Wednesday night we experienced our first heavy rainstorm in Bohoc.  We were told if it rained hard, our long trip the following day to Port-au-Prince (PAP) would be fine because heavy rain would just wash everything away.  We were also told that a light drizzle over a few hours would be something to worry about because the rain water would soak into the ground and would make the road conditions very difficult to travel on.  Since it drizzled most of the night, our 6 hour trip back to PAP ended up being a 10 hour tour…

We left around 7:40 a.m. on Thursday morning in our new ride we referred to as the “Holy Roller Deux” (we got a new bus because the original “Holy Roller” needed to be fixed – it took a lot of abuse over the week).  Instead of heading south to the town of Hinche, we went north to Pignon and then to Saint-Raphael followed by Saint Michel de L’Atalaye and other little Haitian communities along the way.  Our trip consisted of: getting our rear axle stuck on a large rock (which lifted the right wheels/tires off the ground), crossing 3 riverbeds and 11 creeks, taking detours in some of the towns we passed through, and waiting on Haitians doing road construction.  Despite all this (and the dust and mud), our ride was smoother and cooler than our previous trip and we also got an opportunity to see more of the country of Haiti and its beauty (we got to see mountain tops and the valleys below, as well as the wonderful Haitian coast).

Our day ended at a restaurant in PAP and a tour of the city.  We also stopped by the Presidential Palace and had a chance to see the surrounding tent communities and drive by the local markets.  We finally made it back to the Mon Chez Moi Guest House.  It was great to get off the bus and relax.  A few went swimming, some took naps (me including), and others showered to get the film of dust off their skin.  It was nice end to a long day of travel. 

With regard to my time and experiences in Haiti it is difficult to put into words.  Today was a travel day so that is what I decided to blog about first.  But, there are many memories that I have and one that I wanted to share was something that was said in church, the pastor said to “Feel Your Heart.”  I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but throughout the week I began to feel my heart.  Again, words cannot describe this feeling.  However, on my way home to Atlanta today (yes, I know I am posting a few days late) an advertisement on the back of the Sky Mall magazine really captured my thoughts on feeling your heart and I wanted to share it with you… “It’s about connecting. Discovering our similarities. Celebrating our differences. Your language is mine, my language is yours. And together we share something bigger. We share our voices. Our experiences. Our stories. We are better. Our world is better. When we understand” [Rosetta Stone advertisement].  As you know Rosetta Stone is a company on learning a language, well, the language I learned this week is LOVE .  I felt God’s love, I felt the love from my teammates, I felt the love from the people of Bohoc, and I also allowed myself to love back.  We were told that 90% of the people in Bohoc are Christians.  They are so friendly and loving!  Imagine if 90% of Atlanta were that way.  I know I can’t change the world, but one thing I can do is make a difference in my community.  So watch out Sandy Springs, I am bringing some love back from Haiti.

- Joel Esperanza 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”  1 John 4:7 & 8