Linda shares:
Our last day of work -- tomorrow will be travel day back to Port-au-Prince, and Friday we head home.
On our way out to the work site this morning, we stopped at the clinic in Olivier. We passed along all the medical supplies we had brought with us from the folks back home. They were very much needed and appreciated. We learned that the incidents of cholera are decreasing, and that some of the most common issues are malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, parasites, vaginal infections, and digestive problems. The clinic is staffed by a nurse only (no doctor at all), and sees about 15 people per day.
Guess what we got to do at the work site today? Sift more sand - yay! But we did also get a chance to learn a new skill - chiseling concrete. We chiseled the foundation sill where concrete had dropped as the workers had worked on the sides of the building.
What was great about today was how the team was able to connect on a more interactive level with Michel, Emmanuel, and some of the others. The children sang for us, then we sang together. We taught them the English words to some songs, and they taught us the Creole.
After we finished our work for the day, cleaned up the site a little, and played with the children one last time, it was time for us to say our goodbyes. This was hard. Our hearts have connected - we have become a greater community together. We have become brothers and sisters working and playing side-by-side. We have shared our love for each other. This is what we came here to do. There will always be work that needs to be done, and it will get done with or without us. We have contributed our labor and our sweat, but that is not as important as having shared our presence, our hearts, and our support.
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