Eyes Wide Open

The city of Port-au-Prince has not been the same since. The devastating earthquake in January has ravished the city reeking havoc all through the streets which can still be seen today. It was not only the streets and buildings that shook, fell, and piled up. As we know hundreds of thousands of brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, and foes shook, fell, and piled up. Almost every one you talk to or even pass in the street has lost someone on that January evening and, or in the days to follow. Today I head stories of two mothers who have passed on leaving behind memories and sorrow. and as I walked down the streets, past the Palace, and through the largest tent city in Port-au-Prince and tried to take it all in I realized that I can’t even come close to comprehending the magnitude of all that has happened here. If the fact that Hundreds of thousands of people have died is not enough and the rubble filled streets and homes is not enough and the thousands of people in tents is not enough then you are faced with the many many people that you pass by that are missing limbs forced to face the affects of 30 seconds of shaking every single day. Hundreds of thousands of people died and hundreds of thousands of people are scarred. It’s a harsh reality that slapped me in the face today.

Taking It All In

Now that my original plans have completely fallen through I am basically making it up as I go. There are a couple ways you can look at this. You can be miserable and think of it as a bad thing or you can view it as an opportunity for new things. As most of you who know me could probably guess, or at least I hope you guessed, I am looking at it as an opportunity for new things. I write to you from Port-au-Prince Haiti in a beautiful home of an affluent Haitian family. Let me tell you a little bit about the last few days. Most of my days have started at 5:00 am with breakfast and work starting at 5:30. The work consists of making water filters. The water filters are made out of cement they are formed and filled with 3 layers gravel, big sand, and then fine sand. There is about 3 inches of water that sits above that at all times which creates the bacteria to kill the viruses and microbes. It is a really great thing for this country. Water is not really hard to find but clean water is not common so this puts clean water in people’s homes. The filters cost 50 us dollars to make this origination sells them for 40 Haitian dollars which is about 5 us dollars. This organization employs only Haitians to make the filters this gives them a job which is scarce in Haiti. Thursday and Friday I was able to go on deliveries. This means I went around to different communities and into peoples homes delivering filters and helping installing them. It’s a humbling experience to enter into a Haitian’s home. Most are very small with cement or dirt floors, one bed, a dinner table, and maybe a few nick nacks. Mostly they have the bare essentials. The children are always curious and sometimes scared of the white guy or blonk that is walking around or in their home. People are awesome here and if given the chance will teach you all they can.

Food, what can I say about the food? Well, first I really like the food it is very good. I have eaten quite a bit of real authentic Haitian food since I have been here. Rice comes with just about every meal and beans are usually quick to follow. Sometimes meat is put with the rice and beans and one of the foods I just tried the other day was with rice and beans and on top they put cooked spinach. Its not like any spinach that I have tried in the states its much different and if you can get past the look and the place that it was cooked it tastes good. One of my favorite foods is fried pork pieces. They are crispy, a little spice and a good flavor. Definitely a favorite.

So, now I have left Clean Water For Haiti and I am in Port-au-Prince for the week. I came here with a lady I met at Clean Water for Haiti who is from Kentucky. She spent a year here back in 2004 teaching at a school and will be here for another 5 weeks. She presented me with the opportunity to join her to experience the culture in Port-au-Prince and if all goes well another city in the north. While I am in Port-au-Prince I will be visiting the school that she taught at as well as experiencing different unique parts of the city. This is an awesome opportunity that I am excited to be able to take part in. Thank you for your support and I will continue to keep you updated on my life.

Peace and Love!

Video Blog- June 22

So I made a little video Blog/Update.  check it out here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2rTOcD1t6I

Just the Start- Expect Anything

Haiti welcomed me with a warm kiss. I was met by one of my Haitian friend’s brother and friends. I made the familiar drive to Pierre Payen where I then met my friend Paul. I have learned that I must be ready for the unexpected and since I have gotten to Haiti that has been what I have gotten. My contact and person I was to be staying with has left here because of illness leaving me here with three others, charley, Donnie, and his sister with many others who come and go. Donny is the only one who speaks English and I am grateful that he does. As if that was not enough unexpected I am now left with people that were dependent on the man that is in charge of the place, who had to leave, to live as well. This means the food that I buy is feeding not only me but also several others. Money is tight and I am not sure how I will make it the next month and a half with what I have, and its only been a few days. But I trust and pray to the Lord for his guidance and help. I have clean drinking water which is good and I have plenty of food after our trip to Saint Mark today the 18th. My food had been prepared by my Haitian friends which is also good and very authentic. So far my stomach is doing well but I do fear getting sick something I am expecting to happen before I leave but again I have been praying for protection and I trust God. The heat here is not so bad but the humidity is ruthless. I am constantly sweating and yesterday after playing soccer for a long time and sweating buckets I felt very weak. And again today after returning from Saint Mark I was feeling weak but I have made myself drink a lot today and the electrolyte packets I believe have helped. After pumping myself full of fluids I felt much better I am still learning the ropes as you can see and my body is hating me for it already but I am learning and beginning to understand. I have the ocean out my back yard which means I get to cool off regularly which is very nice. The view is like one off of a post card. Because my contact is not here I do not have much I am doing right now. I talked with a doctor in the town just south of here who is American and is doing some amazing things a bit the other day and I believe I will help him every once in a while. Tonight after dinner I also went to visit Annie’s Orphanage I wanted to see the kids and I as great to see them. They are so well mannered and starving for attention and since I am alone this time I am left trying to feed them all with it. I’m not complaining I love each and every one of the kids they are so beautiful and are full of joy. Times are tough right now for me I feel stress and frustration along with homesickness. The stress is about money, frustration because my contact is gone and I don’t know what to do, and homesickness I don’t know where it came from. I don’t get homesick but I am scared because of the money and the weight of taking care of my new friends and myself and my health. I am looking to God that’s all I can do. One thing is for sure my unstable relationship with God is growing. I see the faith and hope from my Haitian friends and the lack of such in my own life. This mixed with the weight around me forces me to seek our almighty God. I must go now I need to get some sleep because the mornings are early may God bless you all. Please keep me in your prayers and if you can support me financially let me know through email or facebook Shanemcneeley@gmail.com and send it to 2132 strawtown pike Peru Indiana 46970. Peace, Love, and all Glory to God!!!

Today is a new Day! and there are places to help on the horizon!