Thursday, January 6, 2011

Haiti Trip Day 1 - We Made It!

I've been spending a lot of time with Eli, my youngest son (2 1/2 years old), watching his favorite show with him. Today, I felt like an episode of Dora the Explorer! We checked the map, had to get from Atlanta to Miami to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Cap Haitian and finally on to Terrier Rouge. After setting out at 2 a.m., we finally arrived in Terrier Rouge around 4 p.m.. The traveling was not an issue, but arriving in Haiti was a somber sight. The airport had a large section of it shut down due to damage from the earthquake last year. They were still trying to repair it. Rubble and trash lined the street as repairs were slow to be made. People all over were looking for simple work, even as much as carrying our bags from the airport to our cars. And there was a lot of poverty. Everywhere we looked on our drive through Port-au-Prince to the small airport for our short flight to Cap Haitian was filled with people trying their best just to get by.

When we arrived in Terrier Rouge, we were greeted by a different sight: instead of trash-lined streets with people who seem to have lost a sense of purpose, the city was trash-free, and people all walked around with their heads held high and smiling. They had hope. Talking with people from the area quickly showed why: the school and the health clinic. Both have drastically increased the quality of life in the area, as children now get a fantastic education and are treated for their illnesses and diseases.

Our church's outreach through this area has been incredible. Giving hope to people is a powerful thing. It changes their entire outlook on life.

I look forward to spending this time in Terrier Rouge seeing the impact of the ministries of churches like ours: churches that work globally to spread the love of Christ!

Adrian Martin

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