Hello...from HAITI!!
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 9:24PM WE LANDED yesterday afternoon...after a week of relentless challenges! It certainly seems that we must be doing something “right” or there wouldn’t be so many crazy little things going wrong.
The last two…could have been the worst, but by God's perfect protection have ended up just a few more "bumps" in the road. You know, figuratively that saying takes on new meaning with the roads here - we have realized that
"everything is NOT bigger in TX"
when it comes to "potholes"!!
So, one of the final mishaps, was our Yukon breaking down a few hours AFTER our arrival in FL. (it ran perfectly all the way down) With all kinds of last minute items to acquire & errands to run, that could have been a major issue. Not to mention the fact that we were 6 people traveling in with 12 checked bags, 6 carry-ons, our personal items, and a great need to get to the airport somehow! God instantly provided a car to borrow and get our last minute needs taken care of around town as well as a ride to the airport for us & the luggage.
Another was that Emma somehow misplaced her passport, so couldn’t find it as we arrived for our flight. Not having any idea what she had done with it, she was forced to stay behind in Florida. We are blessed to have made so many amazing new friends last summer at Calvary Chapel Sawgrass. The couple that had driven us to the airport was kind enough to help her manage this “big bummer” surprise to her plans. A few hours after we departed they actually unearthed it somewhere in the “under the seat regions” of our car. It was a miracle, as she thought that she might have left it back in TX. God again showed his amazing mercy, when the check in agent put her on a flight later this week without any additional fees. So she is enjoying a few more days in the “land of air-conditioning”!
First Impressions
Today we went car shopping, which proved unfruitful. Ron assures us that if we wait “until Monday” that there should be some newly arriving cars at one dealership, to look at. So we are going to be patient and keep praying for God to bring the right one along. Apparently it will then take at least 3-5 days after that until we can get insurance & tags. In the meantime, we are limited on transportation options for getting around town. Not necessarily a bad thing since driving here is like playing an intense video game in real-life! Excellent judgment, reflexes, & hand-eye coordination is a must. We are blessed by the help of our "sole" Haitian friend here in helping us get around for now.
We did get out to visit our new house this afternoon as well! It was exciting to get a first-hand look after relying on photos for so long. We stood on the balcony greeting future neighbors as they passed by. The area is very open and friendly to outsiders. Ron’s fiancé lives a couple of doors down, so we spent the evening visiting with Vanessa & her mom – our first neighbors!! Apparently their family has lived on our street for several generations, so they are very well respected and will help us get off to a good start there. Vanessa is educated & wants to improve her English language skills. She offered to help us with learning Kreyol while we help her with English in return! She also agreed to taking me shopping “on the streets”, whenever we get moved in. At least until I gain some of the language skills that I need & an idea of what items should cost (Haitian price), so that I don’t get taken advantage of for being a “blan”!
It was a very positive end to our first full day.
Please keep the "details" in your prayers for us this week:
- Emma, in Florida, to be relaxed & able to happily wait it out until she can join us
- Finding a reliable vehicle here, within our budget (lower would be even better!)
- Need to get the power up & working at our home (supposedly on “Monday”) so that we can move in
- Wisdom, guidance & provision as we purchase a stove, fridge, electrical inverter, and a few basic pieces of furniture (table, chairs, bunk beds, living room seating) or materials to build them.
- Grace & patience, as we shift into sync with the culture, pace of life, and our new surroundings.
