Becky J Miller

Ready or not, Haitian sunrise happens at 5:30 a.m. My sleep was restless last night so when the bright and glorious sun peeked through the hotel window, I was not happy to see it. Adding insult to injury, the air conditioning cuts off at 6 a.m. Fortunately the traumatic start did not set the tone for the entire day. Breakfast was a lively affair with varied menu choices and tasty fruit juice. Following breakfast, the team piled into tap taps for a trip to the country side. Tap taps are small trucks serving as taxis. The passenger area has wooden benches, no seatbelts or doors. Haitian roads leave much to be desired, causing a great deal of “bottom discomfort” during the trip. Travelling through the city was a kaleidoscope of activity; buses, cars, pedestrians and street vendors. The crowds and traffic thinned out as we got closer to our destination, the future site of a new orphanage.

Currently the orphanage is housed inside a walled and gated property in the city’s center. The new site, an hour outside of town is far removed from turmoil. Mountains kiss the sky on three sides and peace is palatable. With the mission team surrounding him, the orphanage director shared his vision for the property. Tears filled my eyes as he spoke of training a generation of children to love the Lord their God. His desires include on site housing for the staff, gardens to grow fresh food, group home situations, trade school to prepare teens for independent living, guest housing for visiting missionaries and at the center of it all, a chapel. The team was invited to “prayer walk” the land. Walking the property, I was overwhelmed with a sense that this moment was why I came to Haiti. My heart surged with love for the people of this country. On the surface there seems to be little hope for the people of Haiti; unemployment is staggering, crime is high, life expectancy is low. But God has not forgotten the people of Haiti. There is hope, there is vision and I believe our team played a pivotal roll in launching tangible change by our prayers today. Those prayers will not return void and many of us will return to this boisterous country to help complete the project.

Tomorrow is a new day in Haiti and adventures await us.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Rebecca [Becky] J Miller

For the River Stone Community Church Haiti Team Part 2, the day began before some folks even went to bed. Most of the team tried to catch a few hours of sleep before our 1 a.m. departure from San Marcos. The drive to Houston was effortless; of course I was snoozing in the back seat. We were checked in; boarding passes in hand by 4:15 a.m. Fortunately, Starbucks opened around that time. No coffee for me, instead a nutritious, if not exactly delicious, orange mango smoothie. The flight from Houston was packed, but took off right on time. Most of us slept through the 2.5 hour flight, waking only to accept a beverage from the flight attendants. The Miami Airport, dull and dreary looking, was bustling with people. Though only 9 a.m. Texas time, we were HUNGRY!!!! Being a compulsive planner, I had already perused the internet in search of suitable dining, days before our departure. My heart was set on a Cuban sandwich, just like my grandfather used to make. With the help of a little technology (envision the team camped out in the walkway, laptop open searching airport schematics) we found the little Cuban café, ah, sweet success. Our hunger properly abated we were ready for the final leg of our journey. Seated in Row 7, directly behind First Class, our seats were the best, where leg room is abundant.

Deplaning in Haiti was odd. We expected to deplane directly on the tarmac but instead exited the plane like any normal flight, through the jet way. Winding through the airport, with no bathrooms in sight, we expected to land in customs. Instead we were ushered back out of the terminal and onto a bus. From the bus we reentered the airport, headed through customs and waited for our bags. The Port Au Price Airport has two luggage carousels, side by side. Watching the handlers throw the suitcases was frightening, bags landed on top of each other, and on the floor. It was pure chaos in motion. Though we’d been warned of the difficulty securing our bags, we experienced no problems.

After a brief stop at our hotel to freshen up, not that it helped any with no air conditioning and 100 degree heat, we headed to the orphanage. The only room on my tour today was the toddler room. As I stood just outside the doorway a precious little boy came running directly towards me arms raised. I scooped him up in a big hug and was then “attacked” by all of his playmates. It was sheer joy sitting on the floor with three or four little Haitian toddlers climbing all over me. Singing, “Old McDonald” with the kids brought a delightful surprise; “EI EI O” sounds the same in both English and Creole.

The first part of the team, in place since Monday, has bonded well with the new arrivals. We feel cohesive, one unit, not than “them” and “us”. There is much more I could share, but my eye lids grow heavy and the mosquitoes grow thick, so, farewell from Haiti.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Rebecca [Becky] J Miller