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!