Tuesday was an incredibly difficult day: saying goodbye to my kids. In the morning, we walked four of the kids to school for a tearful goodbye. When I hugged Rosa and told her that I loved her, she responded, "I love you, Miss Katie." (something that she only recently started saying). Before leaving, we prayed over all the nannies and a lot of the children. The kids (especially the boys) were very upset about us leaving. Chacha cried when it was time for us to load up the truck and head to the airport. It broke my heart. Before we left he came in my room and said, "Miss Katie, when you leave, who is going to play with us?" Ugh, talk about hard. At 10AM we drove to the airport in Port-au-Prince with my Haitian puppy (Jake), five carry on bags, and six suitcases.
At 1:30PM we took off and said farewell to the beautiful, broken country of Haiti. I don't think any of us were ready to say goodbye. I admit that I was fighting tears for most of the flight. When we landed in NYC around 7PM, Jake was VERY happy to see us at the baggage claim. We had a slight bit of trouble getting him through customs. He has had all his vaccinations by a veterinarian in Haiti, but because they were only given three days before traveling, he must now be quarantined in our house for the next three weeks. The drive home was long and dreary. We accidentally drove in the wrong direction for about 20 minutes before our driver realized it. Between that and the bad weather it was almost 2AM until we finally got home.
It has been great being home with my family and in my town, but it has been hard, too. I miss hearing/speaking Creole, I miss the noises, I miss the kids, I miss the warmth, I miss the simplicity of life, and I miss my friends. Although Jake, my puppy, is still a handful (he's only 5 months old), he is helping me adjust to being back home. He's been keeping my mind off of everything. I do not know when I will return to Haiti. I know I will go back, but for now I am home. I know that Higher Hope (my church) is already starting to formulate plans for how we are going to help Haiti. We cannot and will not sit and do nothing when there is a country so close to us in such desperate need.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Beach day!!!!
So many great memories were made today that I am afraid I will have a hard time even writing all of them. After getting some vague directions towards some of the beaches here in Haiti, we set out this morning on an adventure. We loaded up the truck with the four of us adults, four kids, towels, extra clothes, and snacks. Less than two hours later after my always improving Haitian driving/navigating skills, we found a beach!
When I made the turn off and announced to the kids, "We're here!" They were SO EXCITED. In fact, they were so excited that they started yelling anything nice that they could think of. They started off with, "Bon travay! Good job, Miss Katie! Good job, Miss Katie! I love you I love you I love you!! Thank you, Miss Katie! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Miss Katie." Then, they actually started singing me "Happy Birthday"! For those of you who don't know, my birthday is in October. Apparently they thought that singing me "Happy Birthday" would show their appreciation of the special outing.
Our (the adults') joke of the day was, "Man, you would think these kids are Haitian orphans or something!" because from the moment we walked into the hotel/resort, their eyes were so wide with excitement and wonder. We found out upon talking to the receptionist that the fee to use the pool and beach also included a buffet meal and drinks. So, before hitting the beach, we ate a big lunch. Richardson was so excited to swim that he ate his food in about .3 seconds. Mich on the other hand was in heaven with his plate full of food. Mark helped him load up his plate. When they got to the fish, Mich said, "A big piece. Another big piece please. Ok, one more big piece, please." The entire time he was eating, he kept saying, "I love this fish! This fish is good!" Chacha kept insisting that the fish they were eating from the fish pond by the reception area.
Mich ended up eating all his own food, Rosa's extra food, seconds from the buffet, then some extra food off of Mark's plate. When we told him that we were all waiting for him to finish eating so we could swim, he stuffed his cheeks full like a little chipmunk before he finally let us drag him off to the beach.
The boys were excited about getting in the beautiful ocean water. The girls were excited, but also a little nervous. It was all just so overwhelming for all of them. They had never been in such a nice hotel or even the ocean until today. The boys were clinging to my dad the entire time screaming in joy. We all joked that they were actually pretty embarrassing, hahaha. We had the attention of everyone on the entire beach by the way that the boys were screaming and carrying on. They kept yelling (to my dad), "Dad! Hold me! Dad catch me! Dad, daddy, daddy, dad!!!" The girls like to stay pretty close to my side. They really liked being in the water, but they didn't get as brave as the boys. By the time we decided to head up to the pool, the boys were climbing on top of a large rock and leaping off into my dad's arms.
Despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees out and the pool felt like warm bath water, the kids were all shivering. There is no hiding the fact that they are 100% Haitian! The kids loved the pool even more than the ocean. The funniest part of the day was when Mich was getting into the pool. Before I explain, please keep in mind that the pool at its deepest was still shallow enough for the kids to stand. Mich was walking down the steps into the pool. On the top step he slipped a little and was flopping and flailing around screaming, "Daddy, help me!!!!!!! Save me! Save me, Dad!" Everyone at the pool was starring at us and a woman sitting on the step actually tried to lift him up. Mark was just cracking up saying, "Oh my word he is so embarrassing!" Dad just calmly said, "Mich, just stand up. The water is 6 inches deep!" The boys continued to be the loudest people in the entire establishment for the rest of the afternoon. I think they made friends with everyone in the pool. At one point another little Haitian boy swam past Chacha and said, "Can you speak English?" Chacha whipped around and said, "Yes! Can you?" All day, both boys were calling my Dad and Mark "Dad/Daddy/Papa". I joked that everyone there probably thought that they were a gay couple with two sons. Actually, so many people noticed the boys (it wasn't hard to do) calling them "Dad" that three people approached my Dad and thanked him for adopting, ha! The kids are just too funny for words to describe...you just have to meet them in person.
Today was probably the most fun that the kids have had all year. It was an AWESOME day. It is so hard to believe that just a short drive outside of the city is such a paradise!
When I made the turn off and announced to the kids, "We're here!" They were SO EXCITED. In fact, they were so excited that they started yelling anything nice that they could think of. They started off with, "Bon travay! Good job, Miss Katie! Good job, Miss Katie! I love you I love you I love you!! Thank you, Miss Katie! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Miss Katie." Then, they actually started singing me "Happy Birthday"! For those of you who don't know, my birthday is in October. Apparently they thought that singing me "Happy Birthday" would show their appreciation of the special outing.
Our (the adults') joke of the day was, "Man, you would think these kids are Haitian orphans or something!" because from the moment we walked into the hotel/resort, their eyes were so wide with excitement and wonder. We found out upon talking to the receptionist that the fee to use the pool and beach also included a buffet meal and drinks. So, before hitting the beach, we ate a big lunch. Richardson was so excited to swim that he ate his food in about .3 seconds. Mich on the other hand was in heaven with his plate full of food. Mark helped him load up his plate. When they got to the fish, Mich said, "A big piece. Another big piece please. Ok, one more big piece, please." The entire time he was eating, he kept saying, "I love this fish! This fish is good!" Chacha kept insisting that the fish they were eating from the fish pond by the reception area.
Mich ended up eating all his own food, Rosa's extra food, seconds from the buffet, then some extra food off of Mark's plate. When we told him that we were all waiting for him to finish eating so we could swim, he stuffed his cheeks full like a little chipmunk before he finally let us drag him off to the beach.
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| The boys waiting for their food. |
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| Dad tickling Claudine so she'll smile for the camera |
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| Mich and his fish |
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| Cheeks filled with food, hahaha! |
Despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees out and the pool felt like warm bath water, the kids were all shivering. There is no hiding the fact that they are 100% Haitian! The kids loved the pool even more than the ocean. The funniest part of the day was when Mich was getting into the pool. Before I explain, please keep in mind that the pool at its deepest was still shallow enough for the kids to stand. Mich was walking down the steps into the pool. On the top step he slipped a little and was flopping and flailing around screaming, "Daddy, help me!!!!!!! Save me! Save me, Dad!" Everyone at the pool was starring at us and a woman sitting on the step actually tried to lift him up. Mark was just cracking up saying, "Oh my word he is so embarrassing!" Dad just calmly said, "Mich, just stand up. The water is 6 inches deep!" The boys continued to be the loudest people in the entire establishment for the rest of the afternoon. I think they made friends with everyone in the pool. At one point another little Haitian boy swam past Chacha and said, "Can you speak English?" Chacha whipped around and said, "Yes! Can you?" All day, both boys were calling my Dad and Mark "Dad/Daddy/Papa". I joked that everyone there probably thought that they were a gay couple with two sons. Actually, so many people noticed the boys (it wasn't hard to do) calling them "Dad" that three people approached my Dad and thanked him for adopting, ha! The kids are just too funny for words to describe...you just have to meet them in person.
Today was probably the most fun that the kids have had all year. It was an AWESOME day. It is so hard to believe that just a short drive outside of the city is such a paradise!
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| haha life was so rough today |
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Dad's here!
Lately, I've felt the need to start off each blog post by apologizing for not writing much lately. I have really been slacking in keeping everyone up to date with what has been going on in our lives here. Being sick, having visitors here for most of the past three weeks, and trying to keep up with the kids does make it hard to find time to blog.
As most of you may already know, my dad, pastor, and pastor's wife arrived in PAP yesterday (which already seems so long ago, ha). I'm sure you can imagine the excitement and craziness that has been going on here! As I expected, the kids LOVE my dad (and Mark and Lori, too, of course). I knew that my dad would be great with the boys, and he has been. I think he had three or four kids hanging off him today while he chased Mich and Chacha around the house (Chacha was wearing a bear costume the entire time). Mich has already started asking if he can go home and live with Dad. My mom sent her old MP3 player along already filled with lots of christian music for Mich. Mich LOVES music...I mean LOVES music. So, he has been using his MP3 player non-stop since he got it yesterday. Being the wonderful boy that he is, five minutes after using it, he shared and let Chacha have a turn. Mich has such a caring and giving heart.
Mark and Lori brought so many awesome things for us!! Thank you Higher Hope!!! We are stocked up on children's vitamins, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, formula, hand soap, bar soap, dish soap (lots and lots of soap, ha), mac and cheese, and tons of other goodies. Personally, I can't wait to use the inflatable pool that they brought for the kids! They are going to go wild when they see it.
So, a quick recap of their time here so far:
Yesterday is already a blur of airport craziness, luggage, unpacking, and introductions around the house. Today, Mark and Dad got right to work re-wiring our new dryer. Last week it had flames shooting out the back. I'm no expert, but I don't think that's normal, ha! They had it figured out, fixed, and running in no time. They even did a victory dance afterward. Yes, Mom. Dad really did his weird/embarrassing dance moves in front of Mark, Lori and the kids. :) It took less than 3 seconds for Chacha to pick them up and start dancing, too.
After they tackled the dryer issue, they were harassing me about needing to actually give them a "challenge". So, we checked out a couple leaky pipes/water hoses and a broken screen door. Then, we made a hardware store run. As I've written countless times, going anywhere here is always a huge production. So, we left for the hardware store a little after 10 AM and returned to the house at 1PM. It took so long because while we were out, we had to pick up children at school, got stuck in traffic, gave some Haitians a ride, etc, etc. After getting home from the hardware store, we had to turn around a couple hours later and go grocery shopping which took a couple hours. Just a typical day here, really.
Out of everything that has happen since they all landed in Haiti, the most amazing thing has been watching Rosa. My Dad has won over all the kids with chocolate, bubbles, and rough housing, but watching Rosa interact with him almost brings tears to my eyes. This is a girl who has come so far in the six months since I've moved here. Click here and here to read a little about her history. A few short months ago she would hide in a corner when visitors came, and one wrong glance or scolding could make her fall to pieces. Today, she was clinging to my Dad's back giggling uncontrollably. She was begging him to keep holding her, and I saw joy and trust in her eyes. Yes, there is still pain in her eyes, too. She is a five year old girl that has been through more things than I can even fathom. But, seeing her trust, step out, and allow herself to just be a little girl was truly beautiful. God is so good. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed over that precious child with tears in my eyes asking for God to heal the pain in her life, allow her to trust, allow her to experience joy, and allow her to feel truly loved. Today, I realized that a miracle has taken place right in front of my eyes. God has been healing Rosa by His powerful love.
As most of you may already know, my dad, pastor, and pastor's wife arrived in PAP yesterday (which already seems so long ago, ha). I'm sure you can imagine the excitement and craziness that has been going on here! As I expected, the kids LOVE my dad (and Mark and Lori, too, of course). I knew that my dad would be great with the boys, and he has been. I think he had three or four kids hanging off him today while he chased Mich and Chacha around the house (Chacha was wearing a bear costume the entire time). Mich has already started asking if he can go home and live with Dad. My mom sent her old MP3 player along already filled with lots of christian music for Mich. Mich LOVES music...I mean LOVES music. So, he has been using his MP3 player non-stop since he got it yesterday. Being the wonderful boy that he is, five minutes after using it, he shared and let Chacha have a turn. Mich has such a caring and giving heart.
Mark and Lori brought so many awesome things for us!! Thank you Higher Hope!!! We are stocked up on children's vitamins, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, formula, hand soap, bar soap, dish soap (lots and lots of soap, ha), mac and cheese, and tons of other goodies. Personally, I can't wait to use the inflatable pool that they brought for the kids! They are going to go wild when they see it.
So, a quick recap of their time here so far:
Yesterday is already a blur of airport craziness, luggage, unpacking, and introductions around the house. Today, Mark and Dad got right to work re-wiring our new dryer. Last week it had flames shooting out the back. I'm no expert, but I don't think that's normal, ha! They had it figured out, fixed, and running in no time. They even did a victory dance afterward. Yes, Mom. Dad really did his weird/embarrassing dance moves in front of Mark, Lori and the kids. :) It took less than 3 seconds for Chacha to pick them up and start dancing, too.
After they tackled the dryer issue, they were harassing me about needing to actually give them a "challenge". So, we checked out a couple leaky pipes/water hoses and a broken screen door. Then, we made a hardware store run. As I've written countless times, going anywhere here is always a huge production. So, we left for the hardware store a little after 10 AM and returned to the house at 1PM. It took so long because while we were out, we had to pick up children at school, got stuck in traffic, gave some Haitians a ride, etc, etc. After getting home from the hardware store, we had to turn around a couple hours later and go grocery shopping which took a couple hours. Just a typical day here, really.
Out of everything that has happen since they all landed in Haiti, the most amazing thing has been watching Rosa. My Dad has won over all the kids with chocolate, bubbles, and rough housing, but watching Rosa interact with him almost brings tears to my eyes. This is a girl who has come so far in the six months since I've moved here. Click here and here to read a little about her history. A few short months ago she would hide in a corner when visitors came, and one wrong glance or scolding could make her fall to pieces. Today, she was clinging to my Dad's back giggling uncontrollably. She was begging him to keep holding her, and I saw joy and trust in her eyes. Yes, there is still pain in her eyes, too. She is a five year old girl that has been through more things than I can even fathom. But, seeing her trust, step out, and allow herself to just be a little girl was truly beautiful. God is so good. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed over that precious child with tears in my eyes asking for God to heal the pain in her life, allow her to trust, allow her to experience joy, and allow her to feel truly loved. Today, I realized that a miracle has taken place right in front of my eyes. God has been healing Rosa by His powerful love.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Time of Rest
The days since Dorothy has returned have been a time of rest for me. Although I thought I was totally back to normal health a few days ago, my body decided otherwise. I have still been trying to recover from whatever illness I've had. As much as I am ready to be back on my feet again, this time of rest has been nice. I have been able to think, pray, read, and then pray some more. I've had a lot on my mind, and I will admit it has been overwhelming.
Because I've been thinking and praying about so many different things during this time, I think I will just start with one of the topics. I have been examining my own heart. I am sure many of you have done that before and can relate that it is not always a fun exercise, but it has to be done. So, here I go. Please understand this is difficult, eye opening, and even somewhat embarrassing.
I've been thinking a lot about love. I know that God is love. I know that I came to Haiti out of love. I know that I came to Haiti to share God's love. But, I feel like somewhere in the jumbled mix of moving to a third world country, learning a new language, living with 26+ children, struggling to adapt to a completely different kind of life, and trying to understand Haiti, I have lost my focus of love. "How is that possible?" I've been asking myself. That was my whole intent upon moving here. I love the children here, I love the people here, and yet I realize that all my actions have not been motivated by love. I think more often than not, I realize my actions are motivated by a sense of obligation rather than love. That hurts deep inside me even as I type these words.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3 says "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and an fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." If I am in Haiti working to feed, clothe, and educate, but I have not love the people here gain nothing. What good I am to the Haitians here if I do not do everything out of love? Clothes last for months maybe a year or two, food lasts for a few days, but love...God's love lasts for eternity.
I just deleted an entire paragraph that I had typed trying to explain how I had gotten to this point of a lack in love. I realized it is not necessary. You don't need to worry about any of that. What it boils down to is that I slowly started making myself busier and busier and taking less and less time for God. Crazy, right? How is that possible for a "missionary (or something like that)"? But yes, it is true. How can I love others (I mean really love others) when I'm not taking enough time to receive God's love. I can't give something away that I don't have. I've realized the kids can wait, the laundry can wait, the dusty floor can wait, but my time with God is more precious than gold and it cannot wait.
Like I said, a lot has been on my mind during this time of "rest". This was just ONE of the many things I have been thinking and praying about. I admit I am really looking forward to a time of rest in the states. I am hoping to pray and figure out even more about myself and what I am doing while I am back in the US. My dad, is arriving in Haiti tomorrow afternoon along with our pastor and his wife, Mark and Lori Gittens. I am really looking forward to having them here with the kids and me! Then next Tuesday, I will be flying home with them on the same flight.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!
It seems that all my recent blog posts were updates on my heath. I apologize, but since I spent the better part of the last two weeks sick in bed, there was not much else to write about.
I started feeling better yesterday, but went to the hospital anyways just in case. They were very thorough and did a number of blood tests. Thankfully, all the tests came back normal. So, it seems that I've had some bad virus. After I got home from the hospital, my fever spiked again and I was nauseous all night. But, I am happy to report that I woke up today feeling healthy and almost normal again! PRAISE GOD!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. It was a really long and miserable two weeks, but God is good and I think I'm finally getting better now.
Other good news is that Dorothy is scheduled to fly into Port-au-Prince around 4PM this afternoon! It has been almost three weeks since she went to the states. She will be bringing Poutchino with her. Poutchino is an 8 year old little boy that has been with Dorothy since he was about a year old (I think). He has hydrocephalus and very bad seizures. He spent the last year living with a host family in the United States getting medical care. His visa is expiring now, so he must return to Haiti. However, a family is interested in adopting him. So, we are hoping and praying that he will only be back in Haiti for a very short time until his adoption can go through. Because his medical needs are so extensive, he really needs to get back to the United States ASAP.
I started feeling better yesterday, but went to the hospital anyways just in case. They were very thorough and did a number of blood tests. Thankfully, all the tests came back normal. So, it seems that I've had some bad virus. After I got home from the hospital, my fever spiked again and I was nauseous all night. But, I am happy to report that I woke up today feeling healthy and almost normal again! PRAISE GOD!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. It was a really long and miserable two weeks, but God is good and I think I'm finally getting better now.
Other good news is that Dorothy is scheduled to fly into Port-au-Prince around 4PM this afternoon! It has been almost three weeks since she went to the states. She will be bringing Poutchino with her. Poutchino is an 8 year old little boy that has been with Dorothy since he was about a year old (I think). He has hydrocephalus and very bad seizures. He spent the last year living with a host family in the United States getting medical care. His visa is expiring now, so he must return to Haiti. However, a family is interested in adopting him. So, we are hoping and praying that he will only be back in Haiti for a very short time until his adoption can go through. Because his medical needs are so extensive, he really needs to get back to the United States ASAP.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Still Sick
Today I spent my day in bed with a fever and bad headache. I was hoping by now I would feel better, but that is not the case. In fact, I think I actually felt worse today. Kez was here in the morning and said I should go to the hospital tomorrow to get some blood tests done. I've been having pain in the left side of my abdomen which could mean my spleen is enlarged. That could mean I have mono (which I had in college once). I just hope I get over whatever this is soon. Don't worry, I'm am doing ok. It has just been pretty miserable and I just want to go home to PA so I can get better.
Lauren has been doing a great job of keeping the kids entertained. I feel terribly that I have been in bed for most of her trip here so far. I'm sure it has not been very exciting for her entertaining herself. I sure do appreciate her being here to play with the kids while I'm under the weather.
Lauren has been doing a great job of keeping the kids entertained. I feel terribly that I have been in bed for most of her trip here so far. I'm sure it has not been very exciting for her entertaining herself. I sure do appreciate her being here to play with the kids while I'm under the weather.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Update
Today, Fred went to the hospital first thing in the morning. They gave him medicine to help with his fever, ran some tests, and told our nanny to bring him back if he gets worse. He was up and around today and eating. So thank you all for your prayers!
As for me, I spent a large portion of my day in bed still sick. Kez stopped by today to check on me. She said all my symptoms sound like malaria. If so, by tomorrow evening the medicine should kick in. Let's hope so because I have been pretty miserable.
Lauren got out our costumes box to play with the kids today. I laid out on the couch so that I could watch and take pictures. It was hysterical, and I promise when I'm feeling better I will upload pictures! Since we mostly have dresses and girly costumes, we had LOTS of little boys in pink, sequins, and sparkles. I never thought I would see Wilson in a leotard!
Thank you all so much for your prayers!
As for me, I spent a large portion of my day in bed still sick. Kez stopped by today to check on me. She said all my symptoms sound like malaria. If so, by tomorrow evening the medicine should kick in. Let's hope so because I have been pretty miserable.
Lauren got out our costumes box to play with the kids today. I laid out on the couch so that I could watch and take pictures. It was hysterical, and I promise when I'm feeling better I will upload pictures! Since we mostly have dresses and girly costumes, we had LOTS of little boys in pink, sequins, and sparkles. I never thought I would see Wilson in a leotard!
Thank you all so much for your prayers!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Please pray
Hi friends. Tonight has been stressful. One of our little boys with AIDS, Fred, has had a high fever all day. It topped out at 103.6 and we can't get it to go down below 103. Lauren has been truly a God send tonight holding Fred and helping me to care for him. I know that I would not have been able to do everything tonight alone because I myself have a fever of 102.6. It has now been going on two weeks that I have been sick like this. By recommendation of others, I started treating myself for malaria tonight despite the blood test being negative. I guess we will find out in three days if I start feeling better.
Thank you in advance for all your prayers.
Thank you in advance for all your prayers.
Generator Trouble
A friend, Lauren, arrived here yesterday afternoon to stay here for a week. So, as always, it was a VERY busy day of picking her up getting her settled in, and introducing her to everyone. We were both so exhausted, her from traveling and me from being sick, that we were sound asleep by 8 PM.
Today, I realized that our generator was not working. I could not get it to turn on so I called the company to come service it. They promised that they would be there right away in the morning. So, naturally I knew that it would be late afternoon before they would come (Haitians have a different concept of time). Sure enough, I was right they came some time around 2 PM! They changed the oil and replaced some filters and informed me that it would not work until I replace the battery. However, they do not sell nor install the batteries....go figure. So, I paid $182 US dollars and it still does not work. The Haitian man that we used to always rely on to help us with problems like that unexpectedly died a week ago. I have no idea where to buy a new generator battery, how much they cost, or how to install them. Pray to God that EDH city electricity stays on for a long time or we are in BIG trouble. Typically, EDH is terrible and VERY unreliable. With inverter batteries that do not work and a generator that is temporarily out of commission, EDH is our only source of electricity...scary thought. So, should you not hear from Lauren and, I don't worry we mostly likely have no power.
Please pray that we find someone to help get a new battery installed in the generator!
Today, I realized that our generator was not working. I could not get it to turn on so I called the company to come service it. They promised that they would be there right away in the morning. So, naturally I knew that it would be late afternoon before they would come (Haitians have a different concept of time). Sure enough, I was right they came some time around 2 PM! They changed the oil and replaced some filters and informed me that it would not work until I replace the battery. However, they do not sell nor install the batteries....go figure. So, I paid $182 US dollars and it still does not work. The Haitian man that we used to always rely on to help us with problems like that unexpectedly died a week ago. I have no idea where to buy a new generator battery, how much they cost, or how to install them. Pray to God that EDH city electricity stays on for a long time or we are in BIG trouble. Typically, EDH is terrible and VERY unreliable. With inverter batteries that do not work and a generator that is temporarily out of commission, EDH is our only source of electricity...scary thought. So, should you not hear from Lauren and, I don't worry we mostly likely have no power.
Please pray that we find someone to help get a new battery installed in the generator!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Funny Kids
The kids constantly keep me laughing, and I wish I could share every silly moment with all of you. Hearing/seeing it in person is just so much better. Here are a few of their latest sayings/antics:
- When playing with our toy food Chacha said, "Miss Katie, do you want some french skies?"
- While the kids were watching a movie on my computer, I told them not to touch the screen. In response, Claudine asked, "Miss Katie, if we touch the screen will we get cholera?!"
- Lately, Richardson has been obsessed with the idea of snow. He has asked everyone in my family and my best friend Deana to bring him some snow. After finding some small plastic lampshades in my room (spares from my lamp) he asked, "What are these for? Are they for snow?" When I told him that we are going to have another visitor come stay with us for a week, he asked, "Is she going to bring me some snow to eat?"
- Yesterday, I was attempting to clean the small window in my bathroom. It happens to be inside my shower. If you know me, you know that I am not very tall. So I was on tippy-toe trying to reach the window. Because my shower does not drain well, there was a little puddle of water still in the shower. I ended up slipping in the water, losing my balance, and then falling backwards out of the shower and onto the floor. Yes, it was both embarrassing AND painful. Of course, Chacha was right there to witness the entire thing. He continued to laugh about it for at least ten minutes and repeatedly say, "Nice try! Nice try, Miss Katie." Then, later in the day when Mich got home from school. I overheard Chacha explaining (in Creole) had happened to me. Then I heard him say, "I told her "nice try"!" For some reason, they think that is the funniest saying and they both had a good long laugh about it.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Miss Katie, ou malad?
I've spent the majority of the past three or four days in my room sleeping/resting and keeping myself quarantined. Whatever Haitian flu I've had basically wiped me out. Yesterday, our power went out in the afternoon and did not come on until over twenty-four hours later. Although that is not uncommon here, it is still an inconvenience. It is especially unpleasant when you have a high fever, hot sunny weather, and can't turn on fans. Thank God that we only have cold showers here...I really appreciated them this week.
I have to say, this is a difficult place to be sick. It is rarely ever quiet and someone is constantly knocking on my door for something. I think that I have really been confusing the kids (and probably the nannies too). As soon as I tell one child that I'm sick, it spreads like wildfire throughout the house. Each time I would leave my room to get a drink or check that everything was okay, the kids and nannies would all ask, "Are you better? Are you still sick? Do you have a fever? Does your head hurt?" I would explain to them that I was feeling a LITTLE bit better, but I was still sick. I probably really confused them when I would try and help out in the kitchen or tidy up the house only to get worn out within an hour. The kids just don't get the concept of "feeling a little better at the moment but still sick". The kids must have asked me twenty times a day, "Miss Katie, do you have a fever?" After I would respond, "Yes, now let me rest!" They would always have to feel my head first to make sure I wasn't lying.
Today, I thought that I was finally better. I woke up with only a mild fever and generally feeling much better, and I expected it to be gone by the afternoon. So, I made the mistake of telling the kids that I was better. Throughout the day, I played with the kids a little, helped out in the kitchen, and even went to a prayer meeting down the street. However, By late afternoon I felt terrible again and my fever was over 101. Of course, that really threw the kids off and they didn't believe that I was still sick. The only way that I could get them to give me some peace to rest was to let them into my room while I took a nap. Picture this if you can: me curled up in a ball with a cold compress on my face, five children huddled around my tiny net-book computer watching "Despicable Me", and two dogs all on one twin sized bed! Not exactly the most restful situation. And I wondered why it has been taking me so many days to get over this bug?
Thank you, God for children, nannies, and animals that love me, but PLEASE help me to get some rest! :)
Other news, there was a small earthquake here sometime around 4AM this morning. It did not wake me up, and I didn't even realize there had been one until the nannies told me later in the day. Most of the nannies said that it really shook their houses pretty bad and they were scared. One nanny, Leonne, was afraid because she lives on the bottom floor of a building. So, she got up and tried to get outside, but was knocked over (or tripped and fell...I'm not totally sure) and she scraped her arms and hands up. I'm just glad that it was very minor!
PS, thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for me!!!!
I have to say, this is a difficult place to be sick. It is rarely ever quiet and someone is constantly knocking on my door for something. I think that I have really been confusing the kids (and probably the nannies too). As soon as I tell one child that I'm sick, it spreads like wildfire throughout the house. Each time I would leave my room to get a drink or check that everything was okay, the kids and nannies would all ask, "Are you better? Are you still sick? Do you have a fever? Does your head hurt?" I would explain to them that I was feeling a LITTLE bit better, but I was still sick. I probably really confused them when I would try and help out in the kitchen or tidy up the house only to get worn out within an hour. The kids just don't get the concept of "feeling a little better at the moment but still sick". The kids must have asked me twenty times a day, "Miss Katie, do you have a fever?" After I would respond, "Yes, now let me rest!" They would always have to feel my head first to make sure I wasn't lying.
Today, I thought that I was finally better. I woke up with only a mild fever and generally feeling much better, and I expected it to be gone by the afternoon. So, I made the mistake of telling the kids that I was better. Throughout the day, I played with the kids a little, helped out in the kitchen, and even went to a prayer meeting down the street. However, By late afternoon I felt terrible again and my fever was over 101. Of course, that really threw the kids off and they didn't believe that I was still sick. The only way that I could get them to give me some peace to rest was to let them into my room while I took a nap. Picture this if you can: me curled up in a ball with a cold compress on my face, five children huddled around my tiny net-book computer watching "Despicable Me", and two dogs all on one twin sized bed! Not exactly the most restful situation. And I wondered why it has been taking me so many days to get over this bug?
Thank you, God for children, nannies, and animals that love me, but PLEASE help me to get some rest! :)
Other news, there was a small earthquake here sometime around 4AM this morning. It did not wake me up, and I didn't even realize there had been one until the nannies told me later in the day. Most of the nannies said that it really shook their houses pretty bad and they were scared. One nanny, Leonne, was afraid because she lives on the bottom floor of a building. So, she got up and tried to get outside, but was knocked over (or tripped and fell...I'm not totally sure) and she scraped her arms and hands up. I'm just glad that it was very minor!
PS, thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for me!!!!
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