Fat Lip

Last week I was taking a little break from getting some teaching aids ready for teachers. They are laminated calendar pictures of animals. My task was to put a few facts about the animal on the picture. As they wanted it in French I typed it up and sent it to get proof-read before putting them on. Then I printed, cut, and taped them on with clear packing tape. They look pretty good and I hope they get used. 

Anyway, back to my break...

I was laying down watching something on my kindle when I felt a little twinge and then my lip started swelling. Well, I didn't know it was swelling but it had that novocain feeling of having just been to the dentist. I went to Marty to see if he had any ideas and he told me to take some Benadryl right away. It kept getting bigger for a little while until I was completely lopsided. Then it stopped. Dinner was interesting as everyone thought I looked pretty funny (and I had to agree with them) and it is awkward to eat with a fat lip. Another Benadryl before bed and when I woke in the morning they aid it was looking better but I didn't see a difference. Taught two classes and it continued to go down. By my afternoon class it wasn't too noticeable but they had all heard about it. By dinner that night it was gone but we continue to speculate about what caused it. 

*Marty told me a couple of days later that something similar had started to happen to him but he took the Benadryl right away and it disappeared. We are thinking that it is a reaction to an ant bite. 

Prayers

Here in Haiti prayers are loud. They are chaotic. Repetitive. Prayer meetings can be found happening at almost any time in the community centers. Choir practice is singing and praying. School starts with prayer—in the assembly it is more like ours at home with a single leader and when they break into the classrooms it is the full participatory kind.

I went to a planning/brainstorming meeting last week and was told that we need to pray specifics. God knows what we need always. That can be how we know that God has answered our prayer. If we pray big and vague we don’t know what has been answered or how far it might go. When we dream and pray big and specific knowing that we can’t procure what we are asking for on our own, we open the door for God to fill our need and show that we are not alone. It is true that God may not say yes to our prayers but how can we know if we aren’t specific with our ideas. To say, ‘show me where to go next year’ is so open that I can easily miss the way. If I pray, ‘Make it possible to serve next year in Haiti,’ I will have more specific things to look for to see if that is the way. I don’t know that I explained this to my liking, but I don’t know how to put it down and it sometimes makes sense in my head.

I was asked in an email from a volunteer who had been down over the summer, “How can I be praying for you?”  I’ve been asked this before and I always feel awkward with this question. I don’t often ask people to do anything for me. And as for prayers I look at my life and see that I am so blessed that I think that there are others who could really use them, I don’t need the prayers. Now I know that isn’t how it works, but on some level I do feel that way. I don’t need to bother God because I’ve got it good.

Don’t get me wrong. I am so glad that I have that support. People praying for me helps me know that I am loved and supported. It makes the hard days easier and the easy days brighter. I know there is power in prayer-in connection, relationship with others and with God. But it has been on my mind that I want to do more of it. More of the specific prayers. For myself but even more for others.

So, how can I be praying for you? 

I know that the question is broad and it is going out to a broad audience (I don’t know how broad as I don’t know who reads these) but I would really like to know. Leave me a comment or send me an email (jessi.stitt@gmail.com) if you want to let me know.

Guacamole

Avocados are in season! While we haven’t had them as often as they told me they were having them before I arrived, we are having them and that makes me so happy. When I went to church with Missy a couple of weeks ago, she stopped on our way home and bought me a couple. They were wonderful.

I was eating one and Madame Florino, our cleaning lady, came into the cafeteria. I offered her part and she accepted. The next day she came with a whole one for me as a gift! She said she would have brought some earlier but she didn’t know that I liked them. She is so sweet.

One of the teachers that took my class last year brought me a sack full. It shows that they really do listen in class and remember that I am a huge fan of avocados. I never expected to get them as gifts. She warned me that they weren’t ripe yet and I assured her I would wait to eat them.

So I decided to make guacamole. There are so many different recipes out there and so many different things you can add to it but I went for the basic (out of necessity mostly)—avo, tomato, onion, salt, pepper. I had it ready for dinner to eat with the rice and beans and whatever sauce we were also having that night. The Haitians I saw (both walking back from buying the onion and in the community center) looked at me like I was crazy for what I was about to do. They know that I don’t cook and they do not eat onions (or much else) without cooking them. It was a hit with anyone who tried it (not many did). And it made me very happy.

Repatriate church is moving forward!

The seasons of fruit (and other things) remind me of God’s timing. It is not always when we want it but it comes when it is right. It also depends on how we use what we are given. We can keep it to ourselves or we can share it with others. Sharing brings relationships, new experiences, and happiness.

Serving

This past week there have been a couple of verses that have come up repeatedly have been about not putting yourself first. (Matthew 23:11, the Beatitues, Luke 14:7-11) Sitting down lower than 'your place' so that the host will move you up and not down. To be the servant in all that you do...opting for the more menial jobs that can only mean upward movement for you. And I've realized that I don't necessarily do this easily. I suppose not many people do but that isn't the point either. It is something we should strive to do. 

Today I was working  on the high school construction site. I went out thinking we were going to be working to finish the roof, but the plan change as soon as we got there...at least as far as I could tell. During the days that I hadn't been on site they had poured the porch of the caretaker's house. We started by taking the concrete forms off of the porch floor. (Concrete forms are wood and steel put together to form the concrete into the show desired when it is poured.) Then we had to clean the forms so they will be ready to use next time. I didn't say anything but say there cleaning and thinking that this is not what I came to do. Then we started putting posts up for the porch and we ended with putting the trusses (roof supports) on the porch and finishing some of the purlins. So I did do roofing and so much more. 

Even though I didn't have the whole picture in mind and couldn't see how everything tied in together I was helping with the bigger picture all along from cleaning up the site to hammering and drilling. After all my grumbling (in my head), at the end of the day I was happy and felt productive from what we had accomplished. 

Construction

Last week I taught 2 days (Tuesday and Wednesday to staff, teachers, and translators) and then got to go work construction. We had 3 guys in to help start up the high school construction. In about a week they have just about finished the caretaker’s house which was the first building to go up. These guys are masons and contractors in the states and came down to move things and that they did. The foundation was poured and the blocks started going up. The 2 masons were teaching a different method for  laying the concrete block that will look more like the American way of laying (with a smaller joint but also stronger). I worked with the contractor who was making the roof trusses and got to used some power tools…a drill to screw everything together and put some holes in boards for spacers. I was applauded by one of the guys who comes to my translator class (impressed with my board holding skills). I was encouraged by Fre Pierre, our gate keeper, who is so wonderful and so happy to see me working at whatever is going on. Each time I see him he gives me a big smile, hug and tells me that we are family. I was told by one of the teachers that I couldn’t do that work because it was too hard. I looked at her, smiled and said it is too hot but it is not too hard for me. Repeat twice and watched her walk away unconvinced. It was hot and sweaty and I loved it.

On Saturday we put the trusses on the house and secured them with the purlins (construction term for wood across rafters). It was hot work but the house is looking pretty good. We have more purlins to put up when they get painted before the tin can go on the roof but I’d say it looks pretty good!

I also got a chance to bend rebar. That is some tough stuff but with the right tools I was able to bend and cut steel!

They have also started the digging of the foundation area for the first classroom building! I’m glad I don’t have to dig…

Another service

Last Sunday I went to an evening service with Missy, the librarian of the school here. She had invited me the week before but I missed her when I went out to help work construction during the day—we weren’t back in time. It was about a 15 minute walk from the compound (which she claimed was a long way) and it wound through many different roads—I’m pretty sure I couldn’t return on my own again (or even leave that evening). We arrived at the Baptist church and went up to sit on the second row. She warned me that they sing a lot. When I told her I like to sing especially when I can follow in my book (so that I know the words) she looked a little panicked. I had brought my hymnal and French Bible but it turns out that the Baptist church uses a different hymnal. She was able to borrow one for me as we went in. We sang and prayed (not the out loud chaos prayers I’ve heard at the Terre Noire church) and then a preacher got up and did a Bible study on Daniel and his dream explanations in Chapters 2 and 7 of that book. I couldn’t follow a lot except for the king had one of the dreams and Daniel had the other and they both involved 4 different empires. 

After that we sang. And she wasn’t joking when she said they sang a lot. We stood and started singing and we continued through at least 7 hymns! We would get to the last chorus of a hymn and the leader would call out the next number and without missing a beat we would continue on! It reminded me of the first time I was in a Central American bar/dance club and the music never stopped—one song just segued into the next one. And there was never a good time to sit down or take a break. Around hymn number 5, Missy noticed that I was flagging a little bit and she told me I could sit down. I thought I’d be able to make it so I held out but when number 6 started I gave in and had a seat. After the congregational  singing a choir got up and gave us two songs and then another preacher got up to give another message but it was time for us to go in order to get me back before my curfew (dark).

As we left I thanked Missy for bringing me. As much as I grumble and complain about going to another service, sitting in the hard pews, and not understanding everything, something touches me each time I go to a service. I come out feeling like it was a good way to spend time-contemplating, singing, and praising…now I just wish that feeling would stay as I get ready for the next service. No matter when that happens I don’t look forward with abundant joy to going to the next…it is an attitude adjustment I need to work on.

Post office

So I’m ok at keeping up correspondence…not the best but I do try. And as I’ve always loved to get ‘real’ mail I’m used to writing letters too. So I’d written some letters and often I would get teams to take them back to the US to send for me because there is no postal service in Haiti. At least that is what I thought. Then Nadege told me that there is a post office. And while we can’t (or don’t—probably can’t) get mail through them, we might be able to send mail from there…I thought it was worth checking out. Well, a couple of weeks passed (and as you might know this is also all happening at least 6 weeks ago as Nadege is now in the US to finish her degree) before we got around to heading out to Delmas (the big street where everything is found) to look for the post office.

It is a large building but the actual post office part was small. And it looked quite closed. We crossed the street anyway and found out that it wasn’t closed. Back into an office where 2 women were sitting.  I showed them the letters I wanted to send. 4 to the US, 2 to Europe and 1 to Africa. They were muttering and calculating how much that would cost and finally gave me a number…3850 gourdes…I thought they must be joking or confused…(divided by 40 that gave me US$96.25), but they weren’t. It was roughly $9 to send a letter to the US and more for other destinations.  I laughed and tried to get my letters back. The woman kept talking to Nadege who wasn’t having it…telling her that I understand Creole and speak French and I am the customer…She didn’t want to give me my letters back but there was no way she was getting that kind of money from me.

 Needless to say the US letters went back with the next team…to be sent for a much more reasonable price. The foreign letters stayed with me because I didn’t have the right stamps yet. When I then decided to go to the Dominican I took them with me and found a post office there that sent them for about $4…I was ok with that expense…

Church

The last group was in mentioned in their devotions and debriefs at the end of the day…at home there is no way we would come to a church service that lasted more than an hour. Okay, maybe and hour and fifteen minutes but really many of us would be very squirmy by then. Here the services last2.5 hours easily and everyone is there. Present, not just attending (ok that is a generalization and probably not true of everyone). And there is participation. The hymns are sung with force, to be heard. The prayers are not passive—the congregation adds their voice to the leader (who prays into the microphone) and prays out loud until they are finished…to our ears it sounds like a classroom of children all talking at the same time—and it is! We are God’s children but he can hear all of us whereas we only hear the chaos. Arms are raised and waving, or people are on their knees with their heads bowed on the pew, or facing the wall with head inclined to speak up to God. Often the prayers start with a verse of a psalm said together such as Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth 

It was also pointed out that at home we are often late for church, rushing breakfast, running out the door, to barely make it in on time. Here we are on Haitian time (things run late) but people have been preparing for Sunday at least since Saturday. Yes they might be late but it is not because they didn’t get out of bed on time or found something else to do. Often the sun hadn’t come up yet and they didn’t feel it was safe to leave yet (a reason for these walls of the community center). On Saturdays women do their hair and their daughter’s hair. (Haitian hair doesn’t get washed every day as the texture is different and takes more time to do.) Clothes are ironed and pulled out the day before. When they get to church they will be there for a full morning—church service and Sunday school. There are separate churches for adults and children and so many Sunday school classes—there aren’t enough classrooms to hold all of the different classes so that many of the adult classes take place in the sanctuary—each class gets about 5 pews with the teacher standing backwards to teach his/her pews and 2 behind them is the next class. I don’t know how they learn anything with all the noise from all over but they seem to.

It is a different feel to go to church. The praise seems real in a way that is so different from home. The desire to be at church, to worship, to not confine God to just this space and time. But it is a mindset that anyone can have (to be in the moment, to praise the Maker of Creation, to revel in the beauty and community that surrounds us), we just have to work on it where ever we are.

I’ve got a few reflections coming on the church experience here. Well I think I do, though my plans often change. I was given a Creole/French hymnal at the beginning of my stay which is very helpful for me to sing any of the hymns. That is, if I can find them. Many times I believe that the worship/song leader does call out a number but he only does it once and often I’m not ready for it. Most Haitians as well do not have hymnals. They either know the hymns or follow the leader as he does a little lead in. So while I often spend the first half of the song searching (and getting extremely frustrated because I feel that I should be able to understand the numbers at least) the energy in the congregation is mounting and is contagious. Sometimes I give up looking and just hum and sway along with the music. But when I do find the song, I’m pretty happy and sing at the top of my voice. (not that I can be heard because everyone around me is doing the same) I also find that with the songs in French or Creole that I pay attention more to the words and the meanings (not that I understand them all) but I find myself more moved by the lyrics (as well as the melody)…though some songs I really wish they would sing faster (others I can’t keep up with). Many of them have familiar tunes or are actually the songs that I know (usually just can’t put my finger on because the words aren’t the same—because they are in a different language). This was one on Sunday that touched me.

(pardon the translation...it is mine)

1. Tu payas mon salut                                    You have paid for my well-being

Par ton grand sacrifice,                                  With your great sacrifice,

O Jésus, quelle merveilleux amour!                 Oh Jesus, what marvelous love!

Désormais pour ton saint                                From now on for you holy

Et glorieux service                                         And glorious service

Ton racheté se donne en retour.                     Your purchase will give itself in return.

Choeur

Je viens à ton autel,                                       I come to your altar,

Offrande volontaire,                                     A voluntary offering,

Librement je veux server mon Roi;                I want to freely serve my King;

Je ne veux désormais                                   However, I don’t want

Que ta gloire, ô mon Père                           Your glory, oh my Father

Ne vivre que par Toi,                                  To live only by you,

Que pour Toi.                                             But for you.

2. Prends tout ce que je suis,                       Take all that I am,

Prends mon coeur et mon âme,                   Take my heart and my soul,

Que tout mon être te soit livré!                    That all my being will be yours!

Contrôlé par l’Esprit,                                  Controlled by the Spirit,

Animé de ta flamme,                                   Animated by your passion (fire),              

Et de ta Parole pénétré.                              And penetrated by your Word.

3. Seigneur, de jour en jour,                        Lord, from day to day,

Transforme à ton image                              Transform into your image

Ton enfant, ton heureux racheté;                 Your child, your happy purchase;

Devant moi n’est qu’un but                         Before me is only one goal

Jusqu’au bout du voyage,                           Until the end of the voyage,

Connaître et faire ta volonté.                       To know and do your will.

(Tune: He was Nailed to the Cross)

How we should want to do right always...free offering--not when we are free or feeling good. To live for God--that others see God's glory through us and not us doing the 'right' thing. Hard to do but something to aim for.

Kiddie Graduations

Time lapse: Graduations happened at the end of June after school ended. School was supposed to begin again at the beginning of Sept but has just been postponed until October by the government...(one more month of summer!)

At the end of the week were the graduations from Kindergarten. In Haiti the kids start school at 3 years old. By the time they get to first grade they have been in school for 3 years and learned a whole lot—potty training, sitting at a desk, reading, writing, etc.  Maddie and I were recruited to help get the kids ready…this involved robing them when they arrived, pinning a flower on them, and putting caps on. The first graduation happened at Repatriate for the smallest number of students—I think there were 22 of them. We got them dressed to walk in. Cute to watch them process in at an almost bridal pace. Then there were skits and prayers and speeches and costume changes and it went on and on and on. We were there for 2 hours and then had to leave as our ride  was leaving and they still hadn’t gotten close to giving out the certificates/children’s work.

The next day was both Terre Noire (am) and Cite Soleil (pm). Not as many costume changes at those two but still the ceremonies just kept getting longer. It was fun to see all the different parts with the children coming up to welcome parents and teachers, sing songs about colors, dance to different songs, etc. At the end when the names are called the parents come up to get the work and the certificate which I thought was interesting but it was fun to see how proud the parents were. We’ve been told that for some of the families these children can already write more than some of their parents! What an amazing way to move a country forward—educating the young to become strong members of society.