Water Delivery

Today was our water truck day.  We stopped by Haitian Initiative first to see the feeding center and soccer fields where the children in the program get their meals each day.  We were able to help distribute a warm meal of rice and beans to one of the groups of girls in the program.  Our team also helped fill up water bottles and sang some fun songs.  It was really cool to me because just a couple weeks ago, there were two Haitian Initiative teams in Minnesota participating in the world cup at the National Sports Center in Blaine.  Our whole family went to a couple games and cheered them on, so being able to see where their program is and what it entails was really special.

Filling Water Bottles

We then went to two water stops to deliver water.  I got my work out in today!  We were given the okay to help bring water buckets back to houses for the people, so I got to work.  There was a long road, so I would help one person who lived towards the far end of the road and when I started to head back towards the truck, I would find another person making their way down the road, and then another, and another....You get the idea :)  It was great!  I helped a young girl with her bucket and when we got close to her home, her Dad came out and made sure to let me know she was his daughter.  With the help of a tranlsator, I was able to tell him his daughter was extremely polite, beautiful and he should be proud.  He thanked me and stood a little taller after our encounter, a proud papa for sure.

Towards the end of the stop, I was helping an older woman, and she was going SO fast!  I was a bit surprised at how quick she was going, and so I said, "Oh!  Rapid!" and with a loud laugh and a big smile she said, "Wi!"  We hustled down the road laughing and shared a really sweet moment. 

The last water stop I was on the water line almost the entire time helping out with the line.  I am so thankful for the little bit of Creole I am able to speak to help manage the line a bit.  It was a little hectic, but SO much fun.  Towards the end of the water stop out of nowhere I was quickly refreshed when a bucket of water was dumped all over me.....It surprised me, but I made eye contact with the boy who did it and we shared a good laugh together.

Our afternoon ended with a little soccer with the neighborhood boys.  We set up a make-shift field in the street and played with whoever was in the area and wanted to play.  At first there was only three kids, and before we knew it kids started coming out of nowhere to join in on the fun.  I asked a boy if he knew Dickenson, and he said yes, so I asked him if he could go find him and let him know we were out playing.  Five minutes later Dickenson came sprinting around the corner looking hopeful that we were still there.  When he saw me he beamed from ear to ear, and came over to play.

We had a hard rain tonight, so a few of our team members did a slip and slide up on the balcony again.  I had to try it one time, of course and got a great laugh out of that!

Up early for tent church in the morning, so I need to get my rest.

God is good!

Alicia