Day 10

By the time we arrived to the work site after breakfast, it was less than 24 hours till worship...and the place was a mess! The tile craftsman had nearly all the tile laid and was grouting the prior day's work. The masons had removed the forms from both columns now and had begun creating forms for the massive concrete peak they would be creating next. It was fascinating to see them create such sturdy effective forms 12' to 18' in the air with simple wood scraps and tiny tree trunks.



The day was heating up to be a scorcher, so we got to work inside the church cleaning up for Sunday worship. Some members swept the muddy, dirt covered concrete. Others wiped down the 17 wooden pews we had created on our last trip. Everything was covered with concrete dust, gravel, or mud. And all we had to do to accomplish the work, we had to find laying around the work site. I found a child's flannel shirt that worked wonders on the pews. We dipped it into a large 50 gallon drum that had caught rain water earlier in the week. By now there was scum floating on top and teenie weenie tadpoles swimming it's depths. But again, it was all we had. So, I'd dunk it into the barrel, pull up and down a few times, then wring it out before heading back into the church to wipe down another pew. The women of the village were up long before us, and already had the entire altar tile wiped down, the altar rail, lecturn (place the Word is read from), communion table, and pulpit (place messages are given from). They obviously had been working for hours before we arrived at 8 am.

After lunch we returned with several brown jersey gloves, in addition to our one small flannel shirt. The gloves could be dipped, as well, and then placed on a hand to wipe down another pew. All mud and gravel had been swept out of the sanctuary by now also, so we began to wet mop the concrete floors so the clean pews could be set back in place. Finding out no mops were to be found in the village, I went back to the house with a light bulb flashing in my head.

I grabbed one of my two towels I had brought with me to Haiti, and began to cut it into large strips. I brought along a dollar store sewing kit that contained 2" miniature doll house size pair of scissors (for a time just like this!). I don't mean 2" blades either. I mean 2" total, handles to tip! After 2 very sore fingers and about 15 minutes, the strips were complete. I grabbed a couple of hair ties and went searching for a handle. I pointed to a broom outside on the porch; a simple 1 1/2" diameter stick with dried palm leaves tied to one end. Then I took my towel strips and swooshed them back and forth along the cement, pretending to dip them in the water sitting there in a tub, and then swoosh swoosh again. Immediately the village ladies got my "lightbulb" vision and scurried about in search of the perfect mop handle. Another woman came out with a long strip of torn fabric to reinforce my hair ties. We pleated my towel strips around one end of the stick, wrapped it with hair ties, and then tightly wrapped the fabric strip around and around till the mophead was firmly secured. I was proud of my creation. So were the women, I think, as we all smiled a sense of accomplishment.

I ran back up to the church to find Milord on his hands and knees with a wet pair of men's pants in his hands, mopping the last layer of mud and concrete dust off the new floors of the church. I followed him with a wet, then a dry, mop. It was a beautiful site.



We then hand polished the new floor tile down the middle of the sanctuary, with the same small flannel shirt that helped us through all the pews. What a find! Who ever would have thought flannel was so useful! There is something spiritual about cleaning the Lord's House. It brings such joy, such sense of accomplishment and pride. He is sooo worthy! By mid afternoon we all smiled, looking across the sanctuary, the altar, and the rich golden wooden pews. Our work is done.



There is still 50 bags of concrete to use on the porch roof and additional repairs to the concrete interior and exterior church walls. Another 200 one foot tiles lay stacked in the back room, behind the altar, to be installed on the porch after all the concrete work is complete. Paint has already been purchased, as well. So even though our work is done, the people of Nan Soulette will have much more work to yet complete. But without our gift of materials, it would not be possible. We look forward to returning for a visit next year, to see all the work complete. How beautiful it will be! How worthy is our God!



On our way back from the church, we see about every piece of clothing we own, freshly washed and out hanging on the cactus to dry. The people of Haiti are so gracious. Then we get back to the house and find a gift on Jaime's bed...no, not some hand carved artifact or scrumptious food. But a warm, freshly laid egg. That's right. An egg. It seems a chicken felt comfortable enough to move around Jaime's sheet and lay an egg right in the middle of her handmade bed-nest. Go figure!



Another swim. Another incredibly deliscious meal. Another good night's sleep to local music blaring through the blackness of night. Another day in Haiti.