Thursday, May 14, 2009

Well, the rainy season has started. We had received a few rains the last 1o days or so, but yesterday late afternoon we got a downpour that lasted for about an hour or so. Gary and Caroline were returning from Port and got caught in it, they said downtown St. Marc was completely flooded with all the associated garbage being pushed by the flood waters. You can see the effect on the roads already just on our street. There was a truck sideways in the road that leads down the hill from our street. It looks like it will be 4 wheel drive engaged the rest of the year!

Had a conversation with Joe yesterday, my first real conversation with a Haitian. Joe was patient and spoke slowly, and I looked up about a dozen words to understand and to say, but we did ok. Joe helped me in the office yesterday as G;/C were in Port. Al came up and helped in my classroom and I did office stuff. Joe is not the smartest guy, but he is overwhelmingly honest and a very nice man. His son Joel has some emotional/psychological issues, possibly stemming from severe malnutrition right after birth. His wife Immanuella, has also had health issues, recently a rapid heart beat. Recently it all got to Joe and he was ready to send her back to her mother, but they got help from Gary and Caroline in the form of medical care and counselling and things are much better now for them. Joe is another guy who can use a lot of prayer.

Part of what we discussed was the cost of housing in McDonalds, the area of town where he lives. It is a very poor area. A typical one room home...and that means one room....costs about 9000 Hatian dollars to build, not counting the land. Joe says costs have just gone up like crazy in the last year or so, as many people form Gonaives have come in to build homes to escape the constant flooding there. It is getting so people can't afford to build. This one room home would be about 12x20, maybe, and in US dollars would be about $1100. very expensive for them, amazingly cheap for us. It gives perspective on how folks live and expectations in life. It reinforces that I am amazingly blessed by God, even without a job now, and that I need to pray for others constantly and share where I can.

Once again, I will attempt to post pictures.....and once again blogger refuses to take them. I think I have a bug somewhere. will investigate further.

Bondye benis ou