Wartburg in Haiti
Global Communities
"I'm not trying to save the world, but I can help and hopefully it gets paid forward down the line."
-Lynn Armstrong
Amanda Stecklein
Day 1 - Traveling to Haiti
The anticipation and excitement leading up to our trip are at an all time high. I've been waiting so long for this day to finally be here and the nerves are finally setting in. How will I react to not being able to communicate with my family and friends back home for a whole week? How will this experience change my life and change who I am as a person? Will the things I see and experience cause trauma and problems for me when returning home to the US?
Day 2 - Construction at Canaan
Today was our first day working construction in Canaan. Canaan is a poor city about 15 minutes away from Port Au Prince that was established by people leaving the city after the 2010 earthquake. Most families living in Canaan live in a house made of 4 metal walls and a sheet as a roof. The living conditions of these families and children are so eye opening and heart breaking.
Day 3 - Kids at Canaan
Today we went back to the work site at Canaan. In the morning, we did the same kind of work consisting of sifting rocks and passing concrete. After lunch, when most of the children that live in Canaan got done with school, they came and hung out at the worksite. We had a chance to play with the kids during our breaks and even began to learn some Creole.
Day 4 - Downtown Port Au Prince
Today, after working a half day at the worksite, we traveled to downtown Port Au Prince. First, we stopped at the Haitian National Museum and learned a lot about the different time periods of Haitian history, who had power and when, and how Haiti became the nation that it is today.
Day 5 - Church and Beach Day
This morning, we went to a church service at Marcy's church. The church was a very very nice building and all the people in attendance looked to be pretty well off compared to other Haitians. Everyone was very dressed up and you could tell they all had a very strong faith in Jesus Christ.
Today we worked at the site in Canaan. The day was slow so we had a lot of time to spend with the kids. We sifted rocks and mixed cement and also carried bricks from one house to another. In the afternoon, we learned more Kreyol and played games with the children.
Day 7 - Our Last Day
Today was our last day at the worksite and our last full day in Haiti. At the worksite we dug the foundation of a house just using shovels and a pick. The foundation had to be 2 feet deep and a foot and a half wide. Just after about 10 minutes of digging all of us were completely exhausted.
