Working in Port-Au-Prince

A team of approximately a dozen worked in the city of Port -Au-Prince Monday. The commute was an hour and a half both ways in a crowded tap tap.(click here to find out what a tap tap is). Our services included painting classrooms, sorting clothing, electrical work, cleaning and organizing roof top storage, sorting and safely storing medical supplies for the children. In the six classrooms we painted ceilings, added second coats of paint and painted scripture verses on the walls. The clothing closet was filled with clothing and uniforms that had been tossed everywhere. Here we organized the clothes into size and style, then put them in shelving storage.

The two men doing the electrical work were such an incredible blessing. You couldn't imagine the amount of loose open edged wires dangling from ceilings, light switches and the fans previously installed. They provided lighting in the boys and girls housing and also the classrooms. The boys had been sleeping on the roof top at night because their rooms have been sweltering hot. They were so excited to have fans.

Dr. Eckel sorted the few medicines and put them in plastic storage containers to avoid contamination by rodents. The roof top storage was cleaned and organized into sections that could be used for construction and wood that was rotten and no good. Without the wood being sorted many of the orphanage workers would have used the rotten wood for repairs. The children were so happy to see and interact with us. Many of them helped in the projects we were doing.

During our break for lunch we went up onto the roof top to see the view of the city. I have never been more overwhelmed with the sense of helplessness as I was looking over the city. The entire mountain side and as far as your eye could see was house on top of house. Many of which consist of only three cement walls and a blue tarp or rusted tin roof top. My heart broke for these people. It was as if the reality of their poverty had set in like a bullet. I was so deeply saddened while looking at this view when one of the team members shared this fact with me. Though Haiti is the poorest of poor they're coming to know Christ at great numbers. Just eight years ago Haiti was only 6-7% Christian and they are now 25% Christan, not forgetting that their population has skyrocketed. I am excited to report that while we worked with the children at the orphanage yesterday they all gladly declared that they knew Jesus as their personal savior!! Thank you for your prayers not just for our mission team but for the people of Haiti as well!!

-Doug