Turns out last night we did not venture up to the roof as we had a very comfortable spot on the front porch looking out on the street. DJ “Gruss” was spinning all the best tunes and we engaged our new friends in a little “Party on the Patio”. I think the neighbors, who had a front row seat from the their porch, have never been so entertained. We got to meet Léon’s other brother Morgan and his friends “Pigeon” and “Bef”. Timizu was with us and Boaz came to spend one last evening with us as well. It was a cool night and we all had great fun just being together. We even walked next door to a restaurant for some fried plantains and a cold beverage.
When Léon, aka “Big Boss”, called at 9:30, we walked back home and said goodbye to Boaz. He hopes to reconnect with us in March and we will hope he is successful. We said goodnight to everyone else and turned in for the night. Getting to sleep was easy with the fans blowing, but at some point the generator ran out of gas and the back rooms became very warm, which for the most part woke us up early. Turns out that was okay – we expected to depart after breakfast at 9:30, but the driver urged an earlier departure as he was concerned there would be some blockades on the road due to the election tomorrow. Ever the perfect host, Léon was disappointed he could not provide us a proper breakfast. He did speak to the team and we are evermore reassured this is a perfect fit for our group. We will truly miss them during our absence and I believe they us.
We departed Les Cayes for one last road trip. It looked like we might encounter some foul weather as we crossed the island but as it turned out we kept east of it and had sunny skies all the way. I believe our driver, “Mick” got a memo from Léon…”Please don’t scare the white missionaries.” He was a much more cautious driver – we didn’t reach escape velocity even once! Despite his careful approach, we still made it to the airport in just 4 hrs.
As we drove through the southern countryside the beautiful views make it hard to believe this is such an impoverished nation. It looks like other gorgeous Caribbean islands supported by resorts and tourists. However, as soon as we approach any town with it’s markets and homes lining the roads, the reality becomes apparent. It is never more obvious as we enter the larger urban areas, especially the huge market as we enter Port au Prince.
It is a hard thing to bear witness to, but I have now been here enough times to see beyond the poverty and the life amongst piles of garbage and refuse. I see something that never fails to make me envious…a richness of friendship and community that is becoming more and more difficult to find in our country. I have seen total strangers board a boat, strike up a conversation while getting drenched, laughing all the while and then sharing contact information before parting ways. I have witnessed mere acquaintances helping more ill patients during clinics, with sincere concern for the other’s well being. Léon had interesting observations to add – when people honk their horn in Haiti, they are usually just saying “hi” or “excuse me”, but in the USA if someone honks their horn, “they are mad”; and if a car breaks down in Haiti, you will see a dozen people come to help get their vehicle started, but in the USA, you see the driver alone waiting for a tow. We could…and should learn much from their example, and for my part I will strive to do so every day.
We are now engaged in what has become a ritual after running the security gauntlets at the airport – we are parked at a table in the gate area food court (looking a little rough I might add), enjoying a last meal, some beer and soda, and catching up on communications from home using the wifi, as we await our upcoming flight. We hope for an on time departure and a smooth flight to Ft Lauderdale with plans for a pizza dinner and a hot shower before bed. We work very hard here in Haiti and it serves to help us appreciate these luxuries all the more, but never discourages us from returning to this wonderful place.
That is all for now. I will post again tomorrow to let you all know how the pizza in Ft Lauderdale was, but only once I know all are home safely.
Love to All,
The Team