Haitian Traffic Rules

On our first drive through Port-au-Prince, we were so busy taking in our surroundings that some aspects of the driving experience were lost on us. The drive back to the airport yesterday was a different story - our focus was completely on the road. And what a ride!

Here are a few unwritten driving rules we discovered in those few hours.

1. He who has the largest vehicle has the right of way.
2. The exception to rule #1 is: He who is least worried about the condition of his vehicle has the right of way.
3. Two short blasts on the horn means “Hello” or “Bonjou.”
4. Several short blasts on the horn means “Small vehicle coming through.”
5. One long horn blast means “Large vehicle coming through – get out of the way!”
6. It is perfectly acceptable to drive into oncoming traffic, on the wrong side of a divided road, as long as the correct lanes are congested and you turn on your hazard lights.
7. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. Nor do livestock animals, children, or motorcycles.
8. The middle finger is not used for traffic violations; however, stare downs and the occasional shouted exchange are acceptable.
9. The taxi (also known as a small pickup truck with a colorfully painted canopy and ‘benches’ in the box) will continue to accept passengers to the point the front tires lifting off the ground in transit.
10. Should a taxi be unavailable, other vehicles will gladly accept passengers in the truck box, on top of cargo loads, or riding on bumpers.

Pretty much everyone is home now. Or at least on home soil. So now we ask for your prayers as we emotionally process returning to North American culture. We also ask you to lift up Jim & Dolores these next couple of weeks - Jim has stayed on at Haiti Arise to complete some welding projects and will return home on Feb. 23.

Personally Speaking

I wrote a long post today about my Haiti experience. Because it's more personal in nature, and speaking only for myself and not at all on behalf of the team, I put it up on my personal blog.

My time in Haiti has been marked by roller-coaster emotions. There have been tears of sorrow, tears of joy, moments of laughter, and vents of frustration – all squashed together into a big melting pot covered by prayer.

I hope you’ll indulge me as I share some of those experiences…

Click to continue reading.

Alex's Journal

(Today's post is courtesy of Alex.)

Wow.  What can I say about my experience in Haiti so far?  I joined this team without any expectations hoping to embrace each moment with complete authenticity and allow God to break my heart and move me in ways I couldn’t imagine.  The people of Haiti are indescribable and I am so thankful for having the opportunity to meet them.

I have never witnessed such joy and excitement before coming to Haiti.  From spending time with the children and the teachers at Haiti Arise School to walking through the community, the Haitians overwhelm me with their loving nature and passion for the gospel.  The people here in Grand-Goave have little in the way of material possessions, yet few appear bitter or resentful.  Instead, the expressions on their faces are filled with joy and excitement.  The children are so excited to see visitors (to the point where every shirt I wore was stretched two sizes from little hands pulling at me).

One of my favourite experiences has been the opportunity to be a part of delivering a seminar to the teachers at Haiti Arise. We shared ideas for incorporating hands-on learning and the importance of a student centered teaching approach.  It was such a blessing to be able to share my passion for teaching with our talented and gracious hosts.   

I am so thankful for the way God has moved me and changed my heart.  He has inspired me to strengthen my relationship with Him as well as others and to live a life of graciousness and appreciation.  What an amazing gift it has been to witness faith in such a broken yet beautiful nation.  My eyes have been opened to the power of our Saviour and His ability to save. 

A (Lazy) Day in the Life

Sunday's Timetable:

7:00 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - Team Devotions

9:00 - Church

11:30 am - Rice Distribution

12:30 - Hanging out as a Team (and eating lunch)

3:00 pm - Children's Church

5:00 pm - Dinner and games by candelight

7:00 pm - Team Debrief by candelight

9:00 pm - More games with electricity!

A Day Off

A Day Off

Apologies for the ‘dead air’ on the blog – we ran out of bandwidth and couldn’t get online. Welcome to Haiti!

Today’s post is a hodgepodge of brief comments from team members…

Melissa:

Today was our first day off. We went to the market in Grand-Goave in the morning. It was CRAZY busy!

Imagine a one-way street. Then put booths on each side of the street so that the walkway is just about wide enough for one person. Next, add hundreds of people walking the path – many with large bunches of bananas on their heads and other large packages in arms. Finally, insert a few people pushing wheelbarrows full of purchases, a few others leading donkeys carrying their loads, and even more riding their loaded-down motorcycles in the lane.

Later, we swam in the Caribbean Sea. It was so refreshing after the stifling heat of the market! We snorkelled, we ate lobster cooked on the beach, we got sunburned, we purchased some baubles. What a great afternoon!

On a funny note (that Melissa doesn’t want me to share) – the beach was crawling with teeny-tiny little ants. Melissa discovered that they bite when she got out of the shower today and found her hind-quarters itching!

Alan:

A mass amount of green soccer balls were donated for our team to distribute, so Alan planned a soccer game. Well, planned is a relative term in Haiti. Basically, Alan suggested it, so we packed up and headed out. With no word out in the community, we were found by dozens of children.

The game commenced, and a fun time was had by all. At the conclusion of the game, we handed out a few balls. One boy who spoke English said, over and over, “I am so blessed to meet you today!” Another young fellow said “Mesi,” and walked away with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Next, we’ll figure out what to do with all the basketballs that were donated!

Gerald:

While we were on the beach today, a young man’s chain (aka necklace) caught Gerald’s eye. Gerald asked him where he might find a similar chain. The Haitian man removed his own chain and passed it to Gerald. Gerald offered to pay him for the chain and was refused. Then he offered to trade for the one around his neck – again, refused. The young man said, “It is a gift for you. See you at church tomorrow.”

Until today at the market, we hadn’t seen many older people. It was interesting to observe their manner… Unlike the very outgoing children, the older adults do not make eye contact. However, when we greet them with a “Salut!” or a “Bonswa!” they light up and respond in kind. Perhaps this is tied to the mentality of days gone by, when the Haitians were treated as inferior to whites.

Our Day in Photos

The Goats are Happy

(Today's post is provided by Dolores.)

The goats are happy.

Actually, the goats are happening. But when Dolores was dictating to me, I was sure she said "happy," and I'm sure they will be once they arrive at their new homes.

A while back, money was donated for the purchase of goats in Haiti, to help families in need. Dolores has been toting that money in her carry-on for the past few days, wondering where the goats are. We had no idea how the details would come together.

This afternoon, a small group of determined ladies decided to pray for the goats. Well, not pray for the goats, but for the purchase of them. In only a few short hours, God has answered their prayer, and within the next several days, those goats (or the families that receive them) will, indeed, be very happy.

What else happened today?

We had the privilege of worshipping with the Haitians in church tonight. It was so meaningful to see the joy of the Lord in the people as they worshipped, in spite of all that they’ve gone through. There were a couple older women waving their hands and dancing back and forth in front of their pews, and their celebration brought tears to the eyes of more than one team member.

The message, in a nutshell, was "stop complaining," be filled with the joy of the Lord, and "God is able." (Please tell Pastor Dan that he really ought to preach a little longer on Sunday mornings! We're rather fond of the two-hour church service.)

The children are beautiful! We’re enjoying every opportunity to be with them. As we walk through the community, small, partially-clothed children find us wherever we are and follow along. It's like an odd procession of the Pied Piper. The children are especially fond of our younger team members, Alex, Lydia, and Melissa. Probably because they don't bring out the "mother voice" when the children get out of hand like the rest of us are prone to do.

Day two...or maybe it's actually day one...was great!

P.S. Blanche wanted to mention that it's a toasty 28 degrees here. ;)

Total Assault

Port-au-Prince was nothing less than a total assault. Every sense was overwhelmed.

Heat and humidity, thick and fresh, greeted us when we first disembarked the plane. Fourteen of us entered the chaos of the customs building (shack is really a more accurate description) filled with excitement. We were greeted by Officer Price, who came from Haiti Arise to serve as security for our team.

Time passed, bags were slowly gathered and stacked, nerves took over and anxiety stepped in. Stale air, crowded with humanity, and being approached at every angle by someone who wanted to help with our luggage quelled our excitement somewhat. To add to the stress, we were informed that nothing less than a tip of $20 for the three men who helped us would suffice.

Eventually, shy just one bin (out of 28 pieces of luggage, total), we trekked through the front doors to be met by Chris and Marc Eddy from Haiti Arise. The outdoor breeze was refreshing, but the exhaust fumes it brought was not.

We drove for about three hours, dodging potholes, speed bumps, and other vehicles as if we were dropped straight into a game of Frogger. The crazy ride was both exhilarating and terrifying. We made it through with only one small fender bender…

Along the way, the sensual assault continued. At one moment the smell of rotting refuse and standing sewage was strong enough to elicit the gag reflex. The next, the smoke of burning trash choked out our chatter.

Children, so beautiful in their clean school uniforms with freshly bow-wrapped hair teemed in the streets. Some small ones walking hand-in-hand with Mommy or Grandma. Many walking in groups of two or three on their own.

The heartache brought on by the vision of acres of miniscule tent homes was soothed by the picture of dump trucks, shovels, wheelbarrows, and Haitian men hauling away the garbage lining the streets.

My meagre words cannot possibly do justice to this experience, so we’ll upload a post chalk full of photos later. Suffice it to say that it was more beautiful, more terrible, and more overwhelming than most of us expected.

Want to ask me which phase of culture shock/stress I’m in tonight?

A couple highlights…

Team leaders running late and forgetting the keys that would gain us access to the bins. (Yes, I am the half responsible for the oversight.) But team members with the skills necessary to break in and retrieve the imprisoned supplies.

Team members (Jim & Dolores) meeting up with a Haitian friend outside of the airport, giving him a care package, a hug, and prayers.

The fender bender. Well, the guys all found it pretty exciting. The girl sitting in the back right corner of the van, who saw a massive construction truck scraping up against the thin, metal fender that separated her from the huge truck – not quite as excited. (Yep, me again.)

Getting our “Welcome to Haiti” tour of Grand-Goave and encountering a number of children gathering water to bring home to their parents…Those children falling instantly in love with two beautiful young ladies (Alex and Lydia), holding their hands and skipping down the lane.

My most profound moment…

As we drove through the mass of humanity that makes up PAP, I was snapping photos of anything I thought our friends and prayer partners might be interested in. There were three handsome little boys walking along in their school uniforms. As I lifted the camera to my eye, I noticed them scowling at me and shaking their heads “no.” Before I clicked the shutter, their backs were turned.

In that moment, I felt terribly thoughtless, inconsiderate, selfish, and more. Here I was snapping photos of children living in devastating circumstances, completely violating their right to privacy. Showing myself for the true westerner I am…

Don’t worry, I did eventually stop beating myself up and began to snap more pictures. However, I paid close attention to the people around me and tried not to click the shutter when I got the “no” vibe from people.

Things I learned…

Siham speaks French with excellence and is a blessing for our team!

The children of Grand-Goave are nothing like the children of PAP when it comes to taking their picture. (Probably because these children are used to foreigners coming to their community.)

Although I claim I can eat mystery meat with confidence, the reality is that I can’t get it much past my lips. I’m not sure if it would be a help or hindrance to inquire of the amazing kitchen ladies.

Things change, and what you expect to happen probably won’t. For example, if you promise your children you will Skype them, you will probably not be allowed to use Skype and you will probably get in touch so much later than you intended that your children will need to be pulled out of bed.

There’s nothing like living with a group of people (even if only for 24 hours so far), to make you comfortable discussing personal issues such as bowel movements.

And that, my friends, is the thought I’ll leave you with today. ;)

Fill us up and Send us out, Lord

This past Sunday, we had the honor and privilege of being commissioned by our church family...



(Click on any of the photos to enlarge.)







(If you're reading via email, you may need to click through to the post in order to watch the video.)

Counting Down

Twenty-three sleeps. Three short weeks. Suddenly, it's very real. We're going to Haiti!

Here are some commonly asked questions…

When are you going? January 29 to February 9

What will you do there? To be honest, we don’t have a lot of specific details yet. (If you’ve ever been to Haiti or another “warm culture” climate, you’ll understand! Things move more slowly and can change at any moment.) What we know for sure is that we’re going to build relationships, to pray for the people and the country, and to serve Haiti Arise in whatever way they need. Chances are good there will be a building project, and we’ll likely work with children, too. (After all, we’ve got a team chalk full of construction/trades people and teachers!)

How can we help? There are three very important things you – our friends, family, and church family – can do:

#1 – Pray for us. We appreciate your prayers as we prepare, while we’re in Haiti, and even afterward. Please pray for team unity, for the faith and strength to persevere when things seem hard, for the work that we do in Haiti, and for the work that we expect God to do in each of our hearts. If you want to be kept up-to-date with our team, please subscribe to our team blog. (You can subscribe on the right, through email, a feedreader, or as a follower.)

#2 – Fill our bins. You’ll notice some Rubbermaid tubs in a couple locations throughout the church, just waiting to be filled. We will be taking items for the people of Grand Goave. Some ideas are: skipping ropes, deflated soccer balls, air pumps, first aid supplies, small containers for medicines and creams (i.e., old 35 mm camera film containers), school supplies (back packs, pencil cases, small water bottles, rulers, geometry sets, scientific calculators, crayons, small notepads/notebooks, coloured pencil crayons, pencils, blue and black pens, glue sticks), French/English dictionaries, Bibles in French and/or Haitian Creole, hygiene items (tooth brushes, hair brushes, etc.)…

#3 – Financial support. We are a large team, with a number of couples going together. It costs approximately $2,000 per team member to make this trip. If you feel called to support the team financially, there is still time! Please get your donations (marked “Haiti Outreach”) to the church office no later than Sunday, January 15^th. If you’d like your support to go toward a specific team member, please include a separate note indicating who (please do not write names on the cheque); otherwise, your support will be divided amongst the team members.

When are you being commissioned? Our team will be commissioned (sent out and prayed over by our church family) in all three services on January 8, 2012.

Will you tell us about your trip? Yes, we will! We don’t have a date, time, or location yet. But we have definite plans for a coffee/dessert time where we’ll share some of our experiences.

Our thanks go out to our friends, family, and church family, for supporting and encouraging short-term missions trips. We move forward fully expecting our lives and hearts to be changed!