Posts in Travelogue

Last night did not dissapoint…sirens, roosters before sunset, dogs after dark…and all through the night, and we were even treated to a very nice, though short barrage of fireworks just down the hill. The highlight of the evening was a visit from Oyis’ oldest sister Gisette and his older brother Michlé. Sondra had a wonderful visit sharing stories and pictures and hugs all around. We look forward to the reunion of siblings some day soon!

Once dinner was over, some retired early and others to the roof for a little cooling down. Despite the wildlife, I think most had a good long rest and awoke ready for the day – breakfast at 7 and Garry arrived around 8 to help load the van, so we could get on the road by 0830. The airline industry could learn a lesson about on-time departure from Garry. We were navigating the narrow streets of the St Joseph’s neighborhood by 8:30 sharp and Garry once again found all the best routes out of the city.

After a stop for mangos and our usual pit stop in Miragoane, we arrived at the pier in just under 5 hours…smoothe traveling. Reunions with our friends ensued, the boats were loaded and we set off to Ile a Vache on calm seas. Our prayers were answered for a day of easy travel.

As usual though, the hard part was the unloading and the trek up “Agony Hill” to the guest house…could not wait to get to the roof for the breeze to dry the sweat and cool off. Once on the roof, I could see the building site and immediately felt the pull of gravity…

Soon thereafter, the whole team set off for a visit before dark…first surprise – the walking path is now a road! No surprise we had our usual chaperones on the walk…no beach today but the payoff was just as rewarding!!!

The grading and leveling has been completed and since the rains have ended, we are just awaiting more steel rebar before the concrete floor is poured and more block is laid for the walls. This is really happening!! We only had a short time to enjoy the site before heading “home” for dinner…spaghetti and mango…doesn’t get much better after a long day on the road and sea.

And then the work started in preparation for our first clinic tomorrow. We had some file organizing, med counting and the usual supply sorting to complete before we could turn in for the night…and of course there was some fun and games with our friends around the card table.

We are all whupped and ready for a good night’s rest before the clinics begin. We pray the fuel for the generator lasts all night and the fans run until sun up. It has rained and the air is very close tonight. No doubt tomorrow will prove to be a typical day in the tropics.

I think we will all sleep knowing a New Day is truly dawning here on Ile a Vache as the clinic is now taking shape, and soon we will have an established source of reliable healthcare for this deserving and needful population. Our hope is that we continue to successfully connect with these wonderful people so our efforts are fruitful for generations to come.

All for now and as always,

Love to All,

The Team

All the planning and packing done, we are on our way. I wish to take this opportunity to send a HUGE Thank You to our many supporters – donors of supplies and funds as well as time and just positive energy!! We are closing in on our 9th year of travels and we have come so far in pursuit of our Ultimate Goal. We could not have done so without your continued support! Our accomplishments are your accomplishments! Please stay tuned and engaged as we provide updates and, as always, pray for our safe travels.

We are so excited to have some family back with us and, as usual, to add to the family. We made it quickly to Atlanta, met up with Chelsea and Maureen, and had a chance to get a bite and hydrate for the next leg. This is another great group and the anticipation for our arrival is palpable. Our friends in Port au Prince have been awaiting us for months and will no doubt make our layover comfortable tonight.

We all arrived safely, had much assistance in the retrieval of our luggage (not always helpful…but always compensated), made it through Customs with no shake down at all this time and at last reunited with our good friend Garry. It is always a relief at this point of our travels to see his smiling face waiting in the parking lot!

Once all loaded, again with much assistance, Garry took us on a bona fide shortcut and demonstrated his mad skills behind the wheel yet again. We arrived at our oasis, unloaded quickly and ran for the roof for a cold beverage and rest before the dinner bell rang. Thank goodness for a breeze off the ocean…we have experienced a 50 degree change in temperature from our departure this AM.

Dinner smells delicious and we are all hungry from our travels. We may be treated with a visit from Oyis’ sister, Gisette after dinner….hard to believe we last saw her nearly 9 years ago. I am certain there will be additional “planning” on the roof this evening before we turn in. We have breakfast at 7 and departure by 8:30am. We will meet our friend Boaz near the airport to take him back to Ile a Vache for a week of translating with us. Here’s hoping for a good night’s sleep, no barricades on the road to Les Cayes tomorrow and calm seas to the island.

…and hopefully a good connection, so I can post nightly! Signing off for today and as always,

Love to All,

The Team

We had but 1 mishap on our return trip – Sarah’s carry-on, which was checked in Port au Prince to make room on the plane, never seemed to make it to the carousel in ATL. We were assured it would be forwarded all the way to ROA, so we all regathered for a well deserved dinner and beverage before our last flight.  Read More

Last night we all cooled down on the roof and shared stories of our week as we listened to a raucous celebration on a nearby rooftop. We were tempted to join the party, but thought better of it as the work of the week had taken its toll.

The generator cut off early, so no fans, and those not in a corner room had a sultry night to endure. All of us were assaulted by the sounds of the night, and for those who have followed our travels, you know that means roosters, chickens, dogs and even some as yet unidentified creatures….it went on all night, building to max decibels just before dawn. In all the years I have spent overnights in Port au Prince, this was definitely the worst night for wildlife noise…and that’s saying something!

At least we didn’t have an early morning. Breakfast was at 9am sharp and boy was it a spread…enough to make the Hotel Roanoke proud – coffee, eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, oatmeal, melon, pineapple and mango!! The food here never dissapoints.

After breakfast, we loaded the bus one last time and headed to the airport with Mario at the wheel again…smooth ride. We arrived in plenty of time – surprisingly light traffic on a work day midweek! Of course once inside the airport, it was hurry up and wait…the usual.

Delta ticket agents seem to gather for an hour before actually checking luggage….and then they inform you to go to another line to first have your passport checked before getting to the ticket counter. Then we pass thru TSA security, Immigration, we wait some more, then another passport and personal item check by Delta and then a final wait before boarding the actual plane! For those counting, we had our passports and boarding passes checked no fewer than seven times, eight for those who purchased anything in the duty free store (even if just a soda) and it required another if anyone needed to use the bathroom – actual passport check and an escort! This should be the safest flight in the sky!!

We should be boarding “soon”…maybe, so I will conclude here for now. I will post a quick message on Facebook announcing our arrival in Atlanta and another final post tomorrow once well rested from the day’s travel. Wishing all our loved ones well and looking forward to our reunions!

Love to All,

The Team

Last night we dined again on a crowd favorite – rice with bean sauce and legume!! Shortly after, our new Director of Medication and Supply Inventory, aka Bethanie, cracked the whip and the fun began. There were bags and bottles flying, boxes opening and closing, papers being filled out and photographed, files being sorted…and an hour later we had taken over one wall in Paulsaint’s storage closet. Our supplies have never been so organized, thanks to the new boxes we brought and mostly the hard work of this team. I always tell myself I don’t think I could love and respect this group anymore, but with every trip I prove myself wrong! Read More