We spent the day with Pastor Vital Elie in his community of Gelée and the community where his church is, Sous-Roche.

The drive into the community made it obvious the damage that was caused by the storm. There were large uprooted trees, and many houses had shiny new tin roof panels where the old ones had been turn off by the winds. And many more were still covered by tarps. We were told the tin was provided by international aid organizations, but some roofs were not repaired with new tin because the structure was not stable enough to support it.

We then took a walk down the beach, and had a chance for the team to help some fishermen pull in their nets. This was exciting, even for those of us who had done this before, because we had never been here for the finish. This trip, we actually got to see the net come in.

Even after all these trips, I am still amazed by the amount of work that it takes for the small amount of fish they receive.
After fishing, we headed back to Pastor Vital’s church. The structure is still covered with tarps, and he was busy mopping up the floor from the rain the night before. He talked with us about some of the hardships of the area, and then took us on a walking tour of Sous-Roche.

We visited several houses, and then walked down to the local water borehole. There was a big difference in flow from what we had seen at the new borehole in another community of La Croix yesterday. He told us that it flowed like the new one until the earthquake happened, but since then has put out a lot less flow.
The afternoon was spent with the local children, playing games and discussing the virtue of the month, honor. We taught them that when you give others a chance to participate, it honors them.

This morning, we are preparing for church in the community. Your continued prayers are appreciated.

• Dave Breaux