I've been trying to figure out the best way to share pictures and reflect on my time in Haiti. It feels overwhelming. I want to document and remember so many things about my week. Even being home just a few days, I sadly feel some of the names and faces slowly fading from my memory. The perfectionist in me wants to do it right. But really I can't even figure out where to start. So bear with me and here goes.
As soon as I made the final decision...with Wade doing nothing but urging me on...I was excited about the trip. Excited and emotional. Just ask any of the people that saw me a lot beforehand. I would start crying almost anytime I talked about it. Now I am a crier, but even for me, this was on the emotional side. I still am not totally sure what that was all about. But I do know that a prayer of mine that put me down this path was one I heard the CEO of World Vision say, "Break my heart, Lord, for what breaks yours." That seemed to be happening even before I arrived.
And at the same time, I found myself trying to learn everything about Haiti before I left. Googling, reading blogs, YouTube videos, news, etc. Even the recent presidential election of a former pop star had me hooked. So for the short period of time from decision to departure, I was all-things Haiti.
And then there were all of my family and friends. I knew I had pretty great people around me already, but you have all amazed me with your generosity. $1,500 donated to Visiting Orphans and a huge golf travel bag PACKED FULL (70+ lbs.!!!) of donated items for the kids and orphanage workers. My feeble thank you cards I'm working on right now won't communicate the sincere gratitude I feel for your support and excitement. I wish each of you could see the true appreciation on the faces as they received your gifts. Priceless.
So it was finally time. I will be honest that although the majority of my days leading up to the trip were full of excitement, there were some moments of fear. The day that I read the CDC recommended travelers not go to Haiti for non-essential travel, I wondered if I was crazy. What in the world was a suburban, SUV-driving, stay-at-home-mom doing going to a third world country with complete strangers for a week?
And in those moments, I knew I could've backed out. I knew there were lots of reasons not to go. But this was something I knew I had to do. Sounds dramatic. I say it not to toot my own horn, but to encourage anyone else out there (even those with young kids at home), that when the Lord puts this burden on your heart, it is so worth following through and responding.
So on Sunday, I met six others who had signed up with the organization, Visiting Orphans, in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. None of us knew each other and we lived scattered all over the country. So thankful for a great group of some strong, brave women.
And before I knew it, we were in Haiti. We had been warned in advance that the airport in Port-au-Prince would be a little crazy. That would be an understatement. It seems that everyone wanted to carry our bags for us. But we finally found our transportation and were headed to our home away from home.
Probably the most difficult and shocking thing to see right away were the tent cities. It's been 18 months since the 7.0 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands and made one million people homeless. We saw several of the tent cities and spoke with some people living there. It seems that for most, there is no immediate hope for rebuilding their homes. Hard to imagine.
Another shocking part of the trip was the Haiti traffic. Oh my word. Unpaved, rocky roads. No real lanes. No traffic lights. Motorcycles everywhere. Cars, trucks packed full of people. Endless honking. It was nuts. But for much of the trip, I think my stress mechanism was just to laugh. The whole think was just funny to me at times. Normally I would be changing diapers or picking up my son from art camp. But at any certain moment, I was sitting in an open air Tap Tap riding through the streets of Haiti. Crazy.
Here we are in our Tap Tap for the week. Not only did we stick out because we were Americans. But most Tap Taps have about 20+ people squeezed in hanging out of every window. Our measly 8 people looked almost wasteful. :)
For the week, we stayed in the Heartline Ministries Guest House. In Haiti standards, it was luxurious living. Now granted there was no air conditioning, electricity would go out at times, mosquito nets on the bunk beds, and no hot water. But it was safe and with filtered water. And after a full day's work, we would come home to delicious dinner prepared for us. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the Haitian meals. Yum! Very thankful for the Guest House!
And for those that know me well, you'll appreciate my breakfast each morning . :)
Throughout the week, it seems that we covered a lot of the Port-au-Prince vicinity. We drove 1-2 hours each way, each day. So we got to see a lot of Haiti. I found myself just soaking it all in. The days we were on a bus, I brought a book to read but didn't open a single page. I couldn't take my eyes away from my surroundings. There is much devastation, unimaginable poverty. But at the same time, the land and surroundings are beautiful. Lush, green vegetation. Beautiful, rolling green hills and mountains. Such striking contrasts.
From those that I met, it seems to me that the Haitian people still have a joy despite their hardships. And I was quickly impressed with and aware of their amazing work ethic. The problem is that there aren't enough jobs to put them to work. A frustrating part of the already-existing poverty cycle. And then add the effects of the earthquake. It seems hopeless. I tried really hard not to be completely overwhelmed. While at the same time, everything in me wants to do whatever I can to help. It seems like such simple things can make real improvements.
The next few posts will be about my time at the orphanages. The reason I was there. But I have to say, it wasn't just the children that I fell in love with on this trip. It was this country. So weird to even say. But I loved being in Haiti. I know I have to go back. For some reason that I will never understand, I was blessed with being born in a country of great abundance. It's hard to make sense of the inherent differences between me and the people I met...just because of where we were born. This trip obviously made me profoundly aware and grateful. But it also made me want to do more and to share these blessings as well.
Next up...the sweet faces I can't forget!
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