Kevin O'Brien - Reporting from Haiti - Sunday, January 31, 2010

  • Kevin O'Brien
  • Feb 1, 2010
  • Series: Reports from Haiti

Greetings from PAP,

Thank you for praying for me so avidly, Amy (Kevin's wife).  I have to tell you there are several workers that have gotten sick but i feel fine.  Keep praying!

I also have to say that it seems that the supplies are being distributed (no credit to me). I was at an orphanage tonite and was saw 4 large semi-tractor size trucks delivering water and other supplies.  Drove by the Port and did not see that many containers sitting idle.

Need to make an editorial correction to my last email. The DR guy who i heard was mute was actually not mute, but rather chose not to have surgery to correct his speech impediment. The doctor told him he could fix his larynx to speak, but he would not be able to sing.  He chose to keep his singing voice - he really is a good singer and he loves to sing praises to our Lord.

As Kelsey has taught me - "Check all your sources, Dad."

I think we found the new PAP YWAM base.  It is perfect, it fits all the criteria - close to the airport, close to the city, close to destroyed neighborhoods, living quarters ready to move into (almost), and a staging area for trucks and containers.  It even has a small swimming pool.  The only thing it lacks is a willing seller.

It is a guest house owned by a Mennonite couple in Canada.  

I called the daughter who is now in charge and left messages 3x to call me, but no call yet. But I am hopeful.  There was a team of 6 people that went over there today to pray over it.   If God wants us to have it, it will happen.  I keep reminding Him that it looks perfect.

The national director of YWAM is coming into town tomorrow to take a look for himself.

The Haitian guys are afraid to go in any building that has a crack or 4.  Fact is all the Haitians are afraid to sleep in buildings anymore, they sleep outside in the street.  No kidding.  You can hardly drive at night because the streets are made so narrow.

The neatest thing happened last night.  I am on the back portion of the roof taking a water bottle bath (I don't recommend it) when I hear singing out the in the street.  It is growiing louder and louder as if a crowd were marching toward us. Not only were they marching toward us in front of the Palace (govt bldgs) but the crowd of marching singers is growing by the minute.  By the time they rounded the corner, I bet there were over 500 people.  They were singing praise songs to Jesus ... and their national anthem was mixed in as well.

We all just stood there awestruck.

Today was Sunday and I kind of took it easy.  Took a walk around some of the refugee camps.  "Tent city" is a misnomer. Almost no tents but rather tarps, blankets, plywood, whatever they can find to create a shelter.  Squalor.  I feel so sorry for these people who have nothing.

They get offended when I try to take pictures of them, so i sneak a pic on the sly - you know how subtle I am.  I can't get a straight answer as to why they don't like their pics taken.  It is just the opposite in Mexico.  You pull a camera out and everybody poses.

Computer time over.

Give my love to all,

Kevin

(sorry for the all the typos - i don't do well typing in the dark)

Read the next Haiti update from Kevin.

NOTE:
Kevin O'Brien, owner of Agape Construction in Kirkwood, Missouri and a member of Greentree Community Church, left St. Louis on Monday, January 25, to work alongside YWAM (Youth With A Mission) to quickly resolve unique technical challenges in construction, logistics, and machinery with limited resources short term and/or be a part of reconstruction long term.