The flight across the U.S., the hotel stay in Florida, and the final leg of our trek to Haiti by air left us all feeling quite a bit queasy. However, after 2 hours of flying over the Caribbean, my heart began to race and dance upon first glimpse of the mountains of Haiti! It was as if I had been away from home for the past 4 years and only now was finally returning. (And this was even before experiencing the absolute joy that is the culture and people of Haiti!)

So to provide a bit of a hint as to what this natural beauty is, as well as a tease before getting into the meat of our journey, here are a few photos.




Hibiscus that has managed to sprout up in between two huts. An offering of life in between dwellings of despair.





A portion of an enormous palace at the bottom of a mountain...

...and the fortress at the top!



Mmmm, banana!


Wesners the Haitian, Joel the Texan, and the Dowdy's

The photos thus far do nothing to justify my heart's longing for Haiti. As the days and weeks unfold, I'll make the attempt, albeit a likely feeble one, to show and tell the people and culture that have caught my eye, captured my heart, and called me back.