"Pappa's House" will always be home

Speaking like the unbiased aunt I am... my neice Courtney is still my favorite kid!! Her first 3 words were; Mom, Dad & Bob... apparently Rebecca isn't a suitable name for her favorite aunt (remember, I'm completely unbiased here). Here Courtney is "bobbing" in the hottub with "her Bob"... yes, she came up with that one on her own!



Well I'm writing this blog curled up in a hotel room bed (king sized bed even!!) in Miami & I fly to Haiti tomorrow morning. It was a GREAT 3 weeks in Vancouver!! I haven't lived with my parents for a long time but I think their house will always feel like home. It was a busier trip then anticipated but I feel very rested & I'm excited to see the kids tomorrow morning. I couldn't help but to call them every few days but talking on the phone just isn't the same :)

My flights today went smoothly but I have a packing tip for you... those little sacs of tuna (I bought them at Walmart) are really tasty but when you put 25+ sacs in your carry-on bag they are well over the liquid allowance!! However, never underestimate the power of any sentence that starts with; "I'm on my way to an orphanage in Haiti..."

Thank you so much for making the time to see me while I was home & for sending me back with full suitcases. And a special thankyou to all of you who started sponsoring a child while I was home. I hope this will be the beginning of a relationship that is just as rewarding for you as it is for your new child.

I have talked to so many people about the amazing Christmas I had with the kids but I don't want the rest of you to miss out so here's the official update on CHRISTMAS IN HAITI 2007.

My mom sent 3 bins of Christmas presents for ALL the kids at H2H valley - that's almost 100 gifts!!! And we're not just talking about a little trinket, each child received socks/underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a "main" present, several "smaller" presents, hair stuff, school supplies, candy, etc, etc. The older boys even got a knitted hat courtesy of Grandma Rose! I gave out the presents in the early afternoon & then we had our Christmas Feast! I'll skip right to the pictures....

Some of the presents ready to be handed out:



Some VERY happy kids (Albert, Marilyn, Rosmita, Samuel, Junior & Jason showing off his new underwear!):











And, of course, you can't have a Christmas Feast without food, decorations & the Christmas tree!!







We even had the UN stop by a few days before Christmas with some treats:



Probably not sustainable to do every year but man was it fun!!! Thanks to all who contributed!!

Merry Christmas

Today is the first day I’ve felt “Christmasy” so when I say Merry Christmas, I really mean it! My mom, with the help of many others I’m sure, sent Christmas presents for ALL of the kids here (luckily I’m still considered a kid in her books) and some of my extended family & friends chipped in some money to make a Christmas dinner. Yesterday I went to the market with a few of the older girls & bought food for the dinner & today I sorted through the gifts from my mom & wrapped a present for each child here… yes my fingers are raw! Even with the preparation for the kids I was having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. But, when I passed by Pastor Luc’s house this afternoon I heard Christmas carols playing! Now I can’t stop humming & I doubt I’ll sleep tonight b/c I’m so excited for tomorrow! Christmas is not celebrated by many here, but the ones that do, celebrate it on the 24th. So tomorrow morning I’ll hand out the presents & tomorrow night “nou gen fet!” (we’re having a party!). We’re making macaroni salad, rice & BEEF! And what’s a party without the fizzies!! We have 5 cases of pop in a neighbour’s freezer so pray for power tonight! And because the 25th is when my family celebrates Christmas I’ll open my stocking from my mom (no mom, I haven’t peaked yet) & we’re going to have a mini party in the evening… peanut butter sandwiches, strawberry yogurt (thanks to some UN friends) & hot chocolate!!

I’ll post the Christmas pictures next week but I have some other pictures I want to share. Thanks to some very generous cousins (Anders & Heidi, you’re famous here now!) I’ve been able to buy an evening snack for the kids several times this month. Usually the snack consists of peanut butter sandwiches & “fake” juice… that’s what the kids call juice made from powder. Well last week we made “real” juice. We bought 2 huge bags of fruit in the market - the kids were so excited! We had way too many cooks in the kitchen & our methods were incredibly inefficient but it was a blast! My pictures don’t capture the excitement of the kids so you’ll have to enhance them with your imagination.


The making of the juice:












The drinking of the juice:

A time of Thanksgiving

Ok, I know I’m suppose to be getting into the Christmas spirit but I kind of missed the Thanksgiving holiday this year so bear with me ☺

Some friends, Albert & Scott, came to Haiti on December 1st and left a few days ago. Before moving here I had been on several mission trips to Haiti with Scott & Albert so it was great having them here again! Because of our previous experiences together, they were able to relate to some of my struggles & give me encouragement & counsel like few could do. THANK YOU Albert & Scott for a great visit! As I said in my last blog, they brought some amazing care-packages from family & friends! I’ve had a few sleepless nights reading through letters & unpacking the 3 bins from my mom. THANK YOU everyone for the thought that went into what you said & what you gave – I really appreciate it all.

Scott & Albert spent most of their time in Grande Goave (where I’m staying @ the H2H Children’s Home). They spent lots of time with the kids, did some maintenance around the compound & started laying the foundation for more new classrooms in the new school. We also took some road trip - we went to Kenscoff to visit Joyce & Molly @ GLA (where I spent 3 months last year) & to Basin Blue in Jacmel. I had never been to Basin Blue – it’s a series of 3 waterfalls / basin that you hike up to. It was amazing! Unfortunately the batteries in my camera died so I don’t have any pictures but I’ll post some when Scott & Albert send them to me.

Because I’m coming home in December I wanted to go to Grande Savande & take some recent photos of the new church there. Scott has a real passion for Grande Savande so when he heard I was going he changed his flights & came with me. We had a great time! They’ve laid the floor & started building the crossbeams for the ceiling. Again I’ll have to post pictures later… I just don’t think like a tourist anymore so my camera was tucked away safely in my bedroom at Grande Goave. Seeing the excitement of the people in Grande Savande & Boava (a small mountain community close to Grande Savande where we always stay when visiting Grande Savande) was inspiring for Scott & I. The church will become a community center & a ‘strong-house’ during the hurricane season & people have already started building new houses around it! We had a great talk with Pastor Luc & Jean Francios (the local Pastor) about their vision for Grande Savande & it includes finishing the church & quickly moving on to a medical clinic. Grande Savande is an area filled with Voodoo & currently when people are sick they feel their only option is to go to the Voodoo Priest. Having a medical clinic associated with the new church will allow us to meet their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. Every trip to Boava / Grande Savande has been special for me (sharing testimonies with teams, meeting families of kids that now live in the Grande Goave Children’s Home, almost falling in the outhouse…) & this one kept with tradition. I saw the biggest tarantula so far & I translated the entire church service for Scott! This might not seem substantial to you but this is the first time I’ve understood all of what was said. I’m still shocked when I think about it!

I returned to Grande Goave yesterday and as we drove through Leogane (a neighbouring town) we were stopped by a demonstration to raise awareness of the damage done by the recent hurricanes. These types of demonstrations can quickly become dangerous & while I had known that before, yesterday made it reality for me. As soon as our car had stopped people saw me & the car was swarmed by demonstrators… it was more then a little unnerving… the windows were quickly rolled up & the doors looked. The demonstrators weren’t swarming us to harm us… they saw an opportunity… get the white girl through the demonstration safely & earn some money. Because there were so many people they started to argue before even talking to us! THANKFULLY, we spotted someone we knew (he pumps gas at the local gas station) & he quickly jumped in the back of our truck & started yelling directions. I felt as naïve as it did on my first trip but things went smoothly… thanks to the gas man ☺

Thanks to my Auntie Mary, our family has a tradition of writing something you’re thankful for when we all get together for Thanksgiving Dinner. After we’ve all written we swap paper & read them out loud. If I had been there this year this is what I would have written…

I’m thankful for all of the life experiences I’ve had that have prepared me for how God is using me in Haiti. The tough times have shaped my character & integrity; the easy times have shown me how I can make life easier for others; the busy times have taught me to work hard, be efficient & use my resources well; the slow times have allowed me to build relationships with family & friends that encourage me & sustain me in the low times.

Love you all & I’m looking forward to seeing many of you soon. I’m especially looking forward to a mandarin chicken salad (courtesy of Wendy’s) & a slurpee… maybe my “taxi” will be fully stocked when it picks me up at the airport ☺



Albert, Woody, Rebecca & Wood with the hats Grandma Rose made - big hit Grandma!!! (for the rest of you... I know what you must be thinking... touques in Haiti??? But they love them! They keep the sun off their head when it's hot & believe it or not, it's actually chilly here some evenings... I guess you can get use to any weather!)

A word from home

Some friends of mine, Albert & Scott, arrived yesterday & they brought with them several letters from family & friends… along with presents, care packages & who know what else… I haven’t had time to look through the bins!!! I had a very late night last night reading through the letters. They were such a huge inspiration to me that I bounced out of bed this morning (after very few hours of sleep) & I felt as if I was seeing the kids for the first time again. So THANK YOU!!!!

I want to share part of the letter my mom wrote me… I haven’t asked her for permission so if you see this blog entry mysteriously disappear you’ll know why ☺

"I was listening to the 106.5 Praise station on the way home and a boy came on and talked about orphans. He said (paraphrased);

"We seldom hear the word ‘orphan’ nowadays. It is ‘refugee’ or ‘adoption stories’ but the meaning of orphan is downplayed.

An orphan means someone with no mom or dad. Even tho a child has food, clothing and shelter, to be an orphan means not having a mom/dad to give encouragement when you are sick, scared or sad. It means no parent is pushing you to do and be your best, cheering for you at a game, standing proudly at your graduation or celebrating at your wedding.”

You are very right when you say “you just don’t understand until you’ve been here to see and experience it for yourself.” I will admit that my prayers for you have been just that – prayers for you. I didn’t get it – I didn’t see the bigger picture. You are, for all intents and purposes, the momma to all these orphans – and the impact of that on you must be overwhelming. And because they are children, the importance of you being in their lives will probably not be realized until you are no longer there.

We can send people, money & gifts, but nothing takes the place or even comes close to what you are doing 24/7. And you need your own encourager, cheering squad and times of celebration. I will pray that God will send you those encouragers when you need them.”

I won’t include the rest of the letter as it gets a little personal ☺

I wanted to share part of my mom’s letter with you for a few reasons. First of all it was an incredible encouragement to me & I know some of the people that read this blog are working in similar situations to me (Joyce & Molly especially) ~ I hope these words are an encouragement to you as well! Secondly, I wanted to say another huge THANKYOU as I have a great “cheering squad”. My parents, sister, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends & many people I haven’t even met before!! The letters I received last night will be reread many times over the next few months.

I’ll end this with some great news…. I’M COMING HOME!!! Thanks to a very generous friend, I’ll be coming home from December 28th – January 16th. Email me so we can get together and Danielle & Teriann… start planning the New Years party!!

My Little Junior

I talked about Junior in my last blog but he has stolen such a huge part of my heart that I need to tell you more about him. I know very little about his childhood or his family but every time I look at him I feel like I’m reading a book. I didn’t need to be told he was beaten by his father, it’s so painfully evident. But it’s not just what he’s lacking that attracts me to him; it’s the spirit & energy that pours out of him. Sometimes when I watch him I feel like I’m watching a cartoon… and as humbling as it is to admit, it’s probably the same feeling I give others when I have my typical Rebecca moments (slipping on a green grape… covering my face with black ink at the movie theatre… dancing in the cage at Roosters… dropping my mints as I tripped on the curb… falling into the bush after leaning on it, thinking it was a cement wall… telling my cousin that I was surprised how well he spoke English after growing up in England… need I remind you of more?). Well, it’s mango season here & last week Junior was determined to eat the next mango that fell from the tree. He stood under the tree for hours & screamed at anyone who came near. Well he certainly got the mango - it fell, hit him square in the face & knocked out his front tooth!! I saw it happen & as hard as I tried I could not hold back the laughter as I wiped the blood from his chin. Junior is also constantly on my mind as he is one of the new kids that don’t yet have a sponsor. H2H operates by finding sponsors for all of the kids that live in the Children’s Home or go to school here. It costs $35/month for sponsor a child and that covers the costs of their food & education. Seeing the sponsors interact with their kids has been such a rewarding part of being here. The last lady who came, Claire, brought money for some of the kids that her friend sponsors. It wasn’t much money in our standards but it was priceless to help Albert pick out shorts, a t-shirt, underwear & a toy truck with his $20 Haitian (just under $3 US). If you are interested in sponsoring Junior, or one of the other new kids, please email me & I will help you get in contact with H2H.

Well, since I gossiped about Junior I really should share an embarrassing story of my own. I’ve lost weigh since coming here & some of my skirts are really past their wearable stage. This morning I was doing laundry so I had one of my old jean skirts on… well, I’ll blame it on the heat & being tired from washing clothes… but I wasn’t thinking clearly & I went into town without changing… big mistake… as soon as I left the H2H compound I was mobbed by my fan club of kids & within seconds my skirt had fallen off! Smooth, eh? To make it worse, I was wearing American Eagle underwear with an embroidered angel across the back & a little girl immediately spotted the angel & yelled; “Gade, gade, deye Rebecca bel”… “Look, look, Rebecca’s bum is beautiful”.

For those of you who are praying for me please pray for my health. I’ve been struggling with a chest cold for the past month & I can’t seem to shake it. I have finished 10 days of antibiotics and most of the typical cold symptoms have passed but I still have a deep cough & I get tired very quickly.

Here's some other pictures for you...

The UN is all over Haiti and they've been coming to Grande Goave more often because the workers who are building the new bridge are causing some problems. Well, a few of them from Shrilanka had taken a liking to me & they've been visiting our compound often. Of course their visits ended quickly when I said I wasn't interested. I thought of playing along for awhile... the promise of free medicine for the kids & extra food provisions was tempting... but in the end I did the right thing :)



A few of the older girls braided my hair with extensions... you'll have to excuse the quality of this photo... it's one of the 'hold the camera in front of your face in the middle of the night' ones.

Are you still checking this blog?

Well, I think I’ve finally made it through the “survival stage”. The kids are back in school, which has allowed me to settle into a schedule… although I use the word schedule very loosely.

So much has happened since my last blog update that I don’t even know where to start. I’ll start with a huge apologize. I promised many of you that I’d make it to the internet-café weekly and stay in close contact via email. That definitely hasn’t happened! I have been treading water (and barely staying afloat) since I got here and it’s just been in the past few weeks that I’ve been able to catch up on some of the things that I should have done my first few days! Just yesterday I finished unpacking my 2 original bins that I brought!

When I came here I choose my words carefully when describing what I would do here… I was to be the ‘big sister’ for the kids at H2H. Wow, was I naive! The hole that was left with Michelle’s passing was beyond my comprehension and I am still learning of the things she did for the kids. As much as it puts me out of my comfort zone there is no denying that I have filled a mother role to many of the kids here. The newest boy, Junior, came to us last month after his mom passed away & he was left with a father drank & beat him. He was miserable for days. Last week I was busy with a team who was visiting from Abbotsford and as I was leaving the H2H Compound I heard a little voice, “Momma, pa soti anko, m sonje w”. That was Junior saying, “Mommy, don’t leave again, I miss you”. It almost brought me to tears. There have been so many moments like this and I’d by lying if I told you the kids are more attached to me than I am to them. There is nowhere else I’d rather be right now & it is beyond my ability to think past my stay here.

These past few months have been filled with many ups & downs. I can’t express the gratitude I have for my parents & those others who have phoned me regularly. There have been times that I have counted down the hours to the expected phone calls.

What’s a blog update without some typical Rebecca stories, right? There are too many to mention... and a few that are too embarrassing to list, but here’s one for you. Last Sunday I was teaching Sunday school to way too many kids, for way too long in a classroom that was way too hot (hopefully you can sense the mood I was in at the time) and there was a little boy who refused to listen. I had had enough and made him stand in the front of the classroom on one foot. Hopefully that doesn’t sound too cruel because it’s a very effective punishment. I’ve seen the other teachers use it often but this was the first time for me. It had been a very long morning with this boy so when he told me he had to pee 30 seconds into the punishment I was quick to refuse his request. Well, he certainly proved me wrong… what can you do but laugh.

I have received many emails asking if there are ways you can help now that I am here. YES! I have received enough monthly sponsorship to cover my living costs (THANK YOU!!!) but there are many others things I’d like to do while I’m here. The youngest kids are in need of clothes & sandals. There are beds that need new mattresses. There are kids who need medical attention. The older girls need feminine products. The regular diet of spaghetti & rice could use some protein treats. Our supply of band-aids, polysporin, Tylenol & common medication is quickly depleting. Some of these things can be collected in Canada & brought down with people who are visiting but it is usually more cost effective (& better for the economy here) if the items are bought here. One Canadian dollar is 35 Haitian Goudes and that can go a long way here!! My parents send me regular packages (with people who are traveling to H2H) and if you’d like to help by sending money or needed items, I’d really appreciate it. I can give you tax receipts for the money if the check is made out to H2H. You can reach my parents (Larry & Dorothy) at 604-288-2292. Speaking of care packages, I definitely won’t say no to any peanut MMs or chocolate almonds ☺

I hope these pictures will give you a glimpse of some of the other things that have been happening here.

A day at the beach:




Junior & his "Momma"




Making spaghetti for 100 kids at 4am after you've ran out of gas:




The last time I'll ever be allowed to do Frencia's hair:




Another exciting English lesson:

A long time coming, I know

Hello all!

Sorry it's been so long since my last update. We're in the rainy season & it's been tough to cross the river to get to the internet café.

I have a lot of photos to post today so I've made a separate entry for Jay Michel's wedding & the new school... See them below.

The kids are on summer break so they are keeping me busy playing marbles, elastics, casino (card game) & pretty much anything else that involves me & 30+ kids :) My first few weeks were a bit tough adjusting to the heat, food, language & culture but I've been sleeping much better & so far no Haitian Happiness! I'm back into the swing & I feel very much at home. I've been getting lots of email about what my regular day is like. Everyday is different but here's what I did the last few days... So you have an idea.

Monday:
5am - wake up for morning prayer/singing
6am - weed & water garden w/ kids
8am - eat breakfast w/ Pastor Luc
9am - Kreyol lesson w/ Manno
10am - laundry... Haitian style
2pm - finally finished laundry & my hands are raw :)
2:30 - back to Pastor Luc's for more food
3pm - cooking school
6pm - school finished & hanging w/ the kids
8pm - a quick visit w/ friends @ Jay Michel's house
9pm - evening prayer/singing
10pm - bedtime

Tuesday:
5am - wake for prayer/singing
6am - back to bed :)
7:30 - breakfast w/ Luc
8:30 - gardening
10am - English lessons for the little guys
11am - English lessons for the bigger of the little guys
Noon - help prepare food for the kids (cooking for 100 kids takes a lot of hands)
2pm - watch the older boys play soccer with a neighbouring town
4pm - eat w/ Luc
6pm - English lessons for the oldest kids
8pm - a long walk in search of someone who still has some cold water for sale... It was a long, hot day
9pm - evening prayer/singing
11pm - bedtime after a long chat w/ the older kids

For those of you are disappointed I haven't written about any embarrassing moments yet... I fell as I climbed down the bank to cross the river this moment! The cyclone that passed Haiti flooded the river and cut into the bank, leaving it really steep. Oh yeah, and standing in the back of a pickup truck with a skirt isn't such a good idea... Sitting is a much better idea.

Thanks to my parent's amazing care-package I'm planning to spend the next few days locked in my room reading the new Harry Potter book and eating tuna :) Unfortunately nothing happens as planned in Haiti so I'll probably end up starting the book on the flight back to Canada... In 11 months...

Thanks everyone for the emails, phone calls & AMAZING support!!!!

Jay Michel's Wedding

They went all out! I was amazed at the preparation they put into it & really it wasn't that different then weddings back home. It started in the late afternoon (I've given up keeping track of the time... I just wait for the music to start for church or the kids to tell me I'm late for something) and the flower girls led the wedding party down the isle. After a few songs & some words from Pastor Luc the new couple had their "first" kiss and we headed upstairs for a reception. I can't describe the food, you'll have to check out the pictures below. They spent days preparing the food & fattening up the goats. The chef who prepared the food is also my new teacher. I had a great time but I was blown away with the effort they put into this wedding. I asked Pastor Luc after if all weddings are like this & he said no... Jay Michel pulled out all the stops this time.

Sorry these photos are out of order... the internet connection is really slow & it won't let me rearrange them!

The new garden

The garden today...



How it all began...






"Making" the seeds....

Hello!

Sorry no pictures today, just a quick update.

My first week has gone by very quickly but it's been great. I started the new garden with the kids on Tuesday and we're almost ready to start planting - they've made a LONG list of everything they'd like to plant. I don't understand most of it but it's just good to see them work hard & take ownership of the new garden. They've even made a scarecrow to keep the animals away... Not the most effective on the animals but the bald white head of an old doll works for me :) I start official Kreyol lessons next week and yesterday was my first day in Cooking Class... Yes... That's right... I'm talking cooking lessons!! I don't get the fancy hat but we all have matching white aprons... Which actually look more like lap coats.

Jay Michel's wedding is tonight & I'm amazed at the work they put into it. They've been decorating & making food for days & people have come from all over Haiti for it. The ladies have been doing hair all day today... I'm actually a little nervous about getting dressed for it!! The kids have been asking what I'll wear & how I'll do my hair. I'm having grad nightmares all over again!!

That's all I have time for today!

Landed!

I definitely lost any immunity I had built up to the heat... Or it's just hotter this time of the year... Because I am cooking! I've even heard a few people yell "rouge, rouge" instead of "blanc, blanc".

It's great to be back & I received a very warm welcome from all. I've spent most of my time visiting with the kids & friends in the Grande Goave so I don't have a lot to report yet. Although there are 4 more new kids here since I left so it's be fun getting to know them. There eyes were huge when I introduced myself & told them I'd be living with them for a year & one of the little boys, Kenny, has barely left my side since.

I am planning a "Tap-Tap Trip to Thomason" in a few weeks. I'll be going there to visit Joyce & the others at GLA. I will be a long ride but I'm excited to see them & have a bit of an adventure. Don't worry, I won't be going alone... I'll have a "body guard". Speaking of that... I understood my first pick up line yesterday morning! Haha. I was walking from H2H (where I'm living) to Pastor Luc's house in town (where I eat) and a guy took my hand as if I was in an old black & white movie... not down on one knee, but close... he said "Ou te passe nan tet mwen tout ye swa". I won't translate it for you but the kids are now taking shifts walking with me in the mornings :)

My friend Jay Michel is getting married next Saturday & it's been interested seeing them prepare for the wedding. I'm used to seeing the girl stressed out with preparations but not here... the guys definitely get the short straw in this case. It's customary for the guy to have a house built before he can marry & Jay Michel has been working around the clock to finish his house.

Albert, here's your buddy Woods.




Here's the product of my first "lesson" with the kids :) This is Louson... one of the newest kids here.




Jay Michel's new house:




Building the new school:











Stanley & Lookens:




The new additions from Bouva: