Just finished yet another delicious meal here at out Host Home of Tony and Myrtha.  Fried chicken with cornmeal as one of the sides. Cornmeal and rice are  also  common staples of the Haitian diet.
The kitchens in all the homes we have toured since our arrival ( whether it was a sod,tin or concrete) have been outside related to the heat and lack of electricity to air condition the home.  This morning we woke up to a breakfast of Pumpkin soup!  I have to admit I did take a look at the time to double check if I had overslept of not!   Pumpkin soup is a traditional Haitian breakfast.  A soup Haitians were not allowed to have back in the days of slavery! It was very good and something I could get use to having for breakfast.
AsI enjoy all the new and interesting food I can't help but think of all the people outside of those gates that are not eating...and again I wonder, How can I make a difference, I'm just one person...THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM WITHOUT FOOD HERE, why do I have so much and they have so little? Its true they have so little, but why are they so happy?  It seems the longer I am here, the more questions I have then answers!  Maybe tomorrow the answers will come!

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One of the things I am privileged to experience is leading StarTeams. Right now I am in Haiti with a team comprised of a family. Three generations of the same family. As Haiti makes its impression they grow and come to better understand the fantastic people of Haiti.

Today at the Boyer school, they were mobbed by the children. All 400 plus that were in attendance today. They loved to touch and be close to the "blanc". The youth were excited when Alec brought out an American Football and showed them how to throw. Tomorrow we go Rigaud and begin doing the roof work they came to accomplish!

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What started as am opportunity to walk across the road and share some candy with a little Hatian girl, that's when it hit me!  The realization of just how urgent the needs of this country are.  Although we did not speak the same language, we did have something in common, family. 
There was a woman that must not have been  far away, because as I approached her child she approached me.  She began struggling to find words I could understand.  She was asking me to look closer at the haqnd  that was supposed to accept the candy.  It was hyper extended and the contractures  made it impossible to hold it in a normal position. At the same time I was looking at this deformed arm, a man suddenly appeared. He was pointing at his eyes that were shining like frozen tears. The scleras were yellow. Even with the language barrier we both knew he was in discomfort. I laid my hand gently on his abdomen and he shook his head yes. That was where the pain was.
My heart broke for this man and for the little girl. I knew how I would feel if it was my family.  How can this family get help with no means of support, no transportation and in some areas no clinics.
 My first night in Haiti and while I was laying in bed I  a sked myself, now what?  How can  I, one person make a difference when the need is so great, so urgent? 
 Maybe I will discover that over the next few days, maybe not!
Nancy Wetig, Great Bend Kansas

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Haiti Day 2 (The Need Is Great)

Today we had the opportunity to deliver over 100lbs of school supplies, as well as a suitcase full of shoes, and several soccer balls, football balls, and basketballs to two schools.

It was a great experience meeting the students and staff at Boyer School, but I soon realized that the need is GREATER than I could have ever imagined. I wish I could have given more..., but we simply didn't have enough. Some of these children walk up to three miles one way to come to school, to get one hot meal, and to learn. It is amazing how happy one little piece of candy, one new pencil, a pad of paper, or a folder, etc., can make a child, who on any other given day may or may not have the essentials to survive.

I continue to be unable to express the living conditions we see, but, I can tell you the people of Haiti are friendly, happy, and grateful.

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Deforestation in Haiti is a severe environmental problem. In 1923, over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; by 2006, less than 2% was. There are several reasons for that.

It started with the independence Haiti won in 1804. For the freedom France demanded a payment of 90 million gold francs (equivalent to some 20 billion dollar today) for lost property. Haiti's trees were felled and exported to France, in order to service the debt.

One of the main problems in more recent times has been logging operations, in response to Port-Au-Prince intensified demand for charcoal. And most people in Haiti still use wood / charcoal for cooking.

A direct effect to this deforestation is soil erosion. Each year some 15,000 acres of soil is washed away. It also damages dams, roads, houses and more.

I have seen all this during my time in Haiti. It is really sad. So I’m really happy to see the nursery tree project at the Star of Hope school in Bois Negresse. The school is preparing coffee and grapefruit plants to distribute to children in the end of school year. This will among other things teach the kids how to guard the trees, which is very important for the future. You can really see on the images that the kids are eager to learn more about tree planting. Great stuff!

Pictures below by Tony Boursiquot, Star of Hope project manager in Haiti.

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