KAYAKING IN CAP HAITIEN

This past week was like none other we have experienced so far in our time here in Haiti.  I wrote last time about the rains that had threatened three vulnerable families along the river bank on Monday - and I will update that story as soon as I have any new information to share.  (The only new development I had heard was that there was some strife at the rental because a number of extra people showed up to share the floor space as the rains continued to fall!)

All through Monday night the rain fell in torrents.  God's timing couldn't have been better with Daniel and I visiting those families on Monday to get them and the children to safe ground because the flood waters rose several FEET overnight and into Tuesday.  I will not be surprised if their houses are not even left standing.  

On Tuesday morning, school was cancelled for us again and Melissa started worrying about Rose and David and their kids.  Rose teaches the 4 year old class at Cowman and David is our gym teacher and playground supervisor.  Their house, though concrete and raised above street level, also sits right next to the same river, just a couple of blocks from Daniel's neighborhood.  Melissa called Rose to see if she needed help in getting out.  At first, Rose wasn't terribly concerned, but then the water reached her top front step and she decided that she and the kids would gladly leave if they had a safe way to get out of the neighborhood.

That's when I remembered the folks at Emmaus Seminary have a large kayak.  I drove over to pick it up and found Daniel anxiously looking for a ride back to check on friends and family in his neighborhood. We picked up a couple of new friends from visiting short term teams - Robert from Ohio and Scott from Oregon - and headed towards Cap Haitien.

I was going to drop Daniel in his neighborhood, but then he insisted that if I were going to go paddling down Cap Haitien streets in a kayak, I would need a local with me.  

I can't tell you how glad I was to have him along.  The narrow streets leading into Rose's neighborhood were CRAZY. I've experienced some stressful times behind the wheel since we moved to Haiti, but this was to a whole new degree: trying to maneuver various narrow side streets where cars and trucks parked in odd locations or were trying to back up from too deep water, people wading this way and that.  And all the while knowing the murky waters hid some truly deep gutters and holes which I would not want to put a tire into.  I only backed into one electrical pole.

Eventually we decided we could get no closer with the truck and the four of us unloaded the kayak and walked it down to Grace en Sion Church, where a lot of locals were gathering on the second floor.  We are familiar with this church because one of its pastors is also a teacher at Cowman.

I paddled the kayak down the street from Grace towards the river and found Coach David at his front gate, smiling even as the waters continued to rise.  



Since their house sits several feet above street level, they never guessed the flood waters would reach floor level.  In the end, the waters came about six to eight inches above their floor.



Here's the view looking back towards Grace.  At one point, I saw a young man who was full-on swimming in this water, diving under the surface, bobbing up to wipe his face and smile.  Me?  I literally had a nightmare later that night that I fell face first into that muck and it startled me awake!



Our first passengers were the two boys, Ryan and Rashied.  

Pastor Migueleson, of Grace, was taking pictures from the church - I was obviously unaware of that fact!  Not sure what I was grimacing about, but the boys look so cute, I had to include this picture.



A moment later, I was apparently much happier!

We took the boys to the steps of Grace and then Scott and Daniel stayed with them while I went back for Rose.

It doesn't look like Rose trusts me 100% not to capsize us and put her in the water.  ;-)

We made several runs up and down the street, often being watched and greeted and cheered on by folks standing on second floor balconies along the way.  We brought Rose's young cousin, Adlene, too and a few bags of dry clothes and Rose's computer so she could work on report cards later.  We also gave rides to a few elderly ladies, a blind man, and a couple of children while Rose's family waited for us at Grace.  We could have kept busy until sunset, but the plan was to get the family to our house, showered and warm as soon as possible.  

And speaking of warm, I didn't think it possible, but standing in the rain in the middle of the street while Robert and Scott made a couple of runs with the kayak, I was shivering.  The first time I have been cold in Haiti!

Scott, Daniel and Robert stand outside Grace Church at first floor level, where most days the church operates a primary school.  

All of their desks and chairs had been carried to the second floor and piled in a corner.

Quite a few people had sought refuge on the second floor of the church.  I heard they still had 40 people staying there even a few days later.

The view out the window of the church, looking towards Rose and David's house, which would be at the horizon.  

The final leg of the journey was from the front step of Grace, back up the street towards the truck. Since Robert, Scott, Daniel and I were already wet, we walked and steadied the kayak while Rose and the kids rode inside it.  

Isn't she cute with her umbrella?

While Rose was eager to get to our place, David decided to stay back with their house.  I couldn't figure out why that was necessary, but within 30 minutes of our departure, Rose got a phone call from David: a stranger had jumped over the wall and landed in their yard "accidentally".  He seemed to be surprised to find somebody home!

So while David kept watch at home, Rose, Adlene and the boys stayed with us for two nights.  We really enjoyed having them in the house.  We made sure everyone stayed warm and dry and well fed.

The second evening we were watching a movie and Ryan (age 4) fell asleep in my arms - and that was the highlight of my week.

We even had some strawberry ice cream!  Every cloud has its silver lining, right?

It's Sunday night as I write this.  Rose and the kids went home on Thursday afternoon.  It was remarkable how quickly the clean up effort went all over the city and in individual homes.  Most families are back to "normal" at this point. It was reported that several lives were lost and, for many families, the new "normal" is even less than what they had before.  That was definitely true for Rose and David.  

I will have to tell you about what the flood waters took from them in my next post ...

In the meantime, I know they and others who were impacted by the floods would appreciate your continued prayers.