Some post-trip reflections, post 1

Erick working on a project

From David Beck... This is my sixth trip to Haiti. I started going there in May 2009, exactly three years ago. It strikes me how every trip is different, yet certain themes tend to be similar. I have experienced Child Hope from both sides. Five of my trips have been with stateside mission teams, and one trip was as a temporary Haiti-side staff member. The latter was the emergency trip I took after the earthquake in January 2010.

Of the five team experiences, I have never been on a team that has been highly “project” driven. We have always done projects of some sort, but every time I have been to Child Hope, our team has concentrated on being relational. It was interesting to get to the mission in Haiti this time and have Tammi Jo, the Child Hope team coordinator, say, “We know your teams are going to spend a lot of time being with people and going out into the community.” Bingo. This team was comfortable being present with people, showing them attention, praying with them, encouraging them, and loving them.

Erick connecting with a "ti gason" (little boy)

This trip was unique, because every one is. However, the relational theme was consistent. And that's okay with me, because in Haiti we are entering a situation of dire poverty, and material projects don't get at the deepest aspects of poverty. As Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert document so well in the book When Helping Hurts, "Poor people talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness. North American audiences tend to emphasize a lack of material things such as food, money, clean water, medicine, housing, etc." (p. 53).

In other words, Americans tend to march in with a project plan. That is good and necessary, don't get me wrong. But if we don't connect relationally with the poor, we only serve to reinforce their feelings of shame, inferiority, and so on. If you think in terms of all the teams that come to Maison de Lumiere in Haiti, some of them will focus on material projects. Some are more relational. The people of the neighborhood, including those in the tent cities, need both material help and relational connection. We focused on the latter. Like I said, that's fine with me. Besides, it used the best of the resources we had on our team. I love it that we expressed who we are and met deep needs at the same time.

Flag Day (And Other Thoughts)

We thought for this post, we would all chip in and provide some thoughts (and pictures) on the last couple of days.  Enjoy.

The Background stories...Since this is my official first trip to Haiti (and hopefully not my last), I was struck by just how similar all children from around the world.  I have loved watching the kids laugh, play, run, wrestle, and all the same things kids do.  However, there have been times where kids have acted different that other kids I have hung around my entire life.  Watching very young 6 year old girls at the feeding program care for and feed children that are 2 or 3.  The hand of a young man that is 12 come up and hold my hand during worship and start to cry.  The curiosity about my life and family back home.  It's during those moments that I ask the stories about the kids that I have had the privilege to be with this week.  When I hear their stories, the background stories, I'm stunned.  I'm not surprised because I expected these kinds of stories.  But when there's a face and hand attached to those background stories, everything changes.  Everything.  I have witnessed and heard the Lord loudly through these children and their lives.  I am profoundly humbled I have had this opportunity.  Tomorrow we will say goodbye to our new friends who have become an extension of family for us; the family of faith.  And because of this trip, my background story has been altered.  Bret Widman...River Life Covenant Church.

Today was a day of tender moments...I was carrying Estaline on a walk and even though I had my hair pulled back, I had a few wisps sticking to my mouth. She very gently pulled them away and gave me a kiss on my cheek...talk about having my heart melt...I was also blessed with having Daphne climb in my lap during worship and fall asleep in my arms...these girls have grown up so much in the past year...they still have a long way to go but with the love of their sisters and Jesus I feel confident they will turn out to be productive young ladies..Pam

Friday, May 18 - Today was a very memorable day, replete with many magical moments sprinkled throughout the day.  We got off to a very early start to celebrate Haiti flag day, the equivalent of independence day in the U.S.  The boys and girls of Child Hope were dressed in red and blue t-shirts, symbolizing the colors of the Haitian flag and participated in a parade through Port-Au-Prince.  The exuberance and pride that I witnessed was very touching - the children had wide smiles and many Haitians we passed were cheering us on.  After the parade was finished we enjoyed cake and cup cakes with the orphanage children to celebrate, which Pam and Rose spent a great deal of time dutifully baking the night before.  Thank you Pam and Rose!!  In the afternoon we participated in the feeding program at the boy's home - the 3rd of the week.  I was touched by how many young children were coming up to me wanting to be picked up, starved for human affection.  It's amazing how quickly these children have to grow up, many of which are taking care of younger siblings and assuming a parental role at a very young age.  I also had the privilege of connecting with a young man that lives at the boy's home.  He shared me with his love of Christ and that he was considering becoming a pastor.  I was tremendously encouraged to hear such a young man so passionate about the Lord and wanting to play a small part in building a better Haiti.  Praise be to God!...Derek

Since this is my third trip to Haiti in a year, it's beginning to feel like home to me. I absolutely love it here and I don't think that's a secret to anyone that knows me. Every trip is so different. There's always different teammates, different interns and even a few new kids. But the one thing that never changes is how I feel about the kids. They are so precious, each one of them. I just love them and consider it a privilege to be here to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I don't know when I will return but I do know that I will hold them all up in prayer and think of them often. They have touched my heart and I am forever changed.
-Rose Adamson

WOW is this an amazing place to be challenged! I find myself being pushed to my limits physically and spiritually, whether is getting jumped on by the kids or taking in all of the wonderful thoughts of the evening, it is all so amazing to see how full I can pack each moment. I feel as if I have enjoyed a wonderful feast of the beauty of God's creation, in His children and in this beautiful country. A few of these children stood out to me in particular these past few days. Jefflina, who is six years old, really loves to brush my hair. She did on Tuesday and I believe that was the opening of a connection with her. We play and joke and dance around and I really enjoy being around her, even though she can't speak much english and I can't speak hardly any creole. This past Friday, Jefflina was with me when we were in the Benz, which is the play area for the boys and the location for the feeding program. After the feeding program was over, Jefflina and the girls came over and Jefflina and I began to dance with the music and play around. I put her on my shoulders and spun really fast and it was just a fantastic time for me to be with her. I felt that God really gave me the opportunity to be with one of His children to just show me the beauty of His creation. It is breath-taking and it leaves me with my cup filled by our Savior. Jesus never fails to fill a cup when it is empty. I felt almost going into this trip that my cup was beginning to dry up. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped out of my comfort zone only to be met with something that I will never forget. Sometimes things that are unknown are the most beautiful things of all. Each child that I see at Child Hope or at the feeding program shows me once again just how unique each of them are and how awesome a maker we have that He provides even when things look bleak. These children that feed each other, watch over each other, and grow alongside each other show God in His true form I believe. There is a song we sang tonight at worship that I feel was very appropriate for what I'm feeling right now. "Light of the world you stepped down into darkness, open my eyes let me see. Beauty that made this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you. King of all days oh so highly exalted, glorious in Heaven above. Humbly you came to the earth you created, all for love's sake became poor." That line is beautiful to me. All for love's sake became poor. We became poor-ER than we are in America yet still we have much more than most people out here. It really puts it into perspective about how we are here for love's sake. And so is Jesus Christ. He is in the Ravine and the Tent Cities. He is in the home with malaria and the tent with cholera. He is running through the muck and dirt with these children who are so malnourished and diseased, and yet He loves each one. That is true beauty to me. God bless all of the beautiful children of Haiti!!!!
~Hannah Widman

After reading what everyone else said, I am overwhelmed. Yet, that is what I feel every time I come to Haiti. The story goes on, and on. I too have been here three times, and every time I am touched to the core of my being by the love of these children. As broken as their past has been, they reflect Christ in abounding ways. Each one is a precious jewel. At the feeding program I had the joy of holding a precious little boy about 2 years old that fell asleep in my arms. He was sleeping as soundly as any I have ever held, all while there was music blaring, and hundreds of children running around us screaming and making noise. As I sat and looked into his little angelic face, I felt as though I were staring directly into the face of God. He was wearing a pair of cute little cargo shorts. I noticed a bulge in his pocket. When I looked I found a partially used bar of soap, and an unused tube of tooth paste. We had handed these out to the kids as they left the feeding program on Wednesday. You just have to be here to understand the impact of this. That is probably a good summary of tonight's blog... I ended my day by having my sponsor girl, and 18 year old who must move out of the orphanage this summer, crying in my arms because she was afraid she would never see me again. I can't even begin to describe to you how touching, and precious that was!

It is now a quarter to one in the morning and it appears as though everyone else has gone to bed. If I were to go into all that happened on Saturday, I would be up all night. So, you will just have to wait for that one. Since this blog is so long, I will leave you with just one picture that kinda summarizes all we have said tonight. May it give you a little touch of love like we have been touched!

Jim Quayle

Thursday in Haiti

Today was a fun day.  Most of the kids were out of school on Thursday as a lead up to Flag Day (think 4th of July); and so we played -- all day.

The day started with a nice hike/walk around the neighborhood.  The team (Jim, it must be said with great respect, opted not to join us in many of the festivities described below and instead chose to work on some sorely needed cabinets.  This team has been heavy on relationships and fairly light on work.  If it were not for Jim, I am not sure we would be welcomed back.) went with a good number of the boys and few Child Hope staff and went tromping through the streets.  It was nice to see different parts of the neighborhood.  PAP is such a unique place and any chance we get to explore a little bit of it is very memorable.  That said, the real highlight of the walk was having another chance to do this:

Another highlight for me (Erick) was having one of the newer boys at MDL, Ti Junior, join our particular group (especially David and Rose) for this hike.  David and Rose first met Ti Junior on their trip in November.  During that trip, they also went on a hike to explore the surrounding area.  At some point during the hike, the group noticed that several boys were following them and once the group reached the top of the hill, those same boys decided to start throwing rocks at the group.  A confrontation was avoided, but one of the people with David and Rose was able to identify the boys that were throwing the rocks.  One of them was Ti Junior.

Several months later, Ti Junior was brought into the boy's home at MDL.  I do not know Ti Junior's story well, nor do I know what kind of work the Lord has done in his heart.  What I do know, however, is that six months ago, a young boy followed a group of people up a hill to harass them and, seemingly, hurt them.  Now, that same boy and some of the very same people are together, walking arm in arm as friends.  I don't know if I am explaining this well, but this just reminds me of the work that the Lord does, both here in Haiti and all over the world.  It is such a simple example of how God unifies people through His love.  Ti Junior and David are in the photo above.

One of the rewards of the walk was seeing some unexpected beautiful vistas.

Our motley crew of "hikers."

After the hike, we were hot and dusty and there is really only one way to address that situation -- with water.  It is amazing how far a little water will go with providing fun and entertainment, but mix together some rambunctious boys and some big kids (a.k.a., David, Rose and Bret) with a little water and you get some quality entertainment.

The object of the "game" was simple: get other people wet.  Here, Rose is demonstrating her skills.

Nothing says "fun" like kicking a kid on the ground . . . kicking water that is.

For the rest of us non-players in the water wars, there was plenty of other activities going on:  basketball, soccer, and dancing (no photos).  We played hard, had a lot of fun and completely wore ourselves out -- all before noon.

After lunch, we made a quick trip to a really neat store/gift shop called the Apparent Project.  The store sold various items that have been made by local craftspeople.  According to my understanding, it has provided a lot of inspiration to MDL's transition house and after going there, I can see why.

After the store, we went back to the boy's home for some more play and hang out time with the kids, which we did until dinner time.  Dinner was followed up with bible study with the girls for the "girls" of our group and a time of worship for the "boys" with a group of expats living and working in the area.  I don't know how the bible study with the girls went, but a relaxing evening singing worship and praise songs, mixed with some prayer was a perfect ending to a really fun, yet tiring Thursday in Haiti.

Before I go, however, I did want to share that even in the midst of such a lighthearted, fun day, Haiti can still touch you and move you.  On the way back from Apparent Project, several of us stopped to talk to some kids filling up water buckets.  The particular location we were at was next to a house that had fallen down during the earthquake.  Maybe it was the size of the house (it was big) or the fact that its collapse bent over a palm tree (but didn't kill it) that made me (and others who have been here before) remember it.  Anyway, there were several men working there, taking the rubble up the street one wheel barrow at a time.  Here are a couple of before and after photos to show how much progress they have made:

"Before," right after the earthquake two years ago.

"After" -- at least since last May.

These pictures are just a little reminder of the destruction that occurred and that slowly but surely, brick by brick, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, that destruction is being overcome.

But perhaps what was more inspiring than the work that has been done on picking up the pieces, were the kids we happened to come across.  Here are photos of a couple of them:

These are the faces (and personalities to match) that make you fall in love with Haiti and its people.  In circumstances that many of us would not find acceptable (or, maybe, even imagine), these children have a joy for life (and smiles that match) that is contagious and wonderful to experience. God bless these children.

Well, it's late and I am ready to call this a post.  I hope my little stint as guest-blogger has not been too painful.  We are thinking of those of you at home and, as always, are thankful for your prayers and encouragement.

Erick

Wednesday in Haiti and more in Yooveline

Wednesday was one of those crazy days in this place when you set out to do one thing, and three hours later, you did different things. There's a saying for days like that: "TIH" (This is Haiti). In the morning, we expected to do projects. Half of the team succeeded in getting to their projects. The other half (the half I was in) got to do some things we didn't expect but were glad for.

We found out Yooveline was baking at Brittany Meadth's house, so Susette took us over there. We got to talk with Yooveline again and watch her bake some chocolate chip cookies. She is trying to build a business baking. Brittany says she catches on quickly, and she has a good chance to be successful. Since she is spending time with the Meadths and Manasseros, Yooveline is also learning some English. That will help her market baked goods to Americans in the Child Hope network. While we were talking with her, we placed an order for some treats for our team and the resident interns. We want to support her business while we are here. We believe she could sell baked goods to teams like ours on a regular basis. (Hint, hint to future teams)

Yooveline baking "bon-bons" (cookies)

In the afternoon, we participated in the feeding program again. We brought dozens of balloons and blew them up so the kids could play with them. It was really fun... for a few minutes. And then balloons started popping, and bigger kids started taking balloons from younger kids. It was a little more chaotic than we had planned. Not horrible but not as fun as we thought either. As the kids left the Ben's, we passed out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap bars to each of the kids.

After the feeding program, we got to visit the Ravine. This is something I try to do every time we come to Haiti. We prayed in the house of Widlina and Ismalen and her mother. This was a very sweet few minutes. The mother was truly thankful to have us there. All of us felt the closeness of God as we prayed. Widlina in particular said she is not going to school this year, and she asked for prayer to be able to return to school. Our hearts are heavy about that.

We then went to the connected houses of Mona and Mimos and their children. This is the extended family of my little friend Roseline, whom I met in February 2010. The moms (no dads) and their kids are so sweet. We stayed at their place for a while. It was really special to look around and see that each of us had at least one kid in our arms. We were commenting about how the kids here seem to want a lot of physical affection. They like to hold hands, hug, and play physical games. Even if we don't speak Creole, we know how to pick up a kid and love up on them for a few minutes, and they soak it up.

In the evening, we got to worship with the kids of MDL. One of the big donations we got to make on this trip was a 13" djembe hand drum, which the boys have been without for at least a year. They had been using an old bongo that had completely fallen apart. Now they have a djembe with a rich tone that brings out the character of Haitian worship. In addition to the djembe, we brought them a pair of conga drums. The boys made those drums sing!

Keso playing the congas

For me personally (David), just listening to Evans play the djembe was so magical that at times I worshiped by allowing the drum to be my voice. I simply lifted my hands and opened my heart to God. I flashed back in time. There were specific occasions of worship after the earthquake when Evans played, and his drumming gave voice to the Haitians' courage to worship in the midst of such intense sorrow. There was exuberant and undefeated joy in those drums. Last night we worshiped, those powerful experiences from early 2010 came flooding back as I listened to Evans play. Sweeter worship is very rare.

Evans on the djembe

Worshiping with the kids here is a tremendous treat. Some of the kids play and mess around. They are kids, after all. But others worship with tremendous reverence and passion. Many team members also enjoyed connecting with specific kids during the worship time. We sat with sponsor kids and held the little ones. We sang a mixture of American and Haitian songs. We expressed our thanks to God for bringing us here. Our hearts were full!

Tuesday in Haiti

Sorry for being a day behind. It's a very full schedule every day, and writing posts can be a real challenge.

Tuesday was a day that was described by one teammate as a day marked with celebration and another as a feast. What an awesome day! We had three major activities.

In the morning, our team went to the Manasseros' house and prayed over the staff. I served as a Child Hope staff member for a little over a month after the earthquake, and I thought it was a highly challenging but deeply rewarding role. Our Sanctuary team wanted to support the staff, because they are the ones really making this ministry happen. The staff is mixed between Americans and Haitians. At the end of their staff meeting, we encircled them, and each of our team members read a passage of Scripture as a prayer over the staff. The passages were not discussed ahead of time, but they sure seemed to dovetail nicely with each other. I was deeply blessed by watching the team act as one in encouraging the hearts of dedicated servants.

In the afternoon, we piled into the back of the Manasseros' pickup truck, and we all drove up into the nearby mountains outside of Port-au-Prince. The area is called Kenscoff, and Child Hope is hoping to add a second site there in the future. The drive was a blast, as we all bantered with each other and gawked at the spectacular scenery on the way up the mountain. Haiti is stunningly beautiful in the mountainous areas. It is lush, and almost every hillside is working farmland. 

The Kenscoff property is equally stunning. Here are a few photos...

Riding in the back of a pickup is one of the
joys of being in Haiti

The view from the top of the Kenscoff
farm, looking downhill

Idyllic Haiti, looking very much like the
Garden of Eden

The team in front of the house on
the Kenscoff farm

The joke of the trip was on me (David). On the way up the mountain, we stopped at the Baptist Mission to have lunch. There are always a lot of street vendors there. Bret and Hannah had bought bracelets made of electrical wire (they are cooler than they sound). At the last minute, as we were pulling away, Erick and I decided to buy one each. The vendors were selling them in pairs. We thought the deal wasn't going to happen, but as we were pulling away, one Haitian vendor came running up to the truck, and he threw a bracelet into the back. He wanted me to drop the money on the road, and he would pick it up. So I dropped $5. Then a minute later, I found out that the man had actually thrown two bracelets into the truck. I had only paid for one. Erick commented that I had just ripped that poor guy off. I caught endless grief for that.

On the way back down the hill, we had Bill and Sue stop so I could pay the rest of the bill. So, yes -- we made right!

In the evening, the team went to the girls' house at Maison de Lumiere, because we got to celebrate Estaline's birthday. In her celebratory garb, Estaline looked like some kind of goddess or something. Hilarious! And believe me, she enjoyed being celebrated.

Rose with the birthday girl

Some of the icing from the cake found its way
onto people's faces. Ruth, Dienuite, and Christella

A victim of a nefarious plot

Sweet revenge! Ruth gets some of her
own medicine.

The party did get a little out of hand when seemingly innocent Cherline lured me around a corner, and Ruth and Adeline each threw a bucket of water on me. I ended up being doused three more times before we left. It was all topped off by Estaline herself slowly walking over (slow is her only speed) and pouring her limeade drink down my back. I got revenge on Ruth and Adeline, but Cherline still has it coming. :-)

We ended the night by celebrating Derek's birthday back at the Guest House. Cake! Singing! And some minor hazing. Derek is a newcomer to Haiti, and he has jumped in with both feet. It was fun wishing him a "bon fet!"

The birthday kids, Derek and Estaline

Yooveline

This morning (Monday) we prayed as a team that God would surprise us with opportunities to serve people. This afternoon he answered.

I had been talking to Susette Manassero (one of the host missionaries) about things the team had on its heart. She knows Sanctuary teams as teams that want to do something impactful for individual families, one at a time. On past trips, we have been privileged to have three houses built for Haitian families displaced from their homes by the earthquake in January 2010. This time we lack the funds for a house. But it looks like God is opening another door for us. The following idea was voiced by Susette, but it really seems like it has come from God.

Yooveline is a young woman who, at age 18, is already a single mother. She has bounced around from place to place and is living in the nearby tent city. Both of her parents have passed away. She has felt like she has been at the end of her rope in recent weeks. As of today, she didn't even have diapers for her son. Life is very difficult for Yooveline, but she is a fighter. She has taken up learning how to bake with Brittany Bohlinger, and this means at least a little income. Brittany tells more about Yooveline here.

To make a long story short, it looks like rather than building a house for someone, we are going to have the privilege of getting Yooveline and her 8-month old son into an apartment. It is dangerous for a young woman to live alone in a tent city. Any other arrangements are an improvement. We will be looking for a place that is safe and clean.

This afternoon our team got to meet Yooveline and her son. Through an interpreter, we told her that God had given us financial resources, and now he has put it on our hearts to bless her. We explained that God's eyes are on her and her son, and he is showing her his grace. (Not everyone's problems get solved in the world, or even in this little neighborhood. But when something like this happens, it is cause for rejoicing!)

This kind of thing moves me (David) so deeply that even at tonight's team meeting, I couldn't really talk about it. We are seeing God act powerfully in the life of a young mother and child who are in great need. I am going to bed with a full heart. Whatever else God has in store for this trip, it must be incredible.

We will keep you posted on this breaking story. Be praying for Yooveline and her son -- and that we find the very best place for them!

Monday in Haiti

Since blogging time can be hard to come by, I want to do a quick recap of yesterday and a little longer recap of today. Yesterday (Sunday) we got up, ate breakfast, and went to church with the Manasseros at Port-au-Prince Fellowship. It is a church with a mixture of ex-pats from other countries and Haitians. We heard a sermon about not growing bored with the basic good news of being reconciled to God through Jesus. After church we came back to the Guest House, ate lunch, and had about a two-hour block to take naps and chill. After a grueling travel day on Saturday, the rest time was a tonic for the soul!

Sunday afternoon we finally got to see more of the kids, as we rounded up the girls and boys and went to Quisqueya Chapel and played soccer in their open field. For those of us who have been to Haiti before, this was a time of many happy reunions with Maison de Lumiere kids who are dear to us. For newcomers, the process of meeting people began. Sunday afternoon was sweet in its laid back simplicity. Go to a park (of sorts) with a bunch of people and play.

Erick cleaning out smelly, slimy muck
from a firepit

Today (Monday) has been a day of opening our hearts to see what God wants to do. The theme has been to ask and expect God to give us away to the people of his choosing. It's easy for us to approach relationships in a controlling way, interacting with this person and not that person because we want some kind of return from our social interactions. Instead of being relational consumers like this, we prayed this morning about opening ourselves to let God give us away for his purposes. The story below about Yveline, the young single mother is a huge answer to those prayers.

Dafka. Miss popular!

The first half of the day, we did projects while the kids were in school. Some people repaired a table. Others swept the roof of one of the houses (a very hot and dusty job!). Pam got to do her favorite thing -- go shopping for supplies with the American ladies who live here.

For me (David), one of the personal highlights was seeing Roseline and her siblings and cousins. Those kids from the Ravine are so sweet, and seeing them is enough to make your day all on its own. The kids kept asking Erick and me to come to their house. I kept saying, "We can't do that now." But we wanted to!

The feeding program provided highlights for just about everyone on the team. Bret held a toddler boy who was tired and weak. Hannah held small ones as well, sometimes having a child on the front and a child on her back at the same time. If the feeding program had a circus, Hannah should try out for it.

Derek, Hannah, Bret, and their new friends

Derek had kids in his arms. So did Rose and Jim. Pam showed up toward the end of the feeding program to soak in the scene. Dafka, who is often sickly, somehow ended up in my arms. I didn't realize it at first, but I have known Dafka's family for a while. Five girls, and they are all sweet. I've been in their house with Ashley Hapak, praying for Dafka and the other girls.

For me, one of the things that caught my attention was seeing kids who are looking healthier and livelier than I have ever seen them. One of them, my young friend Lizyanna, absolutely amazed me. She is a youth worker at the feeding program now, and she has really stepped up. The girl worked hard, and she did everything with a smile on her face. America (a disabled girl) looked better. Valencia, another youth helper the same age as Lizyanna, looks like she has matured two years in the last six months. In our team meeting tonight we shared stories about several of the kids who seem to be better off than they used to be. Praise God! It isn't all Child Hope doing this, but Child Hope gets to be a part of God's grace. This ministry is making an impact in the local neighborhood, that's for sure. This area used to be a haven for kidnappers and bad guys. Not so much anymore. God's light is shining here in Delmas 75!

Okay, I am going to write a different post about Yveline. You don't want to miss that one!

The airport of matching t-shirts

One of the distinctive features of Miami airport... Terminals with flights going to Haiti turn into gathering places for people with matching t-shirts. Yellow shirts that say "Love a Child." Blue ones that say Hattiesburg. Medical team shirts. American college and university shirts. it's like being in the narrow part of a funnel where humanitarian and mission workers get squeezed together before being scattered out again. It is an odd sensation.

On the lighter side, Bret said he wants to join one of the teams that has matching t-shirts. :-) He also says he just saw Van Halen and Britney Spears in the airport.

Piece of cake

7-hour layover? Piece of cake. Not only did our team not kill each other, it seemed like the LA layover went quicker than we expected. We passed our first test! Onward to Haiti.

A quick review of airports...
Sacramento: small, easy to get around in, nice
LAX: small terminal, not enough restaurants to choose from, wifi service so bad we couldn't even use it, but good star watching
Miami: lots of room to roam (even stairs to run!), lots of restaurants, good wifi, lots of Creole spoken :-)

Our final plane boards in a half hour.

The layover of doom?

We are in terminal 4 of LAX. We are excited, because we have already passed 3-1/2 hours of our 7 hour layover.

My theory is that this layover will make or break the team. Once during college, I drove across the country with three friends. We drove about 20 hours, and we only stopped when necessary. All night it was rock music and my friends' voices. By the time the drive was over, I wasn't sure I liked those guys anymore.

Seven hours in LAX. Then a red eye across the country. Then a couple hours layover in Miami. Will it be like that drive across the country during college? If we all start posting ungracious things about each other, you will know. Haha!

Haiti team, May 2012!

14 bags packed full of donations at Maison de Lumiere in Haiti... Each bag packed to the limit of 50 pounds... This time we majored in school supplies, musical instruments (percussion, to be specific), and supplies for Haitian artisans.

8 team members making last-minute preparations... Jim Quayle, Pam Fuhrman, Derek Connor, Bret Widman, Hannah Widman, Rose Adamson, David Beck, and -- joining us from Switzerland -- Erick Soderlund.

The plane leaves Sacramento at 1:40!

In Haitian Creole: "Ann ale fe sa!" (pronounced "ahn al-AY feh sah")
In English: "Let's do this!"