Haiti Day 3- 1st work day

***I have discovered it is very difficult to type this journal in the present tense knowing that the trip has already been completed.  Please forgive a little editorializing along the way.***     

     Up and at'em at 6:30 for breakfast.  This would become my routine for the week.  Actually, I woke up at 5:20 and talked to Joanie about what we have seen so far and the work we had yet to be done.  As a result of that conversation she is going to get me some ear plugs for tonight!  Woo! Hoo!  I did manage to go back to sleep for about 45 minutes or so.  It's not just the snoring, but the mattress is only about an inch thick foam that squishes to nothing. I will have to pull the mattress from the upper bunk down to mine for added thickness.

     We set out today in three teams.  The medical team went up the mountain and reported having seen just shy of 60 patients!  The rest of us are on the construction crew and we went to two sites.  A larger group including all of the young bucks went to the rubble crew.  Jeff was with them and said they filled four dump trucks full including some they got right off the street.  It costs about $1000 unless the price is bartered down to have rubble removed from ones property.  

"our" dump truck

So, Conscience International is actually providing a service on two fronts.  They are removing rubble for free, which also helps them whereas it cuts down on the cost for material for the rubble houses, and then using that rubble to construct a house for someone that needs it.  My small group of five plus our guide, "Pastor," went to dig a foundation for the next rubble house to be built.  The frames for the walls were already on site.  We helped move those out of the way and reshuffled some rubble in order to get started.  

moving the cages

This house will be built on the existing foundation plus a fourth wall where we dug and built foundation today .  We stayed about an hour late in order to finish the foundation.  I hear we may be going to a different site tomorrow.  That would be disappointing, but we will be happy to do whatever is needed.

Preparing the foundation

moving stones "wash" for the new foundation

we dug out some of the old floor for the new foundation

new foundation, day one complete!

     Tonight we will be going to a smoothie shop down the street to patronize a local business.  So far, so good.  The sun is very hot, but i haven't noticed a sun burn yet.  Maybe a little on the back of my neck. ( I didn't get burned.  I have since attributed to warmth on the back of my neck to a side effect of the Malaria medicine.)

     I'm so proud of my girl!  Becca tells me that Nadia misses me, but is telling everyone that "Daddy is not here.  We miss him, but he is doing important things to help people get a house who need one."  What a sweet, smart girl!  I certainly miss them, too when I am away.