October 14, 2012

Hi. Safely back in Florida this evening.  The remainder of my evening last night consisted of door banging at 2am.  Not sure who it was but I sure didn't open the door.  The power also was out most of the night.  Weird animal noises outside my door!  Needless to say, not a great rest last night.  I left Haiti with very mixed feelings again.  As I have said many times before, I can't wait to get home but don't want to leave.  It was a productive but exhausting trip.  I am happy to have visited for the 4th time in 2 years.

So we boarded the plane in plenty of time today, but then they announced that the X-ray machine that scans the checked luggage has been broken for a month and all suitcases had to be searched by hand......wow.  That delayed us about 45 minutes.  Needless to say things weren't very organized when I opened it hear in Florida.  :). We dodged a tropical storm of which I am very thankful.

Thanks for everyone's support the past several days.  Happy to come home tomorrow.  Looking forward to a Packer win tonight.  Go Pack!

Laura

October 13, 2012

Hi everyone.  Just back to the hotel after a 14+hour day.  Whew am I tired!  We spent the morning at a social business conference .  Very interesting and insightful. Social business, as defined today, is all about tackling a social issue (poverty, crime, hunger, etc.) in a country, with a strategic business solution versus a non-profit solution.  An interesting and strategic idea.  We then began our board meeting, but things were running late and we needed to head back to the conference where our esteemed co-founder of Haiti Partners, John Engle, presented on a panel with a esteemed panel.  Included were the Prime Minister of Haiti and a Nobel Laureate!  He did a great job showing his dedication and passion for Haiti.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent visiting the newly built, still under construction, Children's Academy of Haiti Partners.  Wow.  I feel renewed and more passionate than ever about the work Haiti Partners is doing.  It just opened and 25 children are already enrolled. We met the kids (all 3 and 4 year olds) and their parents and listened to their desires for their children and their country.  Truly inspiring as it wasn't about what we could do for them.  It was about partnership.  The children were so adorable......they stole my heart...again.  We also had a performance from a youth choir.  Unbelievably great.

This evening was all about finishing our board meeting, which we finally did with go strategic forward thinking plans.  I feel positive about their work and the progress in Haiti.  Still slow but forward.

Here is to hoping there are no 3 inch bugs in my room that I will awake to tomorrow (like I did this morning)!
Must add.  Just finally climbed in bed at 11pm and was called by the front desk that I need to check
out.  They don't open until 9am.  Really?  Need to leave to hotel at 7am.   Sigh.......not a pretty girl at
the front desk.

October 12, 2012

Hi all.  Slept ok last night.  Had some angry birds (not like the game!)  outside my room, but they finally quieted around 2am.  We visited 3 schools today that were built by Haiti Partner.  Incredible work.  Happy children and college age adults.  Great progress.  There were some very spiritual moments.  It was humbling.

Travel in Haiti continues to be a challenge, but I see construction and lots of new buildings.   Signs of a rebirth...hooray!  There is still much to be done.  I continue to be hopeful.  Perhaps that is my "glass half full" side, but I refuse to let that go.  We traveled 4 or so miles at the end of the day today. It took 1.5 hours.   Ugh.   We had another dinner this evening at the home of John and Merline Engle, who is the coFounder of Haiti Partners, along with Kent Annan.  Wonderful people.  I can't say enough about their dedication.

We had a storm blow threw early this evening, the likes of which I have not seen in some time.  Periodic power outages, washed out roads, etc, so I am blessed to be back in my hotel relatively unscathed.   Took a wonderful tumble earlier on the rocky road to their house.  Nothing a couple of band-aids couldn't fix.   It was incredibly hot and humid today. Ready for a cool shower and bed.  

I actually saw a fix it shop, or what we would normally call a dealer, working on one of our pressure washers.  Awesome.

More tomorrow.  Thanks all. Good night!

Laura

October 11th continued

Oops, I forgot the funnier side.  I have one electrical outlet in my room.  It powers the window air conditioner.  Between the phone, iPad, hair dryer, etc, it should make for some interesting fan dangling! The heat index tomorrow is supposed to be 110 degrees.  I know it's chilly in WI, but I would take that over 110!   Tonight's dinner included a really good potato and broccoli dish, but I chickened out on eating the rabbit.  No pun intended :)

October 11, 2012

First full day in Haiti complete.  I am left with my thoughts as I sit quietly in my humble room.  There were signs of improvement since my last visit earlier this year in January.  Small albeit, but improvements nonetheless.  I learned there is a "saying" in Haiti that I had not heard before.  "little by little" is the mantra here.  Makes sense to me because the improvements are slow and small.  

Being here with the Board of Haiti Partners is truly amazing.  These folks are so dedicated to helping with the future of education here, which is key to any change that will happen.  We are a very diverse board, which brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.  We have a couple of new members who have never been to Haiti before.  It is interesting to see their faces.  Very similar to mine, i am sure, when i arrived for the first time.  Tomorrow will be a full day of visiting schools that either have been built or are being built, which is so good for the children.  Again, progress....

More tomorrow.....

Laura

October 11, 2012

Hi everyone.  I am traveling to Haiti for my 4th visit.  I will be attending a board meeting and retreat on behalf of Haiti Partners, of which I proudly serve on their board.  I am anxious to see what progress has been made in Haiti and visit the schools that are being built by Haiti Partners.  More to come later when I arrive.  Thanks for all your support!

November 9, 2011 Part Three

I am at the Miami airport. It feels good to be back in the US. Just like last time, I couldn't wait to leave and now can't wait to go back.

Here are some interesting and quirky notables from the trip:

So, on my way to the airport, there was a woman with a basket full of goat legs and parts on the side of the street. She had arranged its head neatly in the center for decoration. Made me think of my basket of gourds I had for Halloween on my dining room table.... A mere 5 feet away from her was a live goat munching on some trash. Poor thing had no idea how his day was going to end up :)

There are men with large baskets on their heads full of prescription drugs that wander the streets. Apparently they are mobile pharmacists. All you need to do is tell them what ails you and voila! Out comes a packet of pills. It is an interesting approach to healthcare!

There are no "lanes" on the roads. I wouldn't even call them roads. They are paths made by vehicles. It's every person for themselves and there are pedestrians everywhere. Every drive, everywhere was a white knuckle experience. If there is rubble or trash, just drive over it.

That's it for now. It's funny what sticks out in my head! Looking forward to being home later tonight.