My trip started on Thursday morning, May 27th, going from MPLS to Chicago and then into Fort Lauderdale. I had thought I would just stay in the secure area, but at around 11:00pm they kicked me out! It was fine in the public are though, as several others were also "hanging out" waiting for morning. At about 4:30am, I went through security again and met Pastor Steve Exantus (a Haitian Pastor I have been working with) at the gate about 5:00am. We flew into Port au Prince and arrived about 7:30am.
Thankfully, Port au Prince airport was much less chaotic than it was in February! This time they actually had a small beltway to move luggage...but it was still a free for all! :) Once we made it out of customs, we met Pastor Absalon (the Pastor of Grace Worship Center in PAP) and we made our way to the truck rental facility. It was clear that the locals around the airport were perfecting their "guidance" of all the teams coming in to do relief work. (You can always tell a new team because they come out of the terminal with matching t-shirts and a very anxious, bewildered look on their faces.)
Anyway, we made our way to the truck rental facility and after some waiting, negotiation, more waiting, discussion on the condition of the truck, more waiting, (are you sensing a pattern here) it was finally finished and we had a mid size truck with a back seat. Next, it was off to pick up the supplies: water, bread, crackers and to get Pastor Steve's cousin, who would drive us to Bombarde, and his teenage son. As a side note, when we stopped at the Deli Mart for bread, I saw the "Jesus in Haiti" van (Tom Osbeck's ministry that I had visited in Feb/March) When I walked in, there he was! It was amazing! He was looking much more rested than the last time I had seen him.
So......after arriving in Haiti at 7:30 in the morning, we were finally aready to start our 9 hour drive at about 1:30pm ... and what a drive it was!!!!!
Let me give you a quick rundown of the rules of driving in Haiti....there are none. Essentially, it is a race where the biggest vehicle wins. The roads are potholed and more suitable for an ATV than a car. Even off road vehicles are challenged here. If you know the geography of Haiti at all, we left PAP and headed along the coastline up to Gonaives. It was EXTREMELY BUMPY AND ROUGH, and as we went up higher into the mountains the roads became worse. Up and down we went! It was very picturesque above the ocean. We traveled in the low lands, in the agricultural areas, in the salt mine areas, in the rice areas, ...we just kept going! Eventually, we made it to Gonaives. You may remember that this was the area where the hurricanes hit in 2008. It is still recovering, and there are still a number of aid organizations working there. Pastor Steve gave me a quick tour. He spent most of his educational time here. He was separated from his parents and would study under a street light as the house did not have electricity. He knows many, many people here and when they saw him, they would come to the truck to greet him. Haiti is a harsh place to live, but family and friendships are highly valued. Pastor Steve is clearly respected, loved and admired through out Haiti.
(on the way to Bombardopolis)Then...on we went! The roads got worse after Gonaives (is that even possible?) If it rains you can not get through and you can be stuck for a long time. (We're talking days!) As there were dark clouds behind us, we forged ahead! Needless to say, I was praying that God would hold off the rain! Up, down, hair pin turns with no railing, the occasional motorcycle and very large trucks filled with charcoal going to PAP would approach and the driving "dance" would happen to avoid each other. (Honestly, I don't know how the trucks make it!) It started to sprinkle as we entered the Bombarde area, and rain as we made our way through the dark, through the 3 districts to get to Pastor's house. We arrived at our destination at about 10:00pm. I was exhausted, but Pastor Steve was clearly excited to be home! Rustic, simple living, back to nature, would all describe the home and facilities at Pastor's family home. I'll get into that at a later time, for now, I was just happy that God had guided us safely to our destination and that the bumping had STOPPED!!!!!
Blessings, Susan
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