What a great trip!

We have currently been back from Haiti for 2 weeks. I have been back from Florida for 5 days. Now it is time to get back to blogging.

Our group did a presentation at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in CR today. We will do on at Gloria Dei in CR next week--Jay's home church. Time will be 9:25, and it will run for about an hour.

The presentation today went very well. I hogged the podium, but everyone contributed some. I apologize.

 

Our trip was so awesome. I tried to tell everyone ahead of time that we were going there to work, but it would be more than work that we would be contributing.

We obviously go there to work. There are jobs to be done, and we have expertise to get them done. Kinda.

If we spend $1000 per person for all of the things we need to get there, plane, shots, food, etc., and if there were 8 on the trip, we could take that money and hire a Haitian worker for 1000 days to work for us. It currently costs about $8 per day for a laborer.

Okay, so it's not about us working. Why go, then?

Several reasons. One reason is to strengthen ourselves in our walk with Christ. We go, we see what others have, or don't have, and we renew our faith in an awesome God. That's important.

Another reason is to strengthen the missionaries we are visiting. Contributing, time, money and talents to their effort helps strengthen them in their resolve to continue to do His work. That is Very important.

Another reason is to spread the word of the works of the missionaries. We go, we see, we return and tell. In the long run, this builds support for the group. Without that first hand knowledge, it is difficult to fire people up.

 

So, we accomplished our goals. We went to Haiti, to the orphanage. We took 700# of stuff with us, including hundreds of dollars worth of medicine and other needs. We strengthened our love for Christ. We strengthened the missionaries we visited, Don and Doris Peavey who have been there for nearly 40 years. We brought back first hand knowledge and are spreading the Word.

 

What a great trip!

Back from Haiti for a few days

 OK. Things are not as easy as they seem. I have been back for 4 days, and it seems I have trouble getting on thr internet even in the US. My computer will not connect at Books-a-million, so I am currently using my daughters. BTW, what is a MAC, and how do I make it work?

I'll try to give a play by play of our trip. 

On the first Friday of our trip, Norm, Jay, Ev, Dave, Bob and Hunter flew from Cedar Rapids, to Chicago, to Fort Lauderdale. They arrived about 8 pm, and Rita and I picked them up and went to supper. We then went to the hotel and talked about the upcoming trip for a couple of hours.

On Saturday, we got up at 4, since our flight was leaving at 6:40. Arrived at the airport in plenty of time, got checked in and went to the gate. Ev went through security a couple of times, just to make sure he was OK to fly. (I think he was concerned he might have something hidden in a pocket that he forgot.)

Flew to PAP (Port-au-Prince) and had almost no glitches. Everyone thought they should help the AMericans with luggage, and we had to fight off a few, but then settled on about 4 men to push carts for us. Some people just don't know the meaning of the word "NO". They pushed the carts about 400 yards to the parking area, where Reuben was waiting for us. That cost us $20 US, and they guys tried to get more out of us. 

We went to a grocery store and bought things for Don and Doris, as well as ourselves. So, we did not really need to take food with us.

On to the orphanage, about a 3 hour trip. We unloaded at the main house, and then went over to the guest house to drop personal belongings. Then back to the main house to unpack and sort the items we took. D&D were really pleased with everything we took. Ate supper, then went to the guest house for the evening. 

Refrigerator does not work, we have a big cooler, lights do not work. Such is life. 

Sunday is a day off for everyone at the orphanage. Norm made breakfast, thank you, Norm, and we went to church from 9-11:15. Everyone except Ev and I went up the mountain to the first fort. We do have some great photos. Then Don took us around the area to tell us everything he hoped would happen on our trip. There is a lot!

I'll update in the next couple of days.

LaMar

We are back!

 We are back and safe from Haiti. We had a FANTASTIC and PRODUCTIVE time there, and everyone worked very well. Don and Doris Peavey, directors of the orphanage, were very thankful for us to be there and get so much work done. I will bring you quickly up to speed, and add more in the next few days.

Saturday: We arrived in Haiti at about 8:40. We had a few stops before we left the city, including stopping for groceries. We then headed out on the three hour trip to EGO. We arrived probably about 1:00 pm. We looked around some and unpacked the bags, sorting as we went. Everything arrived safely. Doris was especially pleased with the medicines and supplies we brought in for them. 

Sunday: Everyone went to 9:00 church, which lasted until 11:15. It was all in Creole, but you could sure tell the Lord was there. Don took us around to explain all the jobs he wanted done.

Monday: We worked on preparing a site they want to build a house on. The house will be 12 x 29 feet, with a 6 x 12 foot porch. We spent most of the day on that job, hauling and leveling rock. 

Tuesday: Worked on the pad some more and a second site where we will be pouring an outhouse floor. 

Wednesday: Poured the porch floor and the outhouse floor, and watched the UN distribute food for the poor. 

Thursday: Poured the big pad. That was hot long work, mixing everything in a small cement mixer. 

Friday: Worked Friday and Saturday on enclosing the gable ends of another house, and installing a beam and post support structure for a roof overhang. 

Sunday: Trip to Port au Prince airport and flew out. 

Temperature each day was in the mid 90's.

That's all for now. I'll post again in a couple of days.

LaMar

Just a quick note

Everyone has arrived safe and sound. We stopped for supper and returned to the motel. Then met and told stories of Haiti. It is now 10:30, and we have all gone to bed.

 

If there is time in the airport, I will blog one more time before we leave the country.

 

LaMar

Fort Lauderdale

We are more than halfway there, but we are still in the US. Actually, Rita and I drove here from sunny central Florida and it took 3 hours. The others are winging here and it will take 3 hours from Chicago.

Megan and Norm called after check-in in CR. Things went well, although they hoped to get an extra bag checked on.

 

That didn't happen.

 

The security folks were busy with our bags. They opened each one, wiped everything down to check for whatever they check for, and closed them back again. One even commented it would be easier to put like things together. Unfortunately if you do that, you lose ALL of one thing, not 8% of each thing. Megan explained.

The group gets to Fort Lauderdale at 7:40 tonight. We fly out at 6:40 tomorrow morning. I told everyone we will be getting up at 4:00.

 

That's Florida time.

 

I may blog again later tonight or tomorrow from the airport. We'll just have to see how it goes.

 

Thanks for all your prayers while we are gone.

 

In His service.

 

LaMar

Sorry I missed the snow--not

 I am in Florida. We planned this quite a while ago, long before they were predicting snow for this week. I left Iowa on Monday, January 31st. Rita and I will drive to Fort Lauderdale to pick the other guys up. We'll be able to do that, because we won't get stuck in the snow. Sorry.
Alex called last night about 1:00 am Florida time. He works evening shift in North Liberty. He had left the plant, got stuck, got pulled out, and stopped at a closed gas station, unable to make it home. He called for advice, so we suggested he walk back to the plant and stay the night, which he did. He called this morning and was able to make it home. Thank you, Lord.
So the weather here is nice and warm. 80 degrees is nice. And warm. I have been doing some jobs. Laid a new floor in the kitchen, many odds and ends. Hopefully the rest of the guys can make it out of the globally warmed Midwest on Friday.
I will pray.

LaMar