5:30 a.m.Meee, Meee. Cock a doodle do. I stir and sit up in the semi darkness. The screened window opening does nothing to block out the village noises so I just sit for a moment and listen.“Mom, Mom!” Jayden’s awake too and slides out of his narrow bunk on the opposite side of the room. I look over at the other corner where Jason is still sleeping soundly.“Shhh Jay, Daddy’s still sleeping.”I quietly help Jayden get changed and slip on his shoes and then we head outside into the early morning coolness. A light mist hovers over the compound.Camera in hand, we explore the premises. I turn to snap a picture of the guesthouse where we are staying.Then we follow the trail past a beautiful hibiscus bush.A couple of guinea hens look up curiously as we pass.Further down the path the church comes into sight. It’s a fairly new church plant, and it’s where we will be attending later this morning.Finishing our tour we walk back to the camp for a breakfast of bread and cinnamon buns. By now everyone’s awake and I laugh as I watch them stretch and yawn. Haiti mornings are always early.Church starts at 8:00 so at ten to eight we all walk over. When we arrive, the benches are only half full, but it’s interesting to watch as more and more people come as the service progresses.I find a back bench to sit with Jayden, and am soon joined by two and then five and then 8 other children. The bench that comfortably fits 8 soon proudly boasts 13!The singing last for the first hour, and it’s beautiful to listen too. After that Jayden starts to fidget badly, partly from being so squished and partly from being tired, so I decide to take him back to the guesthouse. These last few days have been really busy so I lay him down for awhile. He doesn’t complain as I pull off his shoes and cover him with a sheet.Church is over an hour later and the team decides to go for a walk before lunch. On their walk they see voodoo caves, altars and even a skull.After a delicious lunch of pate,a Haitian meat pie, and an hour afternoon rest it’s time to drive back to the other mission for the evening service there.
6:40 a.m.
Early morning mists hangs over the city as Jayden and I wait at our gate for a ride to the airport. At the domestic terminal, Michael Broyles, our MAF pilot for today, readies the caravan for flight. It will be our first flight in the caravan and Jayden and I are excited.Inside, the caravan is spacious!Our co-pilot Kaydence, Michael’s daughter, greets us from the cockpit where she is propped up on a giant pillow!An excited Jayden flashes me a huge grin!Our first stop is the Hinche airport. It’s a rocky, dirt strip not far from Pignon, our destination.10 minutes after takeoff from Hinche, Pignon’s grassy airstrip comes into sight.As we descend, I catch a good glimpse of the job site where the team is working.The airplane Jason flew to Pignon yesterday afternoon is parked on the side of the runway.Jason comes driving up several minutes later in a vehicle borrowed from a Pastor to pick up Jayden and I and our bags. The job site is walking distance from the airport so that’s our first stop. The team is working hard putting up 7 homes for earthquake victims who relocated to Pignon.A group of kids hang around the job site and help out when they can.Jayden and I take cover from the burning sun in the makeshift church. A group of kids join us and we spend some time getting to know them.At noon we head to the guesthouse for lunch. After lunch we drive to Can De Le Gras for a food distribution of rice and beans that Jason and several team members had purchased at the local market. The kids are excited to see us and the team works hard handing out the food.When we leave an excited and thankful group of children wave us off as they carry the food back to their families.Driving back to the guesthouse Jayden greets everyone with a “Bonjou! Koman ou ye? (Good day! How are you?) The villagers love it!At the guesthouse a yellow school bus is waiting for us. We all grab our overnight bags and pile onto the bus.We laugh at the sign and then watch as it proves to be true as more and more people get on for a free ride!The 45 minute bus ride to another mission outpost is exciting. We laugh and hang on for dear life as the bus bumps and jolts over the deep ruts in the road!At the mission outpost a hundred children are waiting in a gazebo. After introductions are made we help the kids make a craft.After the craft is finished we hand out plates of rice and bean sauce and stewed vegetables.Then all the children get clothing and school supplies.Jayden makes new friends quickly.That night we eat our meal of rice and bean sauce and then head outside to sit around a coal camp fire. A converted witch doctor comes to share his stories about voodoo, zombies, and how God saved him. The flickering flames reminds us that God's light shines through the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. (John 1:15)
It was one of those days. I knew it the second I stepped into the kitchen and took in the flooded floor. Live and learn. Not about to let a little water put a damper on my day, I rolled up my old pajamas and got to work, soaking up the water with a towel. A shop vacuum is really what I needed, but there was no shop vac and no city power so a towel would have to do. I soaked and wrung out, soaked and wrung out, soaked and wrung out. By the time I was finished my hand were aching and red, but my spirits were high. It was a beautiful day, a brand new morning. Besides, the whole mess really was my own fault. I guess maybe the cockroaches were a little to blame too, but blaming never got anyone anywhere. Last night after an evening snack of crackers and cheese I had put my plate of crumbs in the kitchen sink. Not having the energy to wash it right then, I had filled the sink with several inches of water, so it wouldn't attract roaches, and then turned off the tap. Apparently the tap wasn't completely shut and water dripped all night filling the sink, flooding the counter and then leaving an inch and a half of water all over the kitchen floor. Oh well. Live and learn. An hour later the floor was dry and two fans were blowing out whatever moisture was left. Since Jason and Jayden were both up now it was time to make some breakfast. An hour later Jason's phone rang. He'd been working hard trying to get the grass on Pignon's airstrip cut in time to fly the team there tomorrow. All tractors and mowers in the village were broken down so 25 men were hired to cut grass with their machetes. To expedite the process and for safety reasons MAF had put a hold on all flights going into Pignon till the grass was cut.Just as I was suggesting Jason call again to see if they were actually working, the phone rang. Yes, a whole group was working so it looked like the team flights could go through, but one of the workers badly cut himself with his machete. Yup, it was one of those days. Jason left shortly after with Jayden to run errands before picking up the team. A half an hour later he called to say he argued for the last 20 minutes with a police officers who wanted him to pay a bribe because Jayden was sitting in the front seat. "The front seat?" "Yes, apparently kids can hang off of the back of tap taps, but if they see a white man with a child in the front seat dollar signs flash. He couldn't write me a ticket but wanted a bribe. It took some persuasive talking for me to get my license back!""You at least put him in the back now right?""Yes." Live and learn.One vehicle wasn't enough to pick up our team of 9 and all their bags, so a little while later I headed to the airport as well. On the way I stopped to get air for my tires and was surprised when I didn't have to pay. I guess compressed air is the only free thing in Haiti. Just when you think you have it figured out there's an unexpected surprise. Feeling bad for the sweating man who had spent ten minutes pumping up my tires I tipped him anyway. At the international arrivals Jason talked the guard into letting me drive inside the gate. Inside I waited and another official told me I couldn't park there. It took some talking, but finally he agreed to let me stay. Live and learn.Just before noon, the team walked into the parking lot and we loaded everything into the two vehicles. The Caribbean sun burned down, but the excitement in the air was tangible and I knew it was going to be a good day.We dropped off the bags, then drove off to sight see, eat lunch and souvenir shop. Jayden found a new girlfriend. Apparently girls can't resist those baby blues.The team was amazed to learn that if the asking price was $15 the purchase price could be as low as a dollar. Live and learn.That night as I cooked a giant pan of spaghetti and noodles, warmed up garlic bread, and cut up lemon cake, I worried what to do with all the leftovers, since everyone ate a late lunch. It was amazing to see the food vanish before my eyes. Life and learn.That night city power turned off at 7:00 p.m. and with all the fans running the batteries died at 4:00 a.m. Instantly warm and wide awake, I gave my husband a quick hug before he stumbled out of bed to turn the generator on. Yup, it was one of those days. Full of challenges, which we've learned to look at as possibilities. Possibilities to live and learn.
Yesterday Nicholas started a new school year and it was Sabboule's first day ever.They looked so cute that morning, all dressed up in their new uniforms. Nicholas, who has been studying all summer with Anoud, had a great day and came home with glowing reports from his elementary school teachers.Sabboule's day, however, was a different story. Very shy, he cried when his Mom dropped him off and then came home with a full lunch box of food. Apparently he didn't remember his name so the teacher gave him the wrong lunch! This morning Denise decided to remedy the situation by making a name tag for him. At least this way, the teacher will know who he is!The two school boys left behind a grumpy two year old sister."Why can't I go to school? I'm just as smart as they are!" Is what she is thinking.Our yard is a mess!The next door neighbors complained that our beautiful trees are shedding leaves on their property so we have to cut down some of the branches hanging over the walls. The tree-hugger inside me shudders at every whack of the machete. Especially in a country where trees are such a novelty.Imagine cutting this all with a machete? No chain saws or axes! It's really incredible.There's one tree they are cutting down completely and when I complained to Anoud he showed me how the roots were growing into the neighbors wall. "With your bedroom wall only 3 meters away, it's dangerous to keep the tree here," he told me. "If this tree fell, your bedroom wall could collapse." I'd like to see them cut that with a machete!On a brighter note, at least our solar panels are getting more sun and there's a chance our internet connection might work better too, with less branches in the way.Jayden is growing up fast! Every now and then when I check on him after putting him in bed, I find him sleeping in ours.The other night when I said "Goodnight Baby." He seriously informed me that he was not my baby. " The baby is in your tummy Mom. I'm the big brother!"Why do they have to grow up so fast?I agreed to not call him baby anymore, but he'll still always be my baby to me!Ps: Sher, if you noticed the little dog in his arm, he adopted one of yours, hope that's okay!And yes, if you all were wondering if the sheets on our bed are really that pink, they are. Just like the rest of the room! My husband said I could decorate our room whichever way I wanted, so I did!This morning we moved all Jayden's furniture into ours, in anticipation for the team of 9 who hopes to arrive tomorrow.With 3 sleeping in the guestroom, four in Jayden's bedroom and two in the living room it will be a full house. We're excited!And that is Haiti happenings around the house in a nutshell.
