Day 18: Last Day in Haiti

Of course we couldn't leave without one last taste of Haiti. We were all almost out of the country when the Haitian Officials stopped Paul. Paul is Korean and he had not renewed his visa to work and get education in the States and although Northwest University had filed the appropriate forms, the Haitian officials wouldn't have it. For hours we waited at the airport waiting for them to clear Paul. It seemed like any possible excuse they could find they used against Paul until finally they accepted Paul's papers and we were on our way.

I'm really glad for the experience of going to Haiti, but I don't know if I'd go again. If I did, I would hope to live in a more integrated environment -maybe even in a Haitian home. That way I'd get a better look at what Haitian life is really like instead of the Mission of Hope filter. Although I enjoyed the benefits of living on a compound ( the constant water, food, and almost constant electricity), I feel that if I truly wanted to live in Haitian culture, I would have to live among them and not on a compound.

Day 17: Checking out the Beans for the last time

Haiti is interesting. I will miss Manansse, Delmonte, and Macles, but I will say I'm glad that this is my last full day in Haiti. I enjoy the sunshine and the green in the mountains, but Haiti has a lot of struggles. Among those struggles are learning how to manage their natural resources so that they neither become dependent on them or run out. I miss my family and my friends from home and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

Today we checked on all the beans again and collected data on them. I hope that the work we helped Dr. Dirt do will help the Haitians. There's a lot more emphasis on community in Haiti than in America, at least from what I can see. This is something I would like to work at and something I think is lacking in America. For the most part I'm just happy to be heading home.

Day 16: Party up in Part-au-Prince!

Today was a good day of chilln' with the NU team. Also, today was probably the firs day that I really appreciated Haitian culture. We went to Port-au-Prince for church, lunch, and fun.

Part of what made me appreciate Haitian culture was going to church -an American church. We went to an Non-integrated almost Baptist church in the middle of Port-au-Prince, which made me really miss the Haitian church we had gone to the past few days. They spoke English, which was refreshing and strange as over half the people there were Haitian. I felt the Pastor was really disconnected from the people as he biggest concern was the amount of trash in the bay. Haitians don't really care about trash as they have no garbage system or proper way of disposing of trash. His sermon was on Joshua 1:1-5, which is where God promises Joshua success if he follows Him.

We ate lunch at a Haitian pizza place (which was also very American themed), but the cool part was when we went to a lookout spot where we could see most of Port-au-Prince. If I had any money left I could have haggled with the vendors up there, which were a lot more high-pressure sellers than Mama-cheap-cheap (the vendor Mission of Hope allows to sell on their property).  It was a good day to realize how different Haiti is from America. 

Day 15: Staying Behind

The sickness did not evaporate overnight, but that's okay because it gave me a chance to think. Along the stories of King David, there's a passage that describes when some of David's men stayed behind to guard the supplies while the rest went with David to battle the Philistines. After the battle, those who fought wanted to keep the spoils for themselves while David commanded that the spoils be split evenly.

Today I stayed behind by less voluntary means. I had serious diarrhea (like 95% water diarrhea). With the counsel of the MOH RN and a few other students I elected to stay back to finish my battle with the foreign microbes in my intestines. Thus today went from a peaceful cross-cultural relations to an inter-species war. 

I also got the chance to reflect and pray today. I used a few minutes to check Facebook and my emails, but I got a lot of time with God in. I think God's been using this trip, specifically this sickness, to humble me. Throughout the trip I hadn't really been acknowledging God enough and when  I did it was a struggle. I was constantly tempted to think that I was something apart from God. Even though I didn't get to help the team put up goat fencing today, God used it to help mature me and that's equal to/ better than going out into the field. 

Day 14: It's Friday Friday gotta get down on Friday

Today was our vacation day, but apparently my immune system took a vacation as well. The day started out fun with great weather and an awesome beach resort. I enjoyed the sun, sand, and waves. However I got sick. I had a slight fever and an uneasy stomach. I thought it might go away, but it got worse as the day went on and I even missed the good meal they set out because of how sick I felt. Delmonte prayed for me and I took a few tums and I felt a little better.

It was really strange seeing how segregated the beach was as the only Haitians there were those trying  sell us stuff. The only Haitians there to enjoy themselves were Delmonte and Macles. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere, so it made sense that they wouldn't be able to afford a day or week off to relax, which got me to thinking about the best way to help -if there is a way to help. Since Haiti is in the natural resource trap, the bad government trap and occasionally the civil war trap, Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion maintains that sending more aid will only worsen the problem or give minimal assistance at best. It seems Haiti is in a bit of a rut and needs leaders from its own community to help it out. 

Day 13: A day out in the fields/ A visit from St. Nicholas

Remember that scene from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? The one where Peter, Edmond, Susan, and Lucy were walking through Narnia and they think they here the sleigh bells of the Witch, but it was actually Saint Nicholas coming to give them gifts that they desperately needed? That was how today was -except that we didn't run away from a witch.

We went to Thomaseau to inspect the fields and give suggestions on how they can fix certain problems. The funny part came when they would ask us to repeat the presentation to those who had missed it. Every time the first presenter would go and they would ask a question totally unrelated. Actually, all of their questions revolved around instant solutions to pest control and soil improvements. Mission of Hope's Haitian staff answered a lot of the specific questions.

During the trip here I've been questioning where God wants we to go with my career, specifically if He wants me on the Pre-Med path. God sent Dr. Steve Smith like Santa to the Peter, Edmond, Susan, and Lucy. He told us a lot about his Pre-Med school experiences and his medical school experiences. Apparently it's only 6 years of academics (including undergrad) and the rest is on the job training. It was good to get a glimpse of what medical school holds for me.

Day 12: More of NOT being the monkey

Remember how when the NU group visited a village uninvited and kind of awkwardly, and then we visited Turpin and felt acceptance and less like Duane Elmer's monkey? This time we did it even better.

Today, I felt like a celebrity, in all the good ways. We went to a Thomaseau, a remote farming community in a valley. We greatly respected and they even had a few drinks and snacks waiting for us when we arrived. We were able to give more advanced presentations and they drank in the information. When I spoke, I forgot to mention my name and after my presentation they made a big deal of knowing my name and I felt honored.

They Thomaseau community valued the help and were puzzled as to why we did it for free. They even gave us a lavish meal of chicken, rice, and other vegetables they were growing. Tomorrow we get to investigate their fields and help problem solve troublesome areas in their farms. I feel that this approach was a lot more relevant and part of the Haitian culture, or at least done in a way they respect.

On a side note was totally rude to one the members of the NU team today. Devon said something I disagreed with and I feel like the way in which I voiced my thoughts was too harsh as it closed off any room for discussion. I tend to do this a lot, so I hope she knows that I respect her and care about her.

Also, we got stuck on the way back, which was a pretty fun adventure in and of itself.