More Trip Tales

In Haiti, we drank pop from returnable glass bottles from a wooden case. Just like in the old days. They even had some of the old brands that you can't get anymore in the U.S.

Haitian water heaters are black barrels on the roof of their homes.

Haitians are clean and well dressed, wearing American clothing. In the 60's, President Kennedy started a program that continues, where U.S. clothing companies send their overstocks, out dated, out-of-season, etc. clothing to Haiti. They get it for free, and the Haitian retailers can take a small mark-up. So they have lots of really nice clothing.

We signed the Gutwein's wall "guest book", and read the names of others who visited before us. Including some who read this blog.

I enjoyed meeting and visiting with Kai and Bettina, a young Christian couple from Germany. Kai developed the SEED Forestry program and they live in an apartment at SEED.

Haitian Christians are enthusiastic singers. Their hymnbook did not have music - only words to the hymns. The melodies are passed down from older to the young, and they pick up the harmonies naturally.

It was amusing to watch Hatians bringing their sick or injured livestock and pets to the clinic in baskets, on bicycles, on scooters, etc. One farmer brought in an injured cow which was standing up in the back of a mini-pickup. Another brought a goat which he was holding in his arms while steering his motorcycle with his knees. Another had a dog in a basket strapped on a bicycle.

The Chief

As a graduate of the University of Illinois, I have always enjoyed and appreciated its great symbol - Chief Illiniwek. His dance was researched historically to be an authentic Indian dance. The headdress he wears is authentic and was given to the University by a Sioux Indian Chief. He is not a caricature or mascot, but a respected symbol of a proud heritage. The forces of intolerance and political correctness have succeeded in ending this 80 year tradition. In honor of the Chief, here is his last dance.




Chief Illiniwek Last Dance, Tribute - Official Vid

Septic System

So our septic system is not cooperating again. It seems to be an annual problem. It plugs up somewhere between where the line leaves the house and where it enters the tank. Last night I took my plumbers snake and a garden hose to the basement to try to clear the line thru the access hoe where the line goes thru the wall. I was going to push the snake thru with the hose taped to it and running in an attempt to force the offending material on down the line. I unscrewed the cap with a pipe wrench, forgetting that there might be back pressure from the last attempts to flush the toilets.

Now I've said all this before. I raise hogs. Hogs make manure. Lots of manure. I work with manure all the time. I get it splattered on me routinely. I wade in it. I drop tools in it. Its OK, I can handle it. But human waste is a whole different story. Nothing is as bad a human waste.

When I took the cap off, there was a rush of slurry that came back at me and I was unprepared for it. It splashed everywhere; on the freshly painted walls, the floor, on me! I'll leave the sight, smell, and the sounds to your imagination. But it wasn't pretty. I had to use the garden hose to spray down that corner of the basement, and a 5 gallon bucket to remove the offending substance.

I finally got the intended job done, and whether or not it is just a short term fix I don't know. We have been able to flush again. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to clean the golden slippers, but I don't want to lose them. The wash machine can handle the clothes.

And if we have problems with the line again, we'll be calling in the professionals!

Trip Tales

I will share a few observations and stories from my trip.

The food I enjoyed most on our trip was the Monte Cristo sandwich that I had at Bennigan's in Miami.

The first day at SEED, we all had to dig a hole with the traditional Haitian grub hoe.

It's dark at night in Haiti. There are no street lights in Les Cayes and the power company stops producing power at 7:00PM each evening. There is very little light pollution like we have at home. Star gazing on the roof of Jan and Val's home at night is awesome!

It was amazing to listen to Doris Clotaire switch effortlessly between speaking English, German, and Creole.

We built fences for goat pastures. In the last 30 years I tore out way more fence than I have built. It was good to relearn the skill.

Outside of the terminal at Port-Au-Prince, porters, beggars, and merchants wait for foriegners to come out. They then descend upon you trying to "help" you, sell you something, or just get a handout.

It was a strange feeling to see soldiers in full battle gear, rifles pointed at you, and armored vehicles driving around. But it is also comforting to know that they are United Nations peacekeepers there to protect us.

All the corn they grow is open pollinated. They also grow a variety of pigweed (amaranth) to use the leaves as salad.

After all the warnings, it was amusing to follow a couple thru an airport security check who were trying to board with 2 cokes, 2 bottles of water, and a bottle of liquor in their carry-on. Nobody felt too sorry for them when it was taken away.

I carried a 3 oz. bottle of insect repellent (in my 1 quart zip-lock bag) thru 7 security checks, only to have it taken away at the 8th. Go figure!

I got to watch a young mama goat give birth to twins. Babies of all species are cute.

I'll add more later as it comes back to me.

Thankful

I have many reasons to be thankful after arriving home from Haiti.
I am thankful for:

-- safe, smooth flights (all 8 of them)
-- no stomach or intestinal problems from eating all the strange foods (including goat, fried spam, mango, papaya, breadfruit, fried banana patties, pumkin soup, akra, planteen, aprico). And yes, the goat was very good!
--protection and safety while traveling on haitian roads standing up in the back of a pickup (some of them were more like wide goat paths)
-- for the dedication and enthusiasm of Haitian Christians and the missionaries that support them
--for the physical and spiritual seed being sown on fertile ground in Haiti
--for the stewardship, far reaching projects, and magnitude of Apostolic Christian World Relief.
--the continuing success and expansion of SEED Ministries
--the fellowship with the team members (who I never met before)
--morning devotions in the gazebo with the team
--the opportunity to hear beautiful Creole Hymns sung to us in church, in a classroom, and at a Nursing Home
--the opportunity to listen to Frantz tell Aggie stories
--the opportunity to watch Bro. Bob Bebee recite "The Cremation of Sam Magee" around a pretend campfire
--for not getting a single mosquito bite
--Bro. Neil not complaning about my snoring
--for getting to see a real tarantula
--for all the comforts and material blessings I enjoy at home
--for midwestern winters - I don't think I could take year round heat and humidity
--that all was well with family and farm when I got home . . . except the septic system!
--a hot shower ( no more cold, military showers), my own pillow, and my feather bed
--my faithful and supportive wife

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:48

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:10

S.E.E.D.

S.E.E.D. Ministries, Inc. is a Christian organization in Les Cayes, Haiti devoted to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and promoting agricultural education and development. They have a Bible Institute, training farm, research farm, veterinary program, and extension program. The Lord willing, the old farmer plans to leave Thurs. morning to spend a week in Haiti helping out at S.E.E.D. I'm not sure what the TSA inspectors will think when they search my luggage, because I will be packing 30+ lbs. of goat wormer, goat ear tags, fence building tools, and various NAPA parts for a Dodge truck! My luggage should be much lighter and simpler coming back. I look forward to the fellowship with the eight member team( none of whom I have met), who I will meet up with in Miami. I also look foward to serving the Lord in some small way at S.E.E.D. I'm pretty sure it will be warmer there than it is here in the midwest.

Cold

It's colder on our farm today than it is in Fairbanks, Alaska.
But the ground is hard and the sun is shining.

Bubble Tea

We ( the old farmer and his wife) drove to Chambana Wed. evening, picked up our two students, and took them out to eat. It was a pretty spur of the moment trip. We went to Wednesday evening services with them and enjoyed the fellowship there. After services and an abbreviated tour of the "Shaker"(we saw the basement), our daughter took us to a small Asian restaurant for one of the hot items on campus - - bubble tea! Actually it wasn't hot, it was cool - very cool. And I didn't have tea,I had a chocolate slushy. But what's different about bubble tea is they mix a scoop of large tapioca balls in with it! Then with a 3/8" diameter straw, you drink your "tea" including sucking up the tapioca balls. Unique! And the straw was clear, so you can watch them coming up at you! It was a late night, but it was all good.