Days 42 & 43 (10/26 – 27)

Wednesday – Like every day in Haiti, the day stated early. Breakfast at 7:00 then final packing for the trip home. With an 11:55 flight to Miami we had to leave the Guest house in our fully packed van at 8:30. We arrived at the airport at 9:30 and everyone got in line for the American Airlines check-in. This is the time I’ve been dreading. I have to say goodbye to my friends and teammates. We’ve shared some wonderful experiences together and through them have become closer. Everyone will leave a little of themselves in Haiti but will go away filled with the sense of doing something good for others. I will no longer have to explain to them why I have returned to Haiti. They now understand.

The rest of my day was a reality check. I had work to do. There was a meeting scheduled with the EMH (Methodist Church of Haiti) Pilot Project team, of which I am now a member, and a couple of Haitian contractors who would like to build some of the houses. I asked a lot of questions about their structural design – horizontal rebar, concrete mix, etc. – and Roger LaPlanche, the EMH Head Engineer was nodding his head. He then said “We will require these things” I about fell out of my chair! Up until this time I had gotten no commitment from him that he was willing to change. I hope he means it. It will be a giant step forward.

We had fried goat for dinner again. I’m sorry the team missed it. I put in a late night catching up with all my emails.

Thursday – I woke up at 5:00 AM this morning with a list of things that I had to get done today. The first thing to do was to measure the KIA 4x4 so we can get a lumber rack built for it. It will be used by the contractors on the EMH Pilot Project. But, just as I got to it Eric got in it and drove away with a load of luggage bound for who knows where. Timing is everything.

After breakfast I had a meeting with Jim Gulley and Tom to discuss the progress of my projects. There is still much to do, but I think we’re on schedule. Jim was returning home, so I snagged a ride with him to the airport and stopped on the way back at MSC. MSC is the closest thing to a Home Depot in Haiti and I had to pick up some supplies for some work we’re going to do at the Guest House. On the way back, Spana, my driver, took me on some back roads that I’d never been on before and I thought I’d seen them all. If it wasn’t for 4 wheel drive I think I’d still be somewhere between Port Au Prince and Petionville. I got back to the Guest House just in time for lunch. Timing is everything.

The afternoon got busy with 2 teams returning – one from Hinche and one from Mellier. Tom and I put all the tools away and in the process decided that we really needed to reorganize the tool cabinet. We’ll try to get it done in the next couple of daysI finally got back to designing the lumber rack for the Kia and had it finished by dinner time. Timing is everything.