Are you following Have Faith Haiti on Facebook? You should. We’re posting fun updates right from the mission. On Wednesday, November 2, the kids enjoyed a new cooking lesson to make guacamole and salsa for a Haitian-style fiesta.
We also want to wish J.U. a very happy birthday. He celebrated his 12th on November 6th, and according to one of his teachers, was the happiest anyone has ever seen him. We think it shows!
Tonight’s cooking class was homemade pesto spaghetti from the basil in our new garden. Pumpkins, carrots, and peppers are on the way. Tomatoes and onions will be planted next week too. It’s our own fall harvest!
Mitch Albom is currently visiting the Have Faith Haiti Mission and will be sending updates. Here is one:
This is what Jeremie, on the coast, looks like 10 days after Hurricane. Homes gone. No food. Crops blown away. Water, medicine, in dire short supply. Many of our staff have their families there. We are organizing a bus and trip there to feed and clothe their loved ones.
A former volunteer currently in Haiti was able to visit the mission. The children are in good health and spirits. Some of the staff members are still waiting to hear from their family members on the south coast, which was hit the hardest and where all communication is down.
Here, kids are helping to clean up the bougainvillea bush that came down.
Thank you all for your kind support. If you could keep the family members of our staff who are still unaccounted for, we would be grateful.
While the worst of Matthew’s storm potential has passed Haiti, the worst effects of the storm are still unknown as rescue workers are not yet able to get to the areas hardest hit–areas without the infrastructure and resources they need to endure the storm. Nor its aftereffects–such as mudslides, contaminated water, and homelessness.
UPDATE 8:00 PM:
We’re left with a drizzle. Winds have died down and it seems to have passed. Inside, we’ve kept busy doing yoga, dancing, singing, drawing, making bracelets, doing puzzles, reading, and playing various games. The kids have enjoyed this hurricane a little more than they should have. We’ve had a number of discussions about how lucky we are and how thankful we are for our shelter.
We had an easy day compared to others, but the rain has now picked up. Thunder rolls in over the mountains and we can see that while the worst of the storm may have passed, rain will continue for days. I’m getting reports that thousands of homes were washed away and friends in the mountains have had their roofs ripped off. Fallen trees have divided homes and many streets are flooded.
