Blog 1 Day 1
One Long Day! It started with the news late in the evening that Katie’s mom fell and broke her hip and isn’t doing that well. So Kate will be heading to the hospital first thing in the morning to check on her mom. Woke up this morning at 1:00 AM, showered, shaved, dressed and kissed my most lovely wife goodbye. Her last words to me were, “Be careful, you know that night blindness of yours” “and don’t hit a deer on your way!” Ate a granola bar, downed a quick chocolate milk and got in the car that I borrowed from my son because one of our cars has gone to that great auto graveyard in the sky.
I proceeded to head towards our way too early morning 2:00 AM meeting place to load up the 15 passenger van to take to the airport. I was driving due south on Hwy 95 with my high beams on and a steady grip on the steering wheel with my typical head leaning in towards the windshield (as if leaning is going to help me see any better) WHEN, all of a sudden out of nowhere a deer decides to play chicken with me on the highway. Needless to say the deer lost. Now I just have to tell my son about the ever so slight damage to his front hood and bumper.
Well after a 5 ½ hour flight with one layover in Miami we flew into Haiti and arrived here at 1:15 PM Haiti time. From the airport all eight missionaries loaded ourselves into two sufficiently beat up trucks – one truck with our luggage and the other truck with all eight of us in the back of the bed. Port-au-Prince is the largest and craziest town in Haiti in which the drivers move on the over-crowded highway system in a semi-controlled chaos. We had as many as six vehicles at a time (2 colorful buses, 3 mopeds, and 2 trucks) in a two-lane highway for most of the way to our final destination (along with a 17 year old boy sitting across from you continually saying in a low slow voice, “We’re going to die.”). Watching this all play out before your eyes is when one’s trust in the LORD Jesus is increased greatly. Our truck died 3 times in route. And once the driver started it again by popping the clutch, doing a U turn on this crazed highway and heading into oncoming traffic. After much honking and controlled chaos we started on our way again.
After two and a half bumpy hours in the back of the truck bed (along with my mouse size bladder) we finally reached our destination up in the mountains at around 4:00 PM. The house we are staying at has no running water, no showers or bath. We do have electricity for two hours in the evening with the blessing of a generator. We had a wonderful Haitian meal tonight of rice and some beef (I think) prepared by some generous local Haitian women. Not sure as of yet where I will be sleeping, possibly on the floor on the mattress I brought along. Tomorrow evening we will start our Pastor’s Conference. I am looking forward to what our great God of the galaxies has in store for us!
Thanks again for all your prayers and please don’t stop!
Pastor Gman