Sunday: Day 12

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you all. Internet was very slow this morning so I decided to wait on the posting.
EdH (Electricite d'Haiti) came on around noon which means that it must have received a tanker of diesel fuel this morning. There's less congestion at the filling stations and we were able to get a 55 gallon drum of diesel. Still no propane nor has any food come in from anywhere.
Using our cell phones is an exercise in patience as circuits are always busy. Can't reach our driver who was in Port-au-Prince this morning to find out when to expect the displaced orphans. We have done all the prepping we can for their welcome. There are no mattresses available in town so we have ordered straw mats to be made while we await a humanitarian shipment.
Lots of people roaming the streets in town and sleeping outdoors in the streets, alleyways, lawns. Some are locals who are afraid to sleep indoors now but most are displaced refugees from PaP.
Joey Lamarre is feeling much better and spent the last three days working at the hospital, assisting in any way possible. He is gone to PaP to meet with the university's president, some doctors from NJ and a reporter from CNN. As president of his class and because Joey gets by pretty well in English, the university president begged him to be at the meeting this afternoon.
Still feeding the prisoners and they are still being confined all day long. It is beyond pathetic. One young man passed out yesterday and started shaking like he had a seizure but the guards would not open the door. We gave him water and he calmed down after about ten minutes.
That's it for now. God bless you.

FRUSTRATION

The word for today is FRUSTRATION. Very poor communication as the cell phone company is swamped with calls and their circuits are overloaded. Can't reach Berthony. Can't reach our driver. We have US cash but can't exchange it for gourdes at this time. GRRRRR!
Fed more prisoners today. Seems like we are the only human touch in their lives at the moment. They are still locked up 24 hours a day. Absolutely no privacy. I'd be bonkers by now and can certainly relate to their frustration (there's that word, again).
Guess what? We had two working vehicles and one broke down yesterday afternoon. Remember the Janis Joplin song "O Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz"? Well, I was singing it all morning. Frustra... you know what I mean?
The pick up and delivery of the children from Leogane had to be postponed until tomorrow because our driver did not have the cash he needed until late this morning. The acting director and staff of the orphanage all want to come with the children but we can't guarantee them all jobs. Some grew up in the orphanage so this is really traumatic for them. We are sensitive to their needs and they could probably use counseling but where to find qualified counselors who speak Kreyole? Frustrating, non?
As always, we are very grateful for your support. Keep us in your prayers.

Saturday morning

Thank you for your supportive comments. To Barb: Michelet is fine and working in masonry to repair the damaged classroom of our primary school.

Thanks to our friends at Cross International who have an office in PaP, fuel was found for our truck there. We have general directions to the orphanage near Leogane that was destroyed by the earthquake. Over a hundred children will be picked up today and brought here. The older boys who were living at LaMadonne in town are moving out here today to make room for them. They have been through enough trauma without adding more. Wish the cell phone was working better. Nine out of ten calls don't make it through. Will keep you posted on news of these children as things develop.

The banks are open this morning and the lines are incredibly long. With little cash reserve, folks won't be able to cash checks or withdraw much cash and tempers will flare.
More fuel has come into town though getting it into our vehicles is a real challenge as everyone is now into hoarding.

It is crowded in town but I have to admire the Haitians here who are making every space available for the refugees. Most of the displaced Haitians are trying to get to their home villages. The housing, food and fuel shortages we have here will follow them wherever they go. We are being bombarded by requests for employment. It will be easier now to find qualified administrators as they tended to be concentrated in PaP.

OK, enough rambling. Gotta get back to the front. Prayers, please.

No news engenders fear

We have had dozens of requests for assistance from folks here in the south wanting to go to PaP to seek out loved ones. I can understand their frustration at having no news and fearing the worst but we simply cannot subsidize these trips at this time. One of our guards, Toussaint, heard that one of his relatives was killed and that the family home was destroyed. He wants to go get them and bring them here. I am afraid that this will only become more frequent and that soon we will have to deal with thousands of displaced (refugee) people. The local general hospital is already filled with people who were hurt in the capitol. There are doctors and nurses but nothing else. No medicine, no sheets, no bandages, no food for them. Some are languishing on the floor. Keep them and us in your prayers.