In stark contrast to this desolation, the Haitian people’s smiles and waves gleamed at us as we rode in the back of a flat-bed truck to each destination. All we had to do was make eye contact and smile and the joy was returned. This, of course, was a highlight of the trip, as we saw the raw beauty of each person we came into contact with. Through these people, there is hope for the future in Haiti.

During our first few days in Haiti, we were able to help out at the church of the pastor in whose home we were staying. The church had been partly destroyed in the earthquake, so there was a lot of construction taking place on the premises. In the administration building, the cracks in the concrete walls had been patched up, so it was our job to repaint that area. We were able to prepare the walls and paint several rooms, including the library and lobby area. We also spent some time clearing rubble from the children’s play area so that people could walk easily from one section of the church to another. This was hard work since the weather was very hot and there were no fans to cool us off. Talking to the translators who were with us helped take our mind off of the heat; we got to know our four translators pretty well and we found out that they were men of God preparing to be used by Him. This was another highlight of our trip.

One day, we were able to visit a children’s home, where many children had been dropped off or taken in from the streets after the earthquake. It was heartbreaking to see these children, but encouraging to know that they now have a home and people to take care of them. For most of the day we just played with the kids. Lee had fun playing soccer and Natalie enjoyed taking the handicapped children for walks.

The Sunday morning church service was another “experience” on the trip. I wouldn’t say it was a highlight, since the service started at 6:30am and went for four hours in the hot sanctuary, but it was definitely something we were glad to experience. We were lucky to have the message translated for us. One interesting thing is that they sing worship songs in Creole, French, and English. The church really promotes learning how to read and write in Creole, and learning French and English. One of their main messages is that Preparation + Opportunity = Success. The education system in Haiti is lacking, so over half of the population is illiterate.

On the last night that we were all together, our group was in charge of the Sunday night service at church. We sang a song as a group, then each one of us was able to share something to the congregation. Lee encouraged the people that they were the ones who could make a change in Haiti, and they should make the nation God’s nation. Natalie had the opportunity to share a verse and pray over the people.

After part of the team left for home, there were four of us left. We spent our last days once again at the church. There was quite a storm on Sunday evening, so we arrived at the church Monday morning to find the sanctuary, administration building, and courtyard area flooded. It took most of the day to “push water” out with banana leaf brooms and buckets. Then, the guys helped prepare sandbags and a wall so the water wouldn’t flow in from the street again. The next two days were more painting days, but we made a lot of progress and were able to finish almost all of the offices so the church administration could move in.

While we have mixed feelings about the impact of our gruntwork on Haiti, we feel strongly that God placed us on this trip for a reason. It comes back to the people of Haiti. This is where the investment should be because the people of Haiti will be the ones who can rise up and make the changes for their nation. We were all thankful for the people we were able to meet on the trip, including the translators, the kids at the orphanage, the pastor’s family, and even the people we bought vegetables from on the street. We have many ideas now of other things we want to do to help, but we are waiting for God’s direction in order to take the next step. God has a plan for the nation of Haiti, and we are anxious to see how He allows it to come about.

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Lexie got bored watching my unrelentless attempts at flying a kite with little wind.

(image from The Getty website)

After that, we took a tour of the museum highlights. Among the pieces we saw was a French bed from the 1700’s that was thought to belong to one of Louis XVI’s mistresses.

Apparently, people thought that if you slept in a seated position, it would help with digestion. That is why this bed looks like a couch. There are also original casters under the bed to pull it out, and the arms of the bed could be easily removed in order to change the linens.

Jacob and I gleaning information on the tour.

A view of the cactus garden and Los Angeles.

What is this? A museum for ants? It has to be at least….three times this size!

Finally, we went to lunch at The Apple Pan. We had the Hickory Burger, which was so delicious. The sauce was what made the burger. There are only about 20 seats in the restaurant, all barstools around a U-shaped counter. We had to wait until some seats opened up - it was a bit chaotic, but worth it!

Day one involved the L.A. Roadsters car show at the Pomona Fairplex.

Lee found a few cars he liked.

And I found beauty in the details.

We even got to try the famous Pink’s hot dogs. Lee had a “Martha Stewart” and my mom and I split a “Mullholand Drive” - delicious and we didn’t even have to wait in the normal long line since this was a satellite station set up at the car show.

For dinner we went to Proud Bird, a restaurant next to LAX. It was great with many planes around the exterior and a view of the planes landing at LAX. The dinner was fairly good (except the mashed potatoes) and had very large portions.

Finally, our plan was to visit the Griffith Observatory for a free family night they were having, but when we finally got up there, it was way too crowded! There was no parking, so we headed down the mountain into Hollywood. Lee set up a backup plan to visit Grauman’s Theatre and Walk of Fame.

Yes, I have a star!

 The earliest prints we noticed were from 1927, and the latest, from Robert Downey Jr., from 2009.

Lee and my mom admire Bing Crosby’s prints.

Of course Lee liked Roy Roger’s gun print and his horse’s hoof prints.

Our journey ended back at Hotel Angeleno, near the Getty Center. This hotel was very nice - comfortable beds, great views, good location. The cost is reasonable as well (except for the $20 parking fee!).