Another Week........

Another week has flown by.  We have had a very energetic team here who were always game for something - be it a work project or a fun activity.  They left last Thursday in the van and most of their luggage in a taptap.  They hit road construction and morning traffic in Port au Prince and in the midst of this the taptap had two flat tires.  The two vehicles also got separated in the traffic.  MarcEddy flagged down another taptap to transfer the luggage and carried on.  The van made it to the airport in time for the flight, but the taptap did not.  The team decided to leave without it so when the taptap arrived at the airport, the luggage got put in the van and came back here. 
The team flew from Miami to Denver where their flight was canceled due to bad weather and they had to spend the night there.  Instead of arriving home late Thursday night, it was late Friday night.
We are working on a plan to get the luggage back to Canada with others who will be coming and going from here in the next 1 - 4 weeks.

This weekend marked the beginning of Mardi Gras.  It is a time of rukus partying that carries on for the week.  Today and tomorrow are national holidays.  A couple of days ago, we heard the sounds of voodoo drums mixed with sounds of Mardi Gras.  It was very sobering to hear the two mixed together. 

On Saturday, we went to Port au Prince to buy some supplies for building projects and some food items from a wholesale place.  We left a 6:00 and returned around 2:00. It was a successful day.  The trip was uneventful.  Driving through the slums in the city is always a reality check of where we are and why we are here.  They live in such a desparate situation.  Grand Goave is a poor city, too, but there isn't the deep deep despair and poverty like in the city slums.

We have a team arriving today from BC.  There will also be folks from Alberta and Ontario arriving to speak at the Youth/Worship Conference which will take place from tomorrow until Friday.  Three to four hundred people are expected to attend.  Haiti Arise will be humming with activity!