Thought I'd post to my blog while I'm waiting in the Atlanta airport.  This morning came very early with a 3am wake-up call. The tunes kept rolling over the loud speaker this morning which was nice. I sat by Suse again on the flight back. She was also on the JRCWP last year in Haiti and got a chance this week to see her homeowner from last year. The reunions were very special for those who came last year. As Suse was looking for the home (they look so different with flowers, plants, a few additions), her homeowner saw her, ran out of her home, and gave her hugs and kisses. These reunions happened all week long for those who returned from last year. I do hope to return sometime to visit Katorsky and Hones. Suse said that she will return also. It sounds like Habitat wants to continue Haiti trips, though they won't be Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project (JRCWP) trips. I do have a means to get in touch with Claude Jeudy, national director of Habitat Haiti, so I'll definitely try to stay tuned into future Habitat trips to Haiti.

You really can't travel to Haiti on your own due to security concerns. We had security all the time - at our campsite, at the worksite, and escorts while traveling in the buses. You feel a bit isolated, but I guess that's just the way it needs to be currently. I talked to a woman from the USA who was working at the Haitian embassy and she said that they always have security. She's been here two years.

Coming back home, I'm enjoying simple pleasures. The meal on the flight seemed like a gourmet meal. Not that Haven (the Irish company in charge of logistics and food for the JRCWP) didn't do a great job in feeding us three meals each day and with all of the logistics. It was "just the way I like it". By the way, that was the phrase for the week. I just got a bit tired of meat and potatoes and loved the fresh fruit served on the plane. I think I'll eat salads and fruit every meal this week....and some fish and wine.

I keep thinking about the trip and the extreme poverty over there. I'm attending the "Get off the Hill" dinner with Bethlehem's youth tomorrow night and the topic for the evening will be my trip. I'm wondering how I convey the extreme poverty. The average wage in Haiti is $1.50 per day. The house we built is the size of my dining room. The master suite is the size of my walk-in closet. People bathe in the rivers and wash their clothes with the river water in wash basins. Lots of people are still living in tents. Yet children walk to school looking as good as the best American kids. The girls have braided hair with bows, clothes are neat and look pressed. Shirts are bright white. Their smiles are contagious. As was said by others who have been to Haiti, the situation is heart-breaking yet the spirit of the people is incredible. What a trip!