After a delightfully uneventful flight...

     I’ve arrived in Port-au-Prince, and it’s not as bad as I expected.  I guess the media was only covering the wreckage, but I'm amazed at how life has gone on.  The regular airport is closed and has big cracks running down the walls, but the makeshift airport building functioned just fine.  The plane landed, I went through customs, and I got my luggage in about 20 minutes time.  No problems there.  I got a little cart for $2 and loaded it up with my 100 lbs of luggage, and I ended up giving $5 to the guy who helped me maneuver the cart.  Smooth as pie.

     On the way to Wall’s Guest House, we stopped to get me a cell phone.  I now have a bonified Digicel phone.  I still need to get a card for it, so I can’t really call out, but ya’ll can call me! 011-509-3889-0884.  I make no promises though, it might be expensive.

     And then we arrived "home" at Walls.  One of the buildings at Walls is completely collapsed.  The dining area has been moved into the garage, which still functions pretty well.  And the parking lot is full of tents.  I’ll be lucky enough to sleep in one of them tonight!  But I hear they’re cooler than the rooms and have fewer mosquitos.  Works for me!  I’m just hoping that Veniel can find a place for me to put all of my donations so I can actually reach my presently-buried personal belongings.  J

     This afternoon I got a welcome email from PCH, and I have two orientation meetings with them tomorrow, at 9:30 am and 10:30am.  I’m really looking forward to hearing what they have to say and seeing what they have planned for my month.  (Funny, I can dream up all kinds of goals and objectives, but none of them are worth doing if they’re not on the same page.) 

     I got to read a good chunk of Helping Health Workers Learn on the plane, and it’s a phenomenal book.  I highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in teaching methods that empower and engage learners.  Regardless of what I actually end up doing, I’m hoping to put those ideals to work!

Formerly the main building of the Guest House