Everything went smoothly at the airport. We arranged for a tap-tap to pick 9 of us up at 5:30am. We figured the earlier we get to the airport the better. The tap-tap arrived, but was the size of a small jeep... with luggage, had to make 3 trips to take all of us... Raine & Khiyas super-huge hockey bag was just thrown on the roof of the car, but was heavy enough, it didn't fall off. My back-pack was not so lucky. Don saw it fall of the back and yelled for the driver to stop. It got a bit muddy (which transferred to my only clean clothes when I held it on my lap), but could have been a lot worse - we'd just driven through a huge pot-hole/puddle. At the airport, the line-up was not too long, but we still waited 1 1/2 hours before we started moving. Everyone that enters the airport must go through a security scanner - and there's only one. This isn't the real security - that comes later. There are several people along the way that check your ticket/boarding pass, initial, and pass you on to the next person. Seems like a make work project. We got through all the checkpoints easily enough, and were able to spend a couple of hours having coffee and relaxing. It was a real relief to be on the plane and seat-belted in.
It has been quite an adventure..I am so glad that I came. I thank God for giving me the courage, strength, health and desire to travel to Haiti. I am again reminded of just how blessed we are in this beautiful country of ours. I believe we are blessed for a reason, and that is to help those who are struggling - in whatever manner. In our two weeks, we have helped such a tiny little bit - in comparison to the size of the problem... but in the words of Lucio, one of the Haitian volunteers at GRU, now that we have seen it with our own eyes, we can go back home and remind people not to forget Haiti.... that she still needs our help. God bless the Haitian people, and all those who so willingly spend their time, energy and money to help them. Cheers, everyone!
silly google account... how am i ever going to remember so many passwords:)
ReplyDeleteRaine says...
once we die, the only true legacy we leave behind is one in which we give out lives away.
wow is it ever wonderfully sad to be back on north american soil. we went for supper at an italian resturant spending enough money that would feed a haitian family for a least a month. i know this is a different culture and society we live in. sitting beside betty on the airplane coming here to miami was an old haitian couple. the husband spoke very broken english and the wife none. they were heading to boston to visit their daughter and her family for christmas. this was their first time ever on an airplane and out of haiti. betty gave them her window seat and to watch their expressions as we lifted off and flew over the atlantic and cuba and into miami, betty said was absolutely priceless. i challenge all of you, as christmas comes up, look at your life for the first time, through new eyes, all we have. can you imagine that old haitian couple seeing the water, the lights, the clothes people wear, the clean streets, the tall buildings, the amount of food we make and consume...
we are so incredibly blessed to have (as margie once told me) won the birth lottery. the foresight, courage and selflessness of our forefathers to come to america leaving all they knew behind has blessed our lives beyond imagine. let us look through new eyes all we have and thank our heavenly Father...