Haiti Day 8- Home, Sweet Home

   We woke up at our normal time for breakfast.  I thought we were having bean soup at first.  That would have continued the trend of supper foods for breakfast and breakfast foods for dinner.  However, I was mistaken as Dominic pointed out that something smelled like chocolate!  That's right, slightly spicy chocolate soup and bread for breakfast.

   Our departure time moved up from 9:45 to 9:30 and then to 9:00 as the morning progressed.  We actually got away by 9:06.  Pretty good for a  crew of almost 30.  Alex had taken Jeremy an hour earlier in his car so they had arranged for a hotel shuttle van to take some of our crew.  As we made it to the main road in Grand Goave we were flagged down by several motorcyclists to let us know that one of our back tires was flat.  Good thing we were leaving in time to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our flight was to take off.  We pulled onto the main road and then off again a little way up the road to get the tire checked.  In the meantime the little van passed us only to pull over and wait at a real filling station just up the road (see Last Day in the Village  for a reminder of the difference between filling stations and gas stations).  Now, with both vehicles on the road we were comfortably riding toward Port-Au-Prince, never mind the slower speeds causing less moving air and more interesting smells to invade our nostrils.

   Saturday is market day so we had to pass through a couple of markets on our journey.  At some point the little van passed the bus and got on down the road.  As we neared PAP there was some kind of license check.  We had no problem getting through, but we noticed the van on the side of the road with no driver.  I never got the full story on that.  Entering PAP the traffic was very, very thick and we had another market to navigate, which involved a lot of shifting of the gears.  Have I mentioned that this stick-shift bus used to be an automatic?  Well, it did.  And today, not once but twice the gear shift came off!  I have been amazed all week at the ingenuity of the Haitians we have had the privilege of working with.

   All in all we made it to the airport safely, the little van arrived only a few minutes after the bus and we were escorted to the entrance door.  Unfortunately, this was as far as Diddy and Junior could go so we said our good-byes outside the airport and went to check in.  With only minor, typical airport issues we made it to the gate with a couple of hours to kill before boarding.

   A few of us visited the snack bar on the plane side of the security and settled in for the wait.  Eventually, most of the group discovered the duty-free shops and/or the restaurant upstairs.  I was able to get a couple of small gifts for my girls, a small pizza for lunch, and a cold Sprite before boarding the plane.  Our flight to Atlanta afforded the team more time for resting, final conversations, and the first cup of ice in a week.  We landed in Atlanta and breezed through security, customs, and immigration.  We said our good-byes to the Rome folks and Kansas folks and headed to our flight.  Jeff, Milton, and I had a quick snack supper at Chick-Fil-A before boarding to Augusta and thus ending a great week of hard work, good ministry, and great fellowship.  Thank you, Harold and CBF Heartland for letting FBC Augusta tag along!  We look forward to more opportunities of continued ministry.

Haiti- Day 1 Travel Day

     It still amazes me how forgetful I can be.  Even after as many trips as I take I still forget to pack the important things...ear plugs! Seriously, ear plugs, TP (not needed, thankfully), water bottle... so far that is all I realize I forgot, but I haven't left the ATL airport yet!  I must admit that put me a little on edge as far as leaving the country.  I trust, however, as God continues to work it all out.
     Both flights went perfectly well with no issues or delays.  We met the MO group in Atlanta, but had little time for in-depth introductions as we all seemed anxious and focused to get where we were going.  Upon arrival in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti I was ready for "game on" at the airport.  Pleasantly, it was the best airport experience I have had in a developing nation.  Jeff mentioned the airport had been completely rebuilt after the earthquake.  Getting through Immigration and Customs was a breeze.  There were a lot of "helpers" at baggage claim, but we were lovingly forceful that we didn't need assistance.  Once we got outside we met our guides for the week from Conscience International, Diddy and Junior.  They loaded our luggage on top and we all piled in a bus much like the one we have at church, with a few modifications.  The seats had been reconfigured to be all around the edge (see picture) including the back door, which has been disengaged.  I took my place in the rumble seat over the spare tire that I hope we are not forced to use.

reconfigured bus for transport to and from airport

     For the next 2.5 hours we made our way 30 miles from Port-Au-Prince to Grand Goave through congested mostly paved roads, horns blaring anytime you pass or get passed, smoke and/or exhaust coming in through the window, and all kinds of smells filling our nostrils.  I always enjoy a drive through the area as it gives a sense of "normal life."  We saw many USAID and Samaritan's Purse tarps covering small businesses and ramshackle houses all along the route.  There were a few tent villages as well.
     I was surprised by how mountainous Haiti's landscape is.  I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't mountains.  Port-Au-Prince seems to be in a bowl.  Grand Goave is on the northern coast of the southern peninsula of Haiti.  The river beds are dry this time of year.  It's never fair to compare locations, but I was struck by the starkness of the landscape.  I'm looking forward to a great week of work and relationship building.

landscape around PAP from the air

mountains around Grand Goave