Crazy Trip to Cap-Haitien

Time here in Haiti is beginning to draw to a close, but not without a plethora of more new experiences and lessons learned. Most of the week Carolyn, Beth and I we worked outside taking data and harvesting various crops. We currently have a number of variety trials on the HAFF properties that are almost finished producing. Therefore, we are working to harvest the seeds for each of the different varieties, get them cleaned and stored before leaving for the states. The process seems long, yet we are more than half done now, so that is a blessing.

This past week HAFF hosted a work team from Chattanooga, TN. The team was scheduled to fly out of Cap-Haitien on Tuesday and Carolyn, Beth and I had told Tim that we would like to visit Cap-Haitien some day before we left if that was possible. Tim told us that he was planning on traveling with the work team on Tuesday to pick up some building supplies in Cap and that we were welcome to come too. We asked the work team if they would mind making room for a few more people, and they said they would love for us to come with them. So it was decided and we planned to leave at 4:00am, allowing time for the 4 hour drive and the work team to stop at the tourist market before catching their plane at noon.

So we all headed to bed early and rose around 3:30am. We loaded the truck and were on our way by about 4:15. We drove for about an hour and a half and made it right outside of San Raphael when one of the barrings in a back wheel started to make noise. The HAFF driver, Elizer, was taking us, and he stopped to check it out. He came to the conclusion that we needed to get a hold of Greg Van Schoyck, the director of the HAFF mission, and have him bring us some tools and another barring before we could continue on. Luckily where we stopped his cell phone actually got service.

Side note, isn't that crazy to think that they have cell service in a country that doesn't even have electricity in most places!

We got a hold of Gregg and he said he would be on his way. So that meant about an hour or more wait plus the time to fix the barring. I was getting antsy sitting, so Carolyn, Beth and I decided to walk farther down the road. We know that just outside of San Raphael there is a river crossing and we wanted to see if the river was passable after all the rain we have received, another one of our worries for the day. So we started walking and praying that the work team would catch their plane.

We walked for about 40 minutes before we reached the river. When we got there we found a huge truck stuck in deep mud horizontally across the road. When crossing the river there is a hill on either side, so this truck got stuck trying to climb the hill into San Raphael in about a foot of mud. They had guys out there with pick axes and rocks trying to help get the truck out, but there were 4 or 5 trucks behind him waiting to come up the same hill.

My next thought, "This doesn't look good at all. Even if we can get our truck fixed, maybe we won't be able to get across the river." The day quickly became a day of prayer. Praying for the truck, praying that the work team wouldn't miss their plane, praying that we could cross the river, etc. As always, God is faithful.

We started to walk back to our truck and were met about half way by another missionary who lives in Pignon. He was on his way to Cap and stopped to pick up as many members of the work team as he could. We told him what we saw at the river and he said that they might as well try it before turning around. I agreed. I like the "lets make sure it’s not possible before we give up" attitude!

They went on and we kept walking. We made it back to the truck to find that Greg's son had arrived with the tools and the needed parts and that they almost had the barring changed. They finished and we got back in the truck and again headed toward Cap-Haitien. I think our total time broken down was two and a half hours.

When we got to the river they had gotten the truck out and to the top of the hill. The truck with the rest of the work team wasn't in sight, so we knew they had made it across. We slipped down the muddy hill, crossed the river, up the muddy hill on the other side and proceeded to make our way to Cap.

The overall ride was really bumpy and rough because we were in a hurry to catch the plane. Elizer hit a lot of the ruts and bumps pretty hard and my arms and legs were tired by the time we arrived at the airport. We got to the airport just as the teams airplane was landing, so God was good to get us there in time.

We said good-bye to the team and waited for HAFF's mail. We loaded up the truck and then headed into town. Cap-Haitien is a coastal city in the very North of Haiti. I was amazed by the number of people who lived there and the conditions that some of them live in. We saw run down shanty houses next to the river and huge piles of trash along the sides of the road. It was very eye opening to see the urban poverty in comparison to the rural poverty that HAFF most commonly deals with.

In Cap we stopped at the bank, a lumber yard, and a small store that carried all kinds of American goods (Cinnamon toast crunch, Mac and Cheese, Cheerios, etc.).

When this was all done we hit the road for the 4 hour drive back to Bohoc. I was gearing myself up again to feel beat up by the bumps, but Elizer drove slower this time, taking each of the bumps and holes more carefully. Well, for a while anyway. Half way up the mountain between Cap and San Raphael it started to rain. We stopped the truck and pulled the tarp over the back so that those of us in the back wouldn't get wet. This made the ride a little harder because we had to sit the rest of the way, and again Elizer drove fast so we could beat the river outside of San Raphael.

Good news is, we beat the river and returned to HAFF at about 8:30pm. We unloaded the truck and I headed home to take a shower and go to bed. I felt tired mentally and physically. Many praises to God who protected us the whole drive there and back and provided the strength to endure the journey.

Well, there you have it. That was my exciting visit to Cap-Haitien. Now I can say I have been there and seen it. It really did give me another perspective on Haiti and the developing world considering the problems facing the urban poor. I am thankful to God for the experience and the many answered prayers throughout the day. I am grateful for the things he continues to teach me about his heart for the world and the role of His children in His grand plan.

I ask that you would continue to pray for God work here in Haiti through both ECHO and HAFF. Please pray that He would continue to provide the resources that are impacting this community and sharing His name with those who do not yet know Him. Pray that the missionaries would have good health and energy to handle the difficulties of life here and the stamina to love with the Father’s love far beyond their own human capabilities. I also ask that you would pray for Tim, Carolyn, Beth and I as we will be returning to the states in another week and a half. The time is drawing short and we are beginning to say good-byes and wrap up loose ends. Pray that the Lord would guide us in the relationships that have been made here and the transition out of this community that has slowly become home, even for a short while.

Again I thank you all for you prayers and support. They are so important and appreciated. God is good and working in amazing ways. We are so blessed to partner with Him in His work and be His hands and feet. Praise be to God!