Certificates and Good-byes

Today was our last day with the Educator Exchange.  The morning was spent with a few more learning activities for students as well as discussion and exercises for active listening.  There was a school principal breakout that was led by Dennis as he addressed some of the challenges brought up by the school principals.

The morning drew to a close with the presentation of certificates for the teachers attending the exchange.  The pastors represented at the Exchange congratulated and presented certificates.

The goal of the afternoon was to make a quick trip up to Desire to show a few of my fellow teammates the project including Dennis who joined me on the trip for the Exchange and is in Haiti for the first time.  We got a couple miles away from the hotel when a rear tire blew.  Knowing there was no spare, Pastor Jeannot set out to find a tire to replace the blown one.  This event might keep us from getting Desire.  About a half hour later, with daylight burning, the tire was changed and we started the long, bouncy journey in Pastor Jeannot's Pathfinder that has seen better days (and shocks).

With the amount of rain we received last night, I was still a bit skeptical that we could make it to Desire on the narrow, often muddy road.  We barely forged the river and creeped through muddy sections of the road before we finally arrived in Desire.

Our visit was short but sweet.  It was difficult because I had seen our kids for a total of about two hours on this trip.  But it was two hours that will sustain me until I return.  All the kids wanted to know where the rest of my family was.  I had the challenge of trying to explain that Kennedi is now married and that her husband is a real special person and now my son.  They had fun looking at a few of 
the wedding photos on my phone.

Tomorrow we worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Pastor Pudens' church at 7:00 am.  Then we make our way back towards Port au Prince to stay at a hotel by a beach before heading home on Monday.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to participate in the Educator Exchange.  I have new insight to new areas of ministry and I look forward to seeing how God may use our church in the future.