Never Ship a Car to Haiti

On June 15, the day before we left Pennsylvania, we gave our Jeep (and its title) to a shipping company that was supposed to deliver it to Haiti in four to six weeks. Oh my, we were so naive! Well, eight weeks later our car was in Port au Prince. So, all we had to do was go pick it up, right? Wrong! Nothing is that simple in Haiti!

First they had Pierre Something-or-other listed as the owner of the Jeep. We had to contact Pierre and get him to contact the shipping company to verify the Jeep was not his. So, now we can get our Jeep, right? Not yet!

The next issue was the VIN. It had been recorded incorrectly on the paperwork and did not match the VIN on the car. More delays and paperwork to rectify that.

Then, the BIG obstacle came up. In order to bring a car into Haiti, you need to have a Haitian ID card. To get an ID card, you need a visa. To get a visa, you need your original birth certificate, a letter from your hometown police stating you are not a criminal, a bank account in the States, a bank account in Haiti and bunch of other paperwork. Yikes, that would take months! Thankfully we found a local attorney who, for a fee, helped us bypass some of this and get an ID card in a few days. Now we could get our car, right? Not yet! By now we forgot what the Jeep looked like.

Ed had to go into Port for eight days in a row, visiting almost every office in the Haitian government, from VIPs to lowly clerks. Each had to examine and sign his paperwork. I think Ed is now on a first-name basis with all these officials ;-)

FINALLY, 14 weeks and lots of money later, we had our car. Then we had to get a license plate and inspection sticker…ugh! But now, praise God, we are enjoying the convenience of our own car for shopping and getting around. We hope to start exploring more of our new surroundings.

On a more cheerful note, it looks like we will be moving into our house at the beginning of November. The apartments being built for the med staff are nearing completion so the lady who is in our house will be able to move and we can get into our permanent residence. Living out of suitcases for almost 5 months is starting to get tiresome. We will be very happy to unpack and settle in at long last.

We are going to make an unexpected trip to the States in November. Our Board of Directors has asked us to attend the National Missionary Conference in Peoria, IL. We’re very excited. Not only will the convention give us chance to meet other missionaries and attend helpful seminars, but we get to enjoy the posh life in the US for a few days! Now, a trip to Peoria may not sound that exciting to all of you but since we have not had hot showers, fast food or temps under 90 for months, it seems like a dream vacation for us ;-)

We will be heading back to the US Dec 10-Jan 6 to visit family and friends. Can’t wait to see how much our grandkids have grown.

Things are going well here. I’m settling into a routine with my school kids. One has ADD but since this is not recognized or treated in Haiti, I’m finding creative ways to keep this student focused. Ed has been battling the flu for a few weeks but seems to be doing better now, thank the Lord. He is busy as always dealing with issues all over the mission.

Yesterday we had the privilege of visiting another mission. It’s called New Hope and is located in one of the more rundown areas of Port au Prince. They run a children’s home for about 100 kids, 19 of whom are handicapped. It’s an impressive facility and we were really touched by the work they’re doing.

Please continue to pray for us as we deal with the many challenges of living in a different country. We thank the Lord for the opportunity and for all the wonderful people who make it possible with their prayers and support. Thank you!