Wednesday was another rise and shine early morning. We headed off to the church to continue our service removing rubble of a fallen house. One of the sweetest things about arriving at church in the morning is the greeting exchanged with the work team members. The older women come prancing in with a smile saying bonjur (good day) to each person and we each exchange a little kiss on the cheek with them. With our creyol language skills we all ask each other how you you today and the response is good, great, not to bad or sometimes fatigue (tired) if we are moving slow that morning. We pound fists with the men or give high fives all around as we energize for another day on the bucket line. Passing heavy buckets down the hill can be difficult but it goes by quickly when we fill the time with conversations, songs, and other entertainment.
After lunch we had an exchange with the Haitians on the work team. It was a unique opportunity to share information about ourselves and learn about their lives as well.We all started by sharing our full name. We asked them questions about how the earthquake affected their lives. Some lost their businesses or their jobs in the earthquake. They explained how life is not the same anymore, but they manage with what they have. We asked what they are proud of and what they do when they are not with us. From us, they were eager to hear about our impressions of Haiti. We told them how we feel welcomed and how amazed we are with how gracious Haitians are.
In the late afternoon most of us went to an art cooperative called Apparent Project in Port Au Prince. (http://apparentproject.org/mission.html) The Haitian men and woman make beads and jewelry from recycled materials. They get paid 3x the minimum wage so they can support their families. The jewelry is also sold to designers and department stores in the U.S. It was a great example of a sustainable business practice and it felt good to support such a cause. We all bought some goodies to bring home. We also stopped at the painting street that is lined with beautiful, colorful Haitian paintings.
At night we continued to process the many things we are learning, seeing and thinking about while here in Haiti. Another great day here in Haiti.
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