Saturday, May 30, 2009

so Gary and Caroline took the visitors from the IAM program to the Bible class graduation today. around 12 or so, I went upstairs and saw the temp as 89 inside the office area they have upstairs. Knowing this to be a completely false reading, I put it into the sunlight on the porch. Within 7 minutes it has risen 15 degrees to 104, at which time I quit. Now, there may be technical reasons why the reading in the sun is inaccurate, but I prefer to not hear them or believe them, even if they are valid and reasonable and even TRUE. The sun has been absolutly brutal the last few days. Rose showed up for the trip to Montrois and was sweating and complaining about the heat at 5:30 in the morning!

very interesting post from Tara Livesay about the Missionaries of Charity in Port, an organization started by Mother Teresa years ago. They care for sick children, getting them back to health and reuniting them with their families. The place is overcrowded and understaffed, but the kids get fed and they are alive. Many families, when faced with a very sick baby, just quit feeding it, thinking the food should go to healthier, stronger kids who may make it, thereby giving a death sentence to the sick baby. Managing resources is a part of poverty, and feeding a baby who likely won't live has a poor cost/return ratio. Cold, but true. That decision is made every day in Haiti and many other 3rd world countries like Haiti and poorer. I was reading about Sudan today, the average family lives on about $100 a year. that's about 36 cents a day to feed...everyone. I see the kids in the school here and I realize that many of them are actually well off for Haiti. They have clothes, food and can go to school. Some aren't so lucky and attend school on scholarships....another way to say Gary and Caroline let them attend for free. And the days go by, one after another. I realize that sanity is a real gift at times. It is too easy to just want to go bonkers on yourself. I know God will lead me to where He wants me in the future. It may be here, it may be somewhere else, it may be home. Wherever it is, I hope I never look at people again like I did before. That would be shameful. did I say it was hot here?

Bondye benis ou.

Friday, May 29, 2009

today was graduation day for school, or more correctly, for Kesmy St. Louis. The closing ceremonies for school were wonderful for the kids, they really enjoyed the music and all. Myberson gave a very good speech, praising Kesmy for his work, and challenging someone in the next group to be a leader for the school. I gave out report cards for my class, and had the chance to talk about Kesmy a bit. He has overcome everything and graduated high school, and is headed to college in the states if all plans hold true. He is a truly amazing young man.

It was very difficult at times to be there, as many of the workers asked me if I was returning next year, and I had to answer truthfully that I do not know at this time. The kids became more like my own today, not that they would ever replace my son's, but I felt very close to them and I tried to encourage them to continue in their schooling. There are some very bright kids at El Shaddai, and I pray they will get opportunities to achieve. Even one of the young men who has been somewhat of a problem this year, came out and said he has gotten saved while in school, he has given his heart to Jesus. For those who read who are not Christian, I know things like this can be very difficult to read. I was like that at one time. Now, however, it makes everything worthwhile to hear that. It was a good day today......even if it is 185 degrees with humidity to match. It is tre cho now in Haiti, and everyone is complaining about the heat, even the Haitians. I hope and pray it is a good summer for Haiti, they need it desperately.

It is downhill from here now, odd's and ends, and packing for home. It has been an amazing year, truly amazing for me. The only thing that would have made it better is if my son's would have been here with me, but they are not on board with sweating in Haiti....yet!

Bondye benis ou.

Thursday, May 28,2009

Catching up on the last few days. Monday we did what was basically the last day of school, kids worked and got done the tests they could as they had no time to start new books. Tuesday was beach day...and I have the sunburn to prove it. I did use sunblock on my head and neck but my back is pretty torched. It was well worth it though. it was a decent beach, kind of rocky but that is pretty standard here. There are some sandy beaches but they cost a lot more to rent. we had the whole place to ourselves for a minimal amount, brought the cooks and our own food, and just played in the water, and the kids played some soccer. I have pictures that I will try to post, but again, Blogger has chosen me to make the upload example for someone. "don't be like him or your stuff won't upload". I chose to be the "pick up the little kids and throw them into the water" guy, and after awhile my arms were very tired as even the bigger kids....like Madame Homme.....wanted me to throw them into the water. it was much fun, the food was good, what more is there?

It was interesting to see the cooks work there. they were in a small room, using charcoal to cook with and it was very hot, but they complained not and Rose asked all of us if the food was good afterwards. She just wants to make sure she did a good job, cooking is what she does for us and she enjoys knowing she did well at it. There were some families that lived there managing the place, and they ate also, Rose made sure of it. Things you just won't see in the states.

Wednesday was technically the last day of classes, but we got little done, just a few tests for a few kids, and mostly practice for the closing ceremony. I'll be honest; I don't enjoy ceremonies. But they have one for the kids and they seem to enjoy it I guess, so I'll endeavor to persevere. It will be at 10 am, earlier than they usually do it, but the rainy season has started a bit early and afternoon rain is pretty usual the last 2 weeks or so, so it is this or get everyone wet.

Today we will be getting report cards together for the kids, starting the close down process at school, getting the big tarp up for the ceremony for shade for the kids, and some household stuff. Gary went to Port yesterday and picked up two visitors, Sharon and Brittany, who are here for the Bible class graduation Saturday, which I will not attend, again ceremonies don't do it for me. Sunday is missionary meeting, and then it is packing and watching the clock tick until Wednesday morning for the flight home. The house needs closed up and all, so there will be things to do, but it won't be too bad. time flies here. .....pic's wont load

Bondye benis ou

Tuesday May 26, 2009

well, it's 5:30 and I've been up now for about 45 min, and I am covered with sweat. it is beach day for the kids at school, so we've been up getting a few things together for the trip and I feel like I need a shower already. a few issues came up and they will be dealt with on the way to Mountrois. Gary has taken Rose and Elna, the cooks, and a bunch of stuff there early to start the noon meal which will be.....wait for it......RICE AND BEANS!!!!! we can cook it ourselves and it saves a bunch of money. to purchase a plate at the beach place for all 70 or so people would be hyper costly, so we cook ourselves. the place is rented out for the school for the day, so it will be nice to have no "others" there to interfere. the kids can run and play soccer, venture into the water as they feel the courage (and that is an issue here; Haitians do not like the ocean generally) and throw sand....or rocks...as they see fit. should be fun for all (unless the aim on the rock throwing is good).

tomorrow Gary goes to Port to pick up a couple of visitors who are coming in for the graduation of the Bible school class. they have been running the school for 3 years now and the first graduates are finished, so the place they get their material from, IAM ministries, is sending someone to attend the graduation. that will be Saturday morning. Friday we will have the school closing ceremony and Kesmy's graduation, head of a class of one! Sunday will be missionary meeting, then it's get the school and house closed up as much as possible to leave on Wednesday for home. Gary and Caroline will leave next Monday, the 8th. Or, we hope they will. Sunday the 7th is another election since no one won the last time (you have to have one candidate get 50% and no one did) in the Senate elections. we have heard there is already trouble brewing for the election by those not happy with the election process, so G/C are hoping it does not spill over into demonstrations, or manifestations, as they are called here.

speaking of manifestations, the roads here are filled with mud and water now..... to fill in the blanks on that sentence, people manifest whenevere they get fed up and feel no one cares or listens to them....which is most of the time. Well, in one area of the roads here, there is a very bad spot of road that is washed out with large holes. Large rocks have been placed into the puddles of water to "manifest" the dissatisfaction with the roads, so everyone has to drive thru a small area of road, which is the worst part of the road. However as the water starts to recede you can see the burned remains of tires under the puddles....which is a previous manifestation....which is what causes much of the damage in the roads to begin with.....and causes the rains to wash away the damaged asphalt......which then begets the rock manifestation....which will cause some repairs to be done......until that is destroyed by the next manifestation. Got it?

actually there have been guys around town with transits taking sightings for stuff, who knows what, and we hope it is because of Preval's visit last week. elections are coming up so politicians do what they do....make a show to get votes. hopefully some improvements will come, but that is believed when seen and finished.

well, again I risk my computer by typing, I think I will short it out with my sweat, so that's it for today. Home is calling. :)

Bondye benis ou.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

the rains have slowed, today actually looks pretty sunny which is a good thing. I forget if I blogged about this but Preval was in our neighborhood looking at the flood damage. and the prevailing opinion was "that's nice", but no one really expects anything to happen, as is usual.

school is about finished. Friday we had final chapel service which was really an instruction period for the final ceremony next Friday. after the talking, we played some music and I began to think about the kids there. I don't know if I will see them again after this year, and it was tough. I have tried to put myself in a place where I don't expect much. I don't expect God to go along with my agenda, because I realize "my" agenda so often does not coincide with His...as was demonstrated with my being here this year! so if God provides the direction to return and the means, I will. If He does not and I never return, I am ok with that...at least I think I am, or I will be eventually. This summer will be an adventure just like coming here....going to a strange country with leaders who are idiots and a culture that has so many problems you can't count them. At least this time I will know the language!

as I have gotten to know the people here, not just the mission, I have begun to enter a little comfort zone. I take the kids home in the bus and if there is a problem, I know it will work out. I know enough Creole to let folks know that I don't know enough Creole. But I can struggle through most of the time. People have gotten to know that there is another blan in the neighborhood and it doesn't bother...most of them. I feel like I have grown as a teacher, which I am still not, but I understand the principles of the classroom now much better than I did when I was a student! I sort of understand some of the assumptions that the locals go by in how they deal with missionaries, and they are confusing and contradictory and....starting to make a little sense to me.

I guess, as I have blogged much about this, I have learned more about myself than anyone else. living in a 3rd world country, whatever that is, isn't the end of the world, just maybe the end of some of my presumptions, expectation and biases. It has become very real to me that not having constant internet, power, water, mobility, freedom, entertainment, etc., does not mean the end of the world. I guess I am comfortable enough in this life, and see many actual benefits of the simpler life, that I am relinquishing my need to have the world conform to me and gaining an little bit of ability of conforming to it. You see, it isn't mine. and that has become very real to me.

Kesmy will graduate next Friday, and move on with his life in the US, if all plans work out. He will be living in Michigan and his life will take a huge turn...however it goes. I don't assume that living in the US is any better now than anywhere else. The "comforts" are there but so much else is not. I pray that Kesmy will not be taken in by the "stuff" and stay true, as so many of us have struggled with. Next week there is school on Monday, beach day on Tuesday, Wednesday class (more rehearsal for final), Thursday off and Friday morning the ceremony. The Wednesday after that I come home. I know it is now feasible for everyone, but if you get a chance to see a place like Haiti, or spend more than a little time doing it, do it because whatever sacrifice you may make for it is worth it. I will never view the world the same way again. I can't because I know there are people "out there" who are a lot like me...sorry for them. And they are my brothers and sisters who have needs and can teach me things. I guess I finally get that part down deep, like I never did before.

Bondye benis ou.

no, pictures still won't load.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Well, things have calmed down here, it is constantly cloudy but the rain's have held off the last 24 hours or so and the forecast is for some sun the rest of the week...or it was as of yesterday afternoon.

the news is not as bad as it appeared but also potentially worse. that is the problem with "information" here.....you never really know how much is true or not. Take, for instance, Antonio, who told us his house was "destroyed" and he had no place to live with his family, including his wife and 3 kids of whom one is Ronid. WELL, it turns out that the walls are all intact, some water came down the hill and got in the house and some things got wet, and the roof leaks. Given some previous things occuring in the last few weeks, we have figured that Antonio was working the Walkers to give him money for his "disaster" which was actually pretty much all made up. On the other hand, several of the people reported that an 11 year old boy was swept away by flood waters farther down the hill where it had gathered more and had more force. Again, what do you believe? I pray it isn't true, but if it is, we all pray for the family.

yesterday a bulldozer came up the street and proceeded to move TONS of loose gravel deposited by the water up and down the road. The upshot is that the road in front of the house is filled with large rocks and mud.....exactly what we were hoping for! (NOT) and since the road was graded some, vehicles from the side roads are all parking there....so it is literally impossible to get the truck into the drive way here.

have I mentioned recently it is hot? the humidity today reached.....well, let's see. it rained yesterday so that must have been 100%. it rained later but only half as much as usual so that was 50%, and it was humid this morning but no rain so that was probably about 25%.......yeah, 175% humidity, that is pretty much what it feels like. I am sitting here with sweat dripping off my hands while I type.

I refuse to try to post pictures again. Blogger has won, I will never again post pictures. if you want pic's send $39.95 to Dans Pic's in St. Marc Haiti and be prepared to wait a long time. :)

very good news today. Stalley returned to school. she has quite a few scars and open scrapes and cuts but was in a good mood and seemed ok. One of the other little girls, Esperanza, came to me later after talking to Stalley and told me "you know Mr. Dan, I love Stalley." welcome back, Stalley!

ok, I have to go get towels and dry off the keyboard or I may short circuit the computer, so I may start posting at 3am.......or not.

Bondye benis ou.

update. Monday

Antonio came by: their home is gone. Antonio is Ronid's step dad. They slept last night in the church. The phones have started working, people are calling in, saying their homes were damaged, etc. Marco called; he, Rose and Faona slept outside last night. It will be a long day.

The morning after: Monday, May 18, 2009

Torrential rain last night, Gary and Caroliine said they have never seen rain like this here. For 2 hours it was like a cloudburst and about midway thru it, the effects started rolling down the street in front of us. I have pictures but I don't know if I can post any thru blogger anymore....tried and it still tells me that everytime I try to upload the connection is interrupted. there was this rushing, roaring sound as something came down the street and rocks almost as big as my head were flowing in the moving water. cars were crushed and buried by mud, gravel and water. at one point in time we heard someone yelling down the sideroad where all the water was going, but it was completely black and we honestly did not know if they were in trouble or playing. The Haitians seem to know little fear about these things, they know them as part of life. The road we are on now will be passable likely only in 4 wheel drive, as there are ruts in the road almost 2 feet deep.

Rose, the cook for school, came running up the street obviously distraught, calling "Pastor Gary! Pastor Gary!" she came in absolutely soaked and freezing. I gave her a towel and a t shirt and Caroline got her a covering dress to wear. She said their house was completely flooded, Marco, her husband was holding the door open so that the water would flow thru the house and not bury it. Faona, their little girl and a student at school, was crying and they had put her on an upper level of the house. Gary said he didn't think they had an upstairs, but they put her on top of something. We dried her off, she said they were going to stay at her mothers house last night, but that everything they had was soaked, their bed and clothes, everything. There was little to do during the night so we prayed it would not be as bad as it seemed in the morning. It is breaking light now and people are starting to move, though for many it will be a very hard day and days to come.

The rainy season has just begun. It runs thru November and no bad storms have hit yet. Caroline said she had heard it from more than one source: after the hurricanes last year, everything was washed away and their is nothing left to hold the water in the hills. This year, all of the water will flood everytime it rains like this.....and this will likely happen many more times this year, all over Haiti. This may be a very bad summer here, and the consequences, both in lives, poverty, and loss of hope, may drive people to desperate actions and desperate politics.

Bondye benis ou, Bondye benis tout moun nan Haiti.

another Saturday post

test,this is only a test for pictures. reloaded the entire computer, used the recovery disc,hope it works........blogger, you arehistory. I will find a new site to post on.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

School is winding down so fast it is hard to fathom. The kids have gotten a little wild, actually really wild and we had to sit on them this week. One of the teen age boys was disciplined by a teacher and he retaliated by tearing up his son's hat on the truck home. The teachers son is about 3 1/2 and is about the smallest kid in school, he is in preschool. The student is about 6 ft 1. The next day, when we found out about this, the student also threatened the teacher and his son. So, he is no longer with us...Gary told him to go home and not return unless he had his father with him to discuss it. His father is a pastor in a local church and I think it will not be pretty. The kids in general have a discipline problem, and much of it stems from the teachers. They have a real problem disciplining the kids, as they want to be liked more than respected.

Well, Thursday afternoon, we had a meeting with the older kids and it got laid out. Two kids will not return next year, and it could be as many as others. At some time they have to see consequences for behavour, and for the kids who have been problems, they don't get it at home so they think they can do whatever they want, and it is causing problems with many of the others kids. Love isn't always warm and fuzzy, sometimes it has an edge to it, if not you become an enabler of bad attitude and behavour that does not serve the child well.

Rainy season is very much upon us. We are getting regular afternoon and early evening rains. Last night it started about 5:30 or so and rained until maybe 8:30, hard at first then just a constant rain. We have had a very hard rain to start the year and one of the teachers commented "the season is just starting". you can see the effects on the roads already, with gravel and dirt washed away, sharper edges on the holes in the roads, etc. I have come to see that this is just life in Haiti, the people live for the day because they have no control over what will come or how bad it will get.

Once again I will attempt to post pic's....blogger has just not accepted pic's and won't again today. This has been about a week now, so I think I may have a computer glitch of my own, as I know others who use blogger and have posted pic's. I will do what I can and try later.

Bondye benis ou.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Well, the rainy season has started. We had received a few rains the last 1o days or so, but yesterday late afternoon we got a downpour that lasted for about an hour or so. Gary and Caroline were returning from Port and got caught in it, they said downtown St. Marc was completely flooded with all the associated garbage being pushed by the flood waters. You can see the effect on the roads already just on our street. There was a truck sideways in the road that leads down the hill from our street. It looks like it will be 4 wheel drive engaged the rest of the year!

Had a conversation with Joe yesterday, my first real conversation with a Haitian. Joe was patient and spoke slowly, and I looked up about a dozen words to understand and to say, but we did ok. Joe helped me in the office yesterday as G;/C were in Port. Al came up and helped in my classroom and I did office stuff. Joe is not the smartest guy, but he is overwhelmingly honest and a very nice man. His son Joel has some emotional/psychological issues, possibly stemming from severe malnutrition right after birth. His wife Immanuella, has also had health issues, recently a rapid heart beat. Recently it all got to Joe and he was ready to send her back to her mother, but they got help from Gary and Caroline in the form of medical care and counselling and things are much better now for them. Joe is another guy who can use a lot of prayer.

Part of what we discussed was the cost of housing in McDonalds, the area of town where he lives. It is a very poor area. A typical one room home...and that means one room....costs about 9000 Hatian dollars to build, not counting the land. Joe says costs have just gone up like crazy in the last year or so, as many people form Gonaives have come in to build homes to escape the constant flooding there. It is getting so people can't afford to build. This one room home would be about 12x20, maybe, and in US dollars would be about $1100. very expensive for them, amazingly cheap for us. It gives perspective on how folks live and expectations in life. It reinforces that I am amazingly blessed by God, even without a job now, and that I need to pray for others constantly and share where I can.

Once again, I will attempt to post pictures.....and once again blogger refuses to take them. I think I have a bug somewhere. will investigate further.

Bondye benis ou

Wednesday May 13, 2009

Internet has not been cooperating the last few days, nor has blogger. grrr.. the weather is changing, clouds and rain are more frequent...hence the satellite internet problems.

where to start? Chris and Leslie are trying to figure out how to handle their situation in Pierre Payan with the fire and attack on the mission. Barb from McDonalds is taking a club foot young girl to Cap Hatien on Thursday with her mother to get surgery for the condition...you have no idea how prevalent things are here. I notice more and more things like club foot, effects from strokes, birth problems that have never been repaired, "small people"..and quite a few of them. things that just are part of life here that in the states would have, to a great degree, been taken care of long ago. One of the school workers had her brother die...and the entire cost of the funeral fell on her because she is the only one with a job in her family. Funerals are a huge deal here, and it cost her 3-4 months pay to do it.

One of the kids tried to con me for money Monday. We figured out she was put up to it by her parents to get money for roof tin. She was "sick" all day, even though she ate lunch and all, then asked for money for medicine. She was fine the next day. She is a good kid in a bad situation, with parents that are pretty much all about themselves, and use her to get what they want.

The roads are getting better.....and much worse. The construction has come north enough on the main highway to cross the bridge at Mountrois....well, it would if the bridge was actually there. That was washed out last year and a bypass road was built around the bridge at lower water....that is, until the rainy season starts.....which, did I mention, it has? (I'm practicing for a run on sentence competition!) MEANWHILE the roads in St. Marc are getting worse every rain. The holes are getting deeper and wider and the "cushion" of dirt in the holes is washed away and the rain erodes the rock under it and it is washed away. We have had about 3 rains and you can tell a significant difference. So next fall the road to Mountrois will likely be significantly better, however you may have to walk to St. Marc from there!

two weeks from today will be the last day of class. Thursday will be an off day to get grades and such together, and Friday is a ceremony to end school and for Kesmy's graduation. Yesterday Myberson became the first student to finish seniors English here, the complete course. Kesmy will follow later this week.

following are some pic's (I hope. I have tried about a dozen times the last 4 days to post pic's and blogger won't accept them) ok, I am taking this personally now. I have tried for 15 minutes to load pic's and nothing........ I got it!
Picture this, a tropical island with............. ;)

Bondye benis ou.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

It seems rainy season is beginning here. Yesterday, late afternoon, the typical "rainy season" timing, we received quite a bit of rain. It is consistently cloudy in the afternoons, and humidity is high. We had received quite a bit of rain earlier this week also, so I guess the "drought" is fini. It was fun to watch the Haitians, both kids and adults go thru the rain. Most were very playful about it, there were some races up and down the street thru the mud, rocks and sand that were enjoyed by some. Obviously not all were pleased as they went thru a downpour as many weren't ready for it. couldn't get a pic, but a woman went thru the street with a table umbrella keeping her dry. She could have put half the neighborhood under this umbrella, it is a good thing it wasn't extremely windy or we would have seen a Mary Poppins redux. Going thru town two days ago, and yesterday before the most current rain while returning the kids home after school, the main road was a mess. ( I am driving the kids home now, it's taken me this long to get used to the insanity of traffic here). There are some small canals for drainage that go thru town and under small bridges. Unfortunately they are used as the main garbage dumps also. When it rains and all the water comes down from the hills, the garbage is washed down to a point until it becomes a blockade against a bridge, and the water spills over the bridge bringing mud, garbage and whatever people use small rivers here for...like bathrooms. People walk thru the mud, workers try to shovel it all out until the next time it rains and they do it again.......POWER IS ON!!!! We have been running the generator for the morning, batteries were low and the power just came on, so I will be shutting down the generator, also known locally as the delco, and charging on city power. It is amazing how you change your routine and get by with what you have. Losing and gaining power is a routine thing here, just like having or not having water, you ration as you need. It just becomes part of everyday life.

adding various pic's recently taken, mostly of staff and kids. These are the people who I have been with most of the time besides Gary and Caroline the last 9 months. They are all special to me. Can't show them all in one time, blogger won't allow that, but I will be adding new pic's regularly these last few weeks. Each face has a special story in their life, be sure of that.

ok, have tried 4 times to load pic's and blogger is not cooperating, will try later to upload them.

Bondye benis ou.

This is Stellie, she is the one in the middle looking at the camera. She is in the hospital now and could use some prayers. Her mother was strongly into voudou for many years, and has had Stellie seeing a witchdoctor for protection against what she thought would be an attack by a relative for some time. The mother got saved a few weeks ago, and a short time afterwards Stellie woke up late one night unable to breath, feeling like she was being choked. They found a taxi late at night and took her to the hospital but on the way there was an accident and Stellie fell off the motorcycle and hit the ground. She is in a hospital in Port now, and we hear she will recover. She is a good kid, works hard and doesn't fuss about anything, but always has had a far away look about her. She has a hard time focusing in the Bible classes and I fear for what her mother has done with this witch doctor. For those who believe, I would appreciate it if you would say a prayer for her. Thanks.

Bondye benis ou

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Ok, I have so many pictures I can't possibly put them in one posting, so let's start with kids. They are getting bored and anxious to finish school....until about a week after it's out then they want to start again. I am told that because there are basically no activities for kids here they get bored easily and (drumroll, please) eventually into trouble. At least some do.

This is one of my favorite kids, Ti-Gar. Ti-Gar is about 16 now and he is mentally handicapped. He is in kindergarten and likely won't be able to do much more than 1-2nd grade work. His family is thrilled he is at school however and he has the best attitude of the kids. He works hard, is friendly to everyone and most kids take to him pretty easily. He is lonely at times, as there are times when he just can't mix in with the others and the things they do or talk about.

There are so many kids, here is Sophonie. She is in my class and I have about a dozen pictures of her.....with her eyes closed. apparently she has a spiritual gift of closing her eyes just before the camera clicks. This is the best I could get of her, as she is with Madam Homme, the wife of one of the music teachers and a kindergarten teacher herself.

Ok, I have favorites and here is Daydeed (da-deed). She is about as cute as she can be...and she knows it. Her mother, Madam Pierre, works in the house and basically keeps us all going, she manages the other workers in the house (Gary and Caroline have many more workers than they need as over time case after case of those desperate for jobs have presented themselves. It can get rather crowded at times) and her father is Pierre, shown in the next pic, also a pre school teacher. Pierre was burned in a fire when he was 8 years old and was so badly burned that when his mother saw him at the hospital, she fell dead from a heart attack. He was raised by an aunt and now is married to his wife, a quite beautiful woman herself. I am working on getting a pic of her also.

And, here is Kesmy. Kesmy is about done with school. He will graduate first in his class this year..... a class of one. His writing skills and comprehension of English are growing. The plan is that his "adoptive mother" (not really adoptive nor his mother, but you get the point), Anne, will take Kesmy to Michigan to live with her and her family this summer or early fall, where he will enroll in a community college and start his pursuit of higher education. His goal is to eventually go to Moody Bible College. His "entourage" includes, in front, Mary and Daydeed, Angie, Mary's sister, and in back Ashterline. Kesmy is a joy to me and I am grateful to have had a chance to make a small difference in his life. There are so many others, both in school and outside of school. Like the boy, around 12, I saw today, pushing a wheelbarrow down the street. This is an occupation here, they are the small trucks of transportation here. There are 50-60 year old men who work this no skill job for almost no pay. This boy was pushing a wheel barrow that was empty, but usually for a trip that is dangerous, through traffic carrying heavy loads across town, a trip that may be several miles, they get about 3 Haitian dollars. That is about 15 goulds, another local currency here, which is about 35 cents. At age 12, this young man is set on his career, heavy, hard work up and down hills, for pennies. The likelihood is that he will do this for the next 50 years or so of his life....if he lasts. The kids in the school are actually the lucky ones, and their stories are still forming, for better and worse.

More to come.

Djebenis tout moun

Bondye benis ou.

Saturday May 2, 2009

busy week. kids are pushing at school to get done....in between wishing it were already over and being generally grumpy. They are becoming rather needy lately. Do this for me, do that, make the time go quicker and help me get better grades..without me really having to do much. Sounds like kids everywhere doesn't it? D'Jinu took a math test and failed...and James kidded him about it. This is so unlike James, who has had his own set of struggles in school. The difference is that James works hard and D'Jinu couldn't care less. And that D'Jinu has been teasing James for awhile now about various things. So James got a chance to get back and couldn't resist. As I was telling D'Jinu about his grade (I wasn't going to pass him anyway, caught him looking at the book for answers during the test) James turned around and said "Oh, D'Jinu failed a test?!" I discourage this stuff between the kids, but I knew the history between them. So as I looked at James and said "James, stop that!", I was smiling, and he was smiling back. :) Kids are kids everywhere, just some local differences.

speaking of local differences, throwing rocks at each other is a pretty regular occurrence here. Henson is about 9 and regular size, Jean Phillip is about 14 and very tall, and Jean Phillip tortues Henson whenever he gets the chance. Apparently Henson has taken to defending himself with rocks. More than once, I find out, Henson has picked up a rock as he gets off the truck after school (Gary delivers some of the kids home who are smaller or come from distances) and fired it into the truck trying to hit JP. Well, he hit Tara right above the eye yesterday. Tara came in to tell about it with witnesses, and Tara's mom (a worker) was there too. Gary was busy with other business so it fell to me. JP got scolded about leaving Henson alone and Henson got a swat. He shed a tear or two, then ran out to play again during break. When I asked him what would have happened if he had hit Tara in the eye, he dropped his own eyes and said "something bad", so he knows he is wrong. The kids throw rocks at each other on the street all the time, and they are smiling about it, it is accepted play....until someone gets hurt.

I was workin with Myberson yesterday and a loud ruckus was forming in Daniel's room that just kept getting louder and louder. I looked at Myberson, he looked at me. I waited a few seconds and it got worse, at which time I rolled my eyes and picked up the paddle and headed for Daniels room, while Myberson was smiling and trying not to laugh. Well, apparently a lizard had dropped off the window sill and dropped right onto one of the girls, so the screeching and such was well founded. Daniel was chasing the lizard around with his stick and had it by the door when I walked in. I caught it by the tail, and hauled it outside to be tossed into the street. It really was kind of funny, the girls, were screeching and the boys were trying to catch it themselves....somethings just don't change do they?

Monday I will apparently, pending a change in mind by Gary, be driving the kids home. It has taken a while for me to get used to the traffic here, but I am ok with it now, and I know the route fairly well, so Gary get's a break for a short while. Last year one of the visiting staff took the driving over, and one of the local workers said it was a miracle he hadn't killed dozens of people. So Gary has been a bit more careful about giving out that duty. I now will be driving a truck filled with kids into streets filled with cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, people, wheel barrows and street carts, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens and dogs who all think there is no one else on the road but them. Maybe I need to rethink this......

The weather is warmer, humid and cloudy with occasional showers...precursor to rainy season. When the rain comes it is welcome as it cuts down the ever present dust. The fear is obviously when it becomes a 2 or 3 day tropical rain with flooding. There is much work going on to repair from last year, but there just isn't the money structure or equipment to facilitate all that is needed in between rainy seasons. There are so many roads and bridges that could go with bad flooding this year. We pray it will just be a normal season, which will be bad enough.

Still no word on the elections as far as who won. word is that the government will honor the count despite the low turnout. new elections will be help in about a year and a half, I believe, for the whole government again and Lavalas will certainly have themselves straightened out by then and will field a full slate of candidates. I want to say that may be a turning point here, but I can't. Things just go on as things go on, I am learning. Sometimes better than others, sometimes more violent, but people still go on living as best they can. as long as the UN is here to quell an outright coup it probably will be ok.... probably.

all for now. some things happen that I just forget about day to day, it has all become normal to see.....everything that happens here. I wonder how I will do at home again, actually following traffic rules. :( OH, good news for those who had followed this before. My truck is my truck again!!!!!! or, it is my son's truck. couldn't put it in my name with me not being there to sign stuff, so Luke put it into his own name and got insurance on it. so the old red truck will ramble again. I am grateful that the person we took it back from did the right thing. It could have turned into a court thing, but he recognized that the right thing to do was just to sign the title over and did so w/o dispute. Thank you J.

Djebenis tout moun

Bondye benis ou