High Points and Low Points

For those of you who know both John and me, you know that we are an unusual couple in that John has more words than I do (and I do have quite a few words).  For most couples, it is the woman who talks more.  Not so for us and as you’ve noticed, the same goes for blogging.  John’s way of processing has been to get all of his thoughts in print as soon as possible.  For me, I’ve been processing in my heart and mind these past 16 days, but since our tag line is chronicling a family’s journey of ministry and with God in the island nation of Haiti, I decided that it was time for me to chime in. 

Every night, we all sit together before bedtime and we each share our high point and low point of the day.  We've discovered that this simple ritual allows us to process what is going on in and around us.  This morning I want to share my high point from yesterday.  My high point was that I drove all by myself! 

Now for those of you in North America, you might not understand why this was a big deal for me.  I've never been a timid driver.  I drive an hour to my teaching job three times per week and have no problem driving downtown Toronto.  When I started driving at the age of 16, it was on a standard vehicle so I was not concerned that the vehicle we would drive in Haiti would be a standard.  Even if you haven't driven a standard for many years, you are able to do it again very easily, just like riding a bike.  Besides, just this past January, I sold my Honda Civic that I had driven for a year and it was a standard.  I wasn't even concerned that the vehicle is large (a Nissan Patrol SUV – a very necessary type of vehicle for driving in Haiti.) 

Basically, driving here is like a giant game of ‘chicken’.  The rules of the road are different.  Since I've only seen two stop lights in this city and one stop sign that virtually gets ignored, I've discovered that you need to be assertive, use your horn and just enter into traffic and vehicles will let you in.  There’s no road rage involved.  It’s a courtesy that driver’s provide for each other unless you are a tap tap driver (public transportation).  

I actually saw a tap tap go on the opposite sidewalk to get around a traffic jam.  Sometimes as you’re about to turn, a motorcycle will come from out of nowhere and pass you on the left as you’re signaling to make a left hand turn.  Although there are double yellow lines in the middle of many streets, vehicles cross over it. There are times that I’m too patient while waiting in traffic and vehicles pull around me even when there are large trucks in the oncoming traffic.  The main roads are paved, however the side streets have many ruts and bumps and rocks which have mostly been formed from rainfall carving its way through the streets. 

I had driven a few times and decided that yesterday was the day to go for it alone so that I will have the freedom to go places and do things!

After taking five minutes to unlock all the doors and gates (I’ll have to start earlier next time), the boys and I were heading down our street on our way to school.  My first stop was to pick up a neighbourhood boy who we are carpooling with.  As I turned down his street, I noticed a rather large pile of garbage, some of it partially burned, just sitting along the side of the road (a common sight).  When Jayden hopped in the vehicle, he commented that he did not like that garbage on his road.  As I turned my vehicle around, I needed to watch out for the family of goats that was getting close to my Patrol.  We got to the corner that I was concerned about and there were four vehicles ahead of me which meant I would definitely be using my emergency brake to stop me from sliding backward on this steep incline.  Did I mention that it is very hilly here?  

Since there are few street names displayed, I have learned which landmarks to look for to find my way to the boy’s school, so I kept my eyes peeled for what used to be a tennis court where I would turn left and know that I was on the right road when I saw the man on the side of the road crushing rocks (a gravel maker).  I turned right around a deep ravine (again filled with garbage), then left at the Jerusalem school, past several street stands selling coke, avocados, mangoes etc, and finally arrived at the purple gates where security guards let me drive inside the gated grounds of Quisqueya Christian School. 

The first few days, the word that kept coming to me was ‘chaos’.  Now I realize that although it feels like chaos when you are out on the road, it actually works, but it is really important to be aware of what is going on all around you. 

There is a metalwork sign in our kitchen that reads “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  It is a beautiful reminder to me each and every day as I venture out in the simple and the the more challenging tasks of life here in Haiti. 

Please pray for our safety as we ‘hit the road’.