Last day of work, building a foundation

     On our last day of work we began work on the first part of the process. We assisted, Bennett, the CI foundation contractor and his crew. By assisting I mean we hauled sand for the mortar and rocks for the foundation. The home site was a bare patch of land. 

The homeowner worked right alongside the crew today. We also had some other helpers as well. This little girl was doing what she could by carrying rocks. 

     Another young man a few years older than her was helping with some of the big rocks as well. We also had the added benefit today of a wheelbarrow.  That is the first time all week we have had that.  Once we got the rocks and the sand moved closer to the house we spread the rocks around the house as these would be used for the foundation.

     There is a big difference between working at a shaded site and a site that is all sun. We were all whooped by lunch today.  To finish out our day early we worked hard for one last push right before lunch. We put the rocks around the edge of the foundation so the workers could more easily put them into place. As we have seen all week they were using the volcano method to mix the mortar. The foundation becomes a pretty sophisticated jigsaw puzzle. Today was the beginning of the 180th house that Conscience International has built.

A home completed

     We started the day by surveying the work that had been accomplished in our absence yesterday. It really was quite a transformation with the finishing touches and porch on the outside and the poured floor on the inside.

     Very soon the dump truck arrived with our supplies for the day. We unloaded true 2x4s and true 1x4s along with zinc for the roof and two saw horses.  

Then we met the skilled carpentry team for the day.  In their broken English and hand gestures we figured out what we needed to do. As the boss was cutting the wood we all learned a new way to wield a hand saw.

     Once the lumber was cut we helped to assemble the trusses together. Then, we passed the wood up to the roof to be attached to the house. For us there was a lot of ground work to be done as we were not allowed to get on the roof.

     With the trusses in place it was time to start passing up the zinc. The first course on each side was a full sheet of zinc and the second course was a half sheet. Some of our team was set to cut the zinc in half as a part if the prep work.

     We left for lunch just after noon and when we returned the roof was on and the prep work already begun to pour the concrete columns to support the porch roof.  We had been told that there was no more work to be done so we adjusted one of the cages at the compoun. We decided we wanted to go and see the completed house. As it turned out we helped in the bucket brigade to pour the concrete.  Apparently my height was especially helpful. 

As the work was finishing we gathered our team, the carpenters, and Madame Andremise (homeowner) for a picture.  We had asked for a picture earlier and she refused. But, this time she was happy to oblige.

     Just as everyday things arrive via the dump truck and we have to carry them back to the compound. Today we brought back the saw horses.

     I promise I did do work this week. It's just hard to take a picture of yourself toting a bucket of sand or passing up some zinc. :)

Preparing the next cages...

     We got a bit of a break today by not having to walk very far to our worksite. Typically the rubble house cages are fabricated here at the compound then transported to the home site once the foundation has been laid. So, after our breakfast sandwich(?) and hot Haitian slaw we sauntered the 30 yards or so parking lot just outside of our beautiful compound to get to work. 

     The basket guy's name is Greg. He was a little late arriving so we got started without him. The first step in the process is to roll out the 1/4" rebar sheets and cut to 18.5' lengths. Next, you flip the sheets over to press out their memory. Then, you line four of those with chicken wire using thin wire to wrap around the chicken wire and the cage. These will make the two long walls with windows. Once the windows are cut out you stand two of these wall pieces up opposing one another with the chicken wire on the inside. These two pieces are connected with 18" wide ribs giving strength to the wall.

     The tool used to connect the ribs to the walls is a great handmade tool. The one I used was a piece of slightly bent rebar with a small metal cylinder welded to the end just big enough to slide the rebar from the cage inside and use the leverage of the tool to bend the rib around the cage.

     We completed the long walls before lunch and begain on the short walls (with doors) after lunch. The short walls are composed of two small baskets each that will be connected at the top to form the doors. These baskets are constructed in similar manner with the chicken wire being attached to the insed and connected with the ribs. We had our responsibilities pretty well broken out today. Jeff, Wayne, and George were working on the chicken wire. Our interpreter, Jamale, and I were connecting the walls to the ribs, and Linh was Greg's assistant getting all of the above pieces ready for use.  It seems that each of our locations Linh is very quickly identified as a hard worker.

     We had another treat this morning as well. One of the workers you see in the pictures above climbed a coconut tree and cut down the crop for anyone that wanted any. Of course they were cut open with a machete. 

     Tomorrow is another day. We will either be laying the foundation for the cages we made today or building the trusses for the house we worked on the first part of the week.

And today...for the outside!

    Today started out early as all our days this week. We begin the day with breakfast served between 6 and 6:15. I have shared a brief morning thought for the day as we finish our breakfast and then we walk to the worksite. Today we had a traditional Haitian breakfast of a tuna fish hash and bread. It wasn't a favorite of the team, but my adventurous stomach and I liked it.

     Our worksite for the first part of the week has only been a short walk around the block. When we arrived this morning we checked the work that had been completed after we left yesterday. They got the inside of the house done and were beginning to prep for the outside upon our arrival. Here Wayne Hardy is checking out the previous day's work.

     Once the inside of the rubble house is mortared then the wooden frame on the outside can be removed. 

     Everyone fell into our now familiar roles. While the Haitian masons were mixing and applying the mortar to the outside of the wall we went back to sifting rocks out of the sand that they would use in the mortar mixture.  

   

    Remember the large pile of sand that was deposited yesterday? We had to finish getting all of that sand to the back of the house for the rest of the mortar. 

     Our day was finished as were we when we moved the entire pile. The masons finished the outside of the house and began to put in the blocks for the windows (that we also carried from the street).

     Word is that tomorrow we will build the frame for the next house to be built. Perhaps Thursday we'll be laying the foundation for that house and returning on Friday to roof the house we have been working on thus far. That is the plan as of today. But, if there is one thing I know about these plans it is that they can change.

And They're Off!

     We loaded up the people mover this morning at 0-dark-thirty to head to Atlanta. Thank you to Randy Gossert at The Master's Transportation ministry for getting us to the airport while most of us caught a few extra zzzz's. Here is the crew riding in style.

     We didn't have any complications with the flights or our connection. The only flight issue we had was that George's peanut butter was confiscated. Apparently, he looked suspicious! Alas, no worries, tonight's supper was great. We had traditional rice and beans with a mild sauce and some fried chicken. notice the proportion of meat to the rest. This, I have come to find is also typical.

     After an hour and a half ride from the airport we arrived at our home for the week. Alex Michette is the Conscience International in-country representative. He met us and drove us to the compound and gave the team a briefing of the week. We will be up and at'em at 6:00 in the morning doing the Lord's work for the people Grand Goave (Big Cove).

     As we rest tonight and prepare our bodies for the work to be done I will leave you with one of our first sights of the morning. I call it "American (airlines) Sunrise."

Haiti Day 8- Home, Sweet Home

   We woke up at our normal time for breakfast.  I thought we were having bean soup at first.  That would have continued the trend of supper foods for breakfast and breakfast foods for dinner.  However, I was mistaken as Dominic pointed out that something smelled like chocolate!  That's right, slightly spicy chocolate soup and bread for breakfast.

   Our departure time moved up from 9:45 to 9:30 and then to 9:00 as the morning progressed.  We actually got away by 9:06.  Pretty good for a  crew of almost 30.  Alex had taken Jeremy an hour earlier in his car so they had arranged for a hotel shuttle van to take some of our crew.  As we made it to the main road in Grand Goave we were flagged down by several motorcyclists to let us know that one of our back tires was flat.  Good thing we were leaving in time to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our flight was to take off.  We pulled onto the main road and then off again a little way up the road to get the tire checked.  In the meantime the little van passed us only to pull over and wait at a real filling station just up the road (see Last Day in the Village  for a reminder of the difference between filling stations and gas stations).  Now, with both vehicles on the road we were comfortably riding toward Port-Au-Prince, never mind the slower speeds causing less moving air and more interesting smells to invade our nostrils.

   Saturday is market day so we had to pass through a couple of markets on our journey.  At some point the little van passed the bus and got on down the road.  As we neared PAP there was some kind of license check.  We had no problem getting through, but we noticed the van on the side of the road with no driver.  I never got the full story on that.  Entering PAP the traffic was very, very thick and we had another market to navigate, which involved a lot of shifting of the gears.  Have I mentioned that this stick-shift bus used to be an automatic?  Well, it did.  And today, not once but twice the gear shift came off!  I have been amazed all week at the ingenuity of the Haitians we have had the privilege of working with.

   All in all we made it to the airport safely, the little van arrived only a few minutes after the bus and we were escorted to the entrance door.  Unfortunately, this was as far as Diddy and Junior could go so we said our good-byes outside the airport and went to check in.  With only minor, typical airport issues we made it to the gate with a couple of hours to kill before boarding.

   A few of us visited the snack bar on the plane side of the security and settled in for the wait.  Eventually, most of the group discovered the duty-free shops and/or the restaurant upstairs.  I was able to get a couple of small gifts for my girls, a small pizza for lunch, and a cold Sprite before boarding the plane.  Our flight to Atlanta afforded the team more time for resting, final conversations, and the first cup of ice in a week.  We landed in Atlanta and breezed through security, customs, and immigration.  We said our good-byes to the Rome folks and Kansas folks and headed to our flight.  Jeff, Milton, and I had a quick snack supper at Chick-Fil-A before boarding to Augusta and thus ending a great week of hard work, good ministry, and great fellowship.  Thank you, Harold and CBF Heartland for letting FBC Augusta tag along!  We look forward to more opportunities of continued ministry.

Haiti Day 6- Medical Team Tag-alongs

   So, today Michael Mac and I risked the wrath of the construction crew and tagged along with the medical team as roadies.  The most good we did was helping to carry supplies in to the little village as the path was much too small for the trucks to get through.  For the entire week they had been going to some remote villages in the mountains.  On Thursday they/we stayed fairly close by.  Actually, we were just on the other side of the road and the river from where we had collected river sand the day before.

medical team planning with Jenny

   The medical team has been working with CBF field personnel, Jenny Jenkins, in the places where she ministers.  We met her and her team of assistants and translators over behind the school that is behind the church we attended on Sunday (Siloe, pronounced sill-o-way, Baptist Church).  We loaded the equipment into the trucks and headed to the clinic.  The trucks were only able to go as far as the edge of the main road. Then, we had to off-load the equipment and carry it in on foot about a quarter of a mile.  The walk was nothing compared to what we had been doing, but carrying the equipment made it difficult.  We assisted in getting the mobile clinic set up.  This was the only time all week they had been outside.  The clinic was actually set up in an older gentleman's front yard (Mr. Lucius).

Mr. Lucius

 

outdoor clinic

medical team and translators

    After the initial scurry to get set up there wasn't much for Michael and I to do.  I tried to anticipate and meet needs for the doctors and nurses throughout the day.  Michael made ministry out of carving the "medical staff" for Dr. Lori.  Several young men and boys became very intrigued by what the "bla" was doing.  They eventually began to even give suggestions as to the design. By the end of the day he had carved some pretty intricate designs on the walking stick and had been able to have as good a conversation as a non Creole-French speaker could have with a group of minimal English speakers.

Michael and the medical staff

   ***All week we were heralded by the words "you" and "bla."  The kids mainly would call out to us as we worked or walked or rode.  Noticing that we were different (not Haitian) and recognizing what we are there for (building houses) they would call out to us in Creole/French basically "Hey, you, Whitey."  It was certainly not said in vain.  The Haitian people seem genuinely pleased and thankful that we were there.***
   After our day on the medical team we picked up Harold and Sean and went out to the CBF compound, the Bungalows.  She has a smaller operation and capacity but she has a broader vision of possibilities for ministry.  She would like to see not only medical teams continue, but also expand to accommodate other educational opportunities, sports camps, and business training among others.  She can accommodate about 15 people on her team with the ideal medical team being around 8.  Her main limitation is the size of her transportation.

Bungalows

Haiti Day 5- Construction Material Collection

   This morning we again split into two teams.  One team went to build another foundation.  Since I had worked on a foundation day one I elected to place myself  on the crew to collect rubble and river sand (for mixing concrete) in the dump truck.

Milton in the dump truck

Jeff in the dump truck

 Our team got in the dump truck and we went back to the same site the collection crew had gone to the first day.  A building is being repaired and we were collecting the broken cinder blocks that would not be reused as the "new" building went up.  It was very hot and heavy work as the sun continued to be relentless.  The rubble load went to the house the other team is working on.  After the dump truck returned empty we all got in it again and rode to the riverbed to collect the river sand.  We snaked our way through very narrow streets in order to get the dump truck down to the river.  Being that it is the dry season we drove right down into the riverbed and across the river.  On the other side of the river there was a gentleman working on a large sand pile.  It is much easier to get the sand into the truck with the buckets from a pile than just from digging.  We began moving that pile to the truck and he quickly began digging another pile.  We knew we had work to do.  It takes a lot of sand to fill a dump truck!  Once we filled the truck they drove off to take the sand went to yet another unfinished house located at the outskirts of a tent city not far from the compound.

loading the truck

   We all decided it was a good time to take a break so we walked up the river to sit underneath the bridge.  Not only was it about 10 degrees or more cooler in the shade, but the bridge created a natural wind tunnel to cool us off.  As we had been working we began to attract a crowd of kids.  Now that we had stopped working and were hanging out several within our group began to play with the kids.  It was a great break from the hard manual labor we had been doing.  The man who was digging our piles continued to dig piles even as we rested.
   We waited around for about 30-45  minutes as the lunch hour approached.  Finally, it was decided that we would head back for lunch.  The dump truck had not returned so we climbed out of the riverbed with only a couple casualties (Mike's ankle and Joanie's pants). We started walking along the edge of the river toward the ocean and back to the compound.  I must say I have never seen the ocean from this perspective before!

unique ocean view

   As we left the site for lunch we walked along the river and saw where the floods resulting from the earthquake had washed out several houses.  Many of those families are now in rubble houses a few feet back from where the old houses stood.  The Haitian government has built "levies" made of stone encased in chain-link fencing (very similar but on a different scale to the rubble house construction method).  We walked  along some of the river wall structure on our way back to the compound. By the time we got to these rubble houses I looked back and the dump truck was once again entering the river.  I thought to myself that by the time we get back the freshly dug piles would not be there.  As it turned out I was right.  While we were eating lunch they loaded another dump truck of sand and delivered it.  They came back to the compund as we were finishing to pick us up and carry us back to the river for one more load.  About walking: By this point I had made 8 trips to the first house going 8 different way.  Only one of those trips involved me riding in a truck.  The rest were walking about two miles each way.  The joke was that they never wanted us to know where we were or where we were going.

dump truck in the river with "levies"

   Both crews had a short workday today.  Hopefully, the foundation will be completed by the Haitians.  I would have liked to have seen completion on at least one house while we were there.  We were able to work on four different houses in various stages of completion.  Our team worked on foundation, wall construction/filling, stucco, rubble/sand collection and delivery, and a small group of us got to help with the beginnings of a roof, but not all on the same house.

sand dump at 3rd house

   That night those of us that wanted went out after supper to a local "restaurant."  Jeremy had told us that they make the best grilled chicken at this place.  We left the compound as it was starting to get dark (around 8:00).  Any time before that would have been too early and the cooking wouldn't have started yet.  A bunch of us walked up the streets of town to the HFC, Haitian Fried Chicken joint.  It really was great treat!  I'm glad for the experiences of being able to get out and support the local businesses as well.