I woke up this morning to the smell of bacon and it didn't take long to get ready and make my way to the dining room. After breakfast I changed clothes and went to the chapel to prepare for praise and worship. When i arrived at the chapel Wisben was saving me a seat and continously motioning for me to set with him. This was only the second Sunday I had been at New Life and the worship experience was unbelievable as well as getting to share the experience with our son made it even more special.
After service I changed clothes and had some down time before meeting with Wisbens. I connected with a guy from Ohio who needed help building new benches and screen doors for part of the orphanage. I am not a handy man but used the opportunity to connect with people and learn a small amount of carpentry. I was quickly reminded that I am in Haiti when the table saw we were using shut down and needed basic parts to fix. The frustrating part is that something that is an easy fix in America is nearly impossible in Haiti. One reason is there are no Lowes or Home Depot stores within 1000 miles and it is a good thing I brought Duct Tape for a temporaty fix. Because of the constant use and wear and tear on equipment at the orphanage it is important to have backup.
After lunch I went to visit with Wisbens and took numerous coloring books and crayons to share with the rest of the kids. It wasn't long before there were 10-15 kids sharing 3 books and 2 boxes of crayons. Coloring is a great way to communicate and connect with the kids (specifically the ones who don't speak English) because there is no language barrier. We spent the next few hours at a picnic table communicating with crayons and paper and it is one of the few times I have felt really connected to the kids.
Evening devotion began at 7:00 and I made my way to the chapel to see Wisbens and participate in praise and worship. After service I walked some of the kids who are in wheelchairs back to their dorm and gave the kids my phone to play spider man. It was dark in most areas of the orphanage because the power has been out for the past couple days and the generator only serves basic needs. I also noticed 4-5 goats as well as turkeys roaming the compound and after asking questions found out that they were moved from the vacant lot New Life owns next door because people have recently broken in and tried to steal them. The kids went to bed at 9:00 and it is time for rest and hopefully connecting with my family.
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