“Mom, the cheapest ticket I can find from Portland to Fayetteville is $600.” I sighed for the umpteenth time as I wondered how we could scrape that much money together to get Gabe here to spend some vacation time with our family before we head back to Haiti. “Lord, it would be so much simpler if he lived here on the East Coast,” I silently prayed. But, even as I prayed, I knew he was right where he was supposed to be.

Our family seems so spread out at times. All of us coming together in one locale requires time, effort, and of course, money. But, the memories produced are well worth the effort. Our sons are anxious to meet their new nephew, Sam. So, the next few weeks will be a blur of us scurrying back and forth to destinations to spend precious moments together with loved ones before we head back to Haiti.

On a more positive note, Monday we received some of the best news we’ve received in a long time. According to the Miami Herald, it’s official. American Airlines will begin making flights from Miami into Cap-Haitian in October. This will remove a tremendous financial burden off us. For years, we have paid a hefty price just for a round trip ticket from Cap-Haitian to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami because there was so little competition among the smaller airlines. That didn’t even include our connecting flight to North Carolina. With the debut of American Airlines’ flights, we will save a pretty penny on our airfare. Having said that, if you want to plan a mission trip to come visit our work in Haiti, here’s a great reason for you to come!