I kind of felt like I was on the World Race again when I got into Haiti. It was chaos. As soon as I got into the airport it started to downpour. I stood in the warehouse type building and waiting for my luggage to come inside. It was soaked. We gathered our stuff and went outside to find our contact from AIM. It was still downpouring and everyone waiting for their ride was huddled and crammed underneath a small tent. I was on the edge of the tent so only my backside got wet. In front of me was a foot of water flowing like a river on the street. Cars honked noisily in a traffic jam. After about a half hour our contact finally got through to us and shouted, “Adventures in Missions!” The sound of those words made me come alive and we darted through the rain and ragging river to the van. Our contact lost his sandals in the current. We threw our stuff in the van and sat on “seats” that had no legs putting us an inch off the floor.
We weaved our way through traffic and people to the base. I peered out the window and saw miles and miles of devastation. Rumble, trash, mud, blue and white traps and people everywhere. I have been around the world to many impoverished areas, but nothing compares to what I have seen here. There is just so much destruction, it seems to never end.
Thankfully the base is a refuge. The building is perfectly intact. It is a large house with a view of the ocean from the roof! There are some 40 people crammed in here right now. There is electricity but it probably only works half of the time.
There is 20 staff people here and I love the energy they have. Everyone is on board and hungry to hear from God and see him work. And he is working. I keep hearing story after story of how God has been working and providing for the base. Like for example, yesterday some of us were hitch hiking to meet with local pastors and a guy pulled over in a beat up SUV. After talking for a bit we found out he worked at a NGO down the street. He took us there and showed us around. He offered to help us in whatever way he could. He offered us 5 gallon jugs of drinking water for the base and the use of his vehicle and driver when we needed. This is definietly an answer to prayer as transportation here is often times a bottle neck for ministry.
Thanks for your prayers! Things have been going well, there is just so much to take in.
