Our guest blogger today is Aaron Holdegraver.
Today we as a group were lucky enough to enjoy a day at Kalico Resort. We woke up and left the house at about 8’oclock Haitian time which really means any time that everyone is ready. Any way we all got into a small bus that had been rented for the day, and took a hour and a half drive to the resort. The drive was filled with passing crowded over filled markets, shanty towns much like the ones we visited on Sunday, grave yards, and the most breath taking scenery consisting of mountains to one side and the Caribbean sea to the other. Also we were fortunate enough to pass many piles of burning garbage that smelled to high heaven. After the drive we got to the resort and saw the most beautiful…… POOL ever! At the resort they have a pool as well as the ocean just in case. As soon as we reached were we were going to put all of our belongings we were immediately greeted by the traders who we didn’t want to bargain with at the time, so we said later and they left us alone for maybe five minutes. As the day progressed we all got our fair share of water and annoying traders, but in the end of the day at least five of us got something from them. Within the last hour or so before we left we met Captain Fransisco who gave an hour and a half long snorkel trip in the coral reef for $10! We of course didn’t have an hour and a half so he said a half an hour trip for $5. Andy and two guys who are here with us took him up on his offer and left in a rinky dink row boat with some guy we just met. The whole time a couple people were worried about them (including mike!), because we had just met this guy. In a bit over a half an hour their they were in the distance coming our way. So then we started the long ride home, and spent the rest of the night playing with the girls.
This has been my first mission trip to Haiti, and hopefully not my last. This trip has given me so much more humility in the way that i see things. Also it has made me realize how much i really have back in the states and not to take things for granted. I have deeply enjoyed my short time here and have fallen in love with with all of the girls, but three in particular I’m going to hate saying good-bye to. I love my home, I love you Leslie, I love you girls, but I will miss this small paradise more then anything else in my life.
God has really opened my eyes here in this small third world country,and made it a big burden on my heart to help . I’m really wondering why it took so me coming to the country where my sisters came from to make me realize how fortunate i really am, and how much small things like giving out small hygiene kits can really make. Also how much work this community needs the word of god to really change something in the way they think. The overpowering religion is voodoo, and it is very evident and at times it is very discouraging, but it is very comforting knowing that god is using the New Christian Church of Tabarre to reach out and make a difference, and I’m very proud to be a small fraction of the helping team that has made this such an important part of my life.