Hi
everyone! I arrived safe and sound at God’s Littlest Angels on Thursday (May 24th).
My traveling experience was quite interesting and exhausting to say the least.
I left for Chicago Wednesday evening so that I wouldn’t have to wake up so
early to catch my plane that left at 6:00 a.m. My sweet friend Colleen let me
stay at her house and graciously agreed to drive me to the airport at 3:30 a.m.
I arrived in Chicago around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday evening and we were able to
get some dinner before attempting to sleep. I say “attempting” because I was
wide awake that night and I probably only got about a half an hour of sleep
before heading to O’Hare to catch my plane. I was very nervous to be traveling
internationally and especially because I was traveling alone. The combination
of sleep deprivation and anxiety led to me being overly emotional as I was
saying goodbye to poor Colleen! I cried for a minutes to Colleen and then I
realized I needed to get going in order to make it through the check-in and
security processes before 6:00 a.m. I waited in the check-in line (for what
seemed like forever) and prayed that the process would not be too time
consuming. I was really surprised by how many travelers were at the airport at
4:00 a.m. and I was beginning to question if the small number of airport staff
could handle the large volume when the airport seemed like it officially opened
and flocks of additional staff came to speed up the check-in and security
process. After what seemed like hours of standing and waiting I finally
finished checking in and made it through security with almost a half an hour to
spare! This was wonderful because I was able to get a drink and leisurely find
my terminal. I was very blessed on my first flight from Chicago to Newark
because I had the entire row of seats to myself and I was able to stretch out
and take a nice nap. I also got to sit behind a young couple and their two
daughters which was a joy because I got to play with the two cute little girls
while I was awake. The flight to Newark was slightly delayed and by the time I
had gotten off the plane I had about 30 minutes to find my next terminal. This
really stressed me out because I really love to be significantly early places
rather than cutting it close. Luckily, I followed the signs and stayed calm and
found the terminal around 10 minutes before take-off. As I boarded the plane I
realized I was 1 of 5 people on the plane who were not Haitian. Everyone was
noisily speaking Creole and French and I was officially overwhelmed. To make
matters worse as we were boarding the flight attendants told us there was no
more room for carry-on luggage and that anything that couldn’t fit under the
seat in front of you had to be checked immediately. My carry on was of course
to bulky to be stowed under the seat so it was taken from me and thrown into a
nearby luggage carrier. I watched it specifically be thrown and then remembered
I had put my computer in that bag. Ha. I was going to get upset about it but I
decided that maybe one of the things God wants to teach me on this trip is
flexibility and peacefulness!! (Obviously my computer survived, praise God J)
Once on the plane and looking for my seat these traits were tested again. A
Haitian man was in my seat and I quickly realized he did not speak English and
that he was very comfortable in the aisle seat. As many of you probably know I
tend to get nauseous and claustrophobic on airplanes and therefore I love the
aisle seat because it gives me more space and allows me to walk around easier.
I thought that maybe this older gentleman maybe had the same issue so I decided
to let him have my seat and I would just sit next to him but then I realized
someone else (I later found out it was his grandson) was sitting in the middle
and that I would be forced to squish past both of these men to get to my seat.
I think the grandson could see past my brave smile and he sweetly offered to
sit in the window seat and let me have the middle. He spoke a little bit of
English and he proved to be a great seat buddy because he knew a lot about
Haiti and helped me fill out my customs paperwork. Although I enjoyed his
company, I was so incredibly thankful when the four hour flight was over and we
touched down in Port Au Prince. Little did I know that my adventure had not
even started!!! When we touched down in Port Au Prince airport, mass chaos
seemed to erupt and I just followed the crowds of people onto a bus. The
airport was very much damaged in the earthquake and because of this they
created a warehouse type building to temporarily use until the airport could be
reconstructed. I was told by my driver that they expect the airport
construction to be finished next summer but until then the airport experience
can be pretty hairy (especially for American travelers). Anyways, the bus
transported us to the warehouse building where we went through customs. It
pretty much consisted of me giving my paperwork and passport to a government
worker and having them stamp my passport. Then came the fun part…finding my
luggage. This was the most bizarre and stressful experience I have had in quite
some time. Hundreds of people crowded around the two luggage belts and
attempted to find their bags. To add to the chaos, there were dozens of Haitian
men wanting to help me and all the other travelers with their luggage (at a
very steep price) so while looking for my luggage I had to duck and dodge and
continuously repeat “No Merci.” I waited and waited for my luggage to appear
but I couldn’t make my way up to the actual luggage belt so I stretched and
strained my neck trying to find them. Thankfully, my cousin who has visited
Haiti before warned me to place unique identifying objects on my luggage in
order to make it easier to find. After about 30 minutes I finally saw my first
piece of luggage. I was so ecstatic I could have cried…but I was still too far
away from the luggage belt to reach it. So I helplessly watched it pass by me
and felt the heat and exhaustion overcome me. (I forgot to mention the airport did
not have air conditioning and felt like a million degrees!) Then, something so
amazing happened…an older gentleman saw my misty eyes and pulled my cart and my
arm up next to him. He didn’t speak English but he pointed at my bag that was
drifting away and made a circular motion with his hands to show me that the
luggage would come back around. I figured that he wanted to help me with my
luggage for a crazy price but at this point I was so tired that I decided it
would be worth it. He pulled my first bag off and smiled widely at me while
pointing to the fuzzy purple yarn that identified my bags. He then quickly
found my other two bags and placed them on the cart. I was so relieved and
thanked him profusely. I pulled out my wallet to pay him and he pushed it away
and smiled at me. I could have hugged him and kissed him right at that moment
and even though we could not deeply communicate with one another I hope that my
facial expression let him know how thankful I was for his generosity and
kindness. I knew right then and there that I had in fact not been traveling
alone the whole time, God had been keeping a tight watch on me throughout that
day and I knew that He would continue to do so throughout my experience in
Haiti. After the airport experience I made my way outside to the busy streets
of Port Au Prince. Thankfully, the orphanage (GLA) had someone waiting with a
sign with my name on it…such a blessed relief! We headed to the orphanage
through the busy streets and I realized that driving in Haiti was going to be
an interesting experience all by itself. The roads are crowded with people and
cars and most of the vehicles have over double the capacity of passengers as
recommended. I was in an air-conditioned truck which was reassuring because we
felt big and high up and even though my driver was very careful…I still almost
had a heart attack as we headed up the mountain the first time. The roads are a
disaster and there are potholes that my car could easily fit into and there is
no traction on the roads because of all the rain. The roads are also extremely
steep…almost vertical. It is literally like riding on a roller coaster every
time we go somewhere. At the orphanage the only cars they have are 4WD and
manual which allows them to maneuver them smoothly but it is still a crazy
experience. The roads are also very narrow so when cars are passing each other
it is so tight that it seems like you’re going to scratch each other (many of
the vehicles do have scratches and bumps). The narrowness also becomes an issue
when cars get impatient and pass one another…I don’t want to go into too much
detail (and scare my dad J) but let’s just say people really use
their horns around here and pedestrians have absolutely no right away. I was
extremely relieved (to say the least) when we arrived at the orphanage (which
is about half way up the mountain) after about an hour of driving. I arrived at
the orphanage around 5:00 Haiti time which was just in time for dinner. I met
the rest of the volunteers (who are all very sweet and around my age) and we
ate dinner which was great because I was starving! We had rice, chicken, and
salad. The cooks are very good at the orphanage (which I am very thankful
for!). The orphanage consists of three separate areas. The main house is where
we spend our days with the little kids (2 and under), eat our meals, and go to
church and then at night we go to the toddler house which is about a mile away
from the main house. At night the staff drives us back to the toddler house
which is so gracious and wonderful because it prevents us from walking in the
dark. The staff here is wonderful and they have all been so accommodating and
friendly. Although the nannies (who live
with the children and care for them 24/7) do not speak English…all the members
of the GLA staff do which is comforting and nice because they can be our
translators. Anyways, after we got dropped off at our house I was shown to my
room and unpacked all of my things. It was so hot and I really started to feel
dehydrated so I quickly drank some water and decided it was time to shower and
go to bed (even though it was only 6:30 haha!). I passed out the first night
and slept from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. I needed the rest after staying up for
over 36 hours. It was a HUGE day filled with all kinds of interesting
experiences but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. It amazes me how God
uses something as small traveling to shape you into a better person. I am so
thankful for all of your prayers and your sweet words as I left the U.S. You
have no idea how much they all meant to me! I honestly felt a net of protection
and support as I traveled and I have you all to thank for that! I don’t have
internet access right at the moment, as it is only available at the main house,
but I will post this as soon as possible! I love and miss you all so very much!
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