Monday: Good-Bye LaGonave

Cory and Jeantiny left at 5:30 a.m. for the boat dock while the rest of us remained in bed. A breezy start to the day helped them to choose to wait for the big ferry and not chance a small speed boat. They were in our truck and headed to Port-au-Prince shortly after 9 a.m.

Eli, Anna and I packed up our stuff and put it in a pile near the door. After breakfast the kids went off to play with a friend who received a school delay to spend a bit more time with them before we left.

Nurse Vero, head of nursing and a great friend, sat with the remaining medical folks while they listened to her dreams and plans and brainstormed ideas on how to make the needed changes.

Nurse Rose sent a message for me to come and finally meet again her Anna. Anna would be starting school for the first time on Tuesday at age 3.

With the wind blowing we knew that the crossing would be a wet one. Every foreigner on the boat at one time lived on LaGonave and remembered well how wet one could get and the sea reminded us well.

Thankfully when packing I found 4 plastic bags in one of the shoes and put them in my purse. After getting on the Wesleyana sail boat I slid two over the computer case and the other two over my purse before putting both under the tarp.

Following prayer we left the protective cove to be told everyone needed to move to the right side of the boat as the full sail pulled the left side low. Anna did not like this at all.

Soon all of us experienced the familiar sensation of your clothes under the life preservers wicking the moister into previously dry spots as the waves poured onto us. These were not small little sprinkles of mist but the 5 gallon pouring bucket waves. Mouths and ears filled up while hair and clothes dripped.

Toward the end of the trip the sea did calm down and a weak sun peaked through the clouds enough to start drying us off. Thankfully none of us would head to town that same day giving us a chance at showers and clean clothes.

The rolling waves did make getting off the boat on the mainland a bit of a trick as the boat rose and dropped a few feet with every wave. The procedure went like this: 1. Move to the edge of the boat. 2. Hand up any bags 3. Raise your arms above your head for the men on the dock to grab. 4. When the boat comes up, rapidly step to the dock at the peak. 5. Move away from the dock area being sprayed with sea water so the dry parts of your bags do not get wet at the last minute.

Thankfully only a couple of our bags or boxes absorbed sea water. Other than drying some pages of my Haitian hymnal and a few papers we did not have anything damaged.

Cory and Jeantiny visited the Embassy, Plant Quarantine, and did some shopping. Funny to hear your husband say on the phone 'I'm in quarantine' even when you know he is there to have seeds inspected.

Anna swam and played games. Eli and I read and visited. Pastor Dan worked on the electrical system. I prepared for what I knew would be a long day in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday. Good byes to those returning to the USA on Tuesday as Cory, Jeantiny and I would be leaving at 5 a.m. for Port au Prince.