Marcus is tired. Today we poured some concrete on a new roof which will expand the living quarters for some of the older girls here. Pouring concrete here in Canaan is quite an experience. Everyone gets up early and a mixer is brought in. Almost all of the kids make a line so they can pass these old, rickety buckets full of concrete. I had the honor of being one of the guys filling the mixer with buckets of sand, concrete, and gravel. As far as I can tell that was the worst possible job. My coworker was the other American male missionary, Josh. Needless to say we aren't used to such work in the Haitian heat. We survived, but just barely.
School started here on Monday. Things went fairly well. I'm having a little trouble figuring out exactly what my responsibilities are. I'm a little concerned that the staff turns to me too quickly, but that is somewhat normal for visiting missionaries (or CCV's......Cross-Cultural Volunteers) from what I can tell. I get along well with the staff and I'm confident everything will work out.
School got out early on Friday so I spent the afternoon helping Bobi in the clinic. The clinic has two local nurses who do a fantastic job with limited resources. Bobi has been helping manage the clinic while Elsie (who usually does it) has been away. She also helps in the pharmacy a fair amount. I helped sort through medication and update a few records. The clinic handles 40-50 people a day. People generally come very early to get a good spot in line, but some sit outside the clinic all day waiting to be seen. Sometimes they get a bit impatient and the nurses have to put the smack down a bit. It's fun to witness those times.
So all in all things are going well. I will actually be flying back to the States on the 19th to spend some time with my family and Bobi's family. I know I won't be able to see all of you, but hopefully I'll catch up to a few of you.
Until next time......
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What kinds of things do the staff turn to you for?
ReplyDeleteTypically it is very practical stuff, like where certain materials are, things of that nature. It has actually gotten a little better as I have stopped trying to do everything myself. I also think they realize that I want to assist in the school, not run the whole thing. Roles here at Canaan are very hard to define, and that makes things difficult sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI too love it when the nurses put the smack down. I think they kind of enjoy it sometimes with how big they're smiling while they do it. They're pretty amazing sometimes.
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