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."