July 20: A day in the life of a missionary

I was truly blessed to arrive in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday July 20. I was picked up by AIM (Adventures in Missions) staff Clinton White, Matt, and Geftay. Clinton said that we'd run a few errands before he drove me to where my team was staying. I was in no hurry. I was thankful to be in Haiti, and I had no agenda.

Our first stop was a gas station. Geftay went inside to buy cold drinks for everyone. I did not realize that was going to be one of the few cold drinks I had while in Haiti.

I sat in the front, so I took as many pictures as possible. In fact, my camera battery was dying before we made it to Pastor David's house, my home sweet home.

With a full tank of gas, we began our errands. We went to a generator store. It was a large spacious store connected to an auto parts store. There was a guy at the desk in the generator store with a rifle. He was the security guard. We talked with one of the employees. He was dressed in blue jeans and a light blue button down shirt. He was very friendly. Matt told me how the employee had offered to go to the staff house to check out the generator on Friday. We probably spent 40 minutes to an hour in the store.

Then we went to Ecko Depot, otherwise known as Home Depot. We spent close to 2 hours there. Haitians are not in a hurry. There was much discussion. Finally, Clinton was able to buy a part. After he checked out, he had to walk a few feet to have someone compare his merchandise to the receipt. Then Matt decided he wanted to look at generators and buy a few other things. He's in charge of microfinance and had an opportunity to support a neighborhood; they had requested a generator. A wise investment, indeed!

Thus the entire process began again. Matt was able to pick out items such as a flood light and leecord, but there was more waiting involved for the generator. It took 20 minutes for him to be rung up by the cashier. Then his merchandise had to be checked. We drove around to the back in order to pick up the generator. There was another couple ahead of us who were buying toliets. Every box was being opened so the contents could be inspected by the two missionaries buying the toliets. It's not a bad idea, but patience is difficult to maintain. So we waited outside. We could see our generator, but we could not get it until they brought it to us. After we loaded the generator, there was a car blocking our path to leave.

While on our way to the staff house, Geftay suggested we go to a store since it was on the way. He left to buy a rubber hose. He was gone a while; then Clinton left to go find him. I took pictures and did a lot of people watching. There was much to see. People carrying cardboard boxes full of soda on their head, a man urinating, people walking, cars and bikes and tap-taps cruising along. It felt like a parade: constant activity, a steady stream of people. I also tried to take a nap.

Once Clinton and Geftay returned we drove to the staff house. I was able to use the restroom; Clinton made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I took a few pictures, including a picture of our van--the license plate was from the Dominican Republic.

I arrived safely at the house where my team was staying for the week. I appreciated the unique experience of running errands in Haiti. I have a greater respect for missionaries living in Haiti. It requires a lot of patience.