Our trip to Haiti

Wednesday and Thursday

We left for the airport on Wednesday afternoon; we had a 4-hour drive! We arrived in San Francisco early because traffic was very light. We took our bags directly to the American Airlines counter. The agent at the counter was wonderful. I asked her to weigh the containers because we weren’t sure if they were less than 70 lbs. When she saw the note we had attached to the top asking security personnel to please seal the containers after the inspection with the attached zip ties because the contents were for an orphanage in Haiti, she said she didn’t need to weigh them. I explained that I did not want to pay extra and would remove some stuff if necessary, she told us not to worry about it, she would not be charging us anything extra since the contents were for such a good cause. I was so shocked!! I have heard that the airlines are very strict with weight guidelines. In San Francisco the passenger then take the bags down to the x-ray machine and hands it directly to the agent scanning them. We took ours to the agent and again were pleasantly surprised with how wonderful they all were to us. Several came over to us to thank us for taking supplies to the Haitian’s and asked about the orphanage. 3 agents then zip tied all 4 containers and handled our bags like they had precious cargo in them!!! It was such a wonderful experience!

We then had a 3-hour wait. We decided to head to our gate and eat there. We were very disappointed to find out that all the restaurants in the terminal were closed for renovation. My husband did not want to go through security again, after being almost in his underwear before he got through!!! So, we ended up getting sandwiches from a little deli and sat and waited. I think God was preparing us for Haitian time. There is a lot of waiting in Haiti!!! I read a magazine and Jody took a nap on the floor! He was convinced that he would not get any sleep on the flight. I was really surprised he could sleep; he was so nervous and told me later that he almost insisted that we cancel the trip and go home.

When we finally boarded the plane, Jody was shaking and sweating so bad. He hates to fly and has never been out of the country, except to Mexico! I was really afraid that he was going to start throwing up he was so nervous and we were only on the plane to Miami!

Our plane ride was quite an adventure. The plane was packed and there were a lot of small children on the flight who were crying and throwing fits!! We thought we were going to hear it all the way to Miami however they all went to sleep soon after take-off! Jody never sleeps in planes or cars so he was convinced that he would be up all night. I don’t ever have that problem, I usually can sleep anywhere! Not this trip!! The very nice older gentleman seated next to me fell asleep before we ever left the gate and immediately started to snore!! LOUDLY! My legs are short and I could not get comfortable in the seat. Jody propped a pillow against the window and feel asleep! Boy was I surprised! The man next to me fell asleep with his arm on the armrest. When his body totally relaxed his arm feel off the armrest and landed in my lap!!! It’s very disconcerting when a man you do not know has his hand in your lap!!!! I was able to move his arm and slid closer to Jody!!!! I was able to doze off and on but it was a long flight to say the least.

When we arrived in Miami (at 5:15 a.m.) we had to change planes. When we got to the gate we realized that we were only 2 of 6 white faces there! For the first time in my life I knew what it meant to truly be the minority. It was a strange feeling. I’m not sure even how to describe it. No one was being rude per say but it was obvious that they were looking at us differently, almost as if they were wondering what we were doing there. It was the same feeling that a friend of mine who is black tried to explain to me years ago but I could not understand until now! We boarded the plane and soon after take off were handed declaration forms to fill out. We did not know what to do! We knew if we declared everything we had it was likely to be confiscated. We did not want to lie and end up in jail!!! We prayed about what we should declare and God gave us very clear direction. We were vague without lying! And we knew He would protect us! As we flew over Haiti we noticed the beauty!! It was amazing, white sand beaches, lush greenery and the most beautiful water! As we got closer though the reality was of garbage and poverty everywhere! We flew over what appeared to be houses that in the US would be garbage dumps!! I was deeply saddened at that moment and realized how fortunate we are in America. As we taxied down the runway we saw 3 men with “machete’s” about 100 feet from the runway cutting the weeds!! It was such a strange thing to see. They were on the airport property!! With very large, very sharp cutting implements and no one appeared to be concerned!! We arrived at the gate and surprised that we were exiting the plane not on a jet-way but down the stairs on the tarmac. WOW, haven’t done that since the 70’s. (Vanessa later informed me that there are still airports in the US that do this, I just haven’t flown to them, I guess). We were greeted by some serious humidity!!! It was only 85 degrees out but the humidity was 88%. We are not used to that, living in California!

Once inside the terminal we went through customs. Very easy!! And proceeded to the luggage carousel. It was obvious that not all American Airlines regarded our bags as highly as they did in S.F.!! As we proceeded to the exits we were stopped by customs and had to give them our declaration form. The man looked it over asked us if we had any medicines with us. I had been warned that they would confiscate them if we claimed them so…I lied sort of!! I said no we didn’t have any prescription medicines with us! Which was the truth but I failed to mention the over the counter stuff we brought. He asked what was in the bags and I said used clothes, shoes and baby food for an orphanage. We were allowed to leave without being searched!! Praise God!

Vanessa was out front waiting for us and had a driver ready!! We were asked repeatedly if we needed help with our stuff and continued to firmly say, no!

It was a very scary ride to the orphanage. Street signs are merely suggestions in Haiti. There were people driving on the wrong side of the road. Cars, tap-taps and buses fight for space on streets with potholes large enough for a small car to get lost in!! Pedestrians cross the street wherever and whenever they choose! I was horrified and amazed (and kind of enjoying it like you would a roller coaster at a carnival). We arrived at the “O” and began to unload our stuff. We met Andrea the Canadian missionary who has been at Angel House since February, what an amazing person!! I hope my daughters can grow up to be like her. She is one of the most loving, caring, funny and strong young women I’ve met! Her faith is amazing!! We were directed to take our bags upstairs. Vanessa insisted we use the guest room and not the patio!! It was nice to have a space of our own. I got my camera out and was heading out to meet my baby when I came around the corner to the most wonderful sight!! My husband was holding our daughter for the first time and she was staring at him with the most angelic expression! I was stunned but recovered quickly and started taking pictures. She was absolutely beautiful and I had to hold her!! Jody handed her to me and she reached out and touched my cheek and smiled so big! I was in shock, I didn’t even cry!! It was like she knew who I was! I held her forever! The nannies were really upset with Vanessa because she didn’t give them time to bath her or put a clean diaper on her, but I could care less!!! It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had and I will cherish the memory forever!! Vanessa gave us a tour of the “O” and culture shock began to set in. The house has no screens and only security bars and doors. The kitchen was stark to say the least and only used to store dishes etc. and to wash dishes. The actual cooking is done in a “room” off the back of the kitchen, “camping” style. Everything is prepared over an open flame and in huge pots. Not sanitary by American standards but considered very, very sanitary by Haitian standards. Please, do not read more in to this then what is written, I am in no way condemning it. They are doing the absolute best they can with what they have. “Mommy-ma”, the cook, is wonderful. She loves the kids and does whatever she can to provide nutritious healthy meals for our children. It just not what most of us would expect! I have never been in a third-world country before and was a little shocked at first!!

The kids were so funny. They wanted so badly to look at us and see who we were but were so shy and did not want us to look at them!! We did not spend a whole lot of time when we first got there downstairs we wanted to let the kids get comfortable with our presence first. As the day progressed we slowly started spending time downstairs or Vanessa would bring a few kids at a time upstairs to play on the patio (mostly the older ones). I have some great video of Asnica, Esperencia, Valencia and Angeline dancing with Andrea on the patio. (Sorry about the mis-spelled names!!!) We spent the first day just getting used to being in Haiti, holing our daughter and hearing from Andrea and Vanessa about the “O”. “A” & “V” left to go to a meeting and we hung out upstairs bonding with Sutton and taking a much needed nap. The nannies were wonderful and every time I would go downstairs to get something they would giggle and say over and over “Daphka’s Mama” (Daphka is Sutton’s birth name). Jody did not venture downstairs very much the first day, I don’t think many of the nannies or kids have seen white men before. He did not want to make any of them uncomfortable.

When “A” & “V” returned from the meeting we found out that the next day a demonstration was planned and we were to be on “lock down”. Jody was very worried and was talking about changing our flight from Sunday to Saturday so we could leave at the same time as “V”. “V” convinced him to wait and see what happened. We spent the rest of the evening getting to know “A”, “V” and William and his family. William is such a nice man. His love for the Lord is am example to us all. He is very educated and speaks and teaches 4 languages (French, Creole, English and Spanish). Jody really enjoyed talking with him. Since we had no electricity we sat on the patio with candles and flashlights. Bedtime in Haiti is very early. We were in bed by 9:00 p.m. I think. Our original plan was to have Sutton sleep in our room with us. I ended up taking her down to the Nanny’s because it was so hot in our room and she was not happy! She was out of her element and I think a little overwhelmed. It was easier on her to be where she was comfortable, it was a hard decision but one I’m glad I made! The electricity came on around 10:30 p.m. and that meant a fan!!! What a difference that made! We were able to finally fall asleep!


Friday and Saturday and Sunday

We awoke to the sounds of cooking and kids crying. It was very early- maybe 5:30 a.m. I was able to go back to sleep until 7:30 a.m. but not Jody. He got up did his bible study showered etc. He was a little apprehensive of going down to see the baby because he did not know the Nanny’s routine and did not want to bother them. After I got up we went and got Sutton. The tension in the house was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Half of the Nanny’s were unable to come in because of the lock down. There was a transistor radio on in each room and it was very obvious that the Nanny’s were very worried!! Actually the entire staff was tense. We spent the morning playing with Sutton and the other kids. William was also home so we talked to him about Sutton’s birthmother. He said he would try to get her to come to the “O” the next day if it was safe to go out. Throughout the day we heard gunfire, but it was off in the distance. Jody said it was probably 3-5 miles away. We actually had electricity for quite awhile on Friday. We figured the government was trying to curb some of the violence by enticing everyone to stay at home with the power!! It seemed to work! We were able to send out a few e-mails and hang out in the office with the AC. Not a lot of work got done though. There was very little traffic on the street and most of the men stayed outside watching the street and kept an eye out for any violence close to the house. Vanessa gave us a tour of the house and things she hopes to have our Missions team complete when we go in February.

By evening it was obvious that the violence wasn’t as bad as they expected and the Nanny’s were able to relax a little. The night shift arrived and told tales of burning tires and some shootings but it was pretty calm. It was agreed that it still wasn’t a good idea for the Nanny’s to be out so most of the staff stayed the night at the “O”. It was a little crowded but the Nanny’s seemed to enjoy it! When it was time for Sutton to go to bed we took her downstairs to the Nanny’s. Before we put her to bed we both kissed her told her we loved her and Jody prayed over her. Andrea told us later that the Nanny’s that it was so cute that Jody did that and talked about how sweet he was. I guess he finally won them over!!! We were able to play cards in the office for a while before bed with “V” and “A” and listened to K-Love on the Internet. It was a nice evening and not at all what I expect in Haiti.

Saturday morning also started early and it was very loud. All of the day staff showed up and with the Nanny’s that stayed that night there were a lot of people there. Jody was a little more comfortable but still wasn’t ready to go get Sutton by himself so he woke me up and said he wanted his baby!!! I got up and went to get her. We spent the morning with Vanessa since she was leaving soon. After she left Nathan showed up with the lady that brought Sutton to the “O”. She is close friends with the birthmother and was thrilled to meet us. After talking with her she agreed to bring “mom’ back later that day at 4:00 p.m. I was happy but also worried. If Sutton’s mom saw her healthy and happy was she going to want to take her home!! I broke down a little at that point and Andrea assured me that she really did not think that was going to happen.

We then got to work on repairing crib mattresses. The mattresses had seen better days!! Several were repairable with duct tape but the others needed to be recovered. We used old air mattresses that others had been left behind and since they had holes in them they were useless. We cut the queen size ones in half and then had to cut apart the air pockets that are inside, it took forever!! When that was done we put a crib mattress inside and folded it up like a present. We then taped the whole thing with duct tape!! My dad always said, “If something can’t be fixed with duct tape it can’t be fixed”. Dad would have been really proud!!! Jody took the first mattress down to the Nanny’s and they APPLUADED him. It was very cute!! We were able to repair 8 mattresses that day. We were also able to repair several cribs that were falling apart. The Nanny’s realized what we were doing and started pushing broken cribs towards us some of them with babies sleeping in them!!

After lunch (Turkey Jerky and Trail mix was standard fair!!) I went downstairs to check on Sutton and was pleasantly surprised to find Sutton’s birth mom, 2 sisters and aunt downstairs. Mom was very shy and a little embarrassed. I went upstairs and got Andrea to translate since Nathan and William were gone. It was a nice visit and we were able to get a few pictures. William showed up and had Mom sign papers and promise to come to the meetings. Mom asked if we could help her by paying for school for the girls. We told that we weren’t allowed to do that before the adoption but would pray about helping her after the adoption was finalized. I was really glad to get the chance to meet her and see the girls. Sutton looks a lot like her mother and she is beautiful.

We ended up having a little dance party after they left and it was so fun seeing the kids dancing and singing. They love music and all of them have rhythm. They thought it was funny when Jody started dancing with them.

Several times a day the Nanny’s pray, read scripture and sing praise songs. It was amazing knowing the songs they were singing because of the tune!! The Nanny’s have so much faith and hope in God. They truly love God and are such an example to us all. One afternoon Jody went downstairs when they were singing and Manuella (one of the babies) was in her crib, she reached out her arms to Jody, so he picked her up and started dancing with her. When the song was over, the Nanny’s sang it again and again. Finally they stopped singing so Jody dipped the baby, put her down and took a bow. The Nanny’s applauded him again!!! He definitely was a hit with the Nanny’s!! They thought I was pretty funny, too! I took a shower in the early evening and came downstairs to get Sutton with a towel on my head. They laughed at me for quite awhile!!

Saturday night a really big storm rolled in. I am not a big fan of thunder and I was totally freaking out!! The rain was so hard that it was coming in the patio sideways, the lightening so bright that it was blinding and the thunder so loud it shook the house, which is made of solid concrete. Every time the thunder would roll I would scream, which made Jody and Andrea laugh really hard. The babies were so frightened they didn’t want to be in their cribs. It was also really hot!! The toddlers ended up falling asleep on the cool tile floor until the Nanny’s were sure they were good and asleep and then they were moved to their cribs. When we tried to go to sleep it was really difficult, it was SO hot! There was a group of men chanting a few doors down and it sounded like Voodoo. It was really eerie. The people that live next to the “O” are Christian and they started singing and shouting “Halleluiah” at the same time. The electricity finally came on at 10:30 p.m. and we were able to go to sleep thanks to the fan!

Sunday morning we awoke to singing and praising, it was really cool. It was a difficult morning for me. I knew we were leaving and I was having a really hard time. I spent time with Sutton and with Asnica and Woodvensly. I was taken with these 2 and have been praying for a family for them. Asnica was telling the other girls that I was her Mama and it broke my heart to hear. As much as I would love to adopt them it’s just not possible. I just pray that a family is found for them soon. They are both loving and beautiful children. Please keep these 2 in your prayers. Asnica needs a Mama!!!

When it was time to leave I finally lost it. I was crying and had a really hard time handing Sutton to the Nanny’s. I didn’t want to scare the other children so I kissed Sutton, handed her to one of the Nanny’s and ran out of the house. I didn’t even say good-bye!! Jody was able to kiss each of the babies on the head and thank the Nanny’s for me. The toddlers were all playing in their room so they did not see us leave. It is really hard on them when people leave so we thought it would be easier for them. Andrea went to the airport with us. The drive to the airport wasn’t nearly as bad as the ride to the “O”. On the way we saw a lot of people dressed in their best going to church. We also passed a church where we heard praising and singing. I left Haiti feeling very blessed by the privileges we have being American’s and a little spoiled. We have so much we take for granted, running water, electricity, and safe streets!! We so often do not appreciate what we have here. I pray that I am able to remember that and to thank God regularly for the gifts He has given me.

The rest of our trip was uneventful- long flights and a long drive home. We got home at 1:30 a.m. and it was 43 degrees. What a shock to our systems.

We are sure that there is a Haitian boy in our futures as well. I’m hoping that God reveals him to us soon!! I’m already planning my next trip to Haiti. I’m hoping to see my daughter every other month until she comes home!! If anyone is interested in going to Haiti let me know!!