A lot of time has passed since my last post. I've become the only music teacher for our school system, and now have about 1000 students in 3 different schools that I teach. This keeps me busy to say the least! I also am now working a 2nd job with our Anti-Drug Coalition as the event coordinator. I also have fulfilled a lifelong dream by getting my motorcycle license, and currently have 2 AWESOME motorcycles that I ride when the weather allows! A 1996 Suzuki Savage (which I fondly call Thumper) and a 2013 Harley Davidson Iron 883 Sportster (which is rightly named Lucky, in more ways than one!)
I went back to Haiti again, Dec. 2015, to spend Christmas with Becky. It wasn't the best trip ever, partly because I was sick and exhausted from school and Haiti isn't the best place to find rest, but it was good to spend Christmas with her!
I got a virus (unconfirmed Zika probably) one of the last days in Haiti, and missed the first 2 days of this semester of school, due to a horrible rash. That was just icing on the cake from the trip!
I want to get back into blogging, so I'm starting with this!
We've got about a week left of school for this year, and I'm glad to see it wind down! I think I've felt more burned out this year than any year past. Happy 8 years teaching to me! I don't think I've ever done anything consistently for 8 years, so this is pretty much an accomplishment for myself! I was discussing graduation yesterday with my high school choir class, and realized this year, 2016, will be my 15th (I think) graduation to have participated in!!!! Due to schools being divided strangely when I was young, I graduated from Kindergarten, 2nd, 6th, 8th, high school, and have two college degrees (my Associate's of Science in Psychology and my Bachelor's of Arts in Music) plus this year will be the 8th graduation I will participate in as an educator! I really like that the high school faculty get to sit on the floor facing the students, because as they walk through the line, we get the best view.
This year the Commissioner of Education for TN will be speaking at our graduation, and I have mixed feelings about this. Other than that, it should be a special event for all involved.
I guess that's all for now, but hopefully it won't be another 2 years before I blog on here again!!!
Friday, May 13, 2016
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sandy's trip to Haiti (Part 2)
4 days, a lifetime of memories...
The flight from Miami to Port au Prince is kind of a blur...but I remember it was the first time in my life that I noticed another language proceeded English. All of the announcements on the plane were in what I'm assuming French, then some other language, then finally English. When the pilot came over the speakers with an announcement, I, an American, had to wait my turn to hear my language. This was the first culture shock going to a country where English is not the most important language.
That's about all I remember of the beginning of the flight. I was running on one hour of sleep...if you can call it that. I was exhausted, my nerves were a wreck, and I was excited to see Becky. All of that blurred with the one thought that kept resurfacing in my brain. Becky had casually mentioned that the airport in Haiti was probably going to be the scariest part of the trip...what was I headed for???
At some point during the flight, the attendant passed out some green cards for us to fill out before we go through customs. International flying always has these fun hoops we have to go through. On the card there were spaces for the usual stuff like name, address, passport number, etc., but this one also had a spot to list the address where you would be staying while in Haiti. Uh oh. Becky had told me I would need her address, but it was in my Facebook chat conversation from the day or so before. Ok, I'll just fill that in when I land and turn my phone on. But wait...I'll be in Haiti...the thought suddenly came to me that I probably wouldn't have cell phone service in Haiti. This might be a problem.
When the plane neared the ground, I could see a beautiful island. Mountain scenes, the beach and ocean, and what looked like a few cities. As we got closer, the feeling of the unknown overwhelmed me. I was on the verge of tears as we landed, just filled with emotion of finally getting to this tropical island my sister loves so much. She's said that many people say that once you've been to Haiti, your heart will always want to be in Haiti. Would that be true for me also? From Becky's first trip, she's always wanted to move to Haiti. I had my mind set that wouldn't be the case for me, but I wasn't sure if I could resist the urge to want to be in world where the smallest gestures could change a lifetime.
As we were preparing to land, I noticed the attendant was going around taking up part of the cards from people, but was doing something different with some people. She would stop and say something to some of the Haitians, then she would fill the card out for them. It hit me. They couldn't read. The attendant was very discrete about helping the people out, but I realized how such a simple thing as being able to read is so overlooked in our country where education is mandatory. So much taken for granted...so much!
I exited the plane with a bit of fear on my mind. My card was not filled out with the proper address, customs might stop me, and would I be able find Becky without cellular service? So many little things we take for granted...
The flight from Miami to Port au Prince is kind of a blur...but I remember it was the first time in my life that I noticed another language proceeded English. All of the announcements on the plane were in what I'm assuming French, then some other language, then finally English. When the pilot came over the speakers with an announcement, I, an American, had to wait my turn to hear my language. This was the first culture shock going to a country where English is not the most important language.
That's about all I remember of the beginning of the flight. I was running on one hour of sleep...if you can call it that. I was exhausted, my nerves were a wreck, and I was excited to see Becky. All of that blurred with the one thought that kept resurfacing in my brain. Becky had casually mentioned that the airport in Haiti was probably going to be the scariest part of the trip...what was I headed for???
At some point during the flight, the attendant passed out some green cards for us to fill out before we go through customs. International flying always has these fun hoops we have to go through. On the card there were spaces for the usual stuff like name, address, passport number, etc., but this one also had a spot to list the address where you would be staying while in Haiti. Uh oh. Becky had told me I would need her address, but it was in my Facebook chat conversation from the day or so before. Ok, I'll just fill that in when I land and turn my phone on. But wait...I'll be in Haiti...the thought suddenly came to me that I probably wouldn't have cell phone service in Haiti. This might be a problem.
When the plane neared the ground, I could see a beautiful island. Mountain scenes, the beach and ocean, and what looked like a few cities. As we got closer, the feeling of the unknown overwhelmed me. I was on the verge of tears as we landed, just filled with emotion of finally getting to this tropical island my sister loves so much. She's said that many people say that once you've been to Haiti, your heart will always want to be in Haiti. Would that be true for me also? From Becky's first trip, she's always wanted to move to Haiti. I had my mind set that wouldn't be the case for me, but I wasn't sure if I could resist the urge to want to be in world where the smallest gestures could change a lifetime.
As we were preparing to land, I noticed the attendant was going around taking up part of the cards from people, but was doing something different with some people. She would stop and say something to some of the Haitians, then she would fill the card out for them. It hit me. They couldn't read. The attendant was very discrete about helping the people out, but I realized how such a simple thing as being able to read is so overlooked in our country where education is mandatory. So much taken for granted...so much!
I exited the plane with a bit of fear on my mind. My card was not filled out with the proper address, customs might stop me, and would I be able find Becky without cellular service? So many little things we take for granted...
Friday, April 4, 2014
Sandy's trip to Haiti (Part 1)
This is the third time I've tried to write a blog entry about my trip back in November...
This time I will try to just lay it all out there...
The first failed attempt to "write it up" went a little like this:
"I find myself saying "If that's the only problems we have, we'll be ok" all too often!
So many times we get caught up in our little worlds that we forget there's a whole wide world out there struggling, to just survive moment to moment, day to day.
That's as far as I got. I've been saying "things could always be worse" since Becky moved to Haiti July 31, 2013...but I just didn't know how to say what I wanted after that...so I put off writing...
The second failed attempt was a little bit better, but not by much:
"A week ago I wasn't here...I was there...
November is a special time in our family. Four out of five of my parents' children's birthdays, myself included, are in November. Becky's is the 10th, mine is the 12th, and the boys on the 24th. Needless to say, it's a very special month to us! Since Becky and I only have two days between our birthdays,"
And that's where I stopped. I felt like the endless ramblings were not worthy to explain this journey to another world, so I just stopped writing.
So here goes another attempt:
In November, 2013, I went to visit Becky in Haiti three days after my birthday. Her birthday is two days before mine, and since she moved out of the country, this was the first year our birthday celebration became international, with much more planning needed to allow us to celebrate together. My flight from Nashville left late Thursday evening, layover over night with also a connection flight, then arrive in Haiti Friday morning, spend Friday through Tuesday in Port au Prince, and fly back to the states Tuesday afternoon. Five days in Haiti. Simple...or at least it was supposed to be simple...
I arrived in Nashville about an hour before my flight that Thursday evening. I was using a different parking company, and was feeling very rushed as I was driven away from my jeep, heading to the airport. I was swimming in a sea of emotion as we pulled up to the terminal. I was tired. I had taught all day, driven two hours, and was about to hop on a plane for the unknown. Excited to see Becky, part of me dreaded it. We had said goodbye three and a half months before, and I hadn't stopped worrying about her since that day. What shape would she be in? Would her living arrangements be fitting? Would she have food and other necessities?
All of these things were swirling in my head as I held onto my passport and headed toward the terminal. I was taking a box of bibles to Becky so she could give them to the workers on campus that were learning English from her as Christmas presents. This was probably the one thing I needed to make sure made it to Haiti. We had discussed the option of just mailing the box, but the freight charges would be too expensive, and there was no guarantee they would make it through the mail and customs in time. So, there was me, a box of bibles, my backpack to use as a carry-on, and my large check bag...but the most important thing was the bibles.
I made it through security, and was using the box of bibles as my second personal item on the plane, so I could make sure they got to Haiti with me. As I arrived at the gate for the first leg of my flight, the attendants announced that if you had a large carry-on, or multiple items, to please check them at the gate because overhead room was limited on the flight. As I was boarding, they asked me to check my box, and I complied. I would just get them at the next stop and everything would be fine, or so I thought.
The first leg to Charlotte, NC, was an easy flight. Not too long, and not too bumpy. As we landed I looked at the time on my ticket for the boarding time on my flight from Charlotte to Miami. I then realized I might have a problem. I had about fifteen minutes to get off the plane, go get the bibles, and get to my next flight. As the overhead lights came on, the pilot announced to be considerate because several passengers had tight connections. I think the rest of the plane comprehended that as "take as much time as you like." When I finally got off the plane, there were several of us running trying to get to our next flight, but I needed to get the bibles.
I ran to baggage claim in the Charlotte airport, and just before I made my way down the stairs, I see a big sign saying "No Entry Beyond This Point." There were a few security guards standing at that point, so I asked them how to get back in once I go down to baggage claims. They asked me why I needed to go out then come back in, so I told them the airline had made me check a box in Nashville. I guess they could sense the urgency in my tone, and asked me how much time I had before my next flight. I looked at my watch and showed them the ticket and had about 8 minutes before the time specified for boarding. They laughed and said "There's no way you'll make it back if you go down to baggage claims." I knew I needed to get the bibles, so I insisted again asking how to get back in to catch my flight. They told me to head toward the C area, and I took off down the stairs.
As I looked back to say thanks, they were yelling at me "You're not gonna make it, you're not gonna make it!"
I flew down the stairs, already out of breath from sprinting through the airport, but deep down inside being very thankful I started running a year and a half ago! I find the conveyor belt where the luggage was beginning to come off of the plane. No box. I wait about 45 seconds more. No box. I look in dismay at the hole where the luggage had appeared from beyond the wall...still no box. I'm starting to freak out a little inside, because this box was filled with the most important things needing to go to Becky in Haiti. As I waited a few more moments, I decided if I didn't leave and find the C area, those security guards would be right. "They may be right anyways" I told myself as I ran away from that baggage claim area. Feelings of regret filled me. Why did I let them take my box? I knew this would end up happening. I had let Becky down.
I finally found the "C area" and ran to the line to go through the security scanners. I threw my shoes and bag in the canister to be scanned, and almost pushed the other people's items through trying to get the line moving. I went through the whole body scanner, and apparently it went off, so they had to search me. The lady came over with gloves on and said "I need to check your right leg." I had no clue why she would have to check my leg, but I agreed immediately and raised my hands in the air as if I was under arrest. She patted down my leg, and raised my pants at the ankle to reveal my para-cord anklet. Apparently they don't have adventurous people that wear para-cord bracelets and anklets in Charlotte. She told me I was ok to go, and I grabbed my bag and slipped my shoes back on and immediately took off. I noticed people were looking at my hurriedness strangely, but I was too worried about catching the flight, and losing the bibles to care.
I found my gate, and they were still loading. Thank you Jesus! Granted, there were only a few people in line to go on the plane, but they didn't leave me, and better yet, I had made it despite those famous last words from those security guards. I'm now sweating from running in panic mode, and trying to catch my breath while I did a quick "sniff" to make sure my flying compadres wouldn't toss me off the plane for body odor. Nope...we're good...calm down! I sent Becky a quick message telling her the bibles may not make it to Haiti, and try to explain briefly before having to turn my phone off.
I find my seat, and analyze my new neighbors for the next few hours. Ugh...a cute guy. Why must I be seated next to a cute guy when I just sprinted all through the airport and am a nervous wreck because I have lost the box of bibles. Oh well...I'm not on this trip to find my soul mate...I'm on my way to see my sister. The guy starts talking to me, making small talk, and I try to act cool. Once my heart rate returned to normal and I stopped sweating, I decided I might as well enjoy the flight. Most of the other people around us were napping, so the company of this cute guy was pretty nice.
We talked about what we did for a living. He was about my age, and worked in shipping at a company. He was heading to Miami to meet up with a friend from college. He had a few other friends on the flight, but they weren't able to get tickets together. He played guitar and even liked some of the same music I did. Conversation was good, and he was easy to talk to. I told him about the box of bibles I did have, and how I was worried about it. He tried to put my mind at ease by telling me maybe they just put them on this flight too. That was a good idea, and I hoped he was right! We continued to talk for what seemed like a very long time. He admitted he thought I was a missionary when I told him about the bibles. Nope, not a missionary. Just a music teacher headed to see her sister. Even though we talked the whole flight, the time flew by. Before I knew it, we were about to land, and it hit me that we never introduced ourselves. This meant I couldn't find him on Facebook. This meant I probably wouldn't ever see him again. He even waited on me to get off the plane and we walked together towards baggage claims. He met up with his friends, and I told him to have a fun weekend. He told me to have a great birthday celebration with my sister and safe travels home. And then he was gone forever as we turned our separate ways.
The box! There it was! I had thought my checked bag might be in the baggage area since I would be switching airlines for international flights. The last thing to fall from the ramp from the plane was the box of bibles. Hallelujah! I grabbed the box and noticed almost everyone had left the area. As I stood looking around to see if my check bag had been taken off the plane, a flight attendant walked by, pulling behind her my check bag! I said excuse me and told her that was my bag. She told me it wasn't and continued walking. I then said "yes, that's my bag, it has my name on the tag!" She told me the bag was not mine because it was going to Port au Prince in the morning. I agreed, and said I was going there to visit my sister, and asked her why she had my bag. She said she was supposed to lock it up for the rest of the night and it would be put on the plane in the morning. Whew! First the box of bibles, then I finally get them in my arms again, and she had my check bag, but that was going to be put on the plane in the morning!
Everything seemed to have worked out, and I looked at my watch. It was a little after 1:00 in the morning, so I had a few hours before my flight. I wandered around the airport a little bit, getting used to the third airport I had been in that evening, and looking for a snack. I remembered walking by a Dunkin Doughnuts shop with Mr. No Name when we were on our way to the baggage area. I decided to go back and get a snack, since all of the other restaurants were closed. I then decided I needed to find a place and take a nap. All the stress from losing the box of bibles, then the lady having my bag had made me exhausted. I also had stayed up late the night before packing for the trip...so I had taught that day with only a few hours of sleep, and that was wearing thin now.
There were other people sleeping in the airport, so I decided a nap would be a good idea. The only problem was the fact that I was exhausted, and that meant a couple hours of sleep might turn into too many hours of sleep. If I over slept, I would miss my flight, and not get to Haiti. I could set an alarm on my phone, but if its battery died that meant I would oversleep for sure. It seemed like other people had that same thought process because as I looked for an electrical outlet, I realized that was where the other people were sleeping. I ended up finding a sitting area just outside the gates for the security area that had a few electrical outlets on the wall above a shelf that I guess was a charging bar of some sorts. My cord wasn't long enough to sit in a seat and charge my phone, so I ended up sitting under the shelf, and had my phone charging above.
My phone dangled from above as I set an alarm and decided to try to lay down to rest. I used the box of bibles and my backpack as a pillow. No it wasn't comfortable, but at least that way I would hopefully wake up if someone tried to take my stuff. There was construction going on in the airport, and random announcements were made all through the night. Also construction noises like hammering, sawing, and various other things kept it from being quiet. I tried to cover up with my jacket. There were bright lights above me, and I remember I had a pair of shorts in my backpack. So, box and backpack as a pillow, coat over torso, phone dangling just above me with alarm set, and now shorts over my head to make it dark. I'm pretty sure I probably looked like a homeless person.
The last time I looked at my phone was about 2:30 a.m. The security gates opened at 4:00, and my flight wasn't till 6:30. That meant I had a couple of hours to nap. There were two other people in the area near me. One was an older gentleman that was asleep in a chair. The other was a lady playing games on her tablet. There was seating for about 40 to 50, but it was just us three.
The next thing I knew was realizing I was awake. I peeked out from under my shorts that were shielding my head, and immediately noticed the seating area filled with people. Yikes! Had I over slept? Had I missed my flight? No, it was just 3:30 a.m. Well, at least I had gotten an hour of sleep. I needed to use the restroom, so I shoved my shorts back in my backpack and stood up and got my phone charger put away also. I didn't know when the next time I would be able to charge my phone, so having 100% battery was a small blessing to me. I looked around and saw a restroom sign not too far away. There were a few people watching my very sleepily movements, but no need to worry about that with all I had already been through. I asked a nice looking gentleman near me if it would be ok to leave my box there while I went to the restroom. He said he would watch it for me, and off I went. Yes, I know. That was another chance I might lose it, but I had faith this man wouldn't let anything happen to my box.
When I got back from the restroom, all of the people were gone from the seating area, and had moved to lines to go through security. All the people except the man. He was still sitting there taking care of my box. I thanked him, got my box and we went to the security lines also. This would be the last leg of the flights to Haiti.
I was exhausted, looked pretty rough from one hour of sleep, but excited to see Becky.
This time I will try to just lay it all out there...
The first failed attempt to "write it up" went a little like this:
"I find myself saying "If that's the only problems we have, we'll be ok" all too often!
So many times we get caught up in our little worlds that we forget there's a whole wide world out there struggling, to just survive moment to moment, day to day.
That's as far as I got. I've been saying "things could always be worse" since Becky moved to Haiti July 31, 2013...but I just didn't know how to say what I wanted after that...so I put off writing...
The second failed attempt was a little bit better, but not by much:
"A week ago I wasn't here...I was there...
November is a special time in our family. Four out of five of my parents' children's birthdays, myself included, are in November. Becky's is the 10th, mine is the 12th, and the boys on the 24th. Needless to say, it's a very special month to us! Since Becky and I only have two days between our birthdays,"
And that's where I stopped. I felt like the endless ramblings were not worthy to explain this journey to another world, so I just stopped writing.
So here goes another attempt:
In November, 2013, I went to visit Becky in Haiti three days after my birthday. Her birthday is two days before mine, and since she moved out of the country, this was the first year our birthday celebration became international, with much more planning needed to allow us to celebrate together. My flight from Nashville left late Thursday evening, layover over night with also a connection flight, then arrive in Haiti Friday morning, spend Friday through Tuesday in Port au Prince, and fly back to the states Tuesday afternoon. Five days in Haiti. Simple...or at least it was supposed to be simple...
I arrived in Nashville about an hour before my flight that Thursday evening. I was using a different parking company, and was feeling very rushed as I was driven away from my jeep, heading to the airport. I was swimming in a sea of emotion as we pulled up to the terminal. I was tired. I had taught all day, driven two hours, and was about to hop on a plane for the unknown. Excited to see Becky, part of me dreaded it. We had said goodbye three and a half months before, and I hadn't stopped worrying about her since that day. What shape would she be in? Would her living arrangements be fitting? Would she have food and other necessities?
All of these things were swirling in my head as I held onto my passport and headed toward the terminal. I was taking a box of bibles to Becky so she could give them to the workers on campus that were learning English from her as Christmas presents. This was probably the one thing I needed to make sure made it to Haiti. We had discussed the option of just mailing the box, but the freight charges would be too expensive, and there was no guarantee they would make it through the mail and customs in time. So, there was me, a box of bibles, my backpack to use as a carry-on, and my large check bag...but the most important thing was the bibles.
I made it through security, and was using the box of bibles as my second personal item on the plane, so I could make sure they got to Haiti with me. As I arrived at the gate for the first leg of my flight, the attendants announced that if you had a large carry-on, or multiple items, to please check them at the gate because overhead room was limited on the flight. As I was boarding, they asked me to check my box, and I complied. I would just get them at the next stop and everything would be fine, or so I thought.
The first leg to Charlotte, NC, was an easy flight. Not too long, and not too bumpy. As we landed I looked at the time on my ticket for the boarding time on my flight from Charlotte to Miami. I then realized I might have a problem. I had about fifteen minutes to get off the plane, go get the bibles, and get to my next flight. As the overhead lights came on, the pilot announced to be considerate because several passengers had tight connections. I think the rest of the plane comprehended that as "take as much time as you like." When I finally got off the plane, there were several of us running trying to get to our next flight, but I needed to get the bibles.
I ran to baggage claim in the Charlotte airport, and just before I made my way down the stairs, I see a big sign saying "No Entry Beyond This Point." There were a few security guards standing at that point, so I asked them how to get back in once I go down to baggage claims. They asked me why I needed to go out then come back in, so I told them the airline had made me check a box in Nashville. I guess they could sense the urgency in my tone, and asked me how much time I had before my next flight. I looked at my watch and showed them the ticket and had about 8 minutes before the time specified for boarding. They laughed and said "There's no way you'll make it back if you go down to baggage claims." I knew I needed to get the bibles, so I insisted again asking how to get back in to catch my flight. They told me to head toward the C area, and I took off down the stairs.
As I looked back to say thanks, they were yelling at me "You're not gonna make it, you're not gonna make it!"
I flew down the stairs, already out of breath from sprinting through the airport, but deep down inside being very thankful I started running a year and a half ago! I find the conveyor belt where the luggage was beginning to come off of the plane. No box. I wait about 45 seconds more. No box. I look in dismay at the hole where the luggage had appeared from beyond the wall...still no box. I'm starting to freak out a little inside, because this box was filled with the most important things needing to go to Becky in Haiti. As I waited a few more moments, I decided if I didn't leave and find the C area, those security guards would be right. "They may be right anyways" I told myself as I ran away from that baggage claim area. Feelings of regret filled me. Why did I let them take my box? I knew this would end up happening. I had let Becky down.
I finally found the "C area" and ran to the line to go through the security scanners. I threw my shoes and bag in the canister to be scanned, and almost pushed the other people's items through trying to get the line moving. I went through the whole body scanner, and apparently it went off, so they had to search me. The lady came over with gloves on and said "I need to check your right leg." I had no clue why she would have to check my leg, but I agreed immediately and raised my hands in the air as if I was under arrest. She patted down my leg, and raised my pants at the ankle to reveal my para-cord anklet. Apparently they don't have adventurous people that wear para-cord bracelets and anklets in Charlotte. She told me I was ok to go, and I grabbed my bag and slipped my shoes back on and immediately took off. I noticed people were looking at my hurriedness strangely, but I was too worried about catching the flight, and losing the bibles to care.
I found my gate, and they were still loading. Thank you Jesus! Granted, there were only a few people in line to go on the plane, but they didn't leave me, and better yet, I had made it despite those famous last words from those security guards. I'm now sweating from running in panic mode, and trying to catch my breath while I did a quick "sniff" to make sure my flying compadres wouldn't toss me off the plane for body odor. Nope...we're good...calm down! I sent Becky a quick message telling her the bibles may not make it to Haiti, and try to explain briefly before having to turn my phone off.
I find my seat, and analyze my new neighbors for the next few hours. Ugh...a cute guy. Why must I be seated next to a cute guy when I just sprinted all through the airport and am a nervous wreck because I have lost the box of bibles. Oh well...I'm not on this trip to find my soul mate...I'm on my way to see my sister. The guy starts talking to me, making small talk, and I try to act cool. Once my heart rate returned to normal and I stopped sweating, I decided I might as well enjoy the flight. Most of the other people around us were napping, so the company of this cute guy was pretty nice.
We talked about what we did for a living. He was about my age, and worked in shipping at a company. He was heading to Miami to meet up with a friend from college. He had a few other friends on the flight, but they weren't able to get tickets together. He played guitar and even liked some of the same music I did. Conversation was good, and he was easy to talk to. I told him about the box of bibles I did have, and how I was worried about it. He tried to put my mind at ease by telling me maybe they just put them on this flight too. That was a good idea, and I hoped he was right! We continued to talk for what seemed like a very long time. He admitted he thought I was a missionary when I told him about the bibles. Nope, not a missionary. Just a music teacher headed to see her sister. Even though we talked the whole flight, the time flew by. Before I knew it, we were about to land, and it hit me that we never introduced ourselves. This meant I couldn't find him on Facebook. This meant I probably wouldn't ever see him again. He even waited on me to get off the plane and we walked together towards baggage claims. He met up with his friends, and I told him to have a fun weekend. He told me to have a great birthday celebration with my sister and safe travels home. And then he was gone forever as we turned our separate ways.
The box! There it was! I had thought my checked bag might be in the baggage area since I would be switching airlines for international flights. The last thing to fall from the ramp from the plane was the box of bibles. Hallelujah! I grabbed the box and noticed almost everyone had left the area. As I stood looking around to see if my check bag had been taken off the plane, a flight attendant walked by, pulling behind her my check bag! I said excuse me and told her that was my bag. She told me it wasn't and continued walking. I then said "yes, that's my bag, it has my name on the tag!" She told me the bag was not mine because it was going to Port au Prince in the morning. I agreed, and said I was going there to visit my sister, and asked her why she had my bag. She said she was supposed to lock it up for the rest of the night and it would be put on the plane in the morning. Whew! First the box of bibles, then I finally get them in my arms again, and she had my check bag, but that was going to be put on the plane in the morning!
Everything seemed to have worked out, and I looked at my watch. It was a little after 1:00 in the morning, so I had a few hours before my flight. I wandered around the airport a little bit, getting used to the third airport I had been in that evening, and looking for a snack. I remembered walking by a Dunkin Doughnuts shop with Mr. No Name when we were on our way to the baggage area. I decided to go back and get a snack, since all of the other restaurants were closed. I then decided I needed to find a place and take a nap. All the stress from losing the box of bibles, then the lady having my bag had made me exhausted. I also had stayed up late the night before packing for the trip...so I had taught that day with only a few hours of sleep, and that was wearing thin now.
There were other people sleeping in the airport, so I decided a nap would be a good idea. The only problem was the fact that I was exhausted, and that meant a couple hours of sleep might turn into too many hours of sleep. If I over slept, I would miss my flight, and not get to Haiti. I could set an alarm on my phone, but if its battery died that meant I would oversleep for sure. It seemed like other people had that same thought process because as I looked for an electrical outlet, I realized that was where the other people were sleeping. I ended up finding a sitting area just outside the gates for the security area that had a few electrical outlets on the wall above a shelf that I guess was a charging bar of some sorts. My cord wasn't long enough to sit in a seat and charge my phone, so I ended up sitting under the shelf, and had my phone charging above.
My phone dangled from above as I set an alarm and decided to try to lay down to rest. I used the box of bibles and my backpack as a pillow. No it wasn't comfortable, but at least that way I would hopefully wake up if someone tried to take my stuff. There was construction going on in the airport, and random announcements were made all through the night. Also construction noises like hammering, sawing, and various other things kept it from being quiet. I tried to cover up with my jacket. There were bright lights above me, and I remember I had a pair of shorts in my backpack. So, box and backpack as a pillow, coat over torso, phone dangling just above me with alarm set, and now shorts over my head to make it dark. I'm pretty sure I probably looked like a homeless person.
The last time I looked at my phone was about 2:30 a.m. The security gates opened at 4:00, and my flight wasn't till 6:30. That meant I had a couple of hours to nap. There were two other people in the area near me. One was an older gentleman that was asleep in a chair. The other was a lady playing games on her tablet. There was seating for about 40 to 50, but it was just us three.
The next thing I knew was realizing I was awake. I peeked out from under my shorts that were shielding my head, and immediately noticed the seating area filled with people. Yikes! Had I over slept? Had I missed my flight? No, it was just 3:30 a.m. Well, at least I had gotten an hour of sleep. I needed to use the restroom, so I shoved my shorts back in my backpack and stood up and got my phone charger put away also. I didn't know when the next time I would be able to charge my phone, so having 100% battery was a small blessing to me. I looked around and saw a restroom sign not too far away. There were a few people watching my very sleepily movements, but no need to worry about that with all I had already been through. I asked a nice looking gentleman near me if it would be ok to leave my box there while I went to the restroom. He said he would watch it for me, and off I went. Yes, I know. That was another chance I might lose it, but I had faith this man wouldn't let anything happen to my box.
When I got back from the restroom, all of the people were gone from the seating area, and had moved to lines to go through security. All the people except the man. He was still sitting there taking care of my box. I thanked him, got my box and we went to the security lines also. This would be the last leg of the flights to Haiti.
I was exhausted, looked pretty rough from one hour of sleep, but excited to see Becky.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
1000 Gifts From Haiti
426. dreamers
427. new friends who have become old friends
428. graduation parties
429. see you in a few months... not good-byes
430. planing for next year
421. FINISHED. My 1st year teaching is officially over. It's definitely been an adventure filled roller coaster ride.
422. Lovely playing with my camera and practicing her selfies during church
423. Esperancia's giggles are contagious
424. big dreams
425. so far Chikungunya free
416. perks of living on an amazingly beautiful island in the Caribbean ... 11th grade retreat at the beach
417. calm in the middle of chaos
418. these crazy talented kids I get to teach (and apparently make cry ..hahaha)
419. fajitas!!
420. bball keep-away with a 1st grader
411. "broken people just need piecing back together"
412. "God didn't call us to win, God called us to be faithful. God doesn't call us to change the world, God calls us to serve the world. "
413. "Falling is actually not all that painful; it’s hitting the bottom that hurts"
414. "People’s greatest ministry is often built on the platform on their greatest brokenness"
415. "How strange is it that when we ask God to bless us, what we want is simply more of the best that the world can give? We want God to bless us with more money, fewer difficulties, more successes, less conflict, more opportunities, and more influence."
406. the"kid thing" ... it's funny when others notice
407. Extraordinary on repeat
408. Haitian Labor Day = much needed day on the mountain!!
409. " Quit trying to fit. Why try to squeeze all your extraordinary into ordinary?"
410. Thanks for dinner Aleca and Jolin!!
401. mud pies
402. "laughter can heal the hurt places"
403. POWER! It's good to have you back. Don't leave again any time soon, ok?
404. silly kids who think my lap is big enough for all of them
405. this community thing... it's an uncomfortable, but apparently necessary gift
392. old favorites
393. my girls' mom in church yesterday
394. little hands wiping away my tears
395. tear soaked prayers
396. mountain top views
397. books worth a 2nd read
398. "every road leads somewhere"
399. almost ready for 2nd round of microloans
400. free ebooks
386. being suborn and hard headed does have its perks some days ... roof top gardening in Haiti
387. lemonade
388. kids willing to share their stories
389. it's a crazy big world!!
390. "sometimes you have to live a little and hurt a little before you realize what your purpose is"
381. lunar eclipse with a red moon
382. chemistry lab making smores (they're now asking if we can do a chemistry lab on the 11th grade retreat )
383. 'Choose the Light' on repeat
384. only 1/2 a day of school tomorrow then a 4 day Easter break
385. re-learning to trust ... maybe ... at least a little
376. there are no words for how big these 2 girls make my heart smile
377. baby slobber
378. quiet time on the mountain
379. 'shortcuts' with a view
380. reading all night
371. students giving you a personality test bc after 9 months they're still trying to figure you out
372. chocolate!!
373. arm wrestling with a 4th grader after he drinks his "super-strength" Gatorade
374. watching Graymere's live broadcast on the roof ... I get the best of both of my worlds
375. infection is officially gone!!! it's back to normal, crazy, messy life in Haiti (maybe with a little more hand sanitizer)
random quotes until I find my words again...
366. "sometimes the pain of removing the sword hurts worse than it did going in"
367. " a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"
368. "it's only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye"
369. "sometimes what you're beating your head against is exactly what needs to knock you out, down to the point where you give up - then you're able to see the lesson in your experiences... the gift"
370. "nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know"
361. antibiotics!!
362. a place to run
363. "silly goose" and "smelly rabbit"
364. weekend of rest
365. girl scout cookies!!! Thanks Valerie!!!!
356. "a head full of fears has no space for dreams"
357. "I went to help someone else, but I never expected God to help me even more"
358. "Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.... Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light. "
359. "traveler, there is no path, the path must be forged as you walk"
360. "sometimes it’s hard to recognize the hurricane for the debris and the wind that’s nailing you in the face"
351. fishing boats at sunrise
352. paper mustaches
353. 20 questions
354. "I spy something black" ... u had to be there!!
355. back home in Haiti!
346. 4 day weekend in the DR!!
347. border crossings are always 'interesting'
348. waterfalls at the beach!!
349. little surprises tucked away in unexpected places
350. early morning quiet time waiting for sunrise ...just me and a stork hanging out by the pool
341. kids are kids no matter where you go
342. got my permis last week, I'm an official resident of Haiti!!!!!
343. ice cream after school!!
344. 1st ripe tomato
345. "we speak our own healing because only we know the depth of our wounds"
336. tired little ones
337. found mama
338. pi day without getting pied
339. walls slowly coming down
340. roof top gardens
331. a few sprinkles of rain last night
332. kids' church
333. garden is growing
334. life is brutiful (brutal beautiful)
335. almost celebrity status with the kids in Cite Soleil
326. these girls, oh these girls....
327. benadry induced 14 hrs of much needed sleep
328. successful 1st week of payback on our microloans!!!!
329. "Kingdom Coming" by Christa Wells also on repeat a lot lately
330. power AND water ALL weekend!!!!!!!!!!
321. this little one wasn't feeling good this morning, so he got lots of cuddle time during kids church
322. valentine's day/teacher appreciation dinner hosted by our 12th graders
323. "Run" by Josh Garrels ... on repeat way too much lately
324. mango salsa!!
325. 2 weeks until spring break!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!
316. CHOCOLATE!!! Thanks Martha!!!!!
317. roses from students (I'm still not a good gift receiver, but they're working on it )
318. learning to let go
319. the messy beautiful of everyday life on this crazy island
320. "silly goose" kids
311. LB you always make me laugh!!! (we do have toilet paper in Haiti btw!!)
312. processing ...
313. being challenged EVERY. DAY!
314. learning EVERY. DAY!
315. growing EVERY. DAY!!
306. building houses without power tools = hand sawing lumber all day
307. Haitians singing "There's Not A Friend Like the Lowly Jesus" drifting through the window tonight
308. surprises here that never cease to amaze me
309. star gazing on the roof
310. getting another stamp on my passport soon
301. finally FRIDAY!!!!!
302. Epidor fry nights
303. Graymere podcasts
304. slowly learning to share
305. safety that we take for granted every day
297. lazy Saturday morning full of bball and gardening
298. 1st salad from the garden, small harvest of lettuce, a few carrots, a few beans, and threw in a little cilantro just bc I could
299. microloan stuff coming together and hopefully starting soon
300. fa la la la la la la la
291. surprise in my mailbox, no idea who left it, but thanks!!
292. warm sunshine in January
293. mysterious ancient science things found in the storage closet
294. learning, always learning
295. back in the 'normal' routine
286. automatic switch on our water pump was installed at the house while I was in TN, no more waiting up for EDH to fill the water tanks!! YAY!!!!
287. not sure what happened to my plumbing while I was gone, but now if the shower is running, water comes out of the sink and vice versa... crazy Haitian plumbing!!
288. 2 weeks off work is crazy!! I don't think I've had this much time off EVER!!!!
289. cleaning and rearranging my room, goal this semester is to be more organized!!
290. unbelievably blessed beyond comprehension, I still can't believe I'm living this crazy dream!!
281. I don't know who was happier this morning that I'm back, me or them (I know they don't look happy, but trust me they were ecstatic!!!)
282. sailboat surprises
283. random silly kids in Epidor
284. lots of hugs, kisses, tickles, and giggles this morning
285. shoes and a skirt on my little 1!!!
276. I'm DONE!!! Grades are in and this semester is history! I've officially survived my 1st semester as a teacher!!!
277. A few of the kids at church were playing with my camera last Sunday. I found this one today while I was sorting through all their pictures
278. gifts wrapped with duck tape and valentines day paper
279. chickens in the backyard
280. help in the garden
266. the things you learn from students... I now know how to throw the bucket into the cistern so that it fills on the 1st try instead of me 'fishing' and taking 5 minutes to fill it
267. crazy bright moon tonight
268. EDH is on early!!!! yay, water tanks are filled!
269. neighbors aren't home tonight so no Christmas music is playing, instead we have a taptap sitting outside our gate blasting the radio... oh well, who needs quiet time to work anyway...haha
270. Gave my English class their English bibles today so that we can start reading from them every week. Such a small gift, but they were almost in tears overjoyed!!! One of them commented that now I'm not only teaching them how to speak English, I'm teaching them how to READ English!!! My day ended with them surrounding with me prayers for safe travels and a good life
271. received a letter from 1 of my students today (early Christmas present) thanking me for being in her life and just being willing to listen on the hard days ... I was in tears!
272. my early Christmas present to myself (seeds for the garden) arrived today!! BIG plans for some serious playing in the dirt time in January!
273. RAK even in Haiti!!
274. There's a new little one hanging out on our street with her mom (she can't be more than 3 yrs old), every time I walk by she asks 'how are you'. I assumed she was like most of the kids who hear random English phrases and don't really know what they mean, but she will repeat it until you give her an answer, screaming it if she has to. So often we say 'hi, how are you?' in passing and never slow down enough to listen for an answer. She's making me slow down my spinning, running in circles world
275. how does He always give me exactly who I need even when I'm too stubborn, hard headed, and independent thinking I don't need anyone???
261. 'glasses' made out of plastic bottles
262. bball yesterday morning
263. early morning almost quiet
264. clear sky full of a million stars
265. new CD full of good songs!!
256. silly kids on the mountain
257. literary chapel, we have some seriously talented kids here!!!!
258. "I can dance like a white girl"
259.foreign bank accounts
260. needing to run, but wanting to stay
lessons learned ...
251. if you let a little one with a snotty nose ride on your shoulders, chances are good that you'll end up with snotty hair!!
252. today proved that I've changed more in the last 4 months than I realized, Christmas break in the states should be interesting
253. 1/2 naked, dirty, little kids running around make some people uncomfortable
254. life is hard, messy, and complicated, but it's beautiful even when I'm not looking
255. His plans are always exponentially better than anything I could of ever dreamed up on my own ... I still can't believe I'm really here, doing this life thing in this crazy awesome place!
I realize I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't had the short term mission experience, and I know I've made ALL the short term mistakes, but.... quotes from today... you just had to be here!!
246. "I hope it's a Walmart"
247. "they'll bring more kids and topple the bus"
248. "do you speak English?"
249. "oh, I thought you were just a white Haitian with all those kids" (this followed the question above when I told them that yes, as a matter of fact, I do speak English"
250."wow, there's a cow, no wait, it's a buffalo"
241. the breathtaking beauty of this place BLOWS. MY. MIND!!!!!
242. kids on the trail giggling and giving high 5's
243. survived the 1st flat tire in Haiti, 3 Haitian guys stopped and changed it for us
244. cool mountain air
245. wandering, always wandering...
236. crazy good Thanksgiving day yesterday .. lots of people, lots of food, and lots of love!!
237. I love learning from the Haitians!!!! Worked in the kitchen yesterday with some awesome women who tried to 'teach' me how to cook!! I love these moments when they share life
238. cilantro in the garden = fresh salsa!!
239. 1 amazingly, brilliant idea this morning, now I only need 4 more before Dec 13th
240. really should be working on school stuff today, but I'm going hiking instead... the mountains are calling and I must go
231. played bball with a few of the Teachaiti kids this morning .. I missed a 3 and 1 of the boys said it was ok if I needed to 'granny shoot' like him
232. Haitians can peel a potato faster than I can cut it up
233. hey Timothy are you having fun yet??
234. sunshine, 95 degree, shorts and flip flops kind of Thanksgiving day
235. thankful every day for this crazy beautiful place!!!
jungle gym in Cite Soleil
126. came home to a wonderful surprise ... a bookcase!!
127. 2 drops of rain
128. mosquito coils.. Thanks Sandy!!
129. the ones you think will stay in touch don't, but the unexpected gift of the ones who do is an incredible blessing
130. may get to start a 2nd wall of cards soon
216. dirty little feet in church
217. walking the little winding alleys in Cite Soleil with our 'bodyguards'
218. kids running to give us high 5's like we're celebrities walking down the street
219. 'hey you' the 1 English phrase every kid in Haiti knows
220. friends with shovels
221. a friend who knows me well enough to know that a trip to SOIL to get compost for the garden would be the best bday present ever!! THANKS Jen!!!
222. Friday night surprise bday party for me and the boys ... thanks all you crazy QCS friends!!
223. all this love has given me a rash
224. La Reserve nachos 3 weekends in a row
225. only 3 days of school this week!!!!
211. a card addressed to 'my crazy Haitian sister' thanks Trent
212. homemade toys made out of trash
213. random emails of encouragement from old friends at the end of a long day
214. so much potential for amazing change in this world on this little campus
215. random life discussions with students
206. on the way home from the beach, Sandy and I stopped at the mass grave site in Titanyen, where thousands were buried after the earthquake, little shacks have popped up across the gravel road and several kids came out to see what the blancs were up to, it's a solemn reminder that every breath is truly an amazing gift
207. homemade kites made out of a plastic bag, sticks and some scrap string
208. Sandy got a little glimpse of real life in Haiti, she peaked out my bedroom window this morning and was greeted by my neighbor bucket bathing
209. Sandy and I have matching sunburns, my 1st sunburn in almost 4 months here
210. we've laughed, we've cried, we'e enjoyed the last few days together, but the fun has come to an end.... until next time....
201. "my" kids
202. what is it about saltwater and sand that refreshes the soul?
203. loving the opportunity to share this place with Sandy, I think she "gets" it now and won't worry so much about me being here
204. adventures exploring
205. at the beach with Sandy sharing lots of laughs!!
WOW!! Today has been incredible!! This has definitely been a birthday I'll never forget! I'm so amazingly blessed every day by Haiti and her beautiful people!
191. bday celebration started yesterday morning with a surprise from my 2 housemates (Thanks Kamala and Bridgett)
192. then we were off to church to see all my favorite little munchkins
193. dinner and cake last night (Thanks Bill and Dorothy!)
194. last night ended with talks about the possibility of starting a microloan program in Cite Soleil (super, super, super excited about this!!)
195. Periodic table bday cake from my chemistry class today!!
196. 2nd cake at lunch today big enough to share with all the high school kids, teachers, staff, and our Haitian workers on campus
197. there were also balloons, cookies, brownies, chocolate chip pecan bars, and cokes at the chemistry party!
198. the chemistry kids also had packed a separate small box of sweets for me to bring home to make sure the sugar high continued after school
199. hearing 'happy birthday' ALL day today and being sung to about 10 times
200. the Haitian workers on campus are such a HUGE blessing!! We had English class today. They sang Happy Birthday to me in English. Then they sang Amazing Grace in Creole, followed by all 20+ of them praying out loud specifically for me and blessings in my life. It was one of those moments you wish you could just bottle up and share with everyone!
186. little buddies!!
187. new friends and old friends, all of us doing this life thing .... connected souls
188. all of those who keep on loving, even when I'm unlovable
189. new song added to repeat list
190. glimpses of God everywhere even when my eyes are closed
181. incredibly thankful for the little garden at the house, but oh how much fun I could have living on the mountain with the farmers!!
182. I hadn't seen our little neighbor munchkin in several days and the last time I saw her she was burning up with a fever. She was outside yesterday when I came home from school, feeling better and all smiles
183. the epic amazing race yesterday was an awesome end to spirit week!!
184. 103 days in Haiti!!! living the dream!
185. bday cards from friends!!!!
176. my little one only made it about 5 minutes at church this morning before she was out and she woke up just in time for the last amen
177. kids across the street this morning singing when they thought no one was listening
178. Creole song book! THANK YOU Bill and Dorothy!!
179. I had a band-aid on my finger, but the kids were having none of that! They all tried to pull it off to see what was hiding underneath!
180. I have 2 tiny cucumbers in the garden! Anxiously awaiting the 1st harvest
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171. finally got tired of looking at these blank walls, so I decided to do a little decorating
172. Had a really cool discussion this week with my discipleship girls. We were talking about trusting God and lots of questions came up from simply "How do you learn to do that?" to "How can you trust when you see so many bad things happening? God says our basic needs will be met, but we see hungry, thirsty, homeless, and desperate people. So how can we trust Him to meet our needs when He obviously isn't meeting theirs?" We're definitely growing and learning together!!!
173. Sandy lands in Haiti 2 weeks from today!!
174. I teach some seriously amazing kids!!!!
175. celebrated a day off work today by sleeping late, pulling a few weeds in the garden, reading, and now I think it's about time for a nap!!
166. woke up from a nap to the kids at the school across the street singing "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah" with the neighbor's roosters providing background noise
167. THANK YOU to whoever delivered mail to my door!!!!
168. the cold shower actually felt really good today
169. I'll be on a serious sugar high for the next several weeks thanks to Martha
170. some weeks are just roller coasters that throw you for a loop and leave your head spinning
161. I should have been an electrician or a plumber
162. Friday night Canadian Thanksgiving dinner Haitian style
163. "he ate all but the feet"
164. "grilled chicken effect" (I'm learning all kinds of new things!! ha!)
165. sad little ones make my heart hurt so I flip them upside down until we're all smiling
156. my 1st little 'driving in Haiti' adventure today (not to anywhere exciting but I suddenly feel like I have a LOT more freedom!!)
157. someone else is filling up the water tank tonight (finally! haha)
158. it's been a blah kind of week, but tomorrow is FRIDAY!! (everything gets exponentially better on Friday, right?)
159. forgot the bug spray this morning, and I think I fed about a million mosquitoes today (I don't think I'll be forgetting it again any time soon)
160. 3 more sleeps until I see this little munchkin!!!
146. some days are just. SO. GOOD!!!
147. I had an entire bench full of little ones this morning at church
148. Haitian kids are fascinated with the blonde hair on my arms
149. 2 of the girls tried to braid the random hairs that had fallen out of my pony tail
150. survived the 1st 9 weeks as a teacher
151. grades are all finished!! yay!!
152. unexpected trip to the 'nice' grocery store yesterday!! that's always a fun adventure!!
153. my toilet is fixed! no more manually filling the tank with a cup!! sooooo excited!! (now if I can get the shower fixed, I'll be living large!)
154. we had power last night!! Jeanne the flashlight/lantern has been a lifesaver!! THANKS!
155. only 4 days of school this week!!!!
141. This was in my mailbox today...they're NOT getting extra credit for this ..hahaha ...but maybe I've done ok my 1st 9 wks as a teacher
142. I love all the random non-school conversations with students. Topics can be anything from Haiti, to family, to general life stuff and advice for college, to God, forgiveness, and grace.
143. the Haitian workers on campus practicing their English
144. electricity and water are 2 things we should never take for granted, they are AMAZING gifts!!
145. random hugs, tickles, and high 5's from the elementary kids
136. little ones peaking under the door during English class
137. 1st English class at the church in Cite Soleil today, we had about 60 Haitians stay for class
138. grown men in tears crying out to God in prayer
139. my little buddy was sitting outside the church building when we arrived this morning
140. humbled and overwhelmingly grateful every day by life here
131. woke up this morning fever free!! Thanks for all the prayers!!!!
132. Charles (1 of the guards at the house). Between the retreat and being sick, I hadn't seen him in over a week. Last night, he was all concerned, "Miss, I haven't seen you, you've been gone, you ok?" He is so sweet
133. our garden has little sprouts popping up everywhere, I can't wait until our first harvest in a few months
134. I'm spoiled ... even in Haiti!!
135. Monday afternoon before I got sick, I taught my 1st English class to our Haitian workers on campus. It was SOOOO much FUN!!! LOVE!!!!
126. staff retreat at the beach (perks of living on an island in the Caribbean)
127. double rainbow at sunrise this morning (of course, I didn't have my camera with me )
128. salt water and sunshine is good for the soul!!!!
129. perfect spot on the rocks for quiet time
130. fishermen out in their boats before sunrise
121. These 2 live across the street from our house. They are always so sweet and friendly to us 'blancs'. Sunday I happened to have my camera with me when they hollered at us, so I asked them if I could take a picture. I ran home and printed a copy of their picture and took it back to them. The look on their mom's face was priceless when she realized what I was giving them. She asked if I would let her give them a bath and then take another picture of them in their 'good' clothes! Their mom was so thankful for the gift of this picture!!! (and don't let that tough look of the older one fool you, she is so sweet and always smiling and the little one has trouble written all over her! )
122. the national workers on campus are AWESOME!! (we have lots of Haitian workers who cook , clean, do upkeep and maintenance, guards, etc.; they do an incredible amount of work to keep this place running- we would be nothing without them)
123. creole Bible (I can't read it yet but maybe 1 day!)
124. I noticed yesterday that we have a cherry tree at the house!! (we also have 2 mango and several banana trees)
125. so many opportunities all around us every day
116. word has gotten out at school that we made gold in chemistry last week, I had several random kids ask if I would share the 'recipe', they all think they're going to be rich! (one even offered me a cut of the profits)
117. 'almost' warm shower, I don't know if I'll ever get used to cold showers
118. everyone here is so nice and helpful, it's almost annoying
119. one of my 12th grade students asked me today how could I possibly be THIS awesome!! hahah ...he hasn't figured out yet that stuff doesn't work with me!
120. several songs on repeat tonight
111. dinner with friends (thanks Heather and Jen)
112. unsuccessful attempts to blow things up after dinner (we definitely need more practice!! )
113. our sweet neighbor kids
114. hand sanitizer!
115. seeds from Jen
106. supportive parents of the students
107. hidden passages to the roof
108. unexpected ride to the store!
109. cards and surprise packages from friends (there hasn't been a week go by that I haven't received mail ... Thank you!!!)
110. free time spent playing in the dirt this morning
101. crazy lightening storms (Haiti storms are intense!!!)
102. those little light bulb moments for the students when something finally 'clicks'
103. my 9th and 10th grade discipleship girls stressing over boys...oh to be that young and innocent again!
104. 1 of my pre-cal kids sang in chapel this morning and she totally blew us all away b/c we had no idea she was so talented. I was talking to her after school about how NOT talented I am at anything involving art or music and she was like 'it's ok, at least you're good at math' hahahaha
105. the ugly beautiful messiness of life here
96. dirt floor churches
97. mountain top views
98. standing in the clouds
99. so many opportunities in the midst of the hard stuff
100. waking up to Haitians singing
91. yesterday's rainbow (view from our roof)
92. the moon and North star last night right beside each other with the halo of a cloud (there was no way my little camera could capture it)
93. grace... amazing grace... freely given... every day
94. so.much.love ... crazy love for this place
95. elders on their knees praying
86. printed off photos from last Sunday and gave them away this morning at church ...so many little things we take for granted!!!
87. little sticky starburst fingers
88. so.much.rain! (we're in rainy season and it has rained every day the last few weeks) I LOVE the rain and storms, but life is so much harder for so many here when it rains that it's hard to enjoy 1 of my favorite gifts
89. pig programs!
90. ESL classes may be starting soon with our new church family .... super, super excited!!!
81. church in Cite Soleil this morning ... It was exactly what I needed!!
82. taco night ... we've been blessed with the gift of incredibly generous, amazing people
83. making faces with the kids across the isle in church
84. kids playing in the rain
85. afternoon walks
76. random afternoon downpours
77.FRIDAY!!!
78. beets AND mango for lunch today!
79. inertia physics lab ... aka afternoon play time for the big kids!
80. found KCl (potassium chloride) in the back of the cabinet...keeping my fingers crossed that it isn't 100 years old and might actually still be reactive enough for our chemistry lab next week
71. George Hill from the Indiana Pacers is in Haiti this week
72. our security guard at the house has been 'teaching' me how to plant things in our little garden (I haven't told him yet that I grew up on a nursery and I've been planting things my whole life. I'm trying to be a good student!
73. laundry day! I have clean clothes, yay!!
74. thunderstorms!
75. my kindergarten buddies who try to break my hand when they give high-5s, one even has this crazy wind-up to achieve maximum momentum
66. sunset from our roof
67. local honey
68. roommates who share a lot of the same loves and struggles of life in Haiti
69. crazy neighbor chickens
70. stray goats always wandering around on our street
61. Saturday morning market adventure
62. taptap ride
63. after lunch Caribbean run
64. our sweet, sweet neighbor who sells cookies and cokes
65. Friday night girls night
56. the group of girls who have started hanging out in my classroom after school
57. discipleship groups started this week
58. videos of chemistry experiment online that we can use in place of real labs that we don't have the chemicals or equipment for
59. my Graymere family! (I'm 1500 miles away and you all are still impacting my life!!!!)
60. 1 of the kindergarten kids told me a big secret at lunch today! (1 of the boys in the class has a girlfriend!) He was sooo cute trying to whisper it to me b/c it was a big important secret
51. Haitians singing on the hillside
52. ice cream trucks play music in the states, water trucks play music in Haiti
53. mangoes
54. little lizard doing push ups
55. learning new things every day
46. dinosaurs climbing up the mountain
47. hiking in Haiti = AWESOME day!!!
48. Friday night feast and fellowship
49. mail day (better than Christmas!)
50. jeopardy review with the Chemistry kids
41. cheeseburger and fries yesterday for lunch!! yay!
42. holiday 1st week of school (yesterday was Assumption Day in Haiti)
43. electric and water issues at the house have been resolved for the moment - eggs, milk and cheese in the refrig AND flushing toilets... it's been a GREAT week!!!
44. chapel on Wednesday morning with all the secondary students
45. Wednesday night bible study group is going to be awesome!!
36. chuck e cheese coins apparently pass for Haitian money
37. moved into the new house and getting settled
38. found a really cool video for chemistry class... involves hydrochloric acid and a mcdonald's cheeseburger!
39. our little walk to the store last night
40. kids on campus today for registration
busy street market across the street from campus
26. kids singing at the afternoon Spanish church service on campus
27. the Haitian guy who sweeps campus every morning trying to teach me creole
28. if it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down
29. story time with Mrs. Jean
30. ice cream from Epidor!!
31. Milan in the snack shop. She told me the other day that she would 'never forget Becky'. She's also trying to teach me creole
32. the new little visitor in my bedroom
33. clean clothes
34. free drinking water on campus
35. banana trees on campus
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21. playing dominoes with the boys at the Child Hope boys home
22. treated to lunch yesterday by the director of the school
23. some things only happen in Haiti and no one else would understand
24. 2 church services this morning
25. crazy big lizards
grocery run after lunch today ... beef brains anyone?
16. Haitians singing old hymns
17. Friday night dinner and a movie Haitian style
18. lab aprons arrived yesterday
19. mail finally set up
20. talked to Brent and Sandy yesterday ... Trent, dude, you need to get with the program!!
this is our eating area at school
11. everyone is sooo friendly
12. no crazy roommates (yet)
13. several of the workers on campus already know my name (unfortunately it's probably going to be a little while before I can remember ALL their names)
14.feeling at home already
15. boys playing soccer
for all my MT/science friends... this is our eye wash station in the lab!!
7. dinner at the Grahams ...again..
8. phone set up
9. AC in the classrooms ...totally spoiled already (no AC in house tho)
10. messaging Sandy all afternoon
this is my high school science room...where I spent ALL day working!!
I have a feeling this is going to be my home away from home away from home
1. being back in a place I love so much
2. internet (YAY!)
3. early morning breeze (sweat free breakfast!!)
4. late night thunderstorms
5. finding teacher's manuals for 3 of my 4 classes (still searching for the Calculus one)
this is the high school building where I spend most of my time
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