Haitian Initiation

I thought I had seen a lot of things: Multiple tours in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, but non of those compares with what I have seen and experienced during my first day in Port au Prince. Walking out of the airport "terminal," which is nothing more then a sweltering broken down warehouse with large doors that open to the tarmac, and one to the street beyond. Russ and I were met with hundreds of Haitian men clawing at our bags hoping that we would pay them to carry our bags for us. Thankfully, Joanna and Alex met us immediately, and we quickly jumped into a truck with our gear and threaded our way into traffic. When I say traffic, you must understand that there are no road rules. Trucks and cars are each driving on different lanes in different directions. Horns are blaring, suicidal moped riders fly through small openings in the vehicular spaghetti; it was the most insane thing I have seen in some time. We then arrived at the guest house, unloaded our gear, and immediately headed out with John to pick up a large load of free food from another ministry. Russ and I had the unique opportunity to ride on top of large truck with a rack like cage that ran the length of the roof. I will never forget that ride through Port au Prince. We literally had to keep very alert due to the fact that there were power lines, tree limbs, and many other hazards that overhung the road. We often had to lay down on our backs as makeshift power lines, and debris cruised directly over our heads. When we arrived at the Three Angels Orphanage to pick up the food, I was met with lots of curious, and shy looks from little boys and girls. It was such a gift to see those children's faces light up when Russ and I talked to them, and gave them attention. Those are just a few of the fragments that are running through my mind, which isn't running all that well right now, as I have been up for well over 24 hours without any rest. Thanks for your prayers, and thank you to all who donated items for Heartline. They were very excited to see how much we brought for them.

Blessings,

Rocky