We arrived in PAP mid-morning. The airport/customs was not quite as crazy as I remember from the last time. We initially had some trouble locating our bags, but we found them and were on our way. There is a man, who is called "Big", who helps us transport our luggage and this time he met us at the door, making the long walk to the parking lot much smoother from the outset. Ian, my child of routine, handled the chaos like a trooper. Thank you to those of you who prayed for him as he did not seem nervous at all.
We drove to the hotel and dropped our bags. They still have not fixed the roads in Haiti. Parenthetically, if someone wants a great ministry in Haiti, figure out how to fix the roads. We stayed in the same room that we did last time, though they charged us quite a bit more than they did the last time. Such is life in Haiti.
Next, we went to the orphanage to pick up the kids. It was wonderful to see them both again and not only them, all the other kids as well. Yoldine grabbed Tessa's hand and walked her to the courtyard to introduce her to all of her friends. It was beautiful to see. I walked Ian to the boys room and he was mobbed. Ian then said to them, in English, "I am stronger than all of you." Classic little boy, but I told him that I wouldn't be too sure about that.
We then spent most of the week at the hotel. It was in the mid 90's most of the week. We spent much of our time in the pool--morning, afternoon, and evening. When we weren't swimming, the kids were playing small games or watching Ella Enchanted--over and over.
Yoldine again loved the water. She seems particularly drawn to Grace. She is much quieter than her little brother. She had a few tough days. When we talked about moving to the U.S., Heather pointed out that she would have our last name and that seemed to rock her world. She became very tearful and despondent. We think she realized that this time at Habitation Hatt was not just a vacation but that she would eventually leave Haiti.
We ate at the restaurant for most meals. Ian at french toast for every breakfast and chicken for every lunch and dinner we were there. (He's a creature of routine, remember?). The rest of us also ate a lot of french toast, beans and rice, and Haitian coffee. It was wonderful.
We were able to visit with Maxo, a vendor outside of the gates. His wife roasts some wonderful coffee. We brought a supply home for the upcoming months. When I saw him, he hugged me tightly and said, "how are you my brother." It left me wondering, why do to clerks at Walmart not hug me?
Grace was loved by all. She brought about a dozen dresses she had made for the little girls which were very well received. She received monetary gifts to make many more. When we were flying out of Haiti, I asked her if she was ready to go home, and she replied "this is home."
Ian did very well. There was much less whining about boredom on the whole than there normally is. He enjoyed wrestling with Vlad. He enjoyed watching movies with him. We have to get him to the point where he does not refer to Vlad as his "little brother". They are only eight month apart, even if they are much different in size.
Much like in the U.S., people in Haiti were drawn to Tessa. She was very good at making friends with everyone. The little girls adopted her quickly into their group. She also hung out with all of the other adopting parents and if we couldn't quickly find her, there was a good chance she was sitting on someones lap. She also loved the water. We had her in a life jacket and she would just float for hours like a neglected pool toy. On the last day we were there, I do not think it would be an exaggeration to say she floated alone for six hours.
On Wednesday, we volunteered at the orphanage. I painted some bunk beds. Grace helped sort clothes. Heather rocked babies. About midway through the day, our children's birth mother arrived and we were able to meet her for the first time. It was wonderful to make that connection and see how Yoldine and Vladimy responded to her and to us while we were there. We were able to ask her questions and she was able to ask questions of us. I think this was an important milestone.
On Sunday, our final day, Jude and James arrived. We are acquainted with these young men through friends from church. Jude and James were at Servants of All Ministries, an orphanage in Grand Goave Haiti until they reached a certain age. Now, Jude lives with some friends in Grand Goave and James lives in Petionville with his brother. Jude was in the U.S. earlier this year receiving treatment for lymphoma. Heather and the kids were able to meet him then. Jude is dealing with a lot of back pain, so if you could be praying for him, that would be very much appreciated. They stayed the night with us. Our friend Tom had sent some things with us for them, and we also filled Jude's backpack with food and medicine we had brought.
Another interesting even occurred. I had been reading the book "Thinking About God" by Gregory Ganssle over the week. I set it on the counter when I went to purchase a soda and the desk clerk, a young man named Ricardo, asked about the book and if I was a Christian. I told him that I am a Christian and told him a little about the book. He asked if he could review it before I left. I gave it to him and before we left he had read the first chapter and discussed it with me. As much as I want that book on my shelf, I wanted him to have the opportunity to read more about God.
The return to the U.S. was pretty much a comedy of errors. When we arrived at the airport, as always, there are people offering to help with bags...for a fee. One man insisted that he worked with our driver, Jackson, and that he was an employee of the airport. He then carried 2 bags 20 feet and insisted I give him $20. I was irritated, to say the least. We got our tickets and our bag caught on the pants of an employee. I think they must have ripped. We flew back in to Miami and while Heather and Grace were getting some food, we almost missed our boarding, but we made it. Then, flying back into Chicago, Heather threw up on the plane and then Tessa did too--all over her self and her plane seat. We landed, got Heather's wheelchair (she broke her leg about a month before our trip) and went to collect our bags. Ian dropped a can of soda that exploded all over the floor and the woman pushing the wheelchair. We got our stuff, got to the hotel and crashed. Yesterday, we drove back to Eau Claire. About 10 minutes outside of town, Ian asked "how much longer, because I really have to pee." I explained that it was about 10 minutes to home. That was fine, but about 2 miles from home he said "never mind." I asked, "did you pee?" He responded, "a lot." I couldn't stop laughing.
And so we are back from trip two. I pray that Yoldine and Vladimy are on the return trip next time, but I don't know what God's plans are. Be praying with us.
1 comment:
Jason, you are never short. {smirk}
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