An Ode to the Black Truck

It is time to put our black truck to rest.  It has been tried and true (actually not really….it’s broken down multiple times) for many years now but its time has come to an end.  We are in desperate need of a new truck here in Haiti and starting today are actively raising funds for this.  But, this got me thinking about this black truck here and all it has been through with us….

I remember the day we bought it.  We were staying in a little house at Christianville at the time.  The kids all came over after school and were so excited about it. 

I remember countless trips in it up the mountain before the sun had even come up to pick the kids up for school.  Matt and I would head up about 5:30am every morning to do breakfast with the kids and drive them down to school.  All the little ones would wait anxiously by me as I decided who got to sit in my lap that morning and then we’d all drive down the mountain singing Chris Tomlin songs together.  There were many mornings we could get 37 kids in it…

I remember piling kids in each afternoon after a day of school.  There would be 2 kids on my lap with the sun blazing at that point and we would make our trek back up the mountain…. still singing at the top of their lungs.

I remember driving into Port au Prince to the Caribbean Market to buy groceries at double or triple the price just because we wanted a glass of milk.

I remember going out with friends who were like family in it when we lived at Christianville to Ocean Grille.  We would pile in as many as we could and then enjoy a delicious meal and wonderful company talking about Haiti and our frustrations with it and more importantly our love for it.

I remember driving back down the mountain for the last time because things had gotten very difficult for the kids and it was too dangerous to go back up there.  

I remember piling that truck full of our belongings, leaving Christianville, the only home we’d known in Haiti and moving to Hope Rising because they offered our kids and us a safe place to live.

I remember bringing Sophie to Haiti for the first time and Matt installing her car seat in the back of the black truck as we waited in the heat in the airport parking lot. 

I remember almost a year and a half later bringing Elijah for the first time and me being sandwiched in between my 2 babies in the back of the black truck.  Just sitting there praying there would be no protests or issues trying to get us to our house.  The black truck got us there time and time again.

I remember all of us piling in to go play at Hope Rising.  Sophie on my lap, Yolmenda holding Elijah.  Everyone as happy as they can be to be going out to play.

I could go on and on.  That truck has been part of our family.  It has made countless trips into Port au Prince, driven teams around, gone to the market in Leogane almost daily, and so much more.  The unfortunate truth though is, it is almost beyond repair at this point.  It was used when we bought it and is a lot more used now!  We will still be able to use it on back roads here which is also a need.

We are in need of a new truck here for so many reasons.  Without transportation, we can’t get supplies, can’t get the kids where they need to be, and have no lifeline to Port au Prince.  We would love it if you would consider a donation to a new vehicle for us and our kids here in Haiti.  We promise to love our new truck like we loved the old one.

To donate towards a new truck, click here.

Give online or send a check to the address at the link.