Haiti Trip Part 5 - La Baie des Moustiques

One day of the trip we hopped on a bus and tap tap and headed towards La Baie des Moustiques (mosquito bay). La Baie is an orphanage in a more rural part of Haiti affiliated with NW Haiti Christian Mission. Our goal was to hold a basic eye clinic for patients that would not be able to travel to the mission for our regular clinic. Grant and Natasha are a young married couple that run La Baie. We all had a lot in common - previous Kanakuk staff, from Missouri, big college football fans. It was a really unique experience to meet my peers who have given up a life of comfort in the US in order to live out God's calling. They were just so normal. I know that probably sounds weird, but meeting people that are like me but living a life very different from mine was really interesting {and convicting if I'm being honest}.

We crossed this river on the way to La Baie.

 I found this photo online, but it gives you a great idea of what a more rural area of Haiti looks like. More huts, goats, and more a desert like appearance.

Photo Credit - Andy Olson

 On the way to La Baie our truck got stuck in the mud (Hurricane Emily moved through the area the day before we arrived). I'm in the back of the bus. I thought we were moving closer to try to tie a rope or something, but no....we just tried to ram the truck out. Didn't work and the bus got stuck too.

 After about 45 minutes or so, we got the bus out and all crammed in to drive the remaining couple of miles to La Baie's campus. We set up this clinic and ended up seeing around 90 patients this day. Some of them were referred on to surgery with our team, but an unfortunate reality is that they likely don't have the means to get transportation to the mission.

 We got to do something pretty cool on this day trip - we visited a beautiful beach! The water was cool and such a relief from the hot Haitian sun. We didn't stay too long because we needed to try and make it accross the river again before dark.

 This is me on the back of a big tap tap. Think bed of a truck with 2x4 benches built in. It's a pretty dusty ride, but you get lots of air and great views.

 A soccer game.

 Remember the whole wanting to get back before dark goal? Well, that didn't happen. I wish I had a picture of what did happen, but imagine a huge dump truck stuck in a mud pit like below. It made the road impassable by vehicle. The ironic thing is that there was a giagantic pile of gravel next to the mud pit that could have helped, but there was no way of moving the gravel.

 The decision was made to start walking. We were about 20 miles from the main mission, about 45 minutes or so by car. Grant called some of his Haitian friends who owned tap taps and they started driving our way. We walked for probably 2 or 3 miles in the mud before they caught up with up. I have a smile on my face below, but I was scared half to death. These tap taps were just some type of 70s model ford ranger. No backs, so you just sit on the edge of the bed and hold on for your dear life. I thought for sure I was going to fall out! Thankfully, no one was injured and we made it back to the mission around 11:00pm. Showers were a must after swimming in salt water, walking through mud and a very dusty tap tap ride home! We pretty much all agree, though, that this was one of our favorite experiences! It was so Haitian. Fly by the seat of your pants. Flexibility was requred. Good attitudes all around. So fun!