Team Journal 5

Tuesday, July 2 
Written by Marissa Moens

Tuesday morning we woke up to a giant katydid in our dorm hallway. 

After photographing it, we headed to the cafeteria for a delicious breakfast of French toast. 

After breakfast we headed out to work in something that resembled a greenhouse.

We sorted, counted and loaded small coffee plants onto two pickup trucks. When we were finished at the greenhouse we headed out to a second latrine that was being built. Our job there was to unload a hundred and fifty stone bricks from a big red truck. Unfortunately the driver forgot to put a sufficient amount of gas in the truck and it broke down.

Thus it was stuck in the middle of the road and we spent some time nicely escaping the head by relaxing in the shade. 

Following a hearty lunch of rice and beans,

our team went to a local church for the first feeding program of the trip.

This was a great experience for all of us. We had mega batches of beans and rice cooked up for the children.

Each child brought their own plate or bowl from home and received a solid amount of food for lunch.

Derek got some practice for fatherhood spoon feeding a sweet little toddler. 

The children all received a vitamin, some candy, and a toy as well. 

Before and after dinner we played a few basketball games with several Haitians and members of a Californian mission team. 

Around 7:30 we gathered into the cafeteria to hear the story of a former witch doctor, Nelson, who had recently converted to Christianity. 

Nelson spoke of how being a witch doctor drove his family away from him and the negative effects voodoo has on his community. 

The talk was then followed by a more lighthearted game of kick the can.