I wanted to write a journal entry today to describe a couple of incredibly beautiful things I saw the other day. Actually, I’m very happy I’m still enjoying my experience in Haiti by my recognition of extraordinary events or sights. My tendency is to stop enjoying a vacation or job or experience because I’ve started to pine for home or for another experience to begin. Fortunately, I believe I’ve achieved another level of patience. Even after being in Haiti for two years and feeling an extreme urge to return home, I am still allowing myself to relax and enjoy Haiti and my friends here. With that being said here is a description of two things I witnessed being so beautiful the other day.

Haiti has a magnificent variety of what we call a lightening bug or firefly. These “fireflies,” however are seen rather infrequently, perhaps because of the level of deforestation here. I have only seen one or two jetting through the dark under-canapy of trees in the evening previously. It was something like that of a bird or a bat but much smoother, probably indicating a much higher wing flap cycle frequency. It also seemed to move through the trees much faster than a typical bird, but that may be an illusion created by the darkness. What makes this firefly so eye-catching though is the luminescence of its glow. Its about the size of a normal flashlight bulb its glow is dull and undirected; more like a LED yet lime-green. Also, unlike a firefly in the States its glow was of a much longer duration and greater intensity.

Anyway, the “firefly” I observed the other night is not necessary of the same variety because I did not observe it in flight. It appeared on a nearby coconut tree. It looked a little something like this: (my attempt at drawing it)

I don’t remember the legs so I won’t attempt to draw them. Also, now that I remember the head was much smaller than I drew it.

It was dark so Meret found it with a flashlight. It’s back was very shiny and hard like a beetle’s. It was the color and texture of a Jelly Belly Mocha or Coffee jelly bean. Meret, when he first saw it said, “Look at its eyes.” He was indicating the yellow spots on his back. The “firefly” wasn’t doing much so I had to give it a poke with my finger to get him moving. When I touched it the two yellow spots illuminated in a fierce glow. I was incredibly amazed at how bright the glow was coming from these two little spots. When it illuminated it lit everything around it in a dull yellow glow. It fell off the tree and I picked it up and put it down in front of everyone to take a look but it took flight and I lost it. When it flew it glowed from where the wings were covering the body but nothing like what I described in the first paragraphs of this entry. However, it was still an incredible find and it is amazing how something like that has evolved. Truly incredible!

The other night (switched to another color pen because red is hard to see in the lamplight) it may have been the same night I saw the “firefly” I beheld another awesome sight. It was about 8:30pm and a full moon had risen in the eastern sky while I was listening to VOA (Voice of America) news on the porch. I was preparing to enter the hous ofr the night but decided to check the sky for signs of rain. A cloud had just passed over and I was wondering if I should put buckets out under the edges of the roof to catch rain if it came. I walked out into the yard where there are no trees present and looked to the west, where the weather usually originates. There were a few fluffy harmless clouds on the horizon but nothing promising rain. But when I looked to the northwest I saw an awe inspiring sight. The wave of clouds that had passed over had arrived and hovered over the mountain range to the northwest. The rising moon illuminated dimly the mountains while reflecting brightly from the clouds, the mountains almost reaching up and touching the tall band of clouds. What grasped me the most and held me still, staring at the scene, was that the clouds seemed so enormous, but yet I felt I could reach out with both arms and collect them and bring them to my chest. I was taken back at how something could be so large, like a huge snow covered mountain and yet appear small enough for me to hold in my arms. It was like sitting in the front row at a movie theater and watching the Dreamworks advertisement, which is a scene involving moonlight and clouds. It also reminded me of the painting which I believe is on the ceiling of the Cisteine Chapel – of God laying a bed of clouds. It was almost as if I was floating, drown in by the clouds. My elevation in relation to the clouds probably helped to create this sensation.

Anyway, I wanted to relay these two remarkable occurrences because they illustrate the amazing things that the earth can open up for us to see on rare occasion. Occasions that make you realize what a rare and intricate planet we are lucky enough to inhabit.