7.1.15

We are finishing up Day 3 of our trip here, we are loving our time and everyone is doing well! Several mosquito bites later, no one has any known diseases at this point and we are enjoying some late night snacks after a full day!
Monday, we landed safely and managed to gather all 20 of our checked bags. It was a miracle because we realized at the baggage claim that no one had a list of the bags we had checked. But lo and behold, there they all were! Praise the Lord. 
We settled into the guest house after Sandy greeted us, the guest house manager who is wonderfully hospitable. We spent time with Eric Helgemo, Three Angels Country Director, and talked through all the projects that needed to be done in order to make a plan. 
Tuesday, we started the day with a delicious breakfast and then most of us headed to the orphanage to paint. We painted the outside railings where the little ones play, scraped the ceilings, cleaned the solar panels and prepared the playground for grass seed to be planted. Some focused on painting the 12' x 8' white board in the newly built Kembe Fem Family Center. 
After lunch, we spent time organizing the many files for the medical clinic here on site. We also got to spend time with Christine Helgemo and her children. It was a very productive, enjoyable work day. We played games with Eric and his children to end the day with an exciting game of Pictionary.
This morning, after pancakes we went over to the school on site to spend time with the elementary teachers who want to learn ESL. We helped them create an alphabet dictionary for their own reference later and sang several rounds of "Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!" It was fun and I cannot get that song out of my head. :)
Back at the orphanage we finished our painting projects and no one fell off any ladders or roof. It was fabulous and the paint spruced it up nicely!
This afternoon, we went to visit the Baptist Mission on the top of the mountain, which was the first mission in Haiti I was told. The people were kind, the view was spectacular, and the ice cream was delicious. 
Tonight, after our debrief, discussion on John 9 and prayer, we are winding down. Some are calling it a night while others are preparing carrot seeds to plant tomorrow at the farm. Sandy has come up with a wonderful idea to prepare the seeds by using TOILET PAPER!!! [and the paper rolls will be repurposed for other projects, Sandy said! She is so resourceful! :) How many uses are their for toilet paper roles, I wonder...]
We are having a fabulous trip so far, working hard, enjoying the evening breeze after 100 degree days, and experiencing God's peace. A theme we have noticed here is that is it very peaceful. Despite the challenges many Haitians are experiencing, we see God at work everywhere in and through the people here. They are such a blessing to us, and we pray God is using us as we seek to serve Him, Three Angels and the community here. 
Pray for a productive day tomorrow, continued health and team unity, and that God will lead us!
Thank you!!!