Haiti Part 1

Last week I was riding in the back of a pick up truck through the streets of Port au Prince. At one point we were driving through political unrest complete with SWAT teams and UN soldiers everywhere.

This week I went to the gym and ran 5 miles on a treadmill.

On Wednesday I was haggling with street vendors for good prices on art in 100 degree sun.

Then the next day here in Middletown I picked out perfectly round imported apples from a display case inside a store that had no less than 10 varieties of said apples to choose from.

Now that I am sitting here in front of my computer, the trip seems sort of like a dream. The details are surreal and I am having trouble assimilating them with my life.

I will try and write what I can. I hope it makes sense.

I will be honest. I did not expect this trip to affect me like it did.

I have been lot of places and I have seen a lot of things in this world. I have seen poverty and sickness and injustice. But, the difference is, that I have never seen such things so close to home. Haiti is practically in our backyard people. It is a 3 1/2 hour direct flight from JFK to Port au Prince. That's closer than California!

And yet we sit in our warm safe homes and pretend like it is far, far away.

But now I have been there. And you are reading my blog. So, now we are both responsible for what we know.

Whenever one of us comes back from a trip like this we are bombarded with people who say they want to come next time. This particular trip has been no exception.

Will I go again? The possibility is very real. We are thinking and praying about going this summer after I am finished school. If we go, it will be as a family.

Can you go? Again, the possibility is very real. Haiti is close and Haiti is accessible. I would be more than happy to talk with you about serving in Haiti, if you are interested. But, please take the time to read my next few posts before asking me about it. While it may be close by, you will need to be prepared for inconsistent electricity, no hot water, air conditioning or fans, and very long drives in the back of pick up trucks over insanely bumpy roads.

With that said, a trip to Haiti also has the potential to quite literally change your life.

So, I would say that the long drives and lack of air conditioning are more like character builders rather than difficult factors to deal with. Talk to my daughter Sasha. She lived her 7 days in Haiti with great zeal and had the time of her life.

To be honest, I am not the actual person you would need to talk to about being a part of a trip like this. But, I can put you into contact with that person if you are interested. She is my friend and she is a dreamer just like me. She will also be very honest with you about what to expect and how you can be a part of changing the world in Haiti.

This is sort of a teaser blog post. My pictures will be back with me on Monday night and then I have no less than 8 pages worth of blogs to post which I will do so, complete with the pictures to accompany the stories. Be patient. The wait will be worth it.