Tuesday in Haiti

Sorry for being a day behind. It's a very full schedule every day, and writing posts can be a real challenge.

Tuesday was a day that was described by one teammate as a day marked with celebration and another as a feast. What an awesome day! We had three major activities.

In the morning, our team went to the Manasseros' house and prayed over the staff. I served as a Child Hope staff member for a little over a month after the earthquake, and I thought it was a highly challenging but deeply rewarding role. Our Sanctuary team wanted to support the staff, because they are the ones really making this ministry happen. The staff is mixed between Americans and Haitians. At the end of their staff meeting, we encircled them, and each of our team members read a passage of Scripture as a prayer over the staff. The passages were not discussed ahead of time, but they sure seemed to dovetail nicely with each other. I was deeply blessed by watching the team act as one in encouraging the hearts of dedicated servants.

In the afternoon, we piled into the back of the Manasseros' pickup truck, and we all drove up into the nearby mountains outside of Port-au-Prince. The area is called Kenscoff, and Child Hope is hoping to add a second site there in the future. The drive was a blast, as we all bantered with each other and gawked at the spectacular scenery on the way up the mountain. Haiti is stunningly beautiful in the mountainous areas. It is lush, and almost every hillside is working farmland. 

The Kenscoff property is equally stunning. Here are a few photos...

Riding in the back of a pickup is one of the
joys of being in Haiti

The view from the top of the Kenscoff
farm, looking downhill

Idyllic Haiti, looking very much like the
Garden of Eden

The team in front of the house on
the Kenscoff farm

The joke of the trip was on me (David). On the way up the mountain, we stopped at the Baptist Mission to have lunch. There are always a lot of street vendors there. Bret and Hannah had bought bracelets made of electrical wire (they are cooler than they sound). At the last minute, as we were pulling away, Erick and I decided to buy one each. The vendors were selling them in pairs. We thought the deal wasn't going to happen, but as we were pulling away, one Haitian vendor came running up to the truck, and he threw a bracelet into the back. He wanted me to drop the money on the road, and he would pick it up. So I dropped $5. Then a minute later, I found out that the man had actually thrown two bracelets into the truck. I had only paid for one. Erick commented that I had just ripped that poor guy off. I caught endless grief for that.

On the way back down the hill, we had Bill and Sue stop so I could pay the rest of the bill. So, yes -- we made right!

In the evening, the team went to the girls' house at Maison de Lumiere, because we got to celebrate Estaline's birthday. In her celebratory garb, Estaline looked like some kind of goddess or something. Hilarious! And believe me, she enjoyed being celebrated.

Rose with the birthday girl

Some of the icing from the cake found its way
onto people's faces. Ruth, Dienuite, and Christella

A victim of a nefarious plot

Sweet revenge! Ruth gets some of her
own medicine.

The party did get a little out of hand when seemingly innocent Cherline lured me around a corner, and Ruth and Adeline each threw a bucket of water on me. I ended up being doused three more times before we left. It was all topped off by Estaline herself slowly walking over (slow is her only speed) and pouring her limeade drink down my back. I got revenge on Ruth and Adeline, but Cherline still has it coming. :-)

We ended the night by celebrating Derek's birthday back at the Guest House. Cake! Singing! And some minor hazing. Derek is a newcomer to Haiti, and he has jumped in with both feet. It was fun wishing him a "bon fet!"

The birthday kids, Derek and Estaline