Another beautiful night and looks like it will be another beautiful day ahead! Monday started out for part of the team going on an early morning walk down to the river to experience an everyday part of Haitian life…washing everything in the river…bodies, hair, clothes, trucks. Back at the dorm, Dr. Guy from the Hospital here in Pignon stopped by to greet everyone. He stated. “You and I are here for the same reason. We are working for the Lord.Whatever we do for the least of these we do for the Lord. When you are here, you are home.” He described some of the work that has taken place in Pignon over the years and continued by saying that job creation is the thing that needs to happen now. He encouraged, “Anyone who wants to come and set up business is welcome. We need jobs.”
Today is Guimby School visit day. We have two taptaps ready to roll (vehicles that transport people). We also have bags full of gifts to bring to the students and we are taking paint supplies to brighten up the classrooms. We have two good drivers and three good translators to help us with the language barrier. As we went “through the river and over the woods” we marveled at the beauty of the mountainous landscape and foliage, donkeys loaded with sugarcane, andthe humble dwellings that house so many rural Haitians. We hiked the last stretch of the journey where the route can barely be called a road.
Our first assignment was to take pictures of the students who are sponsored with an annual scholarship by people from the Spencer, IA area. Things went well after we got a system going. Lunch time came and the students get dismissed one class at a time to walk with their bowls and spoons to the outdoor kitchen. Three dedicated ladies worked throughout the morning cooking for the 239 students that are enrolled In Guimby school. The time came to get out the bright orange t-shirts that had been brought along, one for each student. A screen print front and center on the shirts says ”Bondye Bon” (God is Good). As each student received their shirt, they took the path down to the new Guimby church area that has just be started. What a sight to remember! There were all those beautiful children wearing the bright orange shirts, sitting shoulder to shoulder waiting to see what would happen next. We greeted the kids then sang a couple songs in Creole like Bondye si Bon (God is so Good)” and “Annou Lourre Senye Chante” (Praise the Lord Together). Next was a drama based on “The Armor of God”. The kids were engaged and learned about putting on the full armor of God as they live out a life pleasing to God. We finished with more singing and then one more gift, socks and pencils in a drawstring bag, as the kids left for home.
One truck, with about half the team members, headed back to Pignon to continue some work on the next roof project. The other half stayed at the school to do some stenciling on the walls in the classroom. We first sat down and shared the lunch we had prepared with the translators and taptap driver. After classic PBJ on Haitian bread, raisins, Haitian cookies from the market, and bottled water, we got creative and added some color with stenciled numbers, letters, shapes, stars, planets, etc. to the classroom walls. Even our Haitian translators got involved.
Back home we had supper and had another evening rooftop devotion time. The week keeps on building! Each evening it seems like the comments made by team members reflect feelings that each day tops the previous day. The same goes for this day.
Wednesday is the Leadership Conference at Pastor Francios’ church. Please add to the prayers of God’s people as many Haitian leaders will gather to be encourage in God’s word to go out and do God’s work. Praying anytime from 8:30-4:00. Praying before and after is good too!
Bondye Bon!!
Christi and the team