Making our way to Jeremie. . .

Yesterday was a travel day, with the Kellers, McClellands, Smiths and Wilkinsons all converging on Atlanta from different flights originating in Detroit, Flint and Sarasota.  Between the 8 of us, we had north of 20 pieces of luggage. . .the contents of 14 duffels (700 lbs) are all "leave behinds" (medicines, tools, baby blankets, computers, etc.), and all of our personal luggage contains more of these same items.  It is always a bit chaotic arriving in PaP and making your way through Customs and past the phalanx of eager porters between you and your ground transportation. . .but alls well that ends well, and we made it to our overnight stop next to the airport and puddle-jump onto Jeremie this morning.

We have a busy week planned and will spend the balance of today cutting and bagging pills and organizing other medicines for a mobile medical tomorrow in Chiraque.  Some of our party will pitch in on the church reconstruction effort in Chiraque, where we hope to rededicate the church on Sunday.  It seemed like an impossible task. . .clearing the debris of the old church away and building a new, somewhat smaller church on the same site. . .in a little over 3 months!

Despite having just shovels, sledgehammers, pic-axes and wheelbarrows at their disposal, the new church is nearly complete!  Yesterday, an army of villagers were bucket-brigading cement for the floor.  Their spirit and energy is hard to bet against!




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