Did you bring anything special back with you?

"Would you like a coffee?" such a simple gesture from a Red Cross volunteer, yet the act of kindness was enough to make me break. "Here you go ma'am. We have chili if you would like also" I could barely answer the man that stood their dumbfounded wondering why the girl he was trying to give a cup of coffee to was choking back tears. I am thankful that the package I blindly grabbed was sugar and not salt as I frantically tried to blink back the tears.
3:30 Tuesday we received a call from the Canadian Embassy telling us that arrangements had been made to allow our Canadian kids to go home. The flight was scheduled through an Air Transat plane and was scheduled to depart 9am wednesday. Unlike both our Dutch and US evacuations, the Canadian government felt it was best if they helped see the entire process through. According to them in order to do that it was necessary and feasible to pack up all 20 children, drive them down and check them into the Canadian Embassy by 5pm on Tuesday. Oh and yes, all 20 children along with their escorts would be expected to spend the night at the Embassy in anticipation for the flight the next morning.
You wouldnt believe how quickly the staff at GLA can get clothes, diapers, formula, snacks, sandwiches, juice, pajamas, paperwork and all the other necessities needed to care for that many children ready. It really is something to see, I had a hard enough time packing up my own personal belongings let alone having to worry about the kids. Within an hour and a half the vehicles were loaded and we were on our way.
The Canadian Embassy was not exempt from the destruction of the earthquake. In fact we were told that they are only able to operate out of 1\4 of the building as the rest of it has been condemed. So with the small amount of room that they had they managed to squeeze in our party of 20 kids plus volunteers. They were kind enough to feed us and lay foam mattresses on the floor for the kids. They brought us blankets and did their best to make us as comfortable as possible. Thankfully most of the children didnt have any problems falling asleep. The adults were another story. We had people sleeping in chairs, snuggled into any open mattress space, and curled up on the cold tile floors. We had everything from poopy diapers, to crying babies, to hands, heads, and feet sprawled all over the place. We were a sight to see.
I dont think a single adult was able to get more than 1 hour of sleep at a time so when the sun came up we were anxious to get on with the day. We changed the kids, some multiple times, fed them and loaded them onto the bus that would take us from the Embassy to the airport. I knew that we were in for a long day but you could literally feel the excitement in the air. The older kids knew that today was the day they would meet their families and I couldnt help but burst with excitement for the younger ones who would finally be showered with all the love and attention they deserved.
Everytime I have gone down to the airport we have taken a different route, which means everytime I get a little bit more of a picture as to the actual devastation the earthquake caused. Signs litter the streets asking for help, people are lined up blocks long waiting for what I can only imagine is food or water. What were once huge buildings have now been reduced to piles of rubble. It still amazes me that 35 seconds has changed this country so dramatically.
As hard as it was trying to get that many people ready in an hour and a half, spending the night on the Canadian Embassys floor and then waking up at 5 the next morning, it was worth it when we pulled directly up to the Air Transat plane. There was no waiting, no keeping the kids entertained, we simply had to get off the bus and climb the stairs to the plane.
Through this whole ordeal there has been a ton of media coverage. As the bus pulled up to the plane I have to admit that I started to get nervous as the cameras started flashing. Air Transat provided a plane full of volunteers that were ready and willing to help us off the bus and onto the plane. The first couple minutes were a whirlwind of activity. There were people everywhere and in the confusion our luggage never made it as carry ons. So for us that meant that all of our diapers, wipes, snacks, and winter clothes were sitting in the belly of the plane. Luckily for us, the volunteers were totally prepared. We were given food, diapers, bottles and virtually everything else you can think of.
The Transat volunteers explained that they had virtually as much notice as we did. They hopped on the plane and flew down to Port Au Prince solely to be another set of hands to help. They each took a child and prepared to turn around and fly right back. How cool is that?
The flight was 4 hours which translated to one meal, 3 snacks, 2 naps and 8 diaper changes. If that seems long just remember that I have sat in traffic in Calgary for longer. As we prepared to land we were told that there had been a change of plans and we would have to step out onto the tarmac rather than pull right up to the airport. I looked around and every child that we had on board was dressed in short sleeves, shorts and skirts. Again the Air Transat volunteers came to the rescue. They brought around boxes of boots, toques, scarves, and jackets. In no time we had kids dressed and ready for Canadian winter.
When I walked off the plane, we were greeted by Red Cross volunteers who draped us in blankets and helped us off the plane. I thought there were a lot of cameras in Port Au Prince but they had nothing on Ottawa. Camera crews took up the entire length of the hanger. I couldnt help but reprimand myself for not at least trying to fix my hair or put a little makeup on. I guess some things are just more important.
I am sure my eyes grew two sizes bigger as I walked into the hangar and saw all the people. The Adoptive families had been allowed to come in to greet us in order to take their children through Immigration. This was an unexpected suprise. The first person I spoke to was another Red Cross volunteer that asked the name of the child I was holding. She then went to work zig zagging through the crowd in order to unite us with her family. At Gods Littlest Angels each child has a box that is filled with personal belongings that their families send them that more often than not includes a photo album. As I weaved through the crowd I was begining to recognize the faces of excited family members, anxiously waiting for their children.
Finally I was able to see the couple I was looking for. My eyes filled up with tears as I presented them their daughter. I have never been a part of something so incredibly special. She never even hesitated as I passed her from my arms right into her Mothers. I watched as this beautiful couple clung to their little girl, so much worry and anxiety washing away in that very moment. Words dont even describe the joy that I felt as I looked around the room and saw children continued to be reunited with their Forever Families.
Immigration for me was drastically different from what the families had to go through. As I stood there and passed my passport to the nearest immigration officer, I wiped away a tear. He looked at my declaration card, then looked me straight in the eyes. "Did you bring anything special back with you today?" I answered grinning from ear to ear...."You bet I did!"