Rumors Are Plenty

This mission is a really interesting sociology experiment. I feel a little like I am back in junior high on this mission... Who is going to sit with who at meal time... Who is pulling their work load... Which in the group is most annoying (usually a clear winner in every group). Who complains the most (or the least which is my preference). The rumor mill is churning even as we sleep. It's like we all when confined to a space together as adults regress a little bit to the awkward social behaviors of pre teens. And that rumor mill extends itself to all facets of the mission including how and when the mission will change and or end. At the beginning of the day the mission is moving to the left or being shortened. By the end of the day it's being moved to the right and being extended. One hour all NGO's aboard are leaving at the same time... the next hour there are several more options that have arisen. All in all as I have said before this is the nature of this kind of work and a large degree of flexibility is the only way to survive along with an iron clad will to resist being bothered by rumors that may or may not be true. It's a great group of folks out here both the Navy and the Project HOPE side all with the same intentions of helping the people of Haiti. Frustrations are high for some feeling as though we could have done more and while that's true the capacity building and long term efforts of Project HOPE and other NGO's like them will remain here in Haiti for the forseeable future. Hopefully those of us that felt slightly unfulfilled about the work we did here can come back and give again to the people of Haiti. That's not at all to say the we didn't contribute in many meaningful ways to some very needy and sick Haitians and we should all as a group take that away with us. I feel honored to have worked with each and every one of my colleagues here... and the mission continues on...