When I first became interested in astrophography, Andromeda was my very first target. I had a camera and a scope, but I did not have the means to track objects. So I was taking very short exposures. So while my picture did not turn out very well, it was what got me hooked. For the first time I realized the power of camera to see things we cannot see with the naked eye. Cameras have the power to collect light and save all that data. I made up my mind that night to get better.
So just the other night I looked up and saw the constellation Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia points right to the Andromeda galaxy. Winter is coming and so this galaxy is back in a perfect place in the sky for imaging.
As for Andromeda, it is a beautiful galaxy. It is the closest major galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Andromeda is huge as it spans 220,000 light years. In the telescope, it is actually bigger than the moon. Charles Messier put Andromeda in his catalog as M31 in 1764. However Andromeda was noticed in the night sky as early as 964 by the Persians.
The craziest fact is the Milky Way and Andromeda are on a collision course. However don't worry. It will be 4.5 billion years before that merger happens.
Here was my second attempt to image this galaxy. The setup was:
Stellarvue SV90T scope
Celestron AVX mount
Nikon D90 camera
90 images at 90 second exposures; 800 ISO
40 darks
40 bias
30 flat
I remember my parents bought a set of encyclopedias when I was a kid. There were over 20 giant size books that took up two shelves of one of our bookcases. It was one of the best sources of information you could find outside of a library. I remember days where I would randomly pick a letter and just read every entry from that letter. Today, I asked my kids what an encyclopedia was and they have no idea. The reason they don't know is because encyclopedias are ancient relics in this age of technology.
The invention of the internet was game changing for the world. Information is at our fingertips in vast quantities. Just one site called Wikipedia has more information than that set of encyclopedias my parents had invested in. And there are thousands and thousands of sites with information to be found.
The internet is a double edged sword because not of that data out is correct. Facebook is currently making headlines because of the "fake news" stories that are common. The internet is full of information, both real and fake. Our biggest challenge now is not the lack of information but taking the time to vet information. Today's society is quick to hear or read something and take it at face value.
If you go onto the internet then you are surrounded by opinions. These are fine because we know those are opinions. We can agree or disagree and move on. We are surrounded by by facts and evidence. This is good because we can go over the data and that data can help us make a rational choice. And then we are surrounded by propaganda that presents a convincing story to deliberately convince you on which side of the fence you should go. Sometimes that story is in the form of science. It is not fact and it is not science, but it looks like science. This form of propaganda is called pseudoscience. At some point we all fall into the trap of reading propaganda and pseudoscience and succumbing to it because it is well thought out and portrayed in a very convincing manner. .
I came across this email on twitter which shows how pseudoscience starts.
I usually skim my twitter feed, but this one made think of some DJ Kool lyrics.
When I say freeze you just freeze one time When I say freeze y'all stop on a dime Frezze
That's right. Freeze! Did I really just read that right? I need to read that one again. Let's get some data that is not necessarily scientifically accurate and then use that data like it is real to emotionally scare the public towards our own agenda. This is the kind of stuff that puts a bad taste in my mouth.
There is so much misinformation out there. Some of it is unintentional, but the worst is the info that is intentionally manipulated and looks like science.
I ran across this article of Forbes that is a great read! It is 10 questions to distinguish real from fake science.
I will list those questions, but encourage you to read the article as well.
1. What is the source? 2. What is the agenda? 3. What kind of language does it use? 4. Does it involve testimonials? 5. Are there claims of exclusivity? 6. Is there mention of a conspiracy of any kind? 7. Does the claim involve multiple unassociated disorders? 8. Is there a money trail or a passionate belief involved? 9. Were real scientific processes involved? 10. Is there expertise?
So when you see some article come our saying our urine is full of glyphosate or some other claim, we should all do a little investigating before believing everything we read or hear at face value. If it is true then there will be scientific evidence that is reproducible. A little bit of skepticism is healthy for all of us.
A New York Times article recently came out that in my mind was really disappointing in its portrayal of GMOs. Here is the article for those who have not had a chance to see what was said: NY Times Article They crazy thing is I was sitting in the lab when this reporter walked through. I remember thinking "this is pretty cool" as he toured the facility. This reporter is actually visiting us and seeing what we do. He is going to get the full story and finally an article will be written about GMOs that tell the real story. He even put some great pictures in there. I work with this great guy and we have been joking about the NY Times making him famous.
So when I had multiple people forward the final article to me the minute it came out my smile immediately turned into a frown. Somehow the positive message of what we do did not translate very well. This guy came and went and while the article had truth, it also was misleading It only showed pieces instead of the entire picture. These type of arguments are a dime a dozen and honestly all I can do is try to share the facts just as fast as the misleading information surfaces. There has obviously been a lot of rebuttals to the NY Times article and I just wanted to highlight a few great commentaries and scientific facts. If you read the NY Times article, please read these as well. Look at both sides of the story before forming your own opinions. 1. Andrew Kniss - Associate Professor for University of Wyoming Here is a great one to start with, a blog by Andrew Kniss: http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2016/10/the-tiresome-discussion-of-initial-gmo-expectations/ In the New York Times paper it was claimed that "At the same time, herbicide use has increased in the United States, even as major crops like corn, soybeans and cotton have been converted to modified varieties. And the United States has fallen behind Europe’s biggest producer, France, in reducing the overall use of pesticides, which includes both herbicides and insecticides."
Here is some nice data from Dr Kniss:
"I have to say this comparison seems borderline disingenuous; certainly not what I’d expect from an “extensive examination” published in the New York Times. The NYT provides a few charts in the article, one of which supports the statement about France’s reduced pesticide use. But the figures used to compare pesticide use in France vs the USA are convoluted and misleading. First, the data is presented in different units (thousand metric tons for France, compared to million pounds in the US), making a direct comparison nearly impossible. Second, the pesticide amounts are not standardized per unit area, which is critically important since the USA has over 9 times the amount of farmland that France does; it would be shocking if the U.S. didn’t use far more pesticide when expressed this way. So I took the data presented by Mr. Hakim and converted it into the same units, and standardized by arable land, and this is what that same data looks like:"
"It is true that France has been reducing pesticide use [actually, maybe not… see update at the end], but France still uses more pesticides per arable hectare than we do in the USA. In the case of fungicide & insecticides, a LOT more. But a relatively tiny proportion of these differences are likely due to GMOs; pesticide use depends on climate, pest species, crop species, economics, availability, tillage practices, crop rotations, and countless other factors. And almost all of these factors differ between France and the U.S. So this comparison between France and the U.S., especially at such a coarse scale, is mostly meaningless, especially with respect to the GMO question. If one of France’s neighboring EU countries with similar climate and cropping practices had adopted GMOs, that may have been a more enlightening (but still imperfect) comparison."
"Given all of these confounding factors, I wonder why France was singled out by Mr. Hakim as the only comparison to compare pesticide use trends. Pesticide use across Europe varies quite a bit, and trends in most EU countries are increasing, France is the exception in this respect, not the rule. In the early 1990’s, France was using more herbicides compared to almost every other country, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that pesticide use decreased as formation of the EU began to standardize pesticide regulations after 1993. If the increase in herbicide use in the U.S. is due to GMOs, what can explain the increase in herbicide use throughout most of Europe, where GMO varieties are not available?"
2. Kevin Folta, Professor for University of Florida Yield is complicated and the NY Times post makes it seem like GM crops are not doing anything to help farmers. Dr. Folta really shares some great information in his blog post: http://kfolta.blogspot.com/2016/11/some-actual-yield-data.html There a couple things he highlights that the NY times article failed to mention. a. "GE crops were not made to directly increase yields. They control other aspects of growth so that yields are maximized." b. "Farmers seem to think their yields are good and pesticide costs lower"
Just look at a survey from the farmers that is in Dr. Folta's commentary. I believe the farmers over a reporter any day.
There are more examples in his blog to dissect. Take a look at all the examples he points out.
3. Henry Miller - Just google his bio - this guy knows his stuff
"More fundamentally, however, Hakim begged the question about the goal of molecular genetic engineering: The purpose of the genetic modification of most of those crop plants—namely, the ones modified for increased resistance to herbicides (see graph below)–was not, in fact, higher yields; it was greater efficiency and lowering the cost of farming inputs."
"One thing the NY Times article did not really talk about was why did the farmers adopt technology so fast and at such a large scale if there are no benefits?"
5. Dr. Channa Prakash - Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee University
Dr. Channa Prakash, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee University chimed in on Facebook, where he showed data from the following journal article:
"A 2015 review found:
This annual updated analysis shows that there continues to be very significant net economic benefits at the farm level amounting to $20.5 billion in 2013 and $133.4 billion for the 18 years period (in nominal terms). These economic gains have been divided roughly 50% each to farmers in developed and developing countries. About 70% of the gains have derived from yield and production gains with the remaining 30% coming from cost savings. The technology have also made important contributions to increasing global production levels of the 4 main crops, having added 138 million tonnes and 273 million tonnes respectively, to the global production of soybeans and maize since the introduction of the technology in the mid 1990s."
"Hakim did not even consider developing countries, where the benefit has arguably been the greatest. The increase in yield is really from a decrease in loss, mainly from pests."
"Any meaningful analysis of GM technology has to consider each application unto itself. Further, the GM trait is only part of the picture – you also have to consider how it is being applied. For Bt trait crops, where a natural insecticide is produced by the plants, there is no question that this has reduced overall insecticide use, decreased crop loss due to pests, and increased profits and crop predictability for farmers. This particular application is a clear win."
"Hakim reproduces a common anti-GMO trope to combine Bt crops with herbicide resistant crops – two completely different applications. Herbicide resistance, most notably glyphosate resistance, has been more complicated in its application. Farmers often love this trait because they can just spray their crops to reduce weeds. It is a huge convenience. There is also a benefit in that it can reduce tilling, which is bad for the soil and releases CO2 into the atmosphere."
"However, this has clearly led to an increase in glyphosate usage. That was actually the point of the trait. The deception comes from combining herbicide resistant traits with pest resistant traits and then saying that overall pesticide (herbicide plus insecticide) use has not decreased. This is pointless, however. The fact that glyphosate use has increased takes nothing away from the fact that insecticide use has decreased. They are completely separate applications of GM technology."
"Further, Hakim fails to point out that while glyphosate use has increased, it has replaced applications of much more toxic herbicides. If you measure only tons of herbicide you miss the point that overall herbicide toxicity has dramatically decreased, because glyphosate (despite claims of anti-GMO activists) is a very benign chemical."
The companies in the Ag biotech industry published their own commentaries which you can search and find. However, the above opinions are not from the companies which I am sure some people may argue are biased. While I believe adamantly that the industry is also writing facts based on science, it is really hard to ignore the compelling science, data, and opinions from the academics. Their job is to ask questions. The GMO question has been one they have studied and researched for years independently of what the industry is doing and saying. One NY Times article should not overshadow the multitudes of scientific data that show the benefits of GM crops.
I find out about space things more often from people who know I like space than from my own knowledge. So it was the night of Oct 15th that I pulled out the scope to try and get a picture of a supermoon that also happens to be a Hunters moon. I hadn't even realized this was occurring until I was tipped off. So yall keep me updated!!
A supermoon is just a full moon at the time when the moon's orbit is the closest to the Earth. When a moon is full and at its closest point to the Earth it really does appear bigger in the sky.
The hunters moon is just a term for a full moon in October. Traditionally this was the time hunters were getting ready to stock up on game meat for the winter months ahead.
No matter what the full moon is always a beautiful sight.
I haven't gotten out under the stars in awhile, but I was able to finish processing one of my favorite pictures. This one actually turned out better than than I thought it would and shows how much beauty is hidden in the night sky. The subject of this photo is the Orion Nebula.
I took this picture with a Stellarvue SV90 refractor and a D90 Nikon camera. This pictures is over an hour of exposure time.
The Orion Nebula is located in the Orion Constellation. This is one is easy to find when you look for the 3 stars that form Orion's belt.
The Orion Nebula is also known as M42 and is found right under Orion's belt. It was first noted by Charles Messier on March 4, 1769. The nebula is in the Milky Way, but over 1300 light years away from us. It is a massive nebula spanning 24 light years across at its widest point. The nebula is a star nursery and over 700 stars have been observed in various stages of formation. Ever at the large distance away, it is the closest stellar nursery to Earth and is bright enough to see as a "smudge" to the naked eye on a dark night. Get it under a telescope and it is jaw dropping beautiful.
I was thinking the other day about my job and how much I love what I do. Not only do I work with some amazing people, but I am working in an industry that really is trying to better the world no mater what some critics may say. I had a friend tell me once that companies with a defined purpose statement are more sucessfull than companies without one. I have only worked with companies with a purpose statement so I do not have both perspectives, but I feel like working for a company with purpose makes a huge difference. For instance our purpose at Bayer is "Science for a Better Life." I want to be clear here that I am speaking my own personal opinions and not that of Bayer. This is a personal blog and my personal feelings, but I really feel that we can make a difference in the world with the products and projects we work on. I feel the drive to innovate to help feed a world whose population is ever increasing.
In my particular job of making genetically engineering crops (GMOs), it is not uncommon for people to ask me many questions or quickly share their own opinions. Many times they are good questions. The topic is a volatile one and sometimes those questions can be more of a personal attack. Those conversations only encourage me even more to try everything I can to educate people on what we do. Just as importantly I want to show that we who work for these companies care about what we do and the well being of our world. We all share in the purpose to make a better life for people through science.
A few months ago I had the privilege to help work on a movie that is one more educational tool on what we do. The other people in the video are all colleagues and friends who are just as passionate as me about helping our farmers and finding innovative solutions to ultimately feed people. There are so many other people not on that video that also share that conviction. We trust in science and know these products (including GMOs) are safe. We feed them to our children because we see and believe in the science. We proactively educate people everywhere we can.
So enjoy this video and share it with your friends. It is one more step to learning about who we are. A large company is nothing more than people and those people are always happy to answer your questions. I know this because I work with them. Get to know us. Ask questions and get the facts before deciding GMOs are not safe. At the end of the day we all want a better life for our family and kids.
I had a neighbor give my kids a couple grapes the other day that tasted like cotton candy. "What!!?? , I want one," I piped up. Who wouldn't want to try a grape that tasted like cotton candy! The grape looked like any other grape, but I must admit when I chomped down it did have hints of a cotton candy taste.
Our curiosity was peaked and we went to the store and bought our pack of cotton candy grapes.
First off I have to say I really like these grapes. They were too expensive for me to buy except as more of a novelty every once in awhile, but at the end of the day they have a very unique flavor.
My commentary today is nothing against the grape or the company that sells them. It was just as I started looking at the grape packaging I realized that my definition of genetic manipulation is probably pretty far off from the general consumer.
On the very top left of the bag was a great big "NON-GMO" sign. My wife is the one who pointed the non-GMO label out and said "I call BS - they are cotton candy flavored!" What that label is really saying is these grapes were made with good ole conventional breeding and thus non-GMO. Plants were pollinated and the genes that give a cotton candy flavor were transferred to the plants that are harvested for the store. The site even claims the same thing.
If I were to make a "GMO" cotton candy grape I would find those exact same genes and just insert them using a biotech approach. In this case it may be faster because only the genes involved in the flavor would be inserted. In breeding the genes that give the flavor are moved over but maybe other genes that are not good are moved over too. So it takes many years to grow and select the best plant. Both GMO and conventional breeding are valid methods and both have their place in food production. The real take home is that both methods involve moving genes from one location to another. The DNA is being manipulated whether through breeding or laboratory techniques. As an aside even traditional breeding is starting to use sequencing and laboratory techniques to become more efficient.
As I looked at the Non-GMO designation on these "Cotton Candy" grape I had to chuckle. My wife did have a point. The non-GMO designation has a meaning and by that definition the grapes are "non-GMO", but at the same time that label it is a smokescreen in my opinion. Those grapes were genetically modified no matter what a label that is really only used for marketing says. Vast amounts of DNA were moved and incorporated into a plant to get the grapes you are eating. Yes I know it was not in the lab. But the crazy thing is if the lab did the manipulation less genes are being manipulated than when done in a field through breeding. We eat food with DNA manipulation from a field everyday. This is food which has thousands of gene differences compared to its undomesticated ancestors, but we fear food that has only 1 or 2 genes added. Remember those 1 or 2 genes have gone through testings on par with a new drug being released. Lots and lots of questions must be answered from our regulatory agencies before foods with those "GMO" genes are released into our stores. Those thousands of gene differences from traditional breeding are not tested at all. Those changes are not even documented because it is the norm to assume they are safe. So why the hate for 1 or 2 genes added by a biotech approach that are studied and known to be safe?
This cartoon shows this DNA difference in a graphic form.
The irony is that a "NON-GMO" plant was genetically modified. The term GMO is so misleading and has become a term that is misunderstood. Everything we eat is a product of genetic manipulation. That cotton candy flavor does not exist without genes encoded from DNA that has been transferred to a new grape cultivar. A "GMO" plant is also a plant that has had a DNA transfer. The crazy part is that "GMO" plants have less DNA manipulation and every aspect of that manipulation has been tested for years. Every base pair change or addition is cataloged. Some may even argue that "GMO" food is safer because it has been tested more extensively. Yet in society it is the Non-GMO label that is sought after without any real basis for why we want food with that label. Non-GMO labeled food is fine, but the "GMO" food is just fine too.
Traditional breeding is great. It is a staple tool in genetic manipulation of plants. When you see that "NON-GMO" label next time just know that even though traditional breeding was used, the food really is genetically modified.
I have talked about GMO labeling and labeling in general in past posts. Inherently a label that provides good information to help a consumer make a decision is not a bad thing if there is genuine positive intent. GMO labeling has been a hot topic lately and a lot of debate on both sides is easy to find in the news. I am not against GMO labeling if everything is labeled fairly, ie. also label the organics with the chemicals sprayed on them, put how much aflatoxins are in our food, or say how many mice droppings or roach legs are in there. In other words don't use a label to single out a GMO product that carries no safety risk. There are many other things happening with our food that I would rather know about than whether it contains GMO ingredients or not.
Many of the proponents of labeling GMO food are stating they want labels because it is the consumers right to know. I stumbled on a couple articles recently that put into persepctive what the proponents of GM labeling are really after (see links below). They are not fighting for you the consumer. They are fighting for their own agendas and that agenda is to get rid of GMOs. As a consumer do not be fooled by their agenda. These groups have no scientific evidence to show GMOs are bad. If they did they could use that evidence as a reason to get rid of GMOs and they would have a legitimate case. However they have no case so they rely on consumer's misunderstanding and lack of education to target GMOs. Consumer right to know sounds good and puts on the mirage of even trying to educate consumers. It is easy to get behind a concept that seems to want the consumer to have as much information as they can. However this is not education on the benefits of GMOs or the safety record of TMOs. This is trying to put a dunce hat on certain products so that an uneducated consumer sees the product as a problem child.
These groups don't care about consumer rights to know. They only want to use you as a menas to an end. If you don't beleive me then just read it directly from them. These proponents of GMO labeling could care less what the label says as long as it is a tool to turn the consumer against GMOs. The next time you see a label that says a product is GMO then ask yourself why would I not buy this? What is the safety risk? If you don't know do some digging to understand GMOs from a scientific vantage point. There are literally hundereds of studies out there on the internet. If GMOs are going to be singled out with a label then don't fall into the trap of refusing to buy something because someone told you GMOs are bad for you. If you do then you are playing right into the trap set by these organizations that are trying to use consumer fears for their agendas.
There are certain things you see for the first time that take your breath away. I was on a family vacation in the North Carolina mountains when something like that happened to me. We were actually on top of a mountain in Banner Elk and had this beautiful view to the sky. I had just gotten my telescope and decided to set it up and look at the stars. At that point I knew absolutely nothing about where any stars or planets were located. So I just started aiming at stars and taking in the beauty of the night sky. There was this one "star" that was so bright and I aimed my scope at that. And you guessed it, it was Saturn. It was the first time I had seen Saturn in real time with a telescope. We have all seen majestic pictures of Saturn. Yet is something different about seeing a dot in the sky that turns into this little ball with rings around it when you look into the eyepiece of a telescope. I had unexpectedly found Saturn with my brand new telescope in the North Carolina mountains and I still remember that night like it was yesterday.
Once I had a bigger scope and a camera I wanted to try for a picture of Saturn. I have posted in an earlier entry my first attempt to image Jupiter. I learned a few things with Jupiter and so I think my attempt of Saturn turned out a little better.
Getting a picture of planets are unique. You take a video of the planet and then stack the best frames of the video. You need a lot of frames because we are at such high magnifications that the atmosphere distorts your image. Some frames are going to be less distorted than others.
Here is the video of Saturn.
Here is the final picture where I stacked individual frames from the video to clean up the final picture. This picture was taken with a Celeston EdgeHD 800 using a 4X barlow. An ZWO ASI120MC camera was used to capture the video.
Hopefully the next attempt will be even better. If you ever get a telescope make sure Saturn is your first target. It is one of those things that makes a first impression you will never forget.
My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Haiti. This was my first experience in a third world country and I wanted to share. This was a mission trip through my church Hope Community Church located on Buck Jones Rd in Raleigh. It is rare I talk about religion on this blog. It is not my personality to force religion on anyone. Belief in God is a decision you need to make for yourself, not a decision that can be forced on anyone. So for some of you this is merely some pictures and info to learn more about Haiti and what a visit to the country looks like. For those that do believe in God, you may get even more out of this post as you see the God side of things as well.
So I'll start with a little background. Hope Community Church and a church in Port-au-Prince called Agape partnered a few years back. It was the vision of Agape church in Haiti to provide what we in America would call a "contemporaneity" service. There are plenty of churches in Haiti, but Agape would offer a different kind atmosphere. Of course a Sunday service is just the beginning. Most importantly Agape also provides all kinds of support for the community and we were there to help out with a teen camp, which was basically a big vacation bible school. These kids would dance, sing, and have fun while learning more about God. They would also get a good meal, which for some of them was probably the best meal they had had in a while.
Saturday
We arrived in Port-Au-Prince as a team of 12. Katherine and I were there in a semi support role. Kelsey was our leader and the others were in college. Katherine and I quickly took on the name "mom" and dad", which were fun titles that stuck for the rest of the week.
Once out of the airport and on the streets of Haiti you immediately realize just how different this country is. The first thing we noticed is the trash. It is everywhere. Pictures do not really even do justice tot he amount of trash on the streets. Haiti has no trash infrastructure. There are no garbage trucks picking up trash. There are no landfills. So the trash accumulates everywhere. Sometimes heaps of trash are put together and you will see random fires on the side of the streets every day as small amounts of trash are burned.
The next thing you realize is that traffic is CRAZY. Port-au-Prince is a city of 3.2 million people. We drove down a lot of streets. I saw one stoplight the entire time. I saw maybe 2 stop signs, none of which were heeded by the drivers. Cars, trucks, and motorbikes are everywhere weaving around each other and blowing horns. Almost all the vehicles are diesel and the smell of diesel with black smoke is always around.
Most of the places you travel will look similar. There are people everywhere selling what they can to make a dollar. It is apparent very quickly that life in Haiti is not easy. Many times someone selling onions is beside 10 other people selling onions too. These videos tell the story of what most of Port-au-Prince looks like as you drive down the streets.
I loved this picture.
Fruit is one thing that is abundant. There are fruit tress everywhere and people also have small plots of vegetables that they harvest and bring to the market.
From the airport we went to the place we would stay for the week. The minister of Agape has founded an orphanage and school in a small town called Kenscoff. Kenscoff is about 30 minutes up a mountain right outside of Port-au-Prince. This trek would become familiar. Each day we would come down the mountain for camp and then go back up the mountain in the evening. As we went up the mountain and out of Port-Au-Prince we exited the city and entered the country. This country side was beautiful. It was also cooler as well averaging a good 10-15 degrees lower than in the city which was always in the mid 90s while we were there.
As we arrived at the orphanage we had a gorgeous view for the rest of the week. We were on a mountain and had another mountain right across from us.
The orphanage was home to 27 boys. The site was also home to a school for the 27 boys plus many more that would come from the surrounding countryside.
The orphanage and school had its own playground. Notice the rebar sticking out everywhere. I can just hear what Americans would say if our playgrounds looked like this. The first scratch on a kid and a lawsuit would be filed. These kids were so happy to have anything to play with and having some steel sticking out did not bother them at all.
Sunday
We woke up to go down the mountain and see the Agape church service on Sunday. The upper class Haitians speak French, but most of the population speaks Haitian Creole. I didn't really understand much, but started to pick up a few basic creole words while I was there.
We spent the rest of the day back up the mountain at the orphanage. The 27 kids at the orphanage range in age from 7 months to around 18. Of course my wife was quick to get a hold of the baby anytime she could as were Blaine, Courtney, Bailey, Kelsey, and Peyton.
Monday
Monday was the first day of the kids camp as we took the daily trek down the mountain. It was the daily practice for us to cram in our van ad for "mom" to take the daily selfie of the group.
The reason we came down to Haiti was to help with the camp. It was basically a big vacation bible school. The basic day consisted of some songs and dancing, followed by games that we helped lead. The boys and girls would separate for the games. There were a few staff that worked at Agape with wonderful English. We would explain the games and they would translate. We played games like mingle mingle, jump the river, over/under with a ball, blob tag, etc. Here we were prepping for the games. lots of balloons!!
After games there was a usually a small sermon. After the sermon the boys would get in small groups and the girls would get in small groups with a volunteer or leader from Agape. In the small groups the kids got to discuss what was was talked about during the day. While the kids were in small groups, we started to prepare to feed all of the kids. About 500 kids showed up each day. That meant we filled over 500 cups with ice and poured some fruit champagne or lemonade (a huge treat for these kids) as well as setting up an assembly line for preparing food plates. Food consisted of rice and then some type of meat like chicken. Each day I saw 500 kids get fed and I saw 500 plates come back completely clean. There was no wasted food. The chicken bones came back completely clean. It put things in perspective and was a story I will always remind my own kids of. After lunch we would play with the kids for a while and then head back up the mountain.
This stuff tasted just like a cream soda dumb-dumb sucker.
Another observation was the kids in Haiti loved games and they did not get tired of simple games. They could play the same game for hours even if it was a simple slap game.
The kids loved to get on our shoulders. Even the staff got in on the action. :)
Remember that hand game called Miss Mary Mac. They love that game.
One the way back to up the mountain we had a flat tire. The roads are a mess in Haiti. In the city the roads are paved, but potholes are everywhere. As we go up the mountain the final road to the orphanage was a dirt road with large rocks for traction. Those roads were terrible on the vehicles and took a toll on our tires. The flat tire did provide a perfect overlook to take in the beauty of the Haitian land.
Once we were back up the mountain to "home" we got to play with the boys at the orphanage. There were two sports the boys loved to play. One was "football" of course. Some of them also loved basketball. I played basketball all afternoon and was completely soaked when we finished.
Tuesday
Tuesday was the second day at camp. It was more of the usual routine with games, serving lunch, and just loving on the kids. They kids loved the girls hair and would braid and play with it as much as they could. They also loved our phones and wanted to take selfies and pictures anytime they could.
Another day of camp was done and it was back up the mountain. Oh yeah guess what. We had another flat tire. :) Once again it was a good time for a few pics. Another stunning view, however if you look down off the road you can get a glimpse at what the trash situation in Haiti looks like.
Tuesday was a chance to hang out with a couple of the boys that live near the orphanage. Thomas and I walked a short distance to Jerry's house. As you walk and see the houses you can still some effects from the huge earthquake in 2010. This was the earthquake that killed ~220,000 people and the effects are still seen in the city. Before the earthquake building were just cinder blocks. Now rebar is used and you can tell the new buildings since they don't cut the rebar. It just protrudes from the top of structures. Jerry's house still had a very large crack from the roof to the ground. You would also see these small tin boxes scattered throughout the countryside. 2-3 people would live in these small boxes while they rebuilt houses after the earthquake.
Here is an avocado tree. All these tropical fruits are everywhere and so good.
Wednesday
Back down the mountain after breakfast. I forgot to mention we were able to have Haitian coffee every morning. That stuff is the bomb and I had to brind some back home! On Wednesday after the games and singing and dancing, I was given the privilege of giving the sermon. I would speak a few sentences and then my translator spoke for me. It was a time when I wish I knew other languages. The language barrier can be frustrating when you go to a country in which you do not speak or understand the native language. Nonetheless, it was awesome to speak to 500 kids knowing that if even a few connected with your message it was worth it.
Once back at the orphanage we decided to take a hike up the nearby mountain with the orphan boys and a few other boys from the surrounding countryside. It was about a 2 hour hike up a very steep and rocky path. However it was beautiful.
A few things to note from the hike. There are small terrace farms all over the mountain. It is dangerous farming these since it is steep. The families farm small plots to have food for their families. I did not see any large farms anywhere except some banana plantations in the northern part of the country. Most of the agriculture are small family plots. I saw some many tomatoes and peppers that have a lot of disease in those small plots.
The next thing you notice is that most people do not have electricity. Those fortunate to have electricity in many cases use generators. We had a generator for power but it only came on for a few hours in the morning and then again late evening with a shutoff at 10 PM. The Haitian people are resourceful. As you go up the mountain you see electric fence wire and even barb wire running everywhere held up by small sticks. The Haitians have tapped into the few power supplies and run the electricity down the mountain to their homes with this wire.
The hike gives a preview of how beautiful the countryside is and how the small farms litter the mountain.
Families would make a trek from their terrace farms to the town at the top of the mountain or from the town down to their homes. Carrying large loads on your head is a very common site. It is actually unbelievable how much they are able to balance on their heads.
Once at the top of the mountain we rode a Tap-Tap down. A tap-tap is a truck with a top that is the taxi of Haiti. Once in the back, you tap on the truck shelter to stop and get off. These tap taps are everywhere and usually decorated in bright paint.
That night it was a little fun with the group playing "mafia" in our home. Anders did some great narration. I don't know if anyone has played mafia before, but Anders best narration of the night was when Kelsey told a lie so bad that her pants really did catch on fire and the mafia got her. Well played Anders.
Thursday
It was the last day of camp and it was a day for sadness. We had to say goodbye to the kids. And we had to say goodbye to the Agape staff. Even though we did not all speak the same language, there was nonetheless a common bond that had happened between our group and their group over the week. Our belief in God had become our common language through song, dance, serving and fellowship. And who thought that saying goodbye after only 4 days would be so hard. I met some wonderful people at Agape. They had big hearts and gave so much of themselves to feed and serve the kids during the week and share with them a wonderful message. I will always remember this staff and what they are doing to help Haiti.
This guy will always hold a special place in my heart:
One last football game was played as Peyton and McKenzie showed the boys that girls know how to score too.
Friday
Friday was our last full day in Haiti and a day to decompress. Emotions were high in the group. Saying goodbye was hard. We were also just taking in the struggles the Haitian people have everyday. So many of the boys had dreams to be an engineer or a doctor. They were smart and could do it, but did not have the money to get into a university. Making money is even harder because there are few jobs. One boy told me he could collect rocks off the mountain and carry them one at a time for a mile or two. A full dump truck load of the collected rocks would get him 2 US dollars. These are tough stories to hear and as you grow attached to the people the stories become even harder to hear.
To wade through those emotions we took a trip to northern Haiti to see a beach and swim in the Caribbean. The trip there was the usual chaos of crazy driving! It took about three hours to get there mostly because of the traffic. Remember there are no stoplights and stop signs. The end result was a beautiful beach called Wahoo Bay where they served bacon cheeseburgers!
On the way home we stopped by a restaurant that serves pizza. Most businesses like this hire their own security. As we ate at a very upscale restaurant in Haiti we were inside a "complex" with razor wire and a guard with a shotgun. Just another reminder that we are in a very different place.
Riding down the streets we would frequently get hitchhikers on the back of the van.
Saturday we went to the airport and back to the states. There is a saying in the US that we live in a bubble. Of course many of us know that life is not always great in other countries. However it is easy to forget just how great we have it here in the US. Visiting Haiti was a great opportunity for me to become humbled again. It is a beautiful country and the people have the same dreams as you and I. However there dreams are much harder to become a reality because the country is just not as advanced. Even though the people have a hard life, there is a simplicity to life in Haiti that I think people in the US can learn from. People don't need phones and TV to still have fun. They find joy just playing a slap game. In the end 77 kids from the camp put their belief in God. Whether you believe in God or not, the story of the Haitian people is one we can all learn from. If you do believe in God, then they story is even more beautiful. This is a story of a culture change as more people abandon the very real Voodoo found throughout Haiti and trust in God.
One other thing is very clear. North Carolina is representing in Haiti. Hope Community Church has had a strong outreach in Haiti for a few years as they partnered with Agape. And that partnership is realized as you ride down the streets. Port-au-Prince has a few million people and no matter where you go you will pick out Cary and Apex high school t-shirts, wolf pack t-shirts, UNC t-shirts, and Duke t-shirts. It is crazy. The church is supposed to help people, not just be a country club and you can actually see that effort through the clothes being worn on the streets. If any of you ever get a chance to visit Haiti I highly recommend it. And of course if you ever want to check out Hope just holler.
Finally thanks to Peyton, Blaine, Anders,Thomas, Sam, McKenzie, Bailey, and Courtney for being great "kids". Thanks to Kelsey for being a great leader. And thanks to Melanie for being someone who really is changing the world through her faith. Of course the best part was I got to experience Haiti with my wife, Katherine.
A Haitian artist that lived near the orphanage welcomed us into his studio one evening. His canvas painted a picture I brought home to always remember this trip. There is a path for all of us and even when it leads to some tough places God has a plan. The Haitian people are an example of walking a tough path and still trusting that the ultimate outcome is the right one.
