For folks checking in, plus, a note from Keith

Just a quick note for people checking in. All four brigade members are here and tomorrow we head up to Papaye-Hinche. The four visitors plus Jenny will fly up with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship)--a twenty minute flight. I will drive up with Fenes, with most of the luggage and parts and pieces. And the two solar panels and batteries Keith and I purchased today for house Jenny and I will hopefully be moving into soon.

The Google Earth coordinates are 19 12 27.28, -71 58 59.94.

Many blessings.

Mark and Jenny

FROM KEITH

All,Bill left at 7 this morning with Tracee to go to Dumay. Mark, Fenes Louis the MPP driver, and I went shopping this morning. We picked up some supplies for Jenny's lab and then went for electrical supplies. We went to a hardware store where Mark is well known. I was introduced to the owner Gito and his wife Patricia as well as all of the staff. We went through Dad's list. They had 3/4 inch pvc but it is very thin. I think we got enough of the correct fittings. They had the wire we needed in #12 and #10. The ground rods are only 5 feet instead of 8. Then we went to look at solar panels. Turns out that all of Marks batteries are bad so we ended up buying two 12 volt 50 watt Kyocera solar panels and two new Trojan T105 185 amp hour deep discharge batteries. Most of you don't care about these details but Bruce, Dad and I have been discussing them. We had talked about going out to Dumay but by the time we unloaded the supplies at the MPP office it was too late to find Dumay and make it back to pick up Tim and Mary Beth at 4. So we went to a restaurant for lunch. After we ordered, Finnes picked up Jenny so the four of us ate toghether. The main street is pretty smooth but very crowded. The side streets are a bit rough. Tim and Mary Beth's plane appears to be only 30 minutes late. We are leaving shortly to meet them. By the way, my blackberry works in Port au Prince so I can send and receive e-mail as well as phone calls.

Keith

From Keith

All,I met up with Bill Gettye in the Miami airport. Our flight to PAP was about 90 minutes late but all of our luggage arrived. We went through customs with no problems, maybe because we were the last plane and were late and everyone wanted to go home. Mark met us with the MPP truck and the driver, Fenes, who drove us to St Joseph's home for boys and guest house. Jenny is here as well as Tracee Karaffa's team. We had a decent dinner and are hanging out. Tomorrow, Bill is going with Tracee to Dumay. Mark and I are parts shopping then maybe going to Dumay.

Keith

Waiting for family and friends in Port au Prince

Mark, working with friends, starting to fence in a small (about 1/2 an acre) piece of land where he will try out farming techniques and grow food for his own household. The land belongs to MPP (Mouvman Peyizan Papay--Farmer's Movement of Papay). Photo by Jenny Bent, all rights reserved.







The biggest news this week is that Jenny and I are in Port au Prince, waiting for my brother, Keith Hare and three friends, Bill Gettys, Tim VanFleet and Mary Beth Poland. On Saturday, after everyone has finished arriving, we will all head up to Hinche-Papay. Mom and Dad, Catherine and Frank Hare, were also going to be here, but due to last minute difficulties, they won't be able to come at this time.

Work planned for the week includes electrical improvements in MPP's Integrated Health Clinic where Jenny has been responsible for starting an running a small medical laboratory . The crew will also work on installing wires and fixtures in the house where Jenny and Mark will soon be living, up the mountain in Bassin Zim. Also, if all goes well, Dr. Tim VanFleet and Mary Beth Poland will provide one or two days of medical consultation at the clinic, while Keith and Bill do other things. Keith and Bill'specialities lean more towards diagnosing computer code, versus colds, heartburn or typhoid.

Jenny came into Port au Prince from Nicaragua yesterday, around 2:00 in the afternoon. I came in yesterday morning, with Fenes, the MPP driver, as well as a truckload of folks who asked for a ride from Hinche and Papay, along with all of the charcoal, cornmeal and other food supplies folks asked us to take to Port au Prince to their kids who are studying in high school or the University here. Since the folks studying in Port can't work in the fields, they have to buy all of their food, which is an incredible hardship for most. Parents and family in Papay usually don't have money to send, so they send food. The truck was about half people and half food and supplies. Three or four deep cycle batteries as well. As soon as we entered the outskirts of greater Port au Prince (Croix des Bouquets), we began delivering people and goods, one by one, until we got to Delmas 91, up the mountain on the way to Petionville, it was my turn to get dropped off, at St. Joseph Home for Boys and Guest House.


Jenny in the medical lab she has started in the MPP's Integrated Health Clinic, "Mironda Heston." The microscope is a high quality German brand, built to deal with high heat and humidity. We purchased it in Nicaragua with funds from the Mironda Heston memorial fund. Photo by Mark Hare, all rights reserved.