Day Deux!

Wow, what a day....up early (not something I enjoy partaking in!!) for some coffee...it is certainly not Green Mountain, but caffeine is caffeine!  We enjoyed a breakfast outside, and then headed into church.  While in our van on the way over, I had my hand out the window (something I would get a hand tapping for).  I was taken back when a little boy who was walking by (we were driving very slow because of all the traffic).  He put his hand on mine and rubbed it.  I looked at him and he smiled.  When I looked through the back window, he was still looking and gave me a gentle wave.  THESE are the times that I fall in love with this country and its people....It was wonderful seeing new faces at the church, but especially reconnecting with old friends.  Pouchon, whom I met during our last trip, was there with his new wife, and gorgeous baby boy!!!  Pouchon has kept in touch with me in the States and has been giving me French lessons either via phone or email, with the promise that I will teach him English.  I think I mentioned the last time that he probably speaks it better than me.  The other woman I saw was Madame St. Jean.  She is just the epitome of beautiful...inside her soul and out.  I would think she is in her 80s and is tiny with gray hair all pulled up in a bun.  When we were last here, she would pack a wheelbarrow full of Coke (HUGE glass bottled Coke!) and sell them to us for $1 each.  She mentioned she would be at our site tomorrow, so be sure to have our dollar bills. 

The Haitians at first always seem weary of us, but a smile and bonjour, and their arms open up.  The church was packed as usual.  They have long wooden benches that we sit on - and let me tell you - you have no room to put your purse or scarf next to you, as we are/were one on top of the other.  Which can make things extremely HOT.  Nehemy's brother, Stevenson, who is a musician, arrived with his keyboard so that he could play our songs.  Stevenson was a music teacher at one of the local schools, but the school was destroyed in the earthquake, and now he has no job.  He has been traveling around to the different tent cities to play for the children, which amongst all the chaos, makes their day.  He is a pretty special guy.  He will actually be bringing us to one of the larger tent cities in Port au Prince later this week, so we can witness firsthand the devastation of this impoverished nation.  Our hope is when we see it, we have a better understanding, and are able to return to share what it was like - and how we need, need, need to get involved and help these people.

It was like I remembered last time, shouting, singing, clapping.  When we received communion, it was like nothing I have experienced before.  We were lined up to kneel in front - about 12 of us at a time, where we were given bread and wine.  The church sang loudly while the preacher prayed in Creole.  The energy was truly palpable.

Church lasted about three hours - can you imagine this back home??? But here, it goes by in an instant.  Oh, and there was this beautiful little girl in front of me - about 8 years old.  She moved her hand slowly back and back and back, until her hand was on my leg.  She kept it there and held my leg, and eventually started to rub it up and down with her finger.  My guess was the stubble. :-) 

Then to lunch for a burger that was like nothing I have ever tasted before.  SPICY and dense.  Perhaps chewy.  I ate it quickly.

Once we arrived back at the Guest House, I finally took my first shower since Boston on Friday night.  Yuck.  And, as I also remembered, NO hot water, and a huge lack of cold.  It drip, drip, drips down.  And as I lathered my hair, the water turned off completely.  AAAAAGGGGRRHHHH.  I managed to get most of it out, but sans conditioner, coupled with the humidity, dust, and pollution, you can just imagine what I look like.

This afternoon we created an agenda for tomorrow, the work site, and then opened all the suitcases and seperated all of the items we brought - From YOU - thank you!!!!  Tomorrow we will work with the children in Croix des Mission on some arts/craft projects, and teach the adults.  I canNOT wait. 

You will all be proud (Those of you who know me) that I am taking TONS of photos!!!!!!!  I tried to upload them this evening, but am having difficulty (technologically challenged as most of you also know!)  I will work on it one more time tomorrow, but it may have to wait until I return.  While here, I am really trying to disconnect from this mainstream media and focus on being present HERE.  There is so much to take in and checking email etc., takes away from the experience.  I will be back tomorrow, however, to debrief on the day.

Again, please forgive any misspellings or grammatical errors/issues.  Too tired to edit and not sure I could if I wanted to!!
Thanks so much for following -  Namaste.