Hurricane Update # 5 – Sunday Oct 9
Apparently the signal isn’t good down here, and my battery is low, so for the time being, Jamie is playing the role of secretary.
Today, we spent a good part of the day cutting trees, trying to clear the road and salvage any wood that might be helpful. I must say I was glad to dust off our old chainsaw which had been sitting dormant for the past few years and finally put it to some good use. We definitely got more work done than if we only had machetes.
Clearing the Road – Savannette, Haiti
In the afternoon, we were finally able to start surveying the surrounding area to get a better idea of the damage left behind by Hurricane Matthew. From what we’ve gathered, there have been no deaths, but only by the grace of God. Out of the 42 houses we visited, only two were “fineâ€. 11 of them were completely totaled, with nothing to salvage or even put a tarp over, and the rest of them are in desperate need of roofs as they’re currently unlivable, even for the Haitians.
Thankfully, we should have some tarps arriving on Tuesday as two more friends from Jacmel are coming to help us out. Susan Frame and Gala Calisto will be bringing much needed supplies including machetes, roofing screws, plumber’s tape, nails, peanut butter, etc. The plan is to split into two crews, with one team continuing to survey the community, and the other one degaje-ing some makeshift shelters. “Degaje†is a Kreyol term that pretty much means “make do with what you have†or “do what you got to doâ€, which is pretty fitting as we’ll be trying to build some shacks out of the tarps, downed breadfruit trees and whatever else we can find that might be useful. We still have no idea what we will do for the houses that are completely destroyed, but at least it’s a start.
I’ll admit, when I first got here, I was feeling overwhelmed by the devastating needs around me. But as I see people (both local and abroad) coming together to support us and this community, I’m greatly encouraged, and reminded once again that God is good, and faithful to provide.
