Day 26 - A Day of Rest

A day of rest.  We get to relax and see Johnbern (JB) perform at a nice restaurant tonight!

Laurel and I dropped JB off so he could go to practice this morning, then we headed back to Victory Compassion's Compound (VC) to relax. We spent time with Mary in her trailer talking about Haiti business and spiritual history. I think she is so wise.

Lunch with the Dominicans from Barahona, then I finally looked up a flight home. Played dominoes with Laurel and 2 of VC's interpreters.

Johnbern watched the Brazil soccer game after practice, so Laurel, her sister Erin and I got our stuff together and headed to pick him up. Victory Compassion has a rule about driving after dark, so since we are staying with them, we have tried to adhere to it since Kendra has been gone and Laurel has been with us. Instead of driving all the way back, we got a hotel by the airport. One room for the girls and one for JB and his friend Johnson, the bass player from his trio.

JB got ready while Laurel and Erin flipped through the TV for the first time since they arrived March 10.

On our way up the mountain, Johnbern stopped to help the girls shop. Erin's husband's birthday is coming up and they wanted to shop on the street where JB likes to shop to find him a shirt. I stayed in the car while JB helped them barter the price. He even ended up getting a shirt for himself. We had a little bit of time so JB also gave them a van tour and had us stop at La Reserve - a beautiful restaurant. It looked like Hawaii with trees, hanging lights, candles and lots of greens. Laurel wants to have her wedding reception there. We sat for a few minutes so Laurel and Erin could have a cappuccino, their first in Haiti. I liked seeing them bond as they are 11 years apart in age.

Erin Hoffman and Laurel Steffen

To the place JB was playing - another beautiful secret of Haiti. Absolutely gorgeous! The 3 girls sat to the left of the stage. Erin and Laurel were very social and chatty. We had some good conversation!  Johnbern played amazing - as usual. I'm really liking the jazz music more and more. It is so soothing. After the show, Laurel and I talked to JB and his friends. They were explaining that jazz isn't like other music because you need to connect to the audience. "It's very spiritual."

Left about 11:30pm to head to the hotel. Laurel and Erin stayed up to talk late. I stayed up until about 1am.

Slept under the sheets and woke up in the middle of the night to wash my arms from what I thought were bedbugs - gross!

In the morning Erin mentioned something similar. A nice place, but gross!