There are two additional bedrooms we need to paint at the orphanage and we are up for the challenge to get them done today. Before we head to the orphanage, we go further up the mountain to see one of the homes being built by the missionaries from Lott Carey. 
Two teams before us, mostly skilled-labor men helped lay/pour the foundation and put up the walls. The team prior to ours help put the roof on. By US standards this home is not much. Probably no more than 250-300 square feet across two rooms. There is no kitchen and there will be no indoor plumbing. The electricity will be supplied by solar panels. However, to the grandmother who became the primary guardian to her 4 grandchildren when her daughter died, it’s the greatest thing which could have happened to her. Her previous home was one of the 29 destroyed during the mudslide in 
August 2015 following torrential rain storms in the region. I believe God ordained triumph out of their tragedy! Below is a picture of their new home. And the view they will have from their new home is what one of our team members called, “a million-dollar view”. You be the judge:
These two pictures show the panoramic view from the home…to the west is the sea!…and to east are the mountains.
Our team puts the first coat of paint on the walls in both bedrooms at the orphanage before lunch and finish things off afterwards. Before we break for the day we visit what is called “the little orphanage”. We are told that Ms. Lynn was headed up the mountain one day and came across a small home with about 10 children in it. It turns out the children were orphans being cared for by the pastor of a nearby church. The pastor was doing his best but didn’t have the resources to care for his charges, who were malnourished and sleeping on sheets on the floor. Ms. Lynn immediately committed to providing food for the children and continues to do so to this day. She also sent her team in to build a kitchen area and a bathroom in the back of the home. She also built beds for the children so that they no longer have to sleep on the floor. These children are shy and somewhat wary of strangers but after a while, they are coloring and painting pictures with members of our team.
Later in the day the guys in our group head over to spend time at the teenage boys home. Their small house is located next to the 
Grandma’s House. The five young men who call this home are all orphans and they provide labor for many of the projects in and around the mission. A couple of the boys have tutors because they have had no formal education and are too old to attend primary school classes with the younger children. Two of the young men are currently attending secondary school during the afternoon. The six men on our team spend about an hour pouring out our love and God’s spirit over these young men. We prayed with them and for them, and quoted scripture. We charged them to do what is right in the eyes of God and those who are watching over them. They seem focused and thankful for the opportunities they have been afforded and they each know that the hand of God is upon them. Our team makes a commitment to stay involved in their lives. Pictured below are Selmi, who is one of the young men living in the home who is currently in secondary school, missionaries Ralph Taylor, Tony Taylor and Erving McDaniels, and our translator, Junior.
Afterwards we head over to the community soccer field to watch a match. Earlier in the week one of our team members graciously purchased cleats for the entire soccer team…that’s 12 pairs of cleats! It’s the first time some of these young men have ever played in proper footwear. LOOK AT GOD!!! The guys were so appreciative and were happy we came by to watch them play. Unfortunately the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
The ladies on our team spent time at the teenage girls home while we were hanging with the fellas. They won’t talk much about what went on but it is obvious they had a great time. They have invited the girls to come to our hotel for some girl-time and swimming tomorrow (Friday).
When we return to our hotel, there are quite a few additional people there. Ms. Lynn Joseph and her husband Pastor John Joseph have returned to Carries from another mission they manage in the region of Plaisance. They also brought the mission director and his family back with them. Plaisance is in the southwest part of Haiti and was hit hard by hurricane Matthew. They shared with us over dinner that 11 of the 13 churches in their region were destroyed or lost their roof. Additionally, hundreds of homes were lost and several thousand people are without a place to stay. They have been working ferociously to help as many as they can and reported that they were able to help repair the roofs on 3 churches so far as well as several homes. Unfortunately they also lost 3 children in their orphanage to cholera which was personally devastating to them. They are here on a forced 10 day sabbatical.