Road Conditions in Haiti

I recently received a copy of this map, and thought it would be a great thing to share, to give you a perspective of the conditions of most roads in Haiti!

If you click on the image below, it should take you to our online photo gallery where you can view it at a larger size

Happy Canada Day!

A guard pushes the gate open for us and after thanking him we walk through. We are here for our first visit to the Canadian Embassy to celebrate Canada Day with fellow Canadians here in Haiti. Jason had emailed the Embassy to see if they had any type of celebrations and they invited us to join their barbecue.
As we go through security and step onto "Canadian soil," my eyes grow big. It's very beautiful here. The lawns are well manicured, the cobble stone parking area looks new, and the exotic trees have gorgeous flowers. The Barbecue smells delicious too, so we quickly join the ever growing lineup of guests to get our meal.
On thing I found out is that you don't really realize how "French" Canada is when you live in Western Canada. As I listen to the people around me I hear almost no English. Although most can speak or at least understand English, it seems like they are much more fluent in French.



As I examine the people I notice that some look Haitian, some Iranian, some French, and still others I can't place. Are these people really all Canadians I wonder? I suddenly have to laugh. Here I am questioning whether these people are "real" Canadians when I'm not even a real Canadian myself! Sure, I have a Canadian Passport, but I wasn't born in Canada!
Funny, how you think because you come from the same country people should look like you and act like you and talk like you! As I look around I think that Canada must be one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world.
Well,it was fun getting to know this divers group of people and we really enjoyed the Barbecue. Jayden especially like the swing set and slide that they had and also kept asking if we could go "shimming" since there was a pool there as well. When we finished our meal we enjoyed a piece of delicious Canada Flag cake. It was a fun night! Happy Canada Day!

Extermination!

Did I say they make a mess??? Denise and I clean out all the kitchen cupboards once a week. Here is what we swept out of one cupboard..



Let me see. This bowl will work well for a salad...



Baggy anyone??



10:48 p.m.
I pull the handkerchief tightly around my nose and mouth and edge my way towards the nearest empty cupboard.



All our food has now been packed away in rubber maids and sealed and the cupboards are bare. I take a deep breath and then begin to spray. This stuff is toxic poison and I move as quickly as possible. Minutes later I've sprayed down all the empty cupboards and shelves, and make a dash for the door. I slam it shut and then take a minute to take a few clean breaths of air. When I feel better I find a towel and cover the crack under the kitchen door. I don't want those fumes to invade the rest of our home and I definitely don't want to breath in poison as I sleep.

7:30 a.m. (the following morning)
I open all the kitchen windows and plug in the fans to get the air moving. Then I get to work cleaning up all the dead roaches and ants. Denise and I wipe down all the cupboards and shelves again and then once everything is clean we put everything back in the cupboards. All though we've wiped down the cupboards, apparently the spray is effective for 6 months.
The first battle is won, or is it?? Denise reports that all the remaining cockroaches have migrated to her kitchen which is adjacent to mine. When she is finished making meals for the day we hope to clean her kitchen out and spray it down as well.. I'll keep you posted.

Combat!!!

Warning: Parental guidance recommended. Not for anyone under the age of 13. Also not for those prone to nightmares or those who get the hebegebies (how do you spell that??) Also and especially not for Mom and Dad Krul, or Esther to read. (We really don't want you to cancel your tickets!!).

Okay, I bet you're curious now, well don't say I didn't warn you!

Me: (thinking to myself) A guest for dinner, that should be fun.
" Jaaaay, what should I make?"

Jason: "How about Lasagna, you haven't made that in a while."

Me: (thinking to myself) that's a good idea! I have all the ingredients for it.
Or do I? Let me see, onions, garlic, spaghetti sauce, cheese. Check, check, check, check. How about Lasagna noodles?
Oh good, I still have those too. "What is that?? Why are there all holes in the noodles? What are these black dots? NOOOOOOOOO!!! EWWWWW! COCK ROACH!!! Eww, there' s a dead one still in the box. Probably died of indigestion. All that starch! gross!"

Okay, no Lasagna tonight. Guess I'm going to have to make spaghetti now.
Okay, no need to over react. It really is my own silly fault. Why didn't I put that cardboard box of noodles in a Tupperware container anyway? We are living in a third world county here! A cock roach once in awhile? No big deal right?

Okay, once in awhile, Fine! But this is getting outrages! Not only have they completely taken over my kitchen, they have also taken to traipsing around the living room. Take a look here.

It's gotten so bad that I refuse to open the pantry after dinner. During the day you don't see them that often, but as soon as the sun sets, you'd better watch out! They are here, they are there, they are everywhere! Especially in the pantry. Sometimes I forget, and without thinking open up the pantry cupboard. When I hear the rustle, rustle, rustle of a hundred little cockroach legs, I can't shut it fast enough. If they would just sit there and do nothing, I might be fine with it. But they make a mess, a BIG mess! They chew through cardboard, strew the contents of soup and cereal packages everywhere and then they poop all over the place!

I can't use my dishes, utensils, pots or pans without having to wash them first, because of, if I can put this delicately enough, "cockroach droppings."

Okay, having to rewash the dishes, pots, pans, utensils etc, maybe not be the worst thing in the world, but the nightmares! Let me tell you! For the last two weeks, I've dreamed about cockroaches every single night! Good thing Jason is a deep sleeper, because I'm sure I try to beat them away with my broom and skeeter beeter while I sleep! When I wake up in the morning, my jaw is just stiff from being clenched at night. That's it, the no killing cute little bug theory has now completely gone out the window!

"Jay, we are going shopping!!"

Later at the store:
Okay, lets' see what do they have here. "Combat, quick Kill Formula, bait traps", let's get some of those, "Glue traps for Roaches", we'll take that too, "Zetox crawling insect killer", take that, "Super Suretox", you can't get to much.

Back at home:
Did, I say that you don't see them during the day?? Well, times are changing! I open the kitchen door only to have one fall from the ceiling and narrowly miss my head!!! "AAAAHHH!!".
I'm not taking this anymore. Let's put the traps out, the bait stations, the glue traps, and let's empty the pantry and spray down all the shelves.

I even hired an exterminator.. The great part is that he's free.. I just give him the skeeter beeter, and he hits all those nasty, gross bugs!

Hopefully in the next few days we can exterminate them completely.
We'll keep you posted!

A ride in a Tap Tap!

I wipe the sweat of my forehead as I climb up the steep street from our house to the main road. Although it's only 10:30 a.m. it's already very hot and the dust and pollution is making it hard to breath. I slow down a little so Denise, who is now 7 months pregnant, can keep up. She looks hot too, so I purposely force myself to take small little steps. Some people stare curiously as they see us walk by, you don't see "blan" (white people) walking down the street that often, but I just great them with a friendly "Bon jou". The traffic on Delmas is hectic, but in order to get to the market we need to cross the four-lane road and there's no crosswalk. When we see an opening in traffic, Denise grabs my hand and we make a run for it. In the middle of the road, we pause for a moment till we find another break in traffic and then finally we're on the other side. We're barely on the sidewalk, before a tap tap pulls up alongside us.

Denise climbs in first and I follow suit. I try to look as nonchalant as I can, but I'm really kind of nervous. I've never driven in a tap tap before. On top of it all, this tap tap, in my opinion, is full. There is one bench on each side and each bench has five people on it. However, when in Haiti, do as the Haitians, so I do my best to squeeze in on the end. The guy who is sitting on the end of the bench moves over a couple inches almost onto the lap of the person sitting beside him, so there is exactly three inches between him and the bar that keeps people from sliding off the tap tap, for me to sit. Even with the weight I've lost since coming to Haiti it's still a pretty tight squeeze! Thankfully a few minutes later two people get off and there's an empty seat beside Denise for me to sit. Now I focus on casually holding on for dear life. The good thing about being squished in between people is that you don't have to worry about sliding off the bench. Since these truck were never meant to carry the weight that they do, the back ends are usually sloping down at odd angles and this one is no exception. No one else seems to be holding on, so I try to loosen my death grip on the bench a little and relax. As I sit back, I take a moment to discreetly examine the people around me. Most are nicely dressed and look like they are on their way to work with various briefcases and purses. A man sitting across from me plays with his wedding band as the girl beside me slowly nods off to sleep. Some people openly stare, you don't see "blans" on tap taps very often, while others seem lost in thought. Every minute or so, one of the "passengers" yells "Mesi" (Thank you) and the tap tap pulls over and lets him or her off and new people get on. Since this is not a bus with a scheduled route it can stop wherever and whenever you want on the main road. I can't help but smile when occasionally the passengers make the driver stop in 30 second intervals just so they don't have to walk the few extra steps. Finally Denise yells "Mesi" too, so I know it's time for us to get off. We pay the driver 5 Goudes each, and then step back onto the sidewalk. The nice thing about the tap taps is that it doesn't matter which one you use, they all charge 5 Goudes a ride, and it doesn't matter how long or short you are on it. 5 Goudes is equivalent to 12 cents American, so it's quite cheap. Now we need to cross the road again and walk the last few blocks to the market. An hour later we're finished and make our way back to the main road. A tap tap is already waiting and we climb on again. Since it's almost lunch time there are some school children on this one. I can't help but smile as they practice their English on each other. If it was hot before, it's gotten even hotter now and I try not to breath too much through my nose because there's a lot of people sweating in the tap tap now. Out of the corner of my eye I see the man beside me wiping his brow with a handkerchief. Right now I wish I had one too. Ten minutes later I see the familiar Texaco sign and now it's time to get off. Denise yells "Mesi" again and the tap tap jerks to a halt. I almost fall over but manage to catch myself just in time. Once again we pay the driver and then start walking the ten minute walk home. On the way back Denise and I chatter with each other. I have to admit that I kind of enjoyed the ride. Without a vehicle, it's hard to get around, and it's nice to know that if I want to go to the market with Denise we can go together on the tap tap.

I'm 2!

Hi, my name is Jayden and I turned 2 on Saturday. I woke up very early on the day of my birthday, but Mommy said I had to wait to open my presents because Daddy was still sleeping. It was really hard to wait, but Saturday is his only chance to sleep in a little, so wait I did. To keep me busy Mom made pancakes for me. They were yummy! As soon as Daddy woke up I got my first present. It was in a big white box, I could hardly wait to open it! I was very excited when I saw it was a beautiful red tricycle from Grandma and Grandpa Krul. It is soo nice! I love it! Mommy even let me take a little ride inside before we took it outside. It didn't take me long to figure out that you push the pedals with your feet to move and turn the steering wheel in the direction you want to go! Wee, I was off in no time!




I got other presents too! From my great Grandma, Oma Krul, I got some little cars and planes. I liked those a lot too. I can make all kinds of car and truck noises and it's fun to drive them all around the house.
Mommy and Daddy said they had a present for me too, but we had to go in the car to pick it up, so at 10 o'clock off we went. I was a little tired, because I normally have my nap then, but birthdays are special, Mommy said, so I didn't have to sleep.
After what seemed like forever, the car finally stopped and we got out. I recognized the place right away. We were at the Baptist Mission, a place I love to go!
We visited the petting zoo, bought some yummy bread at the bakery and then had lunch at the little restaurant there. We all shared a big burger, chicken nuggets, fries, a milk shake and pop. It was very good. But the biggest, happiest, surprise came after lunch when Mommy and Daddy took me back to the petting zoo and let me pick out two bunnies. Mommy thought one was just fine, but Daddy said that one might get lonely so I was allowed to pick out two!! I was so excited!! I kept running back and forth and jumping up and down! I couldn't believe we were allowed to take them home! Mommy had brought some celery sticks with her and she even let me feed them. They are so cute and soft! I call them "mimi's", but Mom is teaching me to say "bunnies" because a mimi in Creole actually means "cat". When we got home, we made sure the bunnies were safe and comfortable and then Mommy put me to bed. I was so tired I fell asleep right away. While I slept, I couldn't help but dream about shiny red tricycles, and soft little bunny rabbits.

Road or River?

Here's a short clip from outside our front gate after a 20 minute downpour. This gives you a small idea why MAF is so vital here especially when the roads turn into this! Its hard to imagine how people live on the hillsides and mountains with torrential rain like this (last week 16 people were killed by flooding here in Port au Prince)

A Good Mistake

My eyes are strained with focus; every nerve in my body is alert as I peer through the thick black clouds around me. A sudden flash of lightening to my left jolts my passengers as they too intently gaze outside. Heavy rain pounds the windscreen as I struggle to find my way through the mountain pass, praying that the weather will lift just a little so that I can resume a more comfortable altitude.

Late Wednesday afternoon I set out to pick up several passengers from Pignon. Since we are now in the rainy season, every afternoon thick cumulus clouds build up and quickly turn to large thunderstorms making it difficult to cross the two mountain ranges laying between Port au Prince and the Central Plateau. I request 10 extra gallons for the trip so I would have an extra 30 minute reserve, but discover that they accidentally put 18 gallons extra! I become somewhat annoyed at the fueling personnel since this means that I will be able to carry 60 lbs less cargo. As I take off, I quickly realize that the flight would not be an easy one, and call flight following on the HF radio to confirm weather reports in the Pignon area.

A thick black ceiling of clouds make it impossible to climb over the mountains, and the rain ahead drops the visibility down to a few miles. As I level off at 2000 ft I start planning a route that I will take to get through the mountain pass ahead. As I approach Pignon, I am aware that the weather is rapidly deteriorating behind me, so I call flight following again to ensure that the passengers are ready to leave without delay, and that the weather at Pignon is holding. A few miles out from Pignon, the clouds suddenly break and a small hole of blue sky lingers directly overhead the airport. I quickly land, board the passengers and take off to return to Port au Prince.

As I begin climbing, I look at the dark clouds ahead which are now several hundred feet above the ground. I double check the quantity of my fuel and run a quick calculation to determine how many hours of fuel I have left. My passengers peer nervously over my shoulder as I press forward through the rain pounding on the windscreen. The visibility has now dropped down to close to a mile, and I keep a close eye on the river 1000 ft below to guide me down the valley ahead. I spot another small valley to my left that should take me though the mountain range, but as I head up the valley, the visibility continues to drop and the rain pounds harder on the windscreen making it nearly impossible to see ahead of me. Suddenly, as I enter the clouds, it becomes white all around me. I focus on my instruments an execute a 180 degree turn careful not to lose any altitude since I know that we are low in a narrow mountain pass. Seconds later we pop back out of the clouds, and I begin looking for another route to take back to Port. As I fly along the base of the mountain I quickly realize that the ceilings have now dropped down to ground level in the valley passes. My last option is to fly all of the way out to the coast and follow the coastline back to Port au Prince, but this will take an extra 45 minutes. Again I check my fuel and run some calculations to determine if this is feasible. I call flight following on the radio to give them my position over Gonaives and my intentions of heading back over the coast. As I approach the coastline I begin to feel relieved. As long as I keep my mixture leaned out, and follow the coastline south I should have no problem getting to Port. I maintain 400 feet above the ocean, and switch to my left fuel tank thanking God for that extra fuel. Fifteen minutes later I spot the airport, call tower and land. I praise the Lord for safety on this flight as my wheels touch down on the runway and my passengers begin clapping! After I shut down, I check my fuel and discover that I have a mere 8 gallons remaining. It truly was providential having that extra fuel onboard!

Safety in the storm

I stare out the window as ominous clouds roll in. Although the sun is still out, it now illuminates the world with a strange golden glow. The wind is starting to pick up too. It's 5:00 p.m. and Jason still isn't home. I'm starting to get worried. He's never home this late. Too bad I can't call him. Among the things I left in Canada was my cell phone. I had brought it with me so I could check the time while I was traveling, since I didn't have a watch. When I arrived in Canada I had retired it to my night stand drawer, and had forgotten to check there in my rush to pack. Since we didn't have a home phone, I had no other way of contacting Jason. " A tropical storm is definitely on its way in, I really hope he's not flying", I say to Jayden, who is playing with the Tupperware on the floor as I prepare dinner. He looks up, but doesn't respond, to intent on seeing how many bottle caps fit in Jason's water bottle. I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance. All I can do now is pray. All things are in God's hands and I pray that He will provide safety and protection for Jason. Not even ten minutes later I hear the welcoming honking of a car horn by our gate. Sure enough, Jason is back. Just as he walks through the door the sky opens and torrential rains come down. The sound is almost deafening on our tin roof. Together we walk to the window and gaze in awe at the extreme force of the storm. I silently thank God for bringing Jason home safely before the storm. Our God truly is an Awesome God.

The trip back.

I struggle to stay focused, but black and grey spots keep dancing in front of my eyes in crazy patterns, blurring my vision. It's 2:00 a.m. and I'm on Air Canada flight 905, 35,000 feet up, on route to Montreal. Jayden is sound asleep in my arms, his warm body pressing against mine, but I don't think it's just his warmth that makes me feel like I'm burning up. I close my eyes tightly and hunch over him as much as I can in hopes that the feelings of nausea and dizziness pass. As I close my eyes the events of the last two weeks race like a freight train through my brain. The long flight to Canada, my packed schedule and the late nights. I really loved seeing everyone and doing everything, but it sure was a lot to pack into two weeks. Today had been especially busy, so busy in fact that I had less than an hour to pack two suitcases. With the amount of things I had received and purchased I easily could have packed four suitcases, so it took some time to decide what I wanted to take now and what could wait for two months when Jasons' parents came to visit. In the process I was not nearly as organized as I normally am. I didn't have time to make lists or even double check what I did so I had made some stupid mistakes. I had forgotten to check the bathroom, so now I had left my glasses and contact solution behind. What was even sillier was the fact that I hadn't put any diapers for Jayden in my back pack. 10 minutes before boarding, I smelled something really bad and sure enough he was really dirty. Embarrassed, I had to go on a hunt for someone else with a baby and was finally able to get a diaper. Unfortunately it was only a size 3, Jayden wears size 5, but it was sure better than the other alternative, making a diaper out of the extra T-shirt I had brought for him. I'm sure that wouldn't have been exactly leak proof! Although it was now after 2:00 a.m. I hadn't been able to fall asleep either and I could feel my body starting to rebel.
I open my eyes again in hopes that I can focus now, but the grey and black spots are still clouding my vision. The airplane is dark too, and almost everyone is sleeping. My brain feels fuzzy and it's getting harder and harder to think straight, but I have to do something. The girl across the aisle from me who I'd made friends with earlier is fast asleep, her little baby lying contentedly on her chest. So, instead I turn to the French man beside me. He startles when I tap him on his shoulder. "Can you call a stewardess", I groan, "I feel like I'm going to faint". He doesn't hear me at first, so now frantically I repeat my question. I feel like it won't be long before I completely black out, and I fight the waves of dizziness that try to overcome me. The French man half rises, trying to see if perhaps he can find a stewardess, but none are in sight. "The button", I whisper, "just push the button". I can't stand up to push it, so fortunately he understands and pushes it for me. Two stewardesses are instantly at my side. "I'm going to faint", I whisper. One immediately grabs Jayden off my lap, who instantly wakes up. "Mama baby", he whimpers (which can be translated, Mama , I'm your baby, how could you possibly think of letting some strange people hold me?)(he said this a lot in the last two weeks) "MAMA BABY!" His cries become louder. As soon as he's gone I pull my tray table down, lay my head down and wiggle out of my jacket. I'm so hot. "Water,"I whisper. The stewardess returns seconds later with water and an ice pack, which she places on the back of my neck. Unfortunately, the ice pack has a leak and a minute later I feel ice cold water trickling down my neck. I start to tremble, I'm suddenly freezing . Noticing the drip, the stewardess thankfully goes and gets me a different one. Everyone around me is now awake and I feel many a sympathetic stare. I'm so embarrassed, I almost wish I could just disappear through the floor, but then I'd either be stuck in the freezing cold baggage compartment, or free falling through the sky, without a parachute . Nope, I guess I'd better stay where I am.. Thankfully with the help of the ice pack and the glass of water, I slowly start feeling better. The nausea passes as well. I slowly sit back up, and the stewardess comes back with apples slices and two chocolate chip cookies. "When was the last time you ate?", she asks At first I can't remember, my brain is to fuzzy, but then I remember I did have dinner at 5:30. However I had been busy feeding Jayden, and on the phone figuring out if my flight was on time, so I hadn't eaten much. The apple and the chocolate chip cookies taste good, so I eat all of it. I'm really feeling more like myself now, so I ask for Jayden back. He's happy to see me and holds me tightly, as if to say, I'm not letting you give me away again! I still can't sleep, but at least I feel better now. Two hours later we arrive at the Montreal airport. Although it's only 4:30 a.m. for us, it's 7:30 a.m. local time so Jayden and I go have breakfast at Tim Hortons. Three hours later we board our next flight. Now we are on route to Port-au-Prince. This time the airplane has some empty seats so I move to a different spot with Jayden where he can have a seat too. He instantly falls asleep and I'm able to doze off for a bit too. I use his mimi (a stuffed animal) as my pillow. At 2:20 p.m. local time we arrive in Port-au-Prince. The airplane felt cold, so the warmth feels good. Jason is even able to walk right onto the tarmac to greet us. It's sure nice to see him again. As we drive home and I see all the familiar sights, I can't help but smile. It's nice to be back.

Trip to Canada!

10:00 a.m. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The house is spotless, the suitcases are packed, and the fridge and freezer are stocked with meals for Jason . I check the clock one last time, and then go through my lists. Yup, I think everything is done. Daniel, the MAF driver should be here any minute so I help Jayden put on his shoes. “Outside?” he asks, oblivious to where we are going. “We are going to the airport, in a BIG broom, broom,” I answer. He looks at me for a second and then points up. “Broom, broom?” he asks. Yes, I say, and he smiles. Just then I hear the beep beep of a car horn, Daniel must be here. Denise and Anoud help me carry the suitcases down the stairs and then it’s time for goodbyes. Anoud shakes my hand and smiles, but Denise fights to keep her composure. I know that I will miss her too and I give her hand a final squeeze before I get into the truck. As we leave the vehicle is surrounded by a group of little boys, I smile and wave and off we go. I no longer brace myself for the deep ruts in the dusty, rocky road, but let my body rise and fall with the flow. Jayden is sitting on my lap, something extremely illegal in Canada but widely done in Haiti. Traffic is so slow, even if we did hit someone or someone hit us it probably wouldn’t cause more than a dent. With my suitcases on the back seat, there is just no room for him there. An hour and fifteen minutes later we finally arrive at the airport. Now we just have to wait.
11:30 Port-au-Prince, Domestic Terminal
We are waiting at the domestic terminal for Jason. Since our flight doesn’t leave till 3:00 he promised to take us out for lunch at a little nearby gas station. Since Daniel had other things to do later that morning and afternoon the only time he could pick us up was 10:00 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
“Dada, Dada” Jayden is pointing to a group of people coming through the doors from the tarmac. Sure enough, there he is. He wipes the sweat from his brow and when he spots us his face lights up. I know I’m going to miss him a lot. Once he’s finished some paperwork we drive to a little nearby gas station and enjoy some sandwiches.
1:00 p.m.
We are back at the Port-au-Prince airport, this time now in the international terminal . I hug Jason goodbye and then he hugs Jayden. Minutes later he’s gone and I’m left all alone. I push Jayden’s buggy to the check in counter and pull my two suitcases behind me.
2:00 p.m.
We are now sitting by the Air Canada gate. Our flight will board in half an hour. Jayden is sitting quietly in his stroller playing with his ball so I strike up a conversation with the guy beside me. He looks about 18 or 19 and says he’s from India. After a few minutes he asks me if I can watch his duffel bag because he needs to ask the attendant something. I eye the big red bag and for a second wonder if there’s a bomb in there! Then I laugh it off and tell myself that’s a terrible thought to think. Thankfully he comes back a minute later!
2:40 p.m.
A heat blast hits me as I push open the glass doors and step onto the tarmac. I can’t help but smile as I see the giant Air Canada aircraft in the distance. As we walk towards it strains of “O Canada” swirl through my head and it takes all my self control to keep myself from singing out loud. I discreetly look around and then not seeing anyone close by I start singing away. Who cares if people think I’m crazy. It just feels good to sing.
2:55 p.m.
Ready for take off. I slip my seatbelt on and hold Jayden securely on my lap. I like the thrill of getting pushed back onto my seat as the plane takes off. Jayden likes it too, and we smile at each other.
8:15 p.m. Montreal, Toronto
“Wow, wow,” Jayden’s nose is pressed against the glass and I lean past him to see what he’s looking at. “Wow, wow” he repeats again. I take a moment to absorb the beauty. It’s 8:15 p.m. and we are just coming in for landing at the Montreal airport. The sun is setting giving the peaceful landscape scene a golden glow. “Wow”, I say. There really is no better word to describe it. Purple, pink clouds tinged with gold dot the iridescent blue sky. Row upon row of perfectly square fields touch the horizon. The traffic on the roads is almost non-existent. What a world of difference. A rush of excitement fills me. “Oh Canada!”
8:40 p.m.
I’m still waiting for my suitcases. Since we need to clear customs I have to collect my suitcases here. Finally, after almost giving up hope I see them coming down the conveyer belt. Since I don’t have much time till my next flight I’m in a rush now. With one hand I push Jaydens’ stroller and the other hand I pull the baggage cart loaded with my two suitcases behind me. It’s quite a sight and everyone stares, but I don’t care. There is just no other way to do it.
10:00 p.m.
We’ve cleared customs and I’ve even been able to quickly buy “real chocolate milk”. Jayden and I enjoy this tasty treat and then it’s time to board. The flight is practically empty so we have lots of room for ourselves.
11:20 p.m.
We’ve just landed and as we landed Jayden has finally fallen asleep. Since the flight was so empty the stewardesses have allowed me to take my stroller on board. I carefully fold it open and then place my sleeping baby into it. He’s so tired he doesn’t even stir. I follow the few other passengers down endless long hallways in hope that someone will be going where I’m supposed to go. The beauty of the sparkling hallways and massive windows hits me, and I can’t help but stare. Has it really been that long since I’ve seen beautiful buildings??
12:01 a.m.
Where to now? I’ve been able to locate my suitcases but I don’t know where to find my next check in point. It’s midnight and the airport is deserted. Even the lights are dimming. Pushing a baggage cart, and a stroller and carrying a heavy backpack on my back is getting tiring, especially when you don’t know where you are going. Finally I find a security guard in a bathroom and ask for directions. “You’re here all by yourself? With a sleeping baby? Pushing a baggage cart and a stroller? And your next flight doesn’t leave till 7:00 a.m.? Where are you going to sleep?” She looks at me in disbelief. “You’re just a little girl,” she says and shakes her head. I almost start feeling sorry for myself too. I’m so tired, I fight back tears and say with the strongest voice I can muster. “I’m 23, I’m married and I’ve traveled lots of times, it's no problem”. She shakes her head again and the takes the baggage cart from my hands. I smile thankfully. The stroller and cart keep wanting to go in opposite directions when I push them, so an extra set of hands is a good thing. “Where are you planning to sleep?” she asks again. “I was just hoping to find a bench somewhere,” I say. She mutters something under her breath, and then points me to the restaurant section. “There are some benches in there,” she says. “Since no one’s there they probably won’t mind if you sleep there. It’s right close to your gate too,” she points. “Thank you, thank you”, I say and then push my stuff towards the bench. Thankfully, Jayden’s still fast asleep, so now it’s time to get organized. I make sure our passports and cash are safely in the pouch that I wear under my T-shirt. Then I surround us and our suitcases with a row of chairs, this way in case anyone moves them I will wake up. Finally I tie Jayden’s ankle to my wrist. I really don’t want to wake up and find him gone! As I try to find a comfortable position, I can’t help but smile. I’ve always wanted to experience what it was like spending a night on a bench.



1:00 a.m.
beep, Beep, BEEEEP. I struggle to open my eyes and try to identify the noise. Lights are flashing and the screeching beep is getting progressively louder. It’s the fire alarm, and I groan. Unless I actually see smoke I’m not moving, I decide. My body is just too tired and how can I possibly move all this stuff? Thankfully seconds later it is announced that they are simply testing the fire alarm. I cover my ears and moan, great timing. Thankfully Jayden hasn’t woken up. I try to get comfortable again and doze off once more.
5:00 a.m.
Jayden and I are both wide awake. I loosen my braid and re-braid it in hopes I’ll look a little more presentable. At least I’m able to check in my baggage now, and then we go on a hunt for a Tim Hortons. Finally we find one and we order our very first bacon breakfast sandwich. It’s been almost 6 months now. “Wow,” Jayden says and I have to agree.
7:00 a.m.
The flight is packed and we are getting ready for takeoff. Jayden doesn’t want to sleep and there are no extra seats so I spend the next four hours trying to keep him entertained.
9:15 a.m.
Vancouver, our final stop. I collect my suitcases once again and then head out to find my sister-in-law Leanne. At first I can’t find her, but finally we spot her and the kids. We hug each other. It’s great to see them again. Soon I’ll get to see all my family and friends as well.
10:30 a.m.
We’re driving back and are in awe of the straight smooth roads, the beautiful green grass, the small amount of traffic and the clear blue skies. The air is so crisp! I take a few big breaths, and it feels good. Everything looks so clean, and organized! It really is great being able to come and visit!
11:15 a.m.
We finally arrive at my parents. In Haiti the time is 1:15 p.m. This means that our total traveling time was 27 hours!

Home Alone

That's right - Wilhelmina and Jayden took off today for Chilliwack, so im on my own for 2 weeks! They are going for my sister, Chantelle's wedding. I hope/pray everything goes well as Will and Jayden have over 27 hours of travelling time including an 8 hour wait tonight in Toronto. It was kinda cool landing at Port au Prince while the Air Canada plane she was on patiently waited for me!

Jason

A Day With Jayden

Hi, my name is Jayden. I’m almost 2 and live with my Mommy and Daddy in Haiti. I’ve visited a lot of places already in my life. I was born in Chilliwack, lived in Langley, traveled to Ontario, New Jersey, Grand Rapids, lived in Idaho, traveled to California, moved back to Chilliwack and then finally moved with my Mommy and Daddy to Haiti. In Haiti we first lived in a village that had lots of nice animals, but now we live in Port-au-Prince and we have our very own home. I like it here. I have my own bedroom, and even a playroom. Daddy built shelves and a little table and I like playing with my toys. Every morning I wake up around 6:30. Mommy really wishes I would sleep longer, but that’s the time Daddy gets up, so I want to get up too. When Daddy hears I’m awake he lifts me out of my crib and brings me to Mommy who’s still sleeping in bed. I found out that the quickest way to wake her up is to go sit on her head! As she moans and slowly rolls out of bed I run down the hall way to the kitchen. I know I like peanut butter on my bread so I carefully open the pantry and pull out the container of butter and the pot of peanut butter and put them carefully on the counter. Then Mommy won’t be confused about what I want on my bread. Usually I get milk with my breakfast, but I always check it before I drink it. Sometimes Mommy forgets to put “chocolate” in it and I have to remind her. Once I’m done breakfast Mommy washes my hands and face and I remind her that it’s time for “potty”. Usually Mommy will give me a toy or book to play with while I sit, but it never takes long. As soon as I’m done I jump up and down and say “Wow, Wow” and clap my hands. I’ve seen Mommy do that when I’m all done, so I guess that’s what you’re supposed to do. Then I run to the cupboard and help myself to one or two or three candies, before Mommy catches me. Once I’m finished with that and changed out of my pajamas, I tell Mommy I want to go “outside”. Then I go look for my “hat” and “shoes”. I know I’ll need those too. Outside I play with my two friends Nicholas and Sabboule. We put rocks in bottles, fill up my little pool with sand, leaves and rocks, chase each other in the grass, or play with the balloons Mommy gives us. At ten o’clock it’s sleepy time and I sleep till lunch time. After lunch I either play outside again, or if it’s to hot I play inside in the playroom with the fan on. I already know how to turn it off and on all by myself! Sometimes we go to Auntie Jen and Uncle Todd’s house (friends from my Mommy and Daddy) and swim in their big pool. I like that! I also like it when Daddy comes home from work and I can play with him. After supper Mommy usually lets me play for a little while and then I have a bath. At night I’m usually very tired from all my playing so it doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep. Before I fall asleep I also pray with Mommy for all the people back in Canada. Mommy says we are going to visit there soon.

Medical Flight

Sunday morning, on the island of La Gonave, a large truck carrying 20 passengers went off the road and crashed killing 2 and injuring 12 others. MAF was called to do an emergency medivac flight to transport the 4 most critically injured patients to Port au Prince. We had just finished church when my phone rang, calling me to go down to the airport to fly 1 of the 2 planes going to La Gonave. I felt like I was working for the Chilliwack Fire Department again as i rushed to get dressed into my pilot uniform, and hurried down to the airport. Once I had landed at La Gonave, I realized that the entire village had come out to the airstrip to help / watch. A huge mob of Haitians surrounded my plane as i struggled to open the door.

Shortly after I landed, a small pickup truck came speeding onto the airstrip carrying the patients in the back. It didn't take me long to realize that this was La Gonave's ambulance.

I helped load the 2 patients into my plane, and then the rest into the 2nd plane

This 18 minute flight is saving these 2 women (along with the others) countless hours of travel by boat across the open ocean to Port au Prince.

Flying back to Port au Prince.

After waiting quite some time for an ambulance, and realizing that it wasn't going to show up, arrangements were made to transport them from the airport to the hospital with a pickup truck. It wasn't until it arrived that i realized how much we take ambulances for granted in North America!

Helping with loading the patients in the back of the truck.

Finally after we loaded them in the back of the "ambulance", they discovered that it wouldn't start. They lifted the hood and tinkered with it for a good 15 minutes before they got it to start, and sped off towards the hospital.

Through this experience, I am once again reminded of how valuable the service of MAF is here in Haiti. Countless Haitians depend on the wings of MAF to provide food, medicine, transportation, and medical evacuations each year, and I praise the Lord that I am able to be apart of this wonderful ministry!

Just another day in the life of a MAF pilot!

Today I had another exciting day of flying. First thing this morning I flew a work team into Pignon. Pignon has many teams that come in who help build schools, houses, hold worship services and also assist in the hospital. The team we flew in today is there to work in the hospital for two weeks. An important part of MAF's work here in Haiti is to transport these teams to the remote villages. Upon arrival, a sick, elderly women with open wounds all over the side of her face was waiting at the airstrip to be transported to the Port au Prince hospital. Since Port-au-Prince has a more advanced hospital she could receive further care for her condition there. It was sad to see how frail she was and to see the pain she was obviously experiencing. She was even too weak to climb into the airplane by herself so I had to assist her. Please remember this lady in your prayers that she may be able to receive the medical attention she needs at the Port au Prince Hospital.
After landing at the Port-au-Prince airport and unloading passengers and cargo, I took off for La Gonave to pick up a Haitian Pastor and his family. As I neared the coast of the Island of La Gonave, I spotted some little islands below that were literally packed with no more than 30 shacks! I couldn't help wonder what would happen if a small tidal wave washed over their island! As I turned final to land, I noticed that a large herd of goats were leisurely grazing on the side of the narrow airstrip. Just as I touched down, the goats startled by the noise of the aircraft, ran in all directions, including straight onto the runway right in front of me. This forced me to apply the brakes much harder then I like too. Thankfully I was able to come to a complete stop before hitting any of them. After that scare, I was able to return back to the Port-au-Prince airport safely without any more "incidents"
And thus ends another day in the life of a MAF pilot.

Thank You

I pull my hand through my long brown hair as I survey the pile of donated items piled on the kitchen counter. Friends and family back home have given clothes, underwear, combs, soap, toothbrushes, pencil cases with pencils and erasers, and a variety of different toys. Altogether my parents were able to fill up 4 suitcases so we have a large assortment of things. Now that my parents have returned to Canada, I have some extra time on my hands, but where should I start? Well, first things first, I guess. Who should we give it to? Since we won't be returning to the village till July and we have just given all the kids we knew there care packages before we left, I think it would be better to hand out here in Port-au-Prince where we live. Suddenly a thought strikes me. I should go talk to Denise.
"Denise, eske ou kapab ede mwen silvouple?" (Denise, can you help me please?) I ask, "Oke", she answers cheerily. Her eyes widen when she sees the pile of things on my kitchen counter. I explain to her that family and friends back in Canada donated all these things for the people in Haiti and then I ask if she would like to pick out some things for her family. "Silvouple" (Please) she says and minutes later she's picked out a skirt for herself, two shirts for her little boys, a tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap, and a pencil case for Nicholas for school. When she's done I give her some toys for the boys as well. You can tell on her face how happy she is. Do you know more people who could benefit from extra clothing, toiletries, and school supplies I ask her in Kreyol? Oh yes, she says. In Kanepevet there are lots of people who could use these things. Well, why don't we get to work on making bags for them, I say, and since you used to live there, you will know what piece of clothing fits what child. As we get to work, I sneakily peek at Denise's face every few minutes. Nothing can wipe the smile off her face as she carefully examines the clothes and then tells me the name of the child who we should give it too. Darlene, Sandra, Ti Ton Ton, Nadja, Senleek, Patricia, Evant, Jebel, Angelo, Kalya, Emerson, the list goes on and on. At each name her face lights up and I can see the joy in her eyes as she thinks about how happy they will be with the various items. In the next few weeks we hope to go there with Anoud and Denise and hand them out in Canopy Vert. We want you to know that the love and care you’ve shown by donating the various items, really makes a difference for the people here and are much appreciated. On behalf of them, thank you so much.

A NEW VIEW

I know many people have been waiting to hear what my parents and my sister Gloria think of Haiti but instead of trying to explain what they think, Gloria volunteered to write a blog entry herself. Here is her story.



We arrived last week Tuesday after 15 hours of travel. With a stopover in Los Angeles and then another in Miami we were relieved to finally step out of the large American Airlines airplane onto the tarmac of the Port au Prince International Airport. A heat wave hit us instantly so we were thankful when we stepped inside the air conditioned airport. A band of Haitian musicians were seated at the entrance of the arrival section and greeted us with their lively Caribbean style music. Soon after we had deplaned the suitcases came through an outside conveyor belt into a tiny little room. After about a half an hour we managed to find all 6 of our suitcases! We were glad since we were worried some would get misplaced during the two stopovers we had. Fortunately, Jason managed to get behind security with his pilot badge and was able to help us load up two carts with our suitcases. I was surprised that we had to pay for the suitcase cart, but I soon found out that everything in Haiti costs money. With a little negotiating from Jason with the security guards we slipped out of the airport only to be surrounded with a group of Haitian men competing to carry our bags. After tipping three men we loaded the suitcases in the back of the truck and were on our way to Jason and Will’s new home.
We couldn’t believe what we all saw during the drive to their home. Everything seemed chaotic. There were no stop signs or speed limits, in fact there appeared to be no rules at all. Cars dodged around each other narrowly missing one another and brightly coloured Tap Taps, (Haitian taxis) zigzagged haphazardly through traffic. Even more amazing was to see how many people fit on one Tap Tap. They crammed inside, squashed on top of each other, hung off the sides, and even sat on the roof. It was quite a sight! Horns could be heard everywhere. Apparently this was not due to road rage, but rather a common way of communicating between drivers. It could mean “watch out”, “I’m backing up”, “slow down”, or “get off the road”, It basically could mean anything depending on the situation. We also saw many people balancing amazing amounts of fruits, vegetables and market goods on their heads as they walked down the streets. Finally after an hour, we arrived at a large gate. Jason honked a special pattern and minutes later the gate was opened by Anoud, the caretaker of Jason and Will’s home. Anoud helped Jason bring the suitcases into the house for us, and then we started to unpack. We brought six suitcase packed full with not only our own clothes, but also clothes, underwear, toothbrushes, socks, toys, and pencil cases for the kids in the village, provided for by friends and family. Jason, Will and Jayden where very excited to see us, and also very happy with all the little treats from home, and the clothing and other articles they could hand out to the children in the villages.
After having lunch Jason, Dad, and I went to an American type grocery store to buy a few items we needed. Police with guns stood on the parking lot keeping a close eye on everyone that came. Once we bought what we needed a Haitian helped bring the groceries into the truck so he could earn some money too. Nothing is done for free here! Once we arrived back home it was time for supper. That night we all slept well and felt quite refreshed the next morning.
So refreshed in fact that Mom got right to work cleaning the kitchen cupboards! (She said they looked “vet” (Dutch for greasy)). I didn’t feel like cleaning (this is a holiday) so instead I spent some time exploring their place and playing with Jayden.
Once Jason was back from flying for the day we all piled into the truck and went off into town to buy paintings. The minute the sellers/painters saw us they crowded around us, and tried to make my dad pay very high prices for the paintings. Since Jason is a good bargainer and could speak Kreyol we got a little system going. Mom and Dad would pick out the painting that they liked and then walk away. Then minutes later Jason would go and negotiate a better price with them. Altogether we bought about 10 paintings so the painters were very happy with us. The next day we were invited by another MAF family to eat a real Haitian meal for supper. It included rice and beans (of course) and some type of beef stew, meliton and carrots. It sure was delicious!
Friday morning at 7 o’clock we were on our way to the beach. I was excited since I’ve seen some of Will’s pictures and the beach and hotel that we were planning to stay at for a night looked really nice. We were on our way for about an hour when suddenly a bus came right at us and pushed us off the road. Unfortunately the edge of the road was a ditch and with our car on a crazy tilt we were stuck in the mud. Traffic stopped around us and people joked and laughed when they saw our car. In minutes several friendly Haitians helped us push the vehicle back on the road and we were on our way once again. We avoided school buses as much as we could after that! Since a large dump truck/Tap Tap had tipped and blocked the only way to our destination we had to wait for awhile before that was cleared away. At least we found a little rocky beach to wait at, and we were able to collect a garbage bag full of beautiful shells. About ½ hour later we were able to continue on our way and we arrived at our hotel on the beach 20 minutes later. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. Palm trees swayed in the wind, the sand was white and soft, and the bright turquoise ocean beckoned us. We quickly put all our belongings in our little room and headed out to the beach. We built sand castles and went snorkeling and seen amazing fish in the coral reef. Because we had the beach basically to ourselves, we were bombarded by Haitians trying to sell their wares. They had more paintings, little soapstone statues, jewelry, exotic shells, and all kinds of other beautiful things. My parents bought a few more pictures and ordered a bunch of shell bracelets for the grandkids so that kept them busy for quite a while. At night we could see millions of twinkling stars and watched the wave’s crash against the shore. The next day we had a hearty breakfast and I was back in the water bright an early. In the morning the water was even clearer, so Will and I decided to go snorkeling again. Once we were underwater we could see the sun rays shine into the water. After we made our way through a beautiful maze of coral and looked at some exotic fish we decided to head back to the shore again. We found some nice comfy beach chairs and put them in the water were we nicely relaxed; trying our best to ignore the Haitian sellers. Since our checkout time was 3 o’clock, we made sure that we had everything packed by then. Our ride home was uneventful and we were happy to be safely home again.

Gloria’s story ends here on Saturday, but they still have till Thursday so I’m sure they will have more things to share. Both my parents are really enjoying themselves as well. Today they went on an MAF flight to a village called Hinche and Mom also went with Jason and I to the large “Mache” (Market). Maybe I’ll talk my Mom into writing an article. Hope you like the pictures.

Quick Update

Hello All!

Sorry for the delay! Just for a quick update, we are all doing well here and have adjusted to the city life in Haiti. Every day is full of new surprises and challenges, but the Lord has provided for our every need. Will's parents as well as her sister arrived last week for a 10 day visit. It was really nice to see them again - as well as all of the gifts that they brought along! Thanks everyone! We have been spending a little time showing them around Haiti, and today they are on a MAF flight into Hinche to see what that's like. We hope to post another update shortly, so keep checking! We also have a newsletter coming out this week.

Blessings,

~The Krul's~

In the air again!

Excitement rushed through my blood as i stepped into the Cessna 207 along with MAF Pilot Will White. I am finally doing what God has called us here to do! After all the years of training, preparation, and language school I am finally in the cockpit of an MAF airplane. Before I am able to begin flying on my own I need to get checked out on all of the operational airstrips here in Haiti, so I have been spending the last few days flying into little villages such as Jacmel, Hinche, Pignon, and the Island of La Gonave. As we fly over the open ocean to La Gonave, I gazed below at the beautiful blue ocean with the coral reefs hugging the coastline. I spotted some small rowboats below and couldn't help wonder how many hours of rowing it must take to get to the mainland! It is amazing to see first hand the impact that MAF is having on the ministry and missions in Haiti. From bringing work teams into Hinche and missionaries into La Gonave I was not only thrilled by the awesome feeling of flying again, but also encouraged by effectiveness and importance of MAF's work here in Haiti.

To view more photos of my daily flying routine go to http://picasaweb.google.com/jwkrul/FlyingInHaiti

Port au Prince

Where do I start? We’ve been back in Port-au-Prince for two weeks now and it feels like we’ve moved to an entirely different country (again!). Pignon, the village we lived in for three months, could be described as slow-paced, relaxed, primitive, open (people were always coming in and out of the camp), adventuresome and animal inhabited.

Port-au-Prince on the other hand is a BIG City. It’s 10 degrees hotter, the streets are crowded, it’s fast paced (except when you’re stuck in traffic), definitely less primitive, and the required security precautions makes meeting just any random person, less likely. It’s still adventurous and animal inhabited, (if you want to call cockroaches animals), but there really is no comparison between Port-au-Prince and Pignon.

So instead of trying to describe it all to you, which would take pages and pages, I’ll just start by telling you some of the things I like about living in Port-au-Prince. First all, Port-au-Prince has grocery stores (yeah!!), you can buy almost anything, and the main roads are paved!!! I love having our own home with a secure yard and even a tropical garden. I like the fact that Jayden finally gets his very own room, and even gets to sleep in a crib, (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa), no more pack-and-play! I love the fact that he has a gated play area between the kitchen and living room, and that I don’t have to watch him every second he’s awake in fear that he will escape out of the camp and walk to the river on his own, or that he’s eating dirty things off the ground, that will make him sick. I’m thrilled that I’m not getting eaten alive by mosquitoes all day and that I can go to the bathroom at night without worrying about stepping on any critters. I love working in our kitchen, which has a stove, oven, refrigerator and even a mini freezer. I like that we have tile floors, no more cement, and that I can walk around on bare feet inside rather then always having to wear shoes. There are just so many things I’m thankful for!

The village must have been really awful, you’re probably starting to think to yourself. How could anyone, have survived there? But, that’s not true! I loved living in the village, I met so many people, and learned so much! It also helped me appreciate things here in Port-au-Prince a lot more too. I believe God has a purpose for everything. The reasons WE went to the village for three months was to learn Creole and study the culture. Looking back now, I think there were more reasons then that! We needed some good lessons on “Appreciation and Thankfulness.” We would have missed some important lessons if we would have moved straight from Canada to Port-au-Prince and never experienced village life.

For example, food is expensive here, but at least we can buy it. Our roof in our house leaks, but it doesn’t bother me one bit. Jason and I just pull out all our Tupperware containers and place them strategically under the drips. Coming from Canada, I might have been disturbed, but now that I’ve lived in the village, a few leaks, who cares? Our house has geckos and cockroaches, sounds terrible doesn’t it? But at least it doesn’t have bats, rats, and tarantulas. Give me cute little mosquito eating lizards and cockroaches any day. Anyone reading this may think, “Wow, what happened to her,” but you’ve never lived in the village, have you? So like I said, I believe God has a purpose for everything, and I am ever so thankful for what we have and how richly he has blessed us.