Shopping, Shampoo, Cellebration, and Club

The day started with a quick trip to the shops. We needed to get some medicated shampoo for the children as it looks like there is an outbreak of ringworm at the center. We didn't really find what we needed, but it was something with which to start. The quest continues for stronger medicated shampoo as well as oral meds to help eradicate this little problem.

We also stopped by the market to pick up some cake for the children. The older children returned today and it was time to celebrate the birthday of Jhon Jonas and Fedson.  More on that later. 

After we arrived back at the center and put the cakes in cold storage, I sat down with Wilkens, Stephanie, and Angela who are all working as mentors for the children. I wanted to get their thoughts on what worked and what needed to change as well as set expectations for the coming year. I thought it was a good and open conversation. I appreciated their suggestions and honesty. I think we have a good platform on which to launch the next year. 

More crayon and kid time as we waited until the afternoon to have cake with the kids. The older kids having just returned from camp were very tired and needed a bit of rest.  I made the mistake of accidentally leaving the books I brought as well as the book of coloring pages at the center last night. The reading books seemed to survive alright, the book of coloring pages less so. There were a few left that quickly were used, but now they are all gone.

I think my Creole is getting better. I am able to have longer and more detailed conversations with the children. Don't get me wrong, my Creole is still terrible and my pronunciation is atrocious, but we can communicate; although it is frequently interrupted as I look words up in my English to Creole dictionary. The children are very patient and speak slowly and will repeat things until I understand. Being able to interact this way with the children is such a blessing. And a special thanks to my sister in law who purchased the dictionary for me 3 years ago, most valuable thing I bring with me on my trips. 

Soon it was cake time. The children sang happy birthday to Jhon Jonas and Fedson and then had a piece of cake. Jhon Jonas was at the camp with the older kids and while there he participated in a football (soccer) tournament, his team won 2nd place and he scored a goal in the game. The team received medallions and I have to be sure to get a picture of Jhon Jonas with the medallion. Way to go Jhon. On a non-sport note, Jhon Jonas has grown into a nice young man.  He is polite, kind, and gracias. I am sure that God will work though him to do good things. 

After cake it was time to head to the Easy English Club, that I have spoken about before. Each meeting has three parts: spiritual, grammar or speaking, and cultural. We entered while they were in the spiritual part, having a discussion about if a Christian should listen to any type of music or not. The discussions that they have in the club are quite insightful. These young people have both sharp minds and wits. I truly enjoy the discussions in the club. I fulfilled the other parts in tonight's meeting as it was essentially ask David anything you want about the US. The questions were pointed and the discussion was good. The EEC is a good club and I encourage anyone who visits here to attend. 

The Pastor drove us to the EEC, which is at the site of the church, but we needed to leave before he was ready as I was already late for dinner at the guest house, so to the tap-tap we went. It takes two tap-taps to get from the church to the guest house. The first was uneventful, but the second made Wilkiens a little more nervous. The tap-tap was a fairly normal tap-tap physically, think 15 year old minivan with a side door that doesn't close. But because it was so crowded, I was in the way back and Wilkens was in the front. Wilkens is a good friend and guardian. He seems very nervous and asked me a couple times if I was ok. I responded with of course I am, but I think he still may have been a little nervous. I, on the other hand, struck up a conversation with the lady sitting next to me. It was a chance for me to practice my Creole and it turns out that she is learning English, so it was a chance for her to practice as well. All in all a very good, albeit hot, tap-tap ride. 

This post is already quite long, so I apologize, but I need to say a few more things. First, and I have said this before, it is hard to explain,  but I don't feel nervous when I am in Haiti about security. It is not that I don't know there are risks or that I even take risks, but I feel a since of peace here.  It started when I first came to Haiti, I just felt and continue to feel God's grace here and somehow don't worry about what could happen. Doesn't mean something bad won't happen, I am just not concerned about it. I know God will see me through it, good or bad. 

The second thing I want to write about was a question I was asked at the EEC tonight. Essentially the question was what can we, the US, do to help Haiti. The short answer is we can't do anything. The Haitians have to make Haiti what they want it to be. Clearly, we, in the other countries, can be better partners with Haiti in achieving these goals; such as hiring Haitian workers as opposed to brining in foreign labor and not dumping crops on the Haitian market and destroying local production. But, in the long run Haitians must change Haiti. This got me thinking, "if I believe it takes Haitians to change Haiti then why do I come here?"  The answer that came to me is that I come here to witness God's miracle transformation of Haiti. I can't cause this transformation, but it will be spectacular and who wouldn't want front row seats for that?

Tonight I prayer for Jhon Jonas and Fedson on their birthdays. I thank God for the young man Jhon Jonas continues to become.  I thank God for the men and women of th EEC and the goals for which they strive. I thank God and ask his continued grace on Wilkens, Stephainie, and Angela as they continue to help guide these children to independent adults.  Amen.