A quick update on food distribution – we’re at about the half way point meaning we have completely distributed about two of four containers. The pace the last few days has been absolutely break neck compared with our speed in February and March. However, thanks to God our plan is working, at least the parts that have survived contact with the enemy.
I have had to modify our strategy a little. The boats are proving a little slower than I’d hoped and the trucks on the island are a lot faster than before due to our larger, less frequent distribution points, the schools. Also, security in Anse Galets has been better than I expected so far. (That can change so please don’t stop praying.) Security on the far shore has been a little worse than I expected. (Don’t sweat that, if you remember part of the new plan is that we’re paying someone to guarantee the food until it reaches the island so he will replace any losses we might incur.) What all that boils down to is I’m going to do more trucking on the island and less boat runs around it.
We’ll still be going around to some of the coastal towns hopefully on Monday but the large network of trucks that our economist has arranged for are making pretty short work of our supply. I’ve been out for the last couple days on some of these runs. I see my role before distribution as strategic and administrative but during it my most important job is providing accountability to our system. I’m also constantly making sure various things arrive when they should and various people connect, but my foremost job is observation. I am in as many places as possible so that we can all know that the food went where it should and so that I can find and fix problems with logistics or security before they get very big. I’m happy to report, so far, that our food is going exactly where we want it to – especially into store rooms in schools from where it will be given out to lots of children and their families in the coming weeks.
On a personal note, the experience of this is very fast and often almost, but never quite, chaotic. I have a kind of constant sense that if I don’t watch carefully and make things right, they won’t be made right. I guess that’s called caring about my job and it makes it pretty easy to get up at 4:30 and not mind.
Contrary to that pace, however, there is a sudden pause this weekend and I’m going to take the opportunity to connect intelligently with our players to make sure we have a good week coming. I was planning to go to Port au Prince for a mad rush delivery of the remaining tarps, which are sorely needed or will be the next night it rains, but after praying about it I feel very convicted that I must not go. I’ll confess the series of transports I needed to get there tomorrow, around for distribution, and to St Marc on Monday early were a little on the sketchy side, but not too much worse than normal. Still, turning a deaf ear to God is about the most stupid thing I can do here so I’m listening to Him and staying here.
Please pray that I hear Him on all things for the coming week. Pray that every arrangement that needs to be made, will be. Pray for all of the people in our network, but especially for our economist consultant, Jean Paul Donn, and his assistant Fridy, who are so critical to our work. Finally, please pray for our success in this whole endeavor and that all the glory goes to God.
HS.
Caleb
