Today we woke to a delicious
breakfast that consisted of oatmeal with condensed milk, rolls and jam, and hot
chocolate. Once we were fueled we headed to Vernet Baptist Church to pick up
our Forward Edge leaders and translators. We all walked to a home that is run
by the Baptist Church in Les Cayes. The house provides free shelter and medical
attention to elderly individuals who have lost their spouse. At the home we all
completed various tasks. Some of us provided manicures and pedicures for the
women and nurses. We cleaned rooms, made beds, and helped cook. Others cracked
peanuts, talked with the residents and workers, washed dishes, and helped move
rocks with school children as part of a construction project. Some of us were
also able to read the Bible to residents and donate our extra water bottles.
After our morning we went back to the house
and had a delicious Haitian spaghetti lunch! Following lunch we headed back to
the church to pick up our leaders and translators again. We took a tour of
Lumiere University in Simpson. Fun fact: Pastor Chavannes Jeune founded the
university. At the university we visited multiple classes ranging from first to
third year students studying economics and civil engineering. After our tour we
headed to a market in Les Cayes. Some of us purchased mangoes, Haitian candies,
hot sauce (that we use every day at the house) and a reusable bag. We came back
to the house and shared to amazing mangoes and candy.
Dinner was next on our agenda. We
ate rice and beans with beef and a cheese and onion tart. For dessert we had a
delicious almond paste scone. Our host, Carmel, told us of how the dessert originated
in Haiti. She went on to disclose her story about founding Nelly’s House. It is
an organization that provides children with lunch which she founded in honor of
her mother.
We had a great debriefing as a
team. We were able to be open and honest about our experiences. The debriefing
in conjunction with those who shared their stories really united the group and
brought much more openness and understanding. To end the night Britt taught us
how to do Zumba and Pop Pilates. We were sweating and crying (from laughter).
We continued to dance and a college student, Nickerson (who also lives at the
house) played us some of his favorite songs and showed us his dance moves to
wrap up the night. We had a great day and we are ready to wake up and serve
again tomorrow!!
Xoxo Meghan
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