Hair Cut, Rolling Pins and Tap Taps!
That past 2 weeks we have entertained children from the other sites. There is no better way to speed up the motivation in the classroom then to know friends will be around to play. It also means sleep overs and late nights that lead to crashing when everyone has gone back home.
We have prayed for the kids to be more comfortable with the people of this culture. With the help of our neighbor, we have taken Miss B. to the playground a few times to let her play along side the children who visit it. I asked her to join me on Sunday to take some mail to drop off at the office. As we walked past the playground, she asked if she could go play because she saw 2 little girls there. She did not interact or play with them but played near the children. God let me see that it was not my suggestion but her's....progress!
A team left last week, so I went clean up with my Creole book in hand to help with communication with the lady I would be working with. I practiced the words I knew that would be a part of our work together. When I entered, it was the normal greetings. Haitians ask "How are you?" much like Americans do. It is more of a greeting then the actual concern of how you are doing. She then asked me how I was. I thought that was odd since she just did in the greeting. She stated it about 5 different ways watching my brow draw up in confusion as the unfamiliar words were spoken and then said "Chikengunya." That seemed like a long time ago but she knew I had been sick and was asking me how I felt. I saw a joke posted on FB today about Haitians having the right to know everything so her knowing that I was sick made me smile. I learned she too had been sick but a team was on campus while she was sick so she just kept working. This of course was her choice. It was a reminder to me how working is a choice. I know that some Americans look down on Haitians. Haitians may not be employed, but they all work! They farm and sell their produce at market. They work to provide and care for their families at home. They set up shop on the side of the road selling food, medical supplies, clothes, shoes, Haitian made artwork....they all work!
Speaking of chikengunya, this is how you open a bottle when joint pain flairs up. Yeah for pliers!
We can not always find the items we want at the grocery nor are we always able to go to the store so making stuff has become necessary. I found a rolling pin in a store but it was $80. Needless to say, it is still there! My Dear really wanted one as he was making cinnamon rolls and biscuits. An email to Ms. Judy who loved on us in IN was an email away. She had made a rolling pin for the youth auction and well, now we have one in Haiti. It is no normal rolling pin cause this one was made by the hands of a woman that we love.
Another HUGE blessing is that we finally got haircuts! I had hacked at Miss B's hair and with Billy's help, hacked some of my own hair. But REALLY needed a haircut for morale purposes as well. A young lady in cosmetology school was here to visit her sister. She came to the mission and to visit our neighbor and said she was willing to cut hair for us. The kids and I all got a haircut! My hair was so long that I could put the front in 2 little pigtails. I am a little old for pig tails y'all!
The outdoors does make a lovely salon. Anyone feeling the need to MOVE here to cut our hair?
I think the hair cut made this guy a few inches taller. Glad to see his handsome face again!
We took a Tap Tap ride, which is a form of a taxi where as many people cram into a pick up truck with benches in it as possible. We used a tap tap that was a van. Billy, Dolly, and I joined some friends off of the mission for a ride to get pizza. My Dear was under the weather and well, you will remember the first paragraph about Miss B. Well, she cried not to go and asked me to give her a list of chores to do instead....I think she was desperate. She did get some pizza though. Our friends, the Wards, use tap taps often so they took good care of us and the pizza was good!!!!
Side note, see that grey band on Dolly's wrist? They are called Sea bands and are wonderful for travel sickness. The road down the mountain is one curve after another mixed with windows down, pollution, and strange smells...it makes the drive down a bit harder on a person prone to get car sick. These little bands have been well used! My girlfriend used them for her newborn under doctor's orders for getting sick in the car. They work for any kind of nausea well, at least they have for us. My Dear picked these up for us at a Walgreen or CVS after we had 2 kiddos get sick last time we were in Haiti. One in the car and one on the plane....we keep it exciting!
Click here to see more photos and read Jen's blog about our pizza outing.
http://wardfamriskingtheocean.blogspot.com/2014/09/legit.html?spref=fb
My Dear has been working in a different position the past couple of weeks to learn that position as the couple that works in that area will soon be going on furlough. It has been a great way to learn more about the mission. It also allows him to work with the Haitian men. Last Friday was pay day for the employees of the mission. The security guard was heading to the check in location and Billy usually runs out to unlock the door for him. My Dear had his paycheck and ran out cheering and waving it. It was fun to watch this big guard's gruff appearance fade before his long night shift at the front gate. My Dear thanked him in Creole for the work he was doing. I was so impressed with how easily the Creole rolled off of his tongue and congratulated him when he came in. He said, "Well seeing that that was the 51st time I said it today, it should be good." Funny guy!
He is currently working on a writing a couple of grants for reforestation. This country once was rich and plush but the needs of the people have destroyed much of it. The mission has worked in reforestation in the past and hopes to continue that education in the future. The area around the mission is plush, evidence of the years of service and education in those areas.
We have found a vehicle to purchase in the states and would appreciate your prayers as we work to get it to us. So if you think about it about this week and next pray that My Dear gets the vehicle where it is supposed to be with the paperwork in the right places. It will take awhile for us to get it through shipping and our wait is probably 2 months once we get it to Port here. Pray that it is kept in safe keeping as theft is ALWAYS an option and happens state side as easily as it does here.
We have prayed for the kids to be more comfortable with the people of this culture. With the help of our neighbor, we have taken Miss B. to the playground a few times to let her play along side the children who visit it. I asked her to join me on Sunday to take some mail to drop off at the office. As we walked past the playground, she asked if she could go play because she saw 2 little girls there. She did not interact or play with them but played near the children. God let me see that it was not my suggestion but her's....progress!
A team left last week, so I went clean up with my Creole book in hand to help with communication with the lady I would be working with. I practiced the words I knew that would be a part of our work together. When I entered, it was the normal greetings. Haitians ask "How are you?" much like Americans do. It is more of a greeting then the actual concern of how you are doing. She then asked me how I was. I thought that was odd since she just did in the greeting. She stated it about 5 different ways watching my brow draw up in confusion as the unfamiliar words were spoken and then said "Chikengunya." That seemed like a long time ago but she knew I had been sick and was asking me how I felt. I saw a joke posted on FB today about Haitians having the right to know everything so her knowing that I was sick made me smile. I learned she too had been sick but a team was on campus while she was sick so she just kept working. This of course was her choice. It was a reminder to me how working is a choice. I know that some Americans look down on Haitians. Haitians may not be employed, but they all work! They farm and sell their produce at market. They work to provide and care for their families at home. They set up shop on the side of the road selling food, medical supplies, clothes, shoes, Haitian made artwork....they all work!
Speaking of chikengunya, this is how you open a bottle when joint pain flairs up. Yeah for pliers!
We can not always find the items we want at the grocery nor are we always able to go to the store so making stuff has become necessary. I found a rolling pin in a store but it was $80. Needless to say, it is still there! My Dear really wanted one as he was making cinnamon rolls and biscuits. An email to Ms. Judy who loved on us in IN was an email away. She had made a rolling pin for the youth auction and well, now we have one in Haiti. It is no normal rolling pin cause this one was made by the hands of a woman that we love.
Another HUGE blessing is that we finally got haircuts! I had hacked at Miss B's hair and with Billy's help, hacked some of my own hair. But REALLY needed a haircut for morale purposes as well. A young lady in cosmetology school was here to visit her sister. She came to the mission and to visit our neighbor and said she was willing to cut hair for us. The kids and I all got a haircut! My hair was so long that I could put the front in 2 little pigtails. I am a little old for pig tails y'all!
The outdoors does make a lovely salon. Anyone feeling the need to MOVE here to cut our hair?
I think the hair cut made this guy a few inches taller. Glad to see his handsome face again!
We took a Tap Tap ride, which is a form of a taxi where as many people cram into a pick up truck with benches in it as possible. We used a tap tap that was a van. Billy, Dolly, and I joined some friends off of the mission for a ride to get pizza. My Dear was under the weather and well, you will remember the first paragraph about Miss B. Well, she cried not to go and asked me to give her a list of chores to do instead....I think she was desperate. She did get some pizza though. Our friends, the Wards, use tap taps often so they took good care of us and the pizza was good!!!!
Side note, see that grey band on Dolly's wrist? They are called Sea bands and are wonderful for travel sickness. The road down the mountain is one curve after another mixed with windows down, pollution, and strange smells...it makes the drive down a bit harder on a person prone to get car sick. These little bands have been well used! My girlfriend used them for her newborn under doctor's orders for getting sick in the car. They work for any kind of nausea well, at least they have for us. My Dear picked these up for us at a Walgreen or CVS after we had 2 kiddos get sick last time we were in Haiti. One in the car and one on the plane....we keep it exciting!
Click here to see more photos and read Jen's blog about our pizza outing.
http://wardfamriskingtheocean.blogspot.com/2014/09/legit.html?spref=fb
My Dear has been working in a different position the past couple of weeks to learn that position as the couple that works in that area will soon be going on furlough. It has been a great way to learn more about the mission. It also allows him to work with the Haitian men. Last Friday was pay day for the employees of the mission. The security guard was heading to the check in location and Billy usually runs out to unlock the door for him. My Dear had his paycheck and ran out cheering and waving it. It was fun to watch this big guard's gruff appearance fade before his long night shift at the front gate. My Dear thanked him in Creole for the work he was doing. I was so impressed with how easily the Creole rolled off of his tongue and congratulated him when he came in. He said, "Well seeing that that was the 51st time I said it today, it should be good." Funny guy!
He is currently working on a writing a couple of grants for reforestation. This country once was rich and plush but the needs of the people have destroyed much of it. The mission has worked in reforestation in the past and hopes to continue that education in the future. The area around the mission is plush, evidence of the years of service and education in those areas.
We have found a vehicle to purchase in the states and would appreciate your prayers as we work to get it to us. So if you think about it about this week and next pray that My Dear gets the vehicle where it is supposed to be with the paperwork in the right places. It will take awhile for us to get it through shipping and our wait is probably 2 months once we get it to Port here. Pray that it is kept in safe keeping as theft is ALWAYS an option and happens state side as easily as it does here.
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