more photos!

I went to a graduation party for this girl. And she wanted a photo with me

beauty in the small things. 

working on the mural with Micaela for Julie's workshop

getting closer to being finished

Wilkonson fell asleep in class. almost every day one or  two of them doze off. we dont mind though

very hard at work. Learning "I" "He" "She" "you" "we"

tuesday morning, all ready to leave for work. i worked on base all morning, so i wished them a good day.

just some photos to keep you all apart of my life

Wilkonson, one happy little boy that loves chatting with me. he also speaks english very well!

Laundry day

another day at art class

the Haitian way, Evens and i celebrating at Johnson's 30th bday

too cute baby!

 Written friday

Well friends, it has been too long! sorry about that. I have had a good week, and it has flown bye. i have been busy. We  have been finishing up some projects at Julie’s and starting some new ones. Also we have been doing art class and i have kinda taken Carlo’s under my wing. i really have a heart for them. I am trying to figure out the best way to be apart of that place long term. I will keep you all up to date on that. I have decided to try to find little projects there that i can work on. today i collected the laundry from the roof for example. I know that i can not change all the customs of this country, but again i say.. one by one i can make a positive influence. I have asked Carlo if i can help him with his office. I will build shelves and storage for supplies. Of which are next to none right now. I am working on that too. I was given some things from GLA for whoever i felt i met that was in need and i was so happy to open those bins/ boxes to see some perfect items for at Carlo’s.  We have had 4 art classes now, and the kids are really loving it. Evens is a great teacher, and i wonder sometimes how much i am helping BUT we are getting better at being a team. It mostly is just that he obviously teaches in Creole, so i feel more lost then the kids most of the time. 

art class! sculpting faces

Great news, Micaela joined me down at EDV last monday! i was so so happy. I was out on site when she called me that she had arrived in PAP. I knew her feelings of adjusting, and new sites, sounds, smells. I was happy to have experienced it so i could help her out throughout the week.  we have mostly worked together all week. But she is really getting in the swing of things, and it is cool to watch. Bad news of last monday was i smashed my thumb with a hammer.... but it is healing up just fine, i only have a partial black nail to show for it now.

Written monday

SO I am siting here typing to you all, and NOT getting on an airplane today. I have extended my trip. I will be home in a month from now. SO my trip has almost doubled in time, and i feel so blessed to be here! I just was not feeling like i was done. At this point i dont feel like i will be ready in month from now either, but i know at that point  my body will need a break. I will be happy to have a shower that gets me clean and wear clothes that are not covered in PAP filth.   BUT for now i am more then thrilled be here! 

Communal living is interesting, but i am doing pretty well at it i think.  People everywhere all the time, but for some reason i seem totally cool with it almost all the time! that is a totally answer to prayer.  I get along with everyone, i am not friends with everyone but im cool with everyone. there is word that i can move into a room that is just for a couple of us soon. So i think that Micaela and i will soon be moving out of the dorm. there are currently 7 of us in there.  it is rather tight... and by no means a relaxing place to go to. 

tent on the ledge... in the insane rain!

Micaela and I at the corner for Johnsons 30th bday

Dust

--no photos... yet... so just picture it with me ok--

I realized how DIRTY it is...... tonight i moved into a tent for a bit of a trial run, dont know how it will be here. I mean i love camping.. but this is out on a ledge that is about 1.25 stories up and surrounded in concrete. hmm. BUT our room was SO freaking hot last night i did not know what to do with myself. AND there was a dog that barked from probably 430 am till like 645. i know that it will not be quite where i am but i will have my own space for a few nights.  OK so how i knew it was very dirty... i was crawling up the very steep ladder to my tent ledge, and my head lamp was on, and it was windy... and if was like i was out 4x4ing on a crazy dry mountain in BC. WOW.  my poor lungs. today.... and the last few days in PAP have been........ HOT, i was in a tent today helping teach a art class, and i dont know if i have ever had so much sweat when doing next to nothing.  i think in the tent it was like close to 45 degrees... intense! so i am HOT, and covered in dust.... so this tan i look down at might not be as dark as i think ;)


Today when i left the site(julie's) early i decided to walk a new way home, turns out it was like the hottest day, and i totally picked a longer route. but i got a new view,  I am amazed that i am here, and that i am walking the streets of PAP. I mean that sounds bad... but it is not! i am still being totally wise.  so i left early, took the long way, and had TONS of time to spare.... OH Haitian time.  I was excited for my afternoon. I was headed to Carlos's 'orphanage' to help teach a art expressions class. I had shown interest in doing some more things with kids and such. I approached Tom when i got back this week and he had a good option for me. turns out it is the most perfect thing for me. i am so in love with Haiti more and more as i get to experience new things, see new places and meet new people. Evans, my teaching buddy( the actual artist) had some trouble getting the Clay. so i waited and got some other things done. And then i headed down there, apparently he was on his way.  the kids where.... lacking energy... the vide was chill.. I realized then JUST how HOT it really was.  i pulled out some crayons and paper that i had thrown in my bag at the last min and we coloured. they are just so cute.


Probably 2 hours after we had planned we got to our class. Carlos put together a list of the kids that could probably handle it, and we started. OR rather i should say that Evans started... he is really passionate about it and it was awesome to see him lead this lesson. It is going to be a 3 month class and in the last 2 weeks the kids will sculpt whatever they feel lead to. There will be a show at the end where they can show what they have done! very cool. I am really excited to be apart of this for the rest of my time in Haiti. I know that to some if might not seem all that useful, but you should see these kids! And Evans  teaches them as he goes, very cool. today it was as simple as, telling them not to eat it... there is apparently something that is made out of clay that they eat.. BUT SHOULDNT! already in those few seconds, one girl had little bits on the side of her mouth..... we will teach, we will love, we will make art. I am super excited!


so... between the dust that flies and the clay covered hands... i dont see an end in sight to the filth... 


I love it.

an AWESOME afternoon!

I joined Caitlin at Carlos' Orphanage this afternoon, she has been doing teaching there, and playing with the kids. I am super excited to continue hanging out there in the afternoons for hopefully most days for the next couple weeks.

Found this boy around the corner from all the kids who had joined in the teaching of the day. He was crying, so i knelt down and spent some time with him. Did not take long to get a smile out of him!

Colour by number! shapes and colours

such Focus to learn... atleast for a little bit

we traced each others hands :)

her true colours came out pretty quick!

I wrote on this little guys paper, and then he copied it... but the strange thing was we turned the page upside down and wrote it that way... hmmm i will have to work on that!

we had lots of fun, playing musical tires!

some duck duck goose

a resting place

what a week!

kinda feel like i have so much to tell. Some days we got a lot done, some days we struggled. from having no power, to not being about to make our designs work, to sickness(NOT ME!!!). there seemed to be many hurdles to cross.  I was able to build some more stools for the workshop, and help finish the  structure for the sanding station of the workshop. we also smashed some rubble, and poured the base for a shower, and designed and built the shower( i actually was on another task, so i did not help put up the shower, but cut the wood at the house for it) i will be sure to check it out in the next few days to see the final product!

lunch to share! 2 people ate off this and it only cost 75 goudes.
40 goudes is a US dollar. SO GOOD

off with the left overs

Rubble

some of our EDV team. over hanging out at Grass Roots for EARTH DAY on friday.

Finally found a kid to hang out with. actually he found me. too cute

I have enjoyed getting to know people here at the house. there are some very interesting ones. I have really missed Haitians though... can you believe it?!? i am right here in this country and i miss them. with the jobs i have been doing i have little interaction with them. SO i find ways... or i am trying to. I have been able to talk to some people in the community and have now asked to be apart of another project that will allow me some time with kids. I am going to be doing arts and crafts with them. Expression projects! i am so thrilled to give this a go! i will be sure to let you all know how it turns out. 


I had an awesome weekend!!! I had planned to go visit at GLA this weekend SO 3 of my haitian friends, and Micaela came down for part of the day on saturday. we swam in the pool we have here on base, and just had some good laughs. then we traveled to GLA on tap taps.  this was such a cool experience. i am SURE happy i had Nationals with my though.. i would have for sure not been able to figure it out. but might be able to now. people where for the most part nice though. just a busy and interesting perspective that i have not experienced before!

most amazing sun sets as we walked down the hill to GLA on saturday evening. I dont see these in PAP.

purple play ground!

I had an amazing time up at GLA. really nice to sleep in a COOL and COMFORTABLE bed, and to see my friends and to get so many hugs.  I was so happy to hang out with my babies and see how they have grown over the last week and a bit since i was there.  And the play ground that i have worked on has been painted! looks great.  some of us went on an adventure and it was BEAUTIFUL in the mountains. i really miss that when i am down in the city. 

a new friend we found up near the waterfall

turns out my red hair buddy is super cool! i missed her like MAD while i was in PAP. now back to missing her, but had a SUPER fun time with her this weekend!

today i was much happier to return here to EDV then when i first arrived. mostly because there are less unknowns. 


i am happy to head into another work week. today i taught a lady some carpentry skills, and we built a shelf together. finished it off my head laps. haha 

SANDALS

check out http://www.facebook.com/REBUILDglobally

currently this employs 9 workers.... TOO SMALL!

i am currently working on the ware house that will employ 40 or so haitians. they make tire sandals and i am rocking a pair! please let me know if you would like some. I will bring home a "wholesale lot" of them and they will be 15$ each. VERY COOL! for an amazing project!

here is their store BUT i will bring them right to you and save you 10$ plus 7.50 in shipping. SO LET ME KNOW BY NEXT WEEK!!!!!


here is a photo of the 'rough'  sandals.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=197570083604771&set=a.197564413605338.56717.131671523527961&type=1&theater