This is a really busy place!

Here at the Mission Wesleyenne on La Ganove, there is MUCH activity! 

One of the goals of the ministry here is to provide for those desiring an experience of doing ministry in a third world country.Short term mission work teams come on a regular basis, from Canada, all parts of the US and even Europe!  These teams are housed in the GWOKAY ( pronounced "gwoh k-eye" and meaning big house or guest house ), have their meals there, and get their clean reverse-osmosis filtered water there (no singing in the shower or drinking water out of the spigots, or you might be coping with Haiti's version of Montezuma's  revenge!).  We are currently expecting a general work team from the mid-west today and a medical team tomorrow.  Larry and I are looking forward to welcoming a general work team from South Carolina district the first week of March! 

The work the teams do ranges from providing medical and dental clinics, serving Haitians in different sections of Anse-a-Galets and in the villages up in the hills, or surgical and diagnostic work in the hospital alongside the doctors and nurses here.   Those experienced in building will participate in the projects here on La Gonave, or might be housed in Port-au-Prince and help with the church rebuild projects there that have been ongoing since the earthquake, or assist in building shelter for nationals.
The construction teams on LaGonave work on the three projects that are going on simultaneously,  providing the sound of progress no matter where you stand on the compound, pretty much all day long, six days a week, except for the hour in the middle of the day, when you will find the workers sitting in the shade eating huge portions of beans and rice! 

The new gwo kay will be completed this spring and will double the space the current building offers.  It was designed by a team of architects in Scotland where a large portion of the funding comes from.  That interesting looking trough running longways at the peak of the roof will be lined with a special material and is a state of the art design that, if all goes as planned, will be effective in cooling the building.  In this land of no air conditioning and VERY hot weather, that would be wonderful!  Workers care currently installing ribs on the plywood roof in preparation for the metal sheets ( seen piled up at the corner of the building ) to be installed next!

Another major ongoing project is the new hospital.  When we arrived three weeks ago, the trench foundation for the wall was almosy completed, and within a couple of days, the concrete block wall was in progress - all accomplished by hand and not machine (with the exception of the concrete mixer).  It is now completed and work is to begin within the walls on the foundation for the building.   Our neighbor, Julian, is the project manager for this undertaking.  He contracted out the block work to a Haitian, training him to make his own profit by hiring his own men for the project. 

Our duplex is located just to the right out of sight in this picture.

We were fascinated to watch this man sift the sand through this screen, use the fine sand in the concrete and what was left for the foundation of the wall.  Julian made the comment that he was so pleased with the wall that he was not even going to put a coating of "smooth" on before painting it; he was simply going to paint over the blocks, the Haitians did such a good job. 

It has been very interesting seeing these projects underway.  Now, with the wall finished, the work on the building will be out of sight!  We will have to enter the worksite to check on the progress instead of just looking from our front porch.

Then, across the street from the main compound is another part of the Mission Wesleyenne.  There, a "triplex" is being built.  This will afford an apartment on each end with a school room for the missionary children in the middle. 

And, not far from this triplex and across the street from the main gate into the Wesleyan compound is the public library that is being constructed by WISH, West Indies Self Help, an organization housed next door to the Wesleyan compound and run by Global Partners missionaries.

Busy, productive, encouraging activity!  An exciting place to be!

And, perhaps you can understand that when Sunday comes, it is VERY quiet here.  

And on that day, 

on that day only,

a "Wesleyan Hour"

 ( one of those GREAT Sunday afternoon naps!)

is truly a possibility!