Hiking to Eagle

As most of you know, now that I am living on my own here, I do not have a vehicle.  So, when its time for me to get groceries I need to either time it to catch a ride with someone else, or put on my walkin' shoes.  It is not hard to find a ride to the store, but some days it is just nice to get out and work up a sweat.

This past weekend, I decided to hike there on foot.  In reality, it is not a very long walk to get to the nearest grocery store, Eagle Market.  I would estimate that it is about a mile or maybe a mile and a half (one way).  If that were in my little hometown with sidewalks and smoothly paved roads, that would be no problem.  In fact, that would be quite enjoyable.  The problem here is that from my apartment to Eagle is uphill the entire way.  This is truly not an exaggeration.  The entire walk to the store is one long un-ending hill.  Not only that, but the quickest way that I know to get there on foot is over a VERY rocky road.


 


There are designated hiking trails in the United States that are smoother and more enjoyable than walking on the roads here.  In fact, I would even venture to say that I have never seen any "mountain roads" in Pennsylvania that are as bumpy and full of ruts as many of the roads here in Port-au-Prince, especially during rainy season.

Yes, that is a GOAT on the road...not a dog.

Aside from the difficult road conditions, there are many beautiful things to look at along the way.

I've never been so thankful for air conditioning as when I walked into Eagle Market to get my groceries!  Because I have to carry all of my groceries a mile or so back home (thankfully downhill), I can never purchase much at one time.  I take a heavy duty backpack along with me so that I can carry everything back home.  I was praising God the whole walk home that it was downhill for the return trip.  Seeing the school and the gate to my apartment was like a glimpse of heaven.

**Disclaimer: If you don't want to be grossed out please stop reading here.

Once I got home and unloaded my groceries, I happened to glance in the mirror.  I was actually frightened when I saw how sweaty I was.  I am typically not one who sweats excessively.  I think it was because I was wearing a backpack.  Naturally when I saw myself in the mirror, I was horrified and thankful that no one else was around to see me looking like that I immediately took a picture so that I could share it with all of you blog readers....I mean, after-all this blog is to share my life in Haiti and that is a part of living here, right?  (Gross, I know...but I couldn't resist sharing!)

Disney Princesses and Tree Frogs

Saturday is the only day when I can "sleep in".  So, yesterday I decided to just take my time getting out of bed and enjoy my day off.  I woke up around 7:30 and then for the next 20 minutes, I just enjoyed relaxing in my bed with the breeze from the window blowing on me.  As I was laying there, I thought a heard a tapping at the door, but I was not expecting anyone.  Then, I heard it again only louder.  I got out of bed and walked over to my door.  Sure enough, there was a woman I had never seen before standing at the door knocking.  "Yes?" I said.  "Mr. Nickson told me I was supposed to come clean your house from 8AM until noon today."  I didn't know anything about it, but I opened the door and said, "Ok come on in."

Mr. Nickson and Dottie had already arranged for a woman to come and clean my apartment a couple times a week.  It sounds crazy considering how small my apartment is and the fact that I'm the only one living in it.  But, the way the dust and ants are here it really would help to have someone else clean it thoroughly.  We had talked about her coming on Wednesdays and maybe Saturdays but I didn't know when she was going to start.  Growing up my family never had a cleaning lady, so I didn't' really know the procedure.  Since my apartment is so small, it felt strange for both of us to be in there at the same time.  So, I carried my dirty laundry outside to wash it while she cleaned.  I don't have access to a washing machine here, which means I have to do it all by hand.

I spent the next three hours washing and hanging out laundry.  I didn't necessarily have a lot of clothes to wash, it is just very time consuming.  Especially because I had decided to wash my sheets as well.  It was my first time washing sheets by hand...let me tell ya...I did not enjoy it.

At noon, the cleaning lady was finished.  She did a wonderful job, and cleaned every square inch of the apartment.  It was not very dirty to begin with, but it looked great after she was finished.

In the late afternoon, I stopped at Dorothy's house to visit the kids. About the time that I was going to walk back to my apartment, a heavy thunderstorm started.  So, I decided rather than get soaked to the bone and walk home ankle deep in mud, I would wait until the storm passed.

I let the kids pick out a movie to watch while I made popcorn.  After watching a short Jay-Jay the Jet-plane movie, the girls talked Richardson into letting us watch a Disney Princess Sing-Along movie.  I'm a fan of Disney Princesses myself.  I had Rosa and Claudine on my lap as we watched and sang along to each song.  For each princess that sang, the kids would should out, "That's me!  That's me!"  or "That's Miss Katie!"  It was really funny.  The girls really got a good laugh when Snow White was singing.  They showed one of the seven dwarfs, and I quickly said, "That's Chacha!"  He was not impressed with my joke.

After the movie, the rain had slowed enough for me to walk home.  After getting home and drying off, I decided to go to bed.  I feel asleep quickly and peacefully.  Then around 2 AM, I woke up and thought that I heard something.  I told myself it was nothing, but then I heard it again.  A very quiet faint "tap" sound.  As I lay in bed trying to go back to sleep, something wet hit me on the face.  I quickly JUMPED out of bed and turned on the light in a split second.  I couldn't believe it....a green tree frog had just jumped on my face, onto the bed, and then down onto the floor.  Only in Haiti.

I spent the next 20 minutes trying to catch it to put it outside.  There was no way I was going back to sleep with it in the house after it just jumped on my face!  Let me tell you, tree frogs can really jump!  He could travel about three feet in one jump.  Eventually he hopped onto the rug next to my bed.  So, I slowly dragged it out the door and onto the porch where I released him.

As funny as it is telling the story, I was not amused at the time.  I have been having some trouble sleeping at night.  So, prayers for that would be greatly appreciated!!

Inservice Week

Aside from gallivanting around the tent city, this week has been pretty draining.  All week we have been doing "teacher in-service" here at the school.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all of the children came to get their uniforms.  It was very exhausting!!

Each of the 92 students were given 2 pairs of denim jeans (or shorts/skirt/jumper), two T-shirts, two pairs of socks, two underwear, a pair of sneakers, a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a comb, and deodorant (for the older students).  It was a lot of work to try and find the right size jeans, shirts, and sneakers for all 92 students.  The most difficult part was finding the right size jeans.  The Haitian children are SO skinny and long legged.  If we found a pair of jeans that fit in the waist, they were too short in the leg.  If we found a pair that fit lengthwise, then they were too big in the waist.  It was quite frustrating!  When the kids got there, I usually started by checking what size jeans they were wearing to get an idea of what they might need.  One little girl came in wearing what I thought to be bermuda shorts.  When I checked the size, I was blown away.  They were size 18 to 24 month toddler pants on a 4th grade girl!!!!

After handing out uniforms, the rest of the time was spent writing lesson plans, filling out grade books, organizing the classroom, making copies, etc.  I am only teaching Kindergarten, which is from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.  There is another young girl, Vanessa, who will be teaching Pre-K from 8 AM to 11 AM.  We share the same classroom.  She is 20 years old and a former TLC student.  I have been sharing as many ideas with her as I can.  Not that I have a whole lot of teaching experience myself, but I am excited to help mentor her.  She has been an assistant teacher for a few years, but this will be her first year as a teacher.

With lots of work, "our" classroom has finally taken shape and really looks nice.  I still feel as though I have a lot of paperwork/planning to do.  Thankfully I still have all next week to prepare!

Sinias Friends

Today I had the opportunity to go to “feeding program”. It is run by the Manassero family. Their organization is called “Child Hope International.” They have two orphanages, a medical clinic, a school, a guesthouse, and feeding program.  They are an amazing family, and I see God in every part of their work here in Haiti. I feel truly blessed that God has brought them into my life, and I have been fortunate enough to spend time with several members of their family, and get to know them a little bit.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is “feeding program”. It is held on the grounds of the boys' orphanage. There are over 100 children that come to be fed spiritually and physically. All of the children are from our neighborhood, and most of them live in Sinias, a tent city. When they arrive at 3PM, they are usually told a Bible story, sing praise songs, and pray together. Then, each child is given a big plate of rice and beans and a cup of cold water. If any of them are sick, they are often treated by Ashley, the nurse, too.

Going to feeding program is one of my favorite things to do in my free time. The kids that go there are “rough around the edges”, but you can't help but fall in love with them. Since I moved into my apartment, I have gotten the opportunity to become friends with many of the kids that live nearby. So, it is great to see them getting fed and taught at feeding program.

After feeding program, two of my little boy friends asked me if they could walk me home. Of course I agreed (even though my home is about 30 seconds away from feeding program). When we got to my house, I gave them each a pair of flip flops that I had here with them in mind. After giving them the shoes, we were talking outside my gate for a while.  I asked if they would show me where they live. They seemed surprised but excited that I wanted to go with them. I should add as a side note that by this point in time two more boys had already joined our group. Before leaving, I went inside and left my bag behind. I went with only my cell phone and house keys. I wanted to be sure that when I was swarmed with begging people I could honestly say, “I don't have any money with me.” After I was ready, the five of us started walking towards Sinias, the tent city and home to the boys.

Although I knew that I would be writing about my experience, I purposely did not take a camera along with me. I don't want to be looked at as a tourist or someone that just wants to gawk at their poverty. That is not to say that I don't often really want to take pictures of all the many things that my eyes see in a day. But, to be able to gain the trust and friendship of the people that I meet, I need to respect them. Long story short, sorry but I don't have pictures. I'll do my best to describe in words what it is like.

I have been in this particular tent city multiple times, but this was my first time going without other Americans along. “What exactly is a tent city?” you may be wondering. Well, all over Port-au-Prince there are tarp tents set up as refugee homes for people that were displaced after the earthquake. In certain large areas you find “tent cities”. They are quite literally cities made up of blue and gray tarp tents or green army tents. I would guess that Sinias houses at least 1,000 people or more. There is one particular tent city in PAP run by the actor, Sean Penn, that has over 50,000 people. These tents are no longer just temporary homes for earthquake refugees. They have unfortunately become a permanent living situation for thousands of people.

In fact, I've come to learn that many people living in tents actually have standing homes.  However, they are either 1.) Too afraid to go back into their home for fear of another earthquake or 2.) They realized that by living in a tent, they can rent their home out to an American or wealthy Haitian and earn extra money.  It is a sad and almost sickening reality.

As soon as we got to Sinias, the stench of waste and urine filled my nose.  I tried to act as though I didn't notice it.  After-all, this is home to the boys.  We entered in between rows and rows of tents by walking on a tiny path barely wide enough for a goat.  With all the rain from hurricane Irene, the dirt path had turned to thick, sticky mud.  By this point in time, I had roughly 8 boys now with me, only three of which I actually "knew".  As we walked past tent...after tent...after tent, my shoes became increasingly heavy as they caked with mud.  Usually the extra traction on my sandals helps, but in this situation it only made the mud stick better.  I felt like I had lead weights on each foot.

I tried to ignore the stares from everyone as we walked deeper and deeper into the maze of tents.  I leaned over and whispered to Duprene (in Creole), "I don't like it when everyone stares at me like this."  He smiled and said, "It is because they think you are pretty."  I responded, "No, it is because I have white skin."  He just laughed and tried to convince me otherwise.  

Eventually, I caught the attention of several teenaged boys.  They couldn't believe that I was walking through all the mud.  As I had anticipated, they began pestering me and begging for money.  They joined our group which had turned to a small herd and followed us farther into the maze.  

Many tents had small vendors set up inside to sell things like avocados, charcoal, rice, beans, mangos, candy, bonbons, soda, water, etc.  They call them tent cities because you can honestly get everything that you need right there among the tents.  At one point while walking, we came across a game of soccer in the middle of a road.  They had even built a stage-like structure where you could stand to watch the game.  Although I've seen it all before, it just blows me away that thousands and thousands of people have been living in these conditions for so long.

Finally, we arrived at Peterson's "home".  A small triangular army tent.  It was barely large enough for one person to live comfortably and yet he told me that he lives there with two of his cousins.  His mother and father had both died.  Peterson is one of the sweetest boys I have ever met.  He is always kind to the other children, and he reminds them that it is not nice to beg for food and money all the time.  He held my hand the entire way through the tents, and at least a dozen times he made me stop so that he could try and wipe the mud off of my shoes using a leaf or a piece of trash.  I kept telling him that it was ok and I would just scrub them once I got home, but he just wouldn't give up.  At one point he actually took off his own little sandals and told me I should wear them instead because they are better in the mud than mine.  I saw Jesus today in his eyes.

After seeing his home, the other boys wanted to take me to their homes.  Next we walked to Duprene's tent.  His was also an army tent, but it was a little bit larger.  It is home to five children and a mother.  His mother was so friendly and welcoming.  His aunt lives in a tent next door, and she was washing laundry when we arrived.  I explained that I am one of the teacher's at Duprene's school, and that he is one of my friends.  His aunt offered me a chair so that I could sit down and stay a while.  Honestly, they were SO welcoming and so happy to meet me that I just wanted to hug both of them.  They explained that they would like to live somewhere else, but both of their homes crashed to the ground during the earthquake.  They have no where else to go.  I got to meet Duprene's brother (who I already knew but I hadn't realized they were brothers).  His little brother Jameson is four years old and one of five children.  He was running around without pants or underwear and making faces at me.  I met him at feeding program while my family was here.  He is a little spitfire!  When I asked his mother why he didn't go to feeding program today, she showed me her leg.  She had a large bandage on her shin and I could see that it was beginning to bleed through.  She said that she had fallen (probably in the mud or by tripping over a tent stake) last night and so she was unable to carry him all the way to feeding program today.

Jameson with my cousin Kara while she was visiting

From there, we walked to another rather large tent that was home to Lovely, another student at TLC school.  When I peeked inside the tent, there was a young boy inside the tent sitting on the floor making jewelery out of paper beads.  Lovely's mama came out and greeted me with the traditional Haitian greeting, a kiss on the cheek.  I introduced myself and thanked her for sharing her tent with me.

After chatting for a little while, Yvel asked me to walk with him to see his house.  After trudging through mud, over piles of fly infested trash, over puddles of water, and in between tents, we were back on the road.  Surprisingly, Yvel's family actually lives in a concrete structure just outside of Sinias.  It is one room and there looked to be about 7 or 8 people inside when I stopped to meet his mother.  She was also very friendly and like the other ladies, she offered me a kiss on the cheek and a chair to sit down.  I politely declined and my herd of boys and I continued on towards my house.  By the time we reached my gate, I realized that I had somehow acquired over a dozen boys that were getting rowdier by the minute.  They literally fought to get to my gate.  Thankfully, my buddy Peterson held them back so that I could actually go inside and bid them farewell for the night.

All in all it was a fun/interesting adventure.  I am really glad that I did that before school starts up on the 5th of September.  I think that it was really important for me to see where many of the children are coming from.  I think that will give me more patience, understanding, and compassion towards each child.  These children have to fight past so many more barriers than children in the states.  It gives me even more appreciation for the education and nutrition that they will receive at TLC.

Thanks, God!

I know that many people have been curious, hurricane Irene missed us!  It is quite miraculous just how close it came to Haiti without actually hitting us here.  Thank you, Lord!

Also, I would just like to add a note saying how ironic I find it that there was an earthquake at home on the east coast and I'm the one living in an earthquake prone country!  The funniest part of my day?  "I might have to move to Haiti for safety." --Dad

Now, that is one quote that I NEVER thought that I would hear!

Tropical Storm Irene

This is the update on tropical storm Irene.  I've been told that they are predicting the storm to strengthen into a hurricane by the time that it reaches the Dominican Republic (the other half of our island).  Please continue to pray about this storm!

If it continues towards us, I may have to undo everything that I've been working on in my classroom and try to "hurricane proof" my room.

Dinner Date

Now that I am no longer living at Dorothy's with the kids, I want to make sure that I still keep visit regularly and spend time with the kids. I love them dearly, and I want them to know that even though I am living somewhere else, I still care for them and I am still here for them.

I have been so busy since I moved into my new place at the school, that I have not had much free time. But, I decided today that I needed to spend time with “my girls”. So, I walked over to Dorothy's house to borrow the older girls for a few hours.

I brought Claudine, Gertie, and Rosa over to see my apartment for the first time. As you can imagine, they were more than excited to see it. They were running from place to place (not that my apartment is all that big) and looking at EVERYTHING. They were singing, dancing, and having so much fun just because of the fact that they were somewhere other than home.

Less than five minutes after arriving they were asking me if they could sleep over. I plan to have them over individually for sleepovers, but I had not planned on it for that night. Instead, we baked brownies and had noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. I think the highlight for me was seeing them get so excited just to eat at the table. At Dorothy's all the children eat sitting on the ground outside. So, it was a very special occasion for the girls. I heard Rosa say in Creole, “Wow! These plates can break!” I'm sure it was the first time that they have eaten off of plates made of something other than plastic.

The girls were quite interested in the boys next door at the boys' orphanage. They crowded at the door in my bedroom yelling over to the boys. Claudine kept calling them Chacha, Mich, Lovensky, Frantzo, etc. I don't know if she actually thought it was them or if she was just confused.

After dinner, we all settled in on my couch to watch a movie on my computer. Before heading back to Dorothy's, we all enjoyed fresh warm brownies.

Possible Hurricane

There is a tropical wave that is moving west/northwest toward Haiti and there is a 90% chance that it will form into a hurricane during the next 48 hours.  It is predicted that it will be around Haiti by Monday.  Let's get those prayers started!!!!

National Hurricane Center Website

1,2,3,4...I Declare an Ant War!

I've had it!!  I am hereby officially declaring WAR against anyone and anything that tries to invade my classroom and/or apartment.

I'm sure you've noticed my frustration/annoyance with dust from my previous posts.  But, I will NOT let it take over!  I have been a cleaning machine in my apartment since I moved it and most days it feels like a losing battle.

I am not by any means a clean freak, nor will I ever be (just ask my parents).  But, this apartment is like my safe haven.  It is so clean, safe, comfortable, and nice and I want it to stay that way.  Haiti is a smelly, dirty place to live so it is especially wonderful to have a beautiful little place to come home to.  So, I'm doing my best to keep it that way.  I clean the apartment from top to bottom several times a week, and I sweep everyday.  The amount of dirt that I clean up each time amazes me!

I've also determined that the ants in Haiti are as desperate, poverty stricken, and starving as all of the people in this country.  Keeping the ants at bay feels like a losing battle.  Every time I turn around I find another trail of ants making a beeline for a miniscule speck of food or dirt.  I have not really been cooking much since I moved in here.  The extent of my time in the kitchen is to make noodles, a sandwich, a salad, or to grab a granola bar (yes, I realize that is not very healthy eating, but food is extremely expensive here so I've gotta keep it simple...plus its no fun to cook a big meal just for one person to eat alone).  Every single time I use the counters, I wipe them down with clorox afterwards.  And yet, somehow a swarm of ants will appear later and find a tiny itty bitty crumb to converge upon.  I am beginning to think that my apartment is situated on top of the world's largest anthill full of the world's most annoying and painfully biting ants (yes, they bite and leave itchy stinging welts).

To better explain to you just how desperate these ants are I will give you this example: This morning I was cleaning my bathroom when I noticed a train of ants filing in through my window in a very orderly fashion, down the wall, and onto my little shelf of toiletries.  Curious (and quite annoyed) as to what they were doing, I explored the situation (armed with clorox spray in hand).  I found them gathered on top of a bottle of hand sanitizer.  I was pretty confused (and still annoyed).  Upon further investigation, I saw that the hand sanitizer was scented, "Jelly Doughnut".  I'm telling you, the ants in Haiti are REALLY desperate...they have resorted to eating HAND SANITIZER!

I just might go crazy trying to rid my apartment of all ants...actually scratch that...I think I already have gone crazy.  I caught myself today telling an ant, "Go tell your friends!" after killing a pile of other ants that were swarmed on my counter.

Never give up...never surrender.

Classroom Preparations

I have been spending most of my "free time" working in my classroom trying to get everything ready for school.  When I saw my classroom for the first time, it looked as though it was already organized and ready to go.  However, upon further inspection and exploration, I've realized that the previous teacher was not very organized.

Most of the storage containers in the room are a hodge podge of different classroom materials and toys.  They do not seem to have any specific type of organization.  Not only that, but everything in my room is COVERED in thick dust.

I was excited to see that I have the largest classroom in the school (and in my opinion the best).  There is a downfall to my room, though.  It is not actually inside the school.  It is a glorified porch.  So, the downfall is that all of the dust from the road (which is directly outside my classroom) blows right into the room.  Basically anything that is exposed to the air will end up covered in dust.  That makes things a little bit difficult.

Cleaning the room is a big deal (even though it is rather time consuming).  The problem is that it is a never ending cycle.  Just one short hour after thoroughly cleaning something, I turn around and see that it is again covered in dust.  Sweeping the cement floor in the classroom feels like I am trying to sweep the dust off of a dirt floor.  It is never ending!

This GIANT pile of dust if from a 2 foot by 2 foot square area (no lie!)

Aside from sweeping up dust, I have also been scrubbing all of the plastic storage boxes in the room.  Everything is so dirty that I have to change the water in my bucket after just a few swipes.

Organizing the room is also a little overwhelming.  There is not much shelf space in the room.  So, I have to rely mostly on plastic or wooden boxes.

I am finally seeing a light at the end of the dusty tunnel.  I hope that after a few more days I will be all finished.  My only three "helpers" really don't do a whole lot, so, it has taken me a while.

"Major" the school watchdog and helper #1

Helper #2 one of many lizards

Helper #3 Giant Spider (which I would gladly do without)

I am crossing my fingers that by early next week I will be able to post pictures of my FINISHED classroom!

Tita and the Apartment

So many times I sit down at the computer and I have no idea how to explain an event that I experienced. Most of the things that happen here in Haiti must be seen or heard to understand/believe. My experience yesterday was one of those events.

I need to give you all a little bit of backstory. My friend, Keziah, is a couple years older than me and she has lived in Haiti for over three years now. She's lived in various places: an orphanage in a ghetto, Dorothy's house, and a small rented house/apartment.  The little house (which she fondly nicknamed “The Shoebox”) was provided to her by an organization that she was working for. Recently, she resigned from that organization. So, she has had to find her own housing.

She wanted to stay in the same neighborhood as “The Shoebox” since she was familiar with it and she knows many people there. To many people, her neighborhood doesn't look like much (and I don't know many American's that would fight to live there), but to her it is home.

Thankfully, a woman that she was providing medical care for mentioned that she had a small place that she would like to rent out to an American. Before Kez left for the United States for the summer, she and Tita, the landlady, agreed on an amount for rent and a date for Keziah to move into the house. Tita promised Keziah that she would leave furniture in the house for her, fix the water pump, move all of her personal belongings out of the house, and clean it up some.

A few weeks before Kez came back to Haiti her friend and former employee, called her up to inform her that Tita had not done ANY of the things she promised, the apartment was not ready at all, and she was demanding more money. Kez made arrangements to stay with Dorothy for a few days until she got these problems solved.

After a long discussion argument between Kez and Tita, it seemed that they had everything resolved. Kez was told that she would be able to help move Tita's things out and begin cleaning up the apartment. Now, that is where I come in.

Kez asked me to go along with her to help clean up the apartment. I was warned, “It's pretty bad...wear old clothes.” Of course I agreed to help out. So, I met her on the street at 6:45 AM and we walked there together. It is about a 45 minute walk from my house (uphill the entire way over rocky Haitian roads) to get to her place. On the way, we stopped and picked up her two Haitian friends, Bill and Edjou, to help.

When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by a large rotund, old, angry woman, with quite a few missing teeth: Tita. She was in a wonderful very angry mood, and I knew it was going to be an interesting day. My Creole is improving everyday, but it is not good enough for me to understand everything that Tita was saying, rather, yelling. But, it did not take a genius to understand that she was angry.

We stood on the porch arguing (actually, I was just listening) with her for what seemed like at least an hour. Finally she let us into the house to start moving her things down to “The Dungeon” (the vacant very creepy basement apartment with no windows). Kez had explained her apartment as “a cute little place with lots of potential”. After walking inside, I realized she is a much more optimistic person that I am.

the living room: you can't tell in this picture but it was COVERED in thick dust and smelled rather stale

Although Tita owns the building, she has been living in a tent by choice. Partly because she is afraid of being in a building if another earthquake hits, and partly because then she can make money by renting out her home. So, her apartment has not been lived in for quite some time. Needless to say, everything inside was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. There was trash laying around, the refrigerator had a very disgusting odor wafting out, the kitchen was a cluttered mess of pots, pans, and dirt, the bedrooms were used as storage for clothes, and half a dozen mattresses, and the bathroom...well, let's just say it was scary.

The kitchen

kitchen

a bedroom filled with junk

cleaning up the kitchen

my broom for the day

The pictures don't even come close to showing what it truly looked like in person. Not only was the mess in the apartment overwhelming, but Tita did not stop yelling all day. When I say that, I literally mean that she yelled for 6 hours straight. No exaggeration.

She would yell at us to move something to “The Dungeon” then when we picked it up she would yell not to touch it. She would yell at us to leave something alone then two seconds later she would tell us we could move it. Then, intermittently she would go back to yelling about wanting more money or wanting to clean the apartment out herself. But, we all knew that if we would give her more time to clean it out, she would never actually do it. In fact, she was yelling SO much that a small crowd had gathered outside on the street to sit on the curb and listen to her. I heard more than a few people quietly whisper, “She's crazy!”

All day I was wishing that I could get her on video, but coincidentally, I was too afraid of getting yelled at by her. Kez and I came to the conclusion that in America, we like to play sports for fun. In Haiti, they like to argue. On the walk home from her apartment, we decided to get ice cream from Epi'dor as comfort food after the crazy day with Tita.

The Realities of Life in Haiti

I read this blog post tonight, and I just had to share it here on my own blog.  It is a vivid, very real, and extremely heartbreaking description of what life is like for many young women here in Haiti.

Click here to read the post: "Imagine, if you will..."

My Classroom Mural

As most of you already know, last week my family was here.  Both my mom and dad had been here once before, but for my sister, my Aunt Kathy, and my cousin Kara, it was their first time to Haiti.  For most people that come to Haiti, it is a very heart-wrenching and emotional experience.  Even after living here for a while, at times it is very emotional and difficult for me, too.

Not only was it my Aunt's first time to Haiti, it was her first time on a plane, her first time leaving the country, and her first time leaving her husband for that long.  Talk about a leap of faith!  For my cousin, she had to leave her husband and her business.  She had never been to a country as poor as Haiti, and she had no idea what to expect.  I know that the Holy Spirit has really been moving in my cousin and my aunt's hearts, and I am so amazed by their faith.

That is what makes my classroom mural even more special to me.  It was created out of so much love for others.  It was created out of a selfless act of faith.  Yes, it might just be paint on a cement wall to some people, but each time I look at it I am reminded of the sacrifice that was made to paint the mural.  And when school starts, I am going to be able to tell my students about the two amazing women that came all the way from the United States just to paint it for them.

Changes

I finally have had a few seconds to sit down and blog again. Since I got back to Haiti things have been pretty busy. As I mentioned before after my family left, I was down for a while. I guess you could even say that I still am. As long as I am keeping myself busy, I do alright, but it is the times that I am alone when I really miss my family. However I am slowly adjusting to being here on my own.

Friday morning, I did some laundry. I do not have the luxury of a washer or dryer here at my apartment, so I had to do it all by hand. After cleaning my apartment, I stopped by Dorothy's to use her sewing machine and say hello to the kids for a little while. When I got back to my apartment (which is on the same property as the school) Mr. Nickson, the principle, was here. He was sorting children's sneakers and doing an inventory. At the start of school all the students get clothing, shoes, and hygiene products. So, he asked that I help him. We spent several hours sorting sneakers and figuring out who will be getting each pair. Friday evening, I went to the church for prayer and worship with the church youth group (two of my friends lead the youth group). It was great to be surrounded by other believers and lifting each other up in prayer.

Yesterday morning, I took some time to clean my apartment. I've only been here a few days, but the amount of dust that collects in just a day or two is incredible. This is a VERY dusty country and we have not had any rain for a while (despite the fact that it is hurricane season). Just about the time that I finished cleaning, I saw that Dottie and Nickson were down at the school. So, I walked down to greet them and see if there was anything that I could do to help out. They were getting ready to distribute rice to students. So, I helped distribute rice and I got to meet many of the students that will be coming to TLC in just three short weeks. After the distribution was finished, I went with Nickson and Dottie to the grocery store to pick up a few more things. At 1 PM I picked up Dorothy's truck and drove with my friend Marc to pick up our other friend Keziah from the airport. That whole ordeal took several hours.

While I was at the airport waiting for her delayed flight to arrive, I got a phone call from Dorothy. She called to tell me that Emory Wilson (a missionary/friend in Gonaives) came to the house to pick up the twins, Frances and Francesca, to take them back to Gonaives. If you have been following me for a while, you know that Dorothy and I took Frances and Francesca in back at the beginning of November. They were three weeks old and only weighed 4 pounds. My mom was visiting at the time so she and I took on the responsibility of staying up all night to care for them and try and restore their health. In my heart, I have looked at them as my own little girls and given them as much love as possible. Needless to say, the twins have a VERY special place in my heart and I feel very connected to them. This whole time, I have known that one day when they were healthy enough they would have to return to live with their father in Gonaives (their mother died during labor). Typically when a baby leaves Dorothy's house, we have at least a couple of days notice to prepare. Not this time. They called just ten minutes in advance to tell Dorothy they would be stopping by to pick them up.

Luckily, after getting the twins, they were headed to the airport to pick someone up. So, I called Emory and met him in the airport parking lot to say goodbye to the twins. I know they have a HUGE transition ahead of them: going to live with their very poor father and grandmother who they do not even know. Please keep them in your prayers.

When I got back to Dorothy's house to drop off Keziah and the truck, it just did not seem the same without the twins there to greet me with their adorable little smiles. This week has been so difficult in so many ways. Saying goodbye to so many loved ones all at once.

As I sit here alone in my little apartment writing, tears are hard to hold back. It is quiet except for the hum of my little fan, and the boys at the orphanage next door. It is these times that I miss my family even more. Times when I am alone with only my thoughts to keep me company. I know that God never promises us that life will be easy. I knew when I decided to move to Haiti on my own that it would not be easy. But, now here I am living it. I've heard and I've been told many times that the only way to make your comfort zone expand is to step out of it. I know that is true, and I am doing my best each day, but I need a lot of prayer as I navigate life here on my own.

My Aunt Kat with Frances

 Kara with Francesca

Rosa wearing her beautiful dress made by Robin Bogler

Claudine wearing the adorable dress that Robin Bogler made

Abby with Rose Mitchel (she's SO SO BIG NOW!)

A Week Recap

Oh my, where do I begin??  First of all let me apologize in advance if this post is hard to follow.  I am very tired, emotional, and I have way too much to try and remember to put into this post.  I suppose since I only had the opportunity to post on my blog once this past week, I need to do a recap for all of you. This week seems like such a blur. Time in Haiti seems as if it passes so slowly and yet the days and the weeks are a blur.

Although I know this week was difficult for some of my family members, it was also great. We were able to play with the kids at Dorothy's house, see various parts of the city, repaint and clean Dorothy's living room, paint a mural on the wall of my classroom (mostly done by Kara and Aunt Kathy), help at feeding program, visit “The Apparent Project”, and move all of my belongings into my new apartment. A lot was accomplished in about five days.

I know that for my family, the heat was one of the biggest struggles. It was INCREDIBLY hot here this week. The majority of the time at Dorothy's was spent without electricity. We were fortunate that only one or two nights were spent trying to sleep without fans. I admit that the heat this week was (and still is) miserable, but it did not seem to bother me as much as everyone else. I think that because I know I am staying here for so long, I am in a different mindset than others that are only staying here for a week.

The kids were very happy to play with all of us and spend time with us. We were so busy bouncing from place to place or from Dorothy's house to my apartment that quite honestly I didn't feel as if we spent as much time with the kids as I am used to.

Last night (my family's last night here) we took six of the kids from Dorothy's out for pizza along with my friend Marc. So in total, we ended up having 7 adults and 6 children piled in a pick-up truck (driven by yours truly). I think that the adults enjoyed the delicious pizza as much as the kids. Chacha managed to eat 4 pieces of pizza and even three year old Lovensky ate three whole pieces!

We decided that for my family's last night here in PAP some of them would stay with me at my apartment so that I wouldn't have to be there alone for my first night. Mom and Dad decided to stay at Dorothy's while my cousin Kara, my Aunt Kathy, and my sister Abby all came to sleep over with me. Because I only have one full sized bed in my apartment, Kara offered to sleep on the floor, Aunt Kat took the couch, and Abby and I shared my bed. It was pretty cozy in my little place! I got a great night's sleep and I'm thankful to have such a beautiful little apartment to live in.

Today, my family left. I will be honest and say that it was difficult for me. Being left behind in a foreign country, no matter how much I love this country, is always hard for me. Saying goodbye to my entire family and watching them get on a plane home without me is hard. Dorothy's driver Samuel drove us all to the airport to drop them off. After quickly saying our goodbyes on the curb in front of the airport, I got back in the truck with Samuel. I was fighting tears and didn't say a word as I waved goodbye to my family. Samuel simply said, “Miss Katie, I know it is very difficult for you to say goodbye to the people you love. It is ok if you don't want to talk on the way home.” I was very thankful for that.

When I arrived back at Dorothy's I had a sinking (almost sick) feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew that her house was no longer home for me, and with my family gone it seemed even more strange there. It was too quite and I was wishing that they were still there with me. I was still fighting tears, and I just did not have the energy or enthusiasm to go play with the children. So I talked with Dorothy for a little while, then decided to gather up the rest of my belongings and take them to my apartment.

After carrying my things to my apartment, I unsuccessfully tried to e-mail my family (even though I knew they were still on the plane). The internet was not working, and I wanted something to get my mind off of the fact that I was all alone. Cleaning and organizing my apartment and classroom was not going to be enough to take my mind off of things. I knew that if I did that, I would just think about my family while I did it. So, I called Dorothy's driver, Samuel. I asked him to call me when he was finished with work so that he could teach me how to “tap-tap”.

In Haiti, a tap-tap is a Haitian taxi. It is a small pick-up truck with a cap over the bed of the truck. In the bed, there are two benches welded in place (one across each side). There is no limit to how many people can fit in a tap-tap. The running jokes is: Question- How many people can you fit in a tap-tap? Answer- One more! Since I am living on my own now without a vehicle, I want to learn to get around like the Haitians do. I want to be able to be independent. So, I walked with Samuel from my apartment to the nearest tap-tap route. We flagged down a passing tap-tap and squeezed inside. It was about as comfortable as you would imagine riding in the back of a stuffy pick-up with 13 other grown adults to be (in other words not comfortable at all). We rode that tap-tap to the end of its route, got off, and paid the driver 10 goudes for each of us (roughly 25 cents US). From there, we walked the remainder of the way to the grocery store where I went shopping. From there, Samuel had to take one more tap-tap ride, a bus ride, and a motorcycle ride to get all the way to his house on the mountain.

At the grocery store, I only purchased as much as I could fit into my backpack because I knew that I would have to carry everything home. For about $35 US I bought a small bottle of cooking oil, butter, spaghetti, tomato sauce, salad dressing, yogurt, a small package of powdered dish washing detergent, a scrub brush, a toilet brush, and four rolls of toilet paper. Don't worry, I am not going to starve! I already have a few things in my fridge besides that. Not to mention the heat really affects my appetite. I feel like I've barely eaten all week. Shopping on my own today made me realize how much more expensive things are here in Haiti. I already knew that in theory, but shopping today really brought that to light. I won't be having very many gourmet meals here at my apartment, ha!

After paying for my groceries, I loaded up my backpack. Since Samuel was on his way up the mountain I was on my own. I walked from the grocery store to the nearest tap-tap station. I loaded up with 12 other people, paid my ten goudes, and road to my stop at Rue Catalpa. Then from there, I walked the remainder of the way to my little apartment. I really appreciate Samuel helping me, he is a very nice man. I called him as soon as I got home because he wanted to make sure that everything went ok for me on the tap-tap alone. To be honest, I could easily walk the entire way from my apartment to the grocery store. But, I wanted to practice riding a tap-tap (and it is really hot out, too).

Everything went well, and I am back safe and sound. It is raining lightly right now which has cooled things off a little. The puppy at the orphanage next door does not seem to be enjoying it. He is yipping and whining and it is making me miss my doggie, Jake. I am praying that my family is safe on their flight. They should be landing soon in New Jersey. I am praying that the internet will work so that I can actually post this blog (I'm typing it in Word right now). I am praying that the heaviness on my heart will lift as I settle back into life here in Haiti. I am praying that I will not feel alone. I am praying that if God is calling anyone to Haiti, that they will hear and obey His calling despite their own desires. I am praying for protection and guidance as I learn to live on my own here.

To end this blog post, I would like to share some of the highlights of my week:

-when our flight touched down in Haiti

-when I got to see “my kids” again

-having my family here in Haiti with me

-knowing what a leap of faith it was for my aunt and cousin to come to Haiti with me

-seeing the joy in my Dad's face throughout the entire week

-watching my mom work hard all week

-my sister being so easy going (like always) and just going with the flow no matter what we were doing

-my cousin, Kara, being so happy-go-lucky all the time and always brightening the room

-my aunt toughing it out despite being homesick and not feeling the greatest

-Kara and Aunt Kathy painting such a beautiful mural on my classroom wall

-Dad traveling “Haitian style” with Samuel for one whole day. He rode on two tap-taps, a bus, and a 125 cc motorcycle with two other grown men (if only I could have see that with my own eyes!)

-knowing that God's hand was in every part of this week

-seeing everyone in my family interacting with and loving on the kids

-having my family with me for this big transition into my own apartment

-having my family sleepover with me on my first night at the apartment

-listening to my dad attempting to speak Creole and building relationships with the nannies at Dorothy's

And now for the funniest sayings of the week (mostly from Kara):

-”Are you going to drink a Preggers, Steve?” (she was confused and reffering to a “Prestige” which is a Haitian beer. Needless to say we all looked at her funny and were a little confused)

-”Livingston” (Kara accidentally called Lovensky “Livingston”)

-”Wilmington” (again, Kara accidentally called Wilmerson “Wilmington”)

-”Wilkerton” (another one of Kara's names for Wilmerson)

-”Stinky” (Kara's name for Stripey, Dorothy's dog)

-”I wish I had diarrhea” (Abby after not being bound up for nearly the entire week) **hopefully this doesn't offend you**

-”Oh, I don't need anything to eat I still have a little bit of reserve fat on my love handles that I am living off of” (Kara after we hadn't eaten all day)

***I apologize for the poor quality pictures.  I left my camera transfer cord in the US so I cannot put any of the pictures from my camera online or on my computer.  So, I have resorted to using my iPod to take pictures (no flash)....it is better than nothing though!

My classroom (view facing doorway and chalkboard)

My classroom

Kara petting the poor little starving puppy that we found

poor baby :(

If only we could save every dog that looks like this...there are just too many

walking to Dorothy's from my apartment

walking

handmade paper beads at "The Apparent Project" in my neighborhood

Kara picking out jewelry to sell in her shop.  All the proceeds go to the Haitian men and women who made the jewlery

Abby checking out the jewelry and purses

My cousin Kara and my Aunt Kathy priming the wall of my classroom to paint a mural

Kara sketching the mural onto the wall

Starting to paint!

Abby and Kara painting

the almost finished mural...it is BEAUTIFUL!

in my apartment--the view from the kitchen into the living room...the bedroom is behind the living room and the bathroom is to the right of the kitchen

the view into my kitchen

my living room looking in from my front door

my bathroom

my bedroom

the view from my bedroom looking out into the living room

the view from my front door to the orphanage next door

the view from my balcony

Abby at feeding program

mom at feeding program

Kara at feeding program

Kara at feeding program