Today I unpacked a bag that I didn't really use. It was hard, discouraging and made me feel like I had never really left MN at all. I packed it last week with anticipation, excitement and the normal smidgen of anxiety and arrived in Port-au-Prince on July 6 around 4:30pm. I have been making this trip once or twice a year since 2010 and, for the first time in awhile, I had 3 teammates with me. Jenn, Sarah and Kristen had taken a leap of faith to travel with me to Haiti to help lead seminars at our annual teacher training. None of them had been to Haiti before, but felt a strong calling to work with the teachers in Williamson.
Shortly on our journey towards Arcahaie and Williamson we came to a stop along Route National 9 due to what I assumed was daily traffic. Then we saw the bus turn sideways along the road and people started stacking tires. We got a phone call from Alexis to turn around. Thanks to quick thinking, Jamil drove us safely to Visa Lodge which would become our home for the next 4 days.
Long story, short, we never made it to Williamson. In fact, we barely made it outside the walls of the beautiful hotel which, to some, may have been a relaxing vacation! I am grateful to have made it safely to this oasis, but it was not the trip we had planned.
Haiti is country full of unfortunate realities. They have a history and current issue with political corruption. They have a unwanted, but ever present dependance on foreign aid versus a sustainable trade model and many of their citizens lack access to basic education and health care. All of these factors came to light last Friday around 4:30pm when citizens revolted against a terribly unfair hike in gas and diesel prices that can only be described as ludicrous. Road blocks made from burning tires, large stones and turned over cars and buses were set up all around the country.
The media and the U.S. Embassy has a way of bending the truth a little, however, the situation (as Jamil always called it) was nothing short of unstable and travel to our final destination became unlikely. As a team we decided to find an early flight home.
As discouraging and disappointing as this was, I am home now reflecting and feel more deeply convicted about my role in this whole Haiti thing.
It was the wake up call I think I needed.
