Truck and other updates

The biggest news at the orphanage is the arrival of the much needed long anticipated new pick-up truck.  The old truck frequently had problems, was costing much to repair and was not always reliable.  The children were excited to go for a ride in the new truck even if they did not leave the yard but simply circled the house of the younger children.  The fundraising committee did a lot of work last year to request the funds and many generous parishioners of various churches in New Hampshire made the purchase possible.  We are grateful!  There may even be a brief video of the truck circling the house on the Mary Gate of Heaven Facebook page.

From what I have heard the Haitian elections, which took place on Sunday, were peaceful in most places in the country.  Those I live and work with reported no problems with voting. Interestingly, Haitian Catholic religious (sisters, brothers priest) are apparently allowed to vote wherever they are without having to formally take steps to register in the locality where they are currently missioned. 

My absentee Louisiana ballot did not make it in time for the local elections there due to changes in the schedule of the missionary airline which we rely on for sending and receiving mail to the United States. 

A choublak flower in the rain

It has been raining occasionally, sometimes in the evening or during the night.  The air is not so hot now (compared with a few weeks ago) especially in the mornings and evenings.  After the rain there is considerably less dust in the unpaved streets.  It was great running weather this morning!  

Have a great week.  Many blessings!  

  

     

  

   

Dimanch, Eleksyon, Fòmasyon, Zandolit

Dimanch
Once a month on Sunday family members of the children at the orphanage are encouraged to come to visit.  A highlight of my week was seeing a elderly grandfather play on the orphanage merry-go-round with his two young grandchildren.  The smiles and each of their faces brought joy to my heart, and a smile to my face, in the midst of a challenging day at the orphanage.  

That same day, three young women, soon to officially enter the Sisters of Holy Cross as postulants moved in to the convent where I am living.  I appreciate the new life and energy they bring to the house.

Elections
Today I filled out my absentee ballot for Louisiana local elections.  Hopefully it will arrive on time for the primary otherwise it is the same ballot used for the general election; the directions are to  number your preferences so that the same ballot can be counted in the general election.  I had to spend time on-line researching who to vote for since I have not been keeping up with Louisiana politics at all.  In the evenings after we finish washing the dinner dishes and before 8:00 night prayer (or sometimes after if I am not too tired) I try to listen to NPR on the internet to at least get the headlines of the national news in the US.  I also try to read news about Haiti on the internet.  In reality, I am not following things here or there as closely as I would like, just getting a general sense of what's going on.  There are elections coming up here in Haiti.   There are over 50 candidates running for president; while it can be good to have choices, I don't know how people choose from so many.   While I had to search for information on the Louisiana local elections, I receive information or at least advertisements frequently on my facebook feed and occasional telephone text messages promoting candidates I can't vote for.    

Fòmasyon
Yesterday morning while the children were at school, I did a brief presentation for the workers who care for the children at the orphanage, to explain the work that I do with the children.  They were very receptive and asked some good questions.  I felt energized after being with them.  In many places in the world, it seem to me that those who do the most direct day to day care of children (or other vulnerable populations) have the most important jobs in the world and yet are often under appreciated and unfortunately rarely compensated well.
 
Zandolit
Some people have commented that they like when I post pictures.  Here is one of the several lizards that hang out  on the outside of my screen and hopefully catch and snack on  mosquitoes that would try to enter through the holes.  I am grateful that they are there.  I also really like the word for lizard in Haitian Creole, "zandolit"; it just sounds cool!

           
Thanks for taking the time to read my weekly update.  Have a good week.  Take care!  Many blessings!

Angle

English 

Since I titled the last two blog entries French and Creole, I might as well continue the language pattern.  I have resumed teaching English to a family member of an employee at the orphanage, for just one hour a week.  The other student I had last year, is now working at a school in another town, so it does not work out for her to continue class right now.  She did come by to visit me at the orphanage over the weekend. I was glad to see her and happy that she is doing well.    

Occasionally I encounter people who want to practice their English and I like to oblige, aware of how when I am in the US I greatly appreciate opportunities to practice Creole.  

Class

Currently, I am taking an online continuing education course through the Family and Play Therapy Center in Philadelphia.   The course is entitled Mindfulness Based Family Play Therapy with a Major Component in Advance Child Development.  I am so grateful that during the first two sessions, I have had an excellent internet connection.  It is wonderful to be able to continue to learn and connect with others when I am so far away.   While the class is excellent and informative some of what is presented  is difficult to apply to my current situation since I have so little information about the specific experiences the children had before they came to the orphanage.  It is amazing that I can be  in Haiti and participate (even ask questions and receive responses) in a quality continuing education program in Philadelphia.  The program gives a very generous discount to people living in different countries depending upon the economics of the country (Haiti gest a 75% discount.)  Here is the link:        http://www.fptcenter.com/

I hope you are all doing well.  Take care.  

       

Franse

While my Creole listening comprehension in certain situation is still at least sometimes still a struggle, I often find myself in situations where it seems I am expected understand a language I do not know.  Nearly all of the time, in most of Haiti, Creole is the language used for everyday communication.  French is the language often used by government, most schools and in many formal situations.  The sisters here are committed to ensuring that the younger sisters can speak French well, so often at the dinner table French is used.  If I listen intently for words that are the same as Creole or English and most of the time I do have a sense of what the general topic is, sometimes I actually understand a complete sentence and rarely even a few details, and of course at other times I am quite clueless.  One day I can more or less follow a conversation about autism in French, and soon after needed to ask just to get a sense of  the topic of the conversation is, when someone was talking about a car accident.  

In the convent, liturgy and prayer are typically primarily in French.  When we go to the cathedral for morning mass, it is in french.  Sometimes we go to daily mass at church in a nearby neighborhood, where the liturgy is mostly in Creole.  I am glad when we go there; I prefer smaller neighborhood churches to big cathedrals anyway.  The other morning, though I did have a little difficulty understanding some of the liturgy even though it was in Creole, because the roosters crowing outside were  drowning out the voices of the readers and priest.  

I have learned a very little bit of French, like the most common mass responses.  In fact one morning when the priest started in Creole, I was not all of the way awake (it was 6 am and still dark out) I actually responded with"Et avec votre spirit" (French for and also with your spirit), when I should have said, "E avèk ou menm tou",  (Creole for and also with you.)  A year ago, when I first arrived in Cap-Haitian, I would frequently do the opposite (respond in Creole when the priest was speaking French.) 

The sisters here had an assembly over the weekend.  On Saturday evening I went to their mass and had supper with them; I always enjoy connecting with the larger community and seeing some of the sisters who I neither live or work with.  

The children are doing well.  I continue to enjoy my work with them; it is a privilege to watch them learn and grow.  This living arrangement is working out well.  Hopefully all is well with you.  Take care.  Many Blessings!