It is 8pm in Port-au-Prince and the day is drawing to an end. We have arrived at the site we will be calling home, as you can see from the picture. The trip down to Haiti has been long and tiring, but as always, worth it.
I have to admit when I saw all the mission groups boarding in Miami I was a little disheartened. It was somewhat depressing to see so many groups and their associated money flow into Haiti and yet still there is so much that needs to be done. There are many reasons for this and it helps to understand the history of Haiti as part of the context, but even with a little knowledge in this area it can be disheartening.
The airport in PaP is pretty much as I remember it from last year, it really hasn't changed. The baggage carriers are still attempting to get every dollar from you they can. "Hey, I touched that bag, you owe me a tip", is kind of the mentality. It was a bit frustrating that the guy that Pastor R sent down to help us kept asking for more and more money, now he didn't get it, but he kept asking. I know people are hurting here, but ...
The ride from the airport was interesting as we seemed to avoid the main road and we were not sure why. Some parts of the city seemed a little better, some parts seemed worse. In particular it seemed that there were many more tents surrounding the presidential palace than last year. When we finally did hit the main road it was evident why we were attempting to avoid it as it was going under major reconstruction. Gone is the makeshift center divider made from jersey barriers and they seem to be building a real median.
Seeing that there was progress on the road was promising. Don't get me wrong there is still piles of trash burning everywhere and evidence of the earthquake 2 years ago can still be seen, but progress is being made; ever so slowly.
I find myself looking forward to church tomorrow in hopes that I will be able to see the translators that we worked with last year and give them the Bibles they have been waiting for to help them teach English in their Easy English Club. We sent them Bibles shortly after last year's trip, but they did not make it to their intended target and I am not sure what happened. But this year we brought them down personally, so we know they will get them.
PaP still smells of diesel fuel and charcoal, but it is a smell I associate with Haiti and it brings back the memories of the past two trips: having to close the medical clinics even when there were more patients waiting, the family who lost their wife / mother in the earthquake with the 12 year old daughter heading the family because the father was essentially a ghost of a man, the children that couldn't be helped, the orphans living in a condemned building with some that had to be put on the street every night because the government would shut down the orphanage if they kept more than 60 at night, not being able to feed the orphans every day ... the smiles on the children's faces as they received stickers, playing frisbee with the kids while they waited for exams, making bracelets with the orphans, playing duck, duck, goose, the people that were treated and saved ...
Haiti is a quandary for me. It holds both incredibly difficult memories and feelings that can literal sneak up on me and break my heart, but it holds some of the most meaningful things I have done in this life. It has a pull, that won't let go and that I long to share.
Well, the lizard on the wall has chirped 6, which in lizard speak means that is time for bed ... I wonder what tomorrow will hold ...
Location:Rue Roucourt,Carrefour,Haiti
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