Haiti Day 3: Accomplishment! (and the Return of Josh's Man Card)

Starting the Day with Accomplishment

Josh set the tone for Day 3 of the Colonial Hills Church mission trip to Jacmel, Haiti, with his morning devotional.  He reminded the team through his own personal journey that accomplishments for the kingdom of God are what truly matter, not worldly pursuits.  Then, this team went to the work site and had the most productive day that I have ever been a part of on a mission trip – and this was my 10th trip.

Heather, the one who didn't know what she could do, had a shovel in her hands before we could get off the truck good.

Roof Prep

Jim and Dusty worked on the roof all day, installing 2x4’s and getting the roof of the new House of Abraham building ready for insulation and roofing panels.  I don’t think they came down all day except for lunch.

 

 

A long day's work and a job well done.

Concrete Work

I am very grateful to Jeff Witt and Marsha Dawson, who taught me about the importance and the process of preparing a team for a mission trip.  In our three pre-trip meetings for this trip, we stressed flexibility and focus on serving how we were needed and not necessarily how we had planned.  This preparation paid off in a big way on Monday as the rest of the team (plus Jalen and Sierra, who were staying with Fenel for a few weeks and who joined in as valuable members of our team) prepared to pour concrete, which had not been part of our pre-trip planning.  The team responded as if we had been in training for months for hauling concrete.

The walls for the bottom two rooms of the house had been built, but the floors had not yet been laid, so our job was to take the concrete that the local workers were mixing in a dug-out bowl in the back of the house and carry it bucket by bucket through the house, down the stairs, and into the kitchen and dining room areas.  There, a couple of local workers would float the concrete until the rooms were finished.  It would be a tall task to finish both rooms in one day.  We formed an assembly line from the mixing area to the two rooms and went to work.  The further along we got in the process, the more energy we seemed to have.  We laughed as we recognized that our communication was coming in single words: “Bucket!”  “Heavy!” “Empty!”  And then, finally, “Finished!”

Josh, regaining his man card after the Day 1 man-capri episode.

And down the line...

...it went..

...not missing a beat...

...until it reached...

...the bottom of the house.

 

 

 

2 rooms of FINISHED concrete in 1 day.  Well done, team!

 

Ending the Day with Accomplishment

What a sense of accomplishment (that word again) we felt at the end of the day.  The team took care of one another and worked as a team all day.  The ladies on our team never missed a beat.  A special shout-out to DeSoto CrossFit, where Robbie and Jodie work out: whatever the training regimen is there, it is obviously good prep to be a part of a Haitian concrete moving team!  My favorite story of the day (via Josh) was when the truck pulled up with more bags of cement.  Several guys lined up to take the bags (94 pound bags, mind you) from the Haitian worker on the truck.  When Robbie stepped up, he laughed and politely shook his head.  She nodded and indicated that he should bring it on.  He was taken aback when she took it with little effort and walked away with it.

Always Time for Relationships

While we worked hard all day, there is always time to set aside to build relationships.  We befriended little Andre; he joined in and helped all day.  And Ethan began his quest to befriend the goats who roam the property; that story will unfold throughout the remainder of the week.

Andre, fully outfitted team member, thanks to Gary.

Have I mentioned how cool it is to go on a mission trip with someone from your small group?

Andre and Ethan

Gary & crew

Josh, either winning the limbo contest or bouncing a soccer ball (that has left the shot) off his chest.

 

 

 

Need to Catch Up on the Trip?

 A look back at previous day's posts:

Day 1: The Team's Unexpected Challenge
Day 2: Boaz, Super Ninja. Who Knew?

Sponsor one of the House of Abraham kids here.

Thanks for reading.  Check back tomorrow for more mission trip adventures from Haiti.

4theVoiceless,
Al