A"'truly" Haitian Experience???

Christmas has come and gone and I can't say that it was all that interesting or exciting to spend it in Haiti. There were two reasons why I didn't find Christmas in Haiti all that interesting. First of all Christmas is not really a major holiday in Haiti. New Years Eve and Carnaval are much bigger holidays as far as Haitians are concerned. The other thing is that even if Haitians had a huge celebration I would not be able to go because it would be at night and unsafe for me to go. When I tell Haitians that I won't be in Haiti for New Year's Eve they seem so dissapointed and tell me that I will be missing out. In reality I wouldn't be able to go to any of the celebrations so I'm not too dissapointed.
The Christmas Eve candle light service was very nice. After church we ate some street food (my stomach did not thank me later) and watched some Christmas singing program on TV. After the kids went to bed and all the guys left to go to various parties, I helped Karen wrap some presents and then went to bed. The highlight was that my family called and I was able to talk to all of them. Christmas day was also pretty tame. The kids opened their presents in the morning and spent the rest of the day playing with them. I relaxed and watched a movie at a friends house. At night I was determined that everyone would sit together for our turkey meal. No one was as excited about it as I was but they all sat down. We ate our turkey with rice (of course) and it was delicious. Overall a quiet but nice Christmas.
Tomorrow morning I will be flying out of Haiti and the time just can't come fast enough for me. I am so excited about being home and seeing my family and friends. E-mail is an amazing and wonderful thing but nothing replaces talking face to face.

Christmas Eve

Our school Christmas party was a huge hit. The kids sang and read very well during the program and they loved the games and music. We gave them a small gift when they left and they were thrilled. Unfortunately we included a noise maker in the gift bag and I've had to listen to it constantly since yesterday afternoon:)
Well, we had a vote two nights ago on what we wanted for our Christmas dinner; turkey or fish. Thankfully turkey won hands down!!! I doubt we'll be having it with mashed potatoes and stuffing, but turkey is turkey and will be much appreciated!!!
We went shopping this week for presents for the kids. They are still very strong believers in "Papa Noel" AKA Santa Claus. They have no clue that we are buying them gifts and aren't snooping around at all. Karen managed to buy two bikes for the youngest two boys - Manu and Jacob. They will be THRILLED, they want one soooo badly. The bikes are currently hiding at Cadeau's house so they kids won't see them:)
Tonight we are going to the Christmas Eve service which I'm really excited about it. Tomorrow morning the kids will open their presents and then we'll go to church again. I always enjoy church but for some reason it's even more special at Christmas time.
I've like to thank everyone who sent me a Christmas card. As I've mentioned before snail mail is always appreciated but it is even more appreciated when you are far away from family and friends. Something that I appreciate even more than letters is prayer and I'd also like to thank all those who pray for me and more importantly for the work that happens here at Coram Deo. Haiti is a difficult country to work in because of the security problems and we appreciate your prayers so much. I am continually finding out about more people who have added us to their prayer list and I am so touched when I am told that they pray for me and Coram Deo every day.
Well, to all my faithful readers. Have a Wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Picture me sitting in my shorts eating turkey with my new family and friends in Haiti.

December in Haiti

Sunday morning I woke up at Jenny's house and went for a swim. I thought to myself, it's worth all the risks to wake up on a December morning the week before Christmas and go for a swim:) Seriously, the kidnappings just keep increasing and everyone's getting a little nervous. Up until now I'd refused to think about it and had convinced myself that it wouldn't happen to me. Lately I've been thinking maybe I should have a plan just in case. The good news for me is that I am not an easy person to kidnap because I leave the house very rarely and when I do it's never at a regular time and it's not usually to the same place. The people that have been kidnapped are followed for a few weeks first to find out their pattern. Since I don't have a pattern this works in my favour. However I am being very careful. Everyone tells me not to walk places but I have yet to hear about a kidnapping that happened to someone walking. Also, when I'm in a car I always lock the doors and we always stick to main roads and avoid roads that are desserted. As well, we never return the same way we went. So all you worry worts out there, I want you to know that I am taking precautions.
Well, the party we had for the kids on Sunday was a hit. We bought some junk food, let them listen to music, watch T.V. and drink coke. Overall it was a big hit:)
Ten days until I'm home. I can't wait!!!!!!

Christmas Carols

We have just started a new tradition here at Coram Deo. We now have devotions every night with all the people in the house and any visitors that wish to participate. We read the Bible, read a Devotional and pray together. The second time we meet together Cadeau asked if we could sing some songs. I was surprised but pleased that he wanted to do so. Yesterday Karen bought some song books (the ones they use in Haitian churches) and we sang some Christmas Carols last night. It was a great time. They have a lot of the same Christmas carols, but of course they sing in French not in English. Sometimes the tunes a bit different but if you have the words it's not too difficult to follow along. I always find that no matter where I am in the world, when you sing together or worship the Lord together you don't feel like your miles away from home.
Things with the school are winding down. Next week is the last week of school. The students are writting exams and the last day of school we're going to have a fun day with a bit of a Christmas program. Should be interesting. I have to think up some games for 100+ kids with almost no space to play them:) Good thing I was a camp counsellor. Who know it would come in handy so many times in my life?? I truly think that one summer at SMC can help prepare you for almost any job:)
Last Sunday Ysmaille had a B-day party at his house. The kids wanted to go so badly but he said no. Later he felt bad so now we are planning a party just for the kids for this Sunday. They are so excited they can barely contain themselves. The have asked me about 30 times (each) when we are going to his house. Should be fun... I'll take some pictures and let you know how it goes:)

Commercialism

It's funny that when you live in Haiti you almost forget about Christmas and all the comercialism that surrounds it. I don't go shopping much and even when I do you can't really tell that a major commercial holiday is just around the corner. Of course there's a few Christmas decorations up and a few more for sale, but other than that you hardly notice a change. The weather also really throws you off. When you are experiencing balmy temperatures and you're still wearing tank tops and sandals, Christmas and major shopping sprees don't even enter the mind.
This year my family decided to bypass present giving and instead buy presents for everyone at Coram Deo. I was thrilled by this idea and have already written their 'wish lists' for them. (with a little help from Cadeau) It's kind of funny that everyone who knows that I'm going to Canada for 2 weeks is expecting a present when I return. I don't know where they get the idea that I have enough money to buy EVERYONE a present but they are quite confident that I will be returning with a gift for them. Even people I barely know ask me what I am planning to bring back for them when I return:)
We already had a small taste of present giving around here. When John came he came with an entire box full of brand new running shoes. I think shoes are a big deal to teenage guys around the world but they were especially appreciated here. Everyone who needed a pair received a brand new pair of Addidas running shoes. Needless to say there were a lot of smiles that night.
I have a great pictures of everyone posing with their shoes. Speaking of pictures, I have tried several times to upload new pictures onto my yahoo photo album but it's experiencing problems at the moment so I apologize for the lack of new pictures.
Fifteen days until I'm home and I'm really excited. Of course it will be a whirlwind of a visit but that's okay. Who needs to relax anyway???

Update

We just said goodbye to a visitor that I previously forgot to mention. John, from our Canadian board, just came for a visit to see how we are doing. It was great to show him how the school is running and talk about some future plans. I told the teachers that if he asked if I was a good director to say that I'm the best. Fortunately for me none of the teachers speak English and John doesn't speak Creole so he'll never really know the truth:)
Someone just wrote me and asked how the language is coming along. Anyone who knows me well knows that if I'm not complaining about something it's probably going well:) To be honest, the language is really coming along. I can make myself understand most of the time, however I still have difficulties understanding when someone talks too fast or uses a lot of words I'm not familiar with. This is not really a problem because I enjoy talking more than I enjoy listening anyway:) It really is a lot more fun now that I can speak more and understand more. Ysmaille had a birthday party on Sunday at his house and I had a good time getting to know his friends (girls finally!!!) and they were thrilled that I knew Creole.
As for security. Things are not improving but rather getting worse. There have been several kidnapping and one Canadian man was shot during the kidnappping. He has since been released but he had to have his arm amputated. We continue to take precautions and definately avoid any bad areas of town. I don't go out too much so that increases my chance of safety. Don't worry about us too much. Just keep praying!!!

Noel

Well folks, I keep promising myself I won't complain about the lack of hydro because I'm sure you're tired of my complaints every week so I promise this will be the last complaint. We haven't had over 1 hour of hydro each day for the last 2 weeks. This would be okay if I wasn't so addicted to e-mail or if I didn't need my computer for so many work related things. On top of this the generator hasn't been working so needless to say it's been a boring few weeks. I try to stay busy but it's difficult when you know the work is piling up and there's nothing you can do about it. I wrote some stuff by hand and now all I have to do it type it but I hate to do work twice.
Enough about that... As many of you know I am spending Christmas here in Haiti. Christmas started early for me this year!!! This past week I received MAIL and not only was it mail it was GREAT mail. I got a lovely card from my dear friend Sarah, my biggest fan (my mom) sent me a little package and my dear friend Amy S. managed to convince a large group of people from my church to write me a Christmas card (even bought a card for a few people - right Matt?). What blessings. Later this same week I was hand deliverd a note from my mom and a small gift from my friend Marg H. Wow, am I blessed or what???
Surprisingly enough I'm not missing the snow you are all experiencing right now. It's been great weather here lately. Not too hot during the day (unless you are standing in the sun) and the nights cool off quite comfortably. However, although I don't miss the snow I will be walking in it before too long. I am coming home for the first two weeks of January. I am very excited to spend some time with my family and also to do some work for Coram Deo back home. I hope to visit some schools and do some educational research that will be beneficial to the school here. I am very excited about going home and although the time is short and I will only be able to see a few people it will be nice to be back 'home' and with those I have missed much over the last 4 months.
Thank you to all the people who have kept me and Coram Deo in their prayers over the last four months. Your prayers along with God's promises have helped me survive the considerable adaption I have gone through since coming to Haiti. With your continued prayers and God's continual support I know that great things can be accomplished here. Thanks again.

New faces at CD

It's Sunday morning and it's the first time we've had Hydro for over 1 hour in a row. This week was brutal. As soon as I'd finish checking my e-mail the hydro would go out and I wouldn't be able to reply. I even resorted to going to a internet cafe this week. I had just sat down and written a nice long e-mail when some guy came and turn off my computer without warning. He mumbled something in Creole that I did not understand and then we had to wait 10 mintues for the computers to start up again. T en the "n" on my computer didn't work half the time:) Oh life in a 3rd world country:)
This week there was another kidnapping. What would life be like in Haiti without a weekly kidnapping? An American was travelling back from one of the provinces in a bus with 13 kids. He had just obtained the necessary papers for a VISA for one of the children. The whole bus was kidnapped but the children were released shortly after. The kidnappers were asking for $300,000 American. Who has that kind of money? As of Sat. night we heard that he was released but we found out that he'd been shot in the arm during the whole event. The kidnappers dropped him off at the UN hospital (how considerate) where he was taken care of. No permanent damage has been reported.
Well, our household as grown again. (As if 17 people was just not enough:) Manman Manise's children live in Cite Soliel (the worse slum in Haiti) with her husband and there has been ALOT of shooting in that area lately. One night I was sitting on the roof with her listening to the sounds of gunfire and she started to cry. (She's ALWAYS very happy and cheerful). I told her we have to pray and leave it into God's hands. (easy for me to say) Karen offered for her to bring her two kids here (one already lives here) until things die down. So we now have Stephanie (3) and Oltens (5) brightening up our lives. They are adorable and Stephanie loves to follow me wherever I go:)
Unfortunately nothing else exciting has happened around here. This week John (from the board) is coming so we'll have a chance to discuss how things are going in the school which will be great. I'm really glad with the progess so far.

Hydro

I haven't written for a while because our Hydro has been very scarse. Did you know that 'Hydro' is a Canadian term and that Americans call it 'Electricity' and never say Hydro? In Haiti they call it current. Just thought I'd share those useless facts with you.
Well, it's been quiet lately. I haven't heard of any kidnapings recently (at least not of people we know). The police are out in full force so maybe that's helping but you never really know around here. The election is the topic of discussion most days. The election day has been postponed AGAIN!! (I think that's the 4th time they've posponed it) There are still currently 35 candidates to choose from and most people are not very interested in taking part. They don't trust the government and feel that no matter who gets voted in won't be any better than it is right now. Many countries are contributing money to help make the elections fair and honest which is great but until Haitians are convinced they need to vote and take an interest in politics the money won't solve the problems that exist. There is a very low percentage of people in Haiti who actually vote.
Last weekend was a very nice for me. A couple that I met on the retreat in Jacmel called on Sat. morning and invited me to go with them to Petionville to check out the sights. It was great to get out of the house and see something other than Coram Deo. After this I went to Jenny's house and slept over. On Sunday Ysmaille and myself went for a hike and then I just hung out at Coram Deo at night time. Overall I good relaxing weekend.
Karen has been providing food for a clinic at a hospital so every day at 4:00 - 5:30 Cadeau and Samuel must accompany her. So my regular "bodygaurds" are busy every day and it's very difficult for me to leave the house which makes me feel very claustrophobic. Also Cadeau is my gym buddy so I haven't been able to go to the gym for almost 3 weeks now which is also very frustrating. Such is life in Haiti...
Okay that's all for now. Until next time we get Hydro...

Weekend in Jacmel

I've just come back from an amazing weekend in Jacmel. When I get a chance to put some pictures on my blog you will understand why I had a such a great time, it is absolutely beautiful there. So I went with a bunch of people from my church (45 to be exact). A variety of people came, families, people my age and a couple of older couples without their children. We had a GREAT time of fellowship. The chaplain of Calvin College was flown in for the weekend to be our speaker. He spoke about trumpets (blesings), ashes (difficulties), tears (sadness) and finally Hope. He had a ton of really great stories that really caught my attention and gave me a lot to think about it.
After the morning sessions we had the afternoons off to do whatever we wanted. One afternoon we went for a hike and swam in a sort of lake in the rocks. The other times, I read a book, swam in the ocean and the pool and spent time meeting some really neat people. Everyone who has ended up in Haiti has a cool story and many of them have been here for a long time. Most of the people came from Port-au-prince but there was a bunch of people from a small northern village. It's crazy that although they live in the same country they have a totally different experience.
The weekend was very relaxing and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to go. We spent a lot of time in prayer for Haiti (for the upcoming elections) and each other as we work here. We took turns during devotions and it was neat to hear everyone share their thoughts at one point. Now it's back to work.

Mail

Today I got 3 pieces of mail, talk about a good day:) I received an invitation to my neices b-day party and a thank you card for the gift I gave her. Two wonderful ladies from my church also wrote me nice long letters. It seems that my sweetheart of a friend Amy S. has been passing out envelopes at church with my address and a stamp already on it:)
My weekend was quiet. We had parent/teacher interviews on Sunday. They are very different here than in Canada. It's more like a ceremony. The teachers formally hand out the report cards in front of all the parents and make comments about the students work habits. After if there is any concerns the parents talk with the teachers individually. We also gave out awards for the highest mark in every class, for the student who puts in the most effort and for any students who were never late and never absent (only 5 in the whole school). These awards were a first for Coram Deo and I'm very curious how many students will never be absent or late next term now that they know there's a prize:)
I plan on going to Jacmel (southern part of Haiti) this weekend with a bunch of people from church. We don't have school on Friday so I'm only missing one day of work. We leave EARLY thurs. morning, it's not that far but we want to beat the crazy traffic. I'm really looking forward to this mini vacation, it'll be a nice treat.

The Last Supper and Sad Farewells

The last night before the second group of visitors left was quite the night!!! They prepared a feast of cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes and smores for dessert. They set the table nice and we all sat together like one BIG family. One of the visitors wrote a special poem and Samuel translated it for everyone. When we were finished eating Jn Eddy stood up and said a special prayer for them. Overall it was quite the touching night.
The next day they left and there were lots of tears (even some of the guys cried). The last few days the guys and kids have been moping around the house wishing the visitors were still here.
Things are sort of back to normal. I was expecting things to be REALLY quiet but I guess I forgot where I lived. Things are NEVER quiet at Coram Deo. There are just more Haitians around these days and less "blancs".
Tonight my friend Jenny is sleeping over. Every time I go to her house for the weekend Manu complains that I'm always leaving. I told Jenny this so she decided to come and hang out with 'us' for the night. It'll be neat for her to see my life and maybe she'll really understand why I love going to her house so much:)
The only bad news I have to report is that I'm getting fat!!! The visitors came with so MUCH good food and a LOT of junk food. Also I haven't been to the gym in 2 whole weeks. I hope I can lose all my fat before I come home for Christmas so I can pig out on Christmas food without any guilt:)

All's quiet on the Haitian front

It sure it different around here with our numbers diminished drastically. Half of the visitors left on Sat. afternoon and successfully arrived home late that night. The celebration/dedication ceremony of the playground was a HUGE success. The kids LOVED the pinata and the candy bags and the cake. We took a picture with all the kids holding Canadian flags in front of the playground. Overall it was a great day.
The weekend was quiet. Several of us visited Ysmaille's sister's house on Sunday. It was a nice relaxing day and a nice break from the humity of Port-au-Prince. It has been extremely hot these days and it hasn't rained for almost 2 weeks. Last night it finally rained and things cooled down considerably.
I forgot to mention a story that happened last week. After we visited Double Harvest we stopped at a little village to show the visitors some aquaducts. Karen's sister had brought a lot of candy with her to share with the kids of the village. When she started to pass out the candy she was practially mobbed and the adults were worse than the kids. People were putting their hands in her back pack and grabbing at her quite roughly. We quickly left town and went back to our car. But we still had all this candy we wanted to give out. So on the drive home we decided to throw the candy out the window at kids we saw playing on the side of the road. The first time we threw candy it hit a kid on the head and he seemed quite surprised. But after this they seemed to get the hang of it. At one point we drove by a soccer field. When we threw the first hand full all the kids playing soccer noticed and came running. It was crazy!!! We were worried that the car might break down and we'd get mobbed again, but all went well. Everytime the kids dived for the candy we laughed so hard. Some kids ran behind us for a while hoping for more but couldn't keep up with us. It was great fun.
This week looks like a quiet one. The visitors are finishing up some odd jobs. I'm focussing on getting the report cards ready and preparing for the parent/teacher interview/information night. Apparently they do things very different here so I'll be learning a lot the first meeting.

Candy, Pinata and Cake

I didn't know this but the visitors came up with the idea to build a playground because they wanted to dedicate it to a girl who used to live at Coram Deo and just recently passed away. The had a very nice plaque made to put on the playground. The kids have barely been able to contain themselves as they watched the playground take shape over the last week and today will be the first time they can actually play on it!!! We are going to have a celebration/dedication ceremony this afternoon. The visitors made a HUGE pinata and several cakes for all the kids. We also put together 120 goody bags to send the kids home with. I think it will be absolute chaos, but a good chaos for sure. The visitors also painted a wonderful mural on one of the outside buildings. I will include several pictures in my photo album.
Yesterday we visited an organization called Double Harvest. This place is amazing. It has a church, school, vocational school, greenhouses, farm and amazing apartments for work teams that come to visit. It was great to walk around and see what can be accomplished with a lot of big thinking, hard work and the blessing of God. It was really inspirational to me.
Half of the visitors are leaving tomorrow to go back home but the other half are staying until next Thurs. It will be nice to slowly get back to normal. If they all left at once I think it would be too much of a shock:)
I have already put a few pictures in my photo album of the playground and will try to put a few more on today.

Good news

In case you haven't already heard the 3 kids that were kidnapped are back safe and sound. Also, it was discovered that Haitian police (both past and present) were involved with this kidnapping and possibly others. We had already heard from the 'street' that police were most likely invovled. I've heard some very negative things about the police in Haiti and I have to admit that when I see them I'm usually more alarmed then calmed. I think if I was in trouble I would run away from the police before I would run towards them. Anyway, praise the Lord that the kids were found safe. Hopefully things will calm down for a bit now that there are less kidnappers in the area. (my earlier information was wrong, 7 kidnappers were arrested not 12)
On another note. I joined the visitors this morning on a trip to the downtown general hospital. We visited the childrens ward and more specifically the ward for children with mental and physical disabilities. When we walked in, I had the immediate urge to do two things; turn around and leave or cry. It was really sad and Karen said that it's improved a lot from how it used to be. The kids were laying in cribs and several were laying in their own urine. The kids outside didn't have underwear or diapers on and they peed where ever they pleased. It smelled bad (although it could have been worse). The kids are fed and washed and that's it. They aren't held or interacted with at all. What's even worse is that these are the lucky ones... if they were left on the streets they'd be dead within days. Hospitals are interesting in Haiti. They provide you with a bed and medicine. If you have a family member in the hospital you have to visit them everyday to bath them and give them food and take care of all their needs. How strange. If you don't have family then no one takes care of you.
On a happier note, the playground is almost finished and it really changes the look of Coram Deo. It's really big and super nice. It has a rock wall, monkey bars, a slide and swings. It looks great!!! The kids can't wait until it's finished and they can play on it.
As far as school goes, we finished the first quater. Exams are finsihed and teachers are writing report cards. We are having parent teacher interviews next weekend and the teachers seem quite content with how things are going this year. We are having a staff meeting tomorrow morning (no one thought it was strange when I asked them to come in on a holiday for a staff meeting. ) I bought lots of treats to reward them for coming on their day off. It'll be good to talk about some of my concerns and here their ideas and suggestions.
Until next time.

Kidnapper's Beware

Well, the news here is that 12 kidnapper's were arrested this weekend in our area of town. It's a huge relief for us. They also found one of the places where they put the people they kidnapped.
I had a great time at Jenny's this weekend. I woke up Sunday morning, grabbed a cup of coffee and my Bible and vegged out by the pool for a bit. What a rough life!!!
On Saturday we were driving in Jenny's car on our way to pick up her friend. Her friend lives on this crazy road that is very narrow with cars parked on both sides. We got to the house safely and managed to turn around but when we got back to the main road a big truck was stuck there so we had to turn around again!! Jenny was driving and everyone on the street and in the car were yelling instructions; turn right, turn left, go forward, go back! In her attempt to turn the car around Jenny hit one of the cars parked on the side. Everyone started shouting. I was sort of scared that someone would pull out a gun. Ysmaille jumped out of the car to talk to them. We had to keep moving because we were blocking traffic. In the end it all worked out. We gave them some money and they were happy, but for some reason I was really shook up by the event.
The visitors are hard at work and the playground is starting to take shape. It'll be so great when it's finished. They kids are really excited and so am I.
The next two days there won't be school which will be nice. I can sort of sleep in, although it's hard to sleep in when there are kids playing loudly right outside my door and someone is sweeping the driveway right outside my window. Such is life when you live with 15 other people:)

Playground

The visitors have been working hard and the playground is coming along quite nicely. Today they went to check out Baptist Mission and Fort Jacque. I decided not to go b/c I'm going to Jenny's again. The visitors are great and I'm enjoying my time with them but it's still nice to get away for a bit. There's lots of time to talk with them, they're here for another week. They collected a lot of donations before they came and it's great to see them pass out the stuff to the kids and the guys.
So yesterday we had another scare. Two American kids were kidnapped right near our house. (On Delmas 31 for people familiar with Coram Deo) A mother was driving with her two children when the kidnappers got in the car and told her to get out. We dont' know much more. Please pray that they will be returned to their mother soon without any harm. I was quite shaken up because I walk in this area a lot. (of course I'm always with a Haitian but what can they do if there's a gun to my head?) It's so hard to decide what to do. I feel safe here but I tend to think I'm invincible and no one will hurt me.
Next week we have two holidays. Tuesday and Wendesday there is no school due to All Saints day and All Souls Day. One is a Christian holiday and one is a Voodoo holiday but both are honoured by the Haitian government. It'll be nice to have two days off to get some odd jobs done around here.
I have added some new pictures to my photo album so if you're interested you can check them out.

Canadians Arrive

Well the Canadian visitors finally arrived after spending a night at the New York Airport. The airline didn't get them a hotel like promised. They said it was an interesting night to say the least. It's a bit crazy with so many people milling around. Whenever I've gone on mission trips I've never given any thought to how the missionaries we were visiting felt when we came and overtook their place of residence:) It'll be a fun week I'm sure but definately crazy.
I thought the guys would be thrilled with so many young beautiful women here but they're being really shy and not talking at all. I'm sure that will change by the end of the visit:)
It'll be nice to be able to talk English really fast and be understood!!
The project they are planning is building a playground for the school. I think it's a great idea and I look forward to. The kids will love it and it will be used a lot.

Girl time, rain and visitors

Well, I finally got some "girl time" on Sat. night. I went to Jenny's place and two teachers from the English school came over and we just hung out and had some girl chats. I enjoyed it thoroughly. On Sunday church was cancelled due to the rain (sort of like a snow day).
Speaking of rain, "Wilma" thankfully did not visit Haiti but just sent a lot of rain our way. Where we are situated in Haiti a lot of rain really doesn't affect us too much but some places are very dangerous if we get a lot of rain. Mudslides are a real problem in certain areas.
So, today we were supposed to have 10 visitors come from Canada but their flight was cancelled due to the storms in the Carribbean. They will be coming tomorrow instead. They are staying for 2 weeks!!! It'll be a full house. Karen set up beds everywhere for them to sleep on and the kids are sleeping in the kitchen. Should be an interesting 2 weeks. I have to share my bathroom with 10 new people, I guess I'll be getting up really early to beat the rush:)
Okay, that's all for now.

A day in the life...

Hello all, I have received several e-mails from people asking me what exactly I do here in this beautiful country called Haiti. I guess I never really explained my role here. So I'm going to take a minute to tell you about a day in the life of Kim.
Well, my official title is "Assistant Project Manager". Very fancy I know. The teachers here call me "directrice" which means principal. In reality I'm more like a cross between a secretary and a vice-principal:) There are 104 kids in the school and 7 teachers. I'm here to assist the teachers with supplies and sometimes with discipline. All the supplies are in the house and therefore the teachers need to ask me for whatever supplies they need; ie. pencils, paper, chalk, scissors etc. Also, the teachers don't have access to computers so whenever something needs to be typed for the students I type it up and make photocopies for them. This past week I was very busy typing all the exams for the first semester. I assist alot with the kindergarten class because the teacher is unable to walk and her class if full of energy. Other than that, I stay busy with administrative work, like typing reports, problem solving and organizing files for each student. Sometimes when teachers are having a difficult time with a student I will take them off their hands for a little while to give them a break. So that's basically what I do. In the evenings I'm in charge of showering the kids from the house. Sometimes I read with them or help them with their homework. After that I'm free to read a book, hang out with the guys in the house, watch T.V. or just go to bed early. Every day goes by so fast.
As for an update on my life... things are back to normal after my parents left. I'm back to rice and beans and no swimming in the afternoon:) I thought I'd be really down after my parents left but it was sort of nice to get back into my old routine and talk with the people I hadn't spent much time with for a whole week.
Today I'm going to Jenny's again for a swim and a quiet night. It's always nice to get away from the constant activity that happens at Coram Deo.
**Just a quick personal note, Nicole I've tried e-mailing you but it just gets sent back to me. I will try e-mailing you from Cadeau's account.**

Rain, rain go away...

We have had ALOT of rain lately which is unusual for Haiti. Clothes are not drying and we're all feeling a bit soggy. We're trying to stay positive and be thankful that we aren't experiencing hurricanes or tornadoes right now. Without the sun we also don't have any electricity at night because the invertor doesn't charge during the day. So last night felt a bit like camping, we sat around the oil lamp for a bit then went to bed early.
Yesterday (Monday) was a holiday in Haiti so I was able to spend the day with my parents. I worked in the morning because I had to finish a few things before my parents leave because I need to send it with them. In the afternoon we were hoping to go for a walk but due to the rain we went for a drive instead. We visited a few more of Ysmaille's family and showed my parents the "ritzy" part of town.
Today it's back to work and the school is currently in full swing. My parents leave today. We had a great visit together with lots of chances to talk and just hang out together. I was able to eat some North American food and just get away from Coram Deo for a bit. Of course it was great to see them and have them see the people I talk about and the places I go. Now when I talk to them they will be able to picture what I am talking about.

Staying Safe

On Friday afternoon an Amerian was kidnapped very close to our house. The kidnappers asked for money and he was released early the next morning. No more details are known at this time. The FBI has come to Haiti to assist with the situation. We are being very careful. Karen is not following her usual routine and when she goes out she takes a different route than she normally does. My parents rented a car for the weekend and it has air conditioning so we roll up all the windows and lock the doors for added security. I'm staying at the hotel with my parents for the weekend and we stop by Coram Deo every day to see how everyone is doing. On Friday afternoon my parents and I went downtown to check out the Presidential House and Museum which was interesting. Today we went to the Baptist Mission which is a well known mission in Haiti, North of the city. After this we went to visit Ysmaille's sister who lives in the mountains. (I have already visited here with Ysmaille) We had a nice relaxing time with his family. His sister cooked us a delicious meal and my parents had the chance to see a typical Haitian home and eat some typical Haitian food. The roads up the mountains are very rough and my dad and I spent some time walking ahead of the car to avoid being tossed about inside the car. On the way home my mom, dad and I walked most of the way down while Ysmaille followed with the car. Overall it was a nice relaxing day. Tonight we're just taking it easy and going to bed early so we can go to church in the morning. We're feeling safe and being cautious. Please continue to pray for our safety as well as the safety of all foreigners in Haiti. As always our Lord protects us and sends His angels to watch over us.

Excitement at Coram Deo

It has been great to have my parents here. Due to a lack of a vehicle we haven't done too much yet. They come to Coram Deo in the morning and of course I put them right to work:) In the afternoon we've been relaxing at the hotel, going for a swim and eating some good food. The hotel isn't amazing but it's just nice to get away from all the noise and activity that is a constant at Coram Deo. I never realized how loud it always is until I was trying to have a conversation with my mom in my room after school, if I didn't raise my voice she couldn't hear what I was saying. It's amazing what you get used to in a short time. This weekend we hope to rent a car to go to the mountain and a few touristy spots along the way. Today Ysmaille is taking them to a museum in the morning and this afternoon we hope to go downtown and check out the presidential house and museum. Sunday we will go to Ysmaille's church so they can see a Haitian church. The rest of their visit is still to be determined. It's too bad that we can't show them more of the beautiful country that is Haiti but safety is always the most important.
Speaking of safety, we had quite the scare this week. Every morning Karen drives three of the Coram Deo kids to other schools and picks up one of the teachers who is unable to walk. On Thurs. morning Karen left at her usual time but didn't return on time. Twenty minutes after her usual return time I was getting nervous. Then I heard from one of the teachers that Karen was hiding at the school where Manu and Jacob go because there was an attempted kidnapping. I freaked out inwardly but remained calm outwardly. No one knew anymore than that Karen was hiding, it was quite a nerve wracking time. About 15 mintues later Karen returned and explained the story to us. She forgot to stop at Manise's school and drove right by, she stopped further down the road to drop off Manise. She heard someone yell "hey", but she ignored it and kept driving. When she arrived at Manu and Jacob's school she stopped outside and as Manu was getting out a guy jumped into the passenger seat and yelled "GO!" and began to reach into his pocket for a gun. Karen quickly pulled the key from the ignition and at the same time pushed open the driver's door. Another man with a gun was standing at the passenger door trying to push Karen back inside. Karen managed to push the door with all her might and push him out of the way. She ran inside the school with Manu and Jacob right behind her. They waited inside the school until they saw the men leave. Three of the male teachers from the school came back to Coram Deo with Karen to keep her safe. Since this incident we've discovered that these men are not from the area but have been hanging around for a few days. When they attempted the kidnapping, several people from the neighbourhood followed them and found out where they live. They live in one of the worst slums. Karen has already notified the Canadian Embassy in Haiti and they notified Ottawa. The Director of the school where it happened is American and she has notified the American Embassy. The Haitian police are aware and have already stopped by Coram Deo to speak with Karen. When Karen first arrived home she was very calm but as the day wore on and she had time to think about it she appeared more shook up. Needless to say we are being very careful. I'm surprised at how calmly my mom took the whole experience. I thought she'd want to leave immediately. Of course we were cautious before, and we'll be even more cautious now. This incident hit a little too close to home.
Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for our safety but also for the country as a whole. There's a lot of fear and sadness in Haiti that only our Lord Jesus can heal.

Fun Day

Today was a fun day! Karen promised the kids that if they get 100% in school she will take them to "Pizza Pam"(a local restaurant) and buy them a gift. Both Manu and Jacob got 100% this week so we took them out. We ate hamburgers and fries and went shopping for a while. Then we went for icecream. When you're away from home it's amazing how the little things like icecream and french fries become comforting and exciting at the same time:)
Going shopping is a very frustrating experience for me. I don't know where to goto buy things and I always have to wait around for people to go with me. This week I decided I wanted curtains for my room because kids I don't even know are always staring inside at me and it makes me uncomfortable. It took two trips to the market and went to three different stores and I still don't have all the things I need. Also, everytime I go I have to wait around for Ysmaille and then we need to make stops along the way. I guess I'll have to work on being patient and realizing that it's not the end of the world if it takes 2 weeks to hang my curtains. There's a different pace of life here and I need to get used to it.
Tomorrow I plan on going to the mountains for a hike. I'm looking forward to it. It's always nice to get away even if it's only for one day.
These week we didn't have electricity for 3 days which was frustrating and unusual around here. Usually we get electricity from about 7:00am until between 2-4:00p.m. It was frustrating to not be able to work on the computer or e-mail anyone but we survived.
Other than that, not too much is happening around here. I'm starting to have some good conversations with Haitians as my Creole is advancing and I'm learning a lot more about the culture and the "Haitian" way of thinking. I'm finding it very interesting.
I would just like to take a minute to brag. I finished my Creole course on Friday and I had to write an exam. I asked my instructor what would happen if I fail:) He said I'd have to pay an additional fee:) So anyway, he gave me the exam he usually gives his students if they have a 1 month course (mine was only 2 weeks) and I got 80%!! I was quite proud of myself. The trick is, now I have to keep studying on my own. My instructor explained everything to me but we moved at a very rapid pace and now I have to go back and review and memorize everything. It's hard to motivate myself but at the same time I get immediate gratification because I can talk with people more and more everyday.

Don't worry

So I haven't written for a while because we haven't had any electricity for 3 days!!! How frustrating. For some reason they've given it to us tonight instead which is okay but not ideal.
So this week has been really busy again. My tutor has come every afternoon and then I have a lot of homework to do. The time is well spent though and many people have commented on how my Creole is improving. I still can't understand when people talk really fast but when they slow down I understand most of what they are saying.
I am soooooo pumped about my parents coming next week. They come on Tuesday and are staying for one week. I want to take them to so many places. I want to take them on a taptap, which is basically a pick-up truck with the cab raised up and benches in the back. I find them very exciting but people here don't like to use them. They are very cheap and fairly fast but safey and comfort are questionable. But mostly I just want to talk to them for hours, I hope they're ready to listen to all the stuff I've been saving up to say over the last 2 months.
This weekend I don't have any crazy plans. Just to clean my room so I can impress my parents and maybe have a little thanksgiving turkey by myself. Just kidding, maybe I'll make a special dinner with my parents when they're here and we can call it thanksgiving dinner. My mom was seriously considering packing some leftovers in a cooler and bringing them here!! Sometimes she's crazy like that:)
I think that's all for now. When I'm so busy like this I can't get into too much trouble.

Mini Vacation

I've just returned from "Resort à Jenny":) I had a great weekend. We watched cheesy movies, ate chips and salsa, slept in and lazed around the pool all weekend. Sunday, Ysmaille came over for lunch and a swim, and Jenny and I made a delicious Mongolian Stir Fry for him. I feel very refreshed and ready to tackle another week at Coram Deo. I feel a bit guilty about taking off for the whole weekend because I know all the people at Coram Deo work so hard on the weekend and they aren't able to take off like I am. But at the same time, I have to do what keeps me sane. I remind myself sometimes that I haven't been here all that long and it really takes a lot of energy to adjust to a new culture and even though I feel like I'm not "doing" a lot I really am accomplishing a lot. My Creole is improving and I try practising a lot which is exhausting but the only way I will learn.
The other great thing about hanging out with Jenny is that we have some great talks. We have a lot of the same views about life but we also discuss a lot of questions that don't have easy answers. We both struggle with how to live as rich N. Americans in a country with so much poverty. When and where and how should we give to Haitians? How do we really show God's love? When is it okay to hide away and be "American/Canadian"? We discuss how Haitian culture is different than N. American culture and how we can try to blend the two when we're here. How to be cultural sensitive and yet keep our identity. We had some great talks and of course we didn't come up with any profound answers but it's great to talk to someone who comes from the same world as me. I love talking to Haitians but they don't totally "get" me because they don't know or understand "my world".
While at Jenny's house I found a book of Haitians prayers and would like to share one with you. It is simple but so profound.
"Senyè, Ala nou konton se pa nou k'ap kenbe you, men se ou k'ap kenbe nou."
"Lord, how glad we are that we don't hold you, but that you hold us."

Very Busy

I realize that I've been bad about updating my blog lately and I apologize to all my faithful readers. I've been busy since my tutor starting coming. (although he's missed 2 days already w/o calling:) I feel that I'm learning Creole and he's a good teacher but I wish he was a bit more predictable.
Sunday I went to the mountains with Ysmaille. It was so nice to get out of the city. Ysmaille didn't think I could do the hike up the mountain, he said I would be crying by the end and ask him to carry me. I was so determined that I would make it to the end and I'd be faster than him. I started out great and walked much faster than him, but by the end I was exhausted. I didn't cry but I had to stop and rest a few times. It wasn't that we walked so far it was that it was soooo steep. When we got to his sister's house we had breakfast and got ready for Church. At church I had to stand up and talk about myself. I spoke in Creole!! After Church we walked around and visited with Ysmaille family. They always love to touch my hair and ask me lots of questions. Ysmaille's siter made us a fabulous lunch of french fries, fried plaintain, rice and vegetables and freshly squeezed juice. I really like his sister's family. They are so friendly that I feel like I'm visiting my family. It was so beautitul in the mountains. There were flowers everywhere and it was so peaceful. No cars honking, no people yelling, it was great.
Other than that, life is going well. I'm very busy with the school. I'm not sure what I do all day but I manage to stay very busy getting things for the teachers and doing organizational stuff. After school finishes my tutor comes until 4 o'clock, then I do my homework, play with the kids for a bit and then I'm pretty much ready for bed. I started teaching English in the evenings. I have two different classes because people are at different levels. It makes my day seem really busy but I know they really appreciate it. This weekend I'm going to Jenny's house again. I'm looking forward to a quiet peaceful weekend with a bit of swimming thrown in there. Should be good.

Doctors and tutors

Here the update you 've all been waiting for. On Monday night, I got really sick again and spent most of the night in the bathroom. At one point I was so tired that when I went in the bathroom and saw a mouse I didn't even scream or anything I just waited for it to see me and scurry away under the door. Tuesday morning I felt better. Everyone was so concerned that I finally agreed to go to see a doctor. Karen knows an American Doctor who is in Haiti right now and staying at the hotel near our house. She said I should go and see him. We went and waited for 2 1/2 hours for him to come. I felt bad because I knew he had already worked all day and was probably exhausted and didn't feel like helping one more person. However, he was really nice and told me not to worry just yet and wait and see what happens. Today is Friday and I've felt fine since then.
I'm in good spirits these days and much more positive about surviving in Haiti. I think feeling healthy is a huge help.
I finally got ahold of my tutor on Wednesday and he showed up on Thursday!!! I had my first lesson on Thursday after school and he said he was very impressed with my Creole! I felt pretty good after that. The funny thing is that he asked if he could be paid right away. He dissappears for 2 weeks with no phone call or anything and he thinks we'll pay him up front!!! How do I know he'll show up the next day? Overall, he's a nice guy though and knows a lot about Creole. Many Haitians can't explain any of the grammar rules to me. I guess most English speakers are the same. We're just so used to English we just know what to say without giving much thought to why we say what we do.
This weekend I am going hiking in the mountains with Ysmaille. We're going to his sister's house for lunch and then going for a hike. I'm looking forward to it. Ysmialle makes it sound so beautiful and apparently it's cool there. Wow, that will be a nice change after all the hot weather we've been having.

Tears and Swimming Pools

I knew it was only a matter of time before I received a horrible bout of homesickness. I was right. On Saturday morning I woke up and broke into tears before even getting out of bed. I wanted to go home soooooooo badly. I started to invent reasons why I MUST go home now. Maybe I could get some deadly desease or maybe someone in my family really needs me right now, maybe.... the ideas kept getting more and more crazy. I decided I better call my mother dearest before I went crazy. My mom and dad were great. I called them EARLY Saturday morning and they were both dropped everything to listen to me ramble on between sobs. Needless to say, they gave me some great suggestions and cheered me up sufficiently.
Later that day I went to check out a hotel that my parents might stay at when they come and it was really nice, I'm so excited about them coming!!!! I plan to spend lots of time a the hotel with them and take advantage of the great swimming pool. Speaking of swimming pools, I took the kids swimming on Sunday and they had a GREAT time. They had never been in a pool before so I was a bit nervous but I brought lots of adults to watch them. (although the adults were sometimes sillier than the kids:) Manu can almost swim, Manice was brave but never took off her water wings. Jacob and Sammy were quite terrified at times but they had fun on the stairs. Overall it was a great day.
My tutor is still a no-show. He came the first day and dropped off two books and then I haven't seen him since. It's a bit of a mystery. Maybe he'll come today. I've been practising my Creole a lot lately and it's SLOWLY improving. Sometimes I say really funny things and everyone laughs but I'm not as sensitive as when I first got here. I still have a hard time understanding people but it's coming. I'm trying to put more energy into learning the language these days, it's very crucial for me that I can communicate with the teachers.
To all my daily blogger watchers sorry I haven't written every day. I'll try to keep you updated on my oh-so-exciting life but somedays I just don't find the time. Later.

Road to Recovery

For all those worry warts out there who have written me and told me to go to the hospital/doctor NOW!!!! I am feeling much better. I'm still not sure what I had but I'm on the road to recovery. I worked all morning and felt fine. I take it easy and take a break if I feel I need it.
I'm busy getting things organized around here. My favourite thing to do.
On Friday I've been invited to a wedding. My friend's aunt is getting married and asked me to go with him. We'll have to see, I can only go if I'm home before dark which seems unlikely. Although it would be a good cultural experience for sure.
On Sunday I'm taking the kids swimming at Jenny's pool. They are SO EXCITED and ask me everyday if today is the day we are going. It will be fun to see them having so much fun.
Other than that, not too much is happening. Some old same old.

Still sick...

I am so tired of laying in bed and feeling sorry for myself:) I'm still sick and I have no energy. Every night I go to sleep thinking that tomorrow I'll feel fine, but this morning I woke up again and still feel far from fine. I'm never sick for this long. I started taking medicine yesterday but if I still feel sick tomorrow I will go to a doctor. I don't want to be sick for longer than necessary. Right now I feel so useless and I'm REALLY bored. I've read a lot and slept a lot and I'm really running out of things to do. I try to get up and do a few things but after about 20-30 minutes I have to lay back down and rest for a bit. Well, hopefully it's nothing serious and I get better soon.

Under the Weather

The first week of school is finished and it was quite the interesting week. Mostly I just observed and helped with crowd control. I have lots of ideas in my head but I think I'll wait and introduce them slowly. The teachers are open to change for the most part (if it doesn't involve too much work) but mostly they just want more teaching supplies (just like every teacher). The worst part of this week was that I got pretty sick on Wednesday night and I still feel quite sick now. I had fever, body ache, nausea the whole bit. I'm not really sure what I have but I sure hope it's nothing serious. Today I just feel really tired and can't stand up for long. I'm sure in a few days I'll be all better.
So on Friday night I went to a women's meeting from the church. It was at my friend Jenny's house and since it went until after dark (my curfew) Jenny offered to let me sleep over. It was great to get together with women who are foreigners. Although I love my Haitians brothers it's just not the same. So we had a small devotional, ate some North American food and had a swim. They are planning on meeting every other week. I will try to go as often as possible but it's difficult because I'm the only one who lives in my neighbourhood, everyone else lives pretty close to eachother. This morning we went shopping at an art shop, they had some pretty cool stuff. Then we went back to Jenny's house for a swim and just vegged. It was really like a mini holiday and I felt like I really needed it. Here house is huge and it honestly feels a bit like a resort.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to go hiking in the mountains but I don't think I'll be up to it so maybe I'll just spend some time at home and take it easy so I'm ready to work hard on Monday.

First Day of School

Unbelievable but it's true. Today was the first day of school for Coram Deo. There were many surprises for me and I really don't feel like a "director" of a school and today I definately didn't look the part with my youthful braids. The teachers really dress up here so I felt I should wear a nice skirt. Thank goodness I brought a few with me.
So of the 80 students registered only 27 showed up today and Karen said this is better than last year! I think we may have to offer a free Mardarin lunch for all the students who never miss a day or come late:) Seriously, we are going to think of a reward for all those students because attendance is a major issue here. Overall the day went quite well. There seems to be very little structure and I'm torn between introducing structure right away or sitting back and observing for a while. I'm leaning towards sitting back and just observing and slowly introducing some structure. I know it's harder to establish routines later on the in the school year but at the same time I don't want to arrive from another culture and another country with all the "answers" and try to change everything. Anything that works well I want to keep.
I spent the morning sharpening pencils for the students (because no one brought one) and feeling very unlike the dignified director that I am:) The rest of the day I made ID cards for the students for when their parents come and pick them up at the end of the day.
Overall it was a good day. I feel sort of lost still but I'm sure I'll get into the groove soon.

Sunday

I just had a great Sunday morning. I went to the English speaking church finally. It was so great to go to church and understand what they were saying. I really enjoyed the service and the message and of course I could sing and actually know what I was singing. I think Ysmaille liked it, he'd said he'd go with me again. I also saw Jenny (the girl I went for lunch with) and she introduced me to a few teachers at the missionary school. On Friday there is going to be a women's get together at Jenny's house and I'm going to try and go. Jenny offered to let me sleep over because it doesn't finish until after dark. Most of the people live really close to eachother so it's fine for them but I have further to travel. I'm really looking forward to it.
The guys are working on the books right now but I told them that I'm not helping. I have worked non-stop on the books for 1 1/2 weeks and I've started dreaming about them. I need a break!!!
Later, I'm going to Ysmaille's house for lunch. Every Sunday we visit some of his relatives and I just smile and say "Bonswa" over and over again while they talk all around me. Sometimes Ysmialle translates especially if they ask me a question. I really need to learn Creole soon so I can really experience the culture.
So, I've finally arranged for a tutor. Another lady who has been in Haiti for almost 3 years and works near us hasn't picked up much Creole and would also like to have a tutor. We're going to hire the same tutor and have classes together. It's a two week intensive course and I'm hopefully going to do it in the afternoon since school is in the morning until 1:00. I know it will be a lot of work with school just starting but I have to learn the language soon.
Well, other than that not too much happening. I got my hair braided which took forever but I like it. I posted some more pictures on my photo album if you want to check them out.
Alright, that's pretty much all for now.

Standard and Sweatshops

I am sooooo proud of myself. Yesterday Ysmaille taught me how to drive standard and I don't want to brag but I was pretty good. When I tried learning in Canada I was always horrible and felt like crying the whole time. Yesterday I learned very quicly and drove all over the place. If we got stuck in traffic Ysmaille took over (he was afraid I was going to roll back into someone I think). I'll need to practise more but I think I did pretty good.
So the Coram Deo sweatshop is busy everyday. We sit and sweat in the living room covering the textbooks in plastic. We work all day everyday but the books seem to be multiplying. They won't be finished before school starts but such is life. We can only work so fast and so long.
I forgot to write about an event that happened on Sunday. It was actually quite disturbing. When we left church there was a large crowd gathering. Karen walked near to check out what was happening. Apparently someone tried to steal someone's car while they were in church. We kept walking and got into a tap-tap. The police truck with him inside drove behind us on our way home and we could see one of the police officers beating the thief with his gun. He just kept hitting him over and over again. I asked Ysmaille if he thinks they killed him and he said, "probably". I was quite upset about it but everyone here just said that he deserved it. They really don't have much respect for thieves.
Well, enough about that. Electricity has been unpredictable these days, so if I haven't e-mailed you back it's either because I'm so busy or because the electricity went out again. I apologize.
I better get back to the sweat shop. My workers will be wondering where I am:)

Books, books and more books

So I've been EXTREMELY busy these days. We bought all the textbooks for next year and they all need to be covered in plastic to protect them and their corners need to be reinforced with tape. There seems to be hundreds of books and everyday we work on them. We are making progress but it's slow work. Cadeau works very hard everyday and won't even let me take a break. The other guys help out sometimes but aren't very dedicated.
Another development is that the mice are rapidly reproducing and have travelled down the hallway to my room. One night I was sitting on my bed reading my book when I saw a mouse travel right by my bed. I ran out of the room very quickly. Everyone was already in bed but Cadeau heard me run out of my room and came to see if I was okay. I told him there was mice in my room. I stood on my bed while Cadeau chased them around my room. One ran right out the door back into the rest of the house. The other one escaped out my other door to the outside. I couldn't sleep all night. It doesn't make any sense. Mice are so small and really, what are they going to do to me? My fear is so irrational but for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about them. This morning we found a baby mouse dead in the food depot. It keeps getting better and better:)
Well, enough about mice. Other than that things are going well. School starts next week and I'm sort of looking forward to it. I'm really sad that I'll be missing the start of LHMS. I love the beginning of school. I love setting up my classroom etc. I will miss all the teachers and all the good chats.
Every night we watch TV and have seen all the distruction in Southern USA. Unbelievable! There is a storm heading towards Haiti, hopefully it won't be as bad. We live in an area where the storms rarely hit so I'm not too worried.
That's all the news from here.

Little Canada

Yesterday I went for lunch with Jenny and Ysmaille (Cadeau couldn't come). We went to Epidor a popular restaurant in Petionville. When I walked in I felt like I was at home. North American food, air conditioning and nice tables and chairs. It was great!!! There was even some Canadian police officers from the Canadian Embassy eating there.
So Jenny is really nice and it was great to meet her. After we finished eating we went to her house. She is house sitting for a missionary family who have gone back to the USA until January. The house is HUGE and it has a POOL! Jenny invited me to come over for a swim anytime. I was very excited. I told her I'll bring some of my many teenage brothers with me and she said that would be okay. The only difficulty is that I can't get there by myself. Ysmaille said he'd come with me but I can't always count on him going with me everytime I want to go somewhere. Jenny said that I should come for a weekend some time and sleep over. She can pick me up and bring me back. I said I would love that!
The house that Jenny is staying in comes with the biggest dog I have ever seen. He is absolutely massive and he drools a lot. I did not like him too much and Ysmaille kept putting a pillow over his head so the dog wouldn't drool all over him:)
Afterwards, Jenny came to Coram Deo with us so she would know how to get there when she comes to visit or to pick me up. All the guys were very excited to meet my American friend and asked me many questions after she left (how old is she? does she have a boyfriend?)
So, I'm excited to have a new friend especially because she's a girl and she speaks English and Creole.
About the language situation. I've decided a need a tutor and Karen is trying her best to get me one. I'm not learning fast enough by myself and I can't always expect others to teach me when they have lots to do of their own. Hopefully we can find a tutor soon since school starts on September 5.

Life In Haiti

Today I am going to meet Jenny, the girl who Tricia put me in contact with. She returned my call this week and today we are going for lunch. I am taking Ysmaille and Cadeau with me for safety:) I'm looking forward to finally meeting her. She was very friendly on the phone and it will be nice to talk English very quickly and be understood.
My newest project is helping Manu to read. He is having difficulty sounding out words and he's already in Grade 2. I told him that he needs to read with me every day for 20 minutes. He HATES it. He loves when I read to him but he hates reading to me, so we take turns. Everynight when I mention reading he hides somewhere in the house and I have to find him and drag him to the living room. I told him that when I was in Grade 1 I hated to read because it was hard for me. Every night my parents MADE me read with my brother Scott and I cried and cried and cried (so unlike me, I know). I told him that now I am a very good reader and love to read everyday. He wasn't impressed and still doesn't like to read but he will if I make him:)
Jacob and Manu love to get attention from me and would stay by my side 24/7 if I let them. They are very sweet boys and I rarely need to discipline them. I have to admit I love Manu the most and love to spend time with him although I love all the kids very much.
The workshops are finished and now I am focussing on getting the textbooks organized and sorted for the school year. It's quite the job but I think I'm up for the challenge. It's good to be busy.

Workshops

So, yesterday I gave my first workshop for the teachers. To be completely honest, they didn't seem all that excited about the workshop. When we gave the same workshop in Sierra Leone, we had to turn teachers away but here they came late and one teacher didn't show up at all. Oh well, the workshop itself went well. I was simply trying to share some ideas on how to teach language in a new way. I have taken several courses since graduating from teacher's college on how to teach literacy effectively. I took several of the ideas I learned from these courses and tried to teach them to the teachers. Yesterday we focussed on oral language today we'll focus on reading and word activities. I'm trying to explain that games are an excellent way to teach and students often remember more from a game than from formal excercises.
Today was the first day of school for Manu and Jacob. They were very excited and were ready to go at 6:30 this morning. (School starts at 8:00.) They attend an English school very close to where we live. Karen and I walked them there this morning and waited outside with all the parents as they took attendance. I took a picture of the boys in their school uniforms, they are so cute. I hope to meet with the Director of this school some time next week. It will be interesting to observe several different schools here in Haiti to discover ways to improve Coram Deo's school.

Information

Okay, so most of you have looked at my pics by now (if you haven't there's a link on the right) and I thought maybe I should explain who everyone is. It took me a while to figure it all out. There are 4 kids who live at Coram Deo. Manice is 9 and she lives here with her Aunt Marie who cooks for us. Manu is 7 and his parents died, Karen hopes to find a family to adopt him. Jacob is 11 (but is very small because of malnutrition when he was young) and he lives here because his parents can't afford to feed him. Sammy is 15 (but mentally he's about 5) and I don't really know his story but he doesn't go to school because he has extreme difficulty learning and there is no school for him to go to. Cadeau and Wisley are the two teenage guys who live here. T hey both have family but they live at Coram Deo to help out and in return they are given an allowance and Coram Deo pays for their school. Jean Eddy, Vladimir and Samuel don't live here but they come everyday to do their chores and Coram Deo also pays for their schooling. Ysmaille owns the welding shop right outside of Coram Deo and he comes over everyday to hang out and help me with my Creole. These are the core people. MANY other people come everyday but there are too many to mention and I don't even know all their names yet. It sort of feels like a family here, I feel like I have 8 brothers and 1 sister. The guys love to tease me and I try to be a good big sister to them all.
Several people asked me about the taptap. A taptap is basically the bus system around here. There is no such thing as a taxi. You take the taptap, you walk or you drive yourself. A taptap is a pickup truck with the cab raised up and benches in the back. You sit in the back of the pickup truck and when you get to your stop you yell "meci" or tap on the window and they stop to let you off. The taptaps have regular routes just like a bus and sometimes you have to take several taptaps to get where you want to go.
If you have any other questions about Haiti or people I write about please ask me and I'll answer.

Canadian killed...

Let me put you at ease, I know that a Canadian was killed in Haiti yesterday but I am fine. The person who was killed was in an area where he should not have been. He took a short cut through a slum, which is always a bad idea here. They tried to take him hostage, but he tried to run away and they shot him. Karen and I are being very cautious. We never leave the house without taking someone with us. We also avoid any areas that we have heard are unsafe.
Things are pretty quiet a Coram Deo today. We worked hard in the morning, cleaning up the place and it looks pretty good right now. I have to admit I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic these days because I can't go out alone. I must have someone with me and there's not always someone around to go with. I'm also getting tired of only having guys around to talk to. As much as I love hanging out with the guys:) I really miss girl companionship. Sarah's sister Trish put me in touch with a girl who lives in Haiti. She e-mailed me a few times when I was still in Canada. I was shy about calling her but today I tried to call her. She wasn't home but I left a message. Hopefully I can connect with her sometime soon.
Other than that there's not too much exciting happening. I think I'm ready for the workshops that I will teach next week. The teachers seem excited so that is encouraging.
I might have an opportunity today to have a lesson on driving standard. Should be interesting:)

Mice, mice, mice

Coram Deo has a small mice epidemic and if you know me at all, you know that I HATE mice very much. Last night I was talking on the phone in Karen's room and I saw two mice come from under a bookshelf and run across the room. I had nightmares all night long about huge rats crawling all over me. I have convinced myself that they are only in Karen's room and would never travel down the hall to my room. As long as I can convince myself I'll be okay.
Yesterday was very nice. I went to see a hotel that my parents could possibly stay at. I went with Johnny, a guy who used to work for Coram Deo. Johnny's friend works at the hotel so we brought our bathing suits and swam for about an hour and then ate lunch at the hotel. I had goat meat for the first time and fried bananas. The food was good. Overall, it was a nice little holiday.
Today we hope to buy some more textbooks for the school and check out the office supply store. I just want to know what they have for sale.

Same old, same old

My days are becoming quite routine. Every morning I either prepare for the workshops I am teaching next week or I practise my Creole and in the afternoon I do the same. Sounds boring but I'm really enjoying it. My Creole is slowly improving. I can string sentences together and people can understand what I am saying but my grammar is horrible. But understanding what they say is a whole other story. The guys talk so fast it all sounds like one word to me. If they slow down and only say words I know, I understand them. They love that they can talk about me when I'm sitting right there and I can't understand them. I told them that will change very soon. They told me that they'll switch to French or Spanish:)
This week I went to watch the guys play soccer. It was quite interesting. They played in the middle of a road so they had to keep stopping to allow cars to drive through. Also, they played right beside a large dump so everytime the ball went flying into the dump someone had to climb all over the garbage to get it back. Overall a very interesting time. I created a small scene by coming and quite a few people were standing on the "field" staring at me until the ref yelled at them to get off the field.
Today I'm going to visit a hotel not too far from here to see if my parents can stay there when they come. I was told to bring my bathing suit. Maybe I'll go swimming today!!! That would be nice.
The last two days it's rained at night and it cools off soooooo much. I now LOVE the rain. I even put a blanket on last night, a first for me.

Drama

It appears that Drama follows me wherever I go. Apparently there are a few cultural unexceptable things to do here that I didn't know about. I won't go into details, mostly to keep you in suspense, but I've upset quite a few people in the last few days. I'm getting tired of saying sorry and trying to explain in my limited Creole that I didn't know it was not acceptable. Sometimes the problems come from misunderstandings because I think I'm saying one thing in Creole and it is interpretted very differently. I'm discovering that Haitians are a very sensitive group. Hopefully I can learn from my mistakes and stop upsetting others.
Other than that things are going well. I've spent the last two days preparing for workshops that I will be giving next week for the teachers of Coram Deo. It' s all very overwhelming being in charge of a school. There is much to do before school begins. Coram Deo's jeep has seen better days and is in the garage almost daily. Karen is very frustrated and is concerned that mechanics are lying to her. I think it's just getting old and that's normal. So anyway, it's difficult to go out and get things done. All in good time I'm sure.
This afternoon I promised the boys, Manu and Jacob (who live at the house) that we'd go watch a soccer game. Samuel, JeanEddy and Cadeau (all from the house) are part of a soccer team and their team plays tonight. I'm looking forward to it.

Getting Comfortable

I have been at Coram Deo for just over one week now and it's starting to feel like home. And the inhabitants are starting to feel like family. One BIG family mind you.
I'm getting used to the sounds and smells and confusion that is Haiti. I'm sure it all makes sense at some point.
Sunday was relaxing. I went to church with Ysmaille to a pentacostal church that is mostly Creole but the sermon was preached in English and translated into Creole. The church was packed and it has three morning services and an afternoon service. In fact, there are Christian churches everywhere here. I was quite surprised. After church I had lunch at Ysmaille's house with his friend. In the evening Sarah called and made my day. It was great to talk to her despite the bad phone connection.
This morning we will have our first staff meeting with the staff of Coram Deo. Nothing too formal just to talk about the plans and expectations for the year. Samuel will be my translator as my Creole is still very basic.
There are a few areas of concern that I would like to mention for prayer. First, that I will learn the language quickly as I get very frustrated at times and I occasionally create friction with other people because of misunderstandings due to the language barrier. Secondly, for safety for the people of Haiti. There have been a lot of murders lately. In four days, 35 gang members where killed in one slum because the people are sick of living in fear of them. We are safe where we are but every night on the news we see the chaos that exists in the slums. Also, a priest that Karen knows was kidnapped and held for ransom. The organization that he works for paid the ransom money and now they have to close their hospital because they gave all their money for the ransom. I still feel safe but we are being extra cautious.
That's all for now. My days are becoming quite routine. I spend several hours learning the language and preparing for the workshops that I will be giving for the teachers in late August.

"Happy Birthday to me..."

Well, today I got the best birthday present ever. My computer is hooked up to the internet so I can e-mail to my heart's content, well sort of. When I opened my e-mail today I had 34 messages waiting. Not a bad way to spend my birthday:) Thank you to all the people who remembered and sent me a Birthday message. Unfortunately I wasn't able to read all the e-cards because of complications however I appreciate the thought. I also talked to my parents which was great. They said the connection wasn't very good and that I kept cutting out. I did ALL the talking so I don't know if I could hear them or not:)
Well, believe it or not yesterday I joined a gym. Yes, even in Haiti people are concerned about being in good shape. I go with Cadeau who works out everyday for 3 hours!!! I tried to convince him that this was too long to work out but he told me to stop complaining or go by myself:) I guess I will either become really buff this year or learn how to wait patiently without complaining. Both would be a plus I think! The gym is quite interesting. All of the equipment looks like its about 20 years old and about to fall apart. Hopefuly the machines don't fall apart when I'm using them and injure me:) But the good part is that there is a large track at the back so I can run or walk to my hearts content. There's even a tennis court. Too bad Anita never got a chance to teach me:)
Yesterday one of the guys at the house (who speaks perfect English because he lived in the States) told me that I'm not trying hard enough to learn Creole. He said that I need to stop reading books and start speaking. He said that other people who had come and visited learned much quicker than I am. I almost cried. I'm trying hard but I don't know that many words and when they talk they talk very very fast and it all sounds like one word to me. After I finished defending myself I decided I would try to take his advice and try to speak only Creole. (which means I won't be talking much!!) However, when I announced this to the rest of the guys they were not happy! They want me to talk English so they can learn. I told them I have to learn Creole first. Some of them won't talk to me right now, they are so mad. I'm sure they'll get over it.
I'm trying to think of any other info. that would be interesting. Haiti is very difficult to explain. There are people EVERYWHERE! People definately look at me with curiousity but they don't openly stare like they did in S/L. The food is good. They eat a warm meal 3 times a day. I eat everything served to me and I think it tastes good. It's very Haitian. Lots of rice and beans just like promised!! We rarely eat meat, only on Sundays. It's very hot but it's not a humid hot like this past July in Canada. I sweat ALOT but I have lots of energy. I'm trying to remember to drink enough.
Well, some of you may know more about me now then when I was still in Canada. I'm trying not to bore you with too many details. The e-mails I receive encourage me to write more so I must not be boring you yet.

It sure is hot here...

Well I am adapting to the heat. It's a good thing it was so hot in Canada before I left. You never stop sweating here. You sort of get used to it after a while. Strangely as the night goes on it gets hotter and hotter. Maybe it's all in my head.
Well today was a very sad day. Max, a boy who has been living at Coram Deo since he was very young, left today for Canada. His new parents were here for one week and today they are taking him home for good. They have been waiting to adopt him for 2 years and have come here often to be with him. It is so exciting that they are finally taking him home but the boys here are very sad because they will miss him. Manu, who also lives here, is very jealous because he wants to be adopted also. He told Karen that he wants me to be his mom. (Don't worry Mom it didn't give me any ideas:) He has been acting up lately and not listening. He will be fine in a few days I think.
Last night we had a going away party for Max. We went to out for pizza. The pizza place was very nice. The pizza was delicious and the place was even air conditioned.
Today I went for my first walk. I was starting to feel clastrophobic at the house. Even though there are always a lot of people over I needed to get out. I went with Cadeau. He said he likes to walk but on the way home he kept asking if we could take a tap tap. I said that I love to walk and that we should walk together everyday for one hour. He was a bit skeptical but maybe I can convince him. Everytime Karen goes out she takes him with her because she trusts him and it is much safer to always have a Haitian with you.
It is crazy how many people come to Coram Deo during the day and in the evening. Sometimes they come just to visit and other times they do some work around the house. It seems chaotic but somehow everything gets done and everyone has food to eat. It's a bit of a mystery to me but I'm sure it will make sense in time.

Life in Haiti

Saturday night I was able to talk to my parents which was very nice. I missed out on family day:( but thankfully they missed me:)
Sunday was a quiet day but we did stay quite busy. In the morning we got the boys dressed in their Sunday best which took quite a while. Karen brought some new clothes for them from Canada and they were excited about their new look! We went to the Creole church across the street. It was VERY hot in the church and of course I didn't understand what they were saying but the singing was beautiful and the boys behaved very well.
After church we went for a drive in the country. Karen had to inform a family that their daughter was coming back from the USA on Tuesday after her heart surgery. The countryside looked very dry to me. It is the rainy season right now but it's only rained once since I've come and it still feel very dry here.
When we got back we went to watch Cadeau (a guy from the house) take his Karate lesson. I might take lessons with him. Since I can't go for walks it will be a good way to stay in shape:)
In the evening the whole Karate class came over to visit. I spent some time practising my Creole with them. I have many willing teachers, unfortunately they don't know English that well so it's a bit difficult. They keep telling me that Creole is easy and they get frustrated when I don't pick it up quickly. Hopefully I will get an official tutor next week.
Well, my emotions have been on a bit of a roller coaster but God is good. He's given me much peace. Also the e-mails I receive from home are a great encouragement. So far computer access has been limited but hopefully when my computer is hooked up to the internet I will be able to check e-mail more frequently.
Please continue to pray that I will learn the language quickly and that Haiti and especially Coram Deo will feel like home very soon.

Settling In

Day 2
I didn't sleep too well last night. I kept waking up, I think it's just the unfamiliar sounds. I kept thinking about how long 12 months really is! I reminded myself that this is a dream come true and I should be thankful for this opportunity. It is actually quite quiet around here in the evening but during the day it is a buzz of activity. There always seems to be someone new coming through the door. They all seem to know each other.
Apparently it's even hotter than usual these days, but the fan in my room makes it very bearable. I woke up feeling pretty good. Today we are going to visit the Baptist Mission.
There is a Canadian couple here right now who are adopting a boy from Coram Deo. They will be taking him back to Canada on Tuesday. They have been really helpful to me, explaining how things work and translating for me. Karen is very busy and I haven't seen too much of her. She definately has her hands full. I'm glad that I will be albe to take some of the load very soon.

Safe Arrival

This is my 3rd attempt to write this entry. Either the internet or the hydro is not working:)
Well, my love affair with Haiti has begun. I think I will love it here. My flights were sadly uneventful and everything went as smoothly as possible. I didn't even receive one marriage proprosal at the airport:)
My arrival at Coram Deo was met by much enthusiasm. I had at least 7 wonderful helpers help me unpack my suitcases and decide where to put my stuff. My room is huge and beautiful. Karen has worked very hard preparing for my coming. My computer is here but it is not yet on the internet.
I won't write too much because I'm afraid the internet will stop working again. I will hopefully write more this weekend.

Moving

Well, I've already received a few complaints about my blog:) A few people who work on computers all day (and often have free time) have told me that I need to submit some more entries on my blog. So here goes...
I had some relaxing and fun holidays both at Algonquin park and in Montreal. When I got back, I finished packing up my apartment. Today I, with help from family and friends, moved all my earthly posessions to my parents house. Despite a few cracks about my need for some new furniture, the move was incredibly smooth.
Now I have to pack my life into two suitcases, weighing less than 70lbs each. I've asked several people who have lived overseas what essentials I should bring with me. The number one suggestion? Peanut butter. It'll be like travelling Europe all over again:)
Well, I wish I had some more exciting events to share, but July has been relatively calm. I leave for Haiti early in the morning on August 5th. If I haven't had a chance to see you yet this summer, don't worry I'll be back in January so we'll have to catch up then.

Final Preparations

So, by now you all know about my plans to go to Haiti for one year to work at a school. The school is called Coram Deo, meaning "Before the face of God". There is a link to the school's website on the right hand side of this blog, if you are interested in learning more about the school. I will not be teaching this year but will have more of an administration role. I will be in charge of mentoring the teachers as well as doing many organizational activities. All the students and teachers are Haitians and speak Creole (a dialect of French). Therefore, I will have to learn Creole quickly in order to speak to them without a translator. I am listening to language tapes as I pack and drive and sleep... trying to pick up as much as possible before I leave. The rest I will learn there with the help of a tutor.
Well, time flies by as I finish up my final preparations. It's been a crazy July: packing up my apartment, saying goodbye to friends and even fitting in a few days of holiday.
Most people hate saying goodbye. I'd have to say I have a love/hate relationship with goodbyes. I hate that they always make me cry, but I love that they spur me on to telling my loved ones things I might never say if I never had to say goodbye. So if I haven't said goodbye to you yet, be prepared for a few tears as well as some heartfelt (or as my sisters would say "sappy") words.
I finally met Karen Bultje last Friday. She is the Canadian woman who started Coram Deo and has kept it running from the day it began. I will be working very closely with her while I am in Haiti. It was nice to finally put a face to the name. We chatted for quite some time about our future goals and plans for Coram Deo. I look forward to working with her this year; she has a real heart for the people of Haiti.
I would like to thank all of you who have promised to pray for me while I am away and to keep in touch with me. I will have my own computer in Haiti (D.V.) but our access to electricity is limited so I don't know how often I will be able to respond. Please be patient and if I don't repond for a few days please don't think I am ignoring you.