It was a good day…

Today, the day before clinics, was what we needed!

The agenda called for us to drive to Gonaives for the day and go sightseeing. However, based on the trip from Cap-Haitien the previous day, we realized that it may take double the amount of time allocated in the itinerary for us to go to Gonaives and return. It would be very tiring for everyone. The team decided to go one village over from Saint Michel, to Village de ‘Ennery, and settle in the atmosphere of their beautiful hotel.

There was a restaurant in the hotel which the group decided to have lunch in. It was a great to experience lunch in the hotel because we got to see the difference in how people live in the country; the village life which shows how people who do not have as many resources live as opposed to those who live in the area by the hotel and do have more resources. During lunch more people learned how to play spades and a rotation of playing games.   

The itinerary called for us driving to Gonaives for the day and sightseeing. However, based on the trip for Cap Hatien the previous day, we realized that it may take double the amount of time allocated in the itinerary for us to go to Gonaives and return in turn it would be very tiring for everyone. The team decided to go one village over to Village de ‘Ennery which had a hotel. There was a restaurant in the hotel which the group decided to have lunch in. It was a great to experience lunch in the hotel because we got to see the difference in how people live in the country; the village life which shows how people who do not have as many resources live as opposed to those who live in the area by the hotel and do have more resources. During lunch more people learned how to play spades and a rotation of playing games.

The itinerary called for us driving to Gonaives for the day and sightseeing. However, based on the trip for Cap Hatien the previous day, we realized that it may take double the amount of time allocated in the itinerary for us to go to Gonaives and return in turn it would be very tiring for everyone. The team decided to go one village over to Village de ‘Ennery which had a hotel. There was a restaurant in the hotel which the group decided to have lunch in. It was a great to experience lunch in the hotel because we got to see the difference in how people live in the country; the village life which shows how people who do not have as many resources live as opposed to those who live in the area by the hotel and do have more resources. During lunch more people learned how to play spades and a rotation of playing games.

On the way back from Village De ‘Ennery, a couple of the volunteers wanted sugar cane so we stopped by a sugarcane farm and brewery, to get some sugar cane. While there we saw a man laying down in the ground writhing in pain. The team went up to him and tried to help him. We learned he had been drinking all day on an empty stomach so he was given Gatorade and some pain medication.

After lunch we dropped by the clinic site where we met Allison again. She introduced us to a couple of the children from the orphanage. Unknowingly, we inspired the children we met because they were expecting to see the stereotypical “Caucasian Missionaries”. In seeing us they were inspired that they could grow up and become doctors and nurses and give back just like we were. They were more so shocked to have learned that majority of the team were Haitian.

Once we returned to the house, we had a chance to freshen up and relax before dinner. After dinner, we had our second team meeting. During the meeting we went around the room and talked about our reflections for the day, what could be improved on from the previous trip, and what we were looking forward to for the first day of clinic and the rest of the trip.

Overall, a lot of us were excited for tomorrow and what the days of clinic would bring especially for those who had never been on a mission trip before or on a KORE Haiti Mission trip before. Some were glad we didn’t get to go to Gonaives because it gave us a chance to enjoy more time with each other and really get to know one another. Some of the volunteers came in thinking we would be “roughing it” and were pleasantly surprised that we were living in the accommodations we were living in.

The most prolific quote of the night came from Michelle, one of the team members who was on the Cap-Haitien Mission trip with KORE last year, who said on this trip “Haiti treated me”. What she meant in saying this was that to her Haiti had always been a place for her to come and learn about the culture, the history and a place to give back and serve the people. However this time around she allowed Haiti to treat her. She finally got the chance to enjoy the countryside and what it all had to offer.

-Amanda Muana