Chainsaws and chickens

The day started bright and early at 6 a.m., partly because we had to clear a fallen tree from the school playground before the kids arrived (the chainsaws are too noisy), but mostly because the sun comes up at 5:30 and it's too hot to sleep past 6.

After clearing the tree and breakfast, we had the opportunity to share a "stress debriefing" message with high school juniors and seniors. Our message was about the importance of staying in school (they have a very high dropout rate). Luckily their English skills are very good, so we were able to speak English. The kids' enthusiasm was incredible. We handed out suckers to all the kids we met. 

It's amazing how well received we are all over the village as we travel around--people waive, smile and chase us. But the hands-down favorite is the 18-year-old member of our group, Devin. The girls all fawn on him like a rock star. And Devin eats it up, posing for pictures and giving his email address to pretty much every girl in town. 

After lunch, we spent the afternoon walking through the town cutting up fallen trees. The three chainsaws we brought have blessed many lives. Some have been working in the days since the storm to remove large trees with machetes. They are so appreciative of our help. 

Every home suffered damage. Many homes, which were make-shift to begin with, were completely destroyed by winds and falling trees. One family had draped a tarp over the tree that crushed their house and that's where they were living. We were able to remove the tree so they could begin to rebuild. As we were focused on removing one pile of trees, a young girl said "this was my house" and pointed out the toilet protruding from a concrete slab. It was all that remained of her home. 

After a brief sunset swin in the ocean to cool down, we returned for dinner and to start preparing for tomorrow. That preparation consisted of killing and plucking 36 chickens. We will be cooking lunch for 1,100 elementary students. Are 36 chickens enough? Guess we'll see. 

Wherever we go, swarms of people follow. They are so grateful for what we are doing. Our team decided the best word to describe the people here is "resilient". We have already grown to love these people and this village.