Sunday PM

The Lynnehaven Team (Carl, Pastor Ralph, Kieth, and Adrianne) Mike Hertz' father, Norman spent the afternoon begining work at the Bel Air orphanage.  We did some demo and cleaning of sinks, scoped out some structural repair work, and began repairing the roof and prepwork for the electricity generating solar panel.  Keith and Rambo began running the plumbing from the water cistern to the roof.  We got the piping run, roughed in, with checkvalve installed.  We made a list of hardware we will need for the begining of the week and did some planning for the next day.  Norman and Carl and two Haitian carpenters plan on going to the community old folks home to put a roof over an outside bathroom.

As I sit here in the lobby of the hotel trying to get internet, I seek stackes of medical supplies ready for distribution.  Even though the local Cap Hatien infrastructure remained shaken but not stirred, they constantly express concerns about their fellow countrymen.  One wonders what the next step will be for Port au Prince.  Residing right on the fault line, and with the total devestation and loss of life, what will be the next step?

We have begun to see the immediate implications of the distruction.  Gas prices have doubled.  Food is becominf more dear, even for those with money.  Yet work, church, and socialization continue at a somewhat normal pace and perspective.

At the hotel we see new guests arriving who are not aligned with our longstanding work here.  Many of  the new folks are part of the relief effort that is marshalling outside Port au Prince.  We hear of commitments from Presdient Obama and from the Carnival line working at making medical supplies.  I am seeing folks with Satelite phones who speak French with authority.  The UN has a strong, visible presence and I sense they are doind a great job keeping our venue stable.

We have team members who are awaiting lumber to be able to complete their work.  We remeber the luxery of Lowes or Home Depot!  A lot of time is spent accumilating the piece parts - can you remeber how many times, in the midst of a project, you make a run to the hardware store?  Not a luxery here - and of course where you really need electricity, where you are working to improve things, there is none.