The Adventure Begins on my First Trip to Haiti!

My father, John Mann, and I went on a mission trip to Haiti on April 28 – May 4. It was the first time for me and my father’s 4th time. It was such an incredible experience and it has truly changed my life. I was able to see God open so many doors as my father and I developed relationships with the people and taught at the Eben-Ezer Mission of  Gonaïves.  http://www.ebenezermission.com/ministryhaiti.htm

To reach Haiti, we first took a plane to Miami from Orlando, FL and then arrived in Port-au-Prince. I was able to get a good photo of Port-au-Prince from the plane.

Our driver had to make his way through some traffic jams to get us to Gonaïves safely. There are no stop lights so drivers had to maneuver their vehicles and stay alert.

Flooding along the streets slowed us down. It took about 3 1/2  hours instead of 2 1/2 hours.

We passed by several markets along the way.

“Tap Taps” are a popular form of transportation. The name is derived from passengers taping on the metal panel to signify the passengers desire to get off.

After the earthquake of 2010, many now have to live in tents and homes made out of scraps such as metal. The hole in the mountain is gravel mining.

It was exciting to finally arrive after a day of catching planes and driving. My father and I each had a bedroom and were so grateful for a fan in our rooms. It get very hot at night so having a fan is a good tip if you travel to Haiti. The cooler months in Haiti are during the months of November through April. In the photo is me with the house guards and Pastor Josue Jean is on the right. I worked with him on a gardening project which I will share in the next entry.

Here’s the guest house where we stayed. It is completely surrounded by a wall for security.

 

We received water for the bathroom by turning a lever on and off. The water was supplied by a giant water tank on the house. It had to be filled by hand (see right side photo).

I made many friends in Haiti. The people of Haiti are on my heart and in my prayers. I am excited about the future mission trips we will take to Haiti. Please continue to watch my blog as I tell more stories and show pictures of my first trip to Haiti.

Elizabeth’s Traveling Tip:  To avoid unwanted mosquito bits, I wore light weight long shirts and pants both day and night.