so i've only been here four days, and it feels like it's been forever! Monday and today have been more getting into what I'm going to be up to. I've been helping Tom and Helen's three kids who are all in grade eight with their homeschooling... man, that has been an experience. They are really hard to keep focused! And i've had to completely relearn grade 8 math. boof. But it's good... i actually don't mind teaching as much as i though I would.
Today, Tom and Mono(their Haitien worker who is amazing. He is such a huge help to them and is a super honest guy) had to go to Port-au-Prince. They've had a container that is still being held and it's been there since two days before the earthquake, and they are having SO much trouble releasing it. You often have to pay bribes to get stuff done in this country, but I don't think Tom wants to do that so they have found a connection with some Americans and or Canadians to help them get it out. So we are praying that it goes well!
Also, a HUGE prayer request is about the children. The original reason that Helen sent this message out for help was because they were supposed to be recieving 50 newly orphaned kids from the earthquake. So i was going to come to help her out with that, but they still haven't received any. unicef isn't releasing any children for reasons that I don't know, and Tom has been trying to contact them and get them to come inspect our facilities so we can bring them here but it's not happening. It's terrible because these kids are still in these huge camps and not getting proper care and lots of them are still dying. It's so awful.
Today, after I'd done some school with the three, i went to the PE class outside and played some European handball with them . It was so fun... and nice to get some exercise. I can't leave the compound at all by myself and we always take the truck cause everything is far away. (Oh, there is a school on the compound that has about 30 some kids. Some are community kids and some are Kids Alive kids.) After school, we went to the children homes for a little service they have with everyone which was neat... except i don't speak Creole so i get a little lost. One of the natural children of the house parents, who is 5, came and held my hand and sat next to me... he was a little cutie. of course we couldn't talk. But that's ok. We were praying and i opened my eyes to see his little hands in my face... he was touching my nose ring.. he thought it was hilarious! Then I got to cuddle with one of the little guys, Elyse Emmanuel, back to the house...SO adorable. it made me miss Amani.
Anyway, I'm really loving it here... it's been better than i expected.. i really didn't know what to expect I guess, but i'm just really feeling like i'm useful, which I kind of lot i'd feel a little useless cause the kids aren't here.
Really pray for the kids... and really this country in general. As if it wasn't poor before, people are more poor and hungrier than ever. It's heart breaking. On Sunday, we took out some boxes out to a poorer area of town and gave some clothes and shampoo and toothbrushes/toothpast and rice... it was hard to see the how these people lived.. you can't even imagine unless you see it. It's awful conditions.
I could write for a long time. but i should go. Thank you if you read this and thanks for praying!
love karianne