Monday, March 11, 2013
An Early Departure
After a late night of last minute packing we had an EARLY wake up call at 2:45. Even
with such an early start there wasn't time to mess around. The airport is pretty busy even
before dawn on the first day of spring break, and the line for the Starbucks was almost as
long as the one for security.
We met some fellow missionaries on our flight to Port Au Prince. Ryan Rouse is a
Baptist Youth minister turned orphanage director who is planning on moving with is
family to Haiti later this year. Leslie sat next to Carolyn and shared her daily devotion
"without big faith you can't see God's miracles". Clark and Lisa learned about bridge
building in Petionville (Paytee own veel) from an American civil engineer and well
digging in rural mountain areas from an Australian philanthropist. We were privileged to
share a van ride with Maryann from Virginia who has been coming on mission trips to
Haiti since 1978!
The Methodist Guesthouse is a beautiful oasis. Colorful flowers, comfortable beds, and
even a swimming pool! Everyone is enjoying the creature comforts from the ice-cold
Haitian cokes to the Wi-Fi. Our hosts Tom and Sarah are wonderful people who have
really made us feel welcome. Dinner was prepared by the guesthouse staff, and was a
delicious combination of plantains, beef, rice, beans, pikliz (pick lees, Haitian coleslaw)
and watermelon for dessert.
Even though it is only 6:30, the sun has gone to bed and so must we! It has been a long
day full of traveling by air and crazy Haitian streets and tomorrow is another early start to
get to Olivier (Olive ee ay) for our first day at the work site!
Bon Nuit from Haiti!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Bon Jour!
We all knew today would be an early day. Breakfast was served at 6 AM so we could get
on the road before the traffic became too jammed to get to Petit-Goâve (Petty Go-Ah-v). I
woke up an hour early to take my Malaria pills (which the bottle says to take 1 hour
before food) and packed my things away in the dark with a plan to nap until breakfast.
About this time, Clark knocks gently on the door and was granted entry to let us know the
boys were all packed and ready to go. While I was thinking it, Lisa said it "So?!" And
Clark made a hasty retreat. We then began the early morning grumbles about why people
thought it was ok to be so loud at 4 AM and how similar the chickens in Petionville are to
those in Kauai (loud all-the-time). And then as quickly as everyone in the United States
lost 1 hour on Sunday, everyone in that room lost an hour when we were told it was not
5:20 but 6:20 and we were not only in danger of missing breakfast, but also our ride!
And missing that breakfast would have been a real shame. My favorite was the spicy
peanut butter and pineapple spread on toast, but I was reminded fondly of my trip to
Taiwan with a large helping of fresh mangos! Carolyn's exclamation of "Oh wow! Is this
fresh squeezed orange juice?!" was shared inwardly by me :)
We were able to get all our bags loaded in and even a second cup of coffee (or oj) before
the driver was leaving. And even our fellow guesthouse missionaries (Maryann of
Virginia with 30+ years of Haiti experience) were a little perplexed at the time because
this is first year (or third, there is some disagreement) that Haiti has observed Daylight
Savings Time. I am still confused because I have heard that Haiti has observed CST on a
previous trip and appears to observe EST on this trip. What has really become clear to me
(aside from the cell phone carriers lack of understanding of Haitian time) is that time is
completely arbitrary. It doesn't matter how right you think you are if the person serving
breakfast says you are wrong.
The car ride to Petit-Goâve was about two and a half hours, and even with the early start
there was still PLENTY of traffic. I can't imagine rush hour in Port Au Prince. We left
the house at the same time as another group and our interpreter Toutou (too-too) had
wound up in their van. When their driver was stopped for running a red-light Toutou
jumped out and caught our van as we drove by. We hardly even stopped! Sightseeing
from a jump seat in a van was great, some highlights--the kids going to school in their
uniforms with matching ties and bows, the unique and colorful metal gates, we even got
to see an original French colonial style house! Once out of the city we had beautiful
mountains to the left and the sea to our right. Everything in Haiti is exhausting...even
riding in the car.
The Methodist Guest House in Petit-Goâve run by Pastor Maude is just wonderful! We
had enough time to get settled in, and then it was time to get to work. Olivier (oh live ee
ay) is a small town about 25 minutes away from Petit-Goâve, which is a really
comfortable ride in the cab of a brand new truck owned by the guesthouse. But, there
were 8 people and 5 seats, so Carolyn, Toutou, and I volunteered to ride in the back. It
was a very easy ride on very nice roads, (unlike the pothole ridden Port Au Prince streets)
but we experienced our first casualty. My hat was blown right off just after Carolyn tried
to get me to put it away. Ah well. See Facebook for the picture of what it looks like when
you lose your hat!
We were all shocked to see the church in Olivier. The pictures we had seen were showing
its DEconstruction, not the construction. Our work today was laying the foundation for a
load-bearing wall. We had a crash course in bucket brigading and probably built a lot of
muscle swinging 10-25 lb buckets (depending on who you ask) from the church
courtyard to the future altar location. While the weather is absolutely wonderful, we had
to make frequent retreats to the shade to cool down and avoid burning. After finishing the
30 ft concrete beam we used up the rest of our time going vertical with a 12 ft column.
Towards the end of our work day the children were getting home from school and one
girl showed me how to play jacks while another showed her budding photography skills
with my camera. We are looking forward to spending more time playing soccer and less
time doing manual labor in the future. :P
After a blissfully air-conditioned truck ride home to the guesthouse, we showered and
napped until dinner. The staples of red beans and rice, pikliz, and plantains were
accompanied by fried okra (unlike any okra I've ever had, but that's what they call it)
chicken and a Haitian lasagna. The chefs in Petit-Goâve are just as stellar as the ones in
Petionville. And for dessert something called sweet potato pudding, which took us a few
hours to translate, but only a few minutes to devour.
It has been a long and wonderful day. Working alongside the Haitians to rebuild this
beautiful church is so wonderful even when we can't say much more to each other than
beton (concrete, which I thought was bucket). We are pleasantly surprised by our
accommodations and I am here to tell you the previous teams have not been doing the
food justice. We are all sorry Mike Palladino is not here to enjoy it with us, but we are
not sorry to eat his share of the pudding!
Good night! (Whatever time it is)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
One Candle
Bon Swa (Creole for good afternoon)
Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. Credit given to Vance Neathery.
That was the theme of our morning devotional. Even though I didn't know it before I
started. In everything that we do, at home or in Haiti, every small candle helps. Each
bucket of concrete we carried yesterday brought the church closer to completion. We are
so fortunate to be traveling with seasoned Haitian mission veterans who can see all the
changes that have happened since their first trip in October 2010. It gives me a lot of
hope that the small candle I am lighting while I am here for my short time will be part of
the end of the darkness.
With everyone firmly on Breakfast Standard Time (BST), we all enjoyed scrambled eggs,
cornflakes, mystery jam (tasted like apples but the picture looked like some kind of
citrus) on toast, and some amazingly fresh pineapple without incident. There wasn't much
time to finish getting ready and get on the road.
I learned a lesson from my lost hat and frazzled hair from the first truck trip and tied on
my improvised towel/hat much tighter and managed to keep it on through lunch!
The one thing we can all agree on was that today was hard work. We spent the morning
demolishing the altar area to bring it level with the rest of the floor and using the rubble
to fill in the street in front of the church. The Deputy Director of Roads and Bridges (or
that's what we call him at least) guided our efforts to improve the area in front of the
church while our other friends broke up the concrete and shoveled in wheelbarrow-full
after wheelbarrow-full of everything from giant rocks to fine dirt. At one point the
engineer came and a very forceful discussion started to take place. Our translator, Toutou,
was even dragged in to it. We speculated as to the cause. Was it something wrong with
the construction? We're they not putting the wall up properly? What Toutou? What is
causing all the shouting? Oh, the soccer match yesterday between Barcelona and AC
Milan v_v. Who is the best...what was wrong with the refs...it all made sense now. Back
to work, blan (foreigners, white people, what I have started calling us too!)
We were all quite worn out and started to wonder if the work crew knew about BST, but
they appeared to be on LST (Lunch Standard Time). With no end to the work in sight, a
few colorful visitors who were very curious about what it was we were doing quickly
distracted me. Not curious enough to stand around in the heat after school, the boys were
halfway down the road before I caught up to them with one of our soccer balls. My lack
of proficiency in Creole made no difference, balls bring down all barriers. Carolyn, Lisa,
and I enjoyed kicking the ball around with them for a while, and then some girls showed
up. They were shy at first, but we eventually convinced a couple to join in the fun. Then
there were a few more. And a few more. And then we were getting in the wheelbarrow
path and had to be shooed away to a place out of the way of the workers. At this point
there was a great deal of commotion and I was less kicking the ball around than being
pulled this way and that by a bunch of girls while the boys chattered at me in Creole. I
called for Toutou's help and he explained to me the boys would play soccer and the girls
could play frisbee. Great! I love frisbee. If you know me, you know kids are not my
strong suit, but thankfully Lisa stepped in to stop the frisbee war of ought thirteen. We
had the hardest time convincing the girls to spread out so we could throw the frisbee
instead of passing it, but they enjoyed it just the same.
About this time I realized I had started this diversion to avoid work, and what these kids
had me doing was seeming to be just as draining. Lisa was a step ahead of me and was
sitting with some of the children going through their English workbook. She was so
impressed by how much English they knew, and it was clear to me that they don't speak
to us because they are shy, not because they can't. Their vocabulary was really expansive
for their age; they seemed to be about 8 or 9, some much younger. The transition from
work to play to rest was somehow not very restful and we all agreed that it was time to
get back to wheelbarrowing until lunch.
The guest house had packed us tuna sandwiches, crackers, and banana cookies for lunch.
The highlight were the 3 glass bottled Coca-Colas. All of it really hit the spot, but no
amount of food would recharge us completely. Even our fearless and work-a-holic leader
John thought an extended lunch siesta was called for. I don't know about the others, but I
was out like a light and only woke up when I realized I was the only one still on break!
When we returned we had a new volunteer helping us. We didn't catch her name, but we
know she is a member of the church and she teaches kindergarten. After an unfortunate
fall caused by a plank that was steadily losing integrity throughout the day, she picked
herself right up, grabbed a shovel and kept going until we left for the day. What a perfect
example of a true church volunteer! She also taught Carolyn the Haitian National Anthem
(la Desalinyèn) as well as the French version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes".
Check the DVD for outtakes :p
The work day done, we loaded back in to the pickup for a Creole gospel filled cab ride
home. Hallelujah! No one told them no alleluias during Lent :)
In honor of all the soccer excitement, John decided to send a kid out to find a local
Haitian team jersey. With some money to go on and a promise of more when he returned,
the result was something a little unexpected. Emphasis on little. While John has been
doing a fabulous job tracking calories and losing weight, we think the kid might have
forgotten he wasn't buying for himself when we he came back with the goods. No
worries! Toutou is on the case and has been working to find one the right size with
assurances that it will be made right. And now some lucky kid in Houston will have an
authentic Haitian soccer shirt :)
Unloaded, showered, limping to the dinner table, we weren't disappointed by the spread.
Potatoes au gratin (hey that's French!), incredibly tender beef, potatoes (sweet and not
sweet), mixed veggies, and of course rice and beans. But this time we got to mix them
ourselves! Interesting side note: Haitian sweet potatoes are a light shade of green and
DElicious. Andy and I both agree foreign sweet potatoes are better than domestic ones.
Yesterday dessert was served after we finished the meal and even though I had more than
my fair share of the potatoes I had been eyeing a crystal glass that we each had and was
wondering what kind of goodies that was for. Chocolate. Ice cream. I know! Why aren't
you here? I bet you didn't get chocolate ice cream served in a crystal glass after your
dinner today. Lisa wanted it to be made clear that this was the first time ever ice cream in
Haiti. Progress is being made people. We have ice cream!
Andy shared a wonderful devotional about his previous missions and how they had all led
him here. He made the excellent point that you have to do this sort of thing while you are
young and still strong enough to do it. So many people our age are just worried about
money, but that isn't what it is all about. And if you stay strong you can keep doing crazy
things like hauling concrete, riding in the back of pickup trucks, and eating chocolate ice
cream even when you aren't as young as Andy!
Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Bon Jedi a Haiti! (Happy Thursday)
It's cooling off a little each day, and was cool enough last night for John to say "First time
ever under the covers in Haiti!" It was so nice and cool it wasn't even a problem that the
power went out in the night and we lost our ceiling fans. Unfortunately, the power outage
knocked out the Wi-Fi, and while I am writing this in a timely fashion, it's not likely you
will receive it in the same condition!
While the food usually has the same staples each day, this morning for breakfast we
substituted the scrambled eggs for hot dogs. And who would have thought we would
have laughing cow cheese in Haiti? Well if you did, you were wrong. It was Bongu
cheese, but it was pretty darn close. Even down to the little red tab you pull to open the
foil! I skipped the cornflakes and made myself a second piece of pb and j toast which was
probably a mistake because I was the last to load in the truck with calls from Toutou that
I was late!
We were a little bit earlier getting off, so the ride to Olivier had fewer people to see. We
were almost confused if we took a different route because we didn't see the market place,
but I guess 30 minutes makes a huge difference! One thing Clark and I noticed which you
don't see a lot of in Haiti was a few bulldozers and some dump trucks (very heavy
machinery considering we are doing all of our labor by hand) in a dried up riverbed.
I daydreamed a little bit about how much faster a backhoe could pull up the foundation of
the church than we could. Oh what I wouldn't give for a cement truck! But, day by day,
we are making progress by the sweat on our brows and the strength of our muscles (ask
Carolyn to flex for you). Today was thankfully not as difficult as yesterday. Either
because of the extra aspirin we took or the nice cool sleeping conditions we had last night
or the extra meaty and cheesy breakfast! The wheelbarrowing was graciously broken into
manageable bits by a few bucket brigades to pour more concrete columns. John is our
very own bucket brigadier general regulating our cement transportation methods to
maximize efficiency (even without the truck). When the wheelbarrowing got to be too
much we had to take a break and Carolyn began to compose a song to express our true
feelings about the least loved of our three wheelbarrows. It is sung to the tune of
Amazing Grace and if you can't really get the idea, don't worry we have video evidence
and if you ask nicely we may sing it for the congregation.
We were happy to see our church member volunteer return and we got to meet her 6 year
old son. We tried our best to learn her name, but even the Haitians agree their names are
difficult. I even have trouble at St. Marks when people don't use their name tags, but
maybe she will be back tomorrow and I can write it down. A few other volunteers came
today and we think they might be other church members. We are getting to work more
alongside the Haitians than on previous trips, which is great because they are much
harder workers than some of us (I had to take another nap after lunch today).
I was super excited to see an "organique" chemistry workbook tucked under a visitors
arm. I told them that was my language! Toutou says chemistry isn't a language and I
flipped through his book and found all kinds of ways to prove to him it was! I thought he
was a student because he was so young, but he is a teacher too! It is amazing what these
kids learn in colege (rhymes with the first syllable of measure ) which I think is sort of
like high school.
Even before lunch we were running dangerously low on water. We bring a 3 gallon water
cooler with us each day to the site for the 6 of us plus Toutou. At the beginning of the
week we gave the boss money to pay for the workers' water for the whole week, but
when they ran out they came to us and who can say no when someone comes in the heat
of the day asking for water? So while we took a lunch break for some excellent chunky
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Toutou went on a mission to get more water. There
was none to be had locally so he had to pay for a motorcyclist to drive him back to PetiGoâve. On his return trip holding on the the cooler and the bike for dear life, Toutou was
the first to notice the oncoming disaster of being squeeze between two trucks. The driver
wasn't paying attention and was going way too fast, and when the choice came between a
wreck and taking a speed bump at 40 mph, they took the bump. Toutou said if he had
been a woman he would have been thrown off! We were so glad that he made it back ok
and what a champ, he didn't even spill the water! Interesting sidenote: they call their
speed bumps polici coucher (sleeping policemen). I apologize for my spelling, John has
gone to sleep, and the Wi-Fi isn't around to help me either. These speed bumps are
nothing to be messed around with. You don't see many sedans our here, and while they
may have trouble with the pot holes in Port Au Prince, they definitely would bottom out
on these speed bumps.
While Carolyn and I try to learn the bare minimum of Hatian Creole and French from
Toutou, he has asked is to fill him in on some Texas slang. I came up with "fixin' to" and
"hotter than blue blazes", but I was drawing a blank. Do you have any good Texas slang
you think we should share with Toutou? He already had the "Howdy y'all!" down when
we met him. The team's previous translator Patrick came to the guest house today with a
new team and reminded John of "going with the flow" which I didn't think was really
Texan, but then again neither is "my bad" which came up at dinner.
Clark and Lisa decided to take a long walk TO the beach. I don't think they actually made
it ON the beach though. They got to see all the cute little houses in the village. Mine
would almost fit right in if it were made of anything but wood. Clark said it reminded
him of the Isle Mujeres near Cancun, which must have been nice because they want to go
back tomorrow!
The Deputy Director of Roads and Bridges received a promotion or title change to
Minister of Roads and Bridges, but the pay and duties remained the same. He directed
our efforts to continue to fill in the road which Clark felt was disrupting the local
businesses. I feel that he is especially sensitive to those causes because of his work in the
City of Houston. Have you seen those signs around the construction sites that tell you to
keep supporting the businesses despite the construction mess? Well, he felt like we
should buy some fish from the stand we kept wheelbarrowing up and down in front of for
all the business we must have cost them (or maybe he just thought they smelled really
good). Thankfully he got enough to share with everyone. They were small (~6 inches)
and came complete with not only bones, but heads AND tails; but they were also really
tasty little fried fish. A perfect afternoon snack.
While the girls were all busy (working very hard I am sure). The guys were people
watching in the street. They were all struck by the sight of a blind woman walking one
step at a time with only a stick for a cane. She was even carrying a load! No matter what
work we had done to improve the street it was still hazardous for ME to walk on and I
managed to fight a battle with a rock and lose today, so I cannot imagine how she did it.
They were all touched when some girls came by and helped guide her the rest of the way
home. We continue to see amazing things like this everywhere we look. I confess I
thought Haiti was going to be a much scarier place with a lot more danger coming from
the people, but I have made a complete 180. The people here are so wonderful and nice. I
am sure that there are some bad things happening here, but I have become an optimist
feel like I would have to look hard to find any of those terrible things they have found on
the news. School is important to Haitians, women work to provide for their children,
people come to meet in their churches even when their church isn't there anymore, and
the list goes on. There is a great deal of good to be learned from Haiti.
Bon Nuit/Jour/whenever I get Wi-Fi will be Bon
Crystal
P.S.
You thought I forgot about dinner, didn't you? Well I just thought I would save the
second best for the second to last (wait 'til you hear this song guys). My favorites made a
reappearance. Fried okra and plantains. We think the okra may be mashed before it is
fried, but I think I am going to have to watch these ladies cook it before I believe Toutou.
The lasagna has a return as well, but this time had a nice spicy kick to it. Probably my
favorite for the evening. I don't want you to think that I don't love the red beans and rice
(I almost always have a second helping) and they are almost always a little different, but
not being a well trained chef I just don't think I can do the fine nuances justice. Believe
me they are always fabulous. There was some disagreement as to weather the meat was
indeed chicken, but the only other thing it could have been was guinea fowl, which aren't
the things crowing like the sun won't rise if they don't at 3:30 am. So we all like to think
of those particularly loud roosters as we pick a leg or thigh. No crystal goblets tonight,
but dessert plates were brought to the table preceding a fresh, hot out of the oven pound
cake. No icing, no frills, all scrumptious. Maybe we can ask for some recipes before we
leave... Or maybe you just have to come on the next trip!
P.P.S.
Red Wheelbarrow (to the tune of Amazing Grace)
Oh how I hate that red wheelbarrow,
With two misshapen handles.
I hate to push it up and push it down the ramps.
Oh, I hate that red wheelbarrow.
It scrapes on every rock and bump,
Because my arm's too long.
I can't get a grip on that long ramp down,
So I cross my fingers and jog.
The red wheelbarrow hurts my soul,
And soon will be no more.
I'm so excited to leave it behind.
Goodbye red wheelbarrow!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Mèsi Bondye li a Vandredi (Thank God it's Friday)
Either the chickens are getting quieter, I'm getting used to them, or we've eaten them all
because there were just a few feeble crows this morning. With the arrival of a new team
we are having to share a little more space, set a few more places at the breakfast table,
and get a little more creative with our transportation. And just like it took us a couple of
days to figure out exactly what time it was and when exactly we were leaving, the new
team was running a little behind today. After finishing our breakfast of eggs, peanut
butter and pineapple jelly toast and watermelon, they were already behind, but since we
were sharing a truck it gave us plenty of time to get ourselves organized.
Our last day on the job was spent very much like our second. All demolishing foundation
and wheelbarrowing it to the street. Exhausting work, but we have learned the value of
taking breaks and taking them often. I doubt we are any tougher, but the work didn't seem
as grueling. A lot of changes have happened in that church since we arrived, and I am
really jealous of the team that will get to come in and do the painting. Each day we show
up more work is done than when we left the day before. We know that we aren't the
backbone of the labor, but we all did our part. Learning the intricate task of wiring the
rebar together was a privilege only John received, but of the 3 ties he did 2 had to be
redone. Carolyn was the lucky one to learn how to mortar the cinderblocks together, but
due to some unfortunate leveling issues in previous rows, her hard work had to be undone
too. Clark, Lisa, Andy, and I stuck to what we knew, demo and hauling. The job isn't
glamorous, but we got it done! I really admire those specialized workers that travel to do
mission work like Dr. Boon. When he travels to Guatemala, he will bring skills that
people need. I just brought a camera! But each hand makes a difference and we all touch
people in ways we do not expect and may never know.
Because Clark and Lisa had such a great time on their walk, Carolyn and I decided to
check it out. There were tons if cute houses and many friendly Haitians. We had a few
children following us and practicing their English. We even got a few "good afternoons"
from some adults! We saw so many mango trees and I am just kicking myself that we are
just a little early for mango season. Just in the courtyard at the church there's a mango, a
coconut palm, and an almond tree--the beginnings of a delicious fruit salad from the
Hobbit! Turns out it was a lake we were walking to, not the sea like we thought, but it is
just as blue! After our walk it was time for lunch and we were happy to find sprite in
addition to the cokes today. The sprite went perfectly with my spam and butter sandwich.
It may not sound like much, but you try ripping up a foundation and tell me it isn't the
most delicious thing you have had all day!
We have had surprise volunteers all week, but today's may have been the most surprising
(and humbling). Two little boys (~9 years old) were helping Clark wheelbarrow loads out
to the street. We wrote a whole song about our own stubbornness and laziness and these
little boys were pushing that red wheelbarrow like it was a game. And the Minister of
Roads and Bridges had a brain wave with the paving of the road and made some really
great progress with our last loads of ripped up concrete.
Thanks to our new roommates at the guesthouse, we got to leave early so that the truck
could drop us off in time to go pick them up. Last to leave, first to get home (thats
Matthew 20:16 right?).The trip home just flew by, and after getting cleaned up and
decompressed, we were offered a ride in to town. John had gotten a haircut at a barber on
a previous trip, and I guess he wanted to make it a tradition. Carolyn, Clark, and I
decided to go along for the ride. We had an awesome stroll through Petit-Goâve all the
way to the ACTUAL sea! We were able to see the beautiful sunset over the Caribbean
Sea with the anchored sailboats bobbing on the choppy waters before Toutou said it was
time to head back to pick up John. Clark and I really enjoyed all the beautiful
architectural details on the homes and businesses.
Toutou enjoyed strutting his stuff in his town. "These are my peeps. I am very popular in
Haiti." Let me just tell you all about Toutou. His name is actually Felicien Asthene.
Nicknames aren't common in Haiti, but his mom had had 3 girls already and just decided
she wanted to call him Toutou. He not only speaks Haitian Creole, French, and English,
but also Spanish! He graduated with a specialty in civil engineering. He was thoughtful
enough to bring Carolyn some peeled sugar cane along with the water on the motorcycle
ride adventure just because he had mentioned wanting to try it (delicious by the way). He
also brought paintings done by children at an orphanage near his home to show people at
the guest house so that he can bring the money back to support them. And I love the guy
because he used the gloves my mom sent and my old shoes to help us work at the church.
Oh, he does construction work on the side, but the real reason he is so buff is because he
also goes to the gym! He really is the whole package. He helps us to stay safe and think
of all the people, like the driver, who might need some of the things we brought. When
we were more than a little shocked we would be doing vacation bible school for 150
children tomorrow he stepped up to help us plan lunch and went out to buy it for us. He
loves helping both us and the Haitian vendors selling the food.
While Toutou is great in many ways, he sorely underestimated the amount of time it takes
to get a haircut. To be honest, I don't blame him. Even John said he had never been that
thoroughly barbered. Just when we thought he was done, the barber would pull out
another implement. I think the one that surprised John the most was the safety razor blade
used to shape his beard. It truly was "A Nouveau Look" (the tagline for the shop) which
will suit him well for the preaching he will be doing on Sunday.
Since the haircut took so long we were all a little curious how dinner would work. Would
they wait in us? Would there be any left? Would we starve? Or find food at a restaurant?
When we arrived back at the guest house, it turned out that the others had waited on us
just like one pig waits on another, but thankfully had left ample portions of chicken and
peas, tuna casserole, yams, mixed vegetables, and rice for us. There was a scary point
when we thought Lisa hadn't been able to fight the other teams off our servings of
dessert, but thankfully there was more than enough sweet potatoe pudding left for all of
us--much less sweet and a lot spicier with more ginger this time (I just had to have a
second helping).
Usually after dinner it was time to crash, but tonight was the peanut butter sandwich
assembly line. With designated cutters, smearers, and packers, the job was finished in no
time. I was in charge of packing and was harshly criticized when the bags the bread came
out of turned out not to be big enough for them to go back in to, but we acquired a few
more bags and it all worked out in the end. With our lunches made and our activities
planned, now all we need are lots of prayers to get through probably our hardest day yet.
Five hours of VBS with 150 children who don't speak English :)
Can't wait 'til Sunday,
Crystal
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Spam and cheese sandwiches for breakfast. Ham and butter sandwiches for lunch. Carb
soup with goat for dinner.
Good night,
Crystal
Just kidding! We did eat all those things, but there were a few more things that happened
today. After a lot of artful packing of supplies by Toutou last night, the first order of
business on the worksite was handing out all the clothes to the workmen. They were all
so appreciative and every piece was claimed. I think the happiest moment for me was
getting a picture with the worker who got some of my old shoes! Carolyn even got in 2
more seconds worth of work learning and practicing to mix cement since the workers
were still at it.
Once the kids started to arrive we began making name tags. Duct tape and sharpies were
our materials for this first activity. The kids LOVED it. We even got the help of some
older kids who spoke pretty good English to write down the names of the children so we
could copy it on to the duct tape. As the kids got their bame tags they were kept
entertained by a steady stream of bubbles from Andy, Carolyn, and Clark. After we had
quite a crowd we decided to start off with some songs and left the older boys to tag all the
stragglers as they showed up. The songs were great, even though we had been practicing
our Creole versions all week, the kids were still WAY better than us. (Maybe because
Toutou told them "no singing, no lunch"). After a brief introduction, we broke in to
groups to do storytelling, coloring, and crafts. After our first station, we took a break to
play some games: frisbee (hand it around in a circle), soccer (kick each other in the
shins), and Little Sally Walker (sit and pet Carolyn).
When we came back after game time we told the story (the stations of the cross) to a new
group and it was the most amazing example of the hymn "I Love to Tell the Story". There
were the children that ate it up like the first group of children. But there was also a group
of the community elders who were just loving every picture we showed them on the iPad
even more. I would say something to them about the picture in English (and I know these
people didn't speak English) and they would say something back to me in Creole that I
couldn't understand (and I KNOW was just exactly what I told them in English). I love to
tell the story to those who know it best. Who are hungering and longing, to hear it like the
rest.
It was getting close to lunch time so we gave up on the idea of separate groups and just
passed out crayons and paper to all the kids to tide them over until lunch. Passing out the
crayons was just a fraction of a glimpse into the craziness that was to come, and I was
already beginning to be done with it. Once all the lunch items were ready to pass out we
let the Haitian adults pass out the sandwiches and we did the Tampico. We almost forgot
the crackers, and by the time we were passing them out the kids had finished their
sandwiches and were getting very rambunctious. After about 2 pews worth of crackers I
was getting pulled in too many directions and just had to leave it to the professionals. We
managed to get all the children fed and then realized the colossal amount of trash we
were going to have to clean up when Carolyn had the BRILLIANT idea to offer the
children the remaining crayons if they brought her 2 pieces of trash. This is when the
(what John has termed) Great Toutou Riot of 2013 broke out. Toutou had the last of the
crayons and too many kids were bringing trash and saying they had already put it down
and wanted their crayons and he just got totally mobbed. A box of trash got knocked over
and all the kids dove for it. The result was something very similar to a rugby scrum. He
gave John the last 30 markers and "it was brutal". I had to receive all this information
second hand because I had fled to the safety of our lunch room. Andy apparently just
loved the enthusiasm of the kids.
We were all so pleased with how it all turned out. With a little last minute team planning
and some donations from our fellow missionaries for the crafts like the cross necklaces
that were a total hit, and a lot of prayers from you, it all just came together. There were
over 150 children and probably 200 people served at this VBS. It only worked because of
everyone's combined efforts. Especially Toutou for managing the whole affair and
translating for story as well as policing all the other activities. All the older kids and
adults who stepped up to pass things out or translate or help the little kids were where I
saw Jesus today. The church members who we hope to see again tomorrow were also
integral to keeping the kids motivated and organized. It was all just so great and the
children themselves were wonderfully polite and understanding. If it had been 150 St.
Mark's VBS kids, I might have had to take a few more breaks or flee to lunch a little
earlier. :p
The ham and butter sandwiches were just perfect with some sprite and tempo cookies. I
just am super happy they put butter on their sandwiches instead of mayo. After the lunch
recovery time our last task was picking up the trash. Wait... Didn't the kids do that? Well
they did an awesome job so all we had were just a few bits and pieces here and there. We
gathered up our things and loaded them in the truck and were able to say our goodbyes to
the workers. They each had something really touching to say. Our favorite hard worker
Noel (at least that what I had to call him because I never did understand what his full
name was) said, "God has blessed us through you and may God bless you. We really
appreciate everything you have done." The foreman said "Thank you for coming to help
us. For advancing our work." And John couldn't remember the rest because he was
almost in tears. But I did hear he invited us to come back for the inauguration of the
church, which I would LOVE the chance to see this church when it is completed. At this
point Clark took the shoes off his feet and walked back to the truck in his socks. I had
planned on holding on to my shoes until the last day, but when Toutou asked me, I
wound up sock footed for the ride home as well. We had a parting picture with our work
team and it made us feel like one big happy family. One of the Haitians thought Clark
and Andy looked so much alike he asked if they were brothers. Clark being Clark
answered in the affirmative, "Yes! Clark and Andy Martinista." Names aside, and blood
too, the Haitians have really made us feel at home. They are so appreciative of what we
do, and the "Merci anpil" (Thanks a lot) that I received just made it all worthwhile.
While Clark and I lost our shoes, Andy apparently lost his shorts. The laundry service at
the guest house has been good up until now, and we are all hoping a lot of things will turn
up tomorrow (or at least before we leave). We decided not to dwell on what we gave
away and instead I start looking for what to buy. We had been told the coffee and vanilla
were great in Haiti and, of course, Toutou had the connections. But, pastor Maude wasn't
around to approve the car. I wasn't ready to give up. We had driven through town quite a
few times, and it didn't seem that far. We decided to walk. Toutou didn't seem convinced,
but we were determined and set off. It was a great chance to stretch our legs since today
was a lot less exercise intensive even if it was exhausting. We didn't quite make it to
town when the truck arrived. We hitched a lift the rest of the way with a the pastor's
husband who had an errand to run to some densely populated vendor area. We all stayed
close to Toutou and were reminded of the story our Wisconsin friend told us this morning
of the best mother in the world the banny (sp? i.e. wild) hen. Just as a mother hen keeps
her chicks together and defends them aggressively when necessary, Toutou watched over
us. I was sorely tempted by the freshly roasted corn and a few other mystery dishes being
prepared by street vendors, but we had a mission. We were led off the main road into an
alley which reminded me strongly of the counterfeit purse market in New York. The
farther in we got the more I was reminded of the markets in Taiwan. Whole salted fish.
All kinds of things for sale. Including RAW coffee beans. Raw? We just didn't even
know what to do with raw beans. "We can google it when we get home," and bought
them anyway! And just across the isle... if that is what you would call it VANILLA! It
was a one stop shop. Way more convenient than my last trip to the grocery store. I was so
happy with the trip I just completely forgot to take pictures. I was really kicking myself
because Clark complained that his camera had been on the wrong setting all day and he
had had to toss all his ill-begotten crowd shots that he had been so excited to get. We
began the walk home and again we were able to hitch a lift again with the pastor's
husband on his return trip. Even with the extra trip there was still quite a bit of time
before dinner so we pooled our photos and had a nice little review of the trip so far. And
when we got to the trip today I was SO happy that Clark had managed to get some great
photos of our little shop.
We had a great dinner of what John and I decided to call Carb Soup. It had some
vegetables reminiscent of collard greens...maybe kale? I don't know something dark
green and leafy, but the rest was potatoes. Sweet potatoes. Not sweet potatoes. And
potatoes with an incredibly smooth texture for potatoes (because they were plantains).
Oh! We spooned this on to a bed of rice. There were a few bites of meat in each bowl.
Just enough for everyone to get a taste and know they liked it. Not enough to agree on
what it was. Maybe goat? And dessert was another hot out of the oven pound cake. I just
don't even want to know how much I have gained on this trip. It is unheard of for a
missionary group to lose weight in Haiti.
With dinner cleared away, we played a few rounds of the Martinson's version of
dominos. Everyone won once. Except me! I said everyone won because we were having
fun. They laughed at me. v_v John had to get to work on the message he is going to
deliver tomorrow at the service , and everyone else got to work getting to bed.
Goodnight for reals this time!
Crystal
P.S. ok almost for reals.
Breakfast wasn't just the delicious sandwiches and pb and ananas (pineapple) j and fresh
ananas. We also had a special treat of something we can only describe as baklava.
Sweetened, probably fried, flaky bread. Yummmm. I keep forgetting to get the names for
things.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Au Revoir Olivier!
Usually a day starts with breakfast. Today was a little different. There was some kind of
party/parade going on that started around 2AM and kept going on until the roosters
started crowing at 3:30AM. We have a wide variety of explanations and speculations
from "it's Saturday night, people just like to party on the weekend" to "its evil". Maybe a
voodoo funeral, maybe not. It sounded like fun to me, but I couldn't even roll over I was
so tired. Shortly after falling back to sleep I was awoken by something. The room was
black and as my eyes adjusted to the light the blackness lessened everywhere except right
over my bed. Someone was leaning RIGHT over me! I screamed some obscenity at the
top of my lungs and sat right up. Turns out it was just one of my roomies on her way
back to bed from the restroom, and my scream was more of a gasp. I could hardly breath
my heart was beating so fast as I tried to go back to sleep feeling like an absolute crazy
person. We had a lot of great laughs about it later as everyone recounted their
interpretation of events.
Once it was today for real, we had to say goodbye to Olivier and Petit-Goâve. We had to
wake up what seemed like super early although it was only 30 minutes earlier (probably
because of all the exciting nighttime adventures) to get to church, which started at 8:00
AM. Everyone was in their Sunday best at breakfast except for me. I just knew I would
get something on my WHITE shirt. All was about the same except the eggs were hard
boiled instead of scrambled. Variety is the spice of life (that or Tabasco according to John
and Carolyn). We also had some interesting spaghetti concoction that reminded Carolyn
and me of Chinese noodles more than Italian. And, because I was the last one ready, all
the spots in the cab were taken, but I was not riding in the bed with a skirt. Thankfully,
we had the old truck with a bench front seat so I was able to squeeze in between the
driver and Toutou. It really brought me back to the days of driving around with my sister
in her boyfriend's standard truck. It was a little tighter of a squeeze today than when I was
10.
We did arrive on time and then the singing started. Since the church was still completely
under (de)construction the congregation meets behind the building under tarps set up to
provide shade. They had a drum set, a keyboard, and an accordion. John's favorite was
the gospel song that went on for about 10 minutes. It kept getting faster and faster and
more and more rowdy and the little old ladies on the pew behind us were REALLY into
it. We all stood up and introduced ourselves to the congregation with varying amounts of
translation required by Toutou. After that we were just part of the congregation (except
John and Lisa). After a lovely scripture reading by my pal the chemistry teacher, John
was asked to deliver the message. He had repeatedly explained he was not a pastor and
would only prepare something very brief, but apparently the pastor didn't get the memo
because he was absent today. While Haitian services often last 2 hours or more, John's
short but sweet message got us out on a more traditional US methodist timescale. Since
he delivered the message in French, we were in the dark, but he got a few "Amen"s from
the congregation so we knew he did a good job (that, and his hand gestures were great!).
Lisa was then asked to offer a prayer, which she was totally not expecting and she did a
fabulous job of offering! We did plenty more singing both in and out of the hymnal, but it
was all in French or creole and we couldn't even find the hymns without help from
Toutou or the lay leader. I think we did sing "Crown Him Lord of All", or at least that is
what Lisa and I think it sounded like. Lisa said it the best, "(Even) not knowing the
language, singing words I don't understand with people I don't understand the music still
moves my spirt. (It was) very joyful no interpreter needed." The service was completed
and we got to walk around and shake the hands of all the church members. It was
wonderful seeing some of our friend we had made while working throughout the week or
at VBS and just as wonderful meeting new friends. They were so sweet they had a
reception for us afterward. They served crackers and sodas. It was just so unexpected, but
so obvious now that I think about it...they're Methodists. If we are about one thing it's
singing. If we are about two, it's singing and food. They even gave us some of the
champagne soda John had told us about which is a lot like a cream soda with some
citrusy flavors.
The reception wound down and the only people left were doing Sunday school. I guess
they missed the 7 am class v_v. So it was goodbye Olivier and back to Petit-Goâve to kill
time while we waited for the other group to get out of church (theirs started at 9AM). We
stopped by a clinic that had a really nice garden with an ocean view so some of us could
use the facilities. It still wasn't time for lunch so we went to the church where Pastor
Maude and the other missionaries were. Carolyn went in just looking for the bathroom
and the person leading her just walked her right into the worship service. We wound up
joining her and were blessed with more singing (both an anthem by the choir as well as
more songs from the hymnal). A little old lady shared her hymnal with us and was a good
strong leader for us to follow. This church was as different from ours in Olivier as St.
Luke's is from St. Mark's (if you know what that means because I don't). Olivier was
outdoors under tarps in the countryside. The Petit-Goâve church was an impressive
building in the "big" city. The floors were beautifully tiled, they had an organ, the
pulpit/lectern (I never know the difference, and I think they were combined in to one
anyway) was raised up just like in any US church, but the view of the ocean and palm
trees out the window was distinctly different than all the churches I have been to before. I
have been to churches that seemed just as hot, though, but none with Toutou, who got up
and adjusted an oscillating fan so we could get a bit more air. We were recognized by
Pastor Maude for having been working and worshiping at Olivier, which I really
appreciated because I am the judgy kind of person who would have seen these white
people walking in over an hour late and wondering who they thought they were. Then the
other missionaries introduced themselves and shared their message (in English this time
so we got to enjoy it as their translator relayed it to the rest of the congregation). When
the service was completed we got to do more hand shaking, but there wasn't a reception
for our fellow missionaries. We were feeling extra grateful for our Olivier relationships.
But Carolyn makes friends anywhere and a little girl just ran up to give her a big hug
forgoing any hand shaking.
After feeling thoroughly like Baptists who go to church twice on Sunday (according to
John not Carolyn) we headed to the lunch place. It was just like my normal Sunday
routine, straight to the restaurant in our Sunday clothes. I chose the fried goat and
Carolyn had the Lambi a la Creole (Creole style conch). Everyone's dish came with a
hefty serving of French fries and a salad of tomatoes, cabbage, and onions. The rice had
peas instead of beans, and had a distinctly different flavor than any of the rice we had had
before. The conch was very similar to clams and Creole style just means with sauce.
Some of the fried goat was incredibly tender and all of it was really tasty. Everyone else
had ordered some kind of drink and we wound up with an extra of what turned out to be a
papaya milk shake. I had never cared for papaya in the past, but this was delicious. Not as
delicious as Toutou's soursop milkshake which had I known what it was I would have
ordered it on purpose. The description of the flavor from Wikipedia is pineapple
strawberry with citrus. I LOVED it. The rest of the group much preferred the papaya.
Clark ordered a grapefruit juice which actually turned out to be pomelo juice. This was
the mystery fruit the jam was made out of at breakfast a few days ago! We recognized the
picture when John googled it. It tasted a lot like grapefruit juice, but was very yellow.
No down time was allowed after lunch we had to change and head straight for the beach.
We had a short drive to Grand-Goâve which gave us a beautiful view coming down the
mountain of the islands in the sea, the valley, and the Carribean. At the beach itself we
were all impressed by the beautiful colors of the water. It ranged from turquoise to deep
blue and was such a great temperature. It was so entrancing I forgot to take off my
pedometer and didn't notice until it was quite ruined. Ah well. I guess I didn't need to
know how much I was walking anyway. It had to be enough. Still pretty mad at myself
though. After enjoying the water we started scanning the shore. There were conchs for
sale both to eat and shells for decoration. But looking in the rocks and sand we saw
TONS of beautiful unbroken shells. I love collecting things like that from the beach, but
in Galveston most of the shells are occupied by hermit crabs and NONE of them are as
pretty. We did see a few tiny little crabs while digging through the shells, but they were
very camera shy. I even found a shell that was still occupied. The conch had met its fate
before I arrived, but I did get to pull it out. Just crazy! Looked exactly like what Carolyn
ate for lunch. These animals are amazing. I am reminded strongly of Job. I don't know
why or how these animals grow these beautiful shells, but I know they are part of God's
beautiful creation. After searching through the shells for a while we noticed a man in the
distance on a tiny boat standing up and paddling. It was very picturesque to see him
gracefully maneuvering his craft on the calm waters as we relaxed on the shore. I decided
I had had enough of the water and went to go change into some dryer clothes. While I
hadn't thought I was gone that long and was within view of the trucks, when I came out
of the women's "restroom" it was to shouts of "Here she is! We found her!" Apparently I
had caused a bit of a disturbance by disappearing because they had all decided it was time
to go about the same time I had decided to change. Oh well, at least I know people would
miss me, and hopefully I didn't worry them too much. Clark and I both wound up
cameraless in the cab of the truck on the way back, and I think he did a better job than I
did dealing with the withdrawal. "Do you think she got a picture of that? Oh I wish I had
my camera!"
When we got back to the guest house it was not quite dinner time so we all had time to
shower and repack for our departure to Petionville (pay teeon veel or payshonville they
say it both ways) in the morning. It is such a great feeling to leave things behind (when
you plan on it). And now I have plenty of space in my bag for souvenirs. If only I have
the money for them! Dinner was a final showing of the favorites (lasagna, rice & beans,
plantains, not okra but sounds like ah-cra another potatoe like tuber) plus beets (yuck)
and meatballs (yum). As soon as I saw the crystal goblets when the ladies set the table I
knew what was coming. What I didn't know was that the flavor was vanilla with red
swirls. I say red swirls because the vanilla flavor was so strong we couldn't taste fruit.
Now we know why they recommended buying vanilla here!
This whole trip I have continually borrowed things from others (plastic bags, sunscreen,
etc. ) FINALLY I got to lend someone else something, floss! It's good to be the prepared
one some of the time.
During our evening devotional, John shared his message in English with us. It was
"amen"-worthy! He was very self critical about it not being Haiti or missionary related,
but we all thought it was great that he chose to follow the scripture and just give a good
biblical message instead. He was also rethinking his benediction and wished he had
included something that tied in the two near collisions we had and one aftermath we had
witnessed--"May God protect you on the roads of Haiti!"
Tonight I get to fall asleep to the sound of the first rain I have heard in Haiti! May God
bless you and protect you on the roads of home!
Monday, March 18, 2013 – Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Bon Nuit, Haiti
Today was our cultural experience/free day. We started it off right with pumpkin soup for
breakfast. Pumpkin soup or freedom soup is a traditional meal served on January 1, very
similar to black eyed peas. It began when the slaves were forbidden to drink pumpkin
soup, and the after declaring independence on January 1, 1804 they celebrated their
freedom by having pumpkin soup. I didn't remember the exact date (had to google it), but
I had heard it earlier today! It has a pumpkin base, but it also has noodles and potatoes
and beef or goat. There were also dumplings in the soup we had. So delicious. We are
really looking forward to finding the recipe and trying to recreate it in Houston. Another
treat at breakfast was fresh mangos! They were just saving the best for last, or Toutou
pulled some strings because we had been talking about the things we had wanted to try
the day before. Since we had a later start than usual waiting for the van to arrive from
Petionville, we took our time getting packed and giving the way the last of our things.
The electricity had been struggling all morning and had a brief return with the happiest
little "yay" from Lisa for the fans returning followed by the saddest "awww" when they
want right back off again. The IT crowd had the internet on UPS backup so even without
power we were still golden (I love those guys). Pastor Maude asked to speak with us, and
it turned out she wanted to personally thank us for coming to work in Olivier. She gave
us all a small gift and a certificate signed by the bishop. She was such a great person to
work with and really helped make sure all our needs were met. Her assignment will
change in August of this year after 11 years in Petit-Goâve. So just like we go where we
are sent, she must go to northern Haiti where she has been called.
After taking time and milling around and meeting with Pastor Maude, we couldn't afford
to pack at the leisurely pace we had set before. Sure enough, with a significant amount of
conches still to wrap the "beep! beep!" of the van called us downstairs. We threw
everything together as fast as we could and managed to get everything we planned to take
except a bathing suit and a souvenir (our IT friend, Liz, emailed us to let us know and
plans to deliver the souvenir when we get to meet again, so sweet!). Finally starting to
plan ahead, we decided to take some peanut butter an buy some buns because lunch
might be a little late leaving after 10AM to get to Port Au Prince (they came in handy for
the next day as well). The van ride back on the jump seat was just as bad as the van ride
out. Johnny may have been a good driver (they haven't had to replace a clutch on any of
the guest House vehicles in 10 years), but even the best drivers cannot smooth out the
terrible roads and terrible traffic. We had a break in Mellier which was the location the
group worked at in 2010. John and Lisa were just amazed by the difference. They were
just building a wall and the area was very run down in general 3 years ago. Today there is
an ENORMOUS building (with a lovely wall around it). Lisa called it a cathedral. It was
a massive project and it was very obvious why it was necessary to hire a contractor to
manage and finish the church. After a few pictures we got back on the road.
It was terribly uncomfortable, but I still tried to get some sleep. As we got closer to
Karfou (car foo) the traffic became much worse. And we began the long fight to get into
Port Au Prince. It didn't seem nearly as bad as last Tuesday when we had just arrived, but
that may have been because I was wide awake and still trying to take everything in in the
beginning. I just wanted to rest today (riding on those jump seats is harder work than
hauling concrete). We were driven by the location of the Presidential Palace, which was
critically damaged during the earthquake and completely torn down. There was a really
nice park in that area which had been a tent city just 18 months ago during the last trip
from St. Mark's. We were able to visit the MaPaHa (Museum...something
something...Haiti). It was such a great museum. We had an excellent guide who really
knew his stuff. It was the perfect size. There were enough interesting exhibits to see and
feel like we got our money's worth, but not so much that we couldn't see it all without
being exhausted. I learned so much! The answers to questions I had had since seeing
Peter Pan (What makes the red man red?). Seriously though, Indians (Native
Americans...West Indians) are not red why do we call them red? I get yellow, black, and
white, but red always stumped me. Well, the Arawak (or one of the other two tribes
indigenous to Hispañola--modern day Haiti+Dominican Republic) used some kind of
bean that they rubbed on their skin that gave them a reddish color. That is why the
spaniards with Christopher Columbus called them red! And we have been calling them
all red since. Speaking of Christopher Columbus, one of the anchors of the Santa Maria
was on display. I have been here a whole week and it never occurred to me to think about
how amazingly important and historic this place I is! The freaking Santa Maria, arguably
one of the most famous ships ever, and we got to see the anchor! The stories were not all
nostalgic. There were horrible accounts of the complete destruction of the indigenous
population of over 1 million by massacre, small pox, and measles in a matter of years.
The stories just got worse after that with the beginning of the slave trade. They had
original shackles used on the ships coming from Africa, and those used to punish
disobedient slaves. A 50 pound weight that was either hung on the feet while your harms
were held out, or in the case of punishing female slaves who had abortions rather than
bring a child into their wretched world, the 50 lb weight would be placed on their head.
To this day the phrase "50 lb weight" is used to mean "too heavy". Just as everything was
just getting too depressing to bear we moved to a happier era of the slave revolt. When
the slaves revolted, the country was then split between the North where King Cristophe
ruled as a progressive despot. (You had to go to Church on Sunday, but you can go to any
church you like, you have to wear socks if you go to market, etc.) and the South ruled by
General Petion (for whom Petionville is named). The attempt by Napoleon to recover
Haiti with 40,000 soldiers was successfully prevented and there was pumpkin soup for
all! The most impressive piece, after the anchor, was the solid gold crown of the self
proclaimed emperor of Haiti who's name escapes me. Apparently all he did was spend
tens of thousands of francs for a crown for him and his "empress". They had a lot of
beautiful jewelry too! A giant lapis lazuli, garnets, turquoise, and diamonds decorated the
solid gold crown. The American occupation was shown in an incredibly negative light. A
throwback to the days of slavery to show how the Americans killed the Haitian leaders
and distributed photos of the bodies to demoralize the resistance. The most recent history
was just glossed over with a string of presidents that lead to Papa Doc who ruled as a
dictator followed by Bebe Doc his son who lost control to Aristide. Aristide had fanatical
followers who made Haiti famous for violence and terrible oppression of any opposition.
The oldest church in Haiti built in 1791 was burned down by Aristide's supporters and all
that remained was the cross and the steeple bell. The second oldest church very near that
one was destroyed during the eathquake. Both Bebe Doc and Aristide tried to regain
power after the the earthquake and I believe Bebe Doc is still in jail after being
immediately arrested upon his return. I asked our guide what he thought of the current
president, Martelly. He said he is ok, but Haiti still has a lot of problems. We finished up
our tour with a trip through the temporary exhibit which was a display of artwork done by
local Haitians who were not artists. Just masons and cooks an laborers who were given
the materials and told to just paint what they felt. The work was all amazing and I would
have loved to buy a print or a postcard with some of the art, but the MAPAHA is the only
museum in the world without a gift shop. And of course the only pictures that I was
allowed to take were of the sign outside the museum.
All the touristy things done in Port Au Prince, we started the drive up into the mountains
to Petionville where the guest house and "the best pizza in Haiti" were to be found. The
best pizza is served at Munchees. We had a great view from an open air upper floor of the
street below with many exciting near accidents and all kinds of interesting vehicles
including a four wheeler and a UN truck with military police. While we enjoyed the
entertainment we were tortured by the delicious smells of the cooking pizzas. My
suggestions of meat lovers or Hawaiian illicited a somewhat negative response from John
(had I known you ate pineapple on your pizza I wouldn't have come!), but crisis was
averted when we got one meatlovers and one vegetarian (he still at a slice of meatlovers,
Shhh!). While everyone else ordered coke and sprite, Toutou was having a discussion
with the waitress and something told me I needed to know what HE was ordering to
drink. Soursop juice! I want one too! It was delicious. Maybe even better than the shake.
I really hope I can find these things in central market. After our awesome pizza and
refreshing beverages we hit up the grocery store across the street. The grocery store was
just so much like ours, especially the deli. I didn't pay really close attention, but I bet I
wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between what they had and some Boar's
Head or good old Kroger brand Private Selection. I asked Toutou if I could buy the
soursop juice, and what he found for me looks just like packets of Cool-aid. They say
guanabana on them (or Guantanamo as my phone wanted to autocorrect it to) so here is
hoping when I add water (or milk, the directions give you options) it will be at least
something like the deliciousness I experienced in Haiti. A guy in the grocery store told
me I could buy the fruit, scrape the pulp into a ziplock, and take it home, but I didn't
really believe him (and I didn't see any of the fruit to buy <_<). It was starting to get late
and the group decided they were too tired to go shopping but they wanted to stop by the
work site from 2011 in Puits Blain (pwee blahn). I guess they thought it was not far from
where we were (just over that hill), but it turned out to be the ride of a lifetime. We hit
traffic almost immediately because ALL of the roads in that area of town were severely
constricted due to construction (they will have some VERY nice roads for the next group
that wants to see the Puits Blain site). Clark's description was the best. He was dreading
staying in the line of cars when Johnny, our driver, said he knew a shortcut. "Shortcut" in
Haiti does not mean what you think it means. It means something more like, "I know
another way". So, with a wheelbarrow strapped on top of our 4 wheel drive fully loaded
10 passenger van, we took the most dramatic, trauma-filled ride of our lives. Up and
down hills with about a 30 degree incline our wheels were spinning on the rocks, and
Clark was giggling the whole time. He said it was just like a black diamond ski slope. On
one particularly thin an treacherous descent we played chicken with a delivery truck (the
goat cut his losses and jumped first). Neither driver backed down and we were at an
impasse when we met halfway and at a point that was too narrow to pass. Or was it? We
decided it was only thanks to Lisa's artful leaning that we did not rock the one centimeter
gap between our windows and his back end. Johnny was a pro and so was the truck
driver. And, I think some of those prayers you sent were answered. the "shortcut" brought
us safely (if not shortly) to the Puits Blain site. The basketball court was completely
finished; it even had a painted logo. And a whole new second floor was on the building.
We got a few pictures and those who had worked on the court reminisced and it was time
to return to the guest house.
Our faithful translator/tour guide/body guard/friend Toutou said his farewells at the guest
house and we hope it isn't the last time we see him. Our last dinner was a tasty
combination of chicken, rice with mushrooms (loved it!), lasagna, and the piece de
resistance was the luxurious chocolate birthday cake for Sarah, the Volunteer in Mission
worker at the guest house. She and I got along great because she just wanted the icing and
I just wanted the cake! Our final opportunity to get souvenirs was on the street out the
back gate of the guest house. We haggled our hearts out and felt like we got everything
we wanted. At dark we walked away from our last purchase successful (2 purses for the
less than the price of one, go Carolyn!).
We had a debriefing with the VIM guy, Tom, where we got to tell him all about what we
loved and what we would have liked to have known before we came. I got to play with
his dog Blackie a bit more while the adults were talking. The devotional told about
Peter's miraculous escape from prison and how we should pray for big miracles. We have
to keep working on the little pieces like tearing up the foundation for one church in Haiti.
But we can pray for the big vision in Haiti. Small projects to have safe water, good
schools, and medical facilities are the small pieces we can work at for God's big miracle
of rebuilding the communities. After we leave there are other groups like the Fellowship
of Christian Athletes which brought the Rutgers football team down for a week to work
and test a new method of water purification system that will show the Haitians that clean
water can be collected from wells that have been treated. Clark wasn't the only one to
notice the children didn't have toys, a group of students who were disappointed there was
no soccer field for the children to play on are headed home to plan a project to begin
building playgrounds to provide safe areas for children to play. Big miracles are just
around the corner!
The Haiti coordinator for Partners in Mission, Bob from Lufkin, just happened to be at
the guest house and flying back to Texas at the same time we were and filled us in on the
Apparent Project which is a fundraiser designed to get money to those most in need in
Haiti. The Haitian's design and craft paper bead bracelets and then they are sold with their
story for what they need the money for. Many of those in the program are living in the
tent cities and are trying to provide for their children. This project is so important because
if parents feel they cannot afford to provide for their children they are often given to more
affluent families with the understanding they will be educated, fed, and cared for. This
may sound a lot like slavery because it is. Human trafficking like this is called restavek
(to stay with) and is now illegal because the children are usually abused and never
receive what the parents give them away in hopes to get. What Bob is doing is trying to
raise money through selling these bracelets so the parents can provide for their children
and keep them from being trafficked. He was so sweet to give Carolyn, Lisa, and me each
a bracelet. After packing everything away it was so late. Where had the day gone? The
last of our money spent, the last of our bag space filled, the last of our time gone, we
went to bed.
After an early breakfast of French toast cheese pastries, fresh fruit, an fresh cherry
smoothies there was time for a last dash to the bathroom and we were loaded into the
truck with our bags for the airport. We took another "shortcut" with great success and
minimal excitement making it to the airport in record time. The absolute last of the street
vendors got the very last of our pocket money with some really great deals for us, and the
Haitian airport was a cake walk after that. All the lines were short and they didn't find
any of our illegal drugs and explosives with their dogs. With plenty of downtime we got
curious and just had to try Rebo, their version of Starbucks. Totally amazing and totally
worth it. The Caramel-chocolate Rebo'chino was just excellent and here's hoping the rest
of the coffee we bought is just as good.
We landed in Miami early and had a significant layover which would give us plenty of
time to get through immigration and customs with time to spare. We must have been
having too much of a good thing though, because our first trouble started when John was
taken for extra questioning at immigration. We had to keep moving though, so we went
to claim our bags to go through customs. Lisa and Clark decided to stay with John's bag
and sent Carolyn, Andy, and Me on through. Since I had the bag with all the goodies, I
had to go through an extra line and was separated from Carolyn and Andy. Fortunately,
they just x-rayed the bag and sent me on and I was able to catch them at security. I must
say the whole bag checking process is very shady because after we made it through we
just handed our checked bags to some airport people and went on to the gate. It turns out
Lisa and Clark gave up on John and went ahead and took his bag through for him. We
met them at the gate and it just goes to show anyone could take any of the bags at any
time. There isn't any real security. I will continue to just rely on carry-ons for my
personal travel in the future. After settling in at the gate and utilizing the recharging
station we were happily surprised to see the flight was delayed (15 minutes v_v). We
were praying for Peter to be released from prison and we were getting a stay of execution
order. Imagine our surprise when John ran up at 2:45 just in time for the boarding call
and 5 minutes before our original departure time. He had spent quite a while looking for
his checked bag because he had only gotten the first of Lisa's 6 texts saying that we
would leave his bag and go on. He ran the rest of the way without even having time to
properly buckle his sandals. We thought we were home free. Time to breath easy, but it
wasn't so. Just as we were settled in to our seats we were notified there was an issue with
the flight controls and a maintenance team was investigating the problem. A little while
later we were told the problem may take 1 and a half hours to fix so we were to
disembark with our belongings and wait in the gate. This was after getting to watch the
flight monitors displaying soothing nature scenery and playing tranquil music for QUITE
some time. Carolyn, after watching some time lapse tulips blooming, exclaimed that they
were going slower than the mechanics. We all (the passengers on the plane) crowded
around the 4 outlet charging station and had phones plugging into laptops and in general
being very friendly with strangers and sharing in our misery. Then, there was a gate
change announced. We had gotten a new plane rather than waiting for this one to be
fixed. The new departure time was 2 hours after the first, and even that was delayed to
allow time for luggage to be transferred and refueling. We were pacified (enraged) by
some more tranquil music and the hateful tulips while we waited. As I took my seat I
decided I had had enough traveling for the day, but we are all glad the troubles were
discovered while we were on the ground. We are all glad to be home, but we really loved
our time in Haiti. As a t-shirt we saw in immigration said, "It's a love Haiti relationship!"
Back home in one piece,
Crystal