Day 3: Plastic City

Today was yet again another incredible day in Guyana!

After breakfast and a meeting with Angie (a missionary from NC that works in Plastic City), we boarded our van to spend the day there. Clement, Katy, and Gina went back to Hope Home today to finish painting and plumbing work!!

Plastic City was an incredible and extremely eye-opening experience. It was a new place for all of us so much of our time there was truly taking in the community. PC is different than any other place I have ever been in Guyana. The homes are built out of some wood and other materials that builders have available to them. The structures are not necessarily "sound" but serve their purpose as a home for many families.

It started pouring as we made our way to the other side of the canal within PC. The bridge to cross over is nothing more than pieces of wood, worn from many feet crossing, overlapped to form a kind of foot bridge. In the rain, it definitely a scary experience but definitely one that I am sure we will all remember. Our first project was to clean and re-paint chalk boards that the teachers use for their daily lessons. The children loved helping us with that, and it provided much needed shelter from the heavy rain we experienced today. Angie took Pat, Miles, and I to walk the "jetty" and to invite those that live on it to come to a community health fair she will hold next week. The jetty is a small stone walkway (you can fit about two small people side by side) that leads from the main area of PC out to the ocean. The homes along it are built high on stilts because the houses are literally in the water. When we made it all the way to the ocean, we saw many happy faces, some sitting on the tiny walkway talking and others swimming.

After we got back to where everyone else was, Angie brought us our lunch that had been cooked by a local. It was by far the BEST meal we have had while in Guyana. We were served chicken curry, raisin rice, a spicy pasta salad, all kinds of fruit, and homemade passion fruit juice. These foods are your typical Guyanese meal, and it was beyond delicious!!

After lunch, we loaded back in our van and headed down the road to a primary school where a community vacation Bible school was being held this week. Each team member was given a certain age group to work with, and Miles and Michael attended the teen class. I was assigned to the preschool age group and when it was time for the children to play in the courtyard area at the school, I ended up holding a little baby that was there with his sister. While holding him, I did much observing, and it was so great to see our team at work. I saw Mr. Butler teaching a group of 13 year olds and Mrs. Butler overseeing; I saw Andy making one of the preschoolers laugh hysterically. I saw Miles and Michael engaged in their lesson right in the middle of all of the Guyanese teens. I saw Pat greatly enjoying her group of girls and boys. Everyone had a place, and everyone was truly doing what God had called them to do on the trip.

We said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel. We will be going to a wonderful Chinese restaurant tonight as a team!!

Thanks for your continued prayers and support : )

Reviewing the lesson for the day before on the solar system!

Miles and I with our new friend Safraz in front of a nicer PC home!

Team picture (minus Gina, Katy, and Clement B. who were at Hope Home)

 

  

Left to Right: Mr. Butler, Mrs. Butler, Pat, Clement G., Michael, Miles, Andy, and me