A few brief updates

So, as I have not had any success recently in getting my computer to connect to the internet, I am writing this blog update on Word and hopefully can copy and paste it into the blog either when I can connect my computer to internet or if I save it to a thumb drive and paste it when I borrow someone’s computer. 

Since there are only four babies at Kay St. Anne in the morning, I am now going to St. Louie which is the school the children ages three and over attend.  The school is located where the children in the residential program who are over the age of six live.  In addition to the orphaned children, many other school age students come most from nearby tent communities where they reside with their families.  This week I mostly observed in different classrooms to get ideas as to how I can be supportive to the children and their teachers.  One of my biggest frustrations is that it is still often difficult for me to comprehend what people are saying to me in Creole.  At the school I  understand considerably less, because many of the lessons are taught to the children in French.  When I am with many of the youngest children I realize that they don’t fully understand the songs they are singing or what the teachers are saying either, after all, those going to school for the first time are essentially hearing the French language for the first time.  All of the classes are held in large tents which don’t have electricity.  The primary educational methods used in Haiti are route learning, recitation, copying, memorizing, and singing in the kindergarten classrooms.  I was able to participate when they sang the only French song that I kind of know Fera Jaques (I don’t know how to spell it though.)  The school day ends around 12:00, then the children eat a meal usually of rice and beans in their classrooms.  After school I go with the children who live at Kay St. Anne to their home where I am assisting the staff with doing activities with groups of children.  The centers I set up on the roof for the children to play are working out reasonably well. 

Tomorrow another volunteer from the United States and a nine year old Haitian child who most likely needs to have open heart surgery are leaving for Florida.  Assuming he has the surgery as planned, and needs a few weeks to recover, I will likely replace the volunteer, for several day in early November when she needs to go to a meeting somewhere else.  This is not definite as there are several factors that could cause the plan to change, but there is a possibility that I will be Florida caring for a child for several days in early November. 

Last weekend I went to Matthew 25 to visit my friend Anne who was my study buddy in Creole class last summer.  It was great to see her again, and I enjoyed spending a night at Matthew 25.  While there is no doubt that I am now in the ministry that is a better fit for me, I also find that I am grateful for the connections and people at Matthew 25.