I am 8 days into the trip so far. Everything here is the same as always and yet different somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I have a feeling it’s God trying to tell me something, but I don’t know what. I’m restless and missing normal. Which is weird because I typically abhor normal. I’ve been living in the restoration house. A few if you may know it as Pastor Rodrigue’s house, but since he doesn’t live here you can’t really call it that any more. This is a house I know well. I spent a lot of time working on it two years ago. I’ll be working on it again while I’m here, too. I’ll be repainting it, it appears. They said they are able to get better paint this time, which will be nice as the water-based stuff I used last time wasn’t very good. There is also some work being done to reinforce the rebar on the house, as they have a goal to add a second story for mission teams while they are here. That will be interesting. There are already 17 people living in the house, not including me. Add up to 24 more they will eventually have room for and this could be a little crazy. It already is. Aside from me and my 3 roommates, Vio (age 11ish), Jackson (7ish) and Stanley (4ish) there are 2 house parents, and some women from the community that live here. They are what Pastor LaFleur refers to as battered women. Not necessarily battered, but neglected. Also there is nearly always someone cooking or cleaning. Like I said, it gets crazy. But progress is being made. The actually installed a little air conditioner in the dining area. I almost didn’t tell you all that. Makes it harder to feel like I am sacrificing, doesn’t it?
The first team has come and gone. It was weird because I did and didn’t feel a part of it. I didn’t do much, as far as work is concerned, with them, nor did I stay with them. But we ate together and I got to know a couple of them pretty well, and a couple of the. That I already knew, I got to know even better. Sarah, I’ve known for a long time, but it was the first time we’d been on a mission trip together. I got to see a different side of her. To really see her heart for others. Those of you who know her already know what an awesome girl she is. Blessed to know her, for sure.
Before I left, I got a hard drive from a company called HyperDrive. The hard drive is supposed to work with my iPad. Got it, tested it, everything went fine. Got to Haiti and it tells me it needs a firmware update. Well, frick. So much for having a bunch of movies to watch on my iPad. I have been reading books in here, as well as my Bible. So far, I have 4 books down already. And 5 books of the Bible. Will be interesting to see how that all plays out.
Well. I suppose that is all for now. I’ve been shoveling debris from the work they’ve been doing on the house but they are adding in the new rebar and any shoveling will just be in the way. So I took a break to write this so I can post it later. I’m going to go into town and see if I can get a sim card for the iPad and stay connected a little better. And a mirror. The bathroom doesn’t have a mirror. I need one to shave. A 3 month beard in this heat isn’t going to work. I was able to shave once at the hotel when the team was there. It was the first time I looked in a mirror in 6 days at that point. Sadly, I hadn’t gotten better looking in those 6 days… Ok. Will update again later!
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