Arrived Safely in Port-au-Prince

Today, seventeen Canadians learned a thing or two. They learned that seventeen human beings each carrying 110 lbs of donation bags is too heavy for an 11-seater van – no matter how much they will it otherwise. They learned that ‘organized chaos’ is actually possible and that no matter how good your Canadian French is, you’re completely incomprehensible. A few learned what avocado tastes like, and most learned that the local beer, Prestige, goes down mighty fine after a long day in 34°C at 90% humidity.

We arrived today in Port-au-Prince, a quick stop-over en route to Jérémie. We were greeted by the lovely Sr. Mérilise, the local site director who will be accompanying us on most of the journey. She informed us that we would be singing our grace, in Creole. She wasn’t kidding. Mercifully, Haitian Creole is one of the most phonetic languages we’ve encountered, and we muddled through. 

With sunset at 6:00pm, we’re all struggling to keep our eyes open by 8:00pm. The vibe of the group is an interesting mix of reflection and anticipation. Many group members are thinking about their family in Canada and want everyone to be assured that they are safe and content. Everyone is brimming with excitement to reach Jérémie – 8 hour bus ride and all. Please pray for our road travel, our driver, and our bladders!