Haiti 2014: Day 3

Thursday we did have to get up early, even if we didn't want breakfast. (Shocker! Who wouldn't want breakfast?!) It was our first day of the Ladies Conference! We left right after we ate and took a bumpy, two hour drive to Valley of Hope Church. A bumpy ride, yes, and dusty. But such a beautiful ride. I sat in the back of the fifteen passenger van and watched the swarms of people as they bought breakfast on their way to work or school, or sat selling fruits and vegetables, or just watched, pointed and laughed at the "blan"(white people) passing by. I liked to wave to them and see their faces light up as they waved back. Some were shy and would giggle. Some would wave energetically. I didn't like to wave to the guys because it would often send the wrong message. Sometimes, though, they'd see me wave and get super happy and wave back or send kissy faces. One girl jabbed the guy she was with for waving at us. haha! This was the city. The city with hilly roads, some paved, some not. The city with shops of all sorts lining the street: barber shops, electronic shops, clothing shops. Any and everything! Then we get out of the city and and into the country. There are fields with sugarcane, beans, or leaks growing. A farmer tills the ground. A woman in heels walks the rough road to work or school in the city. A girl pumps water as a woman fills a bucket. Kids playing in a stream. Women washing clothes in the river. Laundry laid all over the branches of the trees to dry in the hot sunshine. This is Haitian life.

The random school bus is most likely not bringing children to school (or not only bringing children to school) but is used as a very large tap tap. A tap tap is a very common form of transportation and is usually an old pickup truck with seats in the back and a roof that people pile into to get from place to place for a small amount of money. Most of the time they are even hanging out the back. There are also people who drive motorcycles and rent a backseat to anyone who dares. They are faster and can weave in and out of traffic better than the trucks can, therefore they are a little pricier.

It was a very hot day and the breeze was trying so hard to get inside but was failing miserably. But it was so good to be able to worship with those beautiful Haitian sisters in Christ! It was funny, though, to see them nod off every once in a while. You can't blame them! Some of them had walked as much as six hours just to come to the conference! They were tired and hot! We had to drink so much water!

Chief Barbara! That is what Pastor Maxeau called her. : )

I got to hold babies. I love Haitian babies. Maybe God will give me one someday.

I was trying to get her to smile...

After the teaching was all over for the day, we fed them lunch: chicken, rice, and veggies thanks to the hard working women in the back who prepared it while we taught! We got some, too. It was delicious!

I love how the women will hold onto the men's arm as they cross the street.