Hard to believe I will be basking in the ice and snow of central western Illinois this time next week. :) or is it :(?? putting the finishing touches on the Christmas show they do at the school. much practice, and it does cut into the school time but the kids like it, and it does give a break, or a reward for the first half of school to them. Gary and Caroline are off to Bible school this morning as I house sit and "manage" Rose who is making the Saturday meal for us. we have started a thing where G/C and myself, along with Al and Bev and Barb when she is here, do a Saturday afternoon get together thing. We pool some money and have one of the Haitian staff fix a Haitian meal for us, rice/beans (shocking, I know) plaintains, potatoes, chicken (ok, we splurge) and picklies. not pickles, but picklies, a kind of cabbage slaw that is made with as much hot pepper as you can stand. Rose is kind to us, as she knows burning the entire intestines out of the missionaries who work the school would not be in her long term interests! :) the Haitians kind of laugh at us on these things but I have learned to laugh at myself also. those who know me are aware that I have long had this skill, as I have even longer had things to laugh at myself about.
I must brag here some regarding my Creole. it is coming along nicely, thank you, and I am gaining some confidence in speaking AND actually understanding a little of what the Haitians say, as long as I am aware of the subject and I can get them to speak SLOWLY. You do this by listening to what they say for 3 minutes and waiting for a break. then you look at them and say "souple, pale dousman", at which time they roll their eyes and start over. You see, I have just asked them "please, speak slowly" and they then realize that I am not Haitian (yes, I do see the irony in that statement) and they know they must speak to me as if I am 2 years old. But this is an improvement for me. One of the girls at school is going to teach me a new Haitian word every day, starting next week. Of course, after 3 days I will be gone for 2 1/2 half weeks so who knows what I will remember when I return. I have been told that you actually do better when you return after a break from it, as your brain apparently processes things somewhat and it begins to sink in some.
I must brag here some regarding my Creole. it is coming along nicely, thank you, and I am gaining some confidence in speaking AND actually understanding a little of what the Haitians say, as long as I am aware of the subject and I can get them to speak SLOWLY. You do this by listening to what they say for 3 minutes and waiting for a break. then you look at them and say "souple, pale dousman", at which time they roll their eyes and start over. You see, I have just asked them "please, speak slowly" and they then realize that I am not Haitian (yes, I do see the irony in that statement) and they know they must speak to me as if I am 2 years old. But this is an improvement for me. One of the girls at school is going to teach me a new Haitian word every day, starting next week. Of course, after 3 days I will be gone for 2 1/2 half weeks so who knows what I will remember when I return. I have been told that you actually do better when you return after a break from it, as your brain apparently processes things somewhat and it begins to sink in some.
Gary is arranging for me to meet an ent doctor after the first of the year in Port au Prince, or more correctly Petionville, where all the money lives. There is at least one ent in the country and I am exploring the option of opening an audiology practice in Port. I have seen some of the bourgeious with hearing aids, and I suspect that they get them in the states or in the DR. oops, Dominican Republic. it would not take a lot of sales to support myself here and enable me to do more ministry. So, we'll see where that goes. I am trying to explore options while at the same time not tie myself to anything for next year. Kind of a get ready for anything thing. You just never know what doors God will open for you, or what ones He will close behind you. Maybe I'll be right here again, maybe I'll be in the US looking for a job and looking for a new or used car, if there are any available then. :) or maybe I'll be at the South Pole, who knows? I am learning to be flexible, at least spiritually. My chiropractor will not be happy with my fleshly flexibility. That will be an early visit when I am home. I am looking at my next 5 months here as an opportunity to gain some personal discipline in my time management and use skills, which, as an American, are abysmal. I always assume I have time to do things LATER and I will have time for everything when LATER get's here. Not so. So eventually I'll get a plan together....:):)
I have been downloading some pic's while I am typing (see, I am getting better, usually I wait till I get to the picture part and stop and go get them!). so here are some pic's for those visually inclined folks. 
Picture are of some of the houses that are being repaired from hurricane relief monies that are going out to people still. you can see the damage yourself and some of the people affected. these are not the worst, just some of the available pictures we have. many lost their homes entirely. those homes were either lost or completely rebuilt if money was available. just another reminder of life here and how it is lived.
suddenly, the ice and snow don't seem so bad after all. hope everying is having a good day, drive safely in Middle America, will see many of you next week. bye for now.
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