What a day, what a day! Up at 6 am, off to the orphanage
for breakfast at 6:45, and being assigned our first jobs by 7:30.
Work Team 1 – The Depot, Art
Art spent the day digging through a dark room infested with rat poo at the back of one of the buildings at the orphanage. It is also filled with tools, supplies and materials to do most maintenance in the complex… only it was a mess. Nothing was organized and it was very hard to find anything. So Sister Flora, the saint of the Orphanage, asked if we could have someone clean and organize it. Art was the man for the job. He spent the entire day, stacking piles of paint, rollers, nails, tools, and other items into sensible groupings that would make life at the orphanage just a little more sane. After 32 years here raising hundreds and hundreds of children to productive adulthood or the arms of Christ, what Sister Flora asks for, Sister Flora mostly gets.
Art spent the day digging through a dark room infested with rat poo at the back of one of the buildings at the orphanage. It is also filled with tools, supplies and materials to do most maintenance in the complex… only it was a mess. Nothing was organized and it was very hard to find anything. So Sister Flora, the saint of the Orphanage, asked if we could have someone clean and organize it. Art was the man for the job. He spent the entire day, stacking piles of paint, rollers, nails, tools, and other items into sensible groupings that would make life at the orphanage just a little more sane. After 32 years here raising hundreds and hundreds of children to productive adulthood or the arms of Christ, what Sister Flora asks for, Sister Flora mostly gets.
Work Team 2 – Shopping for Supplies, Tom, Garyson, Alice,
Trish, Jude, and Mamay
After gathering a list of needs the night before, Tom headed back across the ocean to Les Cayes to pick up any materials and supplies that would be needed that the orphanage did not already have on hand. While there Tom and Garyson picked up tin to repair the roof over the physical therapy building, ten bags of concrete to cast a new kitchen counter and sink from, new door handles for several rooms that have broken ones, a lock, roof nails, plywood to make concrete forms with, and ceramic tile that will finish off the new kitchen counter. Jude, our incredible Haitian chef and his assistant Mamay went along to pick up our groceries. So far the food has been delicious! Amazing what he can do with what he has here. No stove. No fridge. Just a fire pit, some pots, and a magic touch with food. Alice and Trish went along to pick up diapers for the mentally handicapped adults at the orphanage. They hit the waters just after breakfast and returned late afternoon. Eight of us were called down the mountain to meet them at the dock to carry everything back up to the orphanage. Talk about huffing and puffing! Whew!
After gathering a list of needs the night before, Tom headed back across the ocean to Les Cayes to pick up any materials and supplies that would be needed that the orphanage did not already have on hand. While there Tom and Garyson picked up tin to repair the roof over the physical therapy building, ten bags of concrete to cast a new kitchen counter and sink from, new door handles for several rooms that have broken ones, a lock, roof nails, plywood to make concrete forms with, and ceramic tile that will finish off the new kitchen counter. Jude, our incredible Haitian chef and his assistant Mamay went along to pick up our groceries. So far the food has been delicious! Amazing what he can do with what he has here. No stove. No fridge. Just a fire pit, some pots, and a magic touch with food. Alice and Trish went along to pick up diapers for the mentally handicapped adults at the orphanage. They hit the waters just after breakfast and returned late afternoon. Eight of us were called down the mountain to meet them at the dock to carry everything back up to the orphanage. Talk about huffing and puffing! Whew!
Work Team 3 – Prepping and Painting the Physical Therapy
Room and Porch, Melany, Tina, Matt, Kelly, Odlin, Lindsey, Shannon, Summer,
Olivia, and Emma
Water has not fallen at the orphanage in some time, so we had to be creative in how we would prep for painting. With no windows and few doors, dirt and dust are the norm and concrete walls are easily filled with dust holes. Wanting the paint job to last and not waste paint or labor, we decided to use a three step approach. First we took broom heads and rubbed down all the walls, ceiling to floor, including window wells and sills, porch railings, and corners. After loosening the big stuff, we went back with toothbrushes and covered every inch that remained. Every crack and crevice was brushed out and the loose dust was blown away with our breath. Lastly, we found one lone towel which we used to rub down and dust off every last speck we could find. With no rain, the dust was dry and easily shook off the towel time and again. By mid-morning we were able to begin painting the walls. With old murals of animals brightly painted in primary colors on white walls, it took multiple coats. By multiple I mean like 6 or 7. The paint in Haiti is watered to a consistency of nonfat milk. It goes on transparent so multiple layers are needed for any coverage at all. Eventually it began to build up and by about 2pm we were able to break for lunch with confidence. Once we returned, we went from white upper walls and porch, to chocolate brown near the bottom. This allows those mopping and cleaning to have a darker color where it is nearly impossible to keep white clean.
Water has not fallen at the orphanage in some time, so we had to be creative in how we would prep for painting. With no windows and few doors, dirt and dust are the norm and concrete walls are easily filled with dust holes. Wanting the paint job to last and not waste paint or labor, we decided to use a three step approach. First we took broom heads and rubbed down all the walls, ceiling to floor, including window wells and sills, porch railings, and corners. After loosening the big stuff, we went back with toothbrushes and covered every inch that remained. Every crack and crevice was brushed out and the loose dust was blown away with our breath. Lastly, we found one lone towel which we used to rub down and dust off every last speck we could find. With no rain, the dust was dry and easily shook off the towel time and again. By mid-morning we were able to begin painting the walls. With old murals of animals brightly painted in primary colors on white walls, it took multiple coats. By multiple I mean like 6 or 7. The paint in Haiti is watered to a consistency of nonfat milk. It goes on transparent so multiple layers are needed for any coverage at all. Eventually it began to build up and by about 2pm we were able to break for lunch with confidence. Once we returned, we went from white upper walls and porch, to chocolate brown near the bottom. This allows those mopping and cleaning to have a darker color where it is nearly impossible to keep white clean.
Once the orphanage heard a professional artist was on the
team, we were encouraged to go creative for the kid’s sake. So the plan
unfolded with plant fauna and flora on one end, and a water and sea theme on
the other. We plan to echo greens and blues above the base line of brown, as
the murals begin to formulate next week.
Odlin did a great job interpreting for us, as well as following behind
to wipe up spots of paint from the newly tiled floor. Garyson also joined us with a scrub brush in
hand before they left for Les Cayes. Matt
led a team outdoors in scraping, prepping and painting an old pergola. Others
crawled, walked, and rolled in throughout the day to lend a hand.
Work Team 5 – The Bossman, Darryl
Darryl had an easy day today, as he sent others into town to buy supplies. He moved from worksite to worksite, checking in on teams throughout the day. He kept us with our hydration breaks, meal times, and lent a hand wherever/whenever needed. Sometimes he was keeping Art company in his solitary confinement; sometimes he was cleaning brushes for the painters, and sometimes he was planning for the upcoming week of projects.
Darryl had an easy day today, as he sent others into town to buy supplies. He moved from worksite to worksite, checking in on teams throughout the day. He kept us with our hydration breaks, meal times, and lent a hand wherever/whenever needed. Sometimes he was keeping Art company in his solitary confinement; sometimes he was cleaning brushes for the painters, and sometimes he was planning for the upcoming week of projects.
Work Team 6 – Job #1, anyone and everyone
We were reminded our first night that no matter what we came to do, the number one job always and forever was the children. If one was crying, pick them up and rock them. If one was hanging off your waistline, sway back and forth with them. If one wanted to play pattycake, even while slobbering profusely all over both her and you, well, then, play pattycake! Everyone did a wonderful job of remembering that priority. Emma was painting out on the porch when a young boy continued to wail just outside the therapy room. Without hesitation, she asked “Is it okay for me to go get him?” Absolutely! And off she went. Before I knew it, she was back painting with a brush in one hand and the little boy whimpering while wrapped in her other.
At one point many of the kids were in therapy together and didn’t seem very happy. Some were yelling, some crying, some just making a ruckus. So Lindsey asked if it might be okay to go get her guitar up the hill and bring it back to play while the kids were in therapy. Absolutely! And before you knew it, not only had the kids all stopped crying, they were singing along, shouting out key words, and swaying to the music. After many songs were sung over more than an hour time period, Lindsay stopped playing… and it was like an encore being sought at a rock concert. Kids began to wail and scream and yell and pound themselves on the floor until Lindsay picked her guitar back up. No sooner than she began to strum, a hush fell over them all… Amazing.
Olivia put a feverish child to sleep, Tina took another in for medicine, Shannon played patty cake till the roosters stopped crowing, and Summer gave lots of attention to those desiring it. I was able late in the evening to watch an old vintage Mickey Mouse cartoon with an entire group of kids, after they patiently waited for me to finish prepping for worship in the morning.
We were reminded our first night that no matter what we came to do, the number one job always and forever was the children. If one was crying, pick them up and rock them. If one was hanging off your waistline, sway back and forth with them. If one wanted to play pattycake, even while slobbering profusely all over both her and you, well, then, play pattycake! Everyone did a wonderful job of remembering that priority. Emma was painting out on the porch when a young boy continued to wail just outside the therapy room. Without hesitation, she asked “Is it okay for me to go get him?” Absolutely! And off she went. Before I knew it, she was back painting with a brush in one hand and the little boy whimpering while wrapped in her other.
At one point many of the kids were in therapy together and didn’t seem very happy. Some were yelling, some crying, some just making a ruckus. So Lindsey asked if it might be okay to go get her guitar up the hill and bring it back to play while the kids were in therapy. Absolutely! And before you knew it, not only had the kids all stopped crying, they were singing along, shouting out key words, and swaying to the music. After many songs were sung over more than an hour time period, Lindsay stopped playing… and it was like an encore being sought at a rock concert. Kids began to wail and scream and yell and pound themselves on the floor until Lindsay picked her guitar back up. No sooner than she began to strum, a hush fell over them all… Amazing.
Olivia put a feverish child to sleep, Tina took another in for medicine, Shannon played patty cake till the roosters stopped crowing, and Summer gave lots of attention to those desiring it. I was able late in the evening to watch an old vintage Mickey Mouse cartoon with an entire group of kids, after they patiently waited for me to finish prepping for worship in the morning.
All in all, it was a glorious first day of work. Tomorrow
we worship, we visit old friends across the island, and we play in the ocean.
Tonight, we sit in circles telling stories with our new friends, take part in
devotions together, wait in line for a bucket bath, and admire the breeze
coming up the side of the mountain over the tops of palm trees and house roofs…
did I mention the cockroach I found on my head as I was climbing into bed? Or
the spider that Emma saw about 3 foot above my bed just after I tossed the
cockroach off my hair?? Or how Tom came and saved us all by killing both the
varmints while all the other men snored through the fiasco??? Well, it is certainly
past bedtime and worship is in the morning, so we’ll have to keep those stories
for another day…
And Art thought he left the RAT race behind. ;)
ReplyDeleteHe was mistaken! :-)
ReplyDelete