Haiti Journal: Part VII
As the flatbed speeds down the interstate, the signing continues. The song the kids sing next is Happy Birthday. Ricky and Shae’s son, Canaan, turns five today. The rendition the kids belt out is as loud and enthusiastic any I’ve ever heard. Canaan is a kind and quiet boy, somewhat shy, much like I was at his age, but I can see that he appreciates the attention. As we turn and bounce down a potholed, dirt road toward the coast, the flatbed truck squeaks and rattles, prompting the kids to sing even louder. Ricky has his hand pressed over Canaan’s chest to keep him from falling over. The birthday boy is jostled back and forth and is grinning from ear to ear.
Travel As Service: A Mission Trip to Haiti
Travel can do many things. It can excite, or it can frighten. Travel can relax and it can also be trying. The beauty or chaos of a new place can awaken senses that lie dormant when we are at home. Travel can introduce us to new people, cultures and environments. It can teach and it can inspire. Travel can even change our perspective on life. The best travel, I believe, does all of these things.
Journal Entry: Mauna Kea Hawaii
March 11, 2014Kona to Mauna Kea, HawaiiWoke at 4 AM because of time change. Still dark. Lie in bed looking out the window. As the sun began to light the sky, Hualalai took shape. I stepped out onto the lanai. A thousand birds sang. The air was warm but pleasant. Little yellow lights like stars still lit the slopes of the 8,275 ft volcano, Hualalai. Somewhere behind it, the largest volcanoes on earth, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.