It’s Friday!

This has been a busy week…I think everyone here at GLA is EXHAUSTED tonight! Since unloading the container on Tuesday night, many hands have been busy sorting, lifting, moving and organizing up at the property, along with the everyday life of things here and all of our everyday jobs that need to get done. 

Today was a busy day to end of the week, but a good day!  The main house got fumigated for cockroaches again, and a team of us also went up to Ft Jacques to do some more work on the boxes that came in earlier in the week.  We got a lot accomplished today, and it is definitely encouraging to see the progress that has been made.  Today, we were able to make up 76 bins for our Haitian staff!  Thanks to everyone who contributed donations for these first two containers, we were able to fill the tubs to the brim with everything from clothes, blankets and shoes, to rice, beans, other assorted food, candy, baby supplies, hygiene items….I can’t even remember what all went in.  And as a bonus, the containers will be able to keep at least some of their possessions dry when it rains.  Our Haitian staff are so amazing, and I come to love them more and more every day, and I know that they will be extremely blessed by this!

We were also able to make up 240 bags for distribution, with the wonderful help of Dr. Nathalie, her daughter, a friend of hers, and one of her Haitian staff.  They worked hard and fast to make up these bags!

Everyone worked really hard today, and so much got accomplished.  And as I sit here, hot, sweaty, tired and sore, I am so incredibly grateful that God has blessed me by allowing me to be here in Haiti, as His servant. 

And from the balcony…

One of our volunteers, Brittnei, also shared the following from their day on the balcony today…

We set off running this morning, it was fumigating day again! Most volunteers headed up to the property in Fort Jacques, all but 4 of us…. Hope, Margaret, Robin and myself stayed back to help out on the balcony. All children from both the NICU and the big nursery were shuffled up the stairs, along with their nannies, bottles and medications they would need throughout the day. Little did we know that the fumigating would not begin until late afternoon, so we were all sequestered starting at 9am and were finally permitted to return downstairs around 3:30pm, nevertheless the kids enjoyed the time on the toy filled balcony.

The children had a volunteer or nanny within arm’s reach for a cuddle, a hug or some one-on-one play time.  Although we have all come to covet out “baby loving time,” we definitely developed a new appreciation for the work those nannies do day in and day out. When one child is settled, another is restless, and as typical children, they push each other’s buttons and grow antsy when the attention is stolen from them. They all want to be snuggled and coddled to sleep or to have a piece of your lap.  This is something we do not necessary understood when we have our individual children up on the balcony during a “typical” day. It was amazing to see how the nannies know each individual child and how they work, and the love and comfort each child finds in their nannies arms. We have a lot to learn from these incredibly strong women.

Despite our fatigue we had an incredible day.  The hit of the day was the cool pool… they loved to splash and play in the water, and the volunteers didn’t mind the splash either, considering the heat this afternoon. If it wasn’t the pool it was the mats filled with colourful toys, books and musical instruments. Many laughs were had and smiles shared, we are most definitely growing to love those children more and more every day we spend with them. Although we don’t wish another fumigating day upon ourselves anytime soon, we are very thankful for the experience.