Tuesday, January 16, 2018

EBC: Anna & Abbie Day 2 (Cite Soleil Water Truck)

Anna & Abbie Day 2
This morning we woke up to the smell of coffee brewing in the coffee pot and breakfast being made in the kitchen. We had a large breakfast spread- including pancakes, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, juice, and oatmeal.
We cleaned our dishes, talked about our day, and squeezed into the tap tap for a (slightly bumpy) ride into Cite Soleil.
Our tap tap followed a water truck into the different districts. When we unloaded we were greeted by children running up to us, grabbing our hands and asking to be picked up. While some people played and held the kids, the other half worked hard at filling up buckets of water. There was even some friendly competition among the team members- with Carlee and Mike carrying the heavy buckets above their heads. (We clearly have the largest biceps in the group, so hearing the grown men complain about their tired arms all night is getting a little irritating.)
We even had the opportunity to help serve lunch at one of the schools there. There is no way to describe the smiles of the kids when you pick them up or show them some love. It’s only day one of the trip and so far it’s been worth every minute. The experience in Cite Solei today was fascinating and one that’s hard to put into words. The kids begged to be held and even though we couldn’t communicate perfectly with them, it was easy to see that they craved the attention and love we gave them.

When we got back to the guesthouse we quickly rinsed off- we were filthy after delivering water to 3 different districts. After that we relaxed at the pool at a nearby hotel and came back home to dinner- chicken yakisaba. Tonight we spent time up on the balcony discussing the challenges and highlights of the day and ended it with prayer and a slideshow of pictures from today. It was the perfect way to end the day and soak in all that we did. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for us tomorrow! 

EBC: Good Morning (Day 2)