Long Day

Hey Everyone,

This morning(11/7) started really early for the team.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 5:25am.  Gross.  We met at about 3 to gather together and check our bags before moving through security.  We also picked up a second check bag due to the abundance of donations from our churches.  A couple people only had carry-on items and were able to check 2 donation bags.  God’s perfect plan kept us from having to pay the crazy third check bag fee.  We spent a little while in MIA airport having a little breakfast and discussing some last minute team details and really just hanging out as a team.

As we began our descent over northern Haiti and the countryside became visible we could see the aount of rain they have been getting.  Typically from the air, the mountain range can be seen for miles; however, there was much cloud cover and the fields, as we got lower, had more water cover than green.  Walking from the plane, the rain kicked up a little, and so the immigration and customs room of the airport was hot and stuffy.  All of our bags made it and we were able to meet up with Pastor Voltaire just as the last of the team was finishing up.  We were there for 45-60 minutes.  It was a little different this year, but then it hasn’t really been the same from one year to the next.

Driving through the city, we could see what the days of rain has done to the city and its people.  The river is the highest and running the fastest that I have ever seen.  Some years people have been seen walking across it, but now people who live next to the river have been flooded out, or their home is under the level of the river.  There has been mass flooding resulting in trash, rock, and mud flowing down the mountainside in to the city.  The streets out of the mountains become conduits of fast running water and at intersections with cross streets in the flatter city piles of dirt and rock clog traffic.  It is very sad to see and very hard to navigate.  But these people are resilient and keep going about their day.  We weren’t able to see much else in the city with lunch at Pastor’s house, unpacking the trucks, resting up and planning the week, and dinner.  Tomorrow will bring a new day and new experiences serving the Lord.

-Vince

P.S. 11/10 is the first day we got internet.