HOME

Hello all. I arrived at the Toronto Airport on July 18th at 11:30pm and was back at my parents just after 1:00am. It is great to be home and I'm still basking in the beauty of Southern Ontario. It hasn't really hit me yet that I'm back and I'm sure it will take a few more weeks until it really sinks in. I am taking it easy for a few days and just adjusting to being back. It was difficult to say goodbye to everyone at Coram Deo. I only cried when I gave Manman Manise and St. Marie a hug goodbye. I think my excitement about coming home helped to make the whole experience a bit less painful. I think the hardest thing is that I don't know if or when I will be back and how difficult it is to stay in touch.
Well, my adventure is done and seeing that my life in Toronto is not near as exciting, this will be my last blog entry. Thanks for taking the journey with me and also keeping me updated on your lives via e-mail. For someone who had never even heard of a blog before this year, I have to admit that I'm thankful for the way technology helped me stay in touch with so many of you over the past year. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His precious arms.
Kim

Last Day Thoughts

Today is July 17th, the day before I leave my home of one year, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. My parents called yesterday and told me not to leave my house until tomorrow morning so they can be sure I will arrive home safe and sound:) Yesterday I walked through the neighborhoud saying my goodbyes to various people.
As I sit at my computer, I wonder... I wonder if I have accomplished all I set out to do. I wonder if I have done and seen all that I wanted to do and see here in Haiti. I wonder how long before my ties and friendships here begin to fade and are replaced with newer ones. I wonder if I'll ever be back. I wonder how long before Haiti becomes a distant memory and I once again take electricity, running water, and peace and quiet for granted. I wonder how much I'll miss little boys waking me up in the morning and asking me to read with them. I wonder how long before Sammy stops asking where I am:) Only time will tell....
I am surprisingly not very emotional these days. Maybe my intense excitement about going home has shadowed the sadness of leaving this place called home and these people I have come to love so dearly. I don't think it will really hit me until a few weeks after I have arrived at home and I start to really notice their absence.
As I put an end to my adventures in Haiti, I will also put an end to this blog. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to check it out every once in a while and especially those who took the time to say a short (or long) prayer for me!!!! I know this year was possible because of all those prayers. Thank you also to all those who took the time to write me a short (or long) e-mail. These e-mails boosted my spirits in ways you may never know and helped me carry on through the tough times.
I hope to run into a lot of you this summer and if not this summer some time in the fall.
Thank you again for your love and support. God is good and I look forward to continuing to serve Him back on my home front.
Kim

Apologies

Hello all, my apologies for not writing more often. It has been a very busy few weeks since school ended. The teachers from Canada; Marg, Carina and Joyce arrived safely on July 29th. We had a wonderful week of seminars which were a learning experience for all involved. They were packed with great information and pratical ideas to be used in the classroom. We had a great week together and we will all be praying that the ideas learned will become part of the teaching process next school year.
On the weekend we also packed in quite a few events. On Sat. we took the residents of Coram Deo out to the countryside to play soccer and have a picnic lunch. Sunday we went to visit Ysmaille's sisters house in the mountains and Monday we tagged along with Dr. Ed to the countryside again to help with his clinic. Although we had a great time we might have overdone it because now Joyce and Carina are both a bit under the weather. Thankfully they will be going home in one day so they will be able to recooperate at home.
Security has been a bit up and down these days. We are taking precautions and not venturing too far from the house. There has been a lot of shootings and we can hear them from our house. Many civilians have been caught in the crossfire. Please keep all of us at Coram Deo in your prayers and we will do our best not to put ourselves in any dangerous situations.
In less than one week I will be home!!!!!!

No more homework, no more books...

School is done for the year!!! The last day of school was Thursday and we had our last big event on Sunday afternoon. The teachers were amazing both these days. The last day of school they organized a little program to say goodbye to me and to remember the year. We had a small party for the kids and one of the teachers brought his "sound equipment" and so we listened to music for a while as we ate. Unfortunately, I foolishly planned the last day of school to be 2 days before we passed out report cards, so I was crazy busy proofreading and photocopying all the report cards. Sunday was the last parent-teacher meeting and we had a good turn out. We also had a sort of graduation ceremony for the students who passed Grade 5 and will therefore be attending a different school in the fall. Overall it was a great day and I was really proud of the teachers and was reminded of how far we've come this year.
So, what am I doing now?? Well, funny enough I'm busier than I was before. We have 3 teachers visiting on Thursday for 2 weeks. They will be doing a week long seminar with the teachers of Coram Deo. So I've tried to organize and arrange all the stuff from this year so I can show them what we've done this year. Also, I want to finish a lot of the end of year stuff before they come so that when they are here I can be of service to them and also be able to enjoy their company.
Other than that. All is going well. I am going to be moving back to Coram Deo on Thursday as it's becoming a bit complicated to get a ride back and forth to work every day and I would like to spend as much time with the visitors as possible. I will be sad to leave Jenny and the quiet of our house. I, however, will not be sad to say goodbye to Max!!!
I'm sorry this is so factual and not very entertaining to read but I'm feeling uninspired and I have to get back to packing up my stuff. Who knew I could accumulate so much stuff in only one year!!! I may have to leave some stuff behind!!!! I'm sure I will find someone who wants it:)

Medical clinic

Yesterday was a holiday so I was able to tag along with a doctor to a medical clinic in a small village near the Dominican border. I had heard that it was sooo beautiful, with a natural spring feeding the lake nearby. It was an interesting day. I witnessed a minor surgery. A young lady (17 years old?) came in with a growth on her neck just below her ear. Dr. Ed was a bit apprehensive because he was worried that it had grown into other parts of her neck, most importantly a main artery. But he agreed to open it up, take a look around and then if necessary sew it up again. Thankfully, he was able to remove it and the girl was very happy. I tried to watch the surgery but have to admit that I felt a bit weak and had to sit down on the other side of the room. After that I sat right beside her but where I couldn't see the operation and tried to encourage her. The rest of the day was pretty quiet with colds, fevers and sore stomaches. But then this guy walked in with his foot all wrapped in a bloody cloth and said he has just cut his foot with a machete. Because of the amount of blood I was worried that he had cut a chunk off his foot, but actually when all the blood was cleaned up it was just a little cut (only needing 3 stitches). It had so much blood because of where the cut was. So that was my exciting day out of PAP. We went to see the spring and I could see the potential for beauty but was saddened by the garbage and the evidence of human beings everywhere. Ah... the story of Haiti.

Argentina or Brazil???

I already mentioned that Haiti is a little football crazy right now but I forgot to mention that their loyalties are divided between Argentina and Brazil. There are more fans for Brazil than Argentina but regardless the streets and stores are decorated with the colours of both teams and when either team is playing the streets are EMPTY!!! which is very rare in PAP. I of course am loyal to my home country Canada, just kidding, I know they don't have a team, I just thought I'd throw that in there for all those friends of mine who have endless fun with my lack of sports knowledge:) Go Orville!!!
We have a visitor staying with Jenny and I right now. She is a Calvin student who is volunteering at the CRWRC office right now. It's fun to have another person around and we have been going out more to try and make it fun for her, which is also good for us. I tagged along when she received an "official" tour of the city and went to a few places I'd never been before.
Tomorrow there's no school since it's "The Birthday of God" (I didn't know He had a birthday!) and so I will be leaving the city for the day. I've been invited to tag along with Dr. Ed to some small town (whose name escapes me right now) to help out with a clinic. I'm excited to leave the city and see a place I've never been before. Apparently it has amazing natural springs so that will be interesting.
The mouse situation has taken a turn for the worse and they seem to be getting bigger and mutliplying like crazy. We have found several mouse nests in the last little while. I remove myself from the situation until it's been "taken care of".
Other than that, things are well and I'm still staying busy and staying out of trouble.

World Cup Craze

So, Haiti is crazy for football(soccer) these days. Things seem to have come to a halt as people are more interested in watching the games than anything else. It is not uncommon to see a television set up outside an office or church with a large gathering of people (or shall I say guys) sitting around watching the game. The good news is that we have much more electricity than normal, which of course is always welcome. We've had so much some days, we sit around and wonder what possible appliance we can use before they take it again.
So I have some news to share, the good news is that Coram Deo has found a couple to fill the School Director role as well as a new position of Development Director. The bad news is that they can not start until March due to previous commitments. So I am very busy finishing off the school year as well as starting to prepare for the following school year. Needless to say I'm very busy.
The first week of July there are 3 teachers coming from Canada to teach a week of seminars for the teachers of Coram Deo. I am very excited about this and believe it will be beneficial for all involved. So I am preparing for that as well. The good news is that I'm too busy to get into any trouble!!!
So that's all the news from here. Oh, I almost forgot. I bought my ticket to return home. I will be returning to home sweet home on July 18th and I'm counting down the days until I see my family and friends again!!!

Random pics of PAP

Comments

I forgot to respond to the comments on my last entry. Nicole, I knew you'd be very happy with my new "nurse" position. Maybe I'll follow in your footsteps and become a real nurse when I come home:) And to my dear Leaside friends. I'm glad you are so eager for my return. I too look forward to my return. I have to admit that sometimes I daydream about what I will do first when I'm home. I think it may just be to eat a huge bowl of icecream and drink a really cold drink. (I do that here but it's quite the treat!)

No pictures, sorry

Well, the most exciting thing that has happened to me these days is that I have a HUGE swollen jaw. I have had a lot of problems with my skin in Haiti, I often have a lot of acne and I think it is from the air being so dirty and my pores getting clogged. However, right now I have 3 really infected pores and one is on my jaw so it is quite swollen and everyone looks at me quite strangely when they see me. At first I was hoping it would just go away by itself but I woke up Friday morning and it was horrible looking. I talked to a doctor who recommended an anitbiotic for me to take. Hopefully it works pretty quick, it's actually quite painful and it's difficult to sleep.
The temperature is rising and I'm find it hard to adjust to the heat. Usually I adjust quite quickly but these days I'm finding it hard to sleep. I've started to sleep in the living room hopefully to get a cross breeze but I'm afraid of the "crazy" cat coming in the house and cuddling up to me so I shut the sliding door and didn't find much of a cross breeze. Last night, I was so hot that I took the chance of cuddling up with a strange cat and left the door open. Thankfully the cat did not return. I think my coming after him with a large stick the last time he visited may have curbed his desire to visit our house:)
Other than that, things are calm. Jenny and I were chatting last night that we are actually quite boring. We spend almost every night at home reading. We sit with our little light one trying not to waste our invertor charge and read until it's time to go to bed. What crazy girls we are. Speaking of books, Jenny used to work for the Peace Corps and they just recently decided to pull all their personnel from Haiti and shut down their office. Jenny went by the office was able to take all the books in their library!!! So we have quite the selection of books at our house. It's like living at a library.

Nurse Kim

So these days I feel more like a nurse than a school director!!! There's a doctor that goes to my church (Dr. Ed for those of you who know him) who has agreed to stop by every week and take a look at the kids who have any medical problems. I am very excited about this as the kids often complain to me of the same things and I have no idea what to do. So every day I am dispensing medicine. Right now the thing that occupies a lot of my time is shampooing kids heads. I remember all too well being on "lice duty" at SMC and it feels a lot like the same thing. I have to put Selsan Blue on their heads and they have to keep it on for 24 hours and then I can wash it off and reapply it. So we have about 15 boys walking around with bright blue heads. I thought that they would be really embaressed about this but I think they are so thrilled to be getting rid of the scalp fungus that they dont' mind at all. In fact I think the idea is becoming quite popular because boys who don't have it have asked me to apply it to their heads as well!!!
So I'm keeping busy with that and all the other things that are involved with running a school. Jenny has been gone a lot lately helping out with a family up North. She'll be home for a while now and I'm glad as I don't love living by myself here.
I'm going to sign off quickly before they take hydro and I lose all that I've written.

Marie's Party

Marie's Graduation

So much to say, so little time

I'll keep this short because we don't have any hydro and I don't want to drain the invertor or use all the gas in the generator:) So much to talk about... we have three visitors here right who I never see because they are always working (they are nurses working at a clinic). Marie graduated from her 2 year course in sewing, floral arrangements etc. Went to her fashion show and her graduation. Had some strange personal space issues at the graduation, I think personal space is just not an option here. I threw a small party for Marie at the house afterwards, she was thrilled. Have a strange cat living in the house that scares the crap out of me and I end up hiding in my room in fear. (it's kind of freaky and I'm afraid it will bite me and seeing my history with animals in Haiti I will keep a safe distance). Jenny is gone for a week so I'm living by myself and the invertor is almost dead so I sit with a candle and try to read my book and not be scared!!! What an adventure living in Haiti is. Last night I was sooooooo happy because we got city water and I was able to put water in the cistern on the roof and have running water in the house but then I forgot all about it and it ended up filling the roof with water too.... I think by the time I figure everything out it will be time to leave. Speaking about leaving. I will be leaving in approximately 11 weeks. Isn't that crazy??? I am starting to feel really sad about leaving the people here. I guess that's part of life. I will try and post some pictures soon. Here's hoping...

Sad News

To those of you who are familar with the people who live at Coram Deo, I have some sad news to pass along. Wisley's Dad passed away on Saturday morning. He was crossing the street when he was hit by a truck. He was brought to the hospital but died shortly after. Of course Wisley was really shook up as this news came as a total surprise. He seems to be doing better and is able to talk about it with others. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Often when I have a chance to daydream I think about what I want to write on my blog. But when I sit in front of the computer I often sit for a while thinking of what to write. It's not that I don't have anything to write about, it's that I have too much to write about and I don't know where to start. Last Sunday I attended a very interesting meeting. A group of people meet every Sunday afternoon at Coram Deo to have discussions. One Sunday is English the other is French. So I was invited to be the "guest speaker" and facilitate the discussion. I decided to have a discussion on one of my favourite topics since arriving in Haiti. "Our duties as Christian citizens of a country". I started with the story of Joshua and the fall of Jericho. I talked about how faith and action need to walk hand in hand. Joshua very much relied on God and lived his faith when he led the people around Jericho seven times, despite how foolish he must have felt. However, the point that I stressed was that he took ACTION. Now I would never claim to understand the frustrations of living in a country where the government does not fulfill its God given duties. However, I have heard just too often, "only God can help Haiti" as people sit idly by and do nothing. I asked the group who had come on Sunday to raise their hand if they had voted for the second set of elections. Two people raised their hands. So we discussed the importance of taking action so matter how little or significant that action may seem.
It's been a busy week again and it flew by. Karen will be coming back on Wednesday and things will return to normal around here. The kids will also finally stop asking me when she will return:) No matter how many times I show them on the calendar and we count down the days, they can't seem to grasp the meaning of 3 weeks.
Today we had parent - teacher interviews. As in the past we had a weak turnout and many parents arrived late. I'm thankful for those parents who value thier childrens education and make time to come and talk to us about their progress. But it's frustrating that more parents don't care.
Well, that's all I can think of for the moment. I will sign off now.

Dogs, Mothers and Elections

So apparently dogs and I just don't mesh here in Haiti. Remember the cute dog I showed you a picture of??? Well, the kids are very rough when they play with him and I often have to remind them that he is not a toy and that he is actually living. I always tell them that if they are mean to him now, when he is a big dog he will be mean too. So yesterday I walked into the yard and he came running at me and bit me hard in the leg. He bit through my pants and broke the skin on my leg. I don't get it. What is it about me that dogs don't like???
On another note I would like to salute all the mothers out there. Seeing as I am a temporary mom to 6 children and 7 teenage boys. I don't know how moms do it and especially single moms. Two days ago Manu was complaining about a sore foot. The kids here are always getting scrapes and asking for bandaids. I usually clean it for them quickly and give them a bandaid and then never hear about it again. Well this time he complained about it more than once. So I took another look. His toe was infected and before the day was done it had spread to his foot which was quicly ballooning out. Not knowing what to do, I read "where there is no doctor" and discovered that it could be a variety of things and there are a variety of ways to take care of it. I wouldn't have been so worried except that anytime I came close to his foot he would scream at the top of his lungs and wouldn't stop for about 45 minutes. Well I won't go into any details about what I did, but today a Doctor stopped by to see Karen and just in case I asked him to take a look at it. He said I did everything right. I was so relieved. I know it's not smart to take chances with infections.
Tomorrow are the final elections for the rest of the government positions. There have been no troubles on the street but everything is closed today and tomorrow. We will just sit tight and spend some time cleaning up around the house. I don't forsee any problems but then I'm no expert.

Surviving

I survived the weekend being the "director" of Coram Deo. Honestly it went fairly well. The kids for the most part behaved themselves although I did get pretty sick of hearing my name being called over and over again. They just need so much attention. We went to church Friday night for Good Friday and again Sunday morning for Easter Sunday. They were both wonderful services, I even had a speaking part in the Sunday service!! So nothing has fallen apart and we are having a nice time. I went back to my house for a little bit on Sunday just to have a quiet hour to myself. Yesterday I convinced Samuel and Cadeau to go for a walk with me:) Other than that I've been here but I'm surviving and not feeling too claustrophobic.
This week all the schools are supposed to be closed due to the elections on Friday. They are sooooo quick to close the schools here. There's no problems on the street and I really don't think there will be. I opened school today and about 25 students showed up, so we had school. I don't like to feed into the fear, if there's really something going on I'm more than willing to close the school. Until then we will teach for whoever shows up:)
I really feel like I'm coming to the end of my stay. In just over 2 months, school will be over. I have lots to do before then and I want to write down as much as possible for the next director. I want them to know all the things I wish I knew when I started!!!

Random Pictures

Too long, I know

I'm still alive to all those who wrote me a worried e-mail. We haven't had hydro during the day for about 3 weeks now so my internet access is really limited. I try my best to go to the internet cafe 3 times a week. But it gets sort of expensive after a while and by the time I check my messages the time is up. (they are very slow computers) A couple of times I've written on my blog but it takes forever because the keyboard always has about 5 keys that always stick so you have to write one word, wait for the key to unstick itself and the continue on.
Enough complaining, I will give you a quick update and then tell you a funny story. Things are going well here. The school is running quite smoothly and I gave a workshop this morning on literacy and it went well. Overall I'm very pleased with the progess the school has made this year. Karen (the director) is going back to Canada for 3 weeks and leaving tomorrow morning. This of course leaves me in charge. It will be very challenging as I felt very busy before just running the school and now I will be in charge of everything. Karen has been very busy to prepare for her absence and therefore it won't be too much extra work. I will be staying at Coram Deo again which is something I was trying to avoid as it's not healthy to spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week in the same place but somehow I will survive. Other than that, not too much is new around here. The dog is behaving himself in his "prison" and I really don't give him much thought these days.
So here's the funny story. Sunday night I was lying in bed trying to read and I kept hearing this noise. I tried ignoring it and told myself it was coming from the neighbour's house. But the noise continued and every few seconds I'd hear it again. Finally I decided I better investigate. I went to the living room and heard music but didn't see Jenny. I called her, no reponse. I walked down to her end of the house. "Jenny?" I said again. "I'm stuck in the bathroom" she replied. And she was really stuck. NO matter how much we turned the doorknob, nothing happened. I tried sliding a knife under the door but the space under the door was not big enough. Finally I found a thiner knife and slid that under. I found every tool in the house that was available and tried to open it from the outside. Needless to say it took us over an hour to remove the doorknob from the door but we manged to do it without breaking the door. I was tempted on more than one occasion (as I became more and more tired) to just take a hammer to the door. Jenny was amazingly calm through the whole thing. When the door finally opened I gave Jenny a big hug and then went to bed.

Weak Joke

Amy dearest, sorry I made a weak joke and I'm sure you're not the only one who didn't get it. I said I almost became an American resident because they wouldn't let me leave the country. I didn't have a visa or a return ticket. They did let me buy a return ticket but I wasn't too eager to suggest this because it cost $450 American just for a one way ticket back to Miami. Thankfully I can get it refunded but at first I didn't know you could do that. Hope that clears things up.
Everything is okay here. Apparently the police found a bunch of human skulls the other day in Port-au-Prince. Not sure what that is all about. People have lots of different theories. I try not to think about it. Creepy...
The dog is staying nicely contained and I'm not having any problems with him. Things are going smoothly with the house but I am quickly realizing how much work it is to have a house (vs. an apartment) and it's especially hard in Haiti where all the things we take forgranted are much more difficult.
Unfortunately that's all the time I have for today.

American Resident?

I almost became an American resident on the weekend. When I went to check in at the Maimi airport, they informed me that I could not leave the USA. I don't know how they found out about my secret... just kidding. They said I could not go to Haiti without a return ticket. I've done this twice already this year and my friend just did it several weeks before. I told them that I didn't have a return ticket. They asked for my Visa. I said I didn't have one (you don't need one) They looked at me like I was crazy and I looked at them with desperation. Finally they said that I could buy a return ticket right now and they'd let me go. So I bought a one way ticket to Maimi for $450 American. Thankfully it's fully refundable I only have a pay a small fee for the transaction. I guess they weren't too crazy about me becoming an American.
So, I know that I write about hydro way too often but it is a big thing in Haiti. We spend a lot of time complaining about it, we rejoice when we get it and run around trying to use it as much as possible before it's gone. A "good" day these days would be about 1-2 hours of hydro. Of course we never get it at work when I'm actually there... but we get it at my house for long enough to charge the invertor for the night. We've been using the generator at work to filter water, use the computers and photocopier and that's about it.
Here's an interesting story that I forgot to mention earlier. The weekend before I went to Maimi, Jenny and myself and 2 other friends drove up the mountains to eat dinner at the house of a family at our church. The whole way to their house we heard a funny noise. When we stopped to pick up our friends I got down on my hands and knees and looked under the car as Jenny drove by several times. I didn't see anything, and we all know what an expert I am on cars. We drove around on Sunday and heard the noise again but told ourselves it was nothing major and we'd be fine. On Monday morning Jenny asked a guy from her work to take a look at it. He came back in the office and said "Jenny, God really loves you." Apparently when Jenny bought new tires on the Friday the guys who put them on failed to remember to use any nuts or bolts. The tire was put on but not attached in any way!!!! Crazy hey?? And people are worried about me getting kidnapped. I think a car accident is much more likely. Better change your prayer requests for me:)

Miami

So I just had a HOT shower, I think it was worth the flight to Miami for that alone!!! I arrived safely in Miami this afternoon, spent about 45 minutes waiting for a very nice man to say "enjoy your stay in the USA". Whenever I go through passport control or customs, they barely glance at me or my passport. Every single person in front of me had to have their fingerprints taken as well as a digital photo (which is why it took so long) but when it was my turn, he asked me what I was doing in Haiti and that was it. I think I could get away with a lot, if I ever wanted to....
So about our new dog Chello. Gwen, I think that I might try to take him home in my suitcase. I'm not usually much of a dog person but he is sooooo cute. Amy, in response to my past bad experiences with dogs... Well, Chello is half rotweiller, and everyone knows those dogs have a bad reputation. So my theory is that dogs are only mean if they are beaten when they are puppies. So I'm always lecturing the kids about being nice to him because when he's a big dog he might bite them, then I show them my arm (you can still see the bite marks). I also tell them that a dog never forgets, although I doubt that is true. We'll see if it works. To answer Matt's question, I gave that math homework to one of the kids and I would not be surprised if he tried to feed it to the dog. I'll have to ask him when I get back:)

New Addition

I forgot to tell you about the newest addition to Coram Deo. His name is Chello and he's a ton of fun as well as very cute.

Unbelievable. It is almost 3:00pm and we just received HYDRO!!!! It's been a rare thing these days. We've been using the generator when necessary but gasoline is expensive here (as I'm sure it is in Canada too) so we try to limit our use.
I just had a GREAT weekend. Ysmaille, Jenny and I went on a shopping trip and I managed to buy all the things I've wanted to buy for quite some time now. I went to gift shop and bought some neat things, then we went out for lunch at a fairly nice restaurant (it was nicer at one point but very run down now), then I bought Haitian sandals, paint and plants. The house we are staying in has a lot of metal pots that are very rusted, so I bought some yellow and blue paint for the pots and some plants to put in them.
Sunday was supposed to be a quiet day and we had no plans, but at church we discovered it was one of our friend's b-day and she didn't have any plans. So we threw together a quick birthday dinner for her.
I've been going with Jenny to two different Bible Studies which has been wonderful. Everyone takes turns hosting the Bible Study at their house on Monday night and tonight is our night. Should be fun, good thing Max is contained. The barriers are working very well and we often make jokes that anyone who doesn't want to help with the dishes will be thrown in the "pen" with Max:)
Thursday I fly to Miami to spend some time with Sarah. I'm really looking forward to it. Should be nice to buy some things that are hard to find here and/or expensive. Also nice to just relax and get away from everything for a few days. I was just telling Jenny the other night that things are finally starting to feel comfortable for me these days. Crazy that it took this long hey?? I guess it is a lot to adjust to in a short time.

Next Year

On my contract it states that I must notify the Coram Deo board by March 1st whether or not I will be renewing my contract for another year. Of course this day has already come and gone but for some reason I forgot to mention this on my blog. After much prayer and contemplation I have decided not to renew my contract for another year. I am thrilled with the progress we have made as a staff and a team this year. I think I have used my talents and gifts to the best of my best ability to benefit the school. However, I also believe that someone else with different skills and abilities will be able to bring new and fresh ideas to the school and change it in different ways. I truly believe that God is already preparing the heart of the person who will replace me here. Coram Deo has already started to advertise for someone to fill this role and they are also advertising for another position. It's very exciting that Coram Deo will have more staff and therefore be able to accomplish so much more. I hope that I will still be here in Haiti when they come so that I will have the opportunity to meet them as well as introuce them to the people that I have come to love. It is definately with mixed emotions that I will say goodbye to this place and these people.

I'm back

To all my faithful readers. Sorry I've written so little these days. Hydro has been scarce!!! We almost never get it and I've been going to the internet cafe's almost everyday but time goes so quickly and the keyboards always have problems so it takes forever to write anything. I've learned to type faster than ever before with the constant fear that they will take hydro or my time will run out at any minute and I will lose all that I have typed.
So the weather continues to be nice here. It's always sunny and it has yet to get really hot. It's funny that it's almost spring in Canada and it feels more like fall here. The leaves are falling off the trees and there is a constant breeze. I know the heat will hit any day now so I am enjoying this weather as long as it lasts.
Max has yet to figure out a way around the barriers. He growls and makes a lot of noise when he sees me and loves to stare me down. I mostly ignore him and try to pretend that he is not here.
We had a quiet weekend. I started a gardening project. The house we are staying at has lots of pots but they need some work. So Sat. was spent playing around in the soil. One of my favourite things to do. Sunday was also relaxing. We went to to church, made a delicious meal, went for a swim and then read our books.
I have the opportunity to go to Miami next weekend to hook up with my friend Sarah who is on March break and visiting her sister. I am really looking forward to it. A nice little break and some good chats with Sarah.
That's really all there is to say. Things are quiet and peaceful on the streets. There were only 18 reported kidnappings for Feb. which is down quite a bit from December and January. We continue to take precautions but things are less tense.

Things are looking up...

I'm trying to be a bit more positive this entry:) Seriously, things are starting to look up. I spent a sort of relaxing weekend with Ysmaille's family. They were very gracious and I spent a lot of time reading a book and hiking the mountains. I stayed at Coram Deo for a few nights and it was nice to catch up with everyone. I didn't do too much for carnival because I was nervous about going downtown. It turns out that 3 people died, which is quite tame for Haiti:)
I am now back living with Jenny. Ysmaille finally put up the barriers last night and they worked. Max has so far not figured out a way to escape but he spent a lot of time staring at them in confusion and then whining. Our invertor works some of the time. The water pumps work and we even got enough hydro last night that some things froze in the freezer!!!
I had a workshop/staff meeting on Wedneday this week for the teachers. It went over fairly well. They are never super enthusiastic but they did listen somewhat attentively and were interested in the various math manipulatives I introduced. Of course their favourite part were the math games and they inevitably became quite competitive.
I am experiencing the regular Feb/March blues that I think everyone experience the world over regardless of it they have winter. I just feel tired a lot and when a new challenge arises instead of tackling it head on I want to crawl back in bed and wait until it solves itself:) I'm sure I'll snap out of it and renew my enthusiasm for my work. I think after a while you get used to the challenges of Haiti and they don't tire you out so much.
We continue to have very limited hydro so I apologize again to all those people who have e-mailed me and have not yet received a reply.

Problems, Problems and more Problems

Now, I hate to complain but things are not going so smoothly these days. No hydro, no water, no invertor and a crazy dog. So far my new house has only added more stress to my life. Hopefully everything is fixed soon. I've heard that in between presidents there is often not much hydro so maybe in March we will receive some hydro. We had someone come today to hopefully fix our electrical wiring, right now even when we receive hydro things don't work and the invertor doesn't charge. The water pumps aren't working so there's no water on the roof which means so showers or running water. (we have to take it from the resevior) Ysmaille was supposed to make barriers for the dog (to contain him to a certain part of the yard) before Jenny went away for 5 days but things keep interrupting his work and they are still not in place so I will have to find another place to stay for the next 5 days. Fun, fun and more fun.
On top of all this, yesterdayYsmaille's truck broke down in the middle of a busy road. All sorts of helpful people drove by and informed us that we were blocking the road and needed to move. In my nicest voice I thanked them so much for their help:) There were about 20 people standing around doing nothing. No one was able to find us water for the truck and no one was willing to direct traffic. So I stood in the middle of the road directing traffic. I think everyone was saying "who is this crazy blanc?" but I didn't care.
So, no hydro also means no internet so if I haven't written in a while please don't be mad. I'm hoping in the next few weeks things start improving and I'll start responding to e-mail again.

Preval is President

Preval has been declared the new president of Haiti. People are VERY happy and the celebrations went on all night long We woke up at 5:00 to A LOT of noise on the street. Things seem really peaceful right now. Apparently after the elections, two different kidnapping took place but when the kidnappers arrived at Cite Soliel they were told that they must release their captives. The gang members announced that if Preval became President they would put a stop to the kidnappings. Now whether this is true or not... we will see.
Things look hopeful with Preval as president. He did manage to accomplish some positive things when he was in power last time. The tricky part is that the gangs wanted him in and therefore are expecting some kickbacks from helping him get in power.
On a personal note. I spent the week at my friend Heather's house waiting to figure things out with my new best friend "Max". Ysmaille took some measurements today and will start making two barriers on Monday. We will keep Max contained in a section of the backyard and I hopefully won't have to worry about him. However, Jenny is going away next weekend (for Carnival) and I'm not crazy about staying there by myself. I guess I'll just take each day as it comes.
It'll be nice to open school again next week. We basically lost 2 weeks of school. I managed to get a lot of work done with very little distractions, however, it will be difficult for the teachers to finish all the curriculum by the end of the year.
Saturday morning Heather and I went to visit "Sisters of Charity" a orphanage run by Nuns. It was very sad. Rooms full of children crying out for attention. We picked up a few children (with VERY wet diapers) and held them for a bit but when we put them back down they started crying even more. I think I will try my best to visit there on a regular basis and give at least a few of the kids the attention they so badly need.

From Bad to Worse

Things are pretty crazy right now in Port-au-Prince. Rumours are flying and tempers are rising. Here's something I read today in a CNN article today:
"PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Hundreds of smashed ballot boxes and bags apparently used to carry vote count sheets were scattered across a garbage dump Wednesday, more than a week after Haiti's disputed presidential elections.
U.N. officials sent troops to the garbage dump five miles north of the capital to recover the election material, according to U.N. spokesman David Wimhurst, who called the discovery "extraordinary."
The word on the street in Haiti is that the UN were the ones to dump the votes here, and several street kids claim they found them. Basically the whole election has turned into a sham and the rumour is that very soon the presidential house will be stormed and the people will declare Preval president themselves. Surprisingly, things remain calm and all the parades look like they are more part of Carnival than of a manisfestation. I had no problems getting to work today and some stores are even open. Schools have been closed for a week and a half now and we're losing lots of precious teaching time. I've managed to get lots of work done due to no interruptions, but the students are getting very behind.
On a personal note. Jenny has decided that she doesn't want to lose me as a roomate. We are going to ask permission to build two gates that will keep Max enclosed whenever I am home. We will let him out at night so he can still guard the house. Problem solved.

Exaggeration

We just received "current" (aka hydro) and I had a chance to check the international news. I thought I'd better write one more entry so that no one takes the news too seriously. The events of Port-au-Prince are very much exaggerated. The protests have been very peaceful and despite the one incident where 4 people were killed there was no other violence. There was a very LARGE group of people that marched up Delmas today but they only held signs and waved tree branches. Now, tomorrow who knows. The longer they take to announce the results the more upset people will become. I will keep you updated. Today we closed school just to be safe and it will be closed tomorrow as well. I was unable to get to my new house today so I am staying at Coram Deo. I didn't come with a change of clothes but my sweet little brother Cadeau is lending me some:)
To answer Gwen's questions. The oven mitts plan, although seemingly foolproof, did not proof to be successful. As to the type of dog, I think it's a German Shepherd but it may be mixed with something else.

Something Fishy???

So as I mentioned earlier the elections were a "success" and everyone was feeling pretty positive. Kidnappings had ceased and the streets seem ed very calm and safe. We had school Thursday and Friday last week but very few students came because all the other schools were still closed and people were still afraid to venture out.
So, we expected the results to be announced Friday night, maybe Saturday and at the very latest Sunday. Today is Monday and there is still no official word but lots of rumours. Today there is choas on the streets. There are many manifestations and most roads are blocked off. People are walking in large groups on the streets protesting the fact that no announcement has been made. Preval's percentage of votes seems to change every minute and everyone is getting pretty suspicious that something fishy is going on. I am being safe and not venturing out (except to the internet cafe I am sitting in right now:)
As far as my living situation... things are not looking good. I spent some major time this week bonding with Max and trying to convince him that I'm not a threat to him. So Sunday afternoon I was actually playing with him by myself (Jenny was inside.) All was going well when all of a sudden he freaked out again and attacked me. So I have fresh bite marks and I will never feel safe being near him again. It appears that I might have to move back to Coram Deo but Jenny is trying very hard to think of another plan... barriers, a longer chain, possibly even another house. She is not excited about living alone again, especially with all the uncertainty these days.
On another note. We had awonderful day on Sunday. We went hiking in the mountains and attended a church on top of a mountain (literally). One of my friends is afraid of heights so she waited on the bottom until the church service was over.
So there's a quick update. Don't worry about me I won't let curiously get me in trouble. When I hear noise on the street I will stay safely inside.

February 7, 2006

February 7th was a big day for the Gringhuis family as well as for the entire country of Haiti.
Olivia Ann (without an "e", although I'm sure she'll change that when she's older) Gringhuis was born just after 5:00am on Tuesday morning, weighing just over 8 pounds. I saw pictures of her this morning and of course she's absolutely beautiful.
February 7th was also election day here in Haiti. And despite what you might read in the newspaper the day was calm and peaceful. I had the opportunity to visit two voting stations and despite really long lines and hour long waits people were in good sprits and came out in droves to participate in the voting process. Some stations had a bit of violence with people shoving and police hitting those in line. One or two people were shot but overall, and in most places the election went very smoothly. It was well organized (for Haiti). The actual voting ballot was HUGE. It had a large picture of each candidate (all 33 of them) for those who cannot read.
We won't know the results (offically) until Friday or Saturday but many already see Preval as the new president. The actual results should be interesting.
Things seem really calm on the streets and we are opening school today. How many students will arrive is yet to be determined.

Good News and Bad News

Let's start with the good news. The move to my new house went very smoothly. I actually have very little stuff here so it didn't take much time to pack and move my stuff. The weekend was action packed and a lot of fun. Saturday night we were invited for dinner to a family's house and had a delicious meal there with lots of wonderful conversation. Sunday we went to church and then invited over several friends for lunch. We enjoyed a lazy day of sitting around, eating and talking. In the afternoon we went for a walk and took pictures of all the campaign posters. At night we went next door to a super bowl party. Of course I was really quite serious about cheering on Seattle. Unfortunately they didn't win.
Now for the bad news. The house I am living in comes with a dog. I am not normally afraid of any dogs and when people make comments about being afraid of this dog I never understand why. Max is a big dog but relatively calm... or so I thought. Well, Sunday afternoon we had him tied up because one of our friends is afraid of him. When we went to go Jenny was going to untie him but I offered. He's always been pretty calm around me. As I walked behind the house he was very calm. I petted him in the head a few times and talked to him and he was perfectly still. When I went to untie him he sunk his teeth into my arm and wouldn't let go. I had to pull my arm free. To say the least I was quite shook up. We cleaned the wounds and they look alright. Unfortunately, I am now terrified of the dog. All I could think of last night was the dog and how I am going to make myself unafraid of him. What drama!!!
Other than that things are pretty calm. The government told all school to close last Friday and all of this week. (for the elections) We are closed Monday through Wednesday this week only. Today the streets were very calm and I came into work. Although there's no students there's always work to be done.

Karate and Elections

On Sunday Cadeau had a karate exam for his black belt. It was a full day event starting at 9:30 in the morning and finishing at 3:00. The students being examined can't eat anything that whole time and they can't even drink!!!! ( I personally don't get that...) I went to church first and then went over the watch the exam after that. It was interesting to watch and the examiners really made us feel welcome. They put out an extra bench for Karen and I and even wanted us to be in the final picture with all the teachers and students. I declined but they managed to convince Karen:) Cadeau passed his test and although he had a few injuries thoughout the day he wasn't seriously injured. (They fight on cement with absolutley no padding)
Everyone's talking about the election these days. Some predict utter choas after the election and others say everything will be fine. I overheard someone say that if "Preval" is not elected all "hell" will break lose. Preval is the candidate from the same party as Aristide (the president that fled the country in 2004). Preval is currently the most popular condidate and many say that if he doesn't win the election then it was obviously fixed. On the other hand, many people are afraid to vote so anyway you look at it the election will not show the actual sentiments of the people.
Oh what a mess. The UN is receiving all sorts of slander in the papers these days and no one seems to have anything positive to say about them. Some people think they should never have come and others say they are doing nothing here but partying. I am of the opinion that I would like them to stay at least for a while after the election. It may appear that they're not doing much but who knows what will happen if they leave?
On a personal note. I'm feeling pretty good about being back in Haiti. I'm looking forward to my change of location and I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable in general. My Creole is improving quite nicely and I'm understanding more and more of the conversations that float around me. The school is running quite smoothly and we've accomplished more than I had originally hoped. My next goal is to work on having some workshops for the teachers that really focuss on more hands-on learning.

Termites Take Over

So Karen has about 1,000 books in her bedroom on about every topic under the sun. Yesterday she pulled out a book to read and discovered that something had eaten through many of the pages. Today she asked Manman Manise to clean off that shelf of books as it looked like some ants had moved in. Today Manman Manise started to clean the shelf and quickly discovered that the "ant" problem was much bigger than ever imagined. Termites were really the culprits and they had eaten through MANY books as well as entire sections of the bookshelf. What a mess!!!! There are books EVERYWHERE in Karen's room and she has just left to buy some new wood to make a new bookshelf.
On another note. All the guys got into a bit of trouble this week. They got their report cards. 'Nuf said. They didn't score quite as high as Karen would have liked. In fact some of them are failing. Of course it is not their fault at all and they all have HORRIBLE teachers!!! Regardless they have spent the last few nights studying quite religiously and didn't even watch American Idol when it came on.
The excitement never ends at Coram Deo.
On a happier note. Things are going really well with the school. We had an excellent staff meeting on Monday morning and the teachers really seem to be warming up to my suggestions. I almost don't have to nag at all (I almost miss it:) as they are taking their responsibilities much more seriously. We are really starting to work like a team and it's a really great feeling. I am going to attempt some workshops again starting in February and hopefully they are more receptive to different teaching strategies/methods.

Dust Bowl and Elections

So, the weather here is almost perfect. It's a very pleasant 20 - 25 degrees everyday and the nights are almost cool. There's a cool breeze almost all the time and the sun shines EVERY day. There's only one small catch. Because it's the dry season the wind blows with it a lot of dust. Now I've never been much for dusting on a regular basis (much to my Dad's alarm and dissapointment) but it has become a necessity in my life. On Saturday afternoon I dusted my entire room, and by Sunday afternoon there was a thick layer of dust on everything!!! It's a never ending battle. My room has several lovely large windows that keep me somewhat cool throughout the year but they also let in a lot of dust. Oh... the trials and tribulations of life in the Carribbean.
Today is election day in Canada which of course makes me think of the upcoming elections here in Haiti. The election looks like it might actually happen next month. The date is now set for February 7th (the forth offical date) and many believe that this will be the real thing. We will close the school on the 7th and possible the 8th too. For the last election no cars were allowed on the streets. Everyone had a polling station within walking distance from their house and the police patrolled the streets to prevent any mischief. We just found out that the airport will also be closed all day. It has the potential to be a very interesting day and despite my love for excitement I pray that it will be a dissapointingly dull day. I'll keep you all posted as the day nears.
Other than that, all is well. Nicole and Freda leave tomorrow to go back home. It will be quiet without them here and I will miss the nice chats. It's been really nice having them here.

Presents and Moves

It's been a busy week. We have our parent/teacher meeting this Sunday so I've been busy with report cards and other preparations for the day. This week went really well overall. The teachers were on time almost everyday and the kids were really well behaved. Of course the first week back after a holiday is always a good one but it's still a nice feeling that things went so smoothly.
It's also been really nice having Freda and Nicole here. They have done several crafts with all the classes and the kids LOVED it. They are both board members so we've also had some good meetings about the future of Coram Deo.
Earlier this week, I was able to give out the presents that my family bought for everyone at Coram Deo. They were thrilled and have really enjoyed the gifts. I've put a few pictures in my photo album of them opening the gifts. I've decided to label all my albums from now on with the date that I post them so you know what's recent and what's old. Should have thought of that a long time ago, I know...
On another note, I've mentioned in several blog entries that I've been finding life in Haiti much harder than I ever imagined. I think the hardest part for me has been the lack of freedom and how difficult it is to spend all my time in such a small compound. I can't go out unless I find someone who is willing to go with me which is often not an easy task. I also can't go out after dark so that makes it even more difficult to leave. It sounds like such a silly think but it has really been hard on me. I have done a lot of thinking and praying about the situation and have decided I need a change in my situation in order to really enjoy my stay here and to produce my best work. I have therefore decided to move in with my friend Jenny who lives close to my church and closer to Petionville. She is currently living alone and house sitting for a missionary family. She is very excited about having a roomate and will feel much more secure with another person around. I will be moving in with her in February and think it will be a very positive move for me. Of course I will continue to work at Coram Deo every day. My friend Ysmaille will drive me back and forth everyday. He already has a route he drives everyday for several students and one teacher, he will simply add me to his route. I will continue to take many precautions and will never venture out alone. I'm very excited to be part of a larger missionary community that is quite active with Bible studies and women's meetings that I was not able to attend earlier. I mentioned this move to many people when I was home and received a lot of encouragement for this decision.
The security situation is a bit confusing. It feels and sounds very calm but there have been two UN soldiers killed in Cite Soleil this week. Around here it continues to feel safe... Keep praying nonetheless.

Safe Arrival in Haiti

Hello All,
I arrived safely in Haiti on Jan. 13th. My travels were very uneventful. My flight out of Miami was delayed by an hour but I was able to use this time brushing up on my Creole with the other passangers that were waiting. Unfortunately I was supposed to meet up with two other people (Nicole and Freda) in Miami and travel together with them to Port-au-Prince. However, their first flight was delayed and they missed the flight out of Miami. I was really looking forward to travelling with them so I was dissapointed but they should be arriving any minute now in Haiti so I will see them soon.
I was warmly welcomed by my Coram Deo family. They told me they missed me a lot. Not too much has changed around here. Apparently we have had VERY little hydro while I was gone and we are almost out of water. We may have to buy a tank of water for showering, washing clothes etc. Other than that they had a quiet and restful few weeks.
Overall it is good to be back but I find the first few days back are always the days I am the most homesick. When I start my routine again and I'm super busy I won't have time to be homesick.

A time of refreshment

The last 2 weeks have flown by and I've had an amazing time with family and friends. I've done more shopping in 2 weeks than I have in the 5 months I spent in Haiti. My family managed to buy a ton of gifts for every member of the Coram Deo household. (there are GREAT deals after Christmas:) When we had all the gifts assembled in one room it was very overwhelming. We managed to fill 3 suitcases, all of which are over the limit, leaving 1 suitcase for all the school supplies and my personal items.
The time I have spent at home has been a time of great refreshment. I have been blessed in so many ways throughout my visit home. I was able to visit my old school and do a presentation for the whole school about what I am doing in Haiti. I was able to visit my church in Toronto and I saw a ton of friends in a short period of time.
I continue to marvel at how much the Lord has blessed me with family and friends who understand why I am compelled to work and live in Haiti. I've been encouraged by so many individuals and prayed over by many others. I have shared stories and seen others moved by what is happening in Haiti and more specifically at Coram Deo. God has blessed me with an amazing amount of prayer support. I am continually amazed by how many people are praying for the work that happens in Haiti. As the political situation worsens these prayers are needed more and more.
Oftentimes since arriving in Haiti I have been overwhelmed by the task that I have taken on. More than once I was overcome by selfdoubt and fear that maybe I had taken on more than I could handle. This trip has been a gift of refreshment in so many ways because I was able to gain a new perspective on my work and the encouragement I received from so many enables me to go back with a renewed energy and passion.
I leave tomorrow morning VERY early and I think I'm ready to go. I'm ready to get back into a routine and I'm eager to get back to work at the school. So many ideas, so little time. If I was unable to see you when I was home I apologize. I hope you understand. Thanks for all your love and prayers.

Home at last!!!!

I arrived on Canadian soil at 10:45 p.m. Thursday night. I missed my connecting flight in Ft. Lauderdale and had to spend 5 hours killing time before the next flight to Toronto but it could have been so much worse.
It's been a whirlwind of activity since I got home. I've been to a wedding, two family dinner parties and now I'm off for a fun filled day of shopping with my mom. (I'm in withdrawal from shopping:)
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm home safe and sound. I'll let you know when I'm back in Haiti and you can start worrying again!!!