Haiti
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Second-hand Compassion
I’ve heard it said in order to go live in Haiti it’s a nice idea to either be crazy or have a clear calling from the Lord. And preferably both. Not sure if I have either of those, but this past week I’ve had strep…
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More Driving Stories
Filling stations in Port-au Prince have been out of gasoline for five days. That’s 3 million people with no gasoline. They say the reason is because an oil tanker from Venezuela is two weeks late. Probably Venezuela forgot to send out the boats after Hugo…
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What to Do on My Day Off?
Many aspects of Haitian life are intense. Sometimes Haitians drive their cars like maniacs. Sometimes they worship the Lord like maniacs. Today I had the opportunity to witness both. It was technically my day off. Last time I had one such it was spent sleeping…
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A Tale of a Very Steep Hill
Right now there is no water at the guest house because the well pump is broken. And the generator at Heartline’s new Haitian Creation property bit the dust today too. And tomorrow is the grand opening for their new property! Guess it’s all par for…
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When Helping Helps (maybe)
They say nothing we learn goes to waste. In relation to language progress in Creole, I’d say that is true. Every time I learn a new word I quickly find a use for it. In the process of memorizing John 3:16 in Creole I learned…
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the Month of March has Arrived – and time Marches on
Hard to believe I’ve been here 3 months. My Visa officially expires tomorrow. But I’m working on becoming a resident so it’s Ok. Part of the process of becoming a Haitian resident is getting a physical. To that end I went to a local clinic…
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Things One Sees in Haiti
Think I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, one never knows what they will see next in Haiti. Case in point, while I was typing the above sentence the guest house plunged into darkness as our electricity shut off. Luckily the battery on my…
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Narrating Pertinent Happenings
The last several weeks have been nonstop. So busy I’m dizzy. Therefore I requested today (Monday) off – and it was granted. Last night I slept 14 hours! Holy smokes. Then late this morning I was happily munching cereal whilst watching others work. After getting…
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Degaje (day-gah-zay)
This commonly used Haitian term literally means, “Get By,” and has the idea of, “Just make it work somehow,” or, “Jerry Rig it.” Examples of Degaje abound, and to be honest they drive me nuts. I prefer things to be done “correctly,” whatever that means.…
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Driving in Port-au Prince, Haiti
So Heartline has four vehicles I get to drive around Port-au Prince. One of them is a 1992 Toyota 4runner. Just like the picture below: Except our 4runner “put itself out there” and now doesn’t look (or drive) so nice as perhaps it once did:…