The day has arrived and it's time to make our journey to the beautiful village of Bohoc, Haiti, an adopted village of newhope church. The majority of the team arrived at central campus around 4:15 a.m. to catch the church van to the airport. That's right, you read that correctly, 4:15 in the morning. Steve Adler, our delegated Haiti missions trip shuttle bus driver, cranked the van up from behind the church and swung it around to the front, where the team was waiting with their luggage in the 30 degree temperatures. It was just a little bit chilly at that time of the day. Once the van was in place, Steve shut the van off as we prepared to load up.
But, unfortunately, Satan had a different plan in the works, and it wasn't a nice one. As we started loading up the van, someone suggested that we start the van's engine and get it warming up as we get everything settled inside. Steve went to crank the van back up and ... BOOM ... Nothing! It looks like the van has died. So, the men jumped into action. And, so did Satan. Myron, Joey, Ramsay, and Steve decided to try to give the van a jump, but in a long drawn out attempt to get the hood of the van open, their plan worked to no avail. No one could figure out how to get the hood up and the team needed to get to the airport. So, once again, the devil was alive and kicking, plotting to keep our team from doing God's will. But, with God on our side, we knew this was just a minor setback. The team hopped in cars and carpooled to the airport, arriving to Raleigh-Durham International Airport by 5:00 a.m.
After an adventurous morning, the rest of the morning went pretty smoothly. We arrived in Miami on time and made our way to the gate. With about two hours to spare, the team had plenty of time to relax, enjoy our last American cuisine for a week, and meet up with the rest of our team. Now, the 14-member team was complete and it's on to Port-au-Prince.
We landed in Haiti after a very pleasant flight, and we had the opportunity to talk with several other teams that had come to Haiti to spread the love of Jesus. Because God's presence was so strong and there were so many believers who had gathered in Haiti to do good, it rubbed someone the wrong way. Well, you could have guessed it ... Satan was not a happy camper. He was once again up to his dirty tricks. Lynn, Leslie, Tracy, and Ramsay found themselves without luggage. Somehow, their luggage managed to miss the flight. So now, it's a waiting game. We are sitting on the nice, hard ground at the baggage claim, waiting on our next move. With a little prayer, trust in God, and a glimpse of hope, we decided to wait on the next flight coming out of Miami, which is due to land at 4:30 p.m. If the luggage doesn't arrive then, a 410 Bridge representative will have the bags transported to our destination tomorrow morning. Stay tuned as we continue to battle Satan.
If God is for us, than who can be against us. That line is so true of our trip. Satan can and will be defeated. Sure enough, all four bags arrived on the 4:30 flight out of Miami. So, now, everyone is happy and we are ready to make our journey to Port-au-Prince. So, we head out of the baggage claim area, pass through customs, and walk outside to meet our team. And to our surprise, we are greeted by Jedlain and Ronald, our two favorite 410 Bridge translators and team leaders. It was such a warm and gracious welcoming, and a great way to step into Haiti.
As we load the bus, we are informed by Ronald that due to our delayed timing and with darkness around the corner, that we would have to stay in Port-au-Prince for the night. Unable to make the trek to Bohoc, 410 Bridge has reserved space for us at the Mon Chez Moi Guest House. So, with a little change in plans, we pull up to the guest house and unload. Ronald gets to work on finding our rooms and getting us settled in. Shortly after the guys dip their feet into the swimming pool and the girls chit chat about the day, dinner is served. After a pleasant and scrumptious meal, Dave goes over the plans for tomorrow. Next destination: Bohoc.
And, now, it's time for bed. It's been a long and adventurous day, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I absolutely love coming to Haiti and being with the Haitian people. Getting to sit and talk with Ronald for awhile after dinner was truly a delight. One of my favorite things about coming to Haiti is getting to know the people and the culture. I can't wait until tomorrow. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
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