Ignite Church Missions trip to Haiti: 10 March 2010: Day Three

Awaking early in the morning, we learn that the (Haitian) Government won't allow us to rebuild a house (Bernard's original plan for us) due to threat of aftershock and for lack of proper building codes.

Our course of action, being plan B, was to seek out the Red Cross and find out how we can help out. They tell us that they need doctors - of which, we have none. Dejected, we drive around till we find the place we learned of earlier (Person one of us met earlier apparently). The place is Greater Works Academy. Turns out Sarah knew Denise, who just happened to be there on her own missions trip. The others that had come with her had already left that Monday and she was glad to see new people there to help.

The academy is an orphanage for girls, but also a school. The girls stay here, safe from the dangers of the outside. As it happens, four of the girls were trapped inside of the rubble for a few hours. Fortunately, no one died.

The bulk of the rest of the day was spent cleaning debris from the part of the building that had collapsed. It's hard work and it's hot (80's and 90's, but the bright sun adds to it the way a chilly breezes adds to the cold of winter). Technically, we are moving debris from one pile to another. However, unlike "santos work" this pile moving serves a purpose and makes a difference.

Afterwards, we took a trip out to Bernard's Church and saw the orphanage there. We met some of the children as well as the tent they were using as their temporary Church.