Day 4

     To begin day four, we started our day with French Toast (with syrup and Nutella) and Scrambled Eggs (with peppers mixed in). After that hearty breakfast, we took some time to get ready, and then left in the tap-tap for Peace Cycle, a really cool little company. Their goal is to help provide jobs for the Haitians, to clean their community, and to produce products that could be sold in the marketplace. All of these things can be accomplished by the following three things: the dedication of the Haitian workers, faith in God, and little plastic bags. Over five million of the little plastic bags, typically filled with cold water, are used in Haiti every day. Peace Cycle takes these bags and, in a way, recycles them. First, they wash and sanitize the bags, then they sort them into smaller piles, and they use a charcoal iron to press multiple layers of bags into a single, stronger sheet. After that, they cut them into a specific pattern, and finally, these little plastic rectangles are sewn together to create all sorts of cool things, from totes to pencil pouches to laptop bags. All of this work is being done by Haitians, for Haitians. It's a way to provide jobs for the Haitians, and it also helps clean up Haiti (both of which are really good things).
     After a long (and bumpy) trip from Peace Cycle, we reached the Haitian museum of history. We learned about the enslavement of the Haitians, their previous leaders, and about their founding fathers. We also got to see some Haitian artwork within the museum, and we enjoyed the air-conditioned facility, an oasis in the desert-like heat of Haiti. Finally, we reached the last stop of the day: La Lue, an orphanage filled with smiling faces. We had loads of fun playing with the kids, drawing with them, and overall enjoying their company. Some of our team members played hacky-sack with them which quickly progressed into a soccer game. While others were drawn on with face paint markers, some escaped that fate by sculpting pipe cleaners for the kids, effectively distracting them. But, the ones who were drawn on, like Isaac, Aurora, Tony, Regan, and Emily, ended up being "beautiful pieces of art." 
     Once we got back to the house, we relaxed and walked to the pool a block away. It was refreshing after the sweltering heat and caring for/carrying kids. We spent a fair amount of time there, and then came back for a delicious dinner of the following: meatballs, rice with beans, chicken, beet salad, some assorted vegetables, and plantain cookies. After a bit of time to relax and let our food settle, we all got together to talk about the word of the day and do our devotions. Finally, to end the night, we were taught how to Salsa dance. It was a wonderful time to goof off and to just be silly as a group. We all laughed a lot, and learned a new skill in the process. Overall, it was a very busy day, but it was very enjoyable.

-Rory (Aurora) & Ross