The PC Winterim Team wraps up their time in Haiti with visiting the Pella Christian Elementary School, journeying to the Pignon sign and delivering food to mobility cart recipents.
Wednesday January 9
We started our last day with a trip to the Pella Christian Elementary School in Ba Savanette. The US Pella Christian High school students finally had the opportunity to see the project that had begun when they were in Elementary school. Just finishing up their Christmas break, the students and faculty in Haiti were off to a slow start. It sometimes takes up to a week for attendance to get back to normal. Having a smaller group, we were able to meet and encourage the students and faculty. The PCHS students enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the Haitian students by playing soccer and introducing volleyball.
One of the things we wanted to do all week was make the trek up to the Pignon sign, similar to the Hollywood sign. Once reaching the top, we sat atop the sign to take in the views of the town and look back on our week. Soon we heard a band playing music from below, leading a funeral procession of a prominent individual in the community. Starting at the local Catholic Church, the procession walked through the city and arrived near the cemetery just as our group arrived at the same place. It was a first-hand opportunity for us to see how Haitians process grief.
Returning from the climb, we were greeted with the smells of Beatrice and Evenie’s kitchen. We had Spam and stuff (Dan’s quote for the week was “and stuff”). After lunch, we divided into two trucks for food distribution with the help of Mobility Cart Technicians, [formerly known as P.E.T Cart Technicians]. Each team visited previous mobility cart recipients, distributing rice, beans, spaghetti, and cooking oil. The distribution range of mobility carts is approximately a 1.5 hour radius from MH4H Campus. It was an adventure to travel to these remote locations because of the quality of roads that consisted of potholes and dust. It was extremely meaningful to pray and encourage the recipients and their families, providing us with a new appreciation for the Haitian’s ability to maintain joy throughout life’s challenges.
By: Laura Nicholson, Pam Osborn, and Dan Terpstra
