3:3o a.m.
Even at this early hour, the city is alive. New York is known
for this and has therefore been labelled ‘the city that never sleeps’. The lineups for security inside the airport are
enormous already, so I’m thankful we’ve given ourselves enough time before our
flight to Port au Prince departs.
5:50 a.m.
On the airplane I take advantage of an empty seat beside
me. Curling up, I quickly doze off. Two hours later I wake up to a stewardess
offering water and hot tea. I switch with Jason and now let him have a turn to
sleep.
9:25 a.m.
Jason is awake so I now move to the window seat. Our airplane
is descending and I’m catching my first glimpses of Haiti.
604 days have passed
since I’ve seen her last. Looking down at the familiar landscape, feelings of home
rush over me. It unsettles me. How can I feel at home in two different places? You’re not home yet, I remind myself, thinking
of the familiar words of Phil 3:20 For
our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ:
Understanding that we are pilgrims on this earth and don’t
need to feel like we truly belong anywhere has been surprisingly comforting for
me over the years. Yet, the familiarity of all that is Haiti draws me in as our
airplane makes its final descent. It feels so good to be back!
Stepping out of the airport doors, my senses are quickly
overwhelmed. The sun burns bright, a wave of humidity hits us, baggage handlers
and taxi drivers vie for our attention and charcoal and diesel fumes attack my
nostril. Greeting our faithful taxi bus driver DieJuste, I’m surprised how
easily Creole words flow from my mouth. We quickly exit the capital city via
the main road. Bombarded by the team members with a hundred questions about
what they all see, I do my best to answer.
3 hours later, we make our first stop for lunch. We are
driving up to Anse Rouge which will take us at least 5 hours. In a small oasis
boutique hotel, we soak up the beauty of the Caribbean while munching on
chicken sandwiches and fries.
Needing to reach our destination before sunset, we do not
linger long. Reaching Gonaives we switch from our minibus to an old-run down
school bus.
The paved road quickly turns to dirt with deep ruts and awkward
bumps. Palm trees are replaced by thorn bushes and cacti as we travel on to
Haiti’s drought stricken north.
5 gallon water bottles roll at our feet as the lose bus seats
jar and occasionally throw us completely off balance. Waves of dry soil and
filth pour through the windows and we soon sport dust tans. Thankful that my
sunglasses are keeping most of the dust out of my contact lenses, I simply
enjoy the ride.
The sun begins to set as we barrel on and I marvel at its
great beauty once again.
Picking up speed we race along to reach the compound
before it is completely dark. We cheer when it is finally in sight. The Lemuel
staff is there to greet us and it is fun to get re-acquainted.
After a dinner of pumpkin soup and bread we gather together
for a quick team meeting before stumbling our way to bed. Bedtime routines take
a little longer as we learn how to work oil lamps, bucket showers and latrines.
That night, brushing a stray bug off my pillow, I fall asleep in seconds.
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