By Kate McDodson
Haiti Case Manager
After a chaotic experience at the Port au Prince airport, the team from Lawrenceville First Baptist Church in Georgia arrived in Haiti!! We successfully got 14 team members and 26 bags loaded onto a truck and were on our way to the guest house. Driving through the city of Port au Prince was an experience. This is the first time some of the team had been out side of the US and there is nothing that you can quite compare Port au Prince to.
Yesterday the team jumped in with both feet! We headed to a home to spend the morning playing with children. The bubbles were a huge hit. We were surprised how the language of children is the same everywhere; we didn’t seem to have any trouble communicating with them. They were so hungry for our hugs and attention, and cried when we left. There were a few harrowing experiences with some diaper changes, but on the whole it was a very sweet time to spend with the children.
Next we headed to a partner home to start painting! We walked in and I gave the team a tour of the home. I showed them each room and talked about the plan for painting in the different rooms. As we started to divide up and begin tasks I went searching for paint brushes to get everyone what they needed – next thing I know I turn around and the team is already drawing out murals and putting paint on the wall!! They just attacked the painting project and I was so impressed! There were also a lot of things that we needed to paint in addition to murals, beds, doors, closets – not the fun stuff. But there were four women who all day long just did nothing but paint white! Every time they turned around I was suggesting something else that needed another coat of white paint and without hesitation they did it, with smiles on their faces. I’m so impressed by everyone’s willing spirit. Loni, Anna, Julie, and Carol you are awesome!!
Everyone was impressed with how much we accomplished in just half a day! We were so surprised by our progress that we think that we may even finish today! If that is the case we will be able to spend some more time with the children and maybe see a little bit more of Haiti on Saturday.
This team has been a JOY to work with – and I am learning to work on my Southern drawl.
