Easter Update

Happy Easter from Haiti! After the safe arrival into Port au Prince (PAP), the team loaded more than 100 pieces of luggage and everyone climbed into 1 of the 3 trucks for the hour long ride to Love A Child (LAC), our home for the next 7 days. As we journeyed through a section of PAP, we were reminded again of the resiliency of the people who have endured devastating circumstances. These Haitians, along with others who have traveled here before us, have been very active clearing the roads and byways of debris left from the earthquakes that destroyed or damaged much of this city. The survivors are trying to put their lives back together the best they can.

Upon entering the LAC campus we were struck by the stark contrast between LAC and most of what we saw before. The staff at LAC works extremely hard to offer the nicest and safest facility they can for the people here. The orphanage, once housing about 60 children, is now home to over 1000 surviving, displaced Haitians, many of whom have suffered life-altering injuries. But as I type this update, early Sunday morning, we can hear the children running, laughing and playing as they take turns showering and getting dressed in preparation for Easter Sunday service.

Saturday was our 1st full day here and the team didn't waste any time starting on the playground or getting the warehouse organized. We moved a lot of the playground equipment over to the site of the installation and the volunteers began organizing the different playground parts. Tim Clauson and some of the team began to figure out which pieces go where while others began digging the holes that had been marked out already. The LAC staff made sure that fresh water was delivered often to the volunteers.

Those who worked in the warehouse worked diligently alongside the LAC staff moving, re-stacking and re-packing boxes to make room for the anticipated shipment Monday morning. Some of the volunteers had the opportunity to travel with our hosts, Bobby and Sherry Bennett, to one of their food distribution centers to hand out some of the food packets that were packed in Rockford! We learned too that the center they were helping at would've run out of food yesterday if the container we shipped hadn't arrived when it did! God's timing is perfect.

We concluded the evening celebrating Lee Erickson's birthday and John Bakken's wedding anniversary during dinner and then enjoyed a wonderful evening breeze that brought refreshment to our souls. We are looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord this morning with the orphans and refugees in Haiti. Until our next report, thank you for your support and prayers for the team in Haiti. Keep them coming!

For the team...

Mike Young
Kids Around the World