The Island Adventure.

It's just impossible to get bored living in Haiti.

      It's just one adventure after adventure. 

Some days/moments require complete faith in God that His will will be done. 

           Like living to see another day. 

So here is the scoop on the latest adventure...

We currently have a medical team visiting for the week doing clinics. 

     Lifeline has connections to a missionary pastor on the island off of the mainland. 

It was decided we should go to La Gonave to set up a clinic as they have never had doctors come before. 

  So Wednesday morning I set my alarm to wake up at 3am to get this team out the door on time.

    And then I pressed snooze until 3:30am. 

We made it on Haitian time. 

However, I should have known what type of day it was going to be when I got whacked in the head going 65 mph down the highway by a thick plastic storage lid on the way to the dock...

EARLY morning boat ride. 

      We loaded the boat just as the sun began to rise. 

  The ride to the island was a very long 2 hours. 

    It was rough waters and I got seasick. 

People kept telling me I looked green. 

I was miserable. 

    I puked. 

  But no help. 

  The water splashed overboard several times and since I was already wet, 

I decided to lie my head down hanging over with my arm dragging in the Caribbean sea. 

As I laid there miserable, I had 2 thoughts running through my head.                                                    

   1-I should just jump in.                                 

   2-How in the world did Jesus get me in this mess? 

     oh, and a 3rd thought- what if a shark just bit my arm off right now? or now? or now? etc. 

I was eventually so exhausted and miserable I think Jesus allowed me to fall asleep right like that: 

        hanging off the side of the boat. 

I dreamed and everything. 

      When I woke up, we were arriving to the island! 

   All I could say was Praise the Lord! 

4 vehicles were waiting for us when we arrived. 

   2 trucks and 2 SUVs. 

     There were roughly 20-25 of us and a lot of supplies. 

  Those vehicles did not look like they should be driving, let alone where we about to go. 

         However, the rules (and commonsense) in Haiti are more of like guidelines. 

We loaded the supplies, crammed the vehicles with the younger ones and the older ones, and the rest of us sat on top of the supplies in the back of the 2 trucks. 

      There were only 5 of us on the back of my truck, but there was a lot of supplies. 

Sitting on top of the truck against the cab. 

A layer of coolers, bins, and then the front part where Candice and I sat had a layer of suitcases to top it off. 

   It was fine at first. 

  But than again that's because we were in town. 

Little did we know we had to climb through the mountains for 2 hours on roads some ATVs wouldn't even want to go on. 

     I was jostled and bounced every which way. 

Not all the suitcases were secure. 

    And as you can imagine, they slid around. 

          It was a battle we never could win. 

The other truck.  

There were times the truck was tipping one way and than another and I had to hold balance because I didn't have anything attached to the truck to hold onto. 

There was a Haitian man that would sometimes grab onto me because he thought I was going over board (Candice too at points). 

   But I wasn't. 

        In fact his hand would linger. 

Candice and I decided he just wanted an excuse to touch the white girls. 

We came to a point in the path where we were nearing the top of the mountain and the "road" was at a tilted angle. 

    The road was nothing but some mud and grass. 

  Well, the truck began to slide sideways. 

       As the truck slid, all the luggage was sliding. 

Which means all the people began to go with the luggage. 

As the truck slid off the mountain and the supplies was sliding with gravity and we too were going with.

    We all just knew we were going to die. 

  And I'm not exaggerating. 

       What a crappy way to die- in a truck rolling over the side of a mountain. 

The church 

But somehow we didn't roll over and die.   

     By the grace of the Lord did we survive. 

 I guess He isn't done with us yet.

   We held a clinic at the school in the mountains once we arrived (alive). 

I smothered cremes and medicines on kids, babys, and adults with things like scabies and ringworm all day. 

     It was a blessing to get to be apart of this.
 It's also a reminder of what a blessing it is I grew up in America.
  Most of these children and parents had never even seen a doctor.

We stayed with pastor Benis.

View of the Caribbean

     He, his wife and 3 children graciously hosted us.
           They were wonderful hosts.
Pastor Benis grew up in the village but moved to the US where he went on to receive his masters.
    He met his wife in the.
She is from Queens, NY.
      A few years ago, he was feeling like he needed to help his people.
  Long story short, that led them to moving to his home village last February as missionary's.
They are a wonderful family and have already done so much through God's strength.

    The next morning we set out to go back to Lifeline.
I was in the same truck again.
    This time we realized the back wheels were held on my rope.
         That's always comforting to see.

Bags of charcoal. 

   The back of the truck was full of plastic bins and 3 large bags of charcoal. 

But this time there were only 4 of us in the back of the truck. 

Nothing was too stable and the charcoal was just annoying. Not too long into the ride we randomly stopped and picked up a lady and her baby. 

    Things were crowded and my legs were getting squished between the tubs and the truck. 

   I have bruises all over them now. 

   And my bottom and arms too from hitting down when we would go over the large rocks. 

At some point I must have hit my head because I have a big bump and a bruise on it. 

      It feels great...

    By the time we got to the part of the road with the sideways slant on the cliff of the mountain, we all knew it was going to make for an interesting time. 

    The mother was on the wrong side. 

                Fortunately I was on the other side holding on, attempting to not fall on anyone. 

   I can't speak Creole but when the mama started talking I knew exactly what she was saying. 

She was asking for someone to grab the baby because she was about to go over and needed both hands to hold on for dear life. 

     I managed to let go and grab the baby just in time. 

  We all made it through alive again. 

                 Praise Jesus!

       The baby lady never took the baby back though. 

   So I somehow sat on the side of the truck holding onto the baby for a long time. 

 I was trying to protect the baby from low tree branches as well as holding on so we didn't go flying off. 

    I'm not sure how I always find myself in situations like this, but at least I have fun in the process. 

     We eventually got a flat tire. 

When I jumped out I passed the baby to Candice who was sitting in the front of the cab. 

      Once the tire was fixed it was time to climb back on and bounce around for another hour. 

  We made it to the coast and back on board the boat. 

          I was dreading this part. 

It was smooth water though. 

       So no sea sickness for me! 

   Praise the Lord! 

However it was hot sitting in the sun and looking at the shiny, blue Caribbean water was a tease. 

      I just wanted to jump in. 

  At one point I stood up to just jump. 

But then I realized the boat would have to stop for me and I would feel guilty and not be able to enjoy the water. 

      Apparently though, I wasn't the only one with these thoughts. 

   Once we docked on the mainland. 

       One of the doctors just jumped in. 

   So I jumped in right after him. 

Shoes, sunglasses, and all. 

    I just didn't didn't think about taking anything off. 

       It didn't take long before everyone was in the water. 

   What a refreshing way to cool off after a long 2 days!!   

   

        

Peace.