Late Night Reflections

Time is swiftly passing by. There are four weeks until the end of school, which also means four weeks until I have to vacate my classroom, my condo and life as I currently know it! I leave for Sierra Leone only days after the last day of school and in between I have to move out of my place. These days life is so jam packed that I have little time to reflect on all the major changes that will happen in my life in the near future. During the day my mind is so busy with work, socializing or doing "stuff" that I give little thought to what lays before me.
Each night as I lay my head down on my pillow and I'm just about to fall asleep I think to myself, "what have I done? Can I really handle all this?" I know that with God's help I can do it but right before I fall asleep, just after I turn off the light (that always has electricity) and I set my alarm clock (that I know will work in the morning) and I snuggle into my sheets (that aren't covered in sweat) and I listen to the silence of my home (no mosquito's buzzing in my ear), I wonder, "why did I want to leave this place?" Of course I'm being melodramatic, I am very eager to go to Haiti to live and work once again. During the day I day dream constantly about what I will do when I'm there. I am so excited to see my old friends and talk to them, really talk to them about all that has happened since I was last there. I look forward to working with the teachers and together improving the quality of education. I love the challenge of starting a special needs program in a country where little is available to assist those with special needs. I am enthusiastic to love people and to show the love of God on a daily basis. It's only at night, when I have a second to reflect, that the doubts come flying in. However, after spending time in prayer and when I wake up in the morning refreshed from a nights sleep, I count down the days until my exciting adventure begins and I can't wait to get started!!

SOLD

I am happy to report that my place has SOLD! Praise the Lord! I am relieved to have this loose end tied up. I received the amount I was hoping for, another item of praise.
Things are slowly coming together. I am now able to slowly start to pack up my things and decide what to keep and what to give away. What a blessing to have enough stuff that I need to sort and pack it.

Ode to Sammy

I found out this week that someone very special to me passed away. Sammy, was someone who lived at Coram Deo (in Haiti) when I was there in 2005-2006. Sometime after I left, he was sent back to the countryside to live with his family. I heard this week that he passed away there.
Sammy was developmentally delayed and an absolute joy to be around. He exuded a kind of joy that you don't find very often. It was a rare day when Sammy was sad or unhappy. He rejoiced in the simple pleasures of life, food, laughter, and people. Many afternoons or evenings, I would find him on the jungle gym in the yard. There was a fake steering wheel there and he would pretend to be a tap-tap (taxi) driver. He would ask me for my money as I sat beside him and I would pretend to hand him a coin. One time, I decided to really play along and I yelled that he has almost hit a pedestrian. He reacted quite strongly to my pretend yelling and he told me that he quit and that I had better drive instead:)
Whenever I had a bad day, I would find Sammy and he would cheer me right up. On my last day in Haiti, I was very sad to go and cried as I said my farewells. When it was Sammy's turn I gave him a hug and told him that I was going far away and I didn't know if I'd see him again. He turned his big eyes to me and asked, "have you seen the cat?". He knew how to make a tough situation much lighter.
It is for Sammy and other's like him that I desire to go back to Haiti. I look forward to starting an education program for students with severe learning disabilities, providing them with food, life skills, and the love of God.
Sammy, you will be missed.

Learn more About Kim's Adventures in Haiti

Since deciding to return to Haiti, I have begun to tell my friends, family, and colleagues about my plans at varying times. Now, I can't remember who I told and what details I have given. So, in order to eliminate my confusion, and to elaborate on my plans for next year, I am organizing an information night this month. Here are the details.
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009
Location: Leaside Bible Chapel, 826 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4G 2L1
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Light refreshments will be provided.
I would love to see you there if you are able to attend.