VBS awesomeness underway in Haiti

Two team members carrying water for a boy we saw on our walk on Sunday.

The VBS team arrived in pretty good spirits, albeit very delayed, late on Saturday night. They are a repeat group (their 4th year this year) that comes from a church in Maryland to do VBS for kids all week. They are joined by a few newcomers to PID from a church in New England also. Because of the Maryland church's experience, they are very flexible and very organized with how they do VBS here, and judging from the first day and half -- I can see that they run it so well! On Sunday after service at Mr. Phele's church, they organized their (zillions) of craft supplies, etc. Some of us went on a walk later on in the afternoon. I showed the new folks our PID houses, and we met some PID families as well. I shared some of my new knowledge about wells and water access in the area that Intern Evelyn has been teaching me.

David and the VBS kids at morning worship.

Markenly and his flower craft on Monday.

Yesterday (Monday) was the first day of VBS, we had a group of about 75 kids in the morning and 75 in the afternoon, from Blanchard. Today is Cite Soleil kids - with the same amounts of kids. If you are thinking that that sounds like A LOT of kids... you're right! The team handles it really well.

Brian and translator Johnny teaching a devotion to the kids.

For VBS itself, the kids do a worship session all together where they meet the American VBS leaders and the Haitian VBS leaders/translators. They sing and worship, and one of the Americans plays guitar. Then they split into smaller groups where they all get a chance to do yoga/music, Bible story time, and a craft. Then they all get a hot lunch and juice, a gift bag, and they head home. Then in the afternoon the team does it all over again. Yesterday at 4pm I was POOPED. The team is amazing, I don't know how they will do it all week - but I can tell they will. :)

On Sunday another team member (a Licensed Nurse Assistant) and a good friend of Intern Emma, joined us. She is working with Emma in the clinic triaging patients with Suze, shadowing in the Pharmacy, and giving feverish babies cool showers, etc. She has a happy attitude and we are glad to have her.