The Gift Of Friendship

Last Thursday Chris' Mom and Sister came to Haiti and Chris picked them up from the airport.  I stayed back and did random jobs around the mission like working on the VW brakes and the solar panel installation.  When they returned, they had brought quite a few bags containing gifts for Christmas and a bunch of things for the mission.  One of those things was the compressor for our mobile air compressor.  A while back we had the piston seize in our compressor and had to make due with a single piston replacement that was too small to keep up with the demand of the plasma cutter.  You could cut for a little while, but then you would have to wait for the compressor to catch back up so the plasma cutter wouldn't get damaged.  Well, on Friday morning Jean and I looked to see how we could make the new compressor fit.  After moving a few things around, we noticed that the old hydraulic hose was pretty worn out and we needed one end to have a female connection.

I was heading to Port-au-Prince to pick up my friends Reneé and Adam from the airport anyway, so Chris asked me have a new one made while I was in town.  Reneé and Adam's flight was one of the first of the day and when I arrived at the airport, there wasn't the usual mob waiting to see who was going to be coming into Haiti.  I was talking with some of the taxi drivers trying to practice some Kreyol when I noticed Adam and Reneé coming out the doors.  They were the first ones out of the airport and we only had one guy try to help us with the bags....that was the easiest arrival I have been a part of.  I keep thinking back, wow, that went so smoothly.  After picking them up we headed to get the hydraulic hose made and then we were off on the drive home.  The first half of their time here, we stayed in a hotel close to Clean Water for Haiti called Le Xaragua.  After that we moved into the dorms with Chris' family.  It was so great to have Reneé and Adam come visit and finally have friends come and see first-hand what I have been writing about in this blog.  We did so many things and had such a great time that I don't think I can take time to write everything down.  Here are a few highlights with pictures:

Had a late birthday celebration.  Reneé and Adam brought a bunch of snacks and a few gifts from friends and family back home.  Thanks for all the cards...Dad & Mom, Amanda, Jordyn, Ilona, Bree, and Katie.

Got more familiar with everyone's favorite baby...Olivia.

Shot a few rats.

Took the mopeds out for a ride.

Enjoyed the local catch of the day.

Went to church at Canaan.

Took part in the missionary meeting.

Tried out the new ping pong table at the orphanage.

Hung out on the roof of the hotel to enjoy the cool weather and stars.

Visited Barb's school in Saint-marc.

Picked a few coconuts.

Worked on the solar array.

Went to the lighthouse beach.

Hiked to a waterfall...it was so cold!

Played some games.

Along with all the fun we had, there is always the reality of the surroundings when you live in a third-world country like Haiti.  Through a blog you don't get to interact with local people, you don't get the smells and tastes of the culture, you aren't overwhelmed everyday by the poverty that is all around, you aren't forced to evaluate your current lifestyle while you're starring starving kids in the face.  I am so thankful that Adam and Reneé were able to come and see what I've been seeing, to wrestle with the same questions I ask God all the time...I am grateful for the kind of community that embraces chewing on hard things together.

Yesterday I took Adam and Reneé to the airport for their flight.  It was one of the last flights of the day which greatly increases the chances that it will get canceled.  There weren't any problems though and they arrived in Miami safe and sound.  When I got back home, we had Thanksgiving dinner with Chris' family and I tried to get to bed at a decent time.  Today Chris took his family in to Port to catch their flight back to the States.  Leslie joined them, so my task for the day is looking after Olivia.  I guess they are not going to be getting back until late tonight so I'm on baby duty all day...no problem though...if you've ever met Olivia, you know what I mean.  Well, she is currently still taking her nap, but I better get ready to play the rest of the night once she gets up.  Thanks for checking in.