Our first day in Haiti has officially begun. Although the 3:45 A.M. meeting time as MSP airport wasn't ideal, it was made far more bearable by the excitement and energy found in our friends' faces. Our flights went nearly as smoothly as possible; besides some turbulence and an incredibly traumatic experience of losing Kathleen (she was fine, but the rest of the group was in shambles), everything went well. Flying over Haiti was mesmerizing, but as we approached the ground, the devastation and poverty became increasingly evident to the newbies in the group. Our excitement was inhibited a bit by the shock and disillusionment brought on by what we saw from the plane, as well as what we witnessed on the drive to our rooming complex. We we both exited and saddened by the faces we passed on the street as we drove by- the joy present in the people was heartening, but knowing those same people likely went back to ramshackle homes and poor living conditions broke our hearts.
Although we are tempted to say that we hope this week will be life-changing for us, we know that what is needed is not our aspiration to change our own lives, but rather the lives of the people present in this country. We're going to try our best to be with these people, rather than being here for these people. We are, of course, hoping to be there for any need we might be able to satisfy, but our main goal is to show the people here as much love and respect as we can provide. Throughout our time here, we hope to establish a connection with at least a few of the Haitians we meet and show them that although we're only here for a short time, we really do care about them in a significant way. We ask you all for your prayers; anything you can offer up to God is greatly appreciated.
-Danny Larson and Kathleen Leuty