A Trip to Haiti

GETTING THERE

We were in Hinche, in Haiti, for a week, arriving on Saturday, April 11th. I have now been at work a week since our return, but I have been processing the experience that whole time.  I have been a little depressed, and it is hard to put a finger on the problem. Is it post-vacation blahs? I think it is more than that. I think my problems in the States seem so petty after seeing the problems in Haiti. I think there is more important work I should be doing. I think I am worrying about how Midwives for Haiti can do even more than they are doing. And my work here in the States seems insignificant compared to the work I could be doing in Haiti.

A RECAP:

April  11, 2015  Our flight was late arriving, but our guide, Ernst, from Midwives for Haiti , was waiting for us outside customs. We walked through customs easily, even with our 4 duffel bags full of supplies and tools. We had three extra duffel bags that were filled up at the Midwives for Haiti (M4H) office, donations from other volunteers. Ernst led us to the M4H vehicle, where we met up with our friends, Wendy and Greg Dotson, a new volunteer from New Zealand, Pippa Lloyd, and our faithful driver, Ronel. Ronel has been with M4H since the early days, when he drove his old Toyota pickup, and we rode in the back. The Land Cruiser seems luxurious by comparison, with bench seats in the back, air conditioning, and a large rack on top suitable for carrying all the bags of supplies from the States.

We also carried in a few bags of tools. Wendy and I cooked up the idea of having our husbands accompany us, and finding a building project for them. Nadene and Steve found the project before we left, so the guys knew what to bring to accomplish their task of painting and repairing cabinets in Labor & Delivery in the hospital. It was David’s first trip to Haiti, and he wanted to make sure he was useful.

Nine of us filled up the van pretty tightly, and we headed out of Port-au-Prince immediately. Th,e trip took about 3 hours, as expected, even though we encountered a heavy rain in the mountains, which made new creeks appear, as the rain ran down the hillsides, and rocks tumbled down with the water. The new paved road from Port-au-Prince that they built after the earthquake is very impressive, but the rains and tumbling rocks made us remember that we were in the eroding hills of Haiti, and it was a little scary. Ronel is a good driver, and he got us home safely, with our piles of baggage.

David and I sat in the front seat, and David saw the sights along the road leaving Port-au-Prince.