Happy Thanksgiving

Original post date was November 22, 2012.

I hope everybody was able to spend time today with family and friends. I know I did. There is no better place in the world to give thanks for all that I have than in Haiti where so many have so little. I spent today hanging out again at the orphanage with the kids. My friends Marg (from Canada), Sherry (from CO), and Emily (from NH) came this morning and will stay at Gertrude’s until Dec. 3. We have the best time together, and I learn a lot from them about Haiti, its culture, and how things “run” in Haiti and at Gertrude’s. They will be here again in March while I am here.

 Michaela and I headed out with Brinel this morning to distribute the hygiene packets. He took us toward the market, which I thought was a mistake, to give them out, and we didn’t even get to the market before Michaela was swamped by people. She handled it great and never lost her cool. Brinel tried to keep the “mob” under control, but it was hard. At one point two ladies were fighting over the packets and ripped the bag out of Michaela’s hand. They even took the bag! One lady asked me whether she could have the bag I was carrying, but I told her no, I needed it.

We came back for a second round of distribution, and this time we went the opposite direction. Much better choice. People came running, but nothing out of control. We gave one package to the guy selling sugar cane and then bought two sticks of cane from him. Personally, I like sugar cane. Michaela tried it, but she wasn’t crazy about it. But, I give her credit for trying!

 Marg, Emily, and Sherry have been great about helping me network. They invited Michaela and me to walk to a local medical clinic because they were checking on eye surgery for Maxo. The surgery can be done right in Haiti pretty much anytime Gertrude gives the go ahead. Please pray for her to let the surgery happen here instead of waiting for a chance for him to go to the U.S. because that probably won’t happen.

 I’m just getting used to being here, and it’s already time to go. It’s sad, but it helps knowing that I’ll be back so soon—in exactly two months (Jan. 22, 2013). I usually have to wait a LONG time, and it seems weird to think that I’ll be back so soon. And staying. Still trying to get my head wrapped around that.

I Have a Quiz!

Original post date = November 22, 2012

 

We went to TeacHaiti School of Hope today to deliver playground toys, clothes, school supplies, hygiene kits, and letters from Rotolo Middle School. The kids were excited to see us and how 500 questions for Michaela! She patiently answered them all (multiple times!), and each time students wanted to ask a question they said, “I have a quiz.”

 I am bringing back many necklaces and bracelets made by the kids at TeacHaiti, so if anyone wants to buy one, just let me know. They are a variety of sizes and range in price from $5-$20.

 Gertrude and I talked some more about our school. We are going to change the name, but I am too tired to remember it. I will have to e-mail Gertrude when I get back and have her write it down for me.

 

 I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that I am becoming used to what poverty here looks like, but we passed an area today that seemed even more poor than usual. There was a massive ravine down the side of the road, and old clothes hung off the edges as if they were tree roots. It seemed as if there were layers of garbage that had been exposed because of the rains and washout from Hurricane Sandy. Not only was the ravine filled with garbage, but dirty water ran in it, goats fed from it, as did the wild pigs (I think wild boars is a better description!). These pigs are not Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web!

 The roads are exceptionally bad due to the rains. Water everywhere. Many of the roads to the orphanage are so bad that we have to take roundabout ways to get here. The constant swaying from the dips in the road are hard to take, and the constant stop and go to avoid potholes, bumps, and other cars gave me a big headache today. But, I get to leave. And I tell myself “I can do anything for ______ days.” I wonder what my attitude would be like if I knew I would never be able to leave. If this was my life forever? How would I keep a positive attitude? How would I get up every morning and work to earn just barely enough to survive on, if that? I don’t know whether I can ever understand what it is like to live knowing there is nothing different coming on the horizon. I know I am thankful that I haven’t been faced with that type of existence.

 Many thoughts have run through my head today ranging from hope that I can do this—I can tackle the challenge of building this school and seeing it through to completion and have it be self-sustaining—to “what the heck am I thinking?” What makes me think that I have ANY qualifications to even attempt this. Tonight the tears came because I felt so overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. Please pray that God give me the wisdom and the strength and the willingness to work hard to see this project through. Project isn’t the right word. “Project” implies a beginning and an end. God willing, there will be no end to the education the school provides.

 Have to go. Lights and electricity have gone.

Original post date was November 20, 2012.

Good evening! We've had another good dinner and are now sitting down to share the events of the day with you all. In many ways it was a slow day. We hung around the orphanage playing with the kids and spending time with them. Michaela and I planned to go out into the neighborhood to deliver some hygiene packets around 10:30 this morning, but Gertrude asked us to wait until Brilner (one of the workers) could go with us this afternoon. I don't know what happened, but we never went out. So, we'll try to do that tomorrow. There are lots of protests in other parts of town and on main streets, so that might have been why she didn't want us to go by ourselves.

I now am the proud owner of a Haitian phone! Don't know what the phone number is, but as soon as I figure it out, I will pass it on. I also need to figure out the instructions because right now they are in French.

There is another new baby here for the time being--Gertrude named her Alicia. She is two years old, best as they can figure. However, she looks as if she is 10 months old. She is severely malnurished and does not interact with any one. She simply sits and tracks where people move. She doesn't cry, doesn't make noises, and doesn't seem to have emotions. Gertrude says that she won't keep Alicia here because she hopes that there is a Haitian family that will take her in. Please pray.

I am constantly shocked by the under development of kids here. And, we know how that plays out later in life in terms of learning and developing. From the get go, so many kids are behind the eight ball and never catch up.

Gertrude and I talked about school plans tonight. We decided to build the school on the land where the old guesthouse stood. She doesn't plan to rebuild a guesthouse there, so we figure might as well put it to good use. She also thinks that it's in a better location for opening the school up to kids outside of the orphanage. I agree. Please pray for some of the next steps: contacting Gladys about designs, creating a 501c charity organization, and putting a five-year plan together!

We have a name for the school: Notre Maison School for Handicapped Children. I know in American the word "handicapped" would be frowned upon, but here that word does not have the same connotation.

Day One in Country--Take Two

Originally posted on November 19, 2012.

I am so proud of my niece, Michaela. She is here with me on this trip, and she has not complained once about all the delays and troubles. She has simply gone with the flow and been very patient. Her constant refrain was simply: "I just want to see the kids."

So much has changed here at St. Joe's/Notre Maison. The special-needs kids and the girls are in the new barracks which are awesome! The boys have the older part of the orphanage to themselves and no longer have to sleep on the floor. Next to the barracks is a great playground area for the kids to play in. And, the crew is working on building Gertrude her own little "palace" on site. She certainly deserves it!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

 

Originally posted on November 19, 2012.

It has been a wild ride here! We started out yesterday morning with our plane coming to a stop on the tarmac because a passenger had become a ill. A doctor onboard looked her over and said that she needed to be taken off. So, the paramedics came and took her off. We actually made it to Miami in time to catch our connecting flight (whew). We then sat on the plane for two hours because a bulb needed to be changed on the cockpit controls. Maitenance finally came and determined that the bulb was okay and that a switch was the problem. They put in a new switch. Good. Except by this time the crew had reached their limit in terms of flying time. Another crew was called, and while we waited, we all had to disembark. At the gate I was assured that we would, in fact, be heading out that night. Lie. Our flight was cancelled, and Michaela and I were rebooked on a 6:15 a.m. flight out of Ft. Lauderdale. So, we took a shuttle to Ft. Lauderdale, spent the night at the Sheridan, and took of this morning on time.

Unfortunately, our luggage was still in Miami. We spent the morning in the PAP airport (not much fun) with 1 1/2 hours spent standing in a line to get a piece of paper saying that we could come back in later and get our luggage. Of course, by that time our driver had been sitting in the airport parking lot for three hours! We left without our luggage, but went back later this afternoon to get it. So, we are finally here and settled in. I will post again tonight with more about our time here with the kids.