Bon Jour
Who knew the things that would take place for me last week! But here I am in Port Au Prince Haiti about to have breakfast and head into one of the poorest slums of the world to deliver water. This city is everything you expect to see in a third world country. People mingling about by candle light or not, singing, mingling, talking and laughing in the night, the smells of fires burning and smoke and things you’d rather not describe more trees and mountains than I’d imagined and hot sticky air. Lots of broken everything, buildings, cars by the side of the road, cars on the road and pot holes that make Minnesota’s miniscule by comparison. And yes, the roosters here too seem to have alarms that go off way too early! Perhaps they are scolding the dogs for keep them up all night. All to say I’m fifty and I missed home last night.
But the guesthouse here is a little tropical darling with the fingerprints of Alyn everywhere. For those of you that don’t know Alyn, she and Jeff started Healing Haiti here about 5 years ago. She was an incredible artist, person and partner to Jeff and went to be with Jesus in November after a long battle with cancer, and so this is Jeff’s first trip back without her which will add a layer all of its own. She lived her life for Jesus and left His mark everywhere she went including their beautiful Haitian guest house and this ministry that has changed not only her life but countless others.
And so, I will attempt to take you on my journey to this place that seems to have nothing to offer but poverty and brokenness. This dirty, broken city has healed and impacted my friends more than years in church and a college education. So far it’s impacted my sleep and my fan god and I’m missing Kirks morning coffee more than you know.
Some of you know, I’ve been slogging thru Isaiah with a group of women for awhile and so chapters 58-60 is where we where parked last week and so as you read that, you will understand how the soil of my soul has been prepared by God. I was the only one who didn’t know I would be in Haiti this week.
My traveling partners besides Jeff, are Amy Lindahl who loves mission trips as much as I love my fan at night, her sweet niece Alana who is a freshman at Madison on break and Kerry Ann a young southern sweetheart who loves Jesus, Jean and Fan Fan who are Jeff’s staff here, that I am only beginning to know. But Jean makes a pretty mean spaghetti sauce and so I like him already and he’s working on our breakfast as I’m writing this. These Godly young men will be our tour guides this week as we experience Haiti together.
The Haitians are pretty riled about the recent elections and so there is a lot of political tension. Pray for the team that was unable to come, which is why we are here and their loss from a tragic car accident, the usual health, safety and that my fan god runs ALL night tonight. I’m thanking the Lord for my sweet husband and family who got me on that plane, little Becky for a big push to get me started and you and your prayers. Have a glass of water with lots of ice for me today!
- Mare
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