Relatives of one of the sisters, who is from Canada, are visiting with us for several weeks. On Sunday they prepared a day of activities for the children. It was the Olympics of Hope! The children really enjoyed the friendly athletic competitions, the awards ceremony and gifts that followed. It was truly a great day for all. I have enjoyed the presence of this lovely couple in our house. The children love them and they are so good to the kids. They each speak a little English, and even less Creole; the majority of meal time conversations are once again mostly in French, which I personally find quite challenging; their kindness makes it worth the challenge.
Since I am mostly doing clinical work, out of respect for the confidentiality of the children, I do not share many details about the children or they work I am doing with them, so sometimes there are interesting and good things happening that I am not comfortable mentioning most especially on a public blog. I know that other missionaries and volunteers who work in various places and who are not social workers are less concerned about this than I am, and their blogs are much more interesting because they post pictures of the children and share more details.
The internet plan I have is supposedly unlimited, at least that is what it is called. Last Wednesday when I was participating in an on-line play therapy training, and on other recent occasions when trying to Skype, I have found it to have many limitations and the connection can be unpredictably slow at seemingly random times and perfectly adequate at other moments. So I alternate between feel frustrated by it and very grateful for it. Maybe they should think of another name that captures that reality.
Every Friday afternoon the children each get a 20 minute turn to ride a bicycle in our yard. They enjoy and look forward to this activity of course. A few months ago, one of the older boys asked me if I knew how to ride and I said, "yes." He seemed skeptical and got off of the bike, sacrificing a few minutes of his precious time to see me ride, perhaps thinking I would give him a reason to laugh. He seemed very impressed as I happily and effortlessly circled the house of the younger children. Earlier that same day, when the girls had asked me if I knew how to wash clothes (by hand,) I reluctantly said that I "yes, but not as well as you do." They too had wanted me to show them how I do it; in that case I knew they would not find my technique up to par but showed them anyway giving them something to laugh about. So in the eyes of some of the children, my clothes washing skills may be lacking but others seem to find my bike riding skills impressive. Like my "unlimited" internet key, I have limits and gifts. One of the bicycles the older children use, is remarkably similar to a bicycle that I purchases with a tax refund check while I was in college which is currency sitting probably unused (although I did tell the sisters they are welcome to use it) somewhere in New Orleans. This morning, since it is my day off, and it is not Friday afternoon when the bikes would be in use, I borrowed the bicycle that resembles my own and went for a bike ride. It felt wonderful!
When Lent started I thought to myself, oh good, at least on Fridays we won't have those sausages that are really hot dogs to eat. They are often cut up and put into pasta, soup, omelets, and other dishes at the evening meal. If they are served at the noon time meal they are separate so one can easily not take them. It is surprising to me that the religious/cultural not eating meat on Friday during lent tradition, is not really followed at the orphanage given that other Catholic traditions are adhered to. Since I prefer not to eat too much meat anyway, and don't think those hot dogs have any nutritional value, I am not necessarily wanting the tradition to be followed for the purest and holiest of reasons. It does seem ironic that I had that self-serving thought which clearly misses the point of Lent, and it turned out to be WRONG anyway.
So don't trust that anything called unlimited really is without limits and if you are Catholic to leave the hot dog pieces out of your Friday night meal. Take Care. Many Blessings!
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