Dear Blog Readers,
My family comes in three days. Whoo-hoo!!! I'm so excited. God knew that I would need my family, in the flesh, at just this time. He is so good to me.
I'm all in a tither. I've been baking and washing and cleaning and prepping and making all kinds of lists...which I'm sure will prove utterly pointless in the long run. Haiti has a fabulous way of ruining even the best laid plans. It helps to be extremely flexible because things never work out exactly the way you think they should. But, I did need more food. I don't think my family would appreciate eating peanut butter sandwiches for two meals a day and cinnamon/sugar bread for the other. Sometimes I eat eggs or oatmeal since they take me longer to eat than to make (my standard for how long a full meal prep should take), but I don't really keep excess groceries lying around. And, I needed to clean. We haven't had a cleaning lady for a while, and Haiti is very dusty and web friendly. It doesn't take long for the house to be truly dirty. The rats eat almonds out on the porch and make a big ol' mess at night, and the spiders are diligent in their quest to create a beautiful little death traps for all the insects that fly around our humble abode. In any case, we hired Jete, a very nice woman who works for the Gutweins on most days, to help us clean during the week. I think it will be an excellent arrangement.
Thanks to all of you who wrote me such nice notes and prayed for my healing. I am feeling better, but I still have this little phlegmy cough and my voice is not ready for Carnegie Hall. It's not even shower ready, but I'm feeling much better, and that's what counts. I spent the first part of the week resting. I went into work Monday and left at noon. I stayed home on Tuesday and tried again on Wednesday. I think I was driving them crazy with my barking cough followed by gagging phlegm. I was driving myself crazy! So, I rested Wednesday afternoon, but I wanted to go to Bible study that night. It was Tess' last night in Haiti, and I wanted to spend one more evening in worship with her. She flew back to the States on Thursday and promptly had a job interview on Friday. She's so talented, I know she'll do great and meaningful work wherever she ends up.
Life goes on. On Friday, I took my afternoon to shop in town and get the aforementioned food. I tried to find the yummy things, but the choices are always limited. I love to look at cookbooks (which is baffling since I have very little intention of ever really cooking, but they are creative and useful, two qualities which I deeply admire). As I look, I have to keep in mind the ingredients that are available to me. We don't have the "regular" fruit here, so pies are pretty much out. You can't find brown sugar, which by the way, is what makes cookies soft. Yeah, I learned that little fact when I exchanged brown sugar in an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe for white sugar, since that was all I had, and ended up with oatmeal crisps. Like crunchy cookies with raisin accents. Very poorly done. It's a big treat to find cream cheese and meat is questionable. I have a hard time distinguishing between spam and ham when it's in the fridge wrapped in paper, so I generally pass. But, it is amazing what you can find in town considering it's all shipped in from around the globe.
Friday evening, Sheila and I went to a single ladies waffle night at Beth and Suzanne's house. Suzanne made pudding, the kind you have to cook. I always thought pudding came in those little pudding cups or was whipped together out of a box with cups of cold milk. It was delicious! When I put that thick, vanilla pudding on my waffle, it was just like eating one of those donuts filled with Bavarian cream. Mmmm....donuts....
Anyway, Saturday was a baking day. I made peanut butter cookies (executed poorly), soft chocolate chip cookies (executed brilliantly), muffins (bag mix-add water), and a chicken casserole in which I took great liberties with the ingredients and amounts (we'll see). Saturday was also Tim's birthday and Andrew's last free day in Haiti, so we went to Pan Dora. It's a little restaurant in Cayes that serves hamburgers and pizza. I think I embarrassed Tim when I whipped out a cupcake and candle while we forced him to endure "Happy Birthday." The restaurant staff caught on and starting pumping their version of the song through the speakers. A good time was had by all... (That's kind of an inside joke in our family. At the Fiechter reunion, someone always reads the minutes from the last year and ends with "A good time was had by all." Did anyone else ever notice that?)
Today, the gathering at Renault was the biggest I've ever seen there. It was a special day because the Wray's were distributing bags of rice pilaf and cans of turkey to celebrate Mother's Day here in Haiti. There was easily 1000 children there. I tried to count children on benches and multiply that by the number of benches, but it was simply too overwhelming. All in all, it went very well inside the gate. It got a little physical outside the gate. It's difficult for the children to get home with their treasures because the older children or adults outside the gate will push them down and take their food. Rod and some of the older teens created a human gauntlet of sorts that allowed the children safe passage through the crowd. Upon receiving their bags of rice, the smart kids immediately stuffed it into their pants or under their shirts for safety. And, the Wray's started using hard plastic plates today and real spoons! It's more economical...and more colorful (!)...and creates less waste now that the kids are trained to return their utensils. It was a very satisfying way to spend a Sunday morning.
I'm so excited to show my family all the things and people and places that I've been talking about for the last 10 months. Now, when I say I'm going into Cayes or stopping at Madam Util's or heading to Rainbow beach or Port Salut, they'll know what or where it is. I'm just so thankful to see them again.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/May20095?feat=directlink
Lots of love,
Abby
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Just Plain Sick
Dear Blog Readers,
I'm sick. I have this gaggy, hacking, body-racking cough. My lungs ache, and I've lost most of my voice. Interestingly enough, I've found that when you whisper at people, they tend to whisper back at you. It makes for many quiet exchanges. I'm chugging tea and colloidal silver and chewing as many vitamin C's as I can. It's been a wretched week.
All that rain I mentioned last Monday just kept on coming. By Tuesday morning, Cayes was flooded and the river came over the bridge. The UN helped the situation by directing traffic and maintaining order, but the flooding devastated houses and gardens. It was still raining on Wednesday, but the flood waters had receded somewhat. We had so much lightening that I was concerned about our computer equipment at the office, and when I went to check on it Tuesday morning, there was standing water in the reception area. Apparently, the outer doors and window slats are no match for driving rain. After church Wednesday night, I began to feel this tightness in my chest. I wasn't feeling the greatest on Thursday (in spirit or in body), but we had an evaluation team visiting Child Care in the morning, so I made my appearance for the meeting and left quickly afterwards. I stayed home from work on Friday and tried to doctor myself while getting my laundry done. It was the first truly dry day for a week, so I had to take advantage of it.
Saturday, I spent a lot of time on the couch, but I was able to babysit the Pfister kids last night. We played Chutes and Ladders and Uno. Today, I've barely moved from my reclined position. I have precisely six movies and three books on the table in front of me, in addition to a cup of tea, a roll of toilet paper, a bottle of vitamin C's, my glasses, and a pair of earphones. I listened to the services from Bluffton North and watched to two Jane Austen films while drinking numerous cups of a chamomile concoction.
Truthfully, I'm not looking forward to next week. My spirits are low, my throat is raw, my nose is peeling, and Tess is leaving for the States. As down as I am now, I'm sure my spirits will be much improved by the following week. My Dad and two sisters are coming for a visit! I've been looking forward to this since March. Grace is planning on staying for the month of June, and I'm traveling back with her in July. I must say, I'm very excited to have them here! It gets lonely.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/May20094Flood?feat=directlink
I'm making myself another cup of tea. I'm going to float to my bed tonight, but if my throat feels better by morning, it will all be worth it. Thanks for the prayers. It's been a rough week.
Abby
I'm sick. I have this gaggy, hacking, body-racking cough. My lungs ache, and I've lost most of my voice. Interestingly enough, I've found that when you whisper at people, they tend to whisper back at you. It makes for many quiet exchanges. I'm chugging tea and colloidal silver and chewing as many vitamin C's as I can. It's been a wretched week.
All that rain I mentioned last Monday just kept on coming. By Tuesday morning, Cayes was flooded and the river came over the bridge. The UN helped the situation by directing traffic and maintaining order, but the flooding devastated houses and gardens. It was still raining on Wednesday, but the flood waters had receded somewhat. We had so much lightening that I was concerned about our computer equipment at the office, and when I went to check on it Tuesday morning, there was standing water in the reception area. Apparently, the outer doors and window slats are no match for driving rain. After church Wednesday night, I began to feel this tightness in my chest. I wasn't feeling the greatest on Thursday (in spirit or in body), but we had an evaluation team visiting Child Care in the morning, so I made my appearance for the meeting and left quickly afterwards. I stayed home from work on Friday and tried to doctor myself while getting my laundry done. It was the first truly dry day for a week, so I had to take advantage of it.
Saturday, I spent a lot of time on the couch, but I was able to babysit the Pfister kids last night. We played Chutes and Ladders and Uno. Today, I've barely moved from my reclined position. I have precisely six movies and three books on the table in front of me, in addition to a cup of tea, a roll of toilet paper, a bottle of vitamin C's, my glasses, and a pair of earphones. I listened to the services from Bluffton North and watched to two Jane Austen films while drinking numerous cups of a chamomile concoction.
Truthfully, I'm not looking forward to next week. My spirits are low, my throat is raw, my nose is peeling, and Tess is leaving for the States. As down as I am now, I'm sure my spirits will be much improved by the following week. My Dad and two sisters are coming for a visit! I've been looking forward to this since March. Grace is planning on staying for the month of June, and I'm traveling back with her in July. I must say, I'm very excited to have them here! It gets lonely.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/May20094Flood?feat=directlink
I'm making myself another cup of tea. I'm going to float to my bed tonight, but if my throat feels better by morning, it will all be worth it. Thanks for the prayers. It's been a rough week.
Abby
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The Highlights
Dear Family and Friends,
It’s raining. Really raining. Sheets of rain. It’s actually Monday morning here, but I’m going to date this blog for Sunday night because I enjoy continuity and because I can.
It’s been raining off and on for two days. I’m feeling permanently damp. The concrete floors seem to have a continuous sheen of moisture and the rugs feel clammy. I ran my finger over my computer this morning leaving a little line in the dampness. Thank goodness, I don’t have to go to work. It’s Flag Day in Haiti, and all the MEBSH offices and banks are closed. It would be a very unpleasant walk up the hill to the office; I haven’t quite learned to walk in mud yet without wearing some of it all day.
The highlights from last week:
Visiting Tess in the hospital after she and Jan went down on his motorcycle. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but according to the pictures Val took, knee stitches do NOT look fun. They were maybe four hours away from the clinic, but Tess insists that her knee went numb after a while and she didn’t have much pain on the way back. Unfortunately, she can’t say the same thing about being numbed up for the stitches. Check out that needle in the pictures and you’ll see what I mean. OUCH!! The gash was deep enough to need inside stitches and outside ones, too. I told Evil Knievel to keep the high flying entertainment to a minimum this week.
Hosting a movie/dance night with Tess, Alisha, and Kara where we forced Andrew to practice the samba with us (being the only boy in the group) and did the electric slide around the living room. The night evolved into Indian leg wrestling followed by the limbo. We ended the night just chatting and eating pretzels.
Unpacking the container and receiving 500+ school and health kits for Child Care, as well as our new motorcycle for the Child Care school inspector. I got three amazing boxes from my family and my cousins, Leah and Liz. Plus, I am now sitting on our new couch from my sister, Molly. Previously, we were couch sitting for the Reinhards until their new house was done and ready for furniture. I’m so thankful for it as I very often spill out into the living room to work, read, or chat. My room just doesn’t have the airflow to stay cool during the evening hours. So, I really appreciate a good couch, and I’m loving this one. Thanks, Molly!
Learning to drive the old Toyota and making my first solo drive on the main road into Cayes. My uncle, Ted Habegger, taught me to drive a stick shift in the States in March. Nick and Leah graciously let me borrow their car to practice with for a week, but I haven’t had any practice since. On Saturday, Jan took me out to practice with the old Toyota. Then, he let me drive Andrew to Azile Dorcus as he rode along. Finally, when Andrew was done, he let me pick him up all by myself. Yes, I killed it three times sitting in the Gutwein’s yard until I realized the emergency break was on just doing its job, but other than that, no problems.
Enjoying the fellowship and support team that came in Saturday and having a singing with them on the Gutwein porch Sunday night. We visited Azile Dorcus after church and were stuck there for an hour as sheets of rain poured down from the sky. We couldn’t even sing because the noise was so tremendous on the tin roof.
If you have a weak stomach, don’t look at Tess’ stitching pictures. Yikes! And, a big Happy Birthday to my brother, Joe, one of my best friends, Stefanie Kipfer, and my Dad. I love you!
It’s raining. Really raining. Sheets of rain. It’s actually Monday morning here, but I’m going to date this blog for Sunday night because I enjoy continuity and because I can.
It’s been raining off and on for two days. I’m feeling permanently damp. The concrete floors seem to have a continuous sheen of moisture and the rugs feel clammy. I ran my finger over my computer this morning leaving a little line in the dampness. Thank goodness, I don’t have to go to work. It’s Flag Day in Haiti, and all the MEBSH offices and banks are closed. It would be a very unpleasant walk up the hill to the office; I haven’t quite learned to walk in mud yet without wearing some of it all day.
The highlights from last week:
Visiting Tess in the hospital after she and Jan went down on his motorcycle. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but according to the pictures Val took, knee stitches do NOT look fun. They were maybe four hours away from the clinic, but Tess insists that her knee went numb after a while and she didn’t have much pain on the way back. Unfortunately, she can’t say the same thing about being numbed up for the stitches. Check out that needle in the pictures and you’ll see what I mean. OUCH!! The gash was deep enough to need inside stitches and outside ones, too. I told Evil Knievel to keep the high flying entertainment to a minimum this week.
Hosting a movie/dance night with Tess, Alisha, and Kara where we forced Andrew to practice the samba with us (being the only boy in the group) and did the electric slide around the living room. The night evolved into Indian leg wrestling followed by the limbo. We ended the night just chatting and eating pretzels.
Unpacking the container and receiving 500+ school and health kits for Child Care, as well as our new motorcycle for the Child Care school inspector. I got three amazing boxes from my family and my cousins, Leah and Liz. Plus, I am now sitting on our new couch from my sister, Molly. Previously, we were couch sitting for the Reinhards until their new house was done and ready for furniture. I’m so thankful for it as I very often spill out into the living room to work, read, or chat. My room just doesn’t have the airflow to stay cool during the evening hours. So, I really appreciate a good couch, and I’m loving this one. Thanks, Molly!
Learning to drive the old Toyota and making my first solo drive on the main road into Cayes. My uncle, Ted Habegger, taught me to drive a stick shift in the States in March. Nick and Leah graciously let me borrow their car to practice with for a week, but I haven’t had any practice since. On Saturday, Jan took me out to practice with the old Toyota. Then, he let me drive Andrew to Azile Dorcus as he rode along. Finally, when Andrew was done, he let me pick him up all by myself. Yes, I killed it three times sitting in the Gutwein’s yard until I realized the emergency break was on just doing its job, but other than that, no problems.
Enjoying the fellowship and support team that came in Saturday and having a singing with them on the Gutwein porch Sunday night. We visited Azile Dorcus after church and were stuck there for an hour as sheets of rain poured down from the sky. We couldn’t even sing because the noise was so tremendous on the tin roof.
If you have a weak stomach, don’t look at Tess’ stitching pictures. Yikes! And, a big Happy Birthday to my brother, Joe, one of my best friends, Stefanie Kipfer, and my Dad. I love you!
A bushel and a peck and a squeeze around the neck,
Abby
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Mother’s Day! I once heard that Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for the phone company, so I called my mama yesterday to be sure I got through. See what a good daughter I am.
This week contained an array of events, some documented on film and others left to the imagination. Monday evening, I attended a missionary orientation for the Pfisters. This included the answers to questions like, “What should I take with me when driving?” and “What do I do if my dog bites someone or kills someone’s animal?” (Answers: Your license, identity card, money, water, tool kit, and first aid kit AND pay, pay, pay.) I learned a few things as well, like where to buy fresh fish and the natural dangers of Haiti including, but not limited to, black widow spiders and scorpions. (This was later validated when Sheila found a good-sized scorpion in her shower. Ewwww. And I repeat, EWWWW!!) Other areas covered: What to do when you have an accident, dealing with beggars, food preparation, and cultural expectations for weddings and funerals.
Tuesday, Sheila and I hosted tea. We served peanut butter popcorn, ham and cheese bites, chocolate butterscotch cookies, mangos, watermelon, and juice. We had a very nice turnout. Before tea, I went into town with Tess and Andrew to do some clothes shopping. Andrew really didn’t have any dressy clothes to wear to church, and Haitians always look very sharp when attending, so Tess and I took him shopping on the Kennedy. The Kennedy is a few streets in Cayes with masses of clothing, like an outdoor Goodwill or Salvation Army. In fact, many of the clothes on the Kennedy come from those places. It got its name from JKF who began sending huge bales of clothing to Haiti when he was President as part of our charity to the poorest country in our hemisphere. The name stuck. It’s not quite like Target or Wal-Mart, but Tess and Alisha are amazing at finding good deals among all the rubbish. It’s like a gigantic garage sale. The only difference is bartering madly with the vendors and stepping over ditches full of sewer water to check out a size on a shirt....otherwise, totally the same.
A bunch of the teenagers on the compound came over on Tuesday night to play a few games. There was much gaiety and competition. The game of Spoons got semi-violent and Pictionary became an all out rumble. Good times.
Wednesday, Volker had the Bible study on Jesus: The Crown and the Cross. It was inspiring! A medical team lead by Dr. Keith Knepp came in on Wednesday, as well. They spent the next two days working at mobile clinics and seeing patients. Thursday was a little bit of a catch-up day for me with nothing of interest to report except that I had a ham and cheese sandwich for supper and went to sleep early.
Friday, I was getting ready for work when Rich called with a babysitting request. He needed to take a few of his LSM kids to the mobile clinic and Amber wanted to ride along. They took Silas, and I took the four others. We watched two short movies (one about motorcycles and the other about lumberjacks), took a short ride to Simon for cookies and drinks, a long 4-wheeler ride through some rather deep mud puddles, and a nice stroll to visit the Gutweins and introduce Daisy (the Pfister’s new puppy) to Bella (the Gutwein’s new kitty). I was having a late lunch around two that afternoon when Val came over to borrow my 4-wheeler. As I went to get the keys, I heard her say, “Oh, there’s smoke in your house. Oh, we have a fire!” Sure enough, there was a fire in my bathroom. As it turns out, an uncapped ground wire accidentally got charged by touching a live wire, sparked, and started to burn. It didn’t do much harm; my house is made of concrete. Rod Wray came over and check it out, declared it very unusual, and recommended capping all the wires in the box. I readily agreed.
Saturday, Dr. Keith and his team members gave us an excellent session on first aid and emergency care. We learned the ABC’s (airway, breathing, cardiac) to help an unconscious person, moving and stabilizing a person after a fall, how to treat heat stroke, and how to stop bleeding just about anywhere. It was very informative, although I hope we never have to use it. Saturday afternoon, I went to Rainbow beach with the team. It was a stellar afternoon; the water was clear and the sun was bright. We had a singing on the Pfister porch that evening. It was nice to pull out the Hymns of Zion and sing some old favorites.
Sunday morning, I listened to Bluffton North services (Hannah and Samuel in honor of Mother’s Day). We all met up for lunch at the Nami and then proceeded to Azile Dorcus, the nursing home in Cayes. It’s definitely not a Christian Care, but the residents do receives meals, beds, and medical care. We planned an outing to Jelly Beach for the residents. It’s very close to Cayes and the local church helped to host our party. The residents thoroughly enjoyed themselves! One man hadn’t been out since 2004! They simply don’t have the staff or vehicles to take their residents anywhere enjoyable. Nearly all the residents ended up in the water at some point; it was a blessing for me to witness their pleasure and contentment while enjoying the ocean.
Happy Mother’s Day! I once heard that Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for the phone company, so I called my mama yesterday to be sure I got through. See what a good daughter I am.
This week contained an array of events, some documented on film and others left to the imagination. Monday evening, I attended a missionary orientation for the Pfisters. This included the answers to questions like, “What should I take with me when driving?” and “What do I do if my dog bites someone or kills someone’s animal?” (Answers: Your license, identity card, money, water, tool kit, and first aid kit AND pay, pay, pay.) I learned a few things as well, like where to buy fresh fish and the natural dangers of Haiti including, but not limited to, black widow spiders and scorpions. (This was later validated when Sheila found a good-sized scorpion in her shower. Ewwww. And I repeat, EWWWW!!) Other areas covered: What to do when you have an accident, dealing with beggars, food preparation, and cultural expectations for weddings and funerals.
Tuesday, Sheila and I hosted tea. We served peanut butter popcorn, ham and cheese bites, chocolate butterscotch cookies, mangos, watermelon, and juice. We had a very nice turnout. Before tea, I went into town with Tess and Andrew to do some clothes shopping. Andrew really didn’t have any dressy clothes to wear to church, and Haitians always look very sharp when attending, so Tess and I took him shopping on the Kennedy. The Kennedy is a few streets in Cayes with masses of clothing, like an outdoor Goodwill or Salvation Army. In fact, many of the clothes on the Kennedy come from those places. It got its name from JKF who began sending huge bales of clothing to Haiti when he was President as part of our charity to the poorest country in our hemisphere. The name stuck. It’s not quite like Target or Wal-Mart, but Tess and Alisha are amazing at finding good deals among all the rubbish. It’s like a gigantic garage sale. The only difference is bartering madly with the vendors and stepping over ditches full of sewer water to check out a size on a shirt....otherwise, totally the same.
A bunch of the teenagers on the compound came over on Tuesday night to play a few games. There was much gaiety and competition. The game of Spoons got semi-violent and Pictionary became an all out rumble. Good times.
Wednesday, Volker had the Bible study on Jesus: The Crown and the Cross. It was inspiring! A medical team lead by Dr. Keith Knepp came in on Wednesday, as well. They spent the next two days working at mobile clinics and seeing patients. Thursday was a little bit of a catch-up day for me with nothing of interest to report except that I had a ham and cheese sandwich for supper and went to sleep early.
Friday, I was getting ready for work when Rich called with a babysitting request. He needed to take a few of his LSM kids to the mobile clinic and Amber wanted to ride along. They took Silas, and I took the four others. We watched two short movies (one about motorcycles and the other about lumberjacks), took a short ride to Simon for cookies and drinks, a long 4-wheeler ride through some rather deep mud puddles, and a nice stroll to visit the Gutweins and introduce Daisy (the Pfister’s new puppy) to Bella (the Gutwein’s new kitty). I was having a late lunch around two that afternoon when Val came over to borrow my 4-wheeler. As I went to get the keys, I heard her say, “Oh, there’s smoke in your house. Oh, we have a fire!” Sure enough, there was a fire in my bathroom. As it turns out, an uncapped ground wire accidentally got charged by touching a live wire, sparked, and started to burn. It didn’t do much harm; my house is made of concrete. Rod Wray came over and check it out, declared it very unusual, and recommended capping all the wires in the box. I readily agreed.
Saturday, Dr. Keith and his team members gave us an excellent session on first aid and emergency care. We learned the ABC’s (airway, breathing, cardiac) to help an unconscious person, moving and stabilizing a person after a fall, how to treat heat stroke, and how to stop bleeding just about anywhere. It was very informative, although I hope we never have to use it. Saturday afternoon, I went to Rainbow beach with the team. It was a stellar afternoon; the water was clear and the sun was bright. We had a singing on the Pfister porch that evening. It was nice to pull out the Hymns of Zion and sing some old favorites.
Sunday morning, I listened to Bluffton North services (Hannah and Samuel in honor of Mother’s Day). We all met up for lunch at the Nami and then proceeded to Azile Dorcus, the nursing home in Cayes. It’s definitely not a Christian Care, but the residents do receives meals, beds, and medical care. We planned an outing to Jelly Beach for the residents. It’s very close to Cayes and the local church helped to host our party. The residents thoroughly enjoyed themselves! One man hadn’t been out since 2004! They simply don’t have the staff or vehicles to take their residents anywhere enjoyable. Nearly all the residents ended up in the water at some point; it was a blessing for me to witness their pleasure and contentment while enjoying the ocean.
I don’t know what this week holds for me, but I know I can rest in the knowledge that God is in control. Blessings,
Abby
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Island of Cows...and Mangos
Yes. I know I missed a week, but it’s hard to blog on “The Island of Cows.” That would be Illavach, and trust me, I stepped in enough of their poo while trekking from village to village to fully believe that the name is appropriate and justified.
The last two weeks have gone fast. I spent some quality time with the Pfister kids. We took a little field trip to Tet Simon where the kids played in the pond fed by an artesian well. It’s good for me to spend time with fresh eyes. Everything is still an adventure, fun and exciting. They invigorate my perspective of Haiti; I sometimes only see the dust and poverty. We painted sun catchers on my porch, snacked on popcorn and peanut butter M&Ms (Thanks, Ann!), watched a movie, jumped on the trampoline, took a 4-wheeler ride, and played in the tree house.
Two weeks ago, the MEBSH church in Simon hosted the Convention. It’s a bit like our elder conference. It draws huge crowds of people from all over – pastors, deacons, teachers, and church members come to hear speakers, praise God for the past year, and plan for the next. Our generally small village of Simon became a beehive of activity – vendors set up shop in every nook and cranny selling drinks, rice and beans, fried plantains and breadfruit, clothes, books, bags, and shoes. I wanted to attend one of the many services, just for the experience, and I did – for exactly 10 minutes. It took me that long to realize that the Simon church was only going to get hotter and tighter with more and more people, and since it was already stifling (at 9 AM), I decided I had experienced enough of the Convention and went home. Amber, Katelyn, and I went into town that morning and took a little tour of the action in Cayes.
Saturday, I headed to Illavach with a work team led by Anne Nelson, the daughter of Bob and Vera Stewart. Vera Stewart is the founder of Child Care. She turned 80 this year. Her name is still spoken reverently inside the walls of the office. Anne is amazing and her team was wonderful. I want to be Anne when I grow up. She travels the world doing pro-life seminars, speaking for and defending the unborn. She is fluent in Creole and French and has an excellent sense of humor. I loved watching Anne and David work together, the strength and playfulness in their marriage. It is such a testimony of God’s love.
At the first job site, Madam Bernard, we ladies built 10 church benches and the men put a new, larger roof on the church. The team showed the Jesus film in Creole on Sunday night and a National Geographic film titled “In the Womb” on Monday night. The second film was in English, so Anne had to interpret various parts, but a picture is worth 1000 words, in English or Creole. The whole birthing process didn’t need much narration...
We took another boat to the second site, Castra, and worked on a school building. The men were incredibly fast workers, so we had nearly an entire afternoon on Wednesday to visit some interesting sites on Illavach. We hiked to a resort area called Port Morgan. It’s very beautiful and very pricey. We had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon on the beach, free of charge, and hiked back. Illavach may have a lot of cows, but it has even more hills and valleys, and I only brought flip-flops...because I’m stupid. Let me tell you about the mud...oh, never mind. You almost have to experience Haitian mud mixed with incredibly steep slopes and flip-flops to get it, but imagine mud in your hair as the end result.
Illavach also has a lot of mangos. Actually, it’s mango season, so everyone has a lot of mangos. At both sites, we had beautiful mango trees to sit under for shade, but you have to be careful. One good gust of wind and you’re likely to get whacked with a mango fruit. In any case, the highlight of my Thursday was a shower and clean clothes. I went to work that afternoon and caught up on my letters and such, then joined the team for supper at the Nami. It was sad to see them go on Friday, and I sincerely hope they will be back for more next year. Friday was a holiday in Haiti, something like our Labor Day. I spent the whole day doing the rankest laundry I’ve every produced, cleaning my bathroom, re-potting my dying plants, and answering emails. I felt very accomplished by the end of the day.
Saturday, Tess, Alisha, and I went to HaitiVert (Haiti Green). It’s a horticulture, botany show in Berguard, a little east of Cayes. It was worth seeing. The organizers have mapped out a picturesque hike through the various plants and trees of Haiti. They have universities that specialize in agriculture and agronomy come and sell plant starts and tools of the trade. It had a distinctively fair-like feeling with food booths, Haitian arts and crafts, jams and jellies, jewelry, and snacks. I bought an aloe vera plant and something purple and pretty that looked hardy – I’ll Google it later. Just as we finished with our tour, the skies opened up and drenched us. As we were already soaked from the ride home on the 4-wheeler, we decided to make the most of it and played in the rain puddles for a while. Two of the Christenson kids were having a birthday party, and the 20 or so little guests were having a wild time sliding on a huge, soapy tarp in the rain. It looked so fun, we had to try it. I’ll get some pictures from Heather for next week, but I fear that a nearly 30 year-old gal flopping awkwardly on a tarp is not as attractive as I think it is in my mind. We’ll see...
Today, Tess, Alisha, Andrew, and I went to Renault for the feeding program and Sunday school. Then, we all piled into the new Toyota and went to Port Salut for the afternoon. It was fun to hold little Faith in the water and play in the sand with Gabriel and Derek. After my third shower of the day, I decided to catch you all up on my escapades from the last two weeks. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I’m off to eat my supper – mangos!
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/May20091?feat=directlink
Abby
The last two weeks have gone fast. I spent some quality time with the Pfister kids. We took a little field trip to Tet Simon where the kids played in the pond fed by an artesian well. It’s good for me to spend time with fresh eyes. Everything is still an adventure, fun and exciting. They invigorate my perspective of Haiti; I sometimes only see the dust and poverty. We painted sun catchers on my porch, snacked on popcorn and peanut butter M&Ms (Thanks, Ann!), watched a movie, jumped on the trampoline, took a 4-wheeler ride, and played in the tree house.
Two weeks ago, the MEBSH church in Simon hosted the Convention. It’s a bit like our elder conference. It draws huge crowds of people from all over – pastors, deacons, teachers, and church members come to hear speakers, praise God for the past year, and plan for the next. Our generally small village of Simon became a beehive of activity – vendors set up shop in every nook and cranny selling drinks, rice and beans, fried plantains and breadfruit, clothes, books, bags, and shoes. I wanted to attend one of the many services, just for the experience, and I did – for exactly 10 minutes. It took me that long to realize that the Simon church was only going to get hotter and tighter with more and more people, and since it was already stifling (at 9 AM), I decided I had experienced enough of the Convention and went home. Amber, Katelyn, and I went into town that morning and took a little tour of the action in Cayes.
Saturday, I headed to Illavach with a work team led by Anne Nelson, the daughter of Bob and Vera Stewart. Vera Stewart is the founder of Child Care. She turned 80 this year. Her name is still spoken reverently inside the walls of the office. Anne is amazing and her team was wonderful. I want to be Anne when I grow up. She travels the world doing pro-life seminars, speaking for and defending the unborn. She is fluent in Creole and French and has an excellent sense of humor. I loved watching Anne and David work together, the strength and playfulness in their marriage. It is such a testimony of God’s love.
At the first job site, Madam Bernard, we ladies built 10 church benches and the men put a new, larger roof on the church. The team showed the Jesus film in Creole on Sunday night and a National Geographic film titled “In the Womb” on Monday night. The second film was in English, so Anne had to interpret various parts, but a picture is worth 1000 words, in English or Creole. The whole birthing process didn’t need much narration...
We took another boat to the second site, Castra, and worked on a school building. The men were incredibly fast workers, so we had nearly an entire afternoon on Wednesday to visit some interesting sites on Illavach. We hiked to a resort area called Port Morgan. It’s very beautiful and very pricey. We had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon on the beach, free of charge, and hiked back. Illavach may have a lot of cows, but it has even more hills and valleys, and I only brought flip-flops...because I’m stupid. Let me tell you about the mud...oh, never mind. You almost have to experience Haitian mud mixed with incredibly steep slopes and flip-flops to get it, but imagine mud in your hair as the end result.
Illavach also has a lot of mangos. Actually, it’s mango season, so everyone has a lot of mangos. At both sites, we had beautiful mango trees to sit under for shade, but you have to be careful. One good gust of wind and you’re likely to get whacked with a mango fruit. In any case, the highlight of my Thursday was a shower and clean clothes. I went to work that afternoon and caught up on my letters and such, then joined the team for supper at the Nami. It was sad to see them go on Friday, and I sincerely hope they will be back for more next year. Friday was a holiday in Haiti, something like our Labor Day. I spent the whole day doing the rankest laundry I’ve every produced, cleaning my bathroom, re-potting my dying plants, and answering emails. I felt very accomplished by the end of the day.
Saturday, Tess, Alisha, and I went to HaitiVert (Haiti Green). It’s a horticulture, botany show in Berguard, a little east of Cayes. It was worth seeing. The organizers have mapped out a picturesque hike through the various plants and trees of Haiti. They have universities that specialize in agriculture and agronomy come and sell plant starts and tools of the trade. It had a distinctively fair-like feeling with food booths, Haitian arts and crafts, jams and jellies, jewelry, and snacks. I bought an aloe vera plant and something purple and pretty that looked hardy – I’ll Google it later. Just as we finished with our tour, the skies opened up and drenched us. As we were already soaked from the ride home on the 4-wheeler, we decided to make the most of it and played in the rain puddles for a while. Two of the Christenson kids were having a birthday party, and the 20 or so little guests were having a wild time sliding on a huge, soapy tarp in the rain. It looked so fun, we had to try it. I’ll get some pictures from Heather for next week, but I fear that a nearly 30 year-old gal flopping awkwardly on a tarp is not as attractive as I think it is in my mind. We’ll see...
Today, Tess, Alisha, Andrew, and I went to Renault for the feeding program and Sunday school. Then, we all piled into the new Toyota and went to Port Salut for the afternoon. It was fun to hold little Faith in the water and play in the sand with Gabriel and Derek. After my third shower of the day, I decided to catch you all up on my escapades from the last two weeks. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I’m off to eat my supper – mangos!
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/May20091?feat=directlink
Abby
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