A Visitor of Haiti Summer 2014
Some recollections from Summer 2014 by Daniel Cooley.
June 29th - Haiti
So I was getting to bed pretty late last night – was the last one up around midnight. I left the bathroom using my flashlight so as not to wake up others, and I saw a rat. I was walking towards my room, so not thinking i just kept on going. That freaked the rat out, so he ran in front of me. I kept walking, he kept walking. So, i stupedly chased the rat into my bedroom at midnight. Thankfully he didn’t snore.
It’s been pretty crazy here. We just finished replacing the rusted out sink with a new stainless one before the 400 kids show up for English Camp tomorrow. There have been a ton of projects, including getting the new propane bug trap set up, fogging, fixing tons of plumbing problems, and training for the kids coming manana. Today we did church in the morning and ate at a fun bakery this afternoon. It looks like we got all the projects finished in time for camp, so it will be fun to watch things run tomorrow. The generator we purchased last year is wonderful. Nothing like having electricity and running water when you need it. The interweb has been sketchy here, so I’ve not been able to post much. Hopefully this will upload.
The pic is of Caleb and his friend Kyle hugging a toilet. OR repairing it.
Will try to post again in a couple days.
Dan
June 30th - English Camp
Today is the first day of English Camp. We have 13 here from Cottonwood. Today is the first day of English Camp. It is going super smooth. We have 13 here from Cottonwood, but with all the interpreters, summer staff and support help we have almost 40 workers for the 400 kids who were signed up. Most of our workers are working with the kids- teaching English or Bible or doing Sports, that kind of thing. Kids are divided up between boys and girls and
then go through different stations. Megan is working in the Kitchen, Caleb is teaching Bible, Jon is doing repairs somewhere, and I’m writing you.
English Camp is kind of like a Vacation Bible School, but with an emphasis on learning English. . . and twice as long. . . and with interpreters. . . and all outside. . . without AC. . . and with two meals a day.
I guess it’s really not like VBS at all.
It sure is cool to watch your kids serve this way. The kitchen is a brutal place to work. It’s a normal sized kitchen, supper hot and crowded in there, with 400 breakfasts and lunches to prepare. They do seem to have a lot of fun working together, and the new sink should be a help. Caleb has a great interpreter, they should have a lot of fun working together.
Megan just walked by and asked, “Are you still doing nothing?” So, let me say that working in the kitchen is really easy. There is food whenever you want it, drinking water close by, no kids screaming at you, what a life.
Dan
July 2nd Visiting Our Compassion Kid
Megan and I were able to visit one of our Compassion International kids yesterday. We went to
the office first where we met Bergard, our sponsored child, and his dad. I had met them once -before the earthquake. Their house collapsed, but they were not home at the time. They were in a tent for a long time, but now have a house.
Anyway, we got the Compassion talk, met the director and office staff, and took off to go see the rest of Bregard’s family and new house. It was LONG drive, we had to go by citi soli, which is pretty sketchy. He now lives real close to the house we built a few years ago. His house is the long one with the red tin in the center most of the way up the hill. It is large enough for two rooms. U walk into a room with a dining table, chairs stored underneath so there is room to walk around it. Behind it is the bedroom. Made from rough machete cut 2x4s and tin.
I
have a good friend here named James, who I’ve been able to work on cars with and give lots of clothes to, as he also has that skinny tall physique. Anyhow you can pray for him. His brother died the other day, the funeral is tomorrow. A gang held the body for ransom. WE drove by the spot his body was at, under tarps on the side of the road, on the way to Brigard’s house.
Jon and I replaced a generator/city power 2 house switch this morning – with the city power running. They have no cut-off switches here. Even if it had been Winnipeg cold I think I’d have been sweating.
Thanks for your prayers,
Dan
July 7th - The Insane Love of God
For those not on Facebook, here is the link for the Haitian ladies singing The Love of God in Creole. My dad used to sing The Love of God beautifully – he sang it at Megan’s Child Dedication. Anyhow the Haitian ladies we work with sing it at morning devotions and it brought back good memories.