We're in Haiti!

Bonjou! This is Sharon Mitchell and I am part of the 1st winter Eagle Brook Church team along with my wonderful husband and 10 beautiful women. Today was our travel day in which most of us were up at 2:30 or 3am. We met at the airport at 3:45 am and traveled all day today. After a layover in Miami, we made it to Haiti at about 4pm.

Flying into Haiti was very reminiscent of a trip our family took to St. Thomas a year ago.....the beautiful blue carribean water, the gorgeous hills and mountains, the villages dotted across the landscape. As we got closer, there was evidence of the earthquake, but you had to look closely to see the bare foundations and rubble.

Everything went very smoothly at the airports, everyone made it through security and customs quickly and without issues and all of our flights were on time. We definetly felt like God was watching out for us. The airport wasn't even all that different from Haiti.......until we got out of the airport with our 31 suitcases (Yes, we brought a ton of supplies!!!!). Suddenly we were surrounded by men in red shirts, yelling at each other and each trying to lay a hand on our luggage....trying to claim our business and ultimately our tip. With lots of "no, merci" from us, we ultimately made it safely to our "tap tap" (a beautifully painted truck with bench seating in the back that amazingly held all of us and our suitcases!).

As we drove away from the airport, I remember thinking that this isn't as bad as I thought it would be....paved streets, grass, parks....again a reminder of St. Thomas. Then we turned a corner and headed up a pot-holed, rain washed street, reminding me of riding in a tractor through fields where I grew up, bumpy and throwing us and our suitcases back and forth and against the sides of the truck. The scenes changed immediately. There was garbage that had been there so long that is was flattened and dirt covered. There were other piles of fresh garbage with dogs digging through it.....and the smell was overwhelming as we drove by. A big pig was just walking down the side of the road. A family was in their tent, the mom dressing her little girl. We waved at everyone as we drove by and they responded with waves and big white smiles. Some boys chased us for awhile. Men were playing dominoes at a card table in the middle of a vacant lot. Just a glimpse of what we are yet to see and experience here and I can't wait.

Thanks to all of you that are supporting us at home and giving us this experience and chance to love others as God loves us. I am praying that God will allow me to see Haiti through His eyes with all the anticipation of a wide-eyed child......and I'm sure He will!