Haiti Journal: May 26, 2006 – Flight from Charlotte NC to Miami, FL
Read the introduction and background to the new translation of the Tibetan Book of The Dead, of The Great Liberation Through Hearing. I feel as if I have stumbled into the Vatican archived. I’m surrounded by the history of an ancient faith … some of the work is art, other work is history. I have no idea which way to turn, so I simply pick at random and begin to read.
Jen and I are on our way to Haiti to do a week of medical mission work. We will be with “Home Health Ministries,” a faith based organization active around the world. Simply being on the trip is a leap of faith. We decided in January that we should “do more charity.” Instead of spreading out our monetary contributions, we have decided to focus them, to put one of our vacation weeks this year to good effect.
I found myself repeating two mantras as I packed:
(1) This is still a good idea
(2) Everything I’m taking, I can afford to lose
Simply put, Haiti is a mess. From what little information I can gather from the outside, the government is weak, but the people (as people everywhere) are basically good.
Dan drove us to the airport. It’s good to have friends.
I can already feel the scales falling away. This is the first time in years that I have travelled without my laptop. No, not years. Just last year I was in Alaska. Then this year in Italy. How quickly I forget.
I want to see the ends of the earth. The thundering wall of water falling up into space, at the edge of the oceans. The mighty mountains which separate our lands from those of the Gods. And yes, I want to see Haiti. This place associated through my whole life with poverty and violence. Our little stepchild of a nation, living in the shadow of Cuba. This place which caused usually supportive friends to caution me back from the edge.
We toasted Fidel Castro this evening over dinner. May he not die in the next 9 days.
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