Years ago, we were told that Haiti only had 5 percent of its forests left! Today, there is much less. Clean water is rare. Most poor Haitians have to buy water, but most cannot even afford to buy food. So water sources like these are common. They are full of bacteria and “only God knows” what else. For Haitians in the mountains, many children travel far on foot, barefooted with a bucket. They arrive at a “trickle” coming down from the mountain, or a little, tiny sprout of water in a hole, called a maul. (This spelling may be incorrect.) There, you can find men, women, and children fighting for a tiny bit of water. Haiti has brought this on themselves by cutting down trees and using them for charcoal. For a while, there was a lot of teaching, etc. about the environment, but for now, it is up to the “next generation.” Many schools in Haiti are teaching about the problems of the environment. Haiti’s only hope for change is in the upcoming generation. It would take years to try to “undo” what has been already done, but if it keeps getting worse, we don’t know what will happen. We have less and less rainfall each year here in Haiti. So today, when you drink a glass of cold water, think about how good God has been to us! Sherry

P.S. We are so thankful that Dr. Rigan of the University of Florida went to several areas near our Love A Child Village and tested the water sources. Their staff will be a great blessing to the Haitian people, especially in this area. We really appreciate their help!