Busy? Did Someone Say Busy???
It seems that some of my best moments in Haiti have happened during the most exhausting times. I know, I’ve basically forgotten what it feels like to be bored. I’m always busy, but this week was just CRAZY busy! But OOOOOHHHHH what a week it was!
End of School
This was the last week of school. Final exams were being administered and preschoolers were heading home with samples of their work. Graduations took place at both school campuses this year. Eighty four students graduated, including 14 high school students. The students were all so beautiful and did such a great job on their speeches, songs and poems.
MOHI Graduation at the Thozin Campus
MOHI Graduation at the St. Etienne Campus
Marie Yve’s New Room
Monday we moved Marie Yves into her new room. (Marie Yves is a MOHI employee who is responsible for ensuring guests physical needs are provided for.) She had been staying upstairs in the guest house, but now has a room in the back yard, where she can come and go at will with a lot less effort. A big thanks to Brooke, McKenzie and Becca for all the painting!
Concrete Pour Completed on Time!
Pastor Lex checking out the work before the first floor pour at the MOHI school in Haiti.
On the construction site, Monday through Thursday was spent laying tons and tons and tons of reinforcing in preparation for the concrete pour, which was scheduled to happen Friday and Saturday. On Tuesday it didn’t look very promising, but the men pulled a couple of long days and were able to have everything ready for Friday. The pour itself took 39 hours and took 160 cubic yards of concrete – all made and poured on site. It really did look an ant farm for a couple of days here, with lines of men with buckets and wheelbarrows of concrete marching in lines. I made up the short slide presentation for your viewing pleasure.
BLB
Our friends at Be Like Brit have been working on their Road this week, getting it ready for 10 ton cement trucks to make the trek up the mountain to haul concrete to the roof of the orphanage. They will be pouring over 400 cubic yards of concrete on the second story roof in about 12 hours overnight. There are many details that need to work so that this can go smoothly. Please keep them in prayer for the pour to go well.
The Be Like Brit Orphanage
Visitors
McKenzie and Becca
Wednesday, MOHI board member Gloria Harvell, along with Pastor Kalinsky, Adrienne, Mabel and Dorry arrived from the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church (Manchester, CT) joined us in Haiti. They all wanted to be here for the graduations (which were quite lovely!). Gloria will be holding a seminar for our teachers, which begins tomorrow. Pastor Kalinsky’s team has been sharing their gift of incredible organizational skills with us. Pastor Kalinsky will also be the keynote speaker at our upcoming Conference.
Becca Lamb and McKenzie Baker will be heading back to Ohio this week. After a month with us, I am so sad to see them leave. Besides nursing, photography and working with preschoolers, they have been such a help with facilitating things for our other visitors. And, quite honestly, I just really like them! They will really be missed!
Angela and Nathan
Angela and Nathan just returned to America yesterday. Nathan tested positive for malaria for a second time in about a month, plus he had some other non-malarial health issues. We were all in agreement that a trip home to see Dr. Mulqueen was in order. Angela reported that Nathan is feeling a little better today. Please join us in praying for Gama and his family for health and that they will be together again, soon.
13th Annual Conference
Our churches are all excited about our 13th annual conference, which will run from Thursday through Sunday this week. Invitations have been sent, menus have been planned, benches have been repaired and new ones built, cleaning has been going on and host homes have been chosen. This week different groups from the church will be out and about in the community inviting folks to join us. Conference time is always full of awesome messages and wonderful fellowship. I’m so looking forward to it.