Classes underway - Whew!

Well, the school treasurer was right - once we got past the week of festivities, the students would come.

We have good numbers in each of the four English groups and the two computer classes; the weekly computer lab is always full of eager men working on their own projects.

Six men in one of the advanced English classes.  The  students are hard at work on this week's journal topic, "My Bucket List".  Examples of their entries include "to be a strong man of God", " to see my grandchildren", "to educate my children so they will have choices in life", " to finish my education".  Each student also said - to travel to the United States.  Perhaps Larry and I may just have a visitor or two!

A returning beginners class, working on a project concerning family relations vocabulary.  This group is making great progress, especially in being willing to try speaking English without being timid about it!  

How I can relate!  Someone told me early on that it is important to speak Haitian creole with force!  This was one of the things I had to get past being timid about.  It sometimes seems the Haitians are angry when they are speaking with each other - or with me!  But, it is the "with force" that is simply their way of delivery!  Makes me very empathetic of my shy Haitian English students!

Four classes down - only three more to go.  Too brief a time for them to be making such great progress!  I am really proud of them!

And once again, so thankful for the opportunity to rub elbows with these very special students!

Settling in with time to spare - unexpectantly!

Well, this time last week, we were flying from Cap Haitian to Port au Prince, looking at the verdant, rainy season terrain from the vantage point of MFI's  DC3.  How beautiful the mountains were!  When I asked the pilot if we were going to be able to see the Citadel, he said yes - and he would fly the plane closer so we could get a good view!

Photo taken from our window on the MFI flight.

Later, when I checked with Google about this large mountain top fortress, I found it was built in the 1800's and is called The Citadelle Laferriere or Citadelle Henry Christophe, or simply "The Citadelle (in English, spelled "Citadel").  It is a large mountaintop fortress in Northern Haiti, approximately 17 miles south of the city of Cap-Haitien and five miles uphill from the town of Milot.  It is the largest fortress in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site in 1982.  It has itself become an icon of Haiti.  The Citadel was built by Henri Christophe, a key leader during the Haitian slave rebellion, after Haiti gained independence from France at the beginning of the 19th century.

One day, perhaps we will be able to hike up and tour this impressive ruin.

Soon after this point, we landed in Port au Prince and, for the first time, experienced the new airport terminal which has been under construction as a result of the 2010 earthquake damage and had just recently re-opened.  How nice and clean and orderly it was!  We still had to have our game face on, however, because soon after we retrieved our crates from the luggage carrousel, we were besieged by MANY men wearing red shirts, elbowing and shoving each other in the confusing chaos to "help" us!  "Non, mesi"  and "Pa besoin, mesi".  Finally we were outside and "rescued" by Fre Judain, the mission's driver, who was there to help us get us through PAP, buy groceries, and on out to the Ortlip Mission Center where we were to spend the night.

How wonderful to spend the time with Dan and Joy Irvine before boarding the Wesleyanna for our Haiti home away from home. 

That is La Gonave in the distance in this photo taken by Dr. Steve Edmondson of  Starfysh ministry.

And, after setting foot on the Wesleyan wharf, after the smoothest crossing ever (Thank you, Lord!!), being greeted by our mission compound and Haitian friends,

we have been being about the work of settling in.  Larry says it feels like we never left!

The Information Night for the Wesleyan Institute for English Language Studies, English and Computer classes was ...
                                
                                                          a bomb!!

We had arrived about an hour ahead of time to wash the benches and the white board (leaving then sparkling clean and ready for the students), to clear the place of mosquitoes ( the mosquito racket-zapper is the best)

Larry and the zapper

and to organize the information hand-outs.  We were all set and excited and eager.  

BUT - we had forgotten that this is holiday week.  Bad choice for our start date.  These Haitians really know how to enjoy a holiday - and this year, Fete St Isadore ( important religious holiday for Anse-a-Galets) correlates with the National Flag Day, and the marking of President Martely's two year anniversary in office.   Schools are out,   no banks open, etc., etc.  

St. Isadore banner over the street

The town park dressed Red and White and Blue all around in honor of Flag Day.

And our students were about celebrating!

Our school treasurer assures me next week will find students in our classes, with holiday celebrations behind them and minds once again on learning!

Until then - this English teacher and this Computer Skills teacher can be found taking advantage of our unexpected holiday ( leisurely trips to the market to test out our rusty creole, visiting Sarge's for dinner one evening downtown, enjoying off-compound Haitian BBQ for the first time, re-connecting with mission and Haitian friends, checking out new stores and marveling at the civic and compound improvements just since December )  while continuing to prepare for opening day .....

     
with our class schedule now on Haitian time! 

You know it's May on La Gonave when.......

... beautiful plummeria trees are blooming outside our apartment;

... it's rainy season, greening up this parched land,  and the mosquitos are multiplying exponentially;

... the first thing you do when you exit the shower is to spray your squeaky clean body with                            mosquito repellant;

... you remember to squirt bleach in the dishwashing water;

... the butter from the freezer softens quickly at the table;

...  you are met with smiling faces and warm embraces;
          and sweet greetings in creole!

          or big hugs from the missionaries and catch-up questions and answers pouring forth from all;

... there is a rooster duet outside your bedroom window at 3:30 am;

... the use-by date on the cheese in the grocery is January .... 2002;

... we ride to the compound from the wharf in a truck with a second seat - 8 adults in the cab, and 2 riding in the back with 8 crates, 6 suitcases, 10 boxes of groceries, and 2 coolers!

... there are hundreds of yellow butterflies flitting everywhere, brightening the terrain;

... there are sparkling seas glimpsed outside our window (calm for our crossing, thank the Lord!);

... the electricity goes off at Missionary Midnight ...
       ...... and it is then you see one of God's amazing gifts to the fortunate observer -
                         the Caribbean night sky                                                                                                           
                                  - all lit up in its spectacular brilliant glory -
                                        sparkling diamonds on  lush navy blue velvet!

         
              ...  and  Psalm 8 comes to mind.

¹ 

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.²   From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.³ 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,what is man that you are mindful of him,  the son of man that you care for him?

⁵   You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.⁶   You made him ruler     over the works of your hands;    you put everything under his feet:⁷   all flocks and herds,    and the beasts of the field ,⁸ the birds of the air,    and the fish of the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.⁹   Lord, our Lord,    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Two-Year Anniversary Trip

Well, here it is, two years to the month.

In May 2011, Larry had felt it was necessary for me to see a third-world country first hand as we were praying about teaching for a year in Haiti.  That ensuing four day visit was the start of our remarkable adventure on the mission field, as Go-Net missionaries with The Wesleyan Church.  The rest, as they say, is history.

That long week-end ...
The three week visit the following October to get our apartment on the mission compound settled, get the computer lab organized and make initial contacts for the English class.
The year commitment to teach adults in Anse-a-Galets, on the island of La Gonave.

The return home to SC in late December.

And now, the anniversary trip to provide a bridge class for our students and to transition the new teacher into the program.

The trip to south Florida was not uneventful!

On the way down Interstate 95 in south Florida, we were startled to realize the highway went right next to a raging forest fire!

We noted we weren't seeing any bikers along the road on the beautiful May day yesterday.  Then, it dawned on us - this is "love-bug" season in Florida!

Today, we are now back in Ft. Pierce, Florida, having taken our crates with more computers, other teaching supplies and records, things from the states requested by the missionaries, our gear, etc., to the Missionary Flights International hanger for weighing and to be loaded on the DC-3.

Only eight crates this trip, compared with 16 when we moved down for our year in Haiti!

 One of MFI's faithful, refurbished DC-3 planes which makes the trip to Haiti two times each week.

So, we'll return to the MFI hanger at 6:00 in the morning; take-off will be at 7:00.  

And, on into the next chapter of our Haiti adventure!

Stay tuned!