Woke up early, prayed, prepared my suitcase, and got ready for breakfast.  Today breakfast was spaghetti and salad.  It gets a getting use to have spaghetti in the am.  Roger drove me to say hello to my brother, Patrick Roumain, at his place of business in Petionville.  He was happy to see me too.  I was pleased to see him working hard and doing well.
We drove to Alix’s where I was picked up by an old friend I had not seen in more than 30 years, Jean Claude Ferrus, who owns a medical supplies business.  He passed carefour Fleurio to drop off the bottle of liqueur for the sisters and we sat at the restaurant under the ‘choukoun’ to reminisce about our past in College Bird and our current lives.  He too understands the concept of hard work and sacrifice to achieve your goals and family success.

He was very gracious after our meet-up to drop me at the airport.
At the airport there were many missionaries (all white people).  One group had lime shirts and another orange t-shirts.  A group boarded first going I believe to Georgia.  The other group was going to be on the same plane I was on (2 passengers next to me were from Ireland).  http://www.childrenslifeline.com/ and http://www.alexshouse-haiti.blogspot.com/
Someone told me at a fund raising event organized by Zafèn at St. John’s University, “Haiti is a cemetery of good intentions.” Everyone wants to do their own things the way they feel it must be done.  There is no mobilization to analyze and see what the community really needs, what resources, talents and gifts are available to do it.  Then with the people for whom this is intended educate and implement.
The non-profit organizations which have proliferated since the earth quake of 2010 must be controlled and organized and made accountable for the benefit of those they are servicing without enriching themselves.   As St. Vincent de Paul said “The poor do not suffer from lack of charity.  They suffer from lack of organization.”   The generous missionary zeal should be appreciated but not create dependency.  The humanitarian aids don’t have enough resources to change the existing economic disparity within in the country.  This can only be achieved with the concerted efforts of the public and private sectors of the nation and its citizens.
I waited until 3:30 pm to board.  During the turbulence the food service was quite delayed but we had a pretty decent flight. We arrived in NY at 7:50 pm. I waited a while by the carousel to get the luggage then walked outside to get a taxi.  It cost $30 (tips included) to get home.  While waiting and in the cab, I gave praise to God for having done a safe and enjoyable trip.

My daughter Natalie had a sign ‘Welcome Home’ at the door.  It was good to be in the house I lived in since 1972.