Funnest Teacher

Yep, Kendra told me I was a fun teacher.....Seth proceded to correct her, "No, she is the funnest teacher!" Made me smile.  They also decided that I was probably the only teacher to carry their students into the classroom like sack-of-potatoes! :)  Throughout the day, I hear pleadings from Silas(the youngest of the Pfisters) "do me a sak-a-tatos!!"  Now how can you resist that!?!?

I am loving my job as teacher!!! And am really enjoying putting together some activities for different things!!  It is definitely something I never thought I would be able to do.......teach that is! This week, for one of the science classes(they are studying birds), we made orgami birds!!:) Either a Mr. Penguin or a Pelican. 

The other thing I absolutely love to do is play with the kids...once they are done with school, or whenever I get the chance!! On Thursday, I was actually able to spend most of the day with them!! We had school in the morning, (they finished early) so I played with them some before lunch.  Then in the afternoon the Pfister kids, Amber, Hartzler kids, Jamie, and I went down to the basketball court and played kickball.  Afterwards, the Pfister kids decided to come to my place until supper, where we proceded to play some freeze tag, jail break, etc.  Then after supper they came back down to do some sledding on the hill next to the guest house.  Yes sledding!! And what did we sled on? Why palm branches....of course!!!!!:)  They actually work really good and you can go really fast!!!

Friday Amber, Jamie, Jamie's mom, all the kids, and I left at noon to go down to Cayes.  There was a birthday party for a little girl, so we dropped the kids of and then we went into town to do a little shopping. The volleyball started at 3ish, which I decided not to play until it stopped raining....:)  A good decision on my part if I do say so! hahaha:) It was alot of fun though, even though, I am not really good.:)  Then for supper we had a Pizza Potluck.  There was some really good pizza and dessert!!:) Afterwards, we headed back home!:)

A team is coming in today, which is really exciting!! It is actually the first team up at the hospital since I have been here! Anyway, this is a long enough post.:)

the hospital compound

Pictures!!!

Well, if my internet cooperates, I will finally post some pictures!!:) This past week was really nice! Michelle Wyss and Jessica Waibel flew in with the Pfisters and Rich's mom. Janelle came up from Cayes for the week. The girls got here on Saturday. Then Sunday we went to a church in Simone (near Cayes). After church we ate at the Pastor's house, then visited a couple who is really good friends with Rich & Amber, then we went to the beach in Port Salute. It was beautiful and very relaxing!!!! It is a two hour drive home from the beach....and we sang the entire way home!!! :) Monday, I started getting into more of a schedule again with the Pfisters back. Tuesday afternoon Kate, Will, Seth, and I went on a long hike up a mountain. It was alot of fun and they had fun with my camera.:) Honestly, though, the view was amazing from the top!! Pictures can't do it justice. God is an amazing God and when I look at the mountains around me, or the ocean, or look down from the top of a mountain, and feel sooo small!!!!!!! Yet God knows and cares for each person! Wednesday after lunch, us girls hiked down to the hydro and then swam. It was beautiful and alot of fun!! Although....the hike back up from the hydro....was...slightly....slightly....brutal. But then once we got back on the road....the walk felt so easy!!! Thursday morning I did some Thanksgiving Day crafts with the Pfister and Hartzler kids. Then all of us loaded into two trucks and headed to Cayes. We had a big Thanksgiving meal with all the missionaries in the area. It was really nice and ate some tasty food!:) Early Friday morning the girls left for the airport. I had school with the kids as normal. Then in the afternoon I gave blood....well tried :(....I couldn't give enough!! Which is really strange, because normally I give really fast! She ended up trying my other arm too, but to no avail. Oh well, she said they would use it if there was an emergency. Then Heather & I went and played with some of the kids in the hospital. We brought colored pencils and a coloring book. It was soo much fun to color and talk with them!!

Now for Pictures!!!!

 

 

 My bedroom for right now(until Heather moves)

 

 

The couch pulls out for my bed:)

 

 

Coconut before

 

Coconut after...we won't show you the inbetween stages.....:)

 

 

Yah...and I use think USA gas was expensive...!!:)

 

Our American style pizza & breadsticks!!!:)

 

 

The fish was actually very good!! I did choose one with no eyeballs though....

 

 

One of our meals this week...chicken, beets & carrots, fried plantains, coleslaw(diff than american:))

 

 

Pecan drops.....our Christmas cookies:)

 

The must pulpy grapefruit I have ever eaten.  Seriously there was hardly any juice...it was more like crunch...crunch...crunch...

 

 

 

 

How they figured out my blood type.....A+ :) It was actually interesting!!

 

Woohoo!!!:)

 

 

My nurse:)

 

 

On the hike with Kate, Will, & Seth

 

Seth:)

 

Yes, pigs are on leashes here.  And yes...this one and another did charge us....haha:)

 

Kate & Seth

 

The kids we colored with!!!:)

 

 

 

The church in Simone we attended on Sunday

 

the young group singing a song

 

a solo by the pianist

 

men's singing group

 

Some of the cute kids at church:)

 

Beach at Port Salute (Sunday)

 

 

Yes, I had lobster!!:)

 

All of the girls

 

On the hike to the hydro

 

 

What the hike was like....except it got alot steeper than this.

 

 

 

The church I attend and to the right is the school.

 

Well I have way to many pics to post them all now....so I will save some for the next time:)  Thank you so much for all the love and prayers!!! Feel free to email me or comment anytime!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life in Haiti

Sorry for not posting in awhile! I feel like everytime I have time to post something, the internet isn't working or is really slow! This past weekend we got somewhere around 10 inches of rain. Heather & I were planning on going with a construction team Saturday - Tuesday.  But the rain left the Bon Fin road in a state where travel was not possible.  So we were stuck up in the mountain.  Which really isn't all that bad.:)  Sheila and I went down to Cayes yesterday afternoon and then spent this morning going to the bank and getting some shopping done.  She showed me around Cayes.  I am definitely starting to feel more comfortable with knowing my way around and knowing how things work!

I am slowly adding to my Creole knowledge!  I am hoping to take some lessons from one of our translators up at the hospital. Which will help alot! I am ready to be able to communicate with the Haitians!  Although...is some situations it is nice to just be like ...m pa koprann...(I don't understand). :)

Here are some interesting things I have learned, noticed, etc...about Haiti.
1. It is amazing how fast you lose trust in a toliet...after finding a spider & a frog inside(diff. times)
2.The first time you see ants in your food, you try to pick them out...after that...you just eat them w/o thinking.
3.  It is not uncommon to find hair of the goat or cow in your meal....or in Heather's most recent scenerio....a piece of hide.:)
4. EVERYONE carries around machetes....it is like the tool for everything!
5. The odd names of some businesses....ex. Modestly Nightclub...or Family Nightclub...
6. Driving: if there is room for you...shoot...go for it! :) There is seriously no structure to driving!!
7. Your popularity seems to triple if you are a white female....
8. Haitians don't have much of a sense for the future...they live in today and can't see much past that.
9. It is amazing how fast you can run/jump when a lizard is running towards you. (much to Heather & the Hartzler kid's amusement)

Anyway, there is alot...but those are just a few:)  One of these days, I will actually post some pictures....:)  Please keep the hospital in your prayers!! Along with all the missionaries down here! Thanks for all the prayers offered already!! God Bless!

Mwen yo te rive (I have arrived)

I arrived in Haiti Friday night!!  I am so thankful that I had the weekend to kind of settle in a little bit, before starting work! Thankfully, it has not been extrememly hot!! Well...for here anyway.:)  Saturday the Pfister's, Hartzler's, Heather, and I went to Rainbow beach and spent the afternoon relaxing.  Today was probably the hardest day, because of church.  It was very overwhelming not to be able to understand anything they were saying!!! I did catch a few words now and again...  After church, Heather & I made tacos (well with what we had...), then I listened to an streamed sermon (one I could actually understand:))  I definitely was feeling much better after that.  I went over to the Hartzler's for the rest of the afternoon and played guitar and violin with Eric and Amber. My newest instrument is the clarinet!!:) haha...I never would have thought I would ever be playing that!! But Heather randomly found two clarinets in a cupboard at the guest house, so I brought some reeds down and a book down and have been working on teaching ourselves to play!!:)  It has lead to several great laughs!:)

P.S. I saw my first tarantula on my first night here!!!:) Except I wasn't even that scared or grossed out!!....well maybe that has something to do with the fact that we specially looked for one and it was pointed out to me.:)

Bonswa!!

Packing and Goodbyes

Sunday night my parents came down to Oakville, then Monday morning we packed the van full....seriously...I have no idea how I managed to attract so much stuff!!! Here is the van...

 

Before they left, we went out to eat with Chuck & Lois.  I spent the rest of the day relaxing and reorganizing what was left of my apartment.:)  Tuesday I headed over to Goodfield to visit Lena.  We had a good old fashion play date.:) Then just relaxed the rest of the day.  Tate Wyss came over and spent a good part of the day, and kept me very entertained! That I headed over to Princeville to spend the evening/night with the Steffen's and Amber.:) I had a great time, but was really sad to say goodbye.:( Wednesday I spent the day in Peoria shopping with my grandma and Lena. So even though I haven't worked at all this week...I have been staying busy!! 

 

 

This past weekend I was in Winthrop for an invite. I stayed with Em...of course:)  Keep in mind that a few of these pictures were taken late in the night.........

 

Love my friends:) And I am really going to miss spending time with all of you!!!!:(

 

I was just looking through pictures....