Haiti travel day.
Great day. Everyone got to the airport in time, though most with little to no sleep. All flights went as planned and on time. Getting out of the airport is a very chaotic challenge. You can't tell who works for the airport, the airline, or customs, and they are all grabbing at your bags and carts to "help" you for tips. With 18 of us and our approximately 40 pieces of luggage, all trying to stay together and say "no merci" ("no thank you"), yet not knowing which of them might be our hired drivers and who me might therefore be offending. It is a long, narrow walk like this from the baggage area to where you can get in your "tap-taps" (taxis, really just trucks with benches in the back and a cover for shade, which is appreciated, believe me.

Likewise, it took a long time to get all our rooms and luggage sorted out and get checked in and by then it was time to meet for dinner. The hotel is lovely, surrounded by tropical lush greens and plants with a sparkling pool and very nice, courteous staff (at least they seem that way; I can't understand a word of creole, except "no").

Dinner completely perplexed the staff because of our need for 14 individual checks, and it took about 2 hours for our food to arrive, and longer for pitchers of water. Several people were adventurous trying the goat and pork and conch, while several stayed tried and true with pizza and burgers. Some were happy with what they got, and some were less than. All the teenage guys were at the end of the table, and many plates of leftovers got passed down to them until they were finally full!

At about 9, we went to the one large room (suite) with ALL of the stuff everyone sent for the children and their caretakers. For over an hour, in a big room for 4 but a small room for 18, we sorted shoes, clothes, toiletries, first aid, medical supplies, toys, games, activities, stickers, balls, etc. Everyone was exhausted. Halfway through, the electricity went out, and all the youth thought we were fooling them. Nope -- welcome to Haiti! We worked by cell-phone light until it clicked back on, finished with a group prayer, and headed to our rooms, with strict instructions for travelling in groups or pairs, and with the sweet youth guys escorting Hellen, our Visiting Orphans leader, to her room.

Today. Haiti day 1.
We got up early for a light breakfast and short devotional, then loaded into three tap-taps with stuff for today for Loving Heart and SMDT orphanages. It took about a half an hour to get to Loving Heart, over mostly bumpy potholes on rocky roads where there are no traffic signals or signs, and very few street signs. It's wide enough for 1.5 vehicles, yet they pass each other. It's good to keep your arms inside moving vehicles here!

We arrived at the orphanage, and they were finishing up bathing and dressing the children. A man, Tony, who  lives here and helps with the orphanage, because the woman who started it "might be my cousin, we think", told us some of the history of the orphanage and who the caretakers are, etc. The director, cousin or not, kept telling him she wanted to start caring for kids she saw on the street, but he told her she was crazy. She persisted, and after the earthquake he agreed to help get it started. They are leasing the bottom floor of a building with a tiny front yard, tinier back yard, small common area, decent-sized kitchen (the nicest one I've ever seen in Haiti), a boys's room and a girls' room. The woman's 14-year-old daughter helps when she is not at school, and there seem to be 3-4 other adults around doing things.

There are about 20 kids here, and most of them are quite young. They were all seemingly well-fed, clean, fully clothed (except a baby because they didn't have a diaper), shoed and well-mannered, if somewhat shy. They clearly do not get a lot of teams coming to visit and love on them. Most of the older (6-11, I would guess) warmed up pretty quickly as we sang songs and played music and passed out rhythm instruments.

Several of the littlest boys (2 or so) seemed quite withdrawn and slow to engage, sad even. I picked one up, and he protested for a short moment, and I just started kissing him softly all over his head. I guess he decided I was okay, after all, because he then let me hold him and even fell into a deep sleep in my arms.

Everyone on the team found ways to engage with music, the kids, arts and  crafts, etc., even with most of us sitting in the shade (as many of 40 people as could fit there at at time!) on a tiny front patio.

Gary was not feeling well (tummy issues, unfortunately), so when we left at lunchtime, we made a short grocery trip (in theory; nothing happens very fast here!) for supplies and then swung by the hotel to drop off Gary and me. I gave him a phenergan and he is sleeping peacefully now; praying he will be 100% when he awakens.

The rest of the team went on to SMDT for the afternoon, and will be back in a couple of hours. When we will have discussions about the day, probably in the pool! We will try sitting at several smaller tables and ordering dinner earlier tonight.

I will post pictures later if wi-fi is working. Some of our rooms are close enough to the wi-fi signal, and some are not (mine). Don't be surprised if you can't reach us by text or facetime. We will reach you when we can!

Blessings,
Angela