Trip to the Village II

I step into the hotel kitchen and find our room keys already waiting on the counter. After greeting the kitchen staff and explaining who we are, we make our way up to our rooms to deposit our luggage. The rooms are nice and spacious with Ikea furniture, new sheets and towels, freshly painted walls, a ceiling fan that works, and screened windows!

“You are spoiled,” I tease Marin, as we try out the comfortable beds. “You should be roughing it to get the real feel of the village!” She just laughs at me, as I ooh and aah over the room. Once our bags are stored we head back downstairs to the kitchen where the staff has lunch waiting for us. Lunch is a true Haitian meal of rice and beans, red sauce, pieces of chicken, a bowl of corn, pieces of mango and Haitian lemonade. It all tastes delicious!
By the time we’re finished lunch, Debbie Lucien is already waiting with her vehicle to take us to the market. I love Pignon’s market and am excited to give Marin and Robert a tour. The vendors are friendly and we have a fun time looking at baby chicks, goats, vegetables, cornmeal, clothing, hair accessories and shoes.


Marin, who works in a market in Holland, really enjoys the market experience. Robert says he can’t imagine buying anything there for a number of reasons and I just laugh. As we check out the wares, vendors keep trying to sell me large woman sandals for Jayden to wear or toys or candy for him, and I just shake my head. “Sandal yo tro gwo, li pa bezwen sa.” (“Those sandals are too big,” and “He doesn’t need that”) I keep repeating as they come up with a new product that I absolutely have to buy for him.
An hour later, once we’ve finished the market tour, Debbie brings us back to the hotel and we wait on the steps for Jason. In the meantime the sky has gotten gray and dark clouds are rolling in. It’s a relief when I finally hear the sound of the airplane’s engine and he’s safely on the ground.

Not even 15 minutes later the sky opens and the rain comes down.

After a few minutes I join Marin outside. The rain is so refreshing.
An hour later the sky is clear again, but the rain has left a muddy mess in its wake. As we walk over to Caleb and Debbie’s house for a cookout/barbecue it’s impossible to avoid the mud and it cakes our shoes and splatters our legs.


At the house we wipe it off as best as we can and then enjoy the hot dogs, hamburgers and Haitian side dishes that our hosts have carefully prepared. Besides us, there are three other work teams, which brings the number of people there to well over 100. After an enjoyable time of food and fellowship we walk back home as the sun is setting. Mules and donkeys plod toward us in the twilight, carrying their burdens of water bottles strategically balanced in hand made saddle bags.

Palm tree fronds scrape the darkening sky as children shout with laughter and roosters crow.

I love the sights and sounds of the village, so different from the busy city. Later that night, lying on a blanket on the grass airstrip we admire God’s majestic handiwork as we study the star formations. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!