From Hans, Friday evening:
It’s really late here and I will have to keep the update short as we are still packing up for the long trip home. We have had a very long but enjoyable day filled with “rest and “relaxation” and everyone is sad to see our time here end. A large majority of the team woke up early to have a quick breakfast and then hike up the very steep mountain. We made it to the top in just over an hour and a half, and we spent a good bit of time enjoying the view and taking various photos. We took a “short cut” on the way down and it took us an hour and a half to get back to the camp J. It was actually the scenic route and we all came away with an impression of the natural beauty of Haiti. Unfortunately, one of the team members strained a muscle in her back on the way back down and had to spend the rest of the day flat on her back, but she was much better at dinner time. Prior to lunch, a group went to the church and playing field to visit once more with the village kids. It was a great time. We also did some cleanup and organizing of the camp equipment to help set things in order for our departure.
After lunch, we packed into the tap tap for a quick trip into Limbe for diesel, and then on to the coast to a small fishing village situated on a beautiful beach. The trip was made interesting by the continued recalcitrance of the truck to remain running – we stalled out several times, and Gabe got to “McGiver” (sp?) a gasket out of the mud flap for a leaking fuel pump. However, spirits were high as the Haitian staff sang enthusiastically for the majority of the 40 minute trip there. As far as I could tell, they were singing commercials (coke and shampoo were words I recognized). There were lots of neat sights to see on the trip.
At the beach, we were met by a whole crowd of kids and a team of doctors and nursing students from the US. We rented a boat and ferried the whole lot of us across to an island for a time of swimming, shell hunting, and exploring (there is a very large and ancient kiln hidden in the forest there – you feel like “Indiana Jones”! After some excitement created by full boats in windy conditions with intermittently working boat motors, we all loaded back into the tap tap for the trip toward home, only having to push the large truck out of the sand once. The trip home was a real blessing as we were treated to a concert of Haitian worship and praise songs.
Thanks for your faithful prayers for our team. Pray for our truck as we make the journey back to Cap Haitien early tomorrow morning. Pray for the flight back to Fort Lauderdale, and for us to get through customs quickly with a minimum of odd looks. We will be landing at Houston Hobby in the evening. God has blessed the team immensely and He gets all the glory for that!
