We arrived at the airport in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Although the airport was not the three ring circus that we were warned about (thank the good Lord!), the drive to the compound was eye opening.
If the compound were only 10 minutes away, it would not have had the same impact. We were in the back of the truck with the luggage (by choice so that we could experience the scenery at its fullest). Here is what stood out.
The smell. It smells like smoke from cars, smoke from fires (think burning tires) and dust from debris. It does not smell good. Thankfully the compound smells much, much better!
There is so much trash. I don't know where you put trash when you are on an island, and apparently neither do the locals. It is everywhere. The great news is that they are starting a recycling program!
But mostly what I noticed were the people. There were so many people just sitting around because they just don't have anything to do. They are desperate for jobs. The average Haitian makes a dollar wage per day. What really stuck out is that so few seemed happy. Sadness and hopelessness painted on their faces. Desperation.
What do they need more than jobs, recycling, and trash cleanup...Jesus. Jesus is the only source of true hope.
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