Haiti Trip: Part II in Peredo

On Friday of our first week in Haiti we flew from Port-de-Paix to Port-au-Prince.

 It was a very short trip and very smooth compared to the bus ride we had taken several days earlier.


 I don't like to fly, but I was not complaining this time!



The view of Haiti (especially Port-de-Paix) from the air was breath-taking.

 When we arrived, we were met by Mac (from Haitian Christian Outreach). He took us on a short tour of Port-au-Prince so we could see the local school HCO has, the mayor's offices, the hard hit earthquake areas, and the Presidential palace that was never rebuilt after the earthquake. 

 We drove along the coast and through the mountains to Jacmel and on to Peredo, where the camp is located. It was an interesting several hour trip. In some parts the roads were paved, but most weren't and were very bumpy and curvy. A lot of times we were playing "chicken" with the other vehicles. At one point we were heading straight at another vehicle as we were passing a truck and pulled back to our "side" just in time, missing the other vehicle by INCHES. I had maintained my composure most of the trip, but this incident brought a yelp and I instinctively grabbed the person next to me. I thought for sure we'd hit (as did everyone else in the jeep)! The camp is outside of town and is set on a large portion of land.

It has several simple "dorms" (a few are being used as the school currently). I had to get used to sleeping with mosquito netting surrounding me. There is no air conditioning and electricity only a couple hours a day, when the generator is on.

There is a simple outpatient hospital- in the beginning stages with plans to build on, when they are financially able. The plans include an OR, maternity ward, and dentist office.

The school rooms have a couple of tables and a chalkboard, with several grades in one room.

There is a soccer field, with wood posts and a rope as goals. Soccer is very big in Haiti, and the skills of even the young children are impressive!

We could look right out at the mountains. If you hike up to where they want to build the guest house, you can see the ocean in the distance.

This place was very different from the first part of our trip, but I learned change is good and different doesn't mean bad. The Lord had a lot to teach me. Saturday we moved piles of rocks closer to the rock wall the Haitian men are building around part of the mission compound. Instead of coming in and doing jobs the Haitians could do, we were helping them do their job so they could provide for their families. It was a lot more hot and humid than farther north in Haiti, and it took a toll on our bodies.

In the afternoon we took what was supposed to be a 15 minute easy walk to the beach. We found out what Haitian time means! An hour and a half later we finally arrived. It was a remote beach that was very pretty.

The water would have felt wonderful, but I had started not feeling good on the walk and by the time we got to the beach, I was pretty sick. It would have been a long walk back, but the Haitians realized how bad I felt and were able to call a taxi (motorcycle) to come get me. Danny (a member of our team) was going to walk back to camp to meet me when I arrived, but they said there was room for both of us on the taxi. He decided to ride behind me, which ended up being a good thing. Shortly after we headed back, I started passing out repeatedly and he had to hold me up until we got back. I regained consciousness sometime later with a doctor and several others icing me down to cool me off. I had gotten overheated, dehydrated, and stomach sick. One little Haitian girl (Kaitla) kept checking on me to make sure I was okay, because she had seen me come back and was very concerned. She was so sweet! This whole situation was scary (since I don't remember the ride back), but we all saw how God orchestrated events from getting a taxi in a remote area (I couldn't have walked back) to Danny going with me on the taxi to having a doctor close by to check on me. I was never out of my good Father's care. By night I was feeling a lot better.

On Sunday, we went to the Haitian church on the mission grounds. It is in a simple wooden building with rows of benches. It was full, with the kids sitting in the front. It was all in Creole, but I did recognize the tunes for several of the songs. One boy wanted my journal, so I tore a page out and let him draw. He was happy for that piece of paper and pen. After church some of the kids wanted their picture taken with us. Everyone was so welcoming, even though many times I had no idea what they were saying. However, a smile is a universal language.

After lunch we packed into a vehicle to head to the waterfall. It was really bumpy, but by this point I was getting used to being thrown around. I learned to brace myself well. Of course it didn't take long for the kids to realize we were around and came to hang out. The water felt so good! It was so refreshing. Elise and I sat and "talked" with several of them. A highlight of the day was singing "Jesus Loves Me" in English with them. Elise could understand more than I could and tried to translate some of what they said. At times I was very frustrated with the communication barrier.

On the way back to camp I said I was learning French/Creole before I returned, because I was missing too many opportunities!

 In the evening we watched the Haitians play soccer. Then some of us started playing "duck, duck, goose" with some of the younger kids. One of the boys tagged me "goose" and I was going to let him run around the circle safely, but he motioned that I had to come tag him. So, I chased him, in a long skirt, around the circle until I caught him. He was laughing at me the whole time (and I'm sure I did look funny). The night I shared devotions I spoke about the Potter and the clay. Sometimes God starts forming us, and then we "sit on the shelf" until God chooses to continue His work. My prayer is that God would form me into something usable and that I'd be patient with His work. I had some great conversations with team members this week. We shared the difficult, scary, and joyful moments together.

It's amazing how I'm learning to find joy in the little things- seeing the kids play soccer with a tennis ball or draw with my pen and a sheet of paper, or walk with us wherever we go. I was in a place where I was "forced" to slow down, listen, and learn. Driving back to the airport very early Tuesday morning I saw the Haitians setting up for market day, so many kids in uniforms walking to school, a beautiful rainbow, and I tried to memorize these sights and sounds of Haiti. It was hard to leave Haiti- a place I had come to love in such a short time, a place I felt close to Angela, and leaving Danny and Elise to finish their added trip. On the other hand I knew I was coming home to my students, my family, my church, and my friends. I knew I'd get to share my eye opening, life changing experiences. It was a good feeling to see the coast of Florida and know we were re-entering the U.S.

We went through customs and were happy to see all our luggage made it. We got to reconnect with our loved ones by phone after being "disconnected" for 12 days. After a long layover in Florida we flew back to Chicago, got the car, and drove home. 24 hours from Haiti to home. It was hard to adjust to being home. That first night I reached for my water bottle for water to brush my teeth, forgetting I could turn on the faucet for safe water. I found I preferred hot weather to turning on the air conditioning (my definition of hot had certainly changed). I preferred a low pressure cold shower. Our roads and sidewalks were too smooth. But, this is my life, the one God has blessed me with, and I'll be thankful for all He's given me to use and enjoy. I will continue to pray for God's will for my future and be content with His plan for me now. I will miss the team I grew to know and the joyful children I spent time with, but I'm grateful for our time time together and pray sometime soon we meet again.

(At one of our devotions, this song was shared and I love the words):

I’ll obey and serve You
I’ll obey to show I love You
I’ll obey, my life is in your hands
For it’s the way to prove my love
When feelings go away
If it costs me everything, I’ll obey.