wind, rain & thunder

Tonight is crazy! The rain, wind & thunder are going full force.. I got soaked to the bone taking Mirlande down to her house and the rain was coming at me from every direction.. It let up for about 20 mins and is back at it again. There was one "crash" thunder that was so close - I jumped. Herode laughed and asked if I was afraid of it, I said - "Only when it sounds like it is on top of my head." There have been alot of lightening flashes around and are coming more and more so I am going to shut down my computer and unplug everything as I don't want to lose the satellite modem to lightening again... So, they say that the hurricane & storms that hit Florida never got to us here, but I can tell you that at least their "fingerprints" reached us.... This is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Gotta run.. going to unplug everything and go curl up with a good book and my discman on LOUD! to drown out the noises...

:::precious:::

Okay, so here is the photo of Mirlande sleeping on my lap while I work... Don't you love the "wings" I have sprouted behind my ears! That is the result of the fan blowing directly on me so that I don't sweat away to nothing..

∴∴♥ life's precious moments ♥∴∴

Had to tell you about this adorable moment..... I am sitting here at my computer and Mirlande (3 yrs old but tiny, tiny) came up to my office and wants to sit with me...so I put her on my lap and less than 2 mins later and she is telling me "mwen domi" (I sleep) so she lies down across my lap and is sound asleep.. These kids could sleep anywhere and anytime but seem to love sleeping on my lap.. If I could get up - I would have grabbed the camera and taken a photo but that would wake her up and ruin the moment so words will have to do for now.. (okay, so Herode - my BIG security cheif just walked in and I got him to take a photo so I will post it!)
But these are some of the reasons I love being here..

Earlier I was lying on the floor of the kids' porch with Moyiz on my tummy and he fell asleep there and I almost fell asleep too..

Rachelle held my hand the entire time we walked down to Borel and back this morning.. then later when I went down, she sat next to me and just loves to run her hand up and down my arm or my leg.. It is the cutest thing. Mommy Solange said she thinks Rachelle really loves me. I hope so cause I sure love her..

The kids just coming in and watching me while I work on the computer - they just like being near me.

Playing "Rocks" with the kids - They taught me this rock game that I always see them play and could never figure it out.. until know. I have even beaten them a time or two (but usually they beat me and pretty badly too!)

on our way...

This is while we were walking along the road - we were probably not even half way there.... I just slowly took out the camera and then turned around real quick and took this photo (that is why parts of it are blurry - they are moving! )

I ♥ ----------?

This morning at 5:30 am 13 of us walked out of the compound and headed down to Borel... for no real reason at all, just for the fun of it and the exercise... Yes, I said exercise... The funniest part of it for me is that this was all my idea! The kids all jumped at the idea though and have been waiting anxiously for Tuesday morning to arrive..
So, I figured with all of us it would take like an hour to get there, no - it took us 35 mins there and 44 mins back... Mind you, that 44 mins is for Rachelle, Meladette & myself... The rest of them were WAY behind us... they probably got here 10-15 mins after us.. The people in Borel were quite surprised to see us walking up the road at 6:05am...
On the way back I was the tortoise in the "Tortoise & the Hare"..... everyone thought I wouldn't make it back (mainly cause I had a vicious headache) but slow and steady won the race... I just kept walking at an even pace and eventually outpaced them all.. Being typical Haitians, they would stop and chat, the kids were saying their legs hurt and the 2 girls and I just kept walking... and we were not walking fast by any means. Lots of people passed us and I am sure that some could have crawled faster than I was walking but I made it home and that is what counts... It was much hotter on the way back too and that didn't help in the least.. I am going to have to check the odometer on the truck so I know how many miles it was but it seemed really far! I had no pain and other than the heat & the headache I could have kept walking... though I must remember more water next time..and to stick it in the freezer overnight half full so it will stay cold. No one likes warm water when you are hot & sweaty. I took a photo of all the kids on our way down (yes, I am not in it - I know... you all want to see me too but it is hard when I am taking the photos.. I have had them take a couple for me but they are not always the best..) Will try and get that up here soon,,
I have to go get rid of this headache now... and get on with my day.. Though everyone, including myself for some crazy reason.. wants to do it again next week..

Ain't he handsome! This is Steeve all dressed up ready to head to his kindergarten graduation in June. Kindergarten graduation is a HUGE deal around here and I really can't understand it. The kids start school at 3 years old and go through K1, K11 and K111 before graduating kindergarten.

friendly hugs....

This is Moyiz giving Karana a hug... She was sitting in front of him and I said "Moyiz, bay Karana anbrase" (give Karana a hug) and he did - he leaned over and put his other arm on her side and put his head on her back... I am not so sure she was too impressed as he isn't a lightweight!! And I know that all too well... But it was just so adorable

::: This much :::

Isn't he just the cutest! Okay, so this auntie is very proud of her nephew... This is a photo I just got of him this weekend up at Cultus Lake.. I have NO clue what he is doing or why but I think it is cute.. I decided for me ~ he is telling his auntie how much he loves her!!! "THIS MUCH" and his auntie loves him THIS MUCH too (arms spread out at far as they can go!) The first time I saw this photo I was amazed at how big he is getting and his facial features are changing into those of a "big boy" not the cute little year and a half year old boy I knew when I left... In only 6 short weeks he is going to be a big brother! Time flies by so quickly..

tet mwen pa genyen cheve blan!

this is a view of my head WITHOUT roots or visible gray hair! The same day that I dyed it, I had Maudeline braid it and this is what she did with it. Then because there was a big " soccer match for peace" Wednesday the 18th between Brazil & Haiti, she put colored elastics on the ends... and since all Haitians are fanatics for Brazil, she put in yellow and green, all the kids were very happy that I was supporting their team.. So Brazil was here playing Haiti and beat them 6-0.. Everything shut down on Wednesday because of the game... you couldn't do anything in Port au Prince... roads were blocked off, stores were closed.. telephone lines were busy. I had a friend who flew in to Haiti on Wed. and she said the airport was crazy since she arrived at the same time as the President of Brazil... she ended up waiting 3 hours for her luggage because everything was backed up due to the President's arrival.. she said that the tarmac was filled with Brazilian UN military as they stood awaiting the arrival of their President and their soccer team.. ain't life in Haiti grand!!!

surviving...

Today marks ONE MONTH since Kevan and Karen left and I have been "on my own". I can barely believe it.. some days it seems like it has been two or three months while other days it seems like I just took them into the airport last week. I would have to say that I am doing just fine.... have had some challenges but think that these have all just been good learning & stretching experiences. I have had other missionaries and visitors tell me they think that I am very courageous but I just say that I am doing what I have to and I have nothing to fear.. God is with me and I have a wonderful staff. Now I am not saying that there aren't times when I am scared, lonely or homesick but I know that this is where God has called me, for such a time as this.. Even with a wonderful security staff on 24/7 I still get scared in the house all by myself.. Two nights ago, I was in bed almost asleep, the generator was off, doors all locked and I thought I was the only one in the house.... Well, then there was this loud noise in the kitchen and I didn't want to leave my bedroom but knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't check the noise.. the culprit.. the cat! She had climbed in through a hole in the laundry room ( where the electrical wires enter the house - they haven't been finished yet and so it is still open - it is atleast 3 feet off the ground!) and had gotten onto to the kitchen table and knocked something onto the floor.. I had to laugh or I probably would have cried as I was sure that someone had gotten into my house. So back to bed I crawled and put on my discman and earphones and put on Third Day's Offerings CD and fell asleep singing praises to God. I know remember to shut the laundry room door so if the cat gets in she can't get any farther than the laundry room and I don't have to worry about wierd noises in the night...

colouring......

So for only the second time in Haiti, and the first time without someone to help me.. I coloured my hair. Getting my hair braided Haitian style reminded me that it was time as having so many places where your roots show is NOT a good thing when those roots have a lot of gray through them and your kids are pointing it out! Of course, they all noticed that my hair was different and wanted to know what I had done. I had bought different hair dye while I was in Florida just before I came down and am actually really happy with the colour. Because it being Haiti -I was needed while my head was covered in dye and so answered my front door with my entire head like a red/violet color. One of my kids thought my head was going to stay that way! I learned that gray hair is a thing of respect here and no one could quite understand why I want to hide my gray hair.. I tried and tried to explain that at 25 years of age, I do not want gray hair nor do I want people thinking I am older than I am.. Maybe down the road I will be more willing to let it show but not now.. One of my staff seemed to understand that.. and the rest I think just kind of summed it up as I am "blan" and not everything I do makes sense!

yeah, mwen fo!

So according to Haitian standard I can now really drive! I am now able to turn the truck around on the street! Before I always either made Nicolas, my "driver" switch seats with me and do it or if I was in Borel, I would enter the compound where we used to live and turn around in their schoolyard. But I can now do a "U-turn" basically on the road!! Or I have backed into the church "driveway" and then turned the other direction, though that is a little harder as it is on a down slope and so it means I am on a slight incline which is still terrifying for me... I am not used to having my vehicle roll on me when I take my foot off the brake to put it on the gas but I am slowly getting the hang of it. I have finally gotten those horrible speed bumps figured out though!

Clear off the roads!

Theresa drives in Haiti!!! Well, yesterday was my big outing to Port au Prince and it started off with a bang! Up at 3am to make sure that I did everything I needed to before I left, in the truck at 5:25am so I would be at Nicolas’ at 5:30am and we would be on our way. Well the truck wouldn’t start, wouldn’t start and finally 40 minutes later I called Carl, another missionary in the area to come help me figure out what was wrong. Diagnosis: Dead battery, so he jumped-started my truck and on my way! I then drove from my yard in Pont Deschapelles to Borel, past Borel to Coupon (which is as far as I have ever gone before) onto to Liancourt (and over 14 or so polis kouche’s –speed bumps) picked up Calerbe & his wife and continued to drive till just out side of Pont Sonde. I would have continued farther but it was market day and so traffic is totally crazy! That was about a 35 minute trip and by far the longest distance I have driven in Haiti, not counting the “bad road” between Pont Sonde & St. Marc where you drive at about 10 miles an hour. I am finally getting the hang of driving in Haiti but I still do not want to drive in St. Marc or Port au Prince. That will be a long time down the road (and after I have gotten my Haitian’s driver’s license)

shopping in Haiti & schooling

Well, I never imagined that preparing to go shopping could be so hard! I am heading to Port au Prince tomorrow to buy some items needed for our generator that have finally arrived in the store and to look for supplies for school in the fall. I don't know if I have mentioned it before but for the first time, 9 of our 11 school aged kids will be taught here on our own property! It is exciting for all of us as Haitian class sizes are way too large for the students to get any personal attention. I know one of our kids was in a class of 58 students!! How can one teacher give them individual help? So, all but our two secondary students will be taught here. Marcus & Maudeline will be going to school in Verettes which is about 15-20 mins away but they have some really good schools there and the school we have chosen has a computer lab and the students get to learn to use a computer, which will be a huge asset when it comes time for these kids to get jobs! We have hired two teachers and one will have 5 students in 2 grades and the other will have 4 students in 3 grades. Actually because they will be taught in small numbers and on site, Rose Martha will be doing Grade 4 & 5 in one school year. She is really bright and has been number one in her class every year! She is not challenged by her school work and is 14 years old so we are going to help her advance as fast as she can. Okay, so now I am way off track but whatever! Back to the shopping headache! Since it is an all day affair to go to Port au Prince, I am also picking up groceries for myself and it is not easy creating a shopping list not only of groceries but of all supplies needed. I am terrified I am going to forget something totally important and have to do without till I next need to go into PaP(Port au Prince) . It is not like I have a grocery store down the street, or even within a short drive! It is 3 hours away and that isn't counting traffic in PaP itself! That is just arriving on the outskirts of PaP. I will be leaving here at 5:30 am, heading down to pick up Nicolas who is our driver ( I DO NOT drive in PaP nor do I ever want to!) and then on to PaP! I figure we will be doing good if we arrive home by 8pm! It is not easy getting around PaP and then finding a store that has what we want and so on... Plus I will be stopping in to get my mail and do my first "stint" at working in the Agape office. Everyone who gets their mail through Agape helps keep costs down by volunteering on mail day to sort mail and hand it out to those who come in. Usually it is Kevan who is in PaP so he does days for all three of us and we had hoped I would get to do my first day before they left but no luck so now I am doing it on my own.. I am a little nervous as I have no clue what I am to do nor do I know many of the other missionaries who use Agape as many of them are stationed in PaP. I have been trying to think of everything and anything that I could possibly need and I am hoping that I will find everything I do know I need!

sandals....no more..

my favourite sandals! when I bought them I figured I would wear them more as slippers, inside the house and I fell in love with them and wore them everywhere, I only changed them when I left the compound and was heading to church or going to Port etc. Walking over the rough ground between my house and the kids house wore them out pretty fast. I painted both bathrooms in our house with them on, I continued wearing them even after they started wearing thin but had to stop when the hole appeared on the one since rocks were poking my heel and making it very painful to walk around. I have had to resort to wearing my haitian "rubber tire" sandals which are not as comfortable at all since the straps are hard rubber/plastic and it rubs in the heat and creates sores on my feet or my "for good" haitian "leather" sandals which are more comfortable but were my "going out" sandals as they are more dressy looking but they are now my everything sandal.

checking out the lens...

I am not sure what Rebecca was doing when this picture was taken but I think it is so cute and shows how mischeivious she can be. This was taken by one of the guys in the workteam that came down in July.

Marcus

Marcus - I am sure he is going to be quite the catch one day! But I am praying that day is down the road a bit as he is only 15 and is just finishing 6th grade. We are all praying that he passes his 6th grade exam and that he is able to go into 7th grade (and secondary school) in the fall. He has done both 4th and 5th grade twice but he has had a tutor for this whole year so hopefully that will help.

Serlande

This is Serlande, our diabetic. She is the one that bravely allows me to poke her with a needle twice a day and also jab her finger every morning!

Maudeline

This is Maudeline! My wonderful hair braider!! Everyone always complements me on my great hairdo's and I always say "Maudeline did it" She does her own hair too and it always looks fantastic! Sometimes I can't figure out how she can do some of the things she does with her own hair but I have seen her do it! I guess it is just years of practice!!

Rachelle

this is the elusive Rachelle. Of all the more than 500 photos I have on my computer (just since returning in May!) this is the ONLY photo I have of Rachelle where you can see her clearly! She would not be one I would call "camera shy" but for some reason I just can't seem to get photos of her! But I will keep trying!!!

Rose Martha

I don't know what to say about Rose Martha other than I love her servant heart and her love for God. I love to watch her during church.. raising her hands to worship her Lord! Most people have "routines" they follow during worship, especially here.. say this here, do this now, then say this and then do this. People can be very religious here and the sad thing is that they learned that from the missionaries years ago. I have been told that if I wear pants or shorts outside my compound then I can't be a Christian.. oh, if they only saw my church back home - we have women wearing pants in church and leading worship all at the same time!! But Rose Martha has a genuine love and desire to learn about God and we are encouraging that desire as much as possible!

Sabine

This is Sabine. She is hard to describe, but very easy to l0ve. She is quieter than most of the other girls and is usually hanging out near the mommies. She is the quiet tagalong and never complains when asked to do something.
She fell the other day and gave herself a fat lip and spend the whole day hiding out in her bed cause she didn't want anyone to see. I told her that it didn't matter and that she was "my beautiful Sabiney" always. She would leave her room at all, not even to eat. I felt bad and I think one or more of the kids may have laughed at her or said something to make her feel self-consious. Haitians are really bad at that - laughing when someone makes a mistake or hurts themself. We are trying to teach our kids and staff that it is not okay to do that.

Rebecca

This is Rebecca. She is one of those kids who I just don't know how to describe! Very full of energy and also very brave. When she fell off her bike and ripped off most of the top of her baby toe, she never cried even though I could see in her face that it hurt ALOT! I had to pour peroxide on it to clean it off and determine exactly what had happened and how bad it was and I wanted to cry but she took it like a champ. Then we went to the hospital to just make sure that they couldn't do anything more than I could as the flap she had tore off was still partially attached and the nurse was looking at and checking out her foot and actually pulled on the flap of skin and Rebecca just squeezed my hand a little tighter. I thought for sure when she put the iodine on her toe and then put the bandage on that Rebecca would cry but nope! So when we got back to the house, I gave her and all the kids a lifesaver candy and told them that it was all because Rebecca had been so brave and they had better thank her for their treat.

Vladimy

This is Vladimy. It took no time at all for him to find a special place in my heart. He is one of the more quiet of our children and is very helpful. He is usually the one to quietly come and take your hand or sit next to you instead of with all the others.With his gentle spirit and loving heart, it is hard not to fall in love with him.

Meladette

This is Meladette, with Karana who is Claudy's second child. Karana was born in Feb while I was in BC. She comes to work everyday with Claudy since she is still breastfeeding. All the girls love hanging out with Karana.

Cecile

This is Cecile, also one of our mommies. I also took this photo while she was laughing as I love to see them smile. Cecile is more than just an employee for me. Since I have gotten back, we have become very close and she is like a sister. I can talk to her about alot of things that I wouldn't talk about with the other staff and she often comes with me when I have to brave going to the open market. She is also the one I call when I need help understanding someone's Creole as she takes the time to speak slow and clear for me. She is very sweet and is great fun to be around. She is also an AMAZING soccer player. She was on Haiti's national soccer team when she was younger. You can often find her out in the yard with one or more of the kids kicking around the soccer ball. She is also Solange's sister and their other sister Claudy is our orphanage manager. They all work quite well together and it fits our "family" atmosphere very well.

Solange

This is Solange, who is one of our two mommies. This is my favourite photo of her. I took it just after I got back and she had just had her hair done with extensions. She has such a great smile and she was actually laughing when I took this.

Early morning visitor

Isn't he just lovely! This was our friendly visitor back in the middle of June. He showed up beside our front door at 5:30am. Karen almost put her hand on him and boy did she scream. It was the first tarantula I had ever seen in Haiti. Then that same night, when I am all alone, I saw another one on the screen in my bathroom. Well, I have never gotten dried off and dressed so fast in my entire life! I went running down to the security since I thought it was on the inside of the screen but thankfully it was on the outside of the screen, stuck between the panes of glass and the screen as I had shut the window when I got in the shower (old fashioned Canadian maybe, but I like to keep my showers private, not on display to the entire yard!)

Fedna's smile

This is Fedna with her beautiful smile and no extensions. As far as I understand, when she was at the hospital last year with the skin problems they had to shave her head so her hair is very short.

Fedna with hair extensions

This is one of my favorite photos of Fedna. They had put in extensions and it just totally changed her. She always has a beautiful smile but the hair changed the look of her face. She is beautiful no matter what but whenever she is in my office, she asks to see this photo. She loves it too!

and a gift for me too....

And then she gave me a special surprise - on the back of the chair- she wrote "love Auntie Theresa" and I never knew anything about it until she sent me these photos this morning. It brought tears to my eyes and I was very touched by it.

Birthday gift to my nephew

This is the chair that I sent out for Calvin's second birthday. Rhonda put his name on the chair like I had asked her to do as this is what all our kids here have. I think she did a great job!

Moyiz

this is one of my most favourite photos of Moyiz, our youngest. It was taken by a lady who was visiting on a workteam last month and it is currently the background on my desktop. I love how you can get lost in those beautiful dark eyes and he can steal your heart with just a smile.

Mwen kapab!!

I can! (that is what the title means!)
And I did! I have now driven a "taptap" full of people. Tonight I went down to pick our 14 kids & two mommies and some people they knew who had been at the same soccer game asked for a "woulib" ride down to the bridge which is where we also live so I said that once all my kids were in the truck, if there was still room for them to be IN the back of the truck, then they could. Well, we all made it safely home. I have finally figured out the horrible "polis kouche" speed bumps. I can get over them without being worried that I am going to stall the truck or that everyone in the truck are going to hit their heads on the roof. They are so different than the speed bumps at home. You have to slow to an almost stop and then crawl over them. The taptaps take them at an angle, they seem to think it is better but how I can't figure out! I will never complain about a "normal" speed bump again! And I can get in and out of our so called road onto the bridge without having to back up and finish taking the corner which is a huge deal when you have crazy drivers on the road. As Nicolas, our driver, said today - "Ou fo" or you are strong (meaning I can finally actually drive like a normal person!) I have driven at 44 mph and I feel like I am going to get pulled over and given a speeding ticket even though I am probably the slowest driver in all of Haiti. I have passed a couple of trucks but usually because they are loaded to the max with people! I always feel like I am going so fast - until a truck flies past me! I still have no desire to drive a standard vehicle if given the choice but atleast I can when the need arises! I still have some things to perfect - like going from stop to start on a hill (or a slope!!) but I am sure that will all come in time!

JJ - "I am happy ~ really!"

This is JJ's happy smile! Doesn't he look thrilled to you! I had asked him to smile since he had such a grim face and he has a beautiful smile and this is what I got! This is not what I was expecting but I had to take the photo cause this just made me laugh.

the three amigos

Steeve, JJ and Mirlande in the back of our truck. They all climbed in there themselves. JJ told me he wanted to go for a ride. The younger kids always have to sit in the back seat when I drive and so I think they were wanting to enjoy the outdoor seats just like the big kids. I know I enjoy sitting outside much more than inside. I usually put 8 or 9 kids in the back seat. Steeve, JJ, Mirlande & Moyiz sitting on the laps of the "younger - older" kids Rebecca, Rachelle, Vladimy, Sabine, Meladette.

Avocados

Yummy Avocado! How I love avocado season! The avocados here are much larger than the ones we get in BC and the skins are much lighter green. I have been eating as much avocado as I can since they aren't around forever.

Friends

I have learned the importance of true friends, especially when you are 5000 miles from your loved ones. I have made many new friends here in Haiti, some from the US, some from Canada, and others still from right here in Haiti. I love how God knows all and has a master plan for everything. It amazes me how some of the people I now count as good friends and confidantes, I would never have met if I hadn't been obedient to the Lord's call and come to Haiti. I have my dearest friends from back home that I wouldn't trade for the entire world and who I always turn to when I need advice, a shoulder to cry on or just a listening ear. But I also have friends who I have met here who I can turn to and they may be able to understand a little better some of the struggles I go through as they have been here for mission trips or they have themselves lived here as a missionary.

I think of Eileen, who I lived with last year in Canaan (the school & orphanage where I lived and taught Sept02-June03). I count her as a dear friend and I left BC early before returning here to Haiti so that I could attend her university graduation as it was a huge accomplishment for her and I wanted to be able to participate in that special day. We are two very different people who were brought together by God. After living with her 24/7 for 10 months, we have a very special bond and we have been through somethings that others will never be able to understand. We can break into gut wrenching laughter at the slighest thing that may trigger some crazy memory from our time in Canaan. I am sure that some may have thought we were both crazy during my time with her in Florida as even just walking through the WalMart Supercenter made us laugh.

I could sit here and talk about all my wonderful friends but I don't think anyone would want to read it all. I know that I have friends who would drop everything to help me and many of them proved that last fall when my dad died and they were there for me. I know that I am the woman that I am today because of the friends that God has blessed me with. You have all left a mark on my heart and have helped shaped who I am, whether you know it or not.

friendship is a gift.

Today my mind has been on all my dear wonderful friends that I miss and love so very much. Friends are such an important part of life and all too often we take them for granted. I have friends that are older than me, some by just a few years and others by many years. I have friends who are younger than me. I have friends who are the same age as me. And I learn from all of them, they each have things that are unique to themselves and I hope and pray that they can each learn something from their friendship with me. I have been gathering quotes about friendship and thought that this would be a good place to post some of them. I hope that they touch your heart as they have touched mine.

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend. -- Albert Camus

A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.--Anonymous

Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.--Swedish proverb

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun.--Charles R. Swindoll

An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.--Proverbs 24:26

Never forget me, because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.--A. A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.--Walter Winchell

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.--Anonymous

When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.--Edgar Watson Howe

when in Haiti.....

my crazy new 'penyen Ayisyen" (haitian hairdo) The kids LOVE it when I braid my hair in Haitian styles and so do I as it is much easier to care for and it is FUN

officially hooked!

Okay, I think now is about the time to admit that I am hooked! To my "blog" that is! I have become addicted in posting new things on here as often as possible. It is currently 10:20pm and I have a headache the size of Texas but here I am typing this instead of going to bed (maybe also because I know that I will only just lay in bed, and not sleep because of the heat and my headache) Tonight Maudeline braided my hair into a billion little braids. It is actually quite cute but weird feeling. Every time I move my head, all these braids follow. It reminds me of when I got the extensions put in last year except that there aren't as many since it is all my own hair so it is not as heavy or as much fun. I have been considering putting in extensions again but don't know if I could handle the weight of them in this heat or be able to sit for that long again while they braid them in. It took over 8 hours last year to braid my whole head with the extensions.
While Maudeline braided my hair, we watched "Kate & Leopold". As the movie progressed, the number of kids in my living room grew. I didn't have a problem with it as I love to hang out with them and they love to watch films - even if they don't understand most of what is going on. So we spent a lovely evening watching a film while I got my head pulled in 20 different directions as she made my head into her work of art. I will try and post a photo of my current "do"

Well, I should try and head off to at least get ready for bed!
- until tomorrow then!

my kids

Okay, so they aren't really "my" kids but they sure have stolen my heart! We currently have 14 children in our orphanage (or Children's Village as we prefer to call it)
I will tell you just a bit about each so you can know them a bit better.

Starting with our youngest:

• Moyiz - he is both our newest and youngest child. He was brought to us the same day that I got back to Haiti. He was found abandoned by the side of the canal hidden under some bushes. Thankfully he is not able to walk or crawl and so was not able to move into the water. He is 18 months old and can't walk or crawl yet as his legs have not much strength but as we shower him with love and attention (and lots of time in his Jolly Jumper) he is slowly getting more strength in his legs, he can now put pressure on them but is at this time unable to stand unassisted or crawl. He has learned to get around by "scootching" or wiggling his butt and using his head to propel him where he wants to go. We are trying hard to break him of that as it is not good for his head.
• J.J (Jean Jacques) - he is 2 1/2 years old and is our nudist!! He hates keeping clothes on his body! Any time of day you can most likely find him running around butt naked! It is really adorable. He has been with us since he was a month or so old. He is slowly warming up to me and just today came running into my office and wanted to sit on my lap and watch me type. He also loves to look at the many photos I have on the computer.
• Mirlande - my little cutie patootie! She is 3 years old (as of April) and I think of all the kids she changed the most in the ten months I was gone. She is talkative as can be and loves everyone now. She is so cute when she comes running up the yard when I stand on my porch and open my arms. I think she is jealous that JJ and Moyiz take up my attention some times as last year JJ wouldn't come near me and so Mirlande was the only little one that I held or carried and now there are three! But she still has a very special place in my heart. Her and Rose Martha, her big sister were the first two children in the orphanage and have a heart wrenching tale that just broke my heart.
• Steeve - he is 5 years old and going into grade one in Sept but he is the same size as JJ and skinny as can be! He is so adorable that all our visitors fall in love with Steeve! They have this one little game "TonTon Bouki" which is similar I would say to "Simon Says" and Steeve loves to lead it. He could go on for hours at a time. But it is adorable to watch him, as he just totally comes out of his shell and is in his element.
• Rebecca - well, I don't know what to say about Rebecca, she is mischievous to say the least. She is 6 years old and I have a hard time telling her apart from her sister Rachelle. I actually thought for the longest time that they were twins but they are actually 2 years apart. 2 weeks ago Rebecca gave me a scare when she fell on her bike and ripped off the end of her baby toe. I was sick at the time and so could barely look at it but cleaned it up and then decided it was best to take her to the hospital as I wasn't sure if she would need stitches or anything. So up we went to the hospital - where they do NOTHING! The nurse cleaned it again and put Neosporin on it and said that it would fall off on its own and covered it with a bandage. So much for advanced care! But atleast I felt better knowing I had checked. It did fall off and I am interested in seeing if her toenail regrows or not.
• Rachelle, she is 8 years old and is just as mischievous as her sister. I really don't know what else to say about her
• Vladimy - he is our second oldest boy and he is 9 years old. He is very affectionate and is the quiet one of the bunch.
• Sabine - she is also 9 years old and is very sweet. She is one of the quieter girls and sticks very close to the mommies. I actually braided her hair last month. Not an easy task as their hair is wiry and her hair is short but I think I did a good job for my first try! She kept it in for a couple days so I took that as a compliment!
• Meladette - she is 12 years and is built for dancing! She loves to dance and is quite talented at it as well. She is very fun and her face is always lit up by a smile.
• Fedna - she is our second to most recent addition. She came to us in February after living at the hospital for a year with serious skin problems. Before that she had been living on her own for 4 years after her grandma died.
• Serlande - this is our 13 year old diabetic. She has a special place in my heart because I check her blood sugar every morning and then give her insulin shots in the morning and evening. She is very brave and can actually give herself her needle in her leg but prefers me to give it to her in her arm as she thinks it is less painful in her arm. She has a beautiful smile when she decides to show it! She loves to come up to my house on the days when Martha (my domestic helper) isn't working and wash dishes or sweep my floors for me. I think she just like to hang out with me.
• Rose-Martha - This is Mirlande's big sister and she is 13 years old. She is one of those helpful type who love to help in anyway she can. She is great with the younger kids and has a real heart for God.
• Marcus - He is our oldest boy and is 15 years old. He is quite a strapping young man and loves to play soccer and basketball.
• Maudeline - Maudeline is our oldest kid at 19 years old. Her mom passed away from cancer two years ago and since she was still in school, her brothers asked us to take her in so that she would be able to continue with her education. She is beautiful inside & out. Maudeline is our in-home hair stylist and loves to braid my hair as well as the rest of the kids and mommies. She does an excellent job and everyone loves when I braid my hair "Haitian style", me included as it keeps my hair out of my face and is always creative and fun.

So that is all 14 of our kids. I love them all!

oh the joy of electricity!

Okay, it is 2:47pm and we have had EDH (Electricite D'Haiti) since 11:00 pm last night! This is absolutely wonderful as we also had it almost all day yesterday and it turned off around 6:30pm and so I only had to run the generator from 6:30 till 10pm and I have been able to work all day on the computer without running the delco (generator in Creole) at all today! I love saving gas and means no noise too! I am really praying that this continues as this also saves the hours on the delco before we need to change the filters (which we can not currently get in Haiti due to a customs strike!) EDH (pronounced like EddieAsh) all day also means that I have been able to sit in front of a fan and so today has not seemed all that hot and ice is being frozen in the freezer as I speak.

This morning, thanks to the brilliance of my younger sister Rhonda, I enjoyed an ice tea slushy. She had mentioned that I should freeze juice or pop in ice cube trays and then eat them frozen. Well, this morning I found that my ice tea cubes were too hard to eat so I put them in the blender (thanks to EDH I had current to use the blender!) and added some more ice tea that I made a little sweeter than normal and blended it all together into a beautiful smoothy/slushy. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a slushy more than this morning! I have been dreaming about them for 3 months and now I can make them myself!

testing 1-2-3...

ain't he cute! This is Calvin with the Haitian chair that I sent out for his birthday! All our kids here have one each that is the perfect size for them and so I wanted Calvin to have one too. It is one of those sensible but memorable gifts. I brought him home a gift last year from Haiti for his first birthday as well. That way he has little parts of me and where I am living with him always. His mom & dad both thought it was very neat. Apparently, from the smile on his face, Calvin likes it too!

after shot...

This is the kids house after the work team worked their buns off painting inside & out in less than 4 days!

before shot...

This is what the kids house used to look like - plain old boring gray cement! (this is also what all the other buildings still look like)

Haitian fun

Okay, so I just had to post this before I went to bed and forgot about it.
Tonight I had a blast! I had my first water fight with my kids - though I was a little out numbered, like 6 to 1! I went down to the kids home to dole out some meds to one of the kids (nurse if just one of my many titles around here) and I had just showered since I decided I wanted to lay down on the grass and watch the stars - I learned fast that was not a good idea! I started itching like crazy and had to go bathe and scrub like crazy! So I was in my "night clothes" a tank top and shorts, all ready for bed and I was hot, Marcus had just come in with some ice cold water from our water cooler and, jokingly I said, Can you pour that on my head? Well he took me up on it and then when I headed up to my house, they followed me and attacked me with cups of cold water. I actually enjoyed it but I didn't manage to get any of them wet as they are too fast on their feet for me, and my sandals were soaked and so my feet were sliding around in them. All in a day's work around here!

This is a verse that I received the other day that I really liked and so wanted to share with you.

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies
before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked. Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT

kisses from BC

This is my adorable nephew! He was sending kisses my way! He just turned two on the 25th of July and is getting so big so fast. I have enjoyed getting to talk with him though using MSN's audio link. It is wonderful as only after I had left did Calvin start saying "Auntie Teesa" and so I can actually hear him say my name and talk to him.

doling out treats

this is all 14 of our kids sitting on their front porch waiting for Mommy Solange to dole out treats! A mother hen and her flock of chicks!

TapTapping it

our preferred method of tranportation - riding "TapTap" style is much cooler and a whole lot more fun than riding inside the truck. Our visiting workteam got right into it - two of them rode sitting up on the top with TiMili (one of our staff) we had all gone down to sing at a church.

3 zamis

Aren't they so cute - this is JJ, Mirlande and Steeve. They love getting their photo taken and I love taking photos of them

bathing - Haitian style!

This was Mirlande and myself having a little "bath" under the rainspout - the water there was much warmer than the water that is in our shower! It was a blast!

What is a regular day anyways?

I don't know any more what regular day is like? My days are so far from regular. At any time I have a half dozen staff who need me, calling my name. Karen used to complain that she heard "Mom" a thousand times a day and now I completely understand.
Life is definitely more interesting when you are the only one in charge! Thank God for email and instant messaging, as I have been in regular, almost constant at times, contact with Karen while she is out in Canada. It is the only thing keeping my sanity!! Seriously! That and the fact that I can connect with family and friends over MSN too.

So today, I woke up and was amazed that I had slept straight through the night for the first time in a LONG time. It was great. Though it meant I missed devotions this morning because I didn't wake up in time. "oops!" I started off my morning by checking Serlande's (our 13 year old diabetic) blood sugar and giving her her morning insulin shot. Even after doing it for over a month, I still do not enjoy it and don't think I ever will! She is a true sport about it though. She can give it to herself in the leg but she prefers me to give it to her in her arm.

I got my computer up and running to get started on my day and found emails that needed my reply and so got doing that. I then needed to send some of my staff on errands and so being Mademoiselle Finance I also had to find the money to send with them. That is my new title around here. I am "in charge" of all the finances - a job bigger than me but with God I can do anything! I then got called on to help figure out how to put a latch on one of our doors and then ended up sending another staff on an errand. This is all done in Creole, sometimes me doing more sign language than actually speaking as I try to describe what I want since I may not always know the words. I then finally got back to my computer to only have more people wanting me! Isn't life fun! I guess it all comes with being the "boss" and being in charge and around here, there is always a million questions to be asked!
More later

a little info about me!

So, I thought I would first off give you a little info about me and where I am and what I am doing

My name is Theresa Lynn, I am originally from Delta, British Columbia, Canada. I am currently living in Pont Deschapelles, Haiti working with a mission called Hands Across The Sea - Haiti or HATS-Haiti. Kevan and Karen Hull, fellow Canadians, are the founders and directors of the mission and I am working along side them. I assist in whatever areas are needed but my main areas are administration and the office work though I do spend as much time as possible with the kids.
We have many parts to the mission but the main part is our Children's Village. We currently have 14 children living onsite in our first home with two full-time mommies that live with the children 24-7.

Smile for the camera!

Mirlande and I - just posing for the camera! Mirlande loves to see herself on the screen of the digital camera.

two of my favorite scripture verses

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 NIV

This is the verse that I received just after I got home from my month long "exploration" trip to Haiti way back in March 2002! I was spending quiet time with the Lord after an "Total Devotion" worship night at my church and I was lead to this verse and God spoke to my heart and told me that I don't have to be afraid of what the future holds. That He had it all planned out and that He had given me His peace. That if I would just listen and answer His call, then I would find joy and peace more abundant.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD ,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

This is "my" verse, I have had this verse on my heart for many years and I find it gives me strength when I start to worry about my future and what is going to happen down the road. I am reminded that God knows everything that He has planned for me and I just have to seek Him, listen to His voice and follow. How easy is that!