We awoke to another wonderfully warm day here in Port-Au-Prince. Our home for the next week sits right off a pretty major road and in Haiti, horns are a way to say many things. Sometimes they say “hello–HONK”, sometimes they say “goodbye–HONNNK”, sometimes they say “I have no idea where my break is and I am coming really fast–HOOONNNNNNNKKKKKK!” It is quite the way to wake up, go to sleep, have a prayer service, etc. But, this is life here in Haiti.
Yesterday we had mostly orientation–informational meetings about our time here, getting to know the staff a little and preparing our VBS items. Today, we are heading out to experience more of Haiti than our little compound (of which we do not venture out). For the past day and a half we have been observing life from our second story window. It has been a test of patience for some of the youth who really want to get out and help as soon as possible. but if knowledge is power, then we want to be ready for whatever we may face and being prepared isn’t necessarily a bad idea. But I understand some of the tension the students are feeling.
At the moment we are waiting for breakfast and after that we have our quiet time and then we will load up and head out. We will either head to a tent city to distribute food and clothing or go help rebuild a church – either way, it should be a great day. We had a great service last night, a solid message and a great time of worship with the YWAM staff and the other team from Salem Oregon. It ended with a time of personal reflection and a team time.
internet connection to poor to upload images, will try again later.
Hello all, just wanted to send a quick update before we lose the internet connection. We have made it to Haiti and are enjoying the humidity and are ready to get started with ministry. The past day we spent with orientation and helping the church we are staying at with some cleaning projects. The mosquito nets rock and everyone is staying hydrated and healthy. We had a bit of a scare getting to the airport when our transportation was over an hour later than we had hoped. But God was directing our steps and we wound up getting through security and to the gate, getting our seat assignments only to load the plane 5 minutes later. For the most part, things have been somewhat uneventful, but that will all change in the morning. Will try to keep updated as I can find time and internet connection.
After months of preparation, fund raising, praying and planning our team of 12 high school students and 6 adults are mere hours away from departure. This feels like the calm before the rush. It’s kind of like that little lul I used to get at the coffee shop that eluded to the impending influx of activity, the coming rush of fast paced movement, the demand for quick action and fluid barista skills-but now its a bit more than just making a fancy coffee drink. In a few short hours we will be loading the bus to JFK to catch a plane to Port Au Prince, Haiti and the experience that awaits us in a matter of a few hours is unimaginable. We are packed and excited and hoping we can fall asleep at 10:00pm! We will update this blog as much as we can while down there, add images and keep everyone updated as much as we can. Check back regularly.
