Up at 5 am, breakfast at 5:30 and on the road to the bus
stop by 6. Our second day of travel began with a bang, only to slow to a hurry-and-wait
pace an hour later. Best laid plans are always flexible in Haiti. We had the
option of splitting our luggage over our bus and another that would be about 45
minutes behind us, or waiting to take the second bus ourselves and retain all
our luggage. We took door two and hung out in downtown Port a Prince watching
the day unfold around us.
Young professionals walked by right and left in dress
clothes or professional uniforms. Laborers were heading on foot with
wheelbarrows or saws, cement forms or shovels in hand. Salesmen and women
carried their brightly packaged wares on their heads, backs, and shoulders,
while offering a simple gesture of outstretched arm with sample in hand.
Bananas, mangos, cookies and Pringles. Flip flops, jeans, purses and
dresses. Hand carved wooden chairs,
tables, and headboards. Oil, tires, wheels, and car parts. On just one corner,
the mini mall wandered by.
Soon the second bus arrived and all 26 pieces of luggage
were hauled atop and tied down under a tarp.
An additional 13 backpacks or shoulder purses were carried onto the bus
with us, as we settled into our comfortable, plush, high back seats, with air
conditioning overhead. A four hour ride
was ahead of us, so some slept, while others took pics out the windows, read
books, or gabbed with those sitting around them.
On my fifth trip through Haiti’s countryside and I am
still in awe of the beauty God has created here. Breathtaking views of layered mountains off
in the distance laid as a backdrop for everyday life. Some were selling their
wares, while others were doing laundry, tending to their crops, or playing with
their siblings. It is summer vacation for the kids who are schooled, so
children abound at every turn. I shared with others on the bus that I have
always wondered if God has not painted such a stunning panorama for a people he
knew would not have a lot of other stuff.
He gave them deep, abiding community, friends that make time for each
other, and sheer paradise as their backdrop. Palm trees tower over the other
trees and additional fauna. Ocean beaches are pristine white with multiple
shades of blue, aqua, and mint green water shimmering under the commanding
sunshine. A gift from God, for sure.
A couple hours in, we made our only stop at our usual gas
station/potty break/snack counter. Well, well, well… to our surprise a one
cooler, one counter, couple shelved store has grown into an all-out convenience
store stocked to the hilt! Standing glass-doored coolers ran down one entire
wall and around the corner across the next. Beer, wine, juices, milk, water,
pop and more abounded in neatly lined rows in the latest refrigeration
units. Aisle after aisle after aisle
resembled a hometown Dollar General with picture frames and greeting cards,
children’s toys and gift baskets, grocery items and junk food. I was stunned at the growth in just a few
years since I had last shopped this venue. It was exciting to have my items
placed on the conveyer belt before being scanned by the cashier just before the
price showed up on the backside for my viewing, both in Haitian goudes and
American dollars. We all reentered the
bus loaded down with chocolate filled cookie bars, plantain chips, mango-carrot
juice, and more. Ahhhh… the benefits of progress and growth.
A couple of hours later we pulled into the port city of
Les Cayes. It was here we would meet up with our captain and his boat…
eventually. We were now on Haiti time. Under the sweltering sun, we stood on
the hand poured cement dock waiting for the boat to arrive. About a half hour
later it did. We were quickly reminded that the captain still had to go into
town to purchase gasoline. So we waited some more… and more… and more. Eventually one 15 gallon jug arrived, and
then a while later, another and we thought we were good to go… but no. Still
another was on its way… and more waiting… The day was nearing full sun and many
were reminded to lather on their sunscreen. Eventually the captain returned,
and so did a huge box of frozen chicken, about 15 dozen fresh eggs, and a
container of LP. Looks like we’ll be traveling with a few of our meals, as
well. The team was pleasantly surprised to see our boat was about four times
the size we had anticipated from prior trips to the island.
Once we got on the water, those along the outer edge
didn’t hold their pleasantries for long. It seems this larger size of boat
rides just a bit differently than the smaller ones. The ocean was more than a bit choppy today,
so as the boat went up over one wave, it dropped over the next, throwing a
shower of salt water onto everyone sitting along the outer edge. A half hour
into the ride and several of us were soaked to our skin from head to toe. After
the sweltering heat earlier in the day, I have to admit, it felt pretty darn
good! Like, really, really good. But a few others weren’t so thrilled. The
second half of the trip went from wet to soaked… but that was soon forgotten.
As we pulled up to the small concrete dock, many friends
had gathered from the orphanage to greet us. They began grabbing our luggage
and carting it through the village, up a very steep mountainside road, covered
with sharp rock and concrete slab. It didn’t take us long to realize just how
thankful we were for new friends. Less
than half way up, we were huffing and puffing, stopping for breath. Each time
we stopped, another new friend picked up the luggage and carted it the rest of
the way. Thank God!
The orphanage was hustling and bustling with children of
all ages. Toddlers were crawling, teens
were standing, and elementary age kids were playing. Many kids were in
wheelchairs with disabilities, while others leaned against buildings or laid on
the ground. As we walked through for our
tour, I simply began touching, one child after another. “A-lo” (hello) and “bonswa” (good afternoon)
are greetings we often use. One by one,
I greeting and reached out for a hand, or rubbed a head. It didn’t take long for a child to latch on.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and began to sway… oh, how I love to
sway. So my arms wrapped back around him
and the rest of the tour we walked as one. If we stopped to listen to
instruction or explanation, we both simply rocked in unison, he humming, I
caressing the top of his head, covered in pitch black tight curls. And then we would move again, back to our
swaying. Several children I recognized
from my prior trips. It was nice to see them doing so well.
A teen girl who loves to clap and laugh came bouncing in
like Tigger. A little boy grabbed two of
our teens’ hands and joined the tour. One by one, they added to our group and
one by one, we learned their names… More will come as the week goes by.
But tonight, we’ll eat another wonderful meal and settle
into our new home. Just finished today,
we have new ceramic tile underfoot (it was dirt as of just yesterday), gorgeous
embroidered curtains in each doorway (girls were hanging as we arrived), and a
new washroom/bathroom installed behind the girls’ room (they were still working
on it as we began to unpack). The porcelain was set earlier today and two 5
gallon buckets were placed just beside. One will be used to collect used toilet
paper, while the other to gather rain water for flushing (“If it’s yellow, let
it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down”). They are excited to show us all they
have done to prepare for our arrival. We are overwhelmed with their hospitality
and generosity. Some get tears in their
eyes. It is hard to allow others to love on you like that. But friendships are
two way. We don’t come simply to help others. We come to be helped. Together,
we will change the world.
Tomorrow the work begins. Tonight we get sleep.
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