MISSION TO HAITI – January 9, 2011 
We managed our get away early last Sunday. There wasn't anyone around, not even a mouse. Our drive to Florida was very uneventful to the point where I, Dorothy, thought about composing a song about the hours of driving put to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. It wasn’t until we had counted 7 armadillos munching at the roadside that John came on board with the song after I attempted to compose a line about the armoured armadillos!!! To humour me he said, “Very good, hon," but immediately burst my bubble when he added, "You’ll never make it as a song writer. Forget it. Get over it. Let’s watch for more licence plates instead.” He was so relieved when we pulled into the condo at Daytona Beach for our two-night stay and quite frankly, so was I.
We checked in with Missionary Flights International (MFI) the day before our flight thinking that we were grossly over our weight limit. We had originally asked for 200 lbs including our 100 lb. luggage allowance. We then asked that it be upped to 300 lbs., and then 400 lbs. When we weighed our luggage and plastic totes we weighed in at 501 lbs. As usual God was looking after us because MFI thought we were asking for 400 lbs. in addition to our luggage allowance. We were only one pound over what they thought we wanted.
The flight to Haiti was as uneventful as the drive to Florida. (There were no songs composed and no licence plates to count.) We had been warned that there might be demonstrations following what was to be a major announcement regarding the election results, and if there were our MFI flight might be delayed. However, the announcement from the Electoral Commission was of no consequence. It indicated that the Organization of American States had not concluded its investigation of the election, and it was uncertain when the report would be available. It’s now too late to have the run-off election on January 16th as previously scheduled because the run-off candidates need more time once an announcement is made to advertise and campaign again. The Electoral Commission says it is unlikely that a run-off election will take place until well into February or March at the latest.
The sad part of this whole election fiasco is that the project funding for the rebuilding following the earthquake has ceased to flow pending the outcome of the election, and the cholera epidemic continues unabated without any clear leadership coming from the government. If it were not for the NGOs providing primary care the death toll from cholera would be much higher than the approximately 3,500 victims that have died so far and the 120,000 that have received treatment. By the way, we have both taken our cholera prevention meds.
Our seminary students will be returning the weekend before classes are scheduled to start on Monday, January 24th. Our visiting professors should begin arriving shortly before classes start, and we will be busy, busy, busy for the next few weeks. We can’t help but remember when we feel exhausted Jesus offers rest for the soul.
We are also looking forward in the next few months to visiting the schools and orphanage that are supported by St. Andrew’s.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your call to Haiti.
