The more time I spend here in Haiti, the more I see exactly why God has called me here. I encounter something new everyday that is heart-breaking, yet inspiring.
Yesterday at a soccer game I met one of the 8th grade girls in Mme. Lenny's class. Her name is Bertine and her family is extremely poor (yes, I know this is Haiti and most people here are poor, but even in Port-de-Paix and even at Sonlight, the contrast between the wealthy students and the poor students is unbelievable). She is a Christian, but her family is not. I learned yesterday from another teacher that sometimes her family refuses to feed her and says "Your God will provide for you." Her situation is heart-breaking, yet so inspiring. She is willing to suffer hunger and the disapproval of her family in order to be faithful to God.
How much do I suffer for my faith? Sure, I moved to Haiti, but in Haiti, all the "white people" are Christians. They know who we are and why we are here. We live in a nice house with electricity, running water, and always have MORE THAN ENOUGH food on our table (and I'm not even counting luxuries like internet and A/C!). Sometimes I feel like, as missionaries, we are put on a pedestal. Everyone thinks we are so wonderful for the sacrifices we are making, when in all actuality, our sacrifices are minimal. Our families and friends love us, support us, and are proud of what we are doing.
What kind of sacrifice am I really making?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
money, money, money!!!
i'm finally getting the hang of using the money here. it is so different than the states and quite confusing...everything is sold in haitian dollars...however, all the bills are marked in gourdes (pronounced goods) so you have to divide your gourdes by 5 to figure out how many haitian dollars you have...and then divide that by seven to figure out what it would be in american dollars (to see if it is a good price). somethings are SUPER DUPER cheap (like a taxi to downtown costs about 50 cents in american money and a package of cookies is about $1 american) but other stuff is really expensive (a box of fruit loops cost almost $10 american). so you have to watch and make sure you aren't paying too much for stuff.
in other news, i taught my kids how to "hi-five" this week! they LOVE it!!!!
in other news, i taught my kids how to "hi-five" this week! they LOVE it!!!!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Haitian for a Day
Today, on the one month anniversary of arriving in Port-de-Paix, I got a taste of what it feels like to be a true Haitian. Everyday, after school is out at 2:00 p.m. our electricity goes off until around 5:00 p.m. Also, we only have a small stream of water in the sinks during this time because something in the electricity has something to do with our running water (I don't understand it, I just know that when the electricity is off, we barely have enough water to wash our hands). All of this was hard to get used to at first. I got a lot of reading done during those first two weeks I was here before school started! Now it just kind of comes naturally to me. Tonight, the electricity came on around 5:15 and went back off at about 5:25 (which isn't unusual--it sometimes goes off at night at random times until John and Roger can get back to the generator to fix the problem). Around 6:00 tonight, while we were waiting on the electricity to come on, I commented to Ashley about how hard this must be for people here who NEVER have electricity. I can't imagine having to live day in and day out without lights or even a toilet you can flush...and how upset do we get that we can't even watch an episode of "The Gilmore Girls" tonight. It kind of started putting a lot of things in perspective. And then, as if perfectly on cue, Mr. Scott knocked on our door to let us know that we may be without electricity for the next two days. Something crazy had happened to the generator and John and Roger may not be able to fix it quickly. We decided to fill some buckets with water (so we could flush our toilets) out of the reservoir that is out behind our house...and of course we had all gone on a hike this afternoon so we were sweaty and smelly...so we decided we would have to bathe outside, like our Haitian neighbors (don't worry, we kept our clothes on!!!). Jen and I went out together, with our washcloths, shower gel, and buckets and decided it was time to suck it up in the dark and get clean. Our reservoir has a spicket on the side, so we washed our bodies under our clothes as best we could using that water. We ate dinner by candlelight and flashlight (luckily, we have a gas stove). We opened all the windows in the house and there was actually a REALLY nice breeze. Our house didn't get too unbearably hot. Around 8:30 or 9:00, the electricity came on 2 or 3 times, but only for a few minutes at a time. Then at around 9:15, it came on and now (1 1/2 hours later) it is still on!
I know that was a really long story, but it was a really long night for us!!! But, somehow, there really wasn't a time when I was miserable. If I had been in America, I probably would have been pretty irritated by this inconvenience. I think being here in Haiti makes inconveniences much more easier to bare because you constantly see people with circumstances that are ALWAYS worse than yours. All my minor problems don't even come close to the issues my students are dealing with (and they are only 4 years old!)...yet, the people I have met during my short month here in Haiti are more generous and willing to give away the little they do have than anyone in America. That's what makes these people so special to me. In spite of having nothing, they are willing to give up EVERYTHING. I know that I am being taught much more about what it means to "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3)
The Hands and Feet of The Preschool
I am so thankful for the hands and feet that make my class so great! My three WONDERFUL aides this year are Mr. Thony (like Tony), Mme. Emmanuel, and Mme. Aules (like O-less). They have been working in the preschool with Norma for years and have truly been so helpful in making my transition into teaching in Haiti such a smooth one! I am greeted every morning by BIG kisses from Mme. Emmanuel and Mme. Aules. Mr. Thony is so great with the kids and isn't "embarrassed" to be silly with them. Along with being my aide, he also teaches French to my kids. He LOVES to sing songs and be crazy with the kids (including wearing a woman's big flowered hat just to teach them about something I couldn't understand!!!).
These three aides are absolutely WONDERFUL and I couldn't do 1/2 of what I do in preschool without them. They show no favoritism toward any kid (which is really hard!) and love every child the same. They are always the hands and feet of Jesus to my class and I am so lucky to have them!
The Preschool Class-
After a little switching around with Mme. Thom's (a.k.a. Cara) Kindergarten Class, I am now settled in with 28 beautiful faces! They are precious and wonderful and so lovable. I love to rub their precious little faces every morning. They were all very timid at first, but now they are all beginning to warm up to the "crazy white lady" at their school!!! I even got a few of them to smile for some pictures this week!!!
Here are their names, so you can pray for them too:
Boys-Adlai (pronounced Ad-lie), Guy (pronounced Gee), Love, Alai, Clyde, Elie (pronounced Elly), Michel, Luvensky, Mike, Weggy (pronounced Wedgie), Shmuck (pronounced Shmick), Webster, Saul (pronounced Sa-ool), Christopher, Widloveson, Thegi (pronounced Te-zhie)
Girls-Berlinda, Blandine, Cephora, Christiana, Katiana, Beyonce, Magdala, Lyse, Rose Asline, Michka, Ruthzar (pronounced Wootza), Schekina
I also teach a few of Ashley's First Grade Class in the afternoon. Right now, I am taking 10 of her kids who need a little bit of extra help. This may change and during the next nine weeks, I may take some of the kids who are at the "top" of the class. We just had our first math test, and I am glad to say that EVERY child in my class got an A (it's a test from a book, i didn't make it, so don't tell me it was too easy!!! haha)!!! They are quite a chatty group right now, so pray that I don't lose my patience with them. They are all so sweet and, for the most part, are still at the age where they love coming to school.
These are the First Graders I have right now:
Boys--Gabe, Febens, Yodh
Girls--Gabina, Sophiana, Flore, Dayanka, Vasthie, Audra, Shelldens
I know that was a really long story, but it was a really long night for us!!! But, somehow, there really wasn't a time when I was miserable. If I had been in America, I probably would have been pretty irritated by this inconvenience. I think being here in Haiti makes inconveniences much more easier to bare because you constantly see people with circumstances that are ALWAYS worse than yours. All my minor problems don't even come close to the issues my students are dealing with (and they are only 4 years old!)...yet, the people I have met during my short month here in Haiti are more generous and willing to give away the little they do have than anyone in America. That's what makes these people so special to me. In spite of having nothing, they are willing to give up EVERYTHING. I know that I am being taught much more about what it means to "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3)
The Hands and Feet of The Preschool
I am so thankful for the hands and feet that make my class so great! My three WONDERFUL aides this year are Mr. Thony (like Tony), Mme. Emmanuel, and Mme. Aules (like O-less). They have been working in the preschool with Norma for years and have truly been so helpful in making my transition into teaching in Haiti such a smooth one! I am greeted every morning by BIG kisses from Mme. Emmanuel and Mme. Aules. Mr. Thony is so great with the kids and isn't "embarrassed" to be silly with them. Along with being my aide, he also teaches French to my kids. He LOVES to sing songs and be crazy with the kids (including wearing a woman's big flowered hat just to teach them about something I couldn't understand!!!).
These three aides are absolutely WONDERFUL and I couldn't do 1/2 of what I do in preschool without them. They show no favoritism toward any kid (which is really hard!) and love every child the same. They are always the hands and feet of Jesus to my class and I am so lucky to have them!
The Preschool Class-
After a little switching around with Mme. Thom's (a.k.a. Cara) Kindergarten Class, I am now settled in with 28 beautiful faces! They are precious and wonderful and so lovable. I love to rub their precious little faces every morning. They were all very timid at first, but now they are all beginning to warm up to the "crazy white lady" at their school!!! I even got a few of them to smile for some pictures this week!!!
Here are their names, so you can pray for them too:
Boys-Adlai (pronounced Ad-lie), Guy (pronounced Gee), Love, Alai, Clyde, Elie (pronounced Elly), Michel, Luvensky, Mike, Weggy (pronounced Wedgie), Shmuck (pronounced Shmick), Webster, Saul (pronounced Sa-ool), Christopher, Widloveson, Thegi (pronounced Te-zhie)
Girls-Berlinda, Blandine, Cephora, Christiana, Katiana, Beyonce, Magdala, Lyse, Rose Asline, Michka, Ruthzar (pronounced Wootza), Schekina
I also teach a few of Ashley's First Grade Class in the afternoon. Right now, I am taking 10 of her kids who need a little bit of extra help. This may change and during the next nine weeks, I may take some of the kids who are at the "top" of the class. We just had our first math test, and I am glad to say that EVERY child in my class got an A (it's a test from a book, i didn't make it, so don't tell me it was too easy!!! haha)!!! They are quite a chatty group right now, so pray that I don't lose my patience with them. They are all so sweet and, for the most part, are still at the age where they love coming to school.
These are the First Graders I have right now:
Boys--Gabe, Febens, Yodh
Girls--Gabina, Sophiana, Flore, Dayanka, Vasthie, Audra, Shelldens
Saturday, September 8, 2007
newsletter
After two weeks of getting our house in order and decorating/arranging our classrooms, we started school on wednesday, august 29! The preschoolers are SO CUTE!!! I've only spent 2 weeks with them and i feel like i could write a book about each of them! they are all so sweet and excited about coming to school! We began with 34 on our roster, but have dwindled down to 29. Some of the kids were just too little, so they are going to try again next year. We are moving one little girl up to Kindergarten next week because she is so far ahead of all the other kids and we may be moving some kids back from Kindergarten that need more help. My aides (Mr. Thony, Mme. Emmanuel, and Mme. Aules) have been working in this class for years so they are AMAZING! They know exactly what to do and when to do it! They help keep order and translate everything Norma and I say into Creole so the kids will understand (at least until they catch on to a few English phrases).
Weggy (yes, like wedgie), the little boy that I sponsor through Sonlight, is in my class. He was retained in preschool at the end of last year to help improve his English so that he will excel in elementary school. He is so precious and LOVES to grab my hand every time I walk past him!
Preschool ends everyday at 10:45. After preschool, I go to pick up a few of the First Graders (Miss Ashley has 36 in her class, so I take some of the students who need a little extra help).
Sunday School has started also. I'm teaching the 1st and 2nd grade sunday school with Miss Kala. Most of the kids I know, either from being in Miss Ashley's first grade class this year or last year. I love to see the kids coming to church. They are always dressed like every sunday is Easter Sunday. All the little girls wear big, poofy dresses and are SO pretty!
I am still looking for a few more people to partner financially with me and Sonlight Ministries. My goal is to raise $1,300 a month, so if you are interested, please let me know. You can also find out more information about donating to Sonlight or sponsoring a child at http://www.sonlightministries.org
To see pictures of my house, my classroom, or my kids go to
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081003&l=3aeea&id=38312267
Things to pray for:
1. That I will continue to pick up on Creole phrases so I will be able to better communicate with my neighbors, students, etc.
2. Financial support will continue to come in.
3. Health -- a lot of the teachers have been suffering from sinus issues, so please pray that I will stay healthy
4. Unity among the Sonlight staff
Weggy (yes, like wedgie), the little boy that I sponsor through Sonlight, is in my class. He was retained in preschool at the end of last year to help improve his English so that he will excel in elementary school. He is so precious and LOVES to grab my hand every time I walk past him!
Preschool ends everyday at 10:45. After preschool, I go to pick up a few of the First Graders (Miss Ashley has 36 in her class, so I take some of the students who need a little extra help).
Sunday School has started also. I'm teaching the 1st and 2nd grade sunday school with Miss Kala. Most of the kids I know, either from being in Miss Ashley's first grade class this year or last year. I love to see the kids coming to church. They are always dressed like every sunday is Easter Sunday. All the little girls wear big, poofy dresses and are SO pretty!
I am still looking for a few more people to partner financially with me and Sonlight Ministries. My goal is to raise $1,300 a month, so if you are interested, please let me know. You can also find out more information about donating to Sonlight or sponsoring a child at http://www.sonlightministries.org
To see pictures of my house, my classroom, or my kids go to
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081003&l=3aeea&id=38312267
Things to pray for:
1. That I will continue to pick up on Creole phrases so I will be able to better communicate with my neighbors, students, etc.
2. Financial support will continue to come in.
3. Health -- a lot of the teachers have been suffering from sinus issues, so please pray that I will stay healthy
4. Unity among the Sonlight staff
Friday, August 24, 2007
the God who sees me
He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber...
The Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:3, 5-6)
i started a daily devotional book on my first day in haiti called "praying the names of God." it is by ann spangler and it has been so appropriate for exactly what i need every single day. each week focuses on a different name for God. the first week was Elohim (the might creator) and this week has been El Roi (the God who sees me). it is so comforting to know that the God of the entire universe never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another. He never misses a single that is happening on earth. And just as He is watching over me, He is watching over you. as much as i miss all of you dearly, i know that the God who created this entire world is watching over us both...together.
May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. (Genesis 31:49)
he who watches over you will not slumber...
The Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:3, 5-6)
i started a daily devotional book on my first day in haiti called "praying the names of God." it is by ann spangler and it has been so appropriate for exactly what i need every single day. each week focuses on a different name for God. the first week was Elohim (the might creator) and this week has been El Roi (the God who sees me). it is so comforting to know that the God of the entire universe never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another. He never misses a single that is happening on earth. And just as He is watching over me, He is watching over you. as much as i miss all of you dearly, i know that the God who created this entire world is watching over us both...together.
May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. (Genesis 31:49)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
still sweatin'
i spent all day yesterday working on my classroom. even though i had bought a lot of stuff to decorate the room like "under the sea" i changed my mind. the curtains that were already up in the room had safari animals on them and there was a lot of leftover safari stuff in the closet...so i decided to decorate it like a jungle. i'm trying to come up with something cute to write on the door, but all i can come up with is "welcome to the jungle." contrary to popular belief, i don't think guns 'n roses are (or were EVER) popular in haiti, so i'm not quite sure that would go over well. any suggestions? e-mail me or leave a comment on this post!
i will try to post some pictures of my room when we have a better internet connection.
i know some of you have already heard this story, but i wanted to share it on here too. i have heard from ashley about a little boy named ermilien for years. she always told me how sweet and precious he was, but it wasn't until my own encounter with him that i realized how true this was! ermilien and one of his friends come and get our empty coke bottles and take them, exchange them, and bring back full ones. they usually do all of this for a few haitian dollars (less than 50 cents american). when they got back to our house with the full bottles, we tried to pay ermilien and he said, "no, you can pay me next time. next time i will work for you, but today i am working for jesus."
seriously, does anyone have a 10-year-old daughter they want to marry this kid??? he is precious!
i have really enjoyed my roommates. most of you know ashley, but there is also jen (from north carolina) and kala (from missouri). i thought it would be hard after living alone since brandy left me to get married, but it has been really fun. we've watched a lot of movies and killed lots of mosquitos together.
ok, i have to go apply some more anti-itch lotion to my legs...the bugs let up for a while, but yesterday i got attacked in ashley's classroom. there are some fat mosquitos flying around the first grade classroom today after having a feeding frenzy on my legs!!!
i will try to post some pictures of my room when we have a better internet connection.
i know some of you have already heard this story, but i wanted to share it on here too. i have heard from ashley about a little boy named ermilien for years. she always told me how sweet and precious he was, but it wasn't until my own encounter with him that i realized how true this was! ermilien and one of his friends come and get our empty coke bottles and take them, exchange them, and bring back full ones. they usually do all of this for a few haitian dollars (less than 50 cents american). when they got back to our house with the full bottles, we tried to pay ermilien and he said, "no, you can pay me next time. next time i will work for you, but today i am working for jesus."
seriously, does anyone have a 10-year-old daughter they want to marry this kid??? he is precious!
i have really enjoyed my roommates. most of you know ashley, but there is also jen (from north carolina) and kala (from missouri). i thought it would be hard after living alone since brandy left me to get married, but it has been really fun. we've watched a lot of movies and killed lots of mosquitos together.
ok, i have to go apply some more anti-itch lotion to my legs...the bugs let up for a while, but yesterday i got attacked in ashley's classroom. there are some fat mosquitos flying around the first grade classroom today after having a feeding frenzy on my legs!!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Cady's in Haiti!
I AM IN HAITI!!!! i can hardly believe it! it has been in the works for so long that i wasn't really sure this day would ever come. we got delayed in miami on monday (8/13) so we had to overnight in port-au-prince instead of flying on in to port-de-paix.
i have only been here for one week and i feel like i have so many stories to tell. we spent the first few days getting the house and our suitcases unpacked. some of the internet equipment was dead when we got here, so there is only one ethernet hook-up in the work room. hopefully within the next few weeks scott (our computer guru) will have the new equipment so we can get our wireless internet working in our house. it's even harder because the electricity is turned off everyday from 2-5 (and sometimes more than that).
for everyone who knows about weggy (yes, his name is pronounced like wedgie...he's the little boy bailey and i sponser), i have some good news and some bad news. the good news is that i will get to spend a lot of time with weggy this year. he's precious and sweet and i can't wait to love on him! the bad news is, he may have been retained in preschool instead of moving on to kindergarten...he is on the roster carmen gave me this morning. i haven't had a chance to ask carmen or norma if this is correct...but i feel like a negligent mother! my baby didn't even pass pre-school! haha!!!
i'm beginning to catch on to a few phrases of the creole language (hello, please, thank you, etc.) so hopefully i won't be completely lost on the first day of school when my precious little preschoolers come in with NO knowledge of the english language.
we didn't really get too affected by the hurricane. it was on the south side of the island and we are on the northern coast, so we only got a little bit of rain and some wind.
i've spent a lot of time reading, watching dvd's (and tv on dvd), and basically just hanging out. it's been really hard to adjust from my life in lexington where i had stuff going on every night to my life in haiti where there is nothing going on at night.
if you are interested in sending mail, here are the addresses:
for letters and small packages (PLEASE do not include anything valuable--this mail is opened and "searched." we don't always receive all of the items):
Sonlight Ministries PdP
Cady Calvert
PO Box 407140
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340
for larger packages (these come to me unopened. this is more reliable way to send boxes, but this boat only comes 1 or 2 times per semester):
Lady Lotmore
Alexander/Cady Calvert
3163 NW South River Drive
Miami, FL 33142
things to pray for:
1. i will easily pick up the language
2. preparation for school
3. i will constantly be the love of christ to my neighbors, students, and fellow staff members
i have only been here for one week and i feel like i have so many stories to tell. we spent the first few days getting the house and our suitcases unpacked. some of the internet equipment was dead when we got here, so there is only one ethernet hook-up in the work room. hopefully within the next few weeks scott (our computer guru) will have the new equipment so we can get our wireless internet working in our house. it's even harder because the electricity is turned off everyday from 2-5 (and sometimes more than that).
for everyone who knows about weggy (yes, his name is pronounced like wedgie...he's the little boy bailey and i sponser), i have some good news and some bad news. the good news is that i will get to spend a lot of time with weggy this year. he's precious and sweet and i can't wait to love on him! the bad news is, he may have been retained in preschool instead of moving on to kindergarten...he is on the roster carmen gave me this morning. i haven't had a chance to ask carmen or norma if this is correct...but i feel like a negligent mother! my baby didn't even pass pre-school! haha!!!
i'm beginning to catch on to a few phrases of the creole language (hello, please, thank you, etc.) so hopefully i won't be completely lost on the first day of school when my precious little preschoolers come in with NO knowledge of the english language.
we didn't really get too affected by the hurricane. it was on the south side of the island and we are on the northern coast, so we only got a little bit of rain and some wind.
i've spent a lot of time reading, watching dvd's (and tv on dvd), and basically just hanging out. it's been really hard to adjust from my life in lexington where i had stuff going on every night to my life in haiti where there is nothing going on at night.
if you are interested in sending mail, here are the addresses:
for letters and small packages (PLEASE do not include anything valuable--this mail is opened and "searched." we don't always receive all of the items):
Sonlight Ministries PdP
Cady Calvert
PO Box 407140
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340
for larger packages (these come to me unopened. this is more reliable way to send boxes, but this boat only comes 1 or 2 times per semester):
Lady Lotmore
Alexander/Cady Calvert
3163 NW South River Drive
Miami, FL 33142
things to pray for:
1. i will easily pick up the language
2. preparation for school
3. i will constantly be the love of christ to my neighbors, students, and fellow staff members
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