Closing Time (Jacmel Team)

Well, here we are. Our final day was dedicated to travel courtesy of our wonderful hosts. We went to the market and spent time in a variety of shops unique to Haitian culture. At one point I looked up and saw one of the most beautiful ocean views I've ever seen. Unfortunately that beach was littered with trash which is a common scene in Haiti. Several miles up ahead a river comes down off the mountains and it is polluted with trash, etc. This runs into the ocean and is washed up on it's beaches. You have to travel down the coastline for 5-10 miles before you're free of it. There are no garbage trucks or public trash cans here. People literally throw things down, but in this case, it simply washed ashore.

After our trip to the market we came back to the church for a pumpkin soup that was fantastic. I was cautious but soon fell in love with stew. Our eating area was decorated with flowers and it was another reminder that our Haitian friends gave their absolute best to us. It was truly humbling.

Following lunch our team ventured down the coastline for an hour long drive. As we left Jacmel we noticed several fishing communities that were much more free of litter. They were beautiful and I took pictures of several breathtaking views. While I'm ready to come home and kiss my wife and little girl and see my church, a part of me will miss this place. Even at it's worst, its beautiful. These people are beautiful.

After an hour of driving we stopped on the side of the road and walked down an alley ( I was very skeptical at this point.) After walking about 50 yards we came to the side a very large foothill and there it was. People were coming in rows walking down in the earth into a natural cave system. The drop off was steep and wet but they people maneuvered incredibly well considering they were carrying things. Ellen decided to stay behind and Austin couldn't have said "I'm with you" any quicker. Randy was the first to start walking down and the rest of the team followed. What we found at the bottom was clean, clear, natural water system. The people continued to file down collect the water and take it back for cooking, cleaning, drinking, etc. Beau and I decided that we would take a picture by the natural spring. As Beth focused in several bats flew by which yielded a response from Beau and I similar to an entire but of middle school girls being dropped off at a Justin Bieber concert. Run. Climb. Slip. Scream. Get up. Run. Climb. Scream. Run.

Our night concluded with another wonderful meal at Pastor Duplessey's house. Our team then gathered together for a closing time in which we discussed God's presence on the trip. I love these people. They would make you proud. Many of them have before. Know that they represented you in a way that brought me to tears, laughter, and confirmed everything I believed about FBC Dalton. We are doing Kingdom work.

- Christian