Day 7 – Saturday, April 1, 2017

All of the rehearsals and concerts having been completed successfully, we enjoyed our day off at the beach.

A spontaneous ball game began with locals and several musicians.

The local kids were very friendly and open.

 Day 8 – Sunday, April 2, 2017

Being a Sunday, the Mission Aviation charter flights were not available to transport us back to Port-au-Prince, so various groups, depending on their return flight schedule, made the arduous trip over the mountains in shuttle vans. There were unforeseen complications when the early morning group had to stop and wait as some nearby villagers had created road blocks with bonfires, large boulders and smaller rocks and broken glass strewn across the only road up to Port-au-Prince. Apparently, it was a protest against the government because the villagers were without electricity for four days. What was a 15 minute flight at the start of the trip was a 3 or 4 hour journey by vehicle.

Luckily, the roads were eventually partially cleared, and all parties were able to make their flights in time. Considering what a large scale trip with so many components this was, the week went remarkably smoothly, a testament to Janet’s planning skills, knowledge of Haiti and the students as well as John and Yuki’s efforts at organizing the week. And best of all, the heart of our mission, which was about the music and teaching was a resounding success!