I uploaded 60 new pictures tonight…some of them from
yesterday…but most were of today’s activities.
Today, our last full day here in Jacmel, was a
relaxing one. We started the day
off by going to visit the new land purchased by the Restoration effort. It is approximately 10 acres on which
they will build the new child feeding center (with a real kitchen), school,
family area, and playground. It
will allow them to feed more children and to educate the children in larger
classrooms (see pictures).
The land is currently used for farming sugar cane, but will soon begin to
be cleared for the prep for the foundation. Restore Haiti continues to raise funds
to make the new land/buildings possible.
What an improvement it will be over the
existing!
After our walk to the new land, we stopped by the
school the children in the program attend. It is amazing anything gets taught
there as there are easily 3 times the amount of kids that should be in those
rooms…in my opinion. We stopped
and bought some freezie pops at the school, as we were quite parched after
standing in the sun. Next, we were
on to the beach for some “fun in the
sun”
It took me less than a minute to have my shirt
and sandals off and to be headed into the water. There has not been a time while here in
Haiti that my body has not screamed because of the humidity and lack of ability
to get cooled off. I was
looking forward to being refreshed in the water of the Caribbean…and it did not
disappoint. The water was
absolutely beautiful and quite refreshing. I was joined by most of the group
shortly after and we soaked up the salt water. We had pre-ordered lunch at the beach,
with most getting lobster while the remainder got pork.
The lobster was fantastic and was cooked Haitian style with a lot of
spices, bypassing the need for butter, which is very difficult to find
here. Most of us got sunburned in
one way or another while there, but it was a very refreshing time for us. We are thankful that we got to
experience this wonderful beach in
Jacmel.
When we got back to the hotel, we had an hour or so to get ready
for dinner and the closing time at the Restoration house.
Out of the blue, the window in Rebekah and my bathroom fell in, hitting
Rebekah in the head and slicing her pinky open. If we had been in the states, she
probably would have gotten stitches to help stop the bleeding, but since we are
here, we opted for the other route…some gauze bandages and masking tape. She is doing OK, but her finger is
hurting her quite a bit. There is
no rhyme or reason why the window fell into the bathroom, it just happened out
of the blue. The folks here at the
hotel were gracious and cleaned up the glass and replaced the window so we could
have some privacy in the bathroom for the next 24 hours.
They really must think we like to smash windows or something…since this
was the second window to bite the dust in Rebekah and my room.
Tonight was our last night at the Restoration House.
The Restoration staff bought Sarah a cake for her birthday, so we all
sang HB to her. We said our good
byes to many of the children and staff we have loved over the last several
days. It was an emotional night,
filled with some laughing, but mostly tears. It left a lot of us feeling like it was
an abrupt ending to a meaning, if not life-changing, week.
Our goal is to have everyone write about their experience here in
Haiti while on the plane/in Newark tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates from all of
us.
CHAD
yesterday…but most were of today’s activities.
Today, our last full day here in Jacmel, was a
relaxing one. We started the day
off by going to visit the new land purchased by the Restoration effort. It is approximately 10 acres on which
they will build the new child feeding center (with a real kitchen), school,
family area, and playground. It
will allow them to feed more children and to educate the children in larger
classrooms (see pictures).
The land is currently used for farming sugar cane, but will soon begin to
be cleared for the prep for the foundation. Restore Haiti continues to raise funds
to make the new land/buildings possible.
What an improvement it will be over the
existing!
After our walk to the new land, we stopped by the
school the children in the program attend. It is amazing anything gets taught
there as there are easily 3 times the amount of kids that should be in those
rooms…in my opinion. We stopped
and bought some freezie pops at the school, as we were quite parched after
standing in the sun. Next, we were
on to the beach for some “fun in the
sun”
It took me less than a minute to have my shirt
and sandals off and to be headed into the water. There has not been a time while here in
Haiti that my body has not screamed because of the humidity and lack of ability
to get cooled off. I was
looking forward to being refreshed in the water of the Caribbean…and it did not
disappoint. The water was
absolutely beautiful and quite refreshing. I was joined by most of the group
shortly after and we soaked up the salt water. We had pre-ordered lunch at the beach,
with most getting lobster while the remainder got pork.
The lobster was fantastic and was cooked Haitian style with a lot of
spices, bypassing the need for butter, which is very difficult to find
here. Most of us got sunburned in
one way or another while there, but it was a very refreshing time for us. We are thankful that we got to
experience this wonderful beach in
Jacmel.
When we got back to the hotel, we had an hour or so to get ready
for dinner and the closing time at the Restoration house.
Out of the blue, the window in Rebekah and my bathroom fell in, hitting
Rebekah in the head and slicing her pinky open. If we had been in the states, she
probably would have gotten stitches to help stop the bleeding, but since we are
here, we opted for the other route…some gauze bandages and masking tape. She is doing OK, but her finger is
hurting her quite a bit. There is
no rhyme or reason why the window fell into the bathroom, it just happened out
of the blue. The folks here at the
hotel were gracious and cleaned up the glass and replaced the window so we could
have some privacy in the bathroom for the next 24 hours.
They really must think we like to smash windows or something…since this
was the second window to bite the dust in Rebekah and my room.
Tonight was our last night at the Restoration House.
The Restoration staff bought Sarah a cake for her birthday, so we all
sang HB to her. We said our good
byes to many of the children and staff we have loved over the last several
days. It was an emotional night,
filled with some laughing, but mostly tears. It left a lot of us feeling like it was
an abrupt ending to a meaning, if not life-changing, week.
Our goal is to have everyone write about their experience here in
Haiti while on the plane/in Newark tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates from all of
us.
CHAD
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