some of them. It was sort of a little joke around here that he had this request, but it was decided that a cage would be made for him. They made it better than he asked for and he was really pleased and looked proud as he walked away with it. He was taking it up the hill so that someone (Ti John) could take it to his house for him. I felt pretty happy for him that he finally got a place for his rabbits - it was a "feel good" story.
They had various kids in all stages of disabilities. Some could walk and talk OK and others were older, completely bedridden, and wore diapers. We all interacted with them as much and best as we could. Kayla and Carter spent some time pushing them in wheelchairs which the children really enjoyed.
This guy is somewhere in his 20s and is autistic. He loves to show people around (as I found out). He was holding my hand (what a grip!) and pulling me all sorts of places for over a half hour - it was a behind the scenes tour. We went to the roof and all around. He didn't talk, so that was unfortunate, but he did understand Creole.
The people that manage/run this place are incredible people. Those are tough circumstances to live and work in on a daily basis and the Lord is giving them the strength to persevere. I have never appreciated what I have more than I have today. From feet to hands, from eyes to mouth - I pray that I will always thank the Lord for the health that I have (and my whole family has) for it may not be in His will for us to have it through the rest of the day.
Wisman
A few weeks ago Wisman, who is not 100% mentally, wanted a cage built for his rabbits at his house. The dogs have been getting to some of them. It was sort of a little joke around here that he had this request, but it was decided that a cage would be made for him. They made it better than he asked for and he was really pleased and looked proud as he walked away with it. He was taking it up the hill so that someone (Ti John) could take it to his house for him. I felt pretty happy for him that he finally got a place for his rabbits - it was a "feel good" story.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Relaxed
We arrived Friday around 10AM and relaxed. We had fun in the pool Friday afternoon & Saturday morning and we had fun watching Little House on DVD before we went to bed. We forgot how annoying and public/cable TV is with the commercials they display - we shut it off, walked away, and hope to not turn back.
We ended up leaving on Saturday afternoon, because Tina didn't sleep to well (the bed was really hard and stiff - it was two twin sized put together to form a queen so there was a seam in the middle). Tina, Kayla, and I were on that bed and Carter got to sleep on a cot all by himself.
The orange juice at the restaurant was greatly improved (a blessing to me because I LOVE ORANGE JUICE and I don't get it much here at all). We ate their free breakfast which was very good and I ordered a cheese omelet because I had it last time and it was really good (and they still make it very good).
Since the internet connection was AMAZINGLY FAST at the hotel (it about 4x faster than at the Mission on a good day), I took the liberty to display a few videos for your viewing pleasure. This one is of Lou when we sing one of our Bible memory verses (we did a real bad job singing in this video). Why he makes this face we have no idea, but he does pretty good making the clicking noise with his tongue at the end!
I put on YouTube because it worked better and faster for me. It is one of the baby pig that we got to replace the butchered pig. He was LOUD!!
Coming back was nice and, at the same time, not so nice. It was good to come to the realization that the Mission is feeling like home and we aren't as comfortable just anywhere. It was not so nice because we came back and I was torn between continuing my rest and working with Cliff. Since Cliff is leaving Monday and we don't work Sunday, it was my last time with him to go over the vehicles more with him around. So I went and worked the whole afternoon. It was good that I did, but it kinda took the "relaxing" out of the "relaxing weekend." The real vacation will come when we go back to visit friends and family back in the States after the adoption is complete (of which we have NO IDEA or NO INDICATION of when it will be done).
Thank you, again, Mom and Dad for this great Christmas gift of being able to get out and away for a little while! If it comes to it, we'll use our second day in a few months and stay for just one night again.
We ended up leaving on Saturday afternoon, because Tina didn't sleep to well (the bed was really hard and stiff - it was two twin sized put together to form a queen so there was a seam in the middle). Tina, Kayla, and I were on that bed and Carter got to sleep on a cot all by himself.
The orange juice at the restaurant was greatly improved (a blessing to me because I LOVE ORANGE JUICE and I don't get it much here at all). We ate their free breakfast which was very good and I ordered a cheese omelet because I had it last time and it was really good (and they still make it very good).
Since the internet connection was AMAZINGLY FAST at the hotel (it about 4x faster than at the Mission on a good day), I took the liberty to display a few videos for your viewing pleasure. This one is of Lou when we sing one of our Bible memory verses (we did a real bad job singing in this video). Why he makes this face we have no idea, but he does pretty good making the clicking noise with his tongue at the end!
I put on YouTube because it worked better and faster for me. It is one of the baby pig that we got to replace the butchered pig. He was LOUD!!
Coming back was nice and, at the same time, not so nice. It was good to come to the realization that the Mission is feeling like home and we aren't as comfortable just anywhere. It was not so nice because we came back and I was torn between continuing my rest and working with Cliff. Since Cliff is leaving Monday and we don't work Sunday, it was my last time with him to go over the vehicles more with him around. So I went and worked the whole afternoon. It was good that I did, but it kinda took the "relaxing" out of the "relaxing weekend." The real vacation will come when we go back to visit friends and family back in the States after the adoption is complete (of which we have NO IDEA or NO INDICATION of when it will be done).
Thank you, again, Mom and Dad for this great Christmas gift of being able to get out and away for a little while! If it comes to it, we'll use our second day in a few months and stay for just one night again.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Vacation
We're going on vacation today - a quick weekend trip (thank you Mom and Dad for this Christmas gift!). This will be our first "vacation" since arriving on June 30th. We're going to a local hotel and will be resting, reading, and praying with the kids. They are so very excited to go and spend some time in a pool (in warmer weather than up here in the mountains where we have been dreaming about not wearing sweatshirts all the time).
The other thing that the kids are excited to do is watch TV. They are looking forward to watching Myth Busters and some Animal Planet on the cable TV at the hotel.
We should have access to the internet at the hotel, too, so I'll post some pictures as we spend time there.
Have a great weekend!
The other thing that the kids are excited to do is watch TV. They are looking forward to watching Myth Busters and some Animal Planet on the cable TV at the hotel.
We should have access to the internet at the hotel, too, so I'll post some pictures as we spend time there.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday Drive
About a week ago, Pastor Rob asked if I wanted to go with him to another church of ours further out. It was a little joke here because he wanted to take the Ford Ranger and the joke was that he wanted to have the mechanic along to fix whatever broke.
We left at 6AM and had no issues with the Ranger. There were a lot of people coming with because we have visitors this week, so we took two vehicles. I drove the shortbox Landcruiser (we got that back a couple weeks ago after having the bodywork repaired from the meeting with the cow) and Pastor Rob drove the Ranger. I love driving and I love driving here on the difficult trails. I miss my driving buddy, though (Shannon)!
The "roads" we went on were difficult trails with huge boulders and narrow paths along the way. At one point, they were doing work on the road and we had to wait a little bit for them to clear a path for us to travel past. I enjoy driving here so much that I left it out of four-wheel drive for a little challenge. I made it all the way without using it.
I didn't get many pictures of the drive because I was driving, but when we got to the church area I did take a few pictures.
Here is one of the baptism area that was used by a couple churches in the area. It was really pretty - there was a 2-3 foot water fall just behind where they performed the service:
Here is my favorite shirt situation of the trip (you may have to click to read the pink shirt):
The church service lasted from about 9:45 to about 1:15. We were invited to sit up front. Sitting up front means sitting behind where the pastor stands, facing the congregation - not just sitting up front facing the pastor like everyone else. It's quite the experience!
It didn't feel quite as long as 3.5 hours to me. They had some great groups of singers come up to perform (one with a squeezebox, Dad! - they were my favorite and I got video of them).
I posted on the Field Journal of the BHM website a little while ago that Smile Train is coming soon to our hospital and it was mentioned at the end of the church service. After the service, a lady was brought to Pastor Rob who had a real bad cleft lip. I am guessing her age to be mid 20's (I am horrible at guessing ages). She had one of the worst cleft lips I have seen. She was given all the details of what to do and hopefully she can come in and get the free surgery. She is one of those cases where you would hardly recognize her after the surgery - she'll be a new woman.
We left at 6AM and had no issues with the Ranger. There were a lot of people coming with because we have visitors this week, so we took two vehicles. I drove the shortbox Landcruiser (we got that back a couple weeks ago after having the bodywork repaired from the meeting with the cow) and Pastor Rob drove the Ranger. I love driving and I love driving here on the difficult trails. I miss my driving buddy, though (Shannon)!
The "roads" we went on were difficult trails with huge boulders and narrow paths along the way. At one point, they were doing work on the road and we had to wait a little bit for them to clear a path for us to travel past. I enjoy driving here so much that I left it out of four-wheel drive for a little challenge. I made it all the way without using it.
I didn't get many pictures of the drive because I was driving, but when we got to the church area I did take a few pictures.
Here is one of the baptism area that was used by a couple churches in the area. It was really pretty - there was a 2-3 foot water fall just behind where they performed the service:
Here is my favorite shirt situation of the trip (you may have to click to read the pink shirt):
The church service lasted from about 9:45 to about 1:15. We were invited to sit up front. Sitting up front means sitting behind where the pastor stands, facing the congregation - not just sitting up front facing the pastor like everyone else. It's quite the experience!
It didn't feel quite as long as 3.5 hours to me. They had some great groups of singers come up to perform (one with a squeezebox, Dad! - they were my favorite and I got video of them).
I posted on the Field Journal of the BHM website a little while ago that Smile Train is coming soon to our hospital and it was mentioned at the end of the church service. After the service, a lady was brought to Pastor Rob who had a real bad cleft lip. I am guessing her age to be mid 20's (I am horrible at guessing ages). She had one of the worst cleft lips I have seen. She was given all the details of what to do and hopefully she can come in and get the free surgery. She is one of those cases where you would hardly recognize her after the surgery - she'll be a new woman.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Goat, Trip, Ranger - Fixed, Log-Splitter
The last trip that Pastor Rob went on about a week ago yielded a gift. That gift was a goat. Yesterday, they had one of the workers butcher the goat and Kayla and Carter wanted to watch. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I think that Carter learned a little more respect for life by watching it and Kayla just confirmed the respect that she already had. It was interesting to watch how they did it and interested as well to think that this happens to many goats each and every day because they are a primary food source here in Haiti.
Pastor Rob and I took a little road trip two days ago and I got some interesting pictures. Here is one of a tree with watermelon-sized fruit hanging from it (I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself):
We have a few events coming up today and tomorrow. This evening we’ll be eating dinner as a group and then going to Pastor Rob and Patti’s place to watch the kids present a play. They practiced a little bit yesterday for it. Then, tomorrow, Christmas Day, we’ll be doing a meal together again at about 2:30. But before that, we’ll be delivering Christmas gifts to people in the hospital. We have bags of hygiene supplies for the people who are staying in the hospital. I’ll try to get pictures of this and the kids play as well.
Boring Car Stuff…
I got the Ford Ranger running yesterday. When the suspension broke, it took out the oil filter. They found a new one and filled it up with oil. Somehow in the process of driving back home, they over-filled the engine with oil. That oil was all throughout the intake, including the intercooler. I took it all out of the car and cleaned it all up with gasoline, brake cleaner, and carb cleaner. I drained the oil and replaced the oil with the correct amount. It started real hard (the battery was pretty warn down from having the hazard lights on for so long), but it started nonetheless. I took it for a little drive to “get the lead out” and it seems to be just fine. I’ll be keeping an eye out on it because there may be a small oil leak. I also put touchup paint on the spot where the cow-catcher from the Landcruiser wore a hole in the paint.
I worked on a log splitter that they have here yesterday as well. It ran enough to cut a couple logs and then it quit. We have a generator here with nearly the same engine and so Mr. Kyrk and I spent about an hour replacing various parts and we got it to work again. We took it to an area and split wood for about an hour (I like working with wood – there may be a little lumberjack inside of me). We used the four-wheeler to pull it up from a shed to the shop and to pull it around. It sure is nice to have that four-wheeler!
Pastor Rob and I took a little road trip two days ago and I got some interesting pictures. Here is one of a tree with watermelon-sized fruit hanging from it (I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself):
We have a few events coming up today and tomorrow. This evening we’ll be eating dinner as a group and then going to Pastor Rob and Patti’s place to watch the kids present a play. They practiced a little bit yesterday for it. Then, tomorrow, Christmas Day, we’ll be doing a meal together again at about 2:30. But before that, we’ll be delivering Christmas gifts to people in the hospital. We have bags of hygiene supplies for the people who are staying in the hospital. I’ll try to get pictures of this and the kids play as well.
Boring Car Stuff…
I got the Ford Ranger running yesterday. When the suspension broke, it took out the oil filter. They found a new one and filled it up with oil. Somehow in the process of driving back home, they over-filled the engine with oil. That oil was all throughout the intake, including the intercooler. I took it all out of the car and cleaned it all up with gasoline, brake cleaner, and carb cleaner. I drained the oil and replaced the oil with the correct amount. It started real hard (the battery was pretty warn down from having the hazard lights on for so long), but it started nonetheless. I took it for a little drive to “get the lead out” and it seems to be just fine. I’ll be keeping an eye out on it because there may be a small oil leak. I also put touchup paint on the spot where the cow-catcher from the Landcruiser wore a hole in the paint.
I worked on a log splitter that they have here yesterday as well. It ran enough to cut a couple logs and then it quit. We have a generator here with nearly the same engine and so Mr. Kyrk and I spent about an hour replacing various parts and we got it to work again. We took it to an area and split wood for about an hour (I like working with wood – there may be a little lumberjack inside of me). We used the four-wheeler to pull it up from a shed to the shop and to pull it around. It sure is nice to have that four-wheeler!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wild Adventure
Boring Car Stuff...
If I bored you with the corn grinder post, you should be fully satisfied after reading this post.
I was getting multiple things done on the computer yesterday morning and was feeling like I was making progress. I was going to chill out for the afternoon before going to a Christmas dinner at Pastor Rob and Patti's house at 6 PM. At 11:30 AM, I got a call from Pastor Rob and he asked me if I wanted to go on a trip. Always willing, I said "Yes, what do you have?" He told me that Mr. Kyrk had a problem. He did not hit a cow this time. The truck's front, upper, driver's side A-arm came apart and punctured the oil filter. The truck was DOA on the side of the road about 4-5 hours away. They sent one of the Haitian guys they were with to go see if they could get a new oil filter and find a mechanic to replace the bolts. My mission: To try to find the right bolt by bringing a bunch that should fit (one bolt was missing and the other was stripped out) and bring an oil filter.
I have been doing a lot of oil changes lately and have not been so good about throwing them out (probably because I have been so used to recycling that stuff instead of throwing it away). We had no new oil filters, but did have one used filter sitting near where I change oil, so I grabbed that. Pastor Rob was deciding what vehicle to take (what was left for the day was NOT the cream of the crop for vehicles). He suggested taking a newer Nissan Patrol that is sort of a prized possession here. I thought it was a good idea (of course because it's a nice, new, cushy vehicle). We gassed it up and I asked if it would be OK if I drove instead of one of the Haitian drivers we have. He didn't see a problem with it. Mr. Jeff is the driver that came with. Of course Carter wanted to go, so I let him come with, too. That made: Mr. Jeff, Carter and Me in the truck.
We started driving and I called Mr. Kyrk after about an hour to see what's up. He told me that they found an oil filter and some bolts that would go through the hole with nuts on the other side. (By the way, I very much dislike the way Ford designed the front suspension setup, but I won't get into that here). He was on his way back and he told me to meet him at the Mission's beach house which is 2-3 hours away from the Mission.
We arrived there and I called Mr. Kyrk. He told me that he was about an hour away. So what do you do at a beach house with an extra hour of time on your hands - go swimming of course. Carter and I stripped down to our boxers and took a nice swim (making sure to look out for sea urchins and jellyfish). Mr. Jeff went to one of the guys who stays at the property (not at the house) and borrowed some of his swim shorts.
Our time was up - Mr. Kyrk called and we got packed up and waited along the road by the entrance to the property. He came and they had to fill up with oil every so often and they topped it off before we took off. The "cow catcher" from the Landcruiser was in the back of their truck because they picked it up after leaving it at a pastor's house - they had no room to bring it back with it not mounted after hitting the cow earlier in the week. The cow catcher was wearing a rather large size hole in the paint on the outside of the bed - oh well...what to do?
We got about two-thirds of the way back when their truck started to smoke from underneath. Then it started to really smoke. I mean REALLY smoke.
Picture a Ford Ranger.
Picture a large white billowy cloud in the sky.
That's what the truck turned into (only it wasn't in the sky). The engine was racing and the smoke was pouring out. After a couple seconds, Mr. Kyrk comes running out and away from the truck with something in his hand. It's the key. The truck was still running (i.e., RACING) and the key was out. And the smoke was pouring oil. The engine had a mind of it's own and was revving really high and then slows down. Revs really high and then slows down. We were trying to think of what to do. I toss out the suggestion of pulling fuses thinking that we'll pull one that stops the fuel pump or something. We pulled a couple and nothing. By now there was about 50+ people that came to watch our show (we should have charged admission so we can pay for repairs). One guy from the crowd came and jumped in the drivers seat. He put the car in 3rd gear and popped the clutch - the engine finally died. (Note to self: when stuck in Haiti or anywhere else with a manual transmission vehicle, with an engine that continues to run wildly, without the key in the ignition, while it is smoking so profusely you can't see your hand in front of your face, kill the engine with the transmission - I never claimed to be a know-it all mechanic, but now I know yet one more thing - I feel humbled).
As God would have it, this all happened in a fairly safe area. We did go through an area where we were called by the lead truck and told to lock our doors. This was not that area. Where we stopped, we were able to get a tow strap to tow the vehicle back (we bought it without delay on the spot - how's that for quick delivery Christmas shopping). That was the good news. The bad news was that it was a short strap. If you have ever towed a vehicle (and I have towed a lot - right Mr. Dorr?), you know that a strap on the longer side is better than one on the shorter side so the person being towed can have time to brake and the person doing the towing can see the strap to know when there is slack.
We started to go and Mr. Kyrk called me on my cell phone to tell me that his brakes don't work very well (because the engine wasn't running there was no vacuum assist) - go slow.
I don't have a whole lot of detail here, but just know that if Haitian traffic isn't bad enough with the poor, narrow roads and all the possible distractions, imagine doing it at night, in rush-hour like traffic, while towing with a short strap, without good brakes in the towed vehicle, up a mountain while using the parking brake so you don't roll back when letting off the brake (I could have used a third leg), while trying to search for the right combination of gear, speed and power, and a whole mess of other things. There were a couple times where I thought I was going to hit another vehicle on the side of the road or coming towards me (and some of them were large dump trucks). There were a few times where I thought Mr. Kyrk was going to have a reverse impression of the Nissan logo on top of the Ford logo. We did have a couple of rough jerks with the strap, but all in all it went very well (considering). Mr. Kyrk is a great driver with lots of mechanical sense - he made sure that tension was on the rope as much as possible and did everything right (he knows A LOT more than just that - this part of what he knew made it a bit easier to do the towing).
We got the truck back to mission without further mishap - for that, I am very thankful. We even got to start eating our Christmas dinner with everyone before they all had finished eating. Now it's Sunday. The Lord's Day. The day of rest. Then comes Monday - the day to try to figure out what happened. I have a few ideas for where I want to start looking. There is certainly no shortage of work here.
If I bored you with the corn grinder post, you should be fully satisfied after reading this post.
I was getting multiple things done on the computer yesterday morning and was feeling like I was making progress. I was going to chill out for the afternoon before going to a Christmas dinner at Pastor Rob and Patti's house at 6 PM. At 11:30 AM, I got a call from Pastor Rob and he asked me if I wanted to go on a trip. Always willing, I said "Yes, what do you have?" He told me that Mr. Kyrk had a problem. He did not hit a cow this time. The truck's front, upper, driver's side A-arm came apart and punctured the oil filter. The truck was DOA on the side of the road about 4-5 hours away. They sent one of the Haitian guys they were with to go see if they could get a new oil filter and find a mechanic to replace the bolts. My mission: To try to find the right bolt by bringing a bunch that should fit (one bolt was missing and the other was stripped out) and bring an oil filter.
I have been doing a lot of oil changes lately and have not been so good about throwing them out (probably because I have been so used to recycling that stuff instead of throwing it away). We had no new oil filters, but did have one used filter sitting near where I change oil, so I grabbed that. Pastor Rob was deciding what vehicle to take (what was left for the day was NOT the cream of the crop for vehicles). He suggested taking a newer Nissan Patrol that is sort of a prized possession here. I thought it was a good idea (of course because it's a nice, new, cushy vehicle). We gassed it up and I asked if it would be OK if I drove instead of one of the Haitian drivers we have. He didn't see a problem with it. Mr. Jeff is the driver that came with. Of course Carter wanted to go, so I let him come with, too. That made: Mr. Jeff, Carter and Me in the truck.
We started driving and I called Mr. Kyrk after about an hour to see what's up. He told me that they found an oil filter and some bolts that would go through the hole with nuts on the other side. (By the way, I very much dislike the way Ford designed the front suspension setup, but I won't get into that here). He was on his way back and he told me to meet him at the Mission's beach house which is 2-3 hours away from the Mission.
We arrived there and I called Mr. Kyrk. He told me that he was about an hour away. So what do you do at a beach house with an extra hour of time on your hands - go swimming of course. Carter and I stripped down to our boxers and took a nice swim (making sure to look out for sea urchins and jellyfish). Mr. Jeff went to one of the guys who stays at the property (not at the house) and borrowed some of his swim shorts.
Our time was up - Mr. Kyrk called and we got packed up and waited along the road by the entrance to the property. He came and they had to fill up with oil every so often and they topped it off before we took off. The "cow catcher" from the Landcruiser was in the back of their truck because they picked it up after leaving it at a pastor's house - they had no room to bring it back with it not mounted after hitting the cow earlier in the week. The cow catcher was wearing a rather large size hole in the paint on the outside of the bed - oh well...what to do?
We got about two-thirds of the way back when their truck started to smoke from underneath. Then it started to really smoke. I mean REALLY smoke.
Picture a Ford Ranger.
Picture a large white billowy cloud in the sky.
That's what the truck turned into (only it wasn't in the sky). The engine was racing and the smoke was pouring out. After a couple seconds, Mr. Kyrk comes running out and away from the truck with something in his hand. It's the key. The truck was still running (i.e., RACING) and the key was out. And the smoke was pouring oil. The engine had a mind of it's own and was revving really high and then slows down. Revs really high and then slows down. We were trying to think of what to do. I toss out the suggestion of pulling fuses thinking that we'll pull one that stops the fuel pump or something. We pulled a couple and nothing. By now there was about 50+ people that came to watch our show (we should have charged admission so we can pay for repairs). One guy from the crowd came and jumped in the drivers seat. He put the car in 3rd gear and popped the clutch - the engine finally died. (Note to self: when stuck in Haiti or anywhere else with a manual transmission vehicle, with an engine that continues to run wildly, without the key in the ignition, while it is smoking so profusely you can't see your hand in front of your face, kill the engine with the transmission - I never claimed to be a know-it all mechanic, but now I know yet one more thing - I feel humbled).
As God would have it, this all happened in a fairly safe area. We did go through an area where we were called by the lead truck and told to lock our doors. This was not that area. Where we stopped, we were able to get a tow strap to tow the vehicle back (we bought it without delay on the spot - how's that for quick delivery Christmas shopping). That was the good news. The bad news was that it was a short strap. If you have ever towed a vehicle (and I have towed a lot - right Mr. Dorr?), you know that a strap on the longer side is better than one on the shorter side so the person being towed can have time to brake and the person doing the towing can see the strap to know when there is slack.
We started to go and Mr. Kyrk called me on my cell phone to tell me that his brakes don't work very well (because the engine wasn't running there was no vacuum assist) - go slow.
I don't have a whole lot of detail here, but just know that if Haitian traffic isn't bad enough with the poor, narrow roads and all the possible distractions, imagine doing it at night, in rush-hour like traffic, while towing with a short strap, without good brakes in the towed vehicle, up a mountain while using the parking brake so you don't roll back when letting off the brake (I could have used a third leg), while trying to search for the right combination of gear, speed and power, and a whole mess of other things. There were a couple times where I thought I was going to hit another vehicle on the side of the road or coming towards me (and some of them were large dump trucks). There were a few times where I thought Mr. Kyrk was going to have a reverse impression of the Nissan logo on top of the Ford logo. We did have a couple of rough jerks with the strap, but all in all it went very well (considering). Mr. Kyrk is a great driver with lots of mechanical sense - he made sure that tension was on the rope as much as possible and did everything right (he knows A LOT more than just that - this part of what he knew made it a bit easier to do the towing).
We got the truck back to mission without further mishap - for that, I am very thankful. We even got to start eating our Christmas dinner with everyone before they all had finished eating. Now it's Sunday. The Lord's Day. The day of rest. Then comes Monday - the day to try to figure out what happened. I have a few ideas for where I want to start looking. There is certainly no shortage of work here.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Nice Day, Dominos
We had a great day with Sandi and Cullie today - they bring us lots of places and it's great! We are very thankful for them! We left at 9 AM and got back around 2 PM. We went to town and did a little shopping at a market and got some good deals on storage baskets to help us get a little organized. Here is a picture of us (not me - taking the picture) with Cullie in the middle and his son David on the far right:
Afterwards we went to Domino's Pizza (our first time since being in Haiti) and went to buy treat afterwards. Here is a picture of our children at Domino's (I think Lou was saying "fromage" which means "cheese"):
Afterwards we went to Domino's Pizza (our first time since being in Haiti) and went to buy treat afterwards. Here is a picture of our children at Domino's (I think Lou was saying "fromage" which means "cheese"):
Friday, October 10, 2008
Water System: Installed
I am back and the people of Bassin Bleu have a new water filter from Water Missions International through Samaritan's Purse giving them clean filtered water from the river.
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.
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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