April was a blur!

May 6^th already! The first of April seems like yesterday! It has been a crazy month here at the mission. We had a team of 47 Canadians here for 2 weeks working on various construction projects and we had a bunch of medical teams that were able to go out on Mobile Clinics.  At one point we had over 130 volunteers here. That made it very hard to find quiet. The first day everyone was gone I remember walking into the guest house and seeing only 3 people sitting quietly… I though it would never be that quiet again! It was sooo nice. (Please don’t hear that I hated the Canadians and medical volunteers… I know this is Gods plan and volunteers are wonderful. They did amazing work while they were here, it was just something I’m not use to yet.)

 So here we are in May and I have now been in Haiti for 3 months and thought I would update some new Haitian experiences since my 1^st month here.

Haitian experience #8: Tap-Taps

I finally went on a tap tap! I have actually been on many times now. The first time I went on it was only about a minute ride to a friend’s house in the next village over. The next day I got to experience it with Lindsay for her first time and we went out for lunch with some friends after church. When getting out of the tap tap at the restaurant all of us bumped our heads on the way out and the Haitians laughed at us. I have learned something about paying when you get off the tap taps though, always have exact change or else you will get charged the white price (which is double the Haitian price-still very cheap) 

Below is a picture of Lindsay and I in front of a tap tap.

Haitian Experience #9: A wedding and a Funeral

Someone once told Diana to go to a wedding and a funeral and this will help you learn about the culture. I had the opportunity to go to both this past weekend. On Friday one of my really good friends Volcy who I really connected with at the beginning of my time here, he translated at the ward when it was at the high school and I would visit a lot and he was down there. Anyways he got married on Friday and it was quiet the experience.  The bridesmaids and groomsmen dance down the aisle to songs like Power of Love and Beauty and the beast.  The couple walks down one at a time and it probably takes 30-45 minutes for the whole bridal party to walk down the aisle.

On a sadder note another one of my really good friends Grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago and the funeral was Saturday. It was very different from back home.  One of the things that was different that there were tons to camera and video cameras, as way to remember the persons last moments in world.  This was a fresh wound for me as I just recently lost my grandmother. It was a very sad day.

Haitian experience #10:  Tuesday Night Worship                       

Tuesday night has become my favourite night of the week. Every Tuesday night there is a worship service from about 4:30pm-7:00pm. It is a wonderful time of being still and listening to God.  After only a few months here I know a handful of songs in Creole, which makes me very excited. So last week I had requested a song I really like. I thought Claudel had forgotten to play it and right at that moment I heard the into to the song and everyone began to dance… I loved watching the Haitians singing and dancing to this song. After that song they played 2 more of my favourite songs and the dance party began…  a couple of the hope house girls pulled Lindsay and I intro the aisle and a Congo line began and we were dancing and spinning! I was so out of breath and sweaty but the time the music stopped but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Liberte… nan nom Jezi! I am free… in Jesus’ name!

Lavi’m pa ka pase mal… paske Bondye vivan! My life can’t go bad… because my Jesus lives!

Jezi veri bagay yo! Jesus turns everything around!

First week of the month surgery has started up again and the ward will open for the next few weeks. I will hopefully get to go visit some sweet patients and practice my Creole. Speaking of my Creole… it has come a long way! I hit a certain point where I was like hey I think I’m getting this now. I still have a lot to learn but I am excited that I am able to communicate to the Haitians. They are very encouraging when you try to speak to them in Creole. Sometimes I walk in to the kitchen and just stay Mesi anpil! which means Thank you very much! And the ladies say ohh your Creole is soo good! If they only knew I don’t know much more then that. It means a lot to them when we come and take the time to learn their language.

Rainy season has arrived and after only a couple rains I could notice the colours changing… the plants were growing and the mountains were turning green. It rains almost every other night and I am very thankful for this because it cools down the nights for sleeping. Summer has also arrived make it very HOT during the day. On Sunday afternoon my thermometer said 45/112 in the sun!  For this I am even more thankful for the cool nights. My cool is not the same as it use to be. I looked at the thermometer last night when I was cold and it was still 25/77…don’t make fun… when you are use to HOT that is cold.

I am loving life in Haiti and enjoying the simple things. It’s the simple day-to-day things in life that make me smile.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement!

Love, Blessings, Spinning and Dancing,

Leeann