Haiti, June20

The Exit: We met at the office at 8:30 to put our last minute items in the luggage, do our final weigh ins, and go to the airport. We left around midnight to NYC where we had a 2.5 hour eating rest around 4:30 NM time, 6.30 NY time. Then we had a 3.5 hour flight to Port-au-Prince. We got in around 1pm. The airport went smoothly, but here at the house/compound we are way behind.

Today is Thursday. On Monday we have over 400 kids—I’ll get the exact count later—invading us for English Camp. We came with 4 people. With the family and friends here we have maybe another dozen or so to help us. That makes 16 of us to run English Camp for 400—including 2 meals and 4 classes. I am probably missing some, but it seems mightly lean. When we leave on the 29th, there is a large team coming in for a couple weeks. That will get them half way through EC. After that I believe they are on their own.

The Bad News: is that because of the US travel restrictions due to Haiti unrest, most of the teams that come to help out for the summer are not coming this year. Also Andrew, the son of the missionaries here who has run English Camp for the last five years or so is working on his Doctorate in the States, and could not make it either.

The Good News: we should have a number of Interpreters and Junior Counselors to help us. They are national kids, Junior and Senior High age, and can help control the chaos.

English Camp: is rather like VBS, if your are familiar with Vacation Bible School—only longer and with breakfast and lunch served. The kids come in and are served a breakfast of a boiled egg and banana, that kind of thing. Without it they are too weak to concentrate. We then have a big open assembly of songs and a Bible Story before breaking up into age groups. Generally around 40+ in each of the age-groups, led by one of us and a junior counselor and usually an interpreter. They then rotate between 4 classes: English, PE, Science, and Bible. There is a lunch time also. It all begins at 9 I think, but they start arriving MUCH earlier, and ends around 3, but many leave MUCH later.

Getting Ready: Sue and Jenn who came with us will be going over the curriculum for EC today. Some may just need to have an update. Others will need a re-write so as not to repeat for the kids from last year.

I have a mess of broken benches, trampoline, vehicles, it’s just not ready for the EC invasion. Last night we had an electrical issue, looks like we need a breaker as half the house lost outlets till we swapped a breaker out. You want outlets, as sleeping without a fan in this heat and with mosquitoes is most unpleasant. Everywhere you look there is something else to be done. The pool is half full of green water—we will have to bucket it out and refill it, and it is a BIG pool–ot unusual, but more difficult with fewer workers. Hopefully we will wait till we have junior counselors/interperters! Vines and trees have  will need to be trimmed and clean before kids arrive. The ECU brain was stolen out of a vehicle we need for camp. We brought one, but I need to get it and a car alarm installed—it is the second brain stolen, plus the turn signal lamps and the side mirrors. So frustrating. Another commode is busted, and the list goes on.

But it is WAY better than being bored!

The generator is currently out of diesel, so we have no internet now, but I’ll send this when I can. I’m working on laptop battery power.

Blessings!

Dan