Living Haiti

Every Few Days...

Honestly, it seems like every few days something just plain wacky happens here. Well...I should clarify. When I say something that's "just plain wacky," I mean something that seems wacky in my North American, United States Citizen frame of mind. It's amazing the amount of crazy that is dealt with at times here.

Before I get into the crazy, I would just like to say that I have had a GREAT couple days. Yesterday was so restful and provided me the opportunity to do some of the much needed tasks that needed to be attended to in the United States that are SO easy for me to ignore in my life here. Ok, sometimes I'm not ignoring the tasks, I'm actually unable to perform them because I am here...but still, they need to get done. I talked to my parents for over an hour and even got to have a conversation with one of my best friends. I worked on some wedding details, and was able to try to sort out some of my banking/paypal issues due to the bank reissueing me a new check card without my knowing. So hopefully soon I'll have that all in order.

A very good friend of Gertrude's and one of my favorite people form my "Haiti circle" called to say she was in country. Her name is Mary and I met her my very first trip to Haiti. I knew she was the kind of lady to say it like it is, and not be worried about pretention. She was just here because she wanted to serve. And serve she does. She works at the Missionary of Charity hosptial for the sick and dying here in Port Au Prince when she is in country now. Gertrude and I went up to meet her there last night and went to the mass they had there. If you'll excuse me for a moment while I skip into some "churchy" talk. I'm not Roman Catholic. I am Lutheran and come out of a pretty liturgical tradition of Lutheranism. And I am learning to love the times when I tag along to the Roman Catholic mass here, because even though my language skills are not super awesome, I always know what's going on in the service because it follows the same liturgy I know from my church tradition. It's beautiful...it feels like coming home. Yesterday I had the added benefit of being surrounded by people with, what most of my friends and family, would call devastating diseases...HIV, TB, etc. I think worship takes on a whole different meaning when they people you are surrounded by really truly believe soon they will be seeing their Savior face to face. There was a comfort and a hope there...and it was beautiful to be a part of something like that.

We spent last night and this morning catching up and telling old Haiti stories. It's good to be with friends!

Tonight we heard knews that Baby Doc, Jean Duvalier, former dynastic ruler of Haiti returned this evening after 25 years in exile. This is the "wacky" of today. None of us are really sure yet what it means to have him back. I was only 6 years old when Baby Doc fled to France...I have no real knowledge of his rule here. Only what people have told me and what I have read. Google it, if you'd like to know more. I won't write anymore here for now. Who knows what will happen next. For now, I'm praying for peace. Really, what Haiti doesn't need right now is one more crazy thing to try and sort through. The days have enough trouble of their own right now, without extra crazy needing to enter in. I guess we'll wait and hear what the news is tomorrow. Haiti could use a little rest.