Finally

Since there's not an internet connection fast enough in Leogane to upload pictures, it will probably be a few weeks in between updates on the blog. This trip down was very productive on many levels. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Barb Johnson and Tode Hafen worked tirelessly all week through a noisy generator, unbearable heat, bucket showers and toilets, and some interesting food. They must have worked at least 12 hours on most days and were always as chipper as if they were kids at Disneyland, just happy to be serving these beautiful children. Thanks, ladies. Those uniforms will be passed down through many a kid for years to come.

This is what I stepped off the plane to a few weeks ago, courtesy of Jaime, from Belize. He had the first four foundational rows done, double bagged with stabilized earth (10% cement mixed in). We brought Jaime over to Haiti for a month to teach us how to build with earthbags, and he has exceeded all expectations. Thank you so much, Jaime. If anyone is interested in learning how to build using this method, you can visit Jaime and his family for a workshop in Belize on a beautiful piece of land that they have out in the country there. His email is barzakhfalah@gmail.com

This is Pastor Jack, doing the initial plaster work, before the chicken wire. Jack's a great worker and just got promoted because he has caught on so well.

Here we brought in dirt in to raise the floor up to the appropriate level. It must be tamped and leveled and then we put in a layer of about four inches of gravel on top of that which serves as a moisture barrier and tamped it down. Above that we put some stabilized earth and tamped it really well. It is very solid. For the finish coat, they'll trowel a thin layer of colored cement for a "dirt" cheap cement floor.

Progress is slow (about two rows of bags a day was our average), but the stability and afford-ability that this building system offers makes it worth it. It's hard to believe how solid these structures are.

They were just getting ready to pour the reinforced cement bond beam to tie it all together when I left yesterday.

Jamie and Watson have played huge roles in making all of this possible.

The tamped, stabilized earth floor, almost ready for the final coat. We'll wait until we've plastered the interior walls before we finish it.

The cement plaster is nothing new for our workers since most buildings use it here.

The Spanish put in a permanent shade canopy that doesn't get knocked over in the heavy rain and wind. Each child also has their own chair now.

But perhaps the thing that I was happiest to see was that the children will be sleeping on a dry floor for the rest of the rainy season.

We brought in a projector and a laptop and watched a movie on a screen we made with a white sheet. The kids were so entertained, I wonder if some of them had ever seen a kids movie. Movie night was complete with a bag of treats that we shared. We've decided to make movie night a weekly event, something that they'll look forward to all week.

The Johnson's and Hafen's brought down a couple of these indestructible soccer balls which were donated by "One World Football Project". The balls are supposed to last for years and years, and have already held up better than any other ball that I've seen being used in the third world.

These kids will steal your heart in no time at all.

They loved Kerry's thumb trick.

Nail painting party.

They brought down all kinds of wonderful things for the children that Jean Marc had requested.

The Relief Society in their ward made dresses for each of the girls.

All of the girls in their beautiful new dresses.

Jean Marc and the kids were finally able to meet the man who has made all of this possible. THANKS, JEREMY!