There and Back Again

I am now back in Haiti after a much-needed rest. I was able to spend some time secluded, recharging myself spiritually and emotionally, to get out and walk and hike and just be outside. I have always felt that when I stand outside in cold weather, that the tensions and anxieties get pulled out of me along with the body heat. It was as if I could feel them leaving my body. Thank God for good, dry, cold weather!

From February 18th until my birthday on the 22nd, I was able to be at home with my family in St. Augustine, Florida. After surviving a month in Haiti after the earthquake, many of us began to rotate out of the country to take some time to recuperate. We too often forget that those of us working in relief are victims of the quake as well. Many of us lost friends and most of us had to either move or share our homes with others. We have been working long hours and being responsible for several separate tasks, each of them at least a full time job in and of themselves. We have all been overtired and overtaxed, pushing ourselves and each other as far as we can go. A lot has been accomplished and yet the task still seems too great for our meager strength. Some of us were able to take a few days here and there to rest but for many of us these "days off" were interrupted by illness or by sudden emergencies. The week of February 14th is Carnival in Haiti and was a break from school so those of us whose primary responsibility at this point is teaching took the opportunity to get away. Ben and Katie Kilpatrick, the high school history and English teachers, respectively, went to the Dominican Republic for some alone-on-the-beach time. Denny Day, the high school Bible teacher, went the Texas to see his family, which evacuated there in the weeks following the quake. We all felt a little guilty to be leaving, knowing that there are so many people here who cannot leave, but we knew that in order to continue to serve we needed to take care of ourselves, too.

I was able to spend several days with my family, including my 25th birthday! It was so good to be with them, again. Abagail, my youngest sister, I have not seen since I initially moved to Haiti in September because she spent Thanksgiving through Christmas breaks with my older sister in Alaska, so it was great to see her at last. We had a really good time (played several games of "low-tech laser tag") and it was a pleasant and restful time for me.

I got to go to the game night that the Young Singles Sunday School class put on Saturday night and it was a blast! We ate delicious bean soup (or chili, I wasn't quite sure which) that Sandy made (superb!) and had plenty of snacks, pop, and deserts. We watched Olympic curling, which absolutely surprised me. It is one of my favorite sports to watch but I had no idea that anyone else in the class watched it. Those of us who appreciate the sport explained it to those who didn't understand it and we had a generally good time of it. We also got to watch some bobsledding (stupid fat bobsledders -- inside joke) and skiing and speed skating. We played several games, including catchphrase and the Game of Things (which I particularly like). In the Game of Things, I think one of the answers every round was my beard. We had a really good time, laughing at ourselves for not understanding what "ice cakes" meant and at some of the more bizarre answers. It was so good to just be able to relax and laugh with some friends. I too often forget what great friends I have at Fruit Cove Baptist Church. Thanks to all you guys in the Young Singles class, and to David and Sandy especially! I love you guys!

I got to speak in the service Sunday morning, where I was interviewed by Father Patrick, the young adult pastor. After that, I was invited to share in my parents' Sunday School class, where I think I took up most of the lesson sharing about what God has been doing in Haiti! Then I got to catch the last part of my own Sunday School class and then go to lunch with David and Sandy, Mike, and Bill. David was sharing this incredible testimony of God moving us into obedience to His word. I always enjoy David's lessons. More, in fact, than most sermons! This testimony wass so real, so heartfelt, and so practical... The Bible is, indeed, such a dangerous book when we really get serious about doing what It says! We never know when God is going to encounter us in a real situation, bringing to mind a clear teaching of His word that we've just never known how to apply to our lives before. Exciting! It was great to be able to chat with people, to talk about what's been happening in my life and in Haiti in general. It was invaluable!

I flew out of Florida Tuesday morning. My family drove me to the airport and, after I checked in (because they wouldn't let me do it online but that was okay because it meant Jonathan got to stand with me in line!), we went to the cell phone lot and ate breakfast together before I had to leave. Then I went through one of the longest security lines I have ever seen! Well, there were 8+ lines and they were each incredibly long. And that was only for one half of the terminal! My flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico went very smoothly. I finished my book (American Gods, very interesting, good ending!) and even slept some. Between sleeping after I finished packing, on the way to the airport, and in the air over the Caribbean, I think I got most of a night's sleep!

San Juan was an interesting place. What I saw of it looks exactly like South Florida. The road signs being all the same, and so many of the same advertisements you see driving around the Miami area, made it look very familiar and non-foreign. The only real difference was that Spanish was first, instead of second, on most of the signs. I rather liked it and wished I could have spent more time there.

Getting to Santo Domingo was a huge relief. I was a little confused at customs but found I didn't need to buy a tourist card or anything like that. My very dear friend, Randall Chabot, the former guidance counselor at the school and one of the people who have stayed in my house since the earthquake because their own home was damaged, was supposed to pick me up at the airport. But he was having car troubles (literally, his mechanic was panicking in the middle of a routine repair job because "it just isn't working!!" Believe me, I know what that's like!) so I wound up waiting, not unpleasantly, in the airport for a couple of hours. Then we drove around historic Santo Domingo for a while (hard to believe that it was an older city than St. Augustine. It was more or less founded by Columbus!) and got some food and went to bed. He put me on the bus the next morning for Port-au-Prince. I was so thankful that Randall was there to get me. It made the whole experience vastly more pleasant and less frightening.

The trip from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince was fantastic! Anyone who has known me very long has heard me tell stories about taking the bus from Florida to Alberta and back. I love bus trips! The seats are so much more comfortable than airplanes and I much prefer the bumpiness of roads to the shuddering of turbulence. I rarely get carsick but planes always tie my stomach in knots. I got to read, write, sleep, and watch the endlessly interesting scenery. The Dominican Republic looks much more like a tropical island than Haiti does, with more palms and other trees. And the desert parts look like scenes from Mexico. It was nice. I enjoyed watching the people and the towns, noting the differences and similarities to Haiti. Crossing the border took a long time but I didn't actually have to do anything because the bus people took in all our passports. That's the way to go, I say! I really don't like talking to officials. There were a group of Haitian marchanns (street merchants) that set up right outside the bus to sell pop and crackers and such. After all that time spent in airports, it was initially fun to see things for sale that weren't ridiculously overpriced. Although...they were selling bottles of soda for 30 gourdes each, half again what I've always paid before. The border crossing is on the border of a huge lake (I forget the name) and the road follows the edge of the lake for a long time, then goes through some villages on the Haitian side for a while before going into Port-au-Prince. Again, I was really interested in watching the contrast between the Dominican countryside and Haiti.

It was about 7:30 when I got into Petionville. I successfully went the entire trip without speaking a word of English! Unless my name counts... Last time I was out of the country for a while my Creole was rusty when I came back so I decided I needed to practice a bit. Anita Chabot picked me up and brought me to the school. Some people (the Bitners) had been staying in my house while I was gone and when I arrived I found the door locked. I had to get a key from the office to get inside! But they left me some food and things. It was so nice to be able to take a shower and sleep in my bed. All these days of travelling are more taxing than I think while I'm actually doing it. I unpacked all of my things (and got more excited about the food I'd brought than I had when I'd packed them) and put my clothes in drawers. I really felt back at home and settled in.

Well, that's my vacation. It seemed like such a flurry, spending more time travelling than I did in any one place, but at the same time each day seemed so restful and happy. Being with friends was recharging, being with family encouraging, and being with loved ones was downright medicinal. I'm so thankful for the church, everything that they've done and given, and especially for all the people who've come to Haiti. (Patrick, just let me know when you're coming in. You're welcome to my house anytime, just in case nobody else will have you. ;) And thanks to everyone for your prayers! Please keep praying for me and for Haiti! It means a lot to me and both of us (and all of us) need it!