Na
Mache Men Nan Men
Tuesday, December 26, 2000
Sharon, Kyle and I were up at 4:45 am. My Dad
and Mom picked us up to drive us to St. Mary and then the airport.
All ten of us travelers Jim Rush, Jake Rush, Doug Granlund,
Helen Hession, John Velton, John Willis, Jim Weiss and the three
of us were at St. Mary by 6 am. We had all 20 of our suitcases
and 10 carry-ons and 10 backpacks loaded into two vans (ours and
Rushs) and in Brian Roarks truck before a special
send-off Mass at 6:30 am. What a send off it was as over 40 people
were at the Mass in the parish chapel! In addition to Father Bob
and the 10 of us, those in attendance included Naomi CasaSanta,
Patti CasaSanta, Jim & Theresa Newell, Bob & Shirley Fitzgerald,
Joanne & Jenna Willis, Brian Roark, Kim, Nick & Kelsey
Granlund, Mike & Patti Cassidy, Art Taylor, Thom Reed, Rod
Ray, Bill VanAlstine, Loretta, Sara & Mary Rush, Mimi Melville,
Adel & Lulu Yaacoub and several others that I missed writing
down their names. (Tim Maloney met us in Indy at the airport as
we were boarding our flight.)
The temperature this morning was 4-degrees and there were 16-inches
of snow on the ground (Im not sure how to explain either
to those in Haiti, although Helen brought Polaroid pictures of
the snow nage in Kreoyl -- to show!)
We tried to check our bags all the way through to Port-au-Prince,
but could not do so due to our overnight layover in Miami. Our
flight #37 on TWA left Indianapolis at 10:33 am and arrived in
St. Louis at 11:21 am (Indiana time). One of the true ironies
of this trip came with the help of our travel agent, Annette Crane
of Adventure Travel. She was wonderful in helping us get reservations
and the best rates and warned us of certain airlines that had
potential work slow-downs on the horizon. Even better, she upgraded
most of our seats to first class (at no extra charge) both
going and coming from Haiti. How ironic, my first trip in first
class and Im going to Haiti.
We had nearly a two-hour layover in St. Louis, long enough to
find hot dogs, TCBY & coffee all the necessities of
life in America. A euchre game or two was played a common
occurrence at each airport layover. St. Louis was under a cloud
cover and had fog and some freezing rain and light snow that morning.
Due to the weather and the de-icing procedure, we were in the
plane over one hour before finally taking off at 2:55 pm on TWA
flight #146. The clouds began to clear away as we flew over northern
Florida and the Gulf coast. Lunch on board was chicken or a Mexican
wrap, green beans, drink and a warmed raisin cookie. As we approached
Miami, we saw a rainbow out the left side of the plane that formed
a complete circle with a spot in the middle. Of course this was
a GREAT sign for Sharon, Kyle and me. When we arrived at Miami
at 5:15 pm, it was 74-degrees and sunny.
When we landed we had to handle ALL of our luggage (a task we
hadnt had to do the first time I went to Haiti last March
since we went straight through). Luis the luggage man at
the airport was a great help in getting our bags gathered
and out to the hotel shuttle. We had four rooms at the Double
Tree Hotel about a mile from the airport and we arrived there
at 6:30 pm. After unloading, the three teenagers each got in the
pool, but it was very cold. Jim managed to find some beer and
we ordered sandwiches and pizza to be delivered to the lobby.
Several of us took turns walking to a nearby mall to pick up last
minute items. The boys all watched The Klumps on HBO
in Rushs room. We were in bed by 9:45 pm, knowing we had
an early start tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 27, 2000
We were all up at 4:30 am to be ready for an early flight to Port-au-Prince.
Half of us shuttled to the airport at 5:15 and the rest at 5:30
am. We got all the luggage checked without incident. However,
Jim and Jake Rush and John Willis were told they were only on
standby and not guaranteed a seat. This was our first big obstacle
of the trip.
After a quick stop for breakfast at a Burger King at the airport,
we got to gate D-17 and found out that not only were those three
truly on standby, but that our flight was delayed at least until
10 am (due to lots of ice and weather the day before in Dallas
the hub of American Airlines.) Instead of our plane this
morning coming from Lima, Peru, American was bringing one down
from Canada. John Willis and I were able to reach Annette Crane
to enlist her help in solving the ticket problem for Jim, Jake
and John. Numerous phone calls later, she had them booked on the
second flight from Miami to PAP (scheduled for an 11:05 am take-off.)
The plane from Canada did not arrive until 9:45 am. One advantage
of the delay allowed us to make a Cinnabon stop as well as play
more euchre!
We also met a couple from Florida. They are missionary leaders.
We talked a lot with them about what to expect in Haiti. After
one of the nearly endless one-liners by Jim Rush, he added, If
you write that down, Ill break your pen. Im trying
real hard not to be the Brian Roark of this trip! Too late
Jim. I got it written down.
We -- well the seven of us anyway! -- didnt take off until
11:15 am on American Airlines flight #377. Jim, Jake and John
took off about 45 minutes behind us on flight #1291. Lunch en
route was a chicken wrap, salad, bread and warm cookie
all on china with real silver ware (remember we are in first class!)
I sat next to a 26-year-old lady named Joan. She was born in Haiti
and lived there 15 years before moving with her mother to Miami
for 9 years. The past two years, she has lived, worked and gone
to school (nursing) in New York City. She is heading back to visit
other family. We talked a lot about the language and culture of
Haiti. (Jwaye Noel is Merry Christmas; Bon Ane
is Happy New Year.) As we were landing in Port-au-Prince at 12:41
pm, the view of the city brought tears to Sharons eyes as
she thought it looked like a massive train-wreck.
The airport in PAP reminds you of a 1950 vintage airport. When
you deplane, you simply walk down the stairs and walk across the
tarmac to the customs building. Surrounding you are the majestic
mountains of Haiti (you cant see the city side of PAP because
of the customs building.) Once inside, you enter one of several
long lines (remember the whole plane and its a large
one with nine seats across is doing the same thing) to
get your passport stamped and customs declaration turned in. Haitian
calendars for 2001 were being passed out while we waited in line.
As we waited to get through this passport check, I saw Sha Sha
waving and waiting for us.
Once past that post, there were hugs all around from Sha Sha.
The next room was a big baggage claim area. No one could leave
this area without going through a final customs check of the luggage.
We didnt know if all 20 of our checked bags would arrive
or if 6 were taken off to go with Jim, Jake and John. Constantine
(complete with an airport ID badge) introduced himself to me and
said the Hospice asked him to help us at the airport. Sharon,
Helen and John Velton watched all the carry-ons, while Kyle, Doug,
Jim Weiss, Sha Sha, Constantine and I tracked down each piece
of luggage (all 20 pieces were on our first plane.)
Before we had retrieved the luggage, the second plane with Jim,
Jake and John Willis landed. By the time they went through the
first passport check, the rest of us with Sha Shas help
had began going through the baggage-customs check. Whatever, Sha
Sha had told them worked, as they simply were waving us past into
the last small holding room before leaving the airport building.
We were told by Constantine to say we had no medicines
which we didnt since we didnt have a doctor with us.
(We had no prescriptive medicine, only over-the-counter stuff.)
Helen and I got Jim, Jake and Johns attention in line and
hurried them through the baggage customs part as well.
Immediately as we exited the building, we were inundated with
Haitian men wanting to help carry our bags (for a tip of course!)
The 20 bigger bags were loaded on three carts, which we had to
push through this crowd. It was not easy to stay together. We
were quickly separated. Fritzner and his friend Sergo (whom we
hadnt met before) appeared and helped us (although I was
the only one to recognize and know Fritzner and know he was truly
help and not another red cap.) This was very scary,
especially since it was happening so quickly.
Each Red Cap (they actually wore yellow shirts) wanted
to help, and it was impossible to know which one was in charge
or even who to trust -- until time to tip when one clearly
out-yelled the others, Im the boss! By that
time we had already tipped Constantine and probably a few others.
John Willis had pulled a bill from his pocket to tip, not noticing
it was a $100 bill. Luckily he never handed it to anyone else.
It took 20-30 minutes to get through this 60-yard gauntlet and
load Tidans truck and the 12-passenger bus for Hospice St.
Joseph (and it seemed a lot longer!). In retrospect, none of them
was trying to hurt us; each simply wanted some of the action since
Americans do tip very well (and Haiti is such a poor country.)
Once we pulled away, we all could breathe a little easier. However,
our first experience of Port-au-Prince still awaited us. The road
nearest the airport wasnt too bad. But after the first left
turn, we seemed to be going up a dried-up creek bed. The homes
all had walls with either barbed wire or cut bottles of glass
on top to keep people out. Also many of the homes were built of
concrete and apparently built one on top of the other. Often times
the construction looked incomplete (such as rebar still sticking
up into the air). Supposedly, if a building was not finished,
it wouldnt be taxed as much.
The complete hustle and bustle of a city was quickly apparent.
The streets were narrow and there were no sidewalks. However,
people lined both sides of the street walking in either direction
with traffic attempting to go both directions as well. In addition,
there were various markets lining the streets along
the way with many items from food to clothing (and many other
things as well) to sell.
Kyle described his first impression of PAP as it looked
like a bomb or hurricane went through there but no one did anything
about it . . . they just continued to live there.
We arrived at Hospice St. Joseph shortly before 3 pm and met all
three nuns there Sister Ann, Sister Maureen and Sister
Kay. We then unloaded our entire luggage. The stuff for Pendus
was stored in a locked room down-stairs by the clinic, while the
rest went to our rooms on the third floor. Each room had a bathroom,
complete with a toilet, sink and shower. (The middle floor included
the kitchen, dining room, chapel and the nuns quarters as
well as a computer room.) This building has been a hospice run
by the Sisters of Tipton, Indiana for about 10 ½ years.
Before that, the building had been a small hotel.
Since we arrived so late, we hurriedly left for a short tour of
Port-au-Prince with Frantzy Fortune as our driver. He first took
us to Visitation House. We saw the mural of the 14 Haitian Stations
of the Cross behind the soccer field on the complex. Soon Ron
Voss met us there and gave us a brief history of the home and
of Haiti. We each made a few purchases of Haitian artwork and
enjoyed a cold soda pop (mine was a fruit Champaign called Couronne)
before continuing our tour.
Since we wanted to be back at the Hospice for supper, the rest
of our tour consisted of driving by the Catholic Cathedral (there
was a wedding going on inside and this was a Wednesday
evening), the huge market in front of the Cathedral, the Episcopal
Cathedral, the Haitian White House, the national museum and Champsmars
Park. We did not make very good time on this excursion as traffic
was often at a complete standstill.
Back at the Hospice, dinner was at 5:50 pm and consisted of Soup
Joumou (a squash or pumpkin soup and the national meal of Haiti
representing its independence on January 1, 1804), rice with bean
sauce, salad and tomatoes with Culligan water, Coke, Teem and
Prestige Beer to drink. Afterward we sat on the third floor balcony
overlooking a picturesque Port-au-Prince. Several times the light
flickered and went off, sending us looking for candles.
At 7:45 pm I got a phone call! It was from Sister Jackie (who
was still in Gros Morne.) It was bad news our second big
obstacle of the trip. There had been a lot of rain in the Pendus
area on Tuesday and today, making the road impossible to travel
on until it dried out. This meant we werent going to make
it to Pendus on Thursday as planned. It had to quit raining and
begin to dry out before the roads would begin to be passable.
We couldnt come this far and not make it to Pendus.
I told the others that this possible predicament gives all new
meaning to the saying, If God is willing and the creek dont
rise!
Many of us took showers, albeit cold ones. We continued to talk
on the balcony by candlelight until finally retiring at 10:30
pm. Kyle and John decided to sleep on cots on the balcony to catch
the comfortable night breeze.
Thursday, December 28, 2000
The night noises were new to most of us . . . roosters at all
hours of the night, dogs barking (Sharon said it reminded her
of the dogs on 101 Dalmatians), people talking, music and vehicles
seemingly racing up and down the steep hill outside the Hospice.
After a much-interrupted night, I got up at 5:40 am. It is amazing
watching Port-au-Prince awake in the morning. From both the balcony
and the wall along the street, we saw and heard the early morning
stirrings of a city coming to life.
Sha Sha arrived and had a Mass in the chapel for us at 7:30 am.
Before Mass, we presented Sha Sha with a chalice (donated by Mr.
& Mrs. Koches) and a pair of pix (to carry hosts in) from
Helen, Doug, Jim Rush and John Willis. Today is the Feast of the
Holy Innocents and Sha Sha focused on the children of Haiti
while they need clothes, food and toys, what they need the most
is love.
Breakfast followed at 8:20 am and consisted of Sweet Mornings
(a type of Corn Flakes), carnation milk, bananas, oranges, cantaloupe,
bread and apricot jelly and coffee. Since we couldnt get
all the way to Pendus today, we werent in a great hurry
to leave. However, we didnt get away until 10:50 am because
one of the drivers, Tidan, was picking us a French nun in PAP
to take to Gros Morne with us. We loaded up in a four-wheel drive
truck driven by Tidan and a 12-passenger bus driven by Reynolds
Joseph. John Velton, Fritzner and I started out on top the luggage
in the back of the truck (and soon was joined by Doug.) The rest
rode in the bigger van. Sha Sha said 16 Haitians could easily
fit in there, although it was a very snug fit for the eight that
had to ride in it.
In my opinion there isnt a better vantage point to view
the Haitian countryside than from the back of the pickup truck.
The drive from PAP is beautiful as it approaches the edge of the
mountains and follows the Caribbean coast until you reach St.
Marc. From there it heads inland. We made a short stop (1:30 pm
to 2 pm) at a Texaco gas station -- the only place with air conditioning
the whole time in Haiti. Sha Sha treated us to ham & cheese
sandwiches, cookies, Pringles and various soda pop. We got to
St. Marc at 2:30 and left any semblance of pavement (but not Highway
#1) about 2:45. Kyle described the travel (including on Haitis
good roads) as eight hours of driving across railroad tracks!
Jim Weiss got a good laugh when he added, Its a good
thing my hemorrhoids are in remission!
Several times along the way, Sha Sha told those in the bus there
was an hour left. Several hours later, they were still
traveling. This created the often-used phrase Sha Sha time.
We finally reached Gonaive and the Bishops house for a short
break from 4:30-5 pm. Our two vehicles were not together at this
point. Next to the Bishops place is a power plant. Doug
saw two generators that were made in Lafayette! Ten minutes outside
of Gonaive, we left Highway #1 and began our journey on the Highway
to Heaven. I called it that on our first trip as it had
many ups and downs, twists and turns, but when all is said and
done, the destination is worth all the effort of the trip. I hope
everyone else agrees with me.
To describe this road as a road is often giving it
more credence than it may deserve. With the added fun
of the mud from the rains, our adventure was beginning. I said
many off-road enthusiasts would pay big money to take the ride
we were getting! Shortly after dark, we arrived at Gros Morne
at 6:15 pm at Sha Shas rectory. There were enough beds for
us all to stay here tonight. We hadnt been here five minutes
and I got a phone call from Dr. Adel Yaacoub wanting to know how
we were getting along!
Dinner was at 6:45 pm by candlelight! We had macaroni and cheese,
chicken, salad, potatoes, carrots and beets, labour (pronounced
la-bwee it is an oatmeal-type porridge), and either
Coke, Pepsi or 7-Up. After dinner, I presented Sha Sha with the
new Rockport shoes donated by Tom Mosser and delivered other gifts
for him and Jackie from us, the Yaacoubs and even Jackies
sister-in-law.
Then Helen got her guitar out and we practiced our singing of
Na Mache Men Nan Men or We Will Walk Hand-in-Hand.
Pretty soon we were singing Christmas carols and a whole host
of songs that she brought the words to. Sergo also played her
guitar and did quite well. Several others joined our group sing-along,
including a young Haitian named Donald that shared a song sheet
with Kyle, Father Jean Baptist and Sister Vivian. The sing-along
continued by candle light until 9:15 pm. Several of us got cold
showers before finally retiring at 10:30 pm.
Friday, December 29, 2000
The local roosters had a call to arms
around 2 am. What noise! In addition there were the usual dogs,
cars, snoring and a 4:30 am loud speaker broadcasting something
for all to hear. We were up anyway at 5:30 am as the normal morning
Mass at Our Lady of the Light was at 6 am. There were probably
100 people there besides our group. When the collection was taken,
Sister Vivian called it the march of the widows might!
as each one had to walk to the alter to deposit his/her donation
(and most of them were apparently older widows.) We sang Na
Mache Men Nan Men at the end of Mass. As we concluded, several
local dogs gathered at the entrance to the church and began howling
. . . I dont know if they didnt like our singing or
our Kreoyl . . . but we all had a good laugh.
As we left church, four young Haitian girls called Jeff!
Jeff! I recognized them as attendees at the wedding in Pendus
last March. They were Nadine, Jose, Sabine and Fabiola. Fabiola
remembered I was a lawyer (which Kyle said in her English sounded
more like liar.) She also remembered Steve, Tim, Craig and Brians
names from the March trip. I added Margo and Jane but she couldnt
remember any names but the mens. When Sharon had herself
introduced to her as my wife, Fabiola gave a disgusted look. We
ended up singing the Hand-in-Hand song again in the courtyard
for the four girls and several older ladies (one of which wanted
a copy of the music and words.)
We ate breakfast at 7:30 am back at the rectory. It consisted
of scrambled eggs and Spam, bread rolls, oranges, hot chocolate,
coffee and orange juice.
There is a basketball court outside the church as well. At one
end the drop off is at least two feet in one corner, while a big
pile of stone sits at the other corner. After breakfast, Kyle
and John joined in the game. Without knowing each others
language, the boys blended in well. All the boys were quickly
able to recognize each others talents and communicated approval
with slapping of hands or high-fives after a good play. It was
great to watch. Jim and Jake Rush, John Willis and I also each
took turns in the game too.
While the basketball game was going on, Helen and Sharon began
playing with the younger children with a tennis ball. They soon
had a crowd as well. Helen said that when she first introduced
herself to some children, they thought her last name was Haitian.
She had to correct them to say Hession.
Sister Jackie had a few errands to run, so several of us went
with her while the boys still played basketball. We stopped by
the Hopital Alma Mater (Latin for Hospital of Our Mother), and
then drove to the homeless shelter that was currently under construction.
We delivered two machetes and some hoes and rakes for the workers.
Jackie said some of the blankets we sent down in the sea container
would be used here when it opens soon. We then drove by John 23,
the new 12-room Monfortan school that was finished since March
(replacing the one-room school back at the church.) They were
still working on drainage and fencing around it. One classroom
is for secretarial training (for girls all over the Gros Morne
area). The electric typewriters we sent are being used here. Next
to the school is land the sisters acquired for a new convent.
The view of the surrounding mountains is spectacular Gros
Morne after all means Big Mountain.
When we returned to the church, the game was still going on, but
Kyle was talking to a local boy (without an interpreter). Kyle
said the other boy didnt know English but did know Spanish,
so they were conversing in Spanish!
All of us then went back to the Hospital (Jackie drove Doug and
a few others to finish assembling the pulmonary machine, while
the rest of us walked the three blocks.) When those in the vehicle
arrived, they saw a baby that had died from diphtheria being carried
out in a small wooden casket. Jackie was upset, as the death was
avoidable with a simple vaccination (which didnt occur either
because of cost, distance to get to the hospital or superstition
about vaccinations.)
On the way we tried to buy some Haitian candy to show the boys
the bartering process. Once we bought a $1 worth, they began to
give it away to the ever-present entourage that followed us.
At the Hospital we saw the EKG machines and the autoclave that
Dr. Yaacoub got donated to go with the sea container. An American
missionary girl named Krista gave us all a tour through the various
sections of the hospital.
We finally packed and left Gros Morne at 11:45 am. Hopefully another
half day of sun and breeze will allow the road to be passable.
The roads were steep, treacherous and indeed muddy in spots and
both vehicles fish-tailed through the worst places. Several times
we crossed a creek or river by simply driving down one side of
the bank and up the other. My vehicle driven by Tidan was in the
lead and arrived at Pendus about 1:20 pm.
The other vehicle wasnt so lucky. First it had a flat tire.
Doug said they were on an incline and had to put rocks under the
other three tires to keep it from rolling backward while they
changed the tire. Then they ended up getting stuck in the mud
and everyone had to get out and push (getting muddy in the process.)
Tidan came back and picked up some the passengers from the second
truck, while the rest of them ended up walking the last part to
Pendus. They arrived 20-30 minutes or so behind us.
As we approached Pendus, several young children came running out
of the roadside yelling, Blan! Blan! Blan! I thought
Fritzner would wet himself, as he laughed so hard. He said they
were saying, The whites are coming! The whites are coming!
It was said with excitement and not as a derogatory remark. As
we got even closer, several of the children began calling, Jeff!
Jeff! Boy did that make me feel great that they remembered
me.
Pendus is a relatively quiet little village located at the end
of any drivable road (assuming what I previously described was
either drivable or a road!) in the north central mountains of
Haiti. The entire area that comprises Pendus actually has nearly
19,000 people spread out all over the mountainsides from
Massacre (pronounced Ma-sak) to Savanne Carre and
all in between.
The guesthouse that we stayed in at St. Joseph was built with
some of the first money sent by St. Mary. It is has a concrete
floor and concrete block sides and a concrete roof. It consists
of four bedrooms (two of which are accessible through one exterior
door) and a bathroom (which has a gravity fed shower, toilet and
sink but not safe drinking water.) The gravity fed system
is simply three 55-gallon drums of water on the roof that are
filled with rainwater or water carried up from the river and hand
pumped to the top of the roof. There is a patio courtyard between
the guesthouse and the kitchen and rectory.
Even before the second vehicle arrived, I was playing a game of
O-O-Ski-Watt-En-Tani with the children. Helen kept
teasing me, calling it Obi Wan Kanobi. This was a
popular game last March. I didnt have to reteach it at all
as they all remembered how to play.
Madam Marcel Garcon served lunch at 2:15 pm in the dining room
below the rectory. We ate chicken, beets-carrots-peas, potatoes,
rice, bananas, bread, Haitian grapefruit jelly, water, cokes and
Prestige Beer.
Afterward Kyle and John wanted to climb the large hill overlooking
the St. Joseph compound. I asked Doug and John Willis to go. Since
they got their shoes muddy on the way up to Pendus, they had taken
them off and placed them outside their room. Neither could find
his shoes to go on this hike (and Doug did not have another pair
of shoes with him.) After a moment of panic, they finally found
them Madam Garcon already had them cleaned and had them
drying!!
I had Sergo ask one young boy if he knew how to get to the top
of that hill. He said he did so I gave him three suckers and off
we went. We soon had several boys hiking with us. The view from
the top was spectacular in all directions. We waved down to the
others at St. Joseph, saw the Pendus River snake around the village,
saw a nice soccer field down-stream a short distance and saw animals
grazing, even that high in the mountain. I got out my binoculars
and the young Haitian boys loved looking through them.
One of the boys at the top with us wore a green t-shirt with Yes
I Can written on the front. His name was Benedict. John
Willis said he was never going to be able to keep all the names
straight. I told him, Dont worry, hell be wearing
the same shirt all week (and he was!). Later Sha Sha told
Sharon and I that Benedict needs a sponsor for his schooling even
though he goes to a school other than St. Joseph (His mother has
died. Since his dad remarried, Benedict now lives with his grandmother.)
Sharon and I said we would sponsor him.
We met and visited with Jean Claude, the sacristan Francoisa,
his son Jackson (who is in his first year of seminary) and several
others. We also played more games with the children. The two bank
boards, rims and nets have been put up in the courtyard in front
of the school. The rims are only 8 1/2 feet high and the court
is rocky and slanted on an incline. However, there usually seemed
to be someone shooting baskets.
Many times throughout our stay, we would play games and sing songs
with the children. Helen and Sharon taught them the Hokey Pokey
and other songs. Once Jim Rush got a limbo game started much to
everyones enjoyment.
Sharon had brought a bunch of beads and accessories to make necklaces
and bracelets. She was quickly inundated with children wanting
to participate. She said it was like a swarm of bees. Several
of us began to help her pass these out in the patio area and help
the kids put them together. Afterward, Sharon got out the bottles
of bubbles that she brought. We all enjoyed watching the children
chase the bubbles in the air. Even Sha Sha blew a few bubbles.
Art Taylor had donated a Polaroid camera (to leave in Pendus for
future groups to use too) and nine rolls of film. The Rushes also
had brought one with lots of film too. Throughout the weekend,
Jake, John and Kyle took pictures of the Pendus children
and Fritzner and Sergo (as all ages truly enjoyed this)
and gave them to the kids to keep.
One funny story came about when Jim Rush and Jim Weiss were introducing
themselves to some of the local people. Rush said, My name
is Jim. They responded, Ah, Jim (with the soft J
French sound). Weiss then said, My name is Jim as well.
They responded, Ah, Jimaswell (as if it were one word).
Needless to say, he was called Jimaswell the rest of the trip.
There was a rosary service about 6:30 pm in the church. We took
turns doing a decade in Kreoyl then in English. I asked Sha Sha
what his favorite verse in the Bible was and he said Isaiah
45.
Dinner was at 7:45 pm. We had chicken soup, labour, bananas, bread,
grapefruit jelly, coke and Prestige.
There were many improvements that I noticed that have occurred
since I last visited in March:
1. The school addition was finished and the whole
school was painted.
2. The 5000-watt generator we sent in the sea container was in
use and a 10 x 10 building was built around it for
protection. It also sat on a concrete slab. It sat a few feet
past the end of the bathroom of the guesthouse.
3. New wiring was in place running to the rectory, guesthouse,
dispensary and church from the new generator.
4. A 12 x 24 building sat behind the generator building.
It was divided into two 12 x 12 rooms (the floors
were not yet finished.) The right hand side is to be a kitchen
for the school and the left hand side a warehouse for the church
(to house such things as we may send in future sea containers!)
5. The outhouse was now completed and had doors on each stall!
(Something Steve Klinker can truly appreciate!)
6. The two basketball goals are up and a grass court
in use.
7. The concrete block fence was now totally completed surrounding
the entire church/school area.
8. There were decorative, painted iron coverings for each window
in the guesthouse.
Im sure there were other improvements that I did not notice
as well . . . and this does not include all the evidences of the
sea container contents being put to good use!
After more games with the children, talking around the patio area
and taking turns getting a cold shower, we all went to bed by
11:00 pm
Saturday, December 30, 2000
The night noises had plenty of cows, birds and
roosters, along with some early morning chanting (which we figured
to be voodoo). The church bells also rang at 6 am for the Prayer
of the Angeles They also rang each day at noon and 6 pm
for the prayer as well. The morning was cloudy and showed signs
of rain in the mountains.
As always there were children hanging around for our attention
even before breakfast, which was served at 7:15 am. Again we had
scrambled eggs and Spam (it comes in a can so its easy to use
up here), bread and grapefruit jelly, oranges, bananas, coffee
and lemonade. As to the use of Spam in Haiti, Sister Jackie said,
It is something that keeps. World War II has nothing on
us!
Shortly after eight oclock, we left for our hike to Massacre.
We were lucky it was overcast as it made it more comfortable for
the morning-long climb up the mountain. Due to the recent rains,
the river that we had to cross 4-5 times was up considerable from
March. In March, you could simply walk from stone to stone to
cross. Now the water was at least knee deep. You either waded
through it with shoes on, took off your shoes and waded across,
or were carried across (usually by one of the Haitian young men.)
About half the way up, Helen decided it was too steep and slick
(due to the mud) for her comfort. So Sha Sha had her and Fritzner
stay at a nearby home of a local woman. Helen also met her husband
and children. The husband makes wood coffins (there were two rooms
in the house they couldnt see since they were for the dead.
Thank goodness; there were no dead bodies there when they were
visiting.) They talked, played games and sang songs. They also
learned that the woman practices voodoo and has a voodoo
chicken which was bigger and fatter than the normal
ones. Helen later sent her a thank you gift for her hospitality.
Sharon was completely enjoying this hike until half way up when
she got a migraine headache. It actually caused her to vomit a
couple times. Sister Jackie massaged her neck and helped ease
the pain.
While within sight (and earshot) of Massacre, we saw the foundation
and beginning of the back wall of the new school/church that St.
Mary is funding for Massacre. We arrived at this school at 10:40
am. Laid out in an L shape, there are four classrooms
and a larger room for the church (which will also double as another
two classrooms). All the foundation was complete, which is impressive
since we didnt send the first money down until August, and
October and November are the rainy months. The part of the back
wall of the church section was also started. There were many piles
of sand and stone collected for further construction.
After a twenty minute stop at the new construction, we finished
the last 10-minutes to Massacre. The drums and singing from the
school got louder as we approached. Sharon said when she heard
the drums and music it was as if angels carried her the rest of
the way. Kyle, John and Sergo were the first to reach the school
and be welcomed in. We were all a little teary-eyed by the wonderful
reception we received.
During a formal welcome, the principle compared our effort to
climb up to Massacre to Jesus who also was not afraid to
climb a mountain! After more greetings by the principal,
Sha Sha and Amotess (the schools founder), we sang the Solidarity
Song for them. I also presented Amotess a Kreoyl Bible and a pair
of moccasins (made by Carol Rollet in Lafayette). He suffers from
elephantiasis and his right foot is much larger than his left.
The moccasins were the best way make a shoe that could fit based
on the measurements we took last March.
Sha Sha followed with a Mass in the open-air chapel. Following
Mass we presented each of the children and teachers there with
a rosary (made by Candy Reeds class at CC), a toy (many
of which were McDonalds hand puppets) and a piece of candy.
Sha Sha enjoyed playing with the puppets.
By now, Kyle was getting hungry so he, Sergo and Lionel (a local
Pendus boy) headed back ahead of the rest of us. On their way
back down, they picked up Helen and Fritzner and took them to
Pendus as well.
The teachers gave each of us a coconut to eat (both the juice
and the coconut meat.) It was good. We then went to Amotess
house and he tried on the moccasins. They fit perfectly. I explained
through Sha Sha that these were durable as they were made of deer
and elk but they didnt have a Kreoyl word for either of
them.
On the walk back, we stopped at the storage area for the school
construction. There were many pieces of lumber and concrete bags
both of which are expensive to buy and to haul up the mountain.
For example, a 16 2 x 4 costs $70 Haitian (about $17 US);
a 16 1 x 12 is $117 Haitian (about $30 US) and a 16
1 x 4 is $35 Haitian (about $12 US). One bag of cement costs $30
Haitian ($7.50 US) plus $7 Haitian (almost $2) to haul it up the
mountain. Itll take about 100 bags of cement and about 3,000
blocks in the construction. Sha Sha also pays the local people
for each pile of sand and stone gathered as well as 2 Goudes (about
10-cents) to make each block. A paid construction person oversees
all the work.
The walk back was not eventful. However, the cool water felt very
refreshing each time we had to cross the river on the way back
to Pendus. We got back at 3:05 pm. In the village just before
reaching the church, I met Benedicts grandmother, father
and two sisters (Ken was his cousin!). His grandmother says he
only wants to stay at the church while we are here.
A late lunch was at 3:20 pm, consisting of chicken and goat meat,
rice, bread, grapefruit jelly and potatoes.
Afterward, Jim Rush attempted to show the Haitian boys how to
play football American style. Some of them could run and catch.
Meanwhile, several of the girls were doing songs and chants in
a circle. I got a tape of some of the singing.
At 5 pm a group of community leaders, including a pastor and others
not from St. Joseph, met for two hours with me, Sharon, John Willis,
Doug, Sha Sha and Sister Jackie in one of the schools classrooms.
I gave a history and purpose of Habitat for Humanity and answered
many questions they had. Jackie said a lot of groundwork was needed
to set the stage for a Habitat chapter in Pendus. For example,
the people there assume anything coming from the whites
is free. Since a Habitat home is paid for (albeit interest free
over a period of time), it could create a lot of jealousy if perceived
by the community to be a gift. Also the concept of
the community helping each other to build a house is foreign as
everyone there is truly poor and needy (at least materially .
. . not spiritually!) Everyone there agreed the meeting went well
and the potential is great for Habitat. However, more community
consensus-building is needed. Doug Taylor, the Habitat director
from Lafayette is scheduled to meet Jackie in Pendus on January
9-11, 2001 (after he and others from Lafayette finish working
on building a church elsewhere in Haiti.) Hopefully the seed is
planted . . . and will fall on fertile soil and not among the
cactus and thorns!
While we were meeting, a lot of great singing was heard coming
from the patio area of the rectory-guesthouse. Helen, both Jims,
Kyle, John, and Jake were having a regular sing-along covering
a wide-range of songs (such as Proud Mary etc.) The enthusiasm
of all involved was obvious from the volume of the singing. Unfortunately
they were done singing by the time our meeting wound up so we
missed out on that fun. However, the bongos were brought out and
some dancing began which we got to be part of. Jim Rush was clearly
the hit of the evening. I told him later that I hoped he hadnt
become engaged with any Haitian women during any of the ritual
dancing! (I heard Jake relayed this to Loretta when they got home!)
Dinner came late at 7:50 pm. We had Bouyon (a potato, carrot and
goat soup), labour, bread, bananas, coke and Prestige beer.
Afterward, Sha Sha and Sister Jackie took our group back to the
classroom for a candlelight reflection on the readings from tomorrows
Mass. Those readings were Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Psalm 128; Colossians
3:12-21; and Luke 2:41-52. This was done partly so wed know
the Sunday readings when they were being read in Kreoyl. We also
shared our reflections of the visit thus far. What a peaceful
feeling we had when this was over at 10 pm.
After sitting around the patio area talking some more and waiting
to take turns in the shower, we finally all go to bed shortly
after 11 pm.
Sunday, December 31, 2000
Again chanting was heard at 4:30 am, along with
roosters, cows and the 6 am church bells. Needless to say, we
were up by 6:30.
Before breakfast, Doug and I talked with Sha Sha about needs for
the school and church. They would like to get pews that had backs
on them for the church. We also told him about Brian Roarks
idea about painting the apostles pictures in church (like
in our newly renovated Cathedral at St. Mary.) Sha Sha was so
excited he wanted to know if it could be done BEFORE our next
group visited in March! They could also use a manger scene as
the one they now use has a larger Joseph holding a boy Jesus,
a Jesus in a manger and a much smaller-scaled Mary with her head
taped back on after being broken (all of which sits on top of
one of the boxes we sent with the sea container.) Stations of
the Cross would be another good idea for the church, as they do
not have any at this time.
For the school, they could use teachers desks and cabinets
to store things. After desks for Massacre are completed, they
could use desks here too. We also noticed that there are no crosses
or crucifix in any of the classes.
Throughout the visit we teased, Sha Sha that there were three
languages spoken in Pendus . . . Kreoyl, English and Sha Sha!
In addition we always teased them about Sha Sha time
since a precise start was the exception rather than the rule to
most things. When I was here in March, I taught him the phrase
Youbetcha (meaning Oui! Oui! Oui! with feeling) which
was used a lot this time as well. We also taught him You
snooze, you lose! which he was finally putting to good use
when we left. (Jackie had to do a little more interpretation to
explain that one!)
Breakfast was at 8 am. We ate spaghetti, oranges, bananas, coffee,
bread and grapefruit jelly.
An alternating Kreoyl-English rosary was said in church at 9:30
before the 10 am Mass. The church was over half full (but not
as much as normal since the rains were keeping the people from
at least two chapels from walking to church.) Still the joyous
sound from the ones present and singing was inspiring. After the
homily by Sha Sha, he had all of us stand in front to be introduced.
Since the theme of the Mass was the Holy Family, he compared Sharon,
Kyle and I to the Holy Family. He also had some palms blessed
and presented them to me to give to St. Mary to be burned and
used on Ash Wednesday. He then had me address the parishioners
on behalf of all of St. Mary. Obviously Sister Jackie did the
interpreting for the congregation. After Mass, Helen sang the
Holy Family Hymn which was written by her uncle, a
priest from Fort Wayne. The people picked up the words quickly
and began to sing along in English as she sang it a second time.
Mass was not over until 11:30.
Afterward Helen and Sharon had brought make up for the Haitian
girls. They spent quite a while putting blush, lipstick and fingernail
polish on the girls and then letting them see themselves in a
mirror Sharon had.
Today was a big market day in Pendus since tomorrow (Jan. 1) was
a big feast day in Haiti (their Independence Day) followed by
another feast on Jan.2 similar to our Thanksgiving Day. Both days
revolve around lots of food and family, so the market had lots
of food to sell. Kyle and John got pictures of a cow that had
been slaughtered in the market for the meat. There was also another
cow tethered on a rope, ready to be slaughtered in case the first
one was completely sold. John also bought some sandals for what
he thought was $1. However, the person insisted on another dollar
and John paid it to avoid any hassle.
Sha Sha and I walked to Benedicts house and met his sisters
Moselene (age 10), Lense (age 10), Roseline (age 8), Pegi (age
6), his father Ruben and his six-month-old son from his new marriage.
In addition, Ken (whom I had met in March as well) was there and
said he was a cousin to Benedict.
John Willis went to visit a fourteen-year old girl named Carmen.
He and Joanne will be sponsoring her for school. He also met her
mother named Madam Ceroy and her sisters Cecile (age 16) and Christine
(age 10). John had met Carmen and her father the night before.
Carmen also has a brother Jean Humain (age 20) and a sister Adline
(age 18).
Sha Sha also introduced Doug to a sixteen-year-old boy named Simeon
Bericles. He is in high school Gros Morne. His father has abandoned
the family and they are raised by their mother (whom Doug met
later that day). He has several brothers and sisters, but Doug
was not sure how many or how old they were because no translator
was available at the time the two met. Doug and Kim are going
to sponsor Simeon. Doug also got a couple pictures with Simeon.
Several of us also visited the homes of deOnvil Saintville and
Jean Claude Alexis. DeOnvils home is a thatched-roof, dirt
floor home that measures about 15-foot by 25-foot. It is his home
along with his mother and seven children (his wife died in November,
1999.) There are only two rooms inside. Other than a walkway through,
there is no space except for the beds, one of which had a blanket
from the sea container on it. He has an old, iron forge in front
that he works along with a small patch of crops.
Jean Claudes home sits beautifully behind the St. Joseph
complex, overlooking the Pendus River yet still nestled among
the mountains all around. Since he now works as caretaker for
the church, he has completely replaced the old, rusted, leaky
roof with a new one (since I was here in March). His home is a
little larger (probably 25-foot by 25-foot) as it had four total
rooms in it and a dirt floor. The exterior walls are not watertight
and still need attention. He had a stick-built cooking room several
yards behind his house along with several plants growing for food
on his parcel. There were also several animals pig, donkey,
and chickens around.
Sharon brought paper and crayons for the children. The school
principal opened one room and it soon was filled with children
drawing pictures for Sharon to take back to St. Mary. Helen, Doug,
John, John and Kyle also helped in this distribution process.
Sharon also had a good, long talk with the principal about education,
children and teaching.
Back at the church, preparations were being made for the childrens
benediction (which was supposed to be last Thursday on the Holy
Innocents Day but was postponed when we couldnt get to Pendus
that day.) Kyle, John and Jake with help from the rest
of us set out the rest of the toys, childrens clothes,
candy and balloons we brought on three 16-foot benches in front
of the church. The benediction began with a welcome read by one
of the young boys (I attached a copy of it and its translation
at the end of this article.) Then several girls sang songs, as
did Benedict and Serge. Jake then read a welcome on behalf of
all children of St. Mary.
After the blessing, the children came up one-by-one and picked
out one toy and piece of clothing along with a piece of candy
and a balloon. When the ceremony started there were 100-120 children
there. As the ceremony continued, more and more children began
to arrive (largely due to the distance many had to walk to get
there) until probably 300 were there. We had to scale back the
gifts to either a toy or piece of clothing along with a piece
of candy and a balloon. Sha Sha said the children of Pendus had
never had such a Christmas. The benediction was not over until
6:30. There were some families that didnt make it until
later, but we still had some toys and candy left to give to them.
During the benediction, an older lady came in wearing a bright
blue dress. Jackie said she was one of the poorest in Pendus,
but she came to show off the dress she had received from the sea
container. She sat right next to me throughout the whole service.
Sharon also saw another lady wearing a dress she had donated as
well. Hard telling how many other clothes were from the sea container
as well but we didnt recognize them.
There was a Midnight Mass scheduled for later for the feast day.
Since it was dark and drizzling, many people simply stayed in
the church to wait for the later service to begin (After all,
where else could they go and what else could they do? Only the
church had any electricity and lights.)
We ate supper at 7:10 and had plantains (fried bananas), bananas,
chicken, labour, french fries (much to the delight of Fritzner
and Kyle), toast, juice (it needed lots of sugar), coffee, coke
and beer. Afterward, we stayed in the dining room and talked with
Sha Sha and Jackie about the trip and how to improve it as well
the needs of the church. We talked about the Port-au-Prince airport
experience, the difficulty of the drive to Pendus and the Massacre
hike, learning the language in advance and being prepared for
the candy experience the first time we try to give
something out in public.
On the positive side we talked about bringing toys, clothes and
candy for the kids (that no matter how much you brought, there
was always a need for more, but that shouldnt be a reason
to not bring those things.); bringing more young people with us
(as Kyle, John and Jake were a hit with the children . . . not
to mention that they had a great time as well); and about the
ideal group size being 8-12 with some flexibility in different
situations.
While it often is difficult to explain to others what exactly
we do in Pendus, after these few short days it was readily apparent
that building relationships is by far and away the most important
thing we can do and in fact do accomplish on such a trip.
Jackie said the needs of St. Joseph are the same as when they
last wrote to us (after our March visit), meaning finishing the
school at Massacre, redoing the dispensary at St. Joseph, getting
a salary for Madam Garcon and possibly enhancing the teachers
as well. We also touched upon such things as Stations of the Cross,
pews and a manger scene for the church. Most all the time we were
talking in the dining area, we could hear wonderfully joyous singing
coming from the church from the many who were biding their time
until Midnight Mass.
Before we finished our discussion, Madam Garcon brought us some
popcorn (no salt or butter), while Sha Sha opened a bottle of
Champaign for a toast to our sister church relationship.
Before church, Kyle asked if he could give something to his guide,
Lionel. I had one long-sleeved Macker shirt left that Id
worn this week. He and I gave it to him and thanked him again.
We went into the church for Midnight Mass shortly after 11 pm.
Another rosary service was held. About 11:40 everyone in the whole
church knelt on the concrete floor and stayed there in prayer
until after midnight. I know it was the first time I ever ushered
in a new year on my knees. It was a humbling experience.
Benedict sat in the pew directly behind Sharon and me. About half
way through Mass I noticed him asleep on the pew. By the end of
Mass he was awake again. When Mass was over we both gave him a
hug. The more he tried to fight back the tears, the more it made
both of us cry. He followed us to the patio area (by now its
after 1:30 am) and stood around in the drizzle. Seeing him shiver,
I got one of my blankets and wrapped it around him and gave it
to him to keep.
Its going to be a short night, as we didnt get to
bed until 2 am.
Monday, January 1, 2001
Bon Ane! Happy New Year!
We were supposed to be up at 6 am so we could leave by 7 am. I
saw Jackie at 5:45 and said Bonswa. She said, You
mean Bonjou! I said that it still seemed like night to me!
It had been raining for about an hour when I got up. I was worrying
about the mud for the ride home. Tidan and the other driver were
late getting to Pendus, so we all didnt have to get up quit
as early as originally planned.
We had breakfast at 7:15. We ate Soup Joumou (the traditional
New Years meal), scramble eggs with Spam, bread, jelly,
bananas, coffee, water and juice.
Lionel was one of many there to see us off. He gave Kyle the Polaroid
picture of Kyle and him that he had received earlier in our stay.
It was all he had to give and it was a way for Kyle to remember
him.
As usual, Jean Claude was up early and working sweeping the patio.
He had on a purple Onekama, Portage Lake sweatshirt
that Sharon had donated as part of the sea container. He
had no idea where it came from and we were very surprised to see
him wearing it!
In anticipation of a wet and muddy ride home on top the back of
a truck, I decided to change into my sandals, swim suit and t-shirt
(it was raining but still warm enough that I wasnt cold
dressed like that.) When I changed, I left my bag in my room (it
now had all my clothes, wallet, shaving kit and film in it). By
the time the second truck arrived at 8 am, I was out playing Oh
Oh with the children in the rain.
As soon as the last truck arrived, we were loaded up at once and
ready to go. I asked Kyle to check the rooms one last time. He
said that they were already locked (by Madam Garcon, who else).
So we took off. As we pulled away, Benedict was standing on the
hill to the side of the road crying.
One hour into the wet ride, we had our first flat tire of the
ride home. In the process of getting it changed, I realized my
bag was still back at Pendus. Since my passport, plane tickets
and some cash was in the safe back at the hospice in PAP, we did
not go back to get it (they promised to get it to me somehow .
. . remember Doug Taylor is suppose to be visiting Pendus about
Jan. 9-11) As I road to PAP, I had an uneasy feeling Id
be wearing my sandals and swim suit through the airports home
too. Kyle said, Dont worry Dad. You fit right in now.
You have as much as the Haitians do!
We stopped at Grepin (pronounced Gray Pay) and looked
at the warehouse where the desks from the sea container were being
stored. They were all there. We also saw a couple boxes of clothes
that hadnt yet be disbursed. One such box contained a bunch
of Gus Macker shirts that I had donated. Sha Sha let me have one
so I could wear a clean, dry one home (which I did end up wearing
home.)
At Gros Morne, our second truck was emptied back into the 12-passenger
van. That driver had to go back to Pendus for Madam Garcon and
promised to look for my stuff. We also picked up Diefson (pronounced
Jeff) Joseph and his mother Petitlia. They are heading
to Indianapolis for heart surgery for Jeff. He is a sweet, quiet
boy. They will be staying with Molly Brady and her parents in
Indy. We will help them get to Miami (we are all on American Air
to Miami. They stay on American the rest of the way home while
we switch to TWA).
Sha Sha could not go any further as he had a retreat to go to
this week. He presented each of us with a gift a hand-made
and hand-stitched Haitian shirt for each guy (except me since
I got one last March), a similar styled skirt and some hand-stitched
napkins for Helen and Sharon, a table cloth for Sharon and I and
an alter cloth to give to St. Mary Cathedral. Final good-byes
were said to Sha Sha and we were back on the road. By now the
rain had stopped, although it was still overcast.
As we left Gros Morne, our two vehicles got separated as Tidans
truck had a bad celanoid. Within two minutes, someone stopped.
Tidan told them something and within 10 minutes came back with
what he need to fix it (his shop is located in Gros Morne). We
also went back to Jackies house to pick up some mail that
was forgotten. Add in a another flat tire later and we seemed
to be well behind the other vehicle. Tidan gave it his best effort
to catch up on these roads, so John Willis, Doug and I had a great
ride home in the back of the truck.
Just before we reached the bishops house in Gonaive, Doug
stopped to take a picture of the two Cat generators made in Lafayette
he saw on the way up.
At the bishops house, Tidan saw Jean Mary and some others
drive by in another of his trucks. He flagged them down and made
them change with us so we wouldnt have any more trouble
the rest of the way to PAP (and we didnt). We also drove
past the Cathedral and statue in front of it on the way out of
town.
We stopped at the same Texaco gas station on the way back and
shortly thereafter saw our other van stopped along side the road
with everyone out for a swim in the Caribbean. We stopped and
wasted no time in getting in too. It was very rocky on the bottom,
but felt great. We felt refreshed for the rest of the ride home.
The ride through PAP just after sunset was interesting from the
back of the pickup truck . . . especially since one week ago we
probably wouldnt have done that! We arrived at the Hospice
St. Joseph about 6:15. Sergo had to leave once we got back to
go see his family and could stay for dinner with us. So we all
said good-bye in the parking lot to Sergo.
They were waiting supper for us since they knew we were coming.
I asked Sister Kay if I could check the Internet on their computer
to see the Purdue-Washington Rose Bowl score. She said to check
with Sister Ann in the computer room. We found her there . . .
WATCHING the Rose Bowl game. It was 17-17 midway through the third
quarter. After we had supper (as others were waiting on us to
eat), Purdue was behind and eventually lost 34-24. But we did
get to see some of it!
A shower, even a cold one, felt great. Doug loaned me some underwear
and Jim Rush some long pants and socks. Together with my Macker
shirt from Grepin, I was set to head home tomorrow. I did get
a call from Sha Sha about 9 pm telling me my bag with wallet and
film was with him in Gros Morne and that theyd get it to
me somehow (hopefully through Doug Taylor.)
We sat around on the balcony and talked until nearly 11 pm. Once
again, Kyle slept on the balcony, this time on one of the couch-type
chairs. I had one new night noise tonight. At midnight,
Sister Ann knocked on my door and said I had a phone call! It
was Adel Yaacoub calling to make sure all was OK!
Tuesday, January 2, 2001
We were up by 6 am, had a short prayer break
in the chapel at 7:20 and ate breakfast at 7:30. We had a type
of corn flakes and Apple Jacks (left over from the stash Kyle
had brought to Haiti to eat), carnation milk, bananas, oranges,
bread and jelly, coffee and water.
After one last group photo, we were loaded and heading to the
airport by 8:20. Unloading at the airport was so much easier,
since we only had three bags to check and one of them was little
Jeff and his mothers. When we reached the airport, Fritzner
had to leave as the second driver had offered to take him home
(which was a lot safer for him since he now had a bigger suitcase
with a lot of stuff to take home that had been given to him by
our group.)
Once inside, the Red Caps allowed our group to bypass
the line to get checked in at the American Air window. I had everyones
ticket and passport and the check-in went smoothly. After that,
we each paid our exit fees ($30 American and $2 Haitian). At this
point, we had to say our final good-byes to Jackie.
After a short stop for duty-free Haitian rum and a few other things,
we boarded American Air flight #1646 and took off nearly on time
at 11:50 am. Lunch was served on this leg of the trip. Guess what?
It was chicken and rice. We landed in Miami about 1:40 pm. There
was supposed to be someone with a wheelchair to help Jeff and
his mom. They walked right past the wheelchair. While we went
back to get it, Kyle took Jeff on his first escalator ride (and
back down the other stairs.) I loved the look on his face. All
his mother could say when she got off the plane was Big!
We had to go through separate customs. Five of us stayed with
our luggage and the other five finally met up with Jeff and his
mom in line at their gate (they were going on American to Chicago
OHare and then on to Indianapolis.) She seemed relieved
to see us when we got there, as they did not speak any English.
We made sure they got on board (a 3:22 pm flight). We called
Annette Crane to see if see could help things go smoother in Chicago.
They really didnt as the flight got to Chicago too late
to make the scheduled connection to Indy. American was going to
simply put them up for the night. Mollys Dad called and
told them they didnt speak English and hadnt flown
before. Not until he said Jeff was here for heart surgery did
they bump someone else and get them to Indy by midnight (or 3
½ hours later than originally scheduled.)
We still had some time to eat before our flight so we headed to
Shapiros for pizza (thats what the boys wanted). However,
they were out of sausage, so I took Kyle to Burger King for hamburgers
and a shake. Our flight # 505 on TWA left Miami at 5:30 pm and
arrived in St. Louis at 8:40 our time. Once we landed we realized
out flight to Indy was delayed over one hour. We waited, playing
cards and watching some videos on Jims camcorder screen.
We finally left St. Louis at 11:25 Indy time on flight #100. We
landed in Indy at 12:15.
When we got off the plane, my Mom and Dad, Father Bob, Brian Roark,
Patty CasaSanta, Naomi CasaSanta, and Eileen Hession Weiss greeted
us. We began retelling our many wonderful stories as we waited
for the luggage to arrive. Father Bob rode home with our van and
we relived the week with him the whole way home.
After dropping Father Bob off at the rectory, we finally got home
at 2:30 am. Believe it or not, but I made it to work Wednesday
by 8 am, as I had a busy day of collection cases.
Before we got home, everyone in our group said they wanted to
go back the best testimony of the effect the trip had on
each of us.