I am loving my time here in Haiti, i have been reminded today how blessed i am. To be in a country that i love, meeting new people everyday that remind me how GREAT God is. Life here has become very ‘normal’, very ‘everyday’. I have less structure then i have had before in Haiti, and because of this it feels more like i am just living my life rather then being on a trip that will come to an end like the other have. I have jobs that need to get done throughout the week, i have fun events to look forward to, i have friends, i have trips to the store, and market that need to be taken, and i just live.
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| the room on day one... what a mess, but we have settled in now! |
I have been very pleased with how EDV works. I love that we feel like a big group, no levels. There is freedom to talk to whomever, and work with a verity of people, and form connections, and some awesome friends. I feel wanted, needed,
and appreciated. I have some awesome news! i have moved in to a semi private room with Micaela! PLEASE CHEER WITH ME! communal living is fine, but it is really just SO nice to have a queen size bed to my self, and my own space! I was in the right place at the right time, when i heard that the house nurse, Laurenn, was moving upstairs to a newly empty room and that left her room that is just beside the girl dorm that i was in. I had really not been sleeping on there much since Micaela had arrived, i had been sleeping in the tent, BUT that just meant that i had to have my belongings in one place, and sleep in another, and it was getting to be a bit of a gong show. SO i was thrilled to move. Micaela and i did some spring cleaning in this room. STILL there is a ton of things that dont belong to us in there, but i have 2 drawers in the dresser, and my own bed, and some space to have time to my self. I can some days feel that wearing on me, but as a whole i am totally good with it all. Our room has kinda turned into a bit of a hang out for some of us girls. it was never that when Laurenn lived in there, but we have kinda changed things a bit. This does mean that it is a bit of a mess a lot of the time... BUT such is life, don’t sweat the small stuff right?!? OH and it is a bit of a hang out for a gecko that i chopped the tail off my accident, and for a small grey mouse. SO i have gotten over these facts, because the gecko eats bugs... like the much hated mosquitos... but the mouse just likes to eat the food that others bring in.... ‘Sunshine’ left her bowl of pop corn... and i was questioning her sanity on this... since i am the one that has to sleep in the same room as this ‘cute’ critter.
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| this one is for you Noella. we went to a pottery studio |
I had a week that consisted of simular things as to what i have been doing here in PAP. I did start something new though, as of monday Micaela and i are teaching english to the Kids at Carlo’s 3 days a week. so this means that i am there every afternoon. Between English and Art. I am really enjoying hearing my name called as i walk through the red gate everyday. I am learning more of their names, and trying to pick up some more Creole... but i have decided that i am a terrible student when it comes to learning this language... i will press on. Art class has been good! the kids are so cute discovering what they can make out of clay with their hands and a bit of imagination. I have not yet started the work/ building projects at Carlo’s, i have a few shelves to build, but time here is really something else... so maybe this week. ha, i will not hold my breath, but i will keep on reminding them about it. I am so this week cut the wood for 10 school bench/ desks. This then involved a TON of sanding and varnishing. We had a pretty good system down eventually. I hope i get to go and visit Val’s school/ orphanage this week for the final assembly, and to check out this project. it is hard to believe that i have been down at EDV all this time and still not gotten to some of the projects. I have been noticing somethings around the house that need fixing, so i have added those to my list... there was a nasty case of getting shocked every time you would turn off the light in the girls dorm bathroom. So i carved away at a face plate for the switch, and installed it... AHHHH so much better not getting shooting pains up your arm every time you turn off the light after your shower. I also installed some door hardware, and put up a ‘closet’ rod to hang clothes. Always interesting the things you find to make these ‘simple’ tasks happen. But we make it work :)
this might sounds silly, but the pool has become a very good friend of mine... the days are hot, my body is sore, i get clean(ish, at least for a bit) and it heals the mosquito bites! it has now been renamed the healing pool! OH and for as long as you can handle it you might even feel COLD if you stand in one place in the pool in the evening.
As i have mentioned, i have been meeting many people, and hanging out with them. it has been cool the places that i have been able to go, the tap tap and moto rides that i have experienced and fun times that i have had. Last weekend some of us went to ‘the lookout’ we went to watch the sun go down over PAP....( i have been missing seeing the mountains and having a view... there is NONE from most places around where i live. So up we went.... well we found our selfs in a cloud! you could not see a thing! but we had some fun anyways! lots of laughs, and many photos. while driving back we got below the clouds and the sun set was beautiful from the back seat of the truck. So on this journey i met a guy names Fred, he is one of Evens friend. Evens told me that he was getting married and that i was invited to the wedding. SO then over the course of the day i was asked to be the photographer for the wedding... so this last saturday evening i attended a Haitian Wedding. it was a cool experience! it is very different then any wedding i have been to. I tried my best to get some good photos with the fact that it was in a ‘club’, the strange lighting, the ton of other people taking photos up front with their phones, the man with the video camera that seemed to be in all the wrong places and all the wrong times... and then the power going out... OH and the VIP that was painted on the wall right behind where the bride was for the whole ceremony. HA i hope they are happy with the photos. funny experience. Some of the girls in the house helped me get ready, did my hair(that i had taken out of braids the day before) and did my make up, and helped supply me with a dress(should not have taken that one out at the last minute)
then after the wedding there was a ninja vs. pirate night at Grass Roots United.... this is another NGO not far from EDV. they are kind a bizarre group of people, but we all went to check it out. they really had put in quite the effort. the GRU bus had been turned into a pirate ship, and the workshop space into another world. As the rain fell we had shelter and some fun times. I took in just a small portion of this evening, but could tell that everyone was having a great time, and another bonding experience. funny funny people.... Now i sit, getting my hair redone in braids, it will be much more maintainable for the next 3 weeks as i hang out and work in Haiti! (and it will not be as nasty for when i come home, hahah it was SO DIRTY! Micaela told me there was a layer of saw dust on my scalp)
Another week, here it comes, Time is FLYING BY! Please i ask for your prayers, i have not felt 100% for the last week. my tummy and my back. i know that i will be OK, actually i will be more then OK, BUT i really would be happy if i DONT get sick sick over the next 3 weeks.
Much love you all, thanks for your love and support
As i have mentioned, i have been meeting many people, and hanging out with them. it has been cool the places that i have been able to go, the tap tap and moto rides that i have experienced and fun times that i have had. Last weekend some of us went to ‘the lookout’ we went to watch the sun go down over PAP....( i have been missing seeing the mountains and having a view... there is NONE from most places around where i live. So up we went.... well we found our selfs in a cloud! you could not see a thing! but we had some fun anyways! lots of laughs, and many photos. while driving back we got below the clouds and the sun set was beautiful from the back seat of the truck. So on this journey i met a guy names Fred, he is one of Evens friend. Evens told me that he was getting married and that i was invited to the wedding. SO then over the course of the day i was asked to be the photographer for the wedding... so this last saturday evening i attended a Haitian Wedding. it was a cool experience! it is very different then any wedding i have been to. I tried my best to get some good photos with the fact that it was in a ‘club’, the strange lighting, the ton of other people taking photos up front with their phones, the man with the video camera that seemed to be in all the wrong places and all the wrong times... and then the power going out... OH and the VIP that was painted on the wall right behind where the bride was for the whole ceremony. HA i hope they are happy with the photos. funny experience. Some of the girls in the house helped me get ready, did my hair(that i had taken out of braids the day before) and did my make up, and helped supply me with a dress(should not have taken that one out at the last minute)
