Saturday, April 4, 2009

NO, my Illinois state taxes are not filed yet, thanks for asking. I plan on getting to it sometime next October, and if I don't YOU didn't remind me so it's YOUR fault, remember that! I did get my fed and Missouri taxes done and sent off. Yes I sent it snail mail, but it went out a week ago and will get there in plenty of time. NO I did not have the ILL form's to get done so I couldn't file them with the other forms. Pouki sa? you ask. Wow, blog readers are so nosey....I waited until the day before Caroline was leaving to go to the states and could'nt get on the Il web site to down load the forms. I had the fed and Mo forms, but the internet let me down......it's the web's fault!!! I knew I would find the culprit eventually. Remember, if you have a problem, just go down the list of everyone who could have possibly taken care of the problem for you and you'll find who did it.

Gary sent out a notice to parents a few weeks ago stating that the school was full and to ensure their kid had a spot for next year, they needed to sign up now and pay a small fee. The fee is more to make them responsible for actually showing up next year, as a signed paper w/o a fee really means nothing. There has been a surprisingly good response to this, with already about a dozen kids signed up for next year. (I have been teaching seniors English...not teaching but reading along with the students who do it...and I have learned that my writing style includes so many dangling participles, split infinitives and such that I should be back in 5th grade) SO, as I struggle to not split what should not be split, it seems that I have learned that several of my students are already signed up again for next year. These two had gotten into trouble in the states and wound up here mid year and honestly these are the biggest problem students. Consistent with Haiti, they have conformed to expectations.

It is difficult most times to even come close to viewing these kids in complete context. Obviously we can't do that readily for anyone, and never really completely. There is so much you just can't know about their lives and such. These two kids are honestly pretty nice kids. One is a manipulator, another a follower who went with a bad crowd. I think both are completely salvageable (bad term but it's early). They will work when prodded (I like Haitian school rules....if you don't like what the kids is doing, swat him. Most parents, if not all, have NO problem with it. In fact some actually wonder why we don't do it more) and have generally ok personalities. Their obvious problem is.....they are teenagers, and worse, American teen agers. If only there was a pill to cure this condition...

So next year it appears that Myberson and Kesmy will likely be gone to the states. This will leave me with Pony, James, Sophonie, Jephtae and D'Jinu. (assumes I will be back, pending any unknown kidnap attempts to keep me in the states by, well, these students). This should be a pretty good group I think for whomever is their teacher.

I truly do not know where I will be next year and I am very thankful that Gary has not asked me for a committment. Gary has told me that his goal is for me to find my place here and serve in it, wherever God wants me, and I really can't ask for more than that. If it is here, fine, if it is doing something else then God will arrange that. If it is home, then I know this will have been a year to change me. I will have to remember, however, to not carry a stick around to swat the kids with.....unfortunately! :)

Djebenis tout moun