2008 TRIP TO HAITI

In August of 2008, right after the hurricanes hit Haiti, we took a trip down there.  Our trip began with us being stranded in the airport for a few days while we waited for the airport in Port-au-Prince to open.  For the days that we were waiting, we spent the day going to the airport early for our 7:00 am flights, only to find out that they would be canceled, we would then get ourselves transferred to the 3pm flight which would also be canceled after which we would get ourselves on the 7:00 am flight for the next morning.

We saw many flights come and go but they were not ours. 

 

After a few days of waiting impatiently, we were finally able to get in to Haiti through a  the first flight out of Miami, a 3:00 pm flight. A few short hours later (which didn?t feel so short due to our impatience tackled with the long delay) we touched down in Haiti.  We were very excited to finally be in Haiti, although we didn?t leave the airport until quite late since we couldn?t find all of our luggage, we were very thankful to be in Haiti. 

Day 1

 

Morning was finally there, we ecstatically awoke to find ourselves in the land we fasted so long about helping.  We were greeted with breakfast and the news that our SUV was broken down, we spend the morning praying and figuring out how to get it going.  We wired the money to the mechanic to buy parts and he somehow managed to get it up and running a few short hours later. 

Cliff?s luggage got lost and our first order of business was to stop by the airport to get his luggage on our way to Cote De Fer. We had his luggage by 3pm and were on our way when we got a call about the bridge being under water due to the hurricanes, we couldn?t get there by car. 

Not to panic, we called Mirbalais, changed our plans and were headed there.   

 That night we arrived around 10pm, we parked on the side of the road and the pastor of the local church and school we wanted to go visit came to pick us up with a few other locals.  We had a half an hour hike and a canoe ride that we gladly did (the flashlights did help), once we got there we went stayed up talking, visiting the school and meeting everyone. 

Day 2

On the second day of the trip, we woke up in Mirbalais. We held meetings with the principle of the Mirbalais school and w ere eager to meet the students but it was their summer vacation.  We ate breakfast with everyone, and interviewed about living conditions before heading out to Port-au-prince. 

 

That afternoon, we were back in Port-au-prince.   We immediately knew we had to go to visit the main hospital downtown called  L?hopital general. 

 

The hopelessness was very evident in the hospital, we didn?t see any doctors.  We saw a few nurses and for the most part it appeared that the mothers or family members had to stay and guard their sick children.  Many didn?t have money to buy food or medicine for their children.  We praised God that we were able to help them financially as well as pray for them and offer encouraging words.

 

 

 

Day 3

Sadly so, day 3 was our last day in Haiti, we had to catch our plane at 2pm.  The day started with us going to Church in Delmas 32. 

Once church was over, we stopped by Cite Soleil to distribute food out.  Once food distribution was over, we rushed to the airport to get back to the states.

 

Our trip was over before it really got started, the hurricane turned our week down to  a few days, however God?s favor and blessing followed us.  We were able to do so much in 2 full days that we are still amazed at how blessed we were to have done them.

 

  Haiti is so full of love and has great need, how can people give so much knowing they have so little?  Haitians are really full of love and are very caring, we don?t always get to hear that in the news but I don?t think it?s something that can be described more than felt.  I can?t wait to go back.