Welcome to our Island Home

Hanging out in Fort Lauderdale was relaxing, just the break we needed from the all the events of a busy summer.  For the first couple of days it felt like a regular holiday, until this morning.  Suddenly we were aware that a destination just an hour and a half away was going to become our home, a place where we'd never been, knew nobody and had only a skewed media perspective of from whenever disaster strikes this tiny country.  Could this really be what we wanted?

Flying into Haiti was beautiful, the lush mountains and menacing storm clouds overhead.  Not surprisingly there was a lack of beaches along the waterfront and not much architecture over a few stories high.  Grey and brown tones were awash across the whole landscape and trees like broccoli stalks sprouted up between these makeshift homes.  Nothing impressive, but in its own way, beauty simplified. 

Perhaps by this point we were feeling enamored by the sites that excited our emotions so much in missions trips of the past, but a reassuring feeling told us that this was where we were supposed to be.  God has been with us each step of the way and we couldn't wait to touch down. 

The drive was bumpy as we precariously moved throughout the city.  It was hard to imagine we were getting anywhere as our driver turned down unnamed street after unnamed street, only to arrive at our compound in a mere 15 minutes.  We didn't feel as out of place as we have in other places.  The presence of Amercians and the UN peacekeepers made our entrance more ordinary compared to shouts of "Muzungu!" when you tour through Africa.  Stacey rode in the truckbed and saw a pig.

Hey Stacey, why don't you tell them about our new home!

...I didn't JUST see a pig....riding in the back of the truck was a completely different view, and although we had been warned that the roads weren't maintained, driving over the the large pieces of missing concrete is a personal experience.  Behind us, several cattle made an appearance, along with stray goats, and i don't even have to mention..but dogs.  Someone also held on to the truck while riding his bike...

It is ironic how we left a house behind, full of "stuff" to find ourselves quite surprised with the great amenities....we even have a desk (of sorts), a shelf, a closet, and a huge fan!  who could ask for more in a place where our faces wouldn't stop sweating in our own room?