We were awakened at 6:00am, as the construction team preferred getting off to an early start. Dave, Scott and I had lower bunks in the mens dorm, while Emily was housed in the ladies dorm (which I never saw). Dave and Scott elected to remain in bed, while I got up to explore.

Normally, a team would get an orientation tour when they arrive, but we arrived two days after the rest of our team and missed this. So, being inquisitive, I wandered around the compound while the construction team made and ate their breakfast.

The compound is right on the ocean, with perhaps 150m of frontage. Separating the compound from the ocean is a wrought-iron fence, beyond which is perhaps six or eight metres of rocky beach.

Most mornings, and this one was no exception, groups of Haitian fishermen could be seen. Several local rowboats as well as some 15-20m Lateen sailboats would make their way past. Occasionally, a group of fishermen would congregate on a broken concrete pier to pull in a drift net (carried out by a row boat). Other Haitians, sometimes with goats, would pass the compound on their way back and forth between a nearby river and their homes.

The water varied in colour between blue and turquoise depending on the time of day. 

Bethany, a member of my team from Ohio, let me know that our breakfast was ready (I had cereal and a glass of juice), so I sat in the outdoor eating area and got to know the others a little better. Emily, Scott, and eventually Dave came down for breakfast as well. Once we had finished, we filled out water bottles for the day and loaded into an old truck (perhaps an old cattle truck) for the drive to M.P.C.A.

Once we reached National Road 1, the smells and oppressive heat assailed me again. I had not noticed either at the compound, right on the ocean with a permanent breeze... but back on the highway and riding through Lanzac, both were back. Even while passing the squalor of Lanzac, I couldn't help but be struck by the beauty of the country, with the ocean always to the right and mountains to the left.

M.P.C.A. is the largest school operated by Mission Possible. With almost 1300 students and a dozen buildings, plus property all the way to the ocean, it was a huge school! The Ohio members of our team had registered students at two schools before we arrived, so they had a good strategy for tackling this one. We setup in a nice shady area and divided into two photography teams. I was paired with Stephanie, as was Emily. Scott and Dave were paired with Theresa.

The process was pretty simple, as follows:

1. Lindsay was organizing each class and handing out nametags, one per child.
2. When a class was ready, a "runner" would bring the entire class down to our photography area.
3. We would take each child's nametag, attach it to a lanyard, then place the lanyard and nametag around the child's neck. For older children, we often gave them the lanyard to put on themselves.
   
4. The child, now wearing a nametag, stays in line until it is his or her turn to be photographed.
5. When the time comes, the child is positioned to be photographed. Generally, this meant having an attractive background and no other children in frame. It also meant careful positioning to avoid sunlight, as sunlight often spoiled the photos. It also often meant adjusting the nametag, as the lanyard needed to be under the collar and even.
   
6. After the photograph, the child is led off to the side, stripped on the lanyard and nametag, and sent either to wait in a group or back to class (depending on the teacher).

The photographs are used for the Mission Possible sponsorship system, as sponsoring the children pays for the school and their healthy meal every day.


At the beginning, my job was to help Stephanie get the child into position and then guide them away after the photo was taken. I also gathered up lanyards and name tags.The lanyards were reused for the children, as we only had twenty or so. Nametags were used for a couple of purposes... but mainly as a confirmation that the child was indeed photographed. Some were reused, with the names of new children (or ones without birth certificates) written on the blank side. Mission Possible does not turn children away, and neither did we.

Half way through the day, we switched jobs and I started taking photographs.

With Stephanie helping, I took the photos of perhaps 300 children before switching back with her... as I was starting to feel a little ill. Bethany and the nurse were quite concerned, treating me as if I might have cholera (better safe than sorry), and soon everyone was aware of my cholera scare. Still, I managed to stay in action and worked until we finished. Lindsay, our team leader, also had a scare. She was twelve weeks pregnant and suffered heat exhaustion... but by the end of the day she was feeling better as well.
Resting and waiting for transport back to the Mission Possible compound, photo courtesy of Scott Cantelo

We rode back to the compound in the cattle truck after a long, hot, humid day. I was exhausted, sweaty and dirty, and still feeling ill. Once we got back to the compound, I took a quick shower and changed into cooler clothing to relax for the evening. Pastor Herve had the beach gate unlocked and Lindsay had no work planned, so we had our first chance to stroll the beach and relax.

Because I was feeling ill and exhausted from the long, hot day, I only spent five minutes on the beach before heading back into the compound. Still, I managed to find a handful of interesting shells and take some video/photos, first.


You cannot go to a caribbean island and not take some photos of palm trees... and the next photograph is the required "sunset on the ocean through a palm leaf". Cliché? Maybe, but it was beautiful.


We ate a filling dinner and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I filled my water bottle and went to bed around 10:30pm, feeling quite ill. It was a good day, though, the Ohio team could not have gotten through all the children today without our help... and those children were fantastic.