On the PAP Beat (Day 6)

Today I drove my first Haitian adventures using the Pathfinder. This is akin to driving in New York City, except that there aren’t any traffic laws being enforced (if such laws even exist here), and there are no stoplights or stop signs to speak of; nor street signs, if you are in to that whole labeling thing. But before I get ahead of myself…..

This morning we held Mass, concelebrated by Fathers Alan and Malherbe. We ate a leisurely breakfast and then spent some time with Father Voltaire, a young priest who came by to see if we could connect him with Theresa at the Parish Twinning Program.

It was like a little priest party.

Both of the Haitian priests left around the same time, but it was definitely sad for me to have spent such little time with Father Malherbe. He is a great advocate of us learning Kreyol, so we always sit around and talk as he patiently repeats himself, and generally talking very slowly and distinctly. He has done such amazing work for Fond Pierre and has motivated both his parish and our parish of St. Patrick’s to commit to service in a real way. I am still in awe at his accomplishments with the rectory and the parish house. He has vision and a good understanding of serving his people as pastor, helping to feed and clothe his flock both physically and spiritually. He is a true servant of his people and of God.

At noon, Father Alan, Thay, and I went to the airport to pick up Ted Archer, who sang in the University Choir and who just graduated from Washington and Lee. Ted’s parents are “Ayitien natifnatal”, Haiti-born, and he has only visited a limited number of times and then not for some time. I was very humbled to be a part of God’s bringing him here. He and the rest of the Haitian students at W&L did so much to make me feel included in their Haitian spirit, so, when Theresa called me, one of the first people I thought of was Ted. Through the generosity of Burr Datz, no stranger himself to Haiti, Ted received a scholarship to come down from the University. Itfelt “right” from the beginning, so it was validation for me to trust my intuitive feelings a little more—and it still feels “right” now for him to be here. I was so proud and happy for him to have “come home” in this way. He has already been a great help—he jumped right in with the light cleaning we did to prepare for our guests and has helped with dishes and all without being asked. Not that this is surprising in the least. Still more validation to trust my friends and my inner vibe more.

Ted finally got in contact with his relatives—he has cousins and aunts and uncles all over Port-au-Prince. There is going to be some sort of Homecoming, which will be awesome.

So, driving to the airport was, well, like crazy fun. What can I say? When all is chaos, most people don’t seem to have it together. However, I had a great time, but it took a great deal of patience and concentration—it is, after all, someone else’s car.

The trip to the airport went so well that we ventured to the supermarket.

A crazy trip of wrong turns and side streets
streets with no names (cheers, Bono)
crowded intersections
and tap-taps (the Haitian truck-taxi) pulling of and on the curb
and gasoline and carbon monoxide fury stomping at the heat wave lung-pulling air
moving black faces peddling wares
and finding supermarket parking lots crowded with street bread and cold water
filtering through tiny shopping aisles of canned Arabic produce
and home-packaged spices
and spending goudes, goudes, goudes for goods
and making U-turns into oncoming traffic
(because everyone does it)
LOOK OUT FOR THE TRUCK!

…..and returning home safely nonetheless

The evening was spent cooling off, reading, napping, and rechecking the rooms last minute for the guests to arrive. Theremise, our cook, prepared a meal of real Haitian-style rice and beans, two types of fried goat, macaroni and potato salad in a Creole sauce, fried plantains, avocado and onion salad, lettuce and fresh tomato salad. Our guests--and we-- ate very well by American standards; like little white kings in Haiti.

So, basically, I am hot, sweaty, bloated, tired, and little bit guilty.

Not a bad way to feel.

"Bondye se bon!" (God is good!)