Day 1 - arrival and challenges

We’ve arrived in Haiti and the challenges are still here! The first was getting out of the airport with our 24 suitcases. First I was taking photos of the team with all the bags and got accosted by a customs agent for photographing in the airport, and especially for him being in one of the pics – inadvertently but he didn’t care about that. Then they decided to inspect the contents of every suitcase.  I think they didn’t believe that we were bringing the stuff in for charitable purposes and not to sell it. I’m sure they had in mind taxing it – but thank goodness Rick managed to convince them our intentions were entirely benevolent. However, it was a pretty intense several minutes.

We were REALLY happy to get out to the parking lot and meet up with our drivers Lucson and Ronald and the 2 Kias so we could get out of there! Then we got into the traffic. It was actually worse one previous trip, but it was exciting enough – especially for our first-timers, Meg and Steve. We ran into it on the narrow side streets that were barely wide enough for the Kias, let alone the two lanes of traffic with huge trucks in the oncoming lane with cars parked along the sides of the streets and pedestrians and motorcycles weaving in and out of the traffic from every direction. All in the dark as only Port au Prince can be dark in the middle of such mayhem.  The big trucks squeezed by us with barely the width of a coat of paint in between us and them. And the motorcycles and pedestrians passed between the cars and trucks via spaces you’d swear were too tight for them to fit through.

 

All this was on the way to an orphanage, Life is Wealth, that Crystal Funk (Hearts United With Haiti) wanted us to evaluate as a possible site for a future water purification system. We arrived in the dark to a crowd of children, all but 4 of them girls from toddlers to teens, and all clamoring for attention and to have their pictures taken. Their water source was a cistern filled with collected rainwater or by a commercial water truck when there’s not enough rain. That water is used for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing clothes. After a search of multiple bags in the dark a whirly bag was produced and the water set up for testing. We should know within 2 days if the water is contaminated. What a visit, though! All those beautiful children and so much need.

 The rest of the evening was much less eventful – dinner and on to Crystal’s for devotions and good company. In the dark. Crystal’s neighborhood hasn’t had electricity for a week since the transformer blew. And no running water since the water truck hasn’t come to fill the tank for 3 weeks. Welcome to Haiti!

 

It's late and my 3 am rising is catching up with me. Photos tomorrow.