Days 137 – 140 (3/01 – 04)

Thursday – This morning we sent 1 team to the airport for their homeward journey and got our local team to their site at Croix de Mission. Tom left for the day to attend the UMCOR planning meetings going on at the Hotel Ebolele. That left Mario and I at the office to await our team returning from Arcahaie and a new team arriving from the states. I spent most of the day reworking some of my Guest House Renovation plans. We’re modifying the usage of the Manse and Swiss House from the original plan and some work in the original plan has already been done under ongoing maintenance. Tom returned from his meetings after dinner and took care of the team debriefs and orientation.

Friday – All of our team activity took place this morning – I team to the airport; 1 team to their week in Arcahaie and our local team to Croix de Mission. I continued on my GH Renovation plans and started writing the UMCOR grant proposal. Not a terribly exciting day, but productive.

Saturday – Tom and I left early with Spana in the EMH R & D (Relief and Development) Land Cruiser. We had to pick up Pastor Paul and Engineer LaPlanche to go to Petit Goave to dedicate the new Bookstore. The Land Cruiser is a larger vehicle than the D-Max and more comfortable for 5 or more.

The Bookstore was built next to the Petit Goave Methodist Church to provide an income source for the church. The project was built by UMVIM teams with additional support from COR (Church of the Resurrection – a large Methodist church in Kansas City, Mo). There were quite a few people gathered for the ribbon cutting including several EMH District Superintendents, local clergy and church members, site engineers and bosses, 2 representatives from COR and Tom and I from UMVIM/UMCOR. There were prayers, hymns and speeches from all the dignitaries. Then the ribbon was cut and everyone went inside for a lunch prepared by the churches women’s group. The amazing part about the whole thing was that Tom and I had been there 1 week before and they were still putting plaster on the walls and just starting on the floor tile. When we walked in today everything was finished including shelves full of books along the walls. It’s amazing what they can get done when the President turns on the heat.

After the ceremony, Tom, Pastor Paul, Roger LaPlanche, the 2 COR representatives and I went by the Brakeman School in Petit Goave to look at adding a 2^nd story to one of the buildings. COR has been the primary supporter of the rebuilding of the Brakeman School. We left the COR people in Petit Goave and headed back – stopping in Mellier so that Pastor Paul could see the progress on the new church.

We got back to the Guest House in time to welcome the medical team from Reynoldsburg, Va. They will be working at the clinic in Du Plan for the next week.

Sunday – This morning Tom and I attended church in Du Plan with the Reynoldsburg team. It was a very nice service, but I was disappointed that the church choir didn’t sing. I’ve heard them a couple of times before and they’re very good.

After church, the Reynoldsburg team went sightseeing and Tom and I came back to the Guest House and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Both Reynoldsburg and the Croix de Mission team were back for dinner.