Sunday, Kreol Style

Sunday in Haiti is church day. 

 The team got all gussied up (well, we had on skirts) and went to 

the Pernier Baptist Church in Petionville (an area of Port au Prince). 

 We love this church and wanted our newbie team member Becca to enjoy this service. 

 It is in Kreol but there are some things that transcend a language barrier. 

 The order of service is roughly the same as at home - hymn singing, sermon and communion. 

 The really cool thing about this week's service is that about 40 people were 

lined up across the front of the church and down the center aisle. 

 The pastor and the elders of the church made their way around and spoke to 

and shook the hand of each person. 

 After church we asked Kessy, one of the young men who translates for our team, 

what all of that was about. 

 He said that the Sunday before was Homecoming for their church and that the people 

who were lined up were being formally presented as members of the church.

After church we changed clothes and headed to the beach. 

 The plan was to see some property that the Chadasha Foundation is planning 

to purchase to build a respite for the children they serve.  

As we traveled the road to the beach we came upon a field covered in white and gray rocks. 

Spread over the rocks were hundreds of black crosses. 

Some with wreaths long since dried up and withered, some just plain. 

This place is the mass grave for over half of the people who perished 

in the earthquake of January 2010.

Rather overwhelming but in hindsight it seems a peaceful, dignified place 

to place the remains - away from the chaos of the city.

Once again found out why Haiti's nickname is "Waiti". 

 The beach resort where we stopped for lunch took so long to serve us (>2 hours) 

that we missed our opportunity to see the property. 

 We needed to get back into the safe confines of the guesthouse before it got too dark. 

 This city just isn't safe after dark.

By the way - after riding for a total of 3 hours on the "prison truck" 

(our open air chariot for the week) I cleaned my face with a makeup removing wipe. 

The black stuff is mascara, the tan stuff is dirt. 

The air quality from dust, burning trash, and vehicles exhaust is significant. 

This is not a country for germphobes!