One of the really great things about (finally!) getting to visit St Michel last month is that it gave Jim, Johnny and me a chance to see the new orphanage facilities first hand – and be able to identify the most urgent and immediate needs that still need to be addressed.
Here’s a quick summary…
Recently completed projects: One of the first things we noticed was that, even though new beds had been purchased for the orphanage last September, the children were basically sleeping on what amounted to little more than tiny scraps of foam rubber and old, worn out sheets – so just in the past 4 weeks we’ve been able to buy new mattresses, pillows, and linens for all the children, and have them transported from Cap Haitian to St Michel (see photo above).
Current and ongoing projects: Thanks to those of you who’ve continued helping out financially with various orphan care needs, we also had enough funding in place to get started with the next-most-urgent set of projects, which include building two separate latrine and shower facilities (one for the boys, one for the girls), and building a long kitchen table with benches for all the children to be able to eat together. All those items are currently under construction, and hopefully will be completed by the time that Jeff and Cindy Payne, Louis Meilinger and I visit St Michel again in July.
Anticipated future projects: If we have the necessary funding in place, we hope also to be able to complete other essential items within the next few months, including tile flooring (instead of just the hard gray concrete), improvements to the kitchen facilities, and the installation of inside plumbing.
Once again, I am humbled and amazed by the generosity of so many of you who have made all this possible – THANK YOU again for all your love, prayers, and support of our efforts to minister to “the least of these” in Haiti.
