Day One: Friday, 18 Jan

Day One:  Friday, 18 Jan

1049a...

Greetings from somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean!!

Yes...we're well on our way to Haiti for what will be our fourth trip since April 2010.  Speaking for the team, we can hardly wait to be with all our friends once again.

This morning's adventures began in the parking lot of newhope church's central campus at a little before 4a.  Zach, who was supposed to go with us on this trip, but couldn't due to a passport issue, arrived to start-up and clean off the van so that he could drive seven of our nine remaining team members to RDU.  The other two team members arranged beforehand to just meet us at RDU at 5a.

As you can imagine, because of the snow and ice last night and because of the 29 degree temperatures this morning, our flight was delayed.  As RDU personnel diligently worked to deice our plane, we sat on the tarmac for about an hour, eventually watching as the sun poked its head above the horizon.  If I have it right, our plane took off almost an hour late, which was a little disconcerting given that (1) The original schedule had us landing in Miami approximately 50 minutes before we were scheduled to take off from Miami for Port au Prince, Haiti, and (2) Well, there really wasn't a "(2)" given that "(1)" seemed sufficient in and of itself.  While we were in-flight, Kelly went up to the front of the coach/economy section of the plane and asked Michelle, who's a runner, to sprint ahead the 3.2 miles in order to alert the very kind folks at Gate D25 that our whole group would be coming through post-haste.  I suppose the only question on our minds at this point is this:  Did our luggage make it?

It's been a great day, thus far.  Please keep all of us in your prayers, my friends.

More later...

Dave

Team Haiti 2013/Travel Team A

2p...

We made it!!  To Haiti, that is.

But, alas, our luggage didn't.  (Ummm...my apologies, but I couldn't think of a more appropriate word than "alas".  I must write that I kind of like that word.  In my opinion, it's one of many underutilized and poorly represented words in the English language.  It's sort of like the penny w/r/t currency. )

The luggage thing reminds me of our first trip to Kenya a few years ago, when Mark "Grumbles" Rumbles luggage failed to follow him to Nairobi.  At the time, and in support of our wardrobe-and-toiletry-challenged comrade, we adopted the following team slogan:  "One shirt.  One pair of pants.  ONE LOVE!"  Since all of us brought a change of clothes with us in our carry-ons, a practice we've implemented ever since "The Grumbles Affair" mentioned above, I really can't think of a good slogan that adequately characterizes our current situation.  "Eighteen shirts.  Eighteen pairs of pants.  ONE LOVE" just doesn't do it for me.  Perhaps a mantric by-line of some sort will arise mythically from the ashes of our collective team consciousness.  If this happens, I shant keep it a secret.  Yeah, I like the word "shant", as well.  It, too, is another one of those poorly represented words.

Okay...back to the subject of our wayward luggage....

After filing a claim with the AA desk (American Airlines, that is, NOT Alcoholics Anonymous) and playing football in the newly renovated airport (BTW...the airport looks FABULOUS!), we went out to meet-up with our 410 friends:  Jedlain (who will be our Haitian leader for the week), Jonesey (who will be our driver), and Ronald (who's been our leader on previous trips, but who will not be with us this week).  I've been told on good authority that Ronald, who's now in possession of THE ONLY COPY of our luggage claim form, is back at the airport attempting to snag said luggage.

IF it comes in on the next flight.

IF.

And WHEN, too.

Right now, I'm kind of wondering if WHEN is the more operative word at this point.  At 130p, Jedlain said it'd be here "in an hour or so."  Based on what I've been told, though, the next flight to Port au Prince out of Miami doesn't depart until 230p.  Doing the math, if you add 2hrs to 230p, one hour sounds a lot more like four to me.  And that's about all I have to say about that.

Somehow, Ronald's hoping (and we are, too) to reconnect us with our dear departed bags.  If he's unable to arrange this, three or four of us will probably return with beards next week, and all of us will quickly learn the fine art of showering with our clothes.  I've had the distinct pleasure of being able to do this kind of thing before.  The technique looks a lot like this:  Each morning, you shower with the clothes you wore "yesterday", and then, after drying off, you put on the clothes you showered with "yesterday morning", which, it is hoped, have dried-off sufficiently during the intervening 24 hour time-period.  Since, as I indicated above, all of us brought at least one change of clothes in our carry-ons, we should probably all fair just fine.

(Umm...as a addendum to what I wrote above, I would like to admit that, sometimes, I've washed only my underwear.  In hot, dusty climates, clean clothes and dirty clothes take on a very similar look and texture by about mid-morning.  And, in the words of the immortal someone, "So why bother."

Right now, we're all sitting in a little restaurant, which is attached to a gas station, waiting for Ronald to appear magically at the foot of the chimney sporting rosy cheeks, red fur, and a pack full of luggage, clothes, and toys for the children.  :o)  Following that, we'll all pile back into the van and make the five hour drive up to Bohoc.  On the map, Bohoc is located in the mountains north of Port au Prince, and it is about 2/3 of the way between Port au Prince and Cap Haitian.

For those of you not familiar with Haiti, it's one of the most beautiful landscapes--both human and topological, in the Caribbean.  The drive, while it can feel long at times, boast some of the most breath-taking views in the western hemisphere.  Between you and me...I'm looking forward to the drive.  Given the time issue, though, we may be traveling in the dark and not see much beyond the insides of the bus and the headlights of on-coming vehicles.

Okay...time to stow my laptop and hang out with the team.

I pray God's blessings on all'y'all!!

Peace...

Dave

912p...

We just arrived a few minutes ago at Haiti Unlocked, a new guest house right here in Bohoc.  Oh...and we got our luggage!!  It arrived on the conveyor belt in luggage claim at around 5p.  Anyway, HU is really nice, and it seems that we'll be considerably closer to each day's activities, given that the guest house is, well, right here where we need to be.  I do need to let everyone know that we do not have Wi-Fi here, so e-mailing from the one computer on site will be sparse, and blog posts will, at most, be done once a day--if that.

I think that dinner's about ready.  After that, we'll probably all be heading to bed.  Well, at least I will as it's already 45 minutes past my bed time.

It's really nice to be back in Bohoc, and the team, even though we're all a little tired, seems to be in good spirits and ready for whatever God has for us during our time here with our Haitian friends.

Oh..and about dinner...the ladies here get off work once dinner is over and everything's been cleaned up.  Typically, this happens by about 7p.  Tonight, they'll probably be here for several hours longer than normal.  To look at them, you'd never know it, for they're all bearing smiles a mile wide as they work diligently to prepare and serve us dinner, something that none of us expected or even considered a possibility.  It is humbling to be in the presence of Jesus on so many occasions.

God's peace, and good night to all of you,

Dave

Never do for others what they can do for themselves.  Never.  Only do that which has been asked for...after prayerful and careful consideration.--Y.T.