Poured rain all last night - terribly humid and stuffy in our tents. The fly wasn't on our tent properly, and although I managed to stay reasonably dry, poor Betty was soaked. At 3:00 in the morning, ended up moving into the house and found an unused cot. She didn't sleep much, though,worried that the cot-owner might return! We've fixed our fly, so hopefully tonight will be better - because it's again pouring rain... and this is supposed to be Haiti's dry season!
This morning, we all helped with clean-up around the house for about an hour, then assisted with various tasks. I taped together posters used for cholera education. The posters, and instructions on how to use them are given to leaders in various communities & camps to teach the causes, prevention and treatment of cholera. This afternoon, I volunteered to go with one of the regulars, Delphine, to renew licencing of their Association. This involved 2 different tap-tap rides, and walks inbetween each - I got to see a lot of the city, and experience riding in a closed in tap-tap with a minimum of 17 people, some hanging off the back! People were going about their business, and everyone was friendly... so it appears that things have calmed down.... Thank God! You can't imagine the filth and garbage everywhere - mounds of it, and everyone seems so oblivious to it. Delphine said she doesn't even notice it anymore - she's been here 5 months, and she's quite used to it.... she is going home to France for a couple of weeks and says she's sure she'll be amazed at how clean it is!
Raine's Mom & Dad have been in contact with Bob Merrifield, our MLA,about our situation here, and long-story short (Raine can fill you in on the details), he contacted Ottawa, and Raine's received an e-mail with a emergency phone number to arrange for safe transport to the airport on Wednesday! So all is well.....
One of our local volunteer friends here at Grass Roots, Aldy, shared the story of his horror on January 12. He told us he argued with his Mom about going to church that Sunday, and wasn't going to go. After his Mom left, though, he grabbed his bible and did go. The earthquake happened while he was in church. There was a stampede to get out of the church; his mother got knocked down and trampled - he didn't say whether she survived. He ran home - very difficult while the earth was shaking.... to find his home flattened. His sister met him outside; he asked where her children (his nieces) were - they were both inside. He found one with her arm pinned by concrete. The other had concrete smash her head open. Where his bedroom was - where he would have been if he hadn't gone to church, the entire slab from the roof - 6" of concrete landed. His bed was flattened. I told him that God saved him for a purpose... he said others have said the same thing to him. He helped wherever he could trying to get people out - he decribed body parts everywhere, legs, arms, decapitated bodies.... Aldy hasn't slept in a building since - he's too scared. He sleeps in a tent here at Grass Roots. He still has nightmares. But still... he smiles.... the human spirit is an incredible thing.
On a lighter note, Aldy told Betty that she sounded like an American, not a Canadian, and he asked her if she spoke French. Betty replied no, he said (with a straight face) - well, your English is very good.
It's really raining cats & dogs right now...hope it quits by bedtime!...
for a change i have very little to say:) khiya and i were also able to get off base for a little walk to the end of the block today. it was nice to see some different faces and a small change of scenery.
ReplyDeletelast night khiya and i were wet too. i tease khiya that the water was her drooling in her sleep:) she didn't think that was too funny but i laughed:) making light of the little things sure helps keep us sane. we were able to dry off a little but the humidity brings the temperature to around 40 degrees (or so we were told) but the thermometer reads only 29. it is warm... i love it although khiya says she is missing snow. her comment will come back to her many times in the coming months when the snow doesn't stop and she wishes for summer:) i think the rain is God's way of keeping us safe as the haitian people don't seem to like rain very much. as khiya said it is hard to light tires on fire when it's raining:)
grassroots united (where we are currently residing) is an interesting organization. they have a huge collection of medical supplies that they distribute to local hospitals and clinics. what happens often is that clinics or hospitals will get a huge donation of one item so they trade in the excess for supplies they need. for example the hospital in leogane has enough cast material to cast every broken arm and leg in haiti for 10 years but they only have one thermometer. (and here we complain in barrhead when we can't find a thermometer:) if grassroots were in leogane, they would take much of the excess casting material and give the hospital more thermometers and give the cast material to places who don't.
i lied... i do have stuff to talk about:) sorry ronda even when i am a couple countries away i am still lying:) i look forward to getting out of haiti and wonder margi how you last so long away from your friends and family when you go on your adventures... you are awesome... you all are awesome and are so important to me. thank-you for being the people you are and for sharing your lives with me...:)
Tracey, Don, Raine & Khyia
ReplyDeleteThank you for allowing us to live through you vicariously. Tracey I so appreciate the way you write and allow us to participate in such a small way the gift that each of you are giving to the people of Haiti. I appreciate your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your families while you give of yourselves so selflessly. It is good for us to be reminded of how bad the situation in Haiti is and the effect it has on those who had very little in first place, as we reflect on Christmas and the abundance that each of us has. Thank you to each of you for being the hands and feet of Jesus. I have tremendous admiration for each of you.
Ralph