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!!!

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.