It was Sunday today, and we had a more relaxing day. It was nice to take a break after several very busy and emotionally intense days. We went to a wonderful church service in the morning. It was great to hear such passionate singing. In the afternoon, we went to visit a local waterfall.
We climbed up from the waterfall to a natural cave. It was quite large and had some ancient cave drawings. We got into an extended discussion of the effects of deforestation on the natural environment. While World Vision does try to include some efforts to address deforestation though their tree nursery projects, deforestation is a complex problem that requires solutions beyond what can be addressed in ADP projects.
As we traveled to the waterfall and back, we had the opportunity to meet with local staff that coordinate church activities in the area of the World Vision ADPs. We agreed to explore opportunities for churches in the central plateau to partner with churches in Fredericton.
We were sad to say farewell to several of the people we had been meeting with over the past few days. It was the end of a visit, but the beginning of a relationship that we hope will strengthen and grow over the coming years. I feel a very close bond to these wonderful and dedicated people.
Tomorrow, we return to Port-au-Prince.
