Blowing the Dust Off

I decided that a post-quake trip to Haiti was good enough reason to blow the dust off this blog. As you will see, I have not posted in, ahem, quite some time. The other reason I'm writing is because I'm chilling out at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport waiting for someone to show up at the Spirit Airlines counter so I can check the incredibly heavy bag I'm toting with school supplies, kid clothes, candy, baby formula and some clean underwear for myself. It's still 5 hours until take-off. Might as well blog, right (free wifi at FLL helps, too)?

I'm surrounded by a dozen or so strangers all sleeping in the waiting area. Sprawled out on the floor, arriving in Ft. Lauderdale too late to get a hotel before having to turn right around and come back to the airport. It's an interesting homeless-person kinda thing. And the irony is not lost on me of the very real homeless where I am going in Port-au-Prince.

I'm kinda conflicted about this trip. I'm really excited about getting to see Phillip who lost his school and his home (but not his family or his students) in the quake. The school supplies are for him. I'm excited to see Veniel who's guest house collapsed. I'll get to stay there at least a couple nights next week. Probably in a tent. I'm excited to make new friends via Partners Worldwide and the Haitian Education & Leadership Program. There are some really great connections being built between my home and Haiti (Papa Pierre's visit was really quite a thrill - I'll get to catch up with Pierre at the orphanage next week, also). But, to be honest, I'm kinda scared about what all I will see. What it will feel like. I've been living vicariously through other's blogs, through Amy's experience in February. When I got on the plane in Wichita I started wondering - what am I doing? Wouldn't it be much easier, safer, cheaper - to stay home? I mean, I can text message some cash, send a check, etc. Right?

At the same time, I have full confidence that by the time I head back to Kansas on May 7 I will have 1,001 answers to the question on my heart waaaay back in Kansas. I could list many of them now, too. Instead, I'll just be quiet for now. I'll just wait.

And I'll write more later (if I can score more WWW).