Original post date: April 2, 2011
I typed this last night, but the
internet was too slow to send.
Can’t believe it’s my last
night here in PAP for this trip. Gertrude’s guesthouse feels so
much like home . . . the neighborhood feels familiar . . . the kids know me . .
. I know the kids. It seems unreal that such close connections
have developed in 3 weeks spread out over 18 months. But it’s
happened. I will always want to know how Gertrude, the kids, and
the workers are doing. I don’t know when I’ll be back.
I don’t like how that feels. I knew when I left in November
that I would be coming back for this trip. I doubt I’ll get back
over the summer, and I may not have a week off for Thanksgiving.
So, I leave tomorrow not sure what my return plans can be.
I’ll start looking for opportunities, and pray that God show me when I
should return. Anyone want to come with??? It’s
pretty different, but it’s also pretty good !
Today was laid back in many ways. The kids were all here
because there was no school today; trimester exams finished yesterday, and now
they have a 2 week break. In the morning I took some of the girls
across the street to play soccer. That really confused the
boys! They were aghast that the girls got to go and they
didn’t! Let’s see, after soccer Oriol and I walked down to the
market to buy cokes and cookies for the kids for their afternoon snack.
Andrew’s money has gone quite a ways. All of the kids old
enough to go for walks have done so, and I (he) was able to buy the treats for
this afternoon. However, there is still a ton of money
left. So, Marg, Emily, and Sherry (3 women I met last November)
are back, and they love to take the kids for walks and buy them treats.
I explained what Andrew had given, and they agreed to keep taking kids
out next week and use the rest of Andrew’s money to treat the kids.
They love the idea that Andrew’s generosity will continue.
If
anyone is interested in buying some jewelry made here in Haiti, I’m bringing
back a few of the necklaces that Miquette’s students made.
Miquette usually brings a bunch back in the summer to sell as she speaks
at different churches, so I told her that I’d try to sell some for her.
Lots of men and women make bracelets and necklaces because it is an easy
trade to learn and selling just one necklace at $20 can be a substantial income
in a place where many people make less than a dollar a day. Oriol,
Gertrude’s driver, has a good education, speaks 3 languages, and is slowly
saving money up to get his teaching certificate; working for Gertrude he makes
$60 a month, or $2 a day. He lives with his parents and two
siblings, and together they are able to maintain a household. Life
here is not cheap either. The little money that Haitians make
doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of living. It barely meets
the cost of surviving.
I
have blog set up thanks to my most amazing cousin T.J. I have
tried to send him pictures and video, but the Internet is too slow here to do
that. When I get back, I will post (T.J.—I’m counting on your to
help me with this!) pictures, video, and other information that may interest
you. My hope is that you will visit the site and keep track of
what is going on here and stay in touch with how the children are doing.
And, if Gertrude and I follow through on our plans for an English school,
you’ll be able to follow the progress on the blog!
I
can’t thank you enough for your support on this journey. I am
humbled to know that you trust me to come to Haiti in your stead and use your
support dollars to help Gertrude continue her work with orphans, to help
Miquette give the poor children an education, and to help teachers gather
resources that they might otherwise not have. Please continue to
pray for everyone here; I don’t know what the answers are for Haiti, but I do
know that this place and its people need all the prayers that we can offer
up.
Love,
Jamie
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