Pete’s Passage

Haiti Trip Part 2 - September 2022

Getting to Haiti was not a normal cruise in the bay. Pete and Marie made it to Dallas for the passport (9/9) and drove straight back for a Mission Experience staff retreat. (Note God provided. Pete had to lock up the van’s brakes on the interstate as I-35E South turned into a bumper-to-bumper parking lot instantly. Pete even made room for a car between him and the center barrier.) Pete and Marie arrived home Sunday (9/11) and Pete returned to Dallas with Phil loaded with over 400 lbs of stuff. (9/12)

Once in Dallas the fun started. Pete misunderstood the check in parameters. He hired a shuttle to take the luggage to the airport to check bags the night before their flight. No way Ray, so they hired a shuttle back to the hotel fully loaded. The next morning at 3:30am Pete and Phil repeated the process to find out Haiti required a negative Covid test to enter. Disappointment. While getting the said procedure they learned their flight to Miami was delayed and would not have made the Haiti connection. Plus, the Haiti flight did not go at all. Pete and Phil would have overnighted in Miami, fully loaded. So, back to the Hotel they went. (Note, all this loading and unloading took a toll on the suitcase with the wire. An emergency layer of duct tape had to be generously applied to insure safe delivery.)

Third time was a charm the next morning (9/13). Roger the driver mentioned he had never taken the same people to the airport three days in a row. Pete does things different. As it was our dynamic duo made the connection in Miami with 5 minutes to spare.

In Haiti, Pete and Phil traveled, fully loaded, with two armed policemen in the vehicle. It was a very impressing situation. Pete thinks Phil still has the impression of the AK 47 pressed into his knee.) God provided as they arrived at God’s Garden 10 minutes before the road closed behind them. God works.

Phil’s first task was to fix the batteries using a computer, the internet, and a technician. But not to be. Thirty minutes after their arrival the internet went down. Seems protesters in the country were physically pulling up wires in the streets. Alas, nothing to do but call it a day. And in the morning, everything was new including the internet. Phil fixed the batteries and installed a second one to the system. Two batteries meant Pete and Phil could test the batteries with a window AC unit. And the batteries won. Such power would allow the salty sea dogs to sleep at night at 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees. Praise God.

The plot thickened soon after the batteries were fixed (9/14). James the director reported that the street protests would not allow the two to travel home on the scheduled day. There was no way to know when the protests would slow down. Plus, a tropical storm was swaggering its’ way toward the island. More rain, less protests. Too much rain, no flights. When should they rebook tickets? Stay tuned, for the rest of the story.

Praising God,

Tornado Pete