Today begins my third trip to Cap Haitian, Haiti. The first day really is all about getting to Miami so that tomorrow morning we can fly into Haiti. The day began quite early with the goal of getting to Los Angeles International Airport by 7:30 for a 9:00 flight. Traffic was light until arriving at the airport. The rainstorm that hit Southern California yesterday and cancelled lots of flights apparently led to rescheduled travel today. Finally arriving at our terminal, the check in was smooth and so was security (even if it was a bit slow). 

Finally through security there was just enough time to stop by Starbucks and arrive at our gate just as it was boarding. The boarding process was quick enough and it seemed like this would be a fairly smooth flight to Miami… until I looked out the window and saw two mechanics working under the wing of our Boeing 777-300. No announcements had been made so I didn’t really take much notice of it. As time went by, nothing seemed to be happening and our departure time came and went. A brief announcement was made that there was a small issue that would be quickly fixed and we’d be on our way. Knowing that we would be leaving soon, I decided to play with the in-flight entertainment system. I was pleased to discover there was quite a large selection of movies to enjoy. Seeing that we’ve been watching The Lord of The Rings trilogy, when I found The Hobbit it seemed only appropriate to throw it on. Soon I was engrossed in the movie and time was going by but the ground underneath us was not. 

An hour later, we still found our plane sitting at the gate. An announcement was made that things might be a bit more serious than originally thought. More mechanics and trucks arrived. The pilot reassured the passengers that every effort was being made to get us off the ground shortly and he hoped to have information soon. 

The next announcement was made nearly a half hour later. This time, everyone was asked to disembark from the airplane as the gate was needed for another plane. We were instructed to grab all carry on items and go to another terminal where the plane would hopefully meet us… once they figured out what gate it would be meeting us at… assuming they could get the mechanical issue figured out. 

The plane quickly emptied and we all made our way towards what was presumed to be our new terminal. Halfway there, an announcement was heard instructing all on our flight to return to the original gate. Turning around, we made our way back to the gate where we found they were already re-boarding the plane. Once on board and back in our seats, we were told that a few passengers were being rounded up and that soon we would be under way. One of these passengers that was not on the plane was two seats over from me and had difficulty with English. Another half hour or so later my row-mate had arrived and the Captain was telling us that we would be under away soon…. again. 

Finally, the plane backed out and sat until two other planes were out of the way to allow us to leave. Then began the very long wait to actually get to the runway. As we waited, the Captain announced that there were just 10 planes in front of us and that it would take three to four minutes per plane. During this wait, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey reached its conclusion. As we finally barreled down the runway, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug began and we lifted off for Miami. 

We are now scheduled to get into Miami shortly before 8:00 PM tonight and tomorrow we will be flying to Cap Haitian, Haiti. As I’m writing this, we are flying over Oklahoma City and I am looking forward to being able to walk again (there has been some turbulence so the seatbelt sign is still on). By my calculations, we’ll have been sitting on this plane around 8 hours by the time we arrive in Miami. To say today has been an adventure would probably be quite the understatement. 

Once we arrive in Miami we will make our way to the hotel, get a bite to eat, celebrate National Wine Day, and I plan on shooting my first video of the trip. Throughout this trip I will attempt to shoot one video a day and post it on my YouTube page. I will probably also include them with the daily updates here on this website. We will also get to connect with all the people we will be traveling with, including Scott Montgomery who is the Chairman of the Reliv Kalogris Foundation and an all around awesome guy. 

If you would like to support the Reliv Kalogris Foundation and the work it does both in Haiti and around the globe, please feel free to share these reports from our trip and help raise awareness of what the Reliv Kalogris Foundation is doing. You can also follow along on my instagram (@roebearlaird) and the Reliv Kalogris Foundation instagram (@relivkalogrisfoundation). 

If you have any questions about the Reliv Kalogris Foundation and what it does, please feel free to ask them in the comments section below! Thank you for reading and for any support you might offer to the Reliv Kalogris Foundation! 

About Post Author

Robert A. Laird

Robert A. Laird is an entrepreneur and also Executive Director - Creative for Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church/Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller where he oversees the television show of the same name. He also works with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation as it strives to feed starving children around the globe.

robert.laird@dapsmagic.com

http://robertlaird.me

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Tomorrow begins my third trip to Haiti with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation. If I had been asked ten years ago if I would count Haiti as one of my most traveled international destinations, I probably would have just laughed. Now, it is almost becoming a yearly destination. And that is a good thing.

The Reliv Kalogris Foundation feeds around 40,000 people, mainly kids, every day around the globe. 13,000 of those kids can be found in Haiti. Haiti is a nation with great need. According to The World Factbook, 58.5% of the population lives under the poverty line. The unemployment rate as of 2010 was 40.5%, however more than 2/3rds of the labor force do not have formal jobs^[1]The World Factbook: Haiti https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html. Houses are often made of cinderblocks, rough wood, trees, and are crudely built by the standards we are used to in the United States. Common utilities aren’t quite as common there. Waste disposal especially appears to be a problem. Roads are often in disrepair, as are the vehicles that inhabit them. It should also come as no surprise that nutrition can be an issue. This is where the Reliv Kalogris Foundation comes in.

Every day 13,000 kids are fed through feeding stations throughout Haiti. The difference between those getting the nutrition supplied by the Reliv Kalogris Foundation. In the next few days I’ll get to once again experience what it is like to provide not only nutrition, but hope, to these kids. During this trip we’ll be feeding kids, painting walls, and getting a taste of what life is like in Haiti.

Haiti itself is a dichotomy. It has some of the most beautiful vistas I’ve ever seen anywhere, then turn and look another direction and see poverty and debris. Every trip I’ve been I’ve been able to observe the beauty of Haiti even more.

I have no doubt that this trip will be incredible full of high points and low points. I will be attempting to post daily a blog, photos, and video from the trip (if wifi allows). Follow along my journey on instagram (@roebearlaird) or the Reliv Kalogris Foundation on instagram (@relivkalogrisfoundation) as well!

If you have any questions about the Reliv Kalogris Foundation and/or Haiti, please feel free to ask in the comments section below. Please feel free to share this post and help us get the word out about the Reliv Kalogris Foundation and how it is feeding the kids of the world and Haiti!

Let’s go make a difference!

About Post Author

Robert A. Laird

Robert A. Laird is an entrepreneur and also Executive Director - Creative for Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church/Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller where he oversees the television show of the same name. He also works with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation as it strives to feed starving children around the globe.

robert.laird@dapsmagic.com

http://robertlaird.me

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