Visitors from Canada and a Latrine Update

 I never thought I'd be writing so much about latrines :)  
 

 "Interdit aux Eleves" means Off-limits for Children

As the whole building slides into the hole it is now falling apart.  We are grateful to have been able to get everything salvageable off while we still could. 

 The temporary latrine is almost done.  There is a "stall" for teachers, one for the older children and one for the younger.  

 They even put a little shelf in the teachers' stall for toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  How cute :)

In other news, we have Russ and Josh from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Exeter, Ontario.  They were delayed one day in getting up here because of the storm but got here Saturday safe and sound.  

 Laying out the truss pattern for the school roof. 

Yesterday they put the gutters on Manis' office (green building in the background) and fixed some issues with the church doors.  They also had a basketball game with some of the guys and Russ gave little karate lesson :)  This morning they are laying out a truss pattern for the school roof.  When we are able to continue with that project, all the guys here will have to do is copy the pattern.  

I have conscripted Russ and Josh to be guest bloggers this week so you will be hearing from them soon. 

Sandy

While Haiti was very much on high alert and ready for Isaac, Sandy was much more unexpected.  I have heard of terrible damage and loss of life in the south and center of Haiti and our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost so much.  Up here we were pretty fortunate.  We got a lot of rain which was wonderful, and although it did some damage to some of the mud houses, overall our area was pretty fortunate.  There were many people who slept sitting up in corners of their homes because their thatch roofs leaked so badly, but in church yesterday everyone was praising God for all the rain.  There is great hope that they might actually have a harvest this year.  The wind did some damage to some of the plantain plants but overall I have not heard yet of too much damage to the gardens.  

There was one pretty big loss that we suffered from Sandy here at Lemuel: the school latrine.  As water rushed around it, it actually dug out the soil around the footers and the latrine building began sliding into the hole under it.  On Friday the guys were able to salvage the doors and metal roofing and got busy digging out a new hole for a temporary latrine.  School started back up today and with over 100 children you have to have a bathroom of some sort for them to use!  The damage done was estimated at about $2500.  As we look at building another permanent latrine we are considering the options of somehow demolishing the current building and reusing the same hole or digging a new one closer to where the new school is being built.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers for wisdom as we decide what to do. 

Thank you so much to all of you who upheld us in your thoughts and prayers over this past week.  

Stripping off anything that can be salvaged as the latrine sinks into the hole.

The side that is sinking.

 

 

School in Session

For the first two weeks of school there were still quite a few parents who weren't yet able to send there children.  Most of them were there today, though, so without further ado...

The new temporary school building.  

The palm frond building that was being used for the school was moved off the basketball court (so the children can play on it) and over next to the permanent school building that is under construction.

First, Second and Fifth Grade on the left side of the building. 

I will be so happy when each class has their own room!

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

 Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

The three Kindergarten classes all meet in the church building

Kinder 1

 Kinder 2

 Kinder 3

A New Year Has Begun!

Thank you all again for your prayers during the Seminar last week.  Pastor Marcus did a great job and there were some good discussions.  On Friday, guest speaker Gela Cupidon, spoke about seeing education as a job and a career, not as a pastime.  She also encouraged the teachers to become true professionals, not just a group of young men and women who happen to have a job.

All of the teachers signed their contracts at the end of the week and on Monday the school year officially began.  I will be posting more pictures of the school in session soon, but until then, I would like to introduce you to our school staff...

 

 Osselet Lilite

School Director

Patricia Fatal

 Administrator & Secretary

 Wiltha Belizaire

Kindergarten 3 Teacher

Kindergarten Supervisor

 Lovelie JnFrancois

Kindergarten 2 Teacher

Kattia Amazan

 Kindergarten 1 Teacher
 

Andiose Saint-Ange

First Grade Teacher

 

David Calixte 

Second Grade Teacher

Bergeline Joseph

Third Grade Teacher

 

Thony Amady 

Fourth Grade Teacher

 

 Guillaume Oltin

Fifth Grade Teacher

 Wilnique Metayer 

Sixth Grade Teacher