As you can see from the pictures attached, Jack got a little private corner he can hide behind...if he finds time to communicate with you guys and also keep up with the entire inventory.
Jack in the new "office"
Ken processing a box of goods.
Jim and Charley loading the new shelf!
We already have 15 pages of single spaced items inventoried and on the shelves.
Work area for sorting
Here is a picture of a hole we’ve made in the lot beside our tent where we’ve moved loads of items into the tent.
Open spot on the lot!!
We took off about 6 p.m. for dinner, which we got from some local Haitians who buy food at the UN and come over here to the hospital and grill us hamburgers, and chicken burgers. It’s really good, but a little expensive. It tastes soooo good after eating MREs every day!
Tonight we’ve got to pull a long night and take inventory of all the prescription medical supplies for the big boss. He doesn’t want to run out and needs to know if he’s got enough to keep the hospital running, etc. For some reason he needs it by morning...so we will work till who knows when. Doctors and pharmacists have helped us classify the drugs so we’re hoping it won’t take too long as we’re all very tired.
I was trying to think how I could share the atmosphere here and I’m not sure I can, but let me try a little bit. First of all we’re located right beside the airport runways which land big planes and helicopters day and night so you know how loud that is. Secondly all the big tents are air-conditioned for the hospital (not our supply tent) so there are very large generators running 24/7. There are day shifts and night shifts and of course we live right beside all this so we hear people all night long, especially the locals who seem to really come alive and love to laugh and talk from around 10 to midnight.
For atmosphere we are surrounded with a large block wall that backs up against a heavily traveled road where cars and trucks beep their horns constantly...it’s a way of life for them! We also have chain fences wherever there isn’t a block wall. Haitian guards are watching those areas.
Our row of out door latrines goes for about a block and a half along the block wall. Right behind the big sleeping tent for the doctors and nurses is a urinal location for men to use. It only covers up to your waist! I only tried it once and that was enough for me. Of course the showers are just 4 showers that have a piece of plywood in front that covers from your knees up to your chest. We teased big Charley and said we could see all the way to his navel since he’s so tall. The water is very cold and we usually have a breeze by the time we get to shower and that makes it difficult to keep the curtain covering your body and also makes it colder getting out. Of course we all wear bathing suits...not everyone does and you have to watch or you may see more than you want to.
Food is never certain. One night Jim had a chocolate shake that he made out of an MRE package and I had a chocolate brownie. We both were still hungry, but made it OK. I’ve gotten brave enough to eat some of the local meals they bring in for the hospital staff, which is usually rice with a touch of some kind of meat (could be pork, beef or goat) but who knows? They also serve a corn mush with about 3 pieces of pork on top of it as one of their other basics. If you’re hungry, it tastes pretty good. The MREs now taste better and better as we get more used to them and get hungry. We drink a lot of water, Gatorade, and fruit drinks that we make up from the MREs. We can get a regular Coke or Sprite, but no diets when the UN fellows grill for us.
Now that I’ve tried to share a little of the sights and sounds, please don’t think I’m complaining. We all know we are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing and God is blessing our efforts. We do appreciate your continued prayers and do need them to help sustain us. The pictures won’t be very exciting today as I’ve not been out to take any others.
- Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment