Lets walk instead...

Traffic here has been a major problem. Yesterday it took us 2 hours to go less than 5 miles. We had to travel to the UN again today to deliver some plans and join a meeting. There are 3 main ways to get there. One way is about 6 miles through the country where you go way around to the East. A second way is 5 miles through the city to the West. The third is a semi-direct route, only about 3-4 miles, but winding through a maze of dirt roads and hills in a poor area of Port au Prince.

We thought it would be faster to just walk to the UN instead of fighting traffic. Unfortunately the printer was having problems and the plans were delayed. We were just going to email them but internet was down. We needed to get to the meeting, the driver was gone and it was getting late but we figured we would just "walk fast".

Even though we had the GPS, the way turned out to be curvier and hillier that anticipated and was taking too long. Darkness came quickly. Josh was only wearing flip flops and his feet were hurting. We reached half way and were in the thick of nowhere.

It was now dark and we were in the middle of the poor section of the city with no lights other than the screen of the GPS. We started to jog but Josh hurt his foot and said he couldn't realistically walk the rest of the way (he could have but just really didn't want to). I recognized where we were. The GPS told us that the church I had done a food distribution only a couple days prior for was only a few feet away (about 50-70 feet to be more precise)

We had passed other church services among the rubble on our walk, and this church was no different. Many people were there for the night for service and then to sleep together under one giant tarp made of many tarps roped together. The pastor was there and his neighbor was willing to drive us the rest of the way (3km) to the UN.

We had figured that we would just "Find a ride" back to the house after the meeting, but we would have to be quick because the UN has a 9pm curfew. Immediately God led us to a retired police officer from Alaska who now was one of the heads of the UN police for Haiti and happened to be caravaning right past where we needed to go. We rode in his personal "UN" SUV (the typical white ones with UN in black on the side but with special "Police" badging in red.

God cares for us. how coincidental that in the middle of nowhere, when it was getting too dark and at just the location where one of us got hurt, God provided a Christian brother connection with someone John and I had already met and ministered with. And then provided a UN ride back to our doorstep.

I guess this is not just a "thank you" to God but a "Thank You" to all of you who have been praying for us as we work here in Haiti.

From the bottom of my heart,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! I couldn't do this without you!