Exploring Port-au-Prince

We started Thursday with a few hours in the clinic and classrooms, however, the rest of the day was filled with memoriable events. We piled in the truck with Evenson at the wheel (he's quite an accomplished driver, navigating the chaotic streets without incident) and headed for the beach. The school is on a street that almost completely covered with rubble awating removal - I was continually amazed at Evenson's ability to navigate his way along the side.

While the beach wasn't exactly what we expected (no sand, just rocky steps into the water), we loved our time in the water, chatting with our new friends, taking pictures with starfish and teaching Jackson how to swim.

During the drive to the beach, I interviewed Jordan and Evenson about their dreams for the school in Fontamara - I'll provide more specific details in a different post. I was inspired by their hearts and their vision to have a school that is atypical in Haiti, offering more options for students and better training for teachers. Jordan said he hoped all future trips would include both doctors and educators. I was reminded again how I'd been prepared "for such as time as this." My passion for education & service and my french abilities were collectively tapped during this trip.

After several hours at the beach, including Jordan bringing us cold Prestige (local beer, which I drank in honor of my brother and to be a thankful guest), we headed to the other side of town for dinner in a local restaurant.

We encountered singificant traffic jams (common in Port-au-Prince), which included time for Evenson to get out of the truck to visit with those riding in the back. You quickly learn that you have very little control of how you spend your time in Haiti, especially on the roads. It's important to enjoy the relational time, rather than get frustrated by events beyond your control. The piles of rubble scattered randomly about the streets turn 2-way streets into 1-way streets at any given moment, which leads to lots of honking, weaving motorcycles and chat time. (The videos below were taken on the main streets, but you can imagine the same set of cars on unpaved streets, fighting over the limited space.)

Evenson loved music and had a set of CDs designed to teach english - they came with a book of lyrics for singing along. We all sang along with & laughed at our efforts. His favorites were Lionel Richie (Three Times a Lady) & Phil Collins (Against All Odds).

After over an hour, we arrived at the restaurant. The simple act of washing our hands and flushing the toilet was a real treat! Many in the group had the goat with Creole sauce (Jordan's choice) but I enjoyed a tasty pepper steak.



















On the way home from dinner, we stopped by a tent city so Jen could see a family she met on prioir trips. Jordan, always paying attention to our safety, insisted we wait at the truck while Jackson brought Georgaline and her mother to us. When we returned to the school, we enjoyed our typical time of playing cards and chatting about the day.

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