Feels like home.

Landing in PAP felt different this time.  Excited still, but less of an adrenaline high.  And that's a good thing because it was more like coming home to familiar faces and places than the sense of the unknown.  Maybe because it's my third trip or maybe it's because it's no longer a foreign country to me.  Maybe it's because I kinda know where we are (sometimes!) when we travel to the guesthouse or Josie's, or church.  Maybe it's because what was once a shock, seems normal.  For whatever reason, it felt like home.
Seeing Leonard leaning against the fence as we walked out of the airport put a smile on my face.  I know I've talked about him before and if you've heard me talk about Haiti, he comes up often. There is a reason.  

He is such a bright light.  He has lived a full life in Haiti and has experienced many trials.  He is so joyful, but he knows sorrow.  He has a story.  His brother died in a motorcycle accident.  His brother in law was murdered.  His church divided.  His community is in constant need of food and clean water and care.  And I am sure countless other battles that I have no knowledge of.
He walks with memories of sadness and pain, but has the quickest smile of anyone I know.  His laughter is always authentic and contagious, even if you didn't understand the joke.  He chats with other drivers while we're in traffic or making a turn or whenever and they ALWAYS, always drive away/walk away smiling.  I always walk away from our time with him so thankful that we get to spend a small part of our lives in his presence.  We get to witness what God's love can truly do through a faithful servant.
Driving from the airport to Gertrude's is so familiar until we get a bit closer.  Road construction!  We noticed this trip, it was everywhere, which is so great!  We spent more time on paved roads than we ever have.  

That's good for the shocks on Leonard's Land Cruiser AND for our backs and necks :)
We spent our first evening chatting with the guests at Gertrude's.  It's always so fun to meet people there because inevitably if you don't know them, you know some of the same people.  We went through and divided up the donations, which is honestly so humbling to do.  I know not everyone will go to Haiti, or fall in love with Haiti, or care about Haiti like we do, but we have so, so many people that give and give and give.   Two orphanages, one school and a hospital received socks, underwear, medicines, hair accessories, shoes and more.  

We had a nice surprise at Gertrude's to have WiFi in the evenings.  Usually they don't have electricity or run the generator during the day, so it wasn't available then, but still so awesome to be able to communicate some with home and share pictures and such.

Our first morning, we had breakfast (OH THE MANGOES!) Seriously, the mangoes.  So good.  Always scrambled eggs, fruit and toast with peanut butter and jam. 

Our drive to Jacmel that morning was beautiful.  Sadly, I got pretty carsick and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I would have liked :/

We rested once we got to the guesthouse, which was so beautiful and then went with Sydnee, the manager and pastor's wife to a building near a tent city to feed over 100 children.  That deserves a post all it's own.  

Here is what I know.  There are amazing people all over the world doing the hard work of caring for those who are in dire need.  We were able to see a sliver of what they do on a daily and weekly basis.  They are the heroes of these places.