First Full Day of Haiti

Well, we finally went to bed and it was after 1am for my room of ladies. I believe we were so "stressed" about the ride up the hill and laughing so hard because of our reactions to the hilly climb in a bus over 18 years old and its ability, although questionable, to the top of the mountain where we would stay. The cheese bus was escorted by the Chief of Police of Port Au Prince, and security guards for safety. Some of the turns were eye-closers, breath-holding, and white-knuckling. We clung to each seat and perspired and prayed. We made it. 

Dinner was wonderful. How wonderful to enjoy tropical fruit in the countries in which they were grown! The pineapple and watermelon were tastier than I'd ever had.

The next morning we were up for breakfast at 8. Since we were staying in an accommodations called Harvest for Humanity which houses missionaries all the time, we had a typical American breakfast available to us; oatmeal, scrambled and boiled eggs, assorted cereals, fruit juices, mango's, and all the amenities of a welcoming start to the week ahead.

We boarded the bus with three days of clothing because our next portion of the trip is in another part of the country. We will be bunking in the Citadel which is in Mirribellis (sp) and a two hour bumpy road ride with twists and turns and suddenly we are stopped. Our driver only knows French but he stops moving because there is fire in the street and a bicyclist is the target of a rock throwing. Traffic is backed up in the two lane street and there is no place to turn. The police have blocked off the street.. The bus backs into a street to turn around. Cars are making U-turns. We are still one hour away from our destination of ministry. A phone call is made and a Christian brother lives nearby. The bus makes one more seemingly impossible turn and if I didn't believe the prayers of people of God were working, I'm sure the bus would have tilted over...(shaking in our mission shoes)

We spend several hours in Eddie's house and then the roads are clear.  Just as we are about to get up, the call comes to say we have another hour before the unrest as a result of the voting has been put under control. We sing to our hosts, thanking God for the lunch provided in an air-conditioned home while devices are being charged. We thank God for his divine favor and protection. The day of ministry has come in a different way. More on our day later.