”Be wise as the serpent, but innocent as the lamb” Pastor Roy quoted from the Bible at breakfast as we had another one of our discussions about security for the trip. We should take reasonable precautions and keep our eyes open, but not let the security concerns blind us to the goodness of so many people we meet, nor restrict us from the incredible experiences that God has to offer. On the way Blanchard, we met Pastor Leon on the road.. We had a difficult discussion with him about all the problems that had been caused by not having a more engineering-minded person to communicate with prior to coming to Haiti. The mis-aligned panels, tanks on the wrong part of the roof, confusion about PVC pipes gauge leading us to buy things we didn’t need, no one there to remove the hand pump…the list goes on. Why couldn’t he put Ronald Janvier, an English speaking engineering type who’d been identified as the contact point on our water issues survey, in the loop?
Pastor Leon replies “I cannot work with Ronald on this unless you hire him. Are you willing to pay for him to have a job.” (Background: Originally HOM had planned to employ Ronald, but when the water tested clean in January and it was clean, there was no need for a filtering system, and thus less need for ongoing maintenance and a full time employee.) But a part time employee would have been nice! However, we could understand Leon's point of view. But later we found out that in Haitian culture the discussion/argument by the roadside is seen as a big confrontation - not a good thing.
Back at the compound I went to check to water tests. Both were still negative, and I wondered, what am I going to tell Pastor Leon if the tank water that had been pumped from the shallow well (and is presumably contaminated) ends up negative on this particular test? However, that test was not due to complete until Thursday afternoon; they take 24-48 hours. I disposed of the original (positive) test result using chlorox that Pam bought at the Carribean Market the day before.
More fun with the children as we taught the classes again. Again I played Moses, but this time Mark took a picture of me.
Later Mark and I went to the clinic to give them the gloves that Greg and Ed had found as they built shelves in the store room. The store room is full of stuff from well-intentioned mission trips. Pastor Leon doesn’t seem to be able to quite keep up with distributing it all.
The latex gloves are dusty, not sterile, but they will at least protect clinic workers from their patients. Mark wanted a tour of the clinic so we looked at their laboratory and their store room for drugs. An older woman is waiting in the laboratory patiently as we interrupt everything to ask our questions. She smiles when I say “Bonjour.” In the laboratory is a price sheet for the tests – 50 Haitian dollars (about $7 US) for HIV test, 20 for malaria test. A fortune to some of these poor people. Mark tells clinic employees about Dr Tracy, someone he met who provides free HIV tests and treatments to the people of Haiti, and who might be able to bring help to the clinic at Blanchard, which will do things for free whenever it can.
By 2 PM I revisit the office to check on the water tests. The first test – from the deep well with the water is officially negative! I felt extremely relieved!
