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It was cold. Colder then I was really comfortable with or prepared for as our small 10 seater plane streaked through the clear blue skies above Haiti. As the altitude dipped the temperature began to climb as we passed through one of the lush tropical valleys on our final assent into Haiti. I looked bellow as the shadow of our tiny plane crossed from jungle to fields and then into the trash covered streets of the city. Even from the air it was clear that things were horribly wrong in Haiti. Even before the cabin door was fully open the smell of Haiti hit me. It is smell unlike any other that is a unique mix of garbage, sewage, people, petrol, and smoke. It is this smell, the heat, and the sights the truly tell your mind and body that you have arrived in Hell.

We traveled by 4 wheel drive SUVs to the compound that would be our home for our time in Haiti. Its ten foot walls surround several small brick buildings that give us a place to sleep, eat, and space to try and relax. Although, such is difficult when you are in a land where the water is poison, the food is toxic, and nothing, including you, is ever clean. The roads are largely unpaved and are instead a collection of pot holed dirt trails that stretch through the jungles and fields to connect one poor village to the next. The dust that is kicked up is so thick that it becomes almost blinding at times, and leaves visitors, including myself, with a lingering cough as a reminder that we were once strangers in a harsh land.

Most people fail to understand or imagine not just the danger, but logistics of coming to this kind of extreme environment even before the earthquake much less after. Despite it being winter in Haiti, day time highs push 100 degrees and there is little to no rain through this season. The average person needs to drink at least 4 liters of water per day to continue to function, and more if you plan to do any outdoor work. The native language of Creole is a unique combination of french and african dialects and is best thought of as "The Ebonics of French". As such, translators are required who not only know both languages, but can also read and write in both in order to be fully helpful. There is no Roseta Stone or other such product for Creole and with a literacy rate of less then 20% Haiti is short on those educated enough to be bi-lingual.. Due to massive amounts of insects, animals, and other creeping things; there are very few secure and clean places for Americans to sleep. Even after you establish your base of operations at one of those few locations getting anywhere else is extremely difficult. Transportation must be acquired that is able to carry large amounts of cargo and people, drive off-road, forward small rivers, and not break down in the middle of the jungle. Combine that with a driver who is willing to take a vehicle of any kind onto streets where the only rule of the road is that the largest vehicle has the most right of way as well as knowing where the endless dusty paths lead to what unpronounceable impoverished village; and you are looking at a huge challenge just to go further than walking distance from your front door. And that is only if you can find fuel for your journey as well. Clean water is rare and must be bought only from trusted sources in already sealed containers. One must also bring in all of your food for your visit that is already cooked and requires no water or heat to make. Anything locally that is eaten or drank will quickly give you a case of "Haitian Happiness" better known as dysentery. Electricity is rare even in the best of times, and communication with the outside world is often little more then wishful thinking. All of this comes of course comes after getting vaccinated for Hepatitis A, B, C, Tuberculosis, Typhoid, Tetanus, Malaria, and paid for 'de-worming' medications for when you get back to the US. May God have mercy on you if you get sick or injured before you make it back. The good news is that once all of these things (and a few more) are done you can then start to think about such things as how you are going to distribute rice and beans to the poor and starving without causing a riot. In order to even begin to help on the ground in Haiti, requires careful planning for months and weeks in advance as well as physical and mental preparations.

After the earthquake hit, we were on the ground in 5 days. Truly God was with us.

Some have called us "Heros" for going and helping. I personally feel very undeserving of such a term. I was given an opportunity to simply be an ambassador for the aid and love that was so generously given by so many. The heros of Haiti are those who gave money during a down economy. Who bought medicine for others when they needed it themselves. Who prayed not just for our team but for the nation as a whole that God would be with all of us. And especially the Haitians who went without water or food so that their fellow survivors could have some. Generosity of such precious resources was hardly uncommon in Haiti. In fact, when we began giving out food to those who were bed ridden in the hospital (a virtual death sentence in Haiti) we often had to force them to keep the food because they would try to give it away to other patients around them that they saw as "more needy". The eyes of the world may be on Haiti in this crisis, but I promise you that the eyes of the Haitians are focused on God and on each other. Not on themselves.

God has always been a large part of the lives of many in Haiti. They feel a close comfort to Him that I have rarely seen exhibited in America. What was amazing to me was that the belief in the goodness of God was so strong that I did not speak with one Haitian, one Survivor, one person; who blamed God for the earthquake. Yes their was sorrow. Yes, fear and even anger were there too, but blame and hate were never a part of the language that was used. Instead, time and time again I heard echos of the phrase from Job 1; "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." One of the best and most unique ways I saw the faith in God through the earthquake was the story of one man who had survived in Port A Prince due solely to his faith. He said that when he felt the earth move and the roar of the quake he thought that it was the end of time. He ran outside and into the street where he fell to his knees, held his hands high, and yelled for the Lord to come and take him home. As the buildings around him came down and screams filled the air the man praised the Lord and thanked him for his return. Sadly, when the man told this story he began to cry. for he had lost his family, his friends, his children and all that he had. But even in this, he still praised the Lord. I hope that I will never be able to understand his fear, his loss, or his disappointment.

By now many people are beginning to recognize the Haitian flag whenever they see it. Haiti, like America lives beneath a banner of red, white, and blue. The two countries have long been connected in commerce and in spirit. Haiti has the same undeniable fire and passion for greatness that America has always embodied. If the roles were reversed, I have no doubt that those in Haiti that could would send aid to the US. Many pray for the US and those they know in it, by name, daily. How lucky we are to have such wonderful people praying for us as we pray for them! The earthquake may have destroyed many things, but it only made the love that is shared between our two countries stronger, On the morning of our final day one of the local leaders in Cap-Haitian, Lucner Pierre, came to see us to the airport, but also to give each of us a simple gift. To each on our team he gave a Haitian flag. It was so simple, but it meant so much. It was given in thanks for those who had survived, and in the memory of those that hadn't. It was handed simply to each of us with two words, "Thank you." Lucner promised that Haiti will not forget the work we had done there, and that many lives were changed and saved by our efforts. I felt so unworthy to be given such a gift. As the plane took off and once again the heat was replaced with the cold atmospheric chill. I reached into my bag and pulled the red white and blue cloth close to my chest. Like many before, It caught my tears as we left Haiti behind. Many people warned us before we left that we were running into Hell, and they were more right then they know. We did run into Hell, but Heaven was all around.