Tuesday's Journey...

The day arrived!!!  I was so excited to meet my Haitian family!!!  After waiting almost 3 years I was only hours away from embracing my new homeland.  We got up and had a little bit of breakfast before our friend, Roosgaul, picked us up.  We headed to the airport…  we had a 11:35am flight so we arrived at the airport about 10:05am.  We bid farewell to our friend and checked in… no problems… We waited an hour and noticed that people who had been seated with us were moving about so we gathered our things, getting ready to board our “large” 19 passenger seat plane.  We approached the counter so we could get our boarding pass (as the guy had instructed earlier) but were told, “not yet”.  We waited and then it was 11:25, 11:30, 11:45, 11:50…. Ahhh, our plane was getting ready to leave but it was the scheduled 9:30am flight that would be going at this time…. We were to wait until 1:30 for our 11:30 flight to leave.  Joy…. 

Sigh… we were ready… ready to go… ready to arrive in Cap Haitien and meet Pastor Frank and ready to start our journey towards Camp Coq.  I kept telling myself, “God knows best, God knows best, don’t question-just pray...”.  We did find joy in the fact that the small airport had air conditioning.  While it wasn’t cold, it was cool and I had packed pb & j sandwiches from breakfast so we ate and stayed cool.  I journaled and John played (thank the good Lord for games on our phones!).  It was pleasant.

The time finally arrived for us to leave and we boarded first, picking seats together since none were assigned.  It was like entering a sauna… one hole for entrance and no airflow til after take-off… 19 people filled the plane and we sat… we sat… we sat… thankful we were sitting so close to each other for lots of reasons but especially since we were clean and wearing deodorant.  There were no restrictions regarding electronics so I geared up with my fuel (my music) and chewed my gum.  I prayed and praised and smiled at the other passengers.  Thoughts of arriving in my new hometown were dancing in my head as I focused on the One who would be my Savior in so many new ways today….  We took off – felt like we were riding in a bubble… I prayed for the people in the area below us, not being able to fathom how this one couple could make a difference in such a huge place of severe devastation.  I’ve never seen such horrible sights in the midst of such beauty.  God has not forgotten this place but He is waiting/calling people like us to get up and do what we can.  More thoughts of our new home flooded my mind. 

John and I discussed things we saw and once we were in the clouds (literally), we discussed making this trip with our children -something that’s been heavy on our minds the entire trip.  Flying will be new to each of them since only Caleb has flown before (though he won’t remember it since he was a baby).  Flying in itself is an experience but when you can see/hear/ and almost touch every passenger from where you are sitting… yes, that is an experience.  {A side note: John & I spent a good bit of time praying over this trip but John, especially, regarding the details of when we would be where and how we would get there, taking most cost efficient route, etc.  That’s one of the things he does best… money crunching and planning… :)..} So, back to our conversation…we were discussing the bus option vs the small plane option. There is a bus that goes from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien but we were unsure of the length of time that trip takes.  Our flight was 25 minutes – not too shabby, but we wondered if the bus ride would be better for our children. 

We started to descend, rather roughly and then we landed, rather roughly… we made it!

We exited the plane, walked to the little building ahead of us, waited for our luggage and found Pastor Frank.  We loaded up and headed out via truck to ride to Camp Coq.  Good thing I took Bonine since the road was more bumps & holes than not.  I am all for a good 4-wheeler ride in the dry dirt fields of MS but you could lose a person in these potholes, people… I am not kidding…  and we were not on a 4-wheeler with “give” in the seat… we were in an old Land Rover that had seen it’s better days and once had shocks.  I bounced from roof to seat several times.  It was all good cause I was headed to see my home!  I was high on adrenaline!  I waved to the strangers on the street and smiled.  Some smiled back and some just looked at me like I had lost it.  I think I have by now, BTW. :)  Finally, we made it the ~20-25 miles to Camp Coq in 1.5 hrs.  I held back the tears as we drove in the gate.  I had seen pictures over that last couple of years from the Mission House but the pictures had not done justice.  It was beautiful!!!  Palm trees, tropical bushes, greenery and bright flowers all over the place!  New portions of wall had been put in place around the property and additions were being added upstairs.  Oh my goodness, it was breathtaking!  I kid you NOT!  We were greeted by chickens & a rooster- ha!- and then we met the crew.  I was busting to meet the orphans so after I got the tour, we crossed the street to meet the orphans!  They greeted us with hugs and smiles and they clung to John like leeches.  I was jealous at how comfortable they were with John but hopeful that soon they would see past my newness.  I loved seeing John with them.  I have dreamed about this moment for SO LONG!!!  It was surreal….  Thank you, Jesus, for giving me this perfect moment.  Thank you for setting the stage, for preparing my heart, for making a way!!!

((I could go on and on but I have to get ready soon to leave for the airport so I’ll try to wrap this up))  We had a wonderful time looking around – they showed me the river, the bridge, the community – we walked for about an hour before dinner was ready and then they hung out with us on the porch until after 10pm when we went to bed.  This…bedtime…. I welcomed but was not prepared for.  My head was pounding and my body ached from such a long day and there was not even so much as a breath of air in the room where we were staying.  We didn’t pack the portable fans/batteries that the mission team usually takes with them (not sure why John didn’t think of this when planning – smiles) so we had nothing… nada… NO AIR FLOW…. I took some medicine for my headache and laid down on the bed – I felt as though I was baking from the inside out.  First, my kidneys… poof… fried… then my liver… shriveled… ugh… ‘Dear God, how was I supposed to sleep?’ and my recurring thought:  “how in the world could I expect my CHILDREN to ever sleep in this!?!?!”  The night was anything but restful.  We got up early the next morning and John said, waking in his own pool of sweat, that HE HAD NEVER experienced such a horrible night there and was quite sure the mosquitos lifted him in attempt to carry him off a few hours prior.  (He'd been there at least 6 times before... Wow, thanks God… were you saving this once-in-a-lifetime-uncomfortable -experience just for me or what?)  I can’t believe that the little 12” fans the team usually takes with them make that much of a difference but I am willing to give it a try in July!!! I will come back prepared with my batteries and fan!  I fought feelings of defeat as my mind kept repeating, “there is no way that this is going to work, Dawn…can you imagine 3 hot, cranky, whiny, tired children fussing and arguing and complaining EVERY night in this heat trying to sleep?!?!?!?!?…this is not going to work…I know you are God and all but how, how, how???”  and I remember, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”-Genesis 18:14… I think, “No, but it IS too hard for me!”…“Let us run..the race marked out for us.”-Heb 12:1… “I can’t run anywhere in this, God!”… “neither are your ways my ways”-Isaiah 55:8…

I draw strength from: “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act!  Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season He will honor you with every blessing.” Ps 37:34

    LORD, “I desire to do your will, O God.”  Psalm 40:8,  "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24