Cady in Haiti

2011-11-23T18:25:00.001-08:00

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Home, Sweet Home!

2011-08-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

We have all arrived in Haiti and we are trying to get settled in! I feel like I'm creating more of a mess than I am cleaning up my house, but it will get better!!!

Yesterday, Megan, Alexa, and I started painting the inside of our house. The blue kitchen hadn't been painted in at least 10 years (April Sumner could probably tell us what year she chose that blue paint!), and it was in DESPERATE need of face-lift! We finished that last night (with some help from Benny and Gepson--Thanks!) and hope to move on to the upstairs today. At least the upstairs is already white so one coat should do it this time!

Hopefully we can get this done soon so that we can all get busy working in our classrooms! So much to do and the little ones will be coming soon!

Preschool February 2011

2011-02-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

trying again...

2011-02-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

so i have never been much of a writer, but i'm going to try this again. it is hard for me to come up with fun and exciting things to write about because all the crazy things about living in haiti have become normal and ordinary!

so, my goal is to post more photos on here, which can hopefully tell the story of my life better than i can with words.

Love is NOT colorblind

2010-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

I am linking a really awesome blog post that i read off another haitian missionary's blog (no, i don't know these people, i just read their blog from time to time). i found it said many things that i have felt, but never knew how to articulate. check it out:

http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/07/vision-test-by-amie-sexton.html

ac360

2010-02-10T04:44:00.001-08:00

i have never watched anderson cooper on cnn...but i love him.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/08/why-im-back-in-haiti/

Update from Dr. Bob

2010-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

here is an update from Dr. Bob Johnson's Ministry "Missions of Love." It is obviously written by someone who speaks Spanish, but I think you can figure it out...

Gentlefolk,
Our plans for the trip going in on Feb. 1st are being modified drastically and on an hourly basis. We will keep everyone updated with our plans as the date gets closer.

Following is a note from Dr. Abel Vallejos and Enrique Montenegro who are working on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti.

Warning: This report contains graphic details about the horrific medical conditions in PAP.

MODERATOR’S NOTE: Please pray! This is a direct report from Dr. Abel Vallejos and Enrique Montenegro working on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti.

WORSE THAN THE TSUNAMI!
Time 00:54
Wednesday, 20 January'10
Puerto Principe-HAITI

We're almost incommunicado. The team is good.

We have 7 doctors working and 8 paramedics. We are taking more than 200 injured per day.
Most amputees because of the time has come unattended, and gangrene which has been formed. All hospitals are a mess. There are corpses in the streets, people walking around and even patients in the asphalt.

We are located opposite the palace of government: it is the epicenter of ground zero. From here we see, as 80% of the buildings are lying, while others are about to fall.

The earthquake today (Wednesday) brought new people injured and hospitals muertos La are on the ground, and that some fell on him the medical equipment, or even the weight of the tents where they are served. Is total chaos! We need doctors, nurses, medicines ...
Please: Do not stop praying and giving.

People sleep on the asphalt on the streets. There are hundreds of thousands of people dumped in open fields. Although they are dead in the rubble and the streets, the smell is nauseating. We also slept in the field under a tree. It's sad ... injured children, with amputacones, bodies strewn, infected! It really is worse than living in the Tsunami!!

Our only daily food consists of water and 3 granola bars. Even the most experienced physicians like Dr. Abel Vallejos, break and cry for the pain that is here. It's so scary chaos and the situation, there are no words.

The nurse Ramon Bravo, is doing an outstanding job as the only paramedic team that makes surgery.

This is unbelievable. The emergency will last for 2 months yet, as they are millions of people who are in the streets. The city has 3 million people, there are already more than 250,000 dead and 150,000 missing. Everyone is wandering from one place to another, international help arrives ... but not enough!

"Dr. Abel Vallejos tells us that all the sick, children, toddlers, women, men and elders who serve, have trauma to the body by the pieces of masonry fell on them. The injuries are huge and have not been treated in time. The catastrophe is the ever-increasing poverty in the country.

We attend the same cases that we saw in Indonesia, a difference that is greater misery around us and thus the greater the catastrophe.

Flies abound and lay their eggs in wounds. This causes not being cleaned in time become worms, which we work even more difficult. Today we had to pull worms from their eyes even some children, apart from between the legs, arms or any injury to afford "

Of the 200,000 injured by the earthquake, tens of thousands will die of infections not treated in time. Nobody gives flooded with so much work.

It is tragic Tragic ..... .... tragic!

We meet the 3 leaders of these organizations:
* Let us love (Spain)
* YWAM (Dominican Rep.)
* Love and Grace Ministry
and decided to form a strategic alliance to work together under the name "Rescue Mission".

People are receptive to the gospel. We preach to each person we serve.
Please: keep praying, offerings, and for medical equipment that can come to support.

A greeting: Enrique Montenegro
MOL Website

As hard as it is to pass along this information that we receive, we believe it is vital that people understand the enormity of the situation. Thank you to each and every one of you who has given to the relief effort. Continue to send people to the MOL website where they can make an online contribution or encourage them to mail a check to the MOL Office. Please continue to pray for everyone involved in this catastrophic event.

MOL
PO Box 292
Hartford, KY 42347

Giving to Sonlight

2010-01-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

It has been so encouraging to be lifted up from all parts of the world!!! From Chris and Dora in Thailand to Dave in Iraq, across the globe I have been so encouraged by the love and support you have shown to me and to Haiti. THANK YOU!

Also, thank you to so many of you that have given financially to any organization (especially Dr. Bob) helping out in Port-au-Prince. The needs are still great, and will continue to be for many years.

Many of you have asked for specific ways to help in Port-de-Paix...We have already seen many displaced refugees making their way up to the Northwest. People that have no homes, no money, no jobs, no food are relocating here and now here is a chance to help!

If you would like to donate financially to those who have come to Port-de-Paix from Port-au-Prince, or to help families who are being forced to include more people under their roof, you may donate it through Sonlight Ministries. Please know that this is not a money-maker for Sonlight. 100% of the funds given for "Earthquake Relief" will be used ONLY for this project. Please write "Earthquake Relief" on the memo line of your check and send it to:

Sonlight Ministries
P.O. Box 8031
Evansville, IN 47716

(If you have already mailed a check to Sonlight for Earthquake Relief, but did not include that on the memo line, please let me know and I will let the appropriate people know.)

Again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your support, your love, and most of all, your prayers! Please continue to pray for the nation of Haiti during this difficult time.

If you would like more details about how this project, please feel free to e-mail me with questions (cady.calvert@gmail.com)!

Ways to Help

2010-01-14T03:02:00.000-08:00

hey all...i have had a million people ask about ways to help in haiti...i myself am still trying to wrap my mind around all of this, and i am not sure the BEST way to help at this point.

the most important thing you can do is pray. pray for the people who are injured. pray for the people who have lost someone. pray for the face of christ to shine throughout this dark and depressed country.

if you are interested in helping financially, i have a few options for you. obviously, organizations like the red cross, world vision, and bill clinton's foundation are all reliable and trust-worthy. they will be able to assess the needs in port-au-prince much easier than i could.

even though we were not physically affected by the earthquake, except for feeling the tremor, in the coming weeks we will be GREATLY distressed. everything in haiti comes through port-au-prince before going out to the smaller cities. this is going to greatly determine the amount of food/water/etc. that are distributed throughout the country. food prices will sky rocket, diesel and gas will be hard to come by, and many people will suffer because of it. if you are interested in donating money to help support a family in port-de-paix that i know personally, you can do that as well. this will be needed for many weeks and months to come. please contact me if this is a way you would like to help.

also, finally, i have a list of medical supplies that can be sent to a friend of ours that will be coming in to haiti in the next few weeks. here is some information on that:

Here's a list of actual supplies and meds we need immediately. Beyond
that, money in any amount will buy much needed meds in Port-au-prince
IF they are available.

Materials:
Dresssings of any type (tape, gauze, Kerlix, ace bandages, roller
bandages, ABD pads, 2x2s, 4x4s, bandaids, perineal pads)
Plaster or fiberglasss splinting materials
Syringes with needles, (2.5 to 10cc, 20g. to 25 g.)
Alcohol /Betadine pads or wipes
Betadine solution
Surgical instruments (i.e., suture removal kits, procedure kits)
Burn dressings
Silvadene cream
Vaseline

Meds:
Topical antibiotics (Neosporin, Gentamycin, etc.)
Antibiotics, any (amoxicillin, tetracycline, cephaloxin, ciprofloxin,
sulfa-TMX)
Painkillers, any (Tylenol, acetominophine, ibuprofin, naproxen)

Deliver any medical supplies or meds to
Reflection Of Christ Church
200 Main St Hartford, KY

or in the Florida area to
Dr Johnson at 621 Morning Cove Circle, Palm Bay FL 32909

Or phone us for a pickup at your place: (270) 315-7284 or (270) 315-7489.

Donate Online
We're sending in $2000 cash with Dr Cenord Guerry, who flies in
tomorrow with Vanessa Carpenter of Angel Missions Haiti to mobilize
their clinic on Rue Delmas to its maximum ability to intervene, triage
and treat the thousands of wandering wounded. But many thousands more
will be needed over the next several weeks.

I'm going down with a team of 14 and hope to carry many duffel bags of
supplies and medications in with us on Jan 31st.

Please send any donations marked "earthquake relief" to MISSIONS OF
LOVE, Inc., PO Box 292, Hartford, KY 42347. You'll receive a receipt
for tax purposes.

welcome to my world

2008-11-30T07:19:00.000-08:00

I guess I will be the first to admit that I haven't done my job in keeping this blog up-to-date this year. With electricity and internet issues at the beginning of the year, it was quite difficult to check my e-mail, let alone, keep up with this thing! But I guess I have realized a different reason for my lack of storytelling, as of late. Things that I would have posted about as odd or strange, now seem normal to me. The craziness of days without electricity, riding a moped as my #1 form of transportation with a haitian driver telling me loves me (and sometimes proposing marriage), jumping over sewage, dodging a donkey on the way to school, and being harassed for candy by the cutest little boy in the world, bendjy, are all common every day activities that I have forgotten aren't part of the "normal" life I used to live.

Gone are the days of driving my car to the Target to run some errands, fast food (actually fast anything), smooth paved roads, and hours of endless entertainment on YouTube. No more ice cream, reliable postal systems, blending in with the crowd (can you imagine this white girl trying to blend in among a crowd of haitians??!!), or Qdoba.

And I couldn't be happier :)

Longing for home...

2008-11-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

I felt many emotions last year, my first year in Haiti, that I expected to feel and many that I DIDN'T expect. This year, however, I have felt completely at home. I love living here, I love working here, I love BEING here. I really feel at home.

Until today.

My brother and his wife had their first baby today. My first nephew was born today. And here I am, stuck across the ocean and not able to see this sweet little baby. Today, for the first time in Haiti, I am a little homesick.

Don't get me wrong, I am still glad to be here. I can't imagine being anywhere else. I just didn't think missing out on this day would be quite so hard. Only 33 more days until I can squeeze on that little fella, and you better believe I will be counting down!

If it isn't one thing...

2008-09-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

..it's another. seriously.

our recent news came monday at about 1:55 p.m. sonlight is the only school in pdp that is in session right now. all the other schools are postponed until october 6 because of the "economy" with food prices soaring, etc. well, today the minister of education decided to come to sonlight and talk to carmen. he gave her the speech about the financial situation of the people and she said, "well, all of our students are being paid for, so it's fine." then, he said that wasn't really the reason, he was there because of all the hurricanes. so carmen said "well, all of our students are able to come to school...it didn't really affect them." and then he went into all these other reasons and excuses. basically, he was just mad that we were having school and we weren't doing what they wanted.

so, now, instead of having school everyday, we are having "tutoring" from 8-12. we will be tutoring ALL of our students in reading, math, spelling, etc. and be "testing and quizzing their knowledge." the students don't have to wear their uniforms because we aren't really "in school." so for the next 3 weeks, we will be out at noon.

seriously, where else but haiti would the minister of education tell you that the kids CAN'T come to school??? geez!!!

all i can say is that is completely obvious that good things are happening here in pdp or satan wouldn't be working so hard. keep praying for us.

Hurricane Madness!

2008-09-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

So, I have been told that I should post on here saying that Hurricane Gustav didn't wash us away! Although, it didn't really occur to me to do this because, in Port-de-Paix, we didn't even get any rain because of the storm. Hurricane Hanna is up a little north of us (or she was) and she will miss Port-de-Paix also.

Things are good. Internet bandwidth is more limited than usual and we are continuing to pray that our generator (which was on the fritz) continues to keep kicking, but despite these things, I am so glad to be back. I've seen several of our sweet little kids and given out more hugs than I can count.

The living situation in our house is better than I thought it would be. After some complications with housing, Carmen had no choice but to move two boys into the downstairs part of our house (Emily and I live in the upstairs). I was a little concerned what kind of message this was sending to the community, 2 single girls living with 2 single guys, but we are taking extra precautions to make it appear that we have divided the house into two separate apartments and we don't live "together." We share the kitchen with the boys, but we have also shared a lot of laughs...We've laughed at each other (maybe I should say WITH each other!!), at the things that happen in Haiti, and at the horrible smell that is outside the kitchen window (don't worry, I won't go into detail about that awful stench!).

Since being back, I have also been hit with what I like to all "The Haitian Sensation." Getting my body back on track with the food and schedule here is always fun!(*I don't want to go into gross details, but for those of you who know Ashley, and know her well, will understand when I say that I joined her club this past weekend. blah!)

School starts tomorrow, so I am sure I will have many, many stories in the next few days! Stay tuned...

Wish List

2008-08-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Several people asked me to make a "wish list" of things my students need and things I need in my classroom. I told them I would post it on here for them to see.

Play-doh
Stickers, Stickers, Stickers!!!!
Uniforms (White Shirts and Navy Skirts/Jumpers/Shorts/Pants)
Children's books
Creamy Peanut Butter (for their snack at school)
Disney/Children's Movies on DVD (you can check with me if you have a specific movie in mind)
Expo Original Dry Erase Markers (NOT Expo 2 or Expo Low Odor)
Any other school supplies can always be used

If you are interested in sending anything, you can send it to the address below. Please place all items in ziploc bags or plastic sacks, in case another box leaks into your box. That way your items won't get ruined.

Lady Lotmore
Alexander/Cady Calvert
3163 NW South River Drive
Miami, FL 33142

home sweet home

2008-08-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

just wanted to let everyone know that i am back in haiti. i really feel like i am at home this year, since i know the neighborhood and the people...and the crazy kids across the street who are constantly asking the white girl for candy.

our internet is extremely limited right now, but as soon as i can, i will give a better update.

Video about Sonlight

2008-08-05T16:28:00.001-07:00

i found this video on youtube today when i was actually looking for something else! it was so funny to stumble upon it! it was made by a visitor from colorado that is friends with brice and amanda.

m ap sonje ou, anpil.

2008-06-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

When the Tears Fall

2008-05-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

When the Tears Fall -- Tim Hughes

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, i have known pain
but theres one thing, that i'll cling to
you are faithful, Jesus your true

when hope is lost, i'll call you saviour
when pain surrounds, i'll call you healer
when silence falls, you'll be the song within my heart

in the lone hour, of my sorrow
through the darkest night of my soul
you surround me, and sustain me
my defender, forever more

when hope is lost, i'll call you saviour
when pain surrounds, i'll call you healer
when silence falls, you'll be the song within my heart

I will praise you, i will praise you
when the tears fall, still i will sing to you
i will praise you, Jesus praise you
Through the suffereing still i will sing

when hope is lost, i'll call you saviour
when pain surrounds, i'll call you healer
when silence falls, you'll be the song within my heart

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, i have known pain
but theres one thing, that i'll cling to
you are faithful, Jesus your true

when hope is lost, i'll call you saviour
when pain surrounds, i'll call you healer
when silence falls, you'll be the song within my heart

I will praise you, i will praise you
when the tears fall, still i will sing to you
i will praise you, Jesus praise you
Through the suffereing still i will sing X2

when hope is lost, i'll call you saviour
when pain surrounds, i'll call you healer
when silence falls, you'll be the song within my heart

Update from Norma

2008-05-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

I am sad to say that Madam Marange (the marinade lady) passed away in the night last night. Here is a detailed account of the day from Norma:

...yesterday, - there was an accident that has caused untold grief and heartache. In a perfectly routine event, - the diesel truck came to unload fuel, - and it was actually in the process of unloading, - John had gone to get a tool, the driver was either behind the truck or across the street (unclear to me at this point in time) when the hose popped out of the big tank, spraying diesel fuel outside the wall, covering the women who cook food. This is a local fast food place where they daily cook rice and beans, marinade, sell candy, hotdogs etc. - Instantly the tentlike covering, the oil, the wooden tables AND THE WOMEN were on fire. I heard people screaming, get Mme Roger, - John says go to the Preschool, which is of course just 'next door' to the fire. As I was running, I could see the smoke, but of course had no idea what was happening. I ran into the preschool room escorted by Mme Emmanuel who had met me, - to be met by two women unbelievably burned. Their clothes were torn from them in the street as they burned. We put them in the shower to wash the diesel off of them, and slathered them with silvadine, - wrapped them in sheets, and took them to LaPointe. We were met by a team of workers and a crowd of people. They took them into the ER - which if you haven't been there, it does not resemble an emergency room as you would know it. The one lady, Mme Morange, was burned the worst, - between 50 and 60% of her body, skin all peeled off, -
They immediately put them on serum (IV's) with valium and perhaps something else. We had just bought a supply of silvadine, which is not available for purchase in Haiti, and had some burn bandages that had been donated when we had a little girl, Sabina, one of our students was badly burned. We had taken the Silvadine and the bandages with us. - Carmen and I worked alongside the doctor and nurses to get them cleaned - and again put Silvadine on them, as most of it was on the sheets, and bandage them. - Carmen determined she did NOT want to be a nurse! - me neither. I want to be a doctor! : ) They finished bandaging them and took them to rooms and we came home to get sheets for the beds, and fans, etc. The hospital supplies very basic needs which does not include sheets, food, nor constant care. The doctor assured us that they were stable, although it was very serious, - but at 6:15 this morning, her nephew came to tell us that she (Mme Morange) died.

John and Carmen and some of the family went today to pick up the body and take it to the morgue. In our devotion time before school this morning we all prayed for the family and everyone determined to surround this family with Christian love, - perhaps they will put their voodoo beliefs aside and let the Lord wash away their sin and grief. I am convinced God does not have a 'plan' for such a tragedy, but can use it, and as people see HIM (or us) holding out hands both giving and praying hands, perhaps they will become his disciples.

A Heavy Heart

2008-05-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

hey y'all. i know you are probably surprised to see me at 11:00 on a week night! this is a late night for a haitian!!! haha! i just wanted to send an e-mail to tell a little bit about my day today and ask you to pray for haiti.

today some men were filling the generator with diesel (not sonlight men, the men from the diesel place) and the line broke (we think). diesel went everywhere and got on a lady who sits by our generator every day selling food. she cooks marinad, fried plantain, and other fried foods and sells them right outside the school gates. apparently, the diesel mixed with her cooking oil and fire and caused an explosion. the lady was right in the middle of it all and she caught on fire. it was horrible.

the noise was so loud that there were easily 100 or 200 people in the street about 60 seconds after it happend. everyone nearby was rushing to see what was going on. norma rushed up and began caring for the woman. her entire body was burned and she was in terrible pain. the only thing she could do was sign hymns at the top of her lungs to keep her mind off the pain.

norma and carmen took her (and another lady who had a few minor burns) to the hospital in la pointe (the next town over) where she could be treated more properly. we found out this afternoon that she is going to be fine, but her body is still in pain.

i don't know her name...neither do most the haitians there today. they just called her "marinad madam"(the marinad lady). even so, god knows her name, so please pray for her and her recovery.

also, after school today, kala, ashley, and i went to visit some students, sherlande and levenson (a brother and sister in 4th and 1st grade at sonlight) that haven't been coming to school. they live with their mother who is crazy. the mom won't wash their clothes, won't let them go to school, and won't feed them. it broke my heart to see two of the sweetest children literally starving right before my eyes. they have both lost so much weight in the past few months. both kids say they want to come to school, but their mom doesn't want them to. their dad has moved to port-au-prince to take a higher paying job. i'm praying not to be so angry at him for leaving them with a woman he knew couldn't take care of them. but more than that, i'm praying for protection for sherlande and levenson and praying that god will restore their mother's mind so she can care for them and their 2-year-old sister.

my heart is so burdened for both of these families tonight. please pray with me for them (the marinad lady and sherlande and levenson). even though haiti is in such poor condition and i have seen a lot of things i never thought existed, very few things have caused me to cry over this past year, but tonight i can't stop the tears. my heart is breaking for these families...especially these children. please pray with me for them.

We Fly High...Ballin'

2008-05-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

I went to my first Haitian basketball game Saturday night. It was quite an experience! First of all, we rarely go out after dark, and if we do, it's only around the corner to Norma's house. So being out at night in PdP was an experience all in itself.

Ashley, Kala, Josh, Lorraine and myself all loaded up on taxis and headed down to the school where the game was being held. When we got off our taxis, I honestly felt like I was in a scene from 8 Mile (you know, mine and Alan's favorite scene when Eminem is ready to battle). Seriously, there were people lined up outside and a ton of people being "bouncers" at the door. We paid our money to get in, and had to fight through a crowd just to get through the door. Once inside, we were greeted by several of our high school students. I wondered if they were embarrassed by all the "whities" that showed up to see them play (Almot swears it's not embarrassing, but I am not sure I believe her!).

I will let you read Ashley's blog (post coming soon!) about all the drama that ensued and us being "cared for" by Mama Maurasse (the sweetest lady in PdP!).

Because of our poor internet connection, I can't add photos to this, so if you would like to see a few of the pictures from our evening, click here. I only added a few pictures and most of them were taken by a 7-year old, so no promises on the quality!!!

What a glorious day!!!

2008-05-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

It's always a fun surprise when the boat gets here...but it's even better when you forget what you order. For dinner tonight, I had Pizza Rolls, Mountain Dew, Cool Whip, and Chocolate Chips. I figured I should get myself prepared for my re-entry into America in a few weeks...Haha!!!

April Newsletter

2008-04-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

I remember back in August when school started, I constantly thought, "There is NO WAY I will ever love these kids as much as I loved my little kiddos in the United States. I don't speak Creole, so I can't really talk to them very much...they don't speak English, so they can't really talk to me. How will I ever get to know these kids?" And yet, as the year comes to a close, the only thing I can think is "How in the world will I EVER love my kids next year as much as I love these kids I have now??!!" I have grown to love my sweet little babies in ways I NEVER imagined!

They are sweet and funny and all so incredibly smart! It is so encouraging to see these kids who knew nothing in August be able to spout off so many things to me in English. I sure do love my babies.

An Update about Haiti
Rioting and what-not has calmed down in Haiti (we never really saw much action up in our "hillbilly town" of Port-de-Paix, but things in other part of the country were pretty dangerous. I am not exactly sure what is happening with the price of food and fuel, but I do know that the government is supposedly working on something. Please pray for safety for the people of this country as well as enough food for nourishment, especially for our students.

The House of Hope
One of my absolute favorite things to do in Haiti is to hop on a Tap-Tap (or in the back of the Sonlight truck if there is a group here) and head out to La Pointe (the next town over) and go to the House of Hope Children's Hospital. I absolutely love to go chase all the little fellas around the hospital, hold all the precious babies, and just love on some of the most precious little children in the world!

One of the little boys that is ALWAYS at the hospital is sweet little Jean-Baptiste. I met him on my first visit to the House of Hope when I came to visit Haiti in March. I specifically remembered his GREAT BIG eyes and sweet smile. Now, every time I go to the House of Hope, he's the first little guy I look for. I love to chase him and I love to hear his little giggle! He is such a sweet boy!

For more about my most recent adventure in Haiti, check out the post below this one. We were fortunate enough to take a trip to La Tortue (The Pirate Island) and you can check out my pictures from that trip by clicking here.

Prayer Requests-
That I would be able to see Jesus in everyone in Haiti (my kids, my roommates, my co-workers)
That I would be Jesus to everyone in Haiti
We need several new elementary teachers for next year (no experience required!), so please pray for our staff as we "re-assemble" for a new year and a new dynamic.

La Tortue

2008-04-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the ocean. Always! I credit it to my parents for taking me on so many wonderful vacations to the beach, starting when I was too young to remember it and continuing to this day. I love everything about the ocean! The water, the sun, the relaxation, the sound of the waves crashing, I'm even ok with sand creeping into my bathing suit! So when I first heard the details about the western coast of La Tortue (the island that is off the coast of Port-de-Paix) and how there were beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear water, I knew I MUST visit this island! Even President Preval has been there! It has to be beautiful!

I have asked several people all year long, Americans and Haitians, how I could get there to see it. Everyone gave me very elusive answers that proved no results for my search. Of course when my friends Lenny and Allison mentioned that one of his students was paying for a boat to go out there and I was welcome to tag along, I jumped on the boat (literally)!!!

Here is La Tortue from Port-de-Paix:

We left this morning at around 9:30 on a motor/sailboat. It was a sailboat with a motor on the back. It took us about an hour and a half to make the trek to the island. The ride over was absolutely beautiful! The water in the middle of the ocean had such a dark, rich blue, that was stil so clear. It was gorgeous! And we saw "flying fish!" Seriously! I know everyone has seen fish jump out of the water before, but these fish did MUCH more than jump! They were flying above the water! They even had little tiny wings that they were flapping! I have NEVER in my life seen anything like it!

Here is our boat (I couldn't get a better picture while we were on it, because I was too busy trying not to fall off!):

After about an hour and half, we finally made it to our destination! And it was even more beautiful than I ever imagined! The water was the most beautiful shade of teal and the sand was whiter than I have ever seen before. When we were swimming, I was in water about as deep as my shoulders and it was so clear that I could see straight down to my feet! A big difference from the shores of South Carolina that I am used to going to!!

These pictures don't do it justice at all, but you can look anyway!

The ride back was much more entertaining! I don't know if we were going against the wind and current or what, but the boat was tipping to one side for 95% of the ride. We got splashed from hitting the waves at this angle and where I was sitting, I ended up getting most of the water on me! Every time the water came "on deck" it ran off right beside me (or under me is more like it!). I ended up absolutely soaked! And for a split second, I thought we were going to lose Allison over the side! Luckily, thanks to Lenny and a board nailed to the floor of the boat that caught her before she slid any farther, she didn't go in!

The Crew (L to R) -- Kala, Josh, Allison, Lenny, Me, Ashley, Jen

Today is definitely going in my book of "The greatest days of my life!" It was fun to have one final "hurrah!" before the end of the year here. And it gets me excited about coming back next year and all the adventures we will take!

And yes, Lenny was right. As I am snuggled in my bed, I still feel the world around me rocking like a boat.

Christopher

2008-04-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you have heard me talk about my students AT ALL, I'm sure you have heard about how much I love Christopher. He is sweet and cute and quite the ladies man (which I'm sure will get him into some trouble in about 10 years). In fact, he has already gone through two girls this year that are going to be his wife--He can't make up his mind between Schekina and Michka! He is always eager to give me a big hug and a kiss and is ready to jump up on my lap! He LOVES to dance, which of course, I LOVE! I call him my "Ti Makak" which means "Little Monkey" because he is constantly climbing ALL OVER ME! And he loves to laugh! I have learned so much about enjoying life from Christopher. He is such a sweet boy and loves ALL the kids in our class. And he laughs when I tell him I am going to cry everyday when he goes to Kindergarten and leaves me.

(From L-R) Love, Weggy, Widloveson, Christopher, Schekina

Bruised Reed

2008-04-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to writing about my "Bruised Reed-Haiti" experience. Here is the abridged version:

Living in Haiti for the past 7 months has prepared me to see things that I have never seen before! Sewage running freely through the streets, extreme poverty, diseases, infenctions, and injuries that you couldn't even imagine in the United States. None of it, however, prepared my heart for spending a Saturday at a few of the local brothels with some ladies from Bruised Reed.

As many people in the States know (thanks to CNN), there are a lot of major issues going on in Haiti right now, including rioting due to the rise in food prices. Staple foods like rice have nearly doubly in cost over the past year, making it nearly impossible to survive for so many Haitians. These women, most of them with children, don't see any other option for making money to feed themselves and their children. Seeing these women up close and in person was absolutely heart-breaking. To put an actual face and and a name to something we all know exists made it extremely real to me. I hope that I get the chance to begin to build relationships with some of these women, and just love on them.

Club #1 was a bit intimidating. It is located right in the middle of downtown and right in the middle of the market! I have passed by the building several times, and have never really noticed it! When we went in, the girls were a little shy and quiet (there were only 3 girls available--or willing--to talk). After Jani and Diana shared a little bit with them, they started asking questions. At first, one of them was just asking crazy questions to see what kind of reaction she would get and when she didn't get anything but love, she softened up a bit.

Club 2 was much more "entertaining!" These women were boisterous and lively! And there were SO MANY of them!!! There were at least 15 women around while we were there. Right from the start, they were interested in listening to what everyone had to say. It was SO obvious that these women desired to be loved like they have, most likely, never been loved before. They all longed to be touched in a loving way (rather than a degrading way) and each of them continued to give us hugs (which is very uncommon in Haiti...people kiss on the cheek, but rarely hug!). These women were so comfortable with our group that they all enjoyed smiling and posing for pictures when we were finished talking (another sign of trust because not all Haitians enjoy having their picture taken because of voodoo rituals saying that you are taking their soul)!!! I was happy to hear that 8 of these women attended church with Diana on Sunday after our visit!!!!

Club #3 was completely different from the other two! It was a large "field" area with several small buildings. Each building had 3 or 4 rooms for each woman. All the buildings were surrounding a large cock fight arena. The women here were a little shy, but again, just like in Club 1, they all seemed to soften up the more Diana and Jani kept talking. These women are a bit more reserved and it could be a challenge to get them to open up, but I know God has amazing things planned for these women!

Blandine

2008-04-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Blandine is one of the little girls in my class. She is absolutely itty-bitty! The only words I can use to describe her are teeny tiny!! She is so stinkin' cute! Nearly every morning, when I am standing at the gate to the preschool, she runs up to give me a big hug and usually jumps right up into my arms! I LOVE this little thing and I LOVE to squeeze her in my arms! She is so precious! Her smile is contagious and even when she is being a little bit chatty in class (which happens quite often!) you can't stay mad at her because her little grin makes you want to melt! If only this picture could depict how sweet and precious my little Blandine is! (she's on the left)

p.s. check out ashley's blog for posts about visiting the brothels with some of the bruised reed ladies from southland!

My Sweet Love

2008-04-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

i love him.

An Addendum

2008-04-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

In response to several questions I have already received:

Yes, the group was from Kentucky...however, NO, his name isn't REALLY Cletus! It's Jeremy.

March Newsletter

2008-03-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

Visitors
During the spring time, we get a lot of visitors at Sonlight. It is great to meet all kinds of new people from all across the United States...but during March we had a group from my church in Lexington (including several of my close friends). It was absolutely the best week I have had since being in Haiti. Ashley and I got to show off where we live and what we do...and in exchange, our friends made us laugh (A LOT!) and encouraged us in ways they will never know (They also brought us A LOT of chocolate, which was welcomed with open arms!). It was so refreshing to see familiar faces and share my little babies' hugs with them. Thank you to Jonny, Sheila, Amanda, Adam, Blake, Cletus, Katelyn, Kelly, Jessica, Ryan, Sam, Jeremy, and Marijo for making our week so amazing! We love you and hope to see you in Haiti again someday!!!

Amanda with my class

To see all the pictures from this week, click here.

Spring Break
I am just coming off Spring Break! We had a week (plus Good Friday) off from school. Some of the staff took some mini-vacations and some stayed around Port-de-Paix. Since I had my vacation during Mardi Gras Break in February, I stayed around here and we did a few things that we don't normally get to do. We ate at a restaurant downtown owned by some of our students' family (The Marausse's) and we took a nice trip to the beach (see previous post).

And last Thursday, Ashley, Scott, and I had an outing with the Juniors and Seniors at the beach, which was one of the highlights of the week! The kids had a lot of fun and it was really fun getting to know some of the students. It was also nice to be greeted this morning before school by several of the students that I didn't know before the trip!

Me and Ashley with a few of the students after our "Day 'O Fun!"

Cute Clarvensky posing

Prayer Requests:
My 29 beautiful children
My 3 wonderful classroom aides (Mme. Emmanuel, Mme. Aules, and Mr. Thony)
Spring Evaluations--to determine which children are ready to move to Kindergarten.
Babies! Babies! Babies! Pray for all the pregnant teachers and aides (there are at least 5!!!)
Please pray that our men can continue building at the SonCenter.

My Old Kentucky Home

2008-03-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first time I REALLY, REALLY wished I was at home MORE than I was glad to be in Haiti.

My hometown has hit the big one this past week. Our high school boys basketball team just won state tournament, President Clinton is visiting my high school, and of course, all the media around this:

Ledger Independent Article

seriously, i feel like it's "hip" to be from maysville.

A day at the beach...

2008-03-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Things I love about Haiti/teaching:

1. All 29 of my sweet little babies

2. Hugs and Kisses from 29 sweet little babies

3. Spring Break (a whole week away from my sweet little babies!)

4. A day at the beach with other teachers

5. God's Beautiful Creation

blah!

2008-03-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

when you think about moving to haiti, one of the first things people think about are all the diseases that readily available...like a buffet of illnesses to choose from. everyone thinks, "oh, you are moving to a 3rd-world country...you could get hepatitis and aids and malaria and meningitis..." seriously, the list goes on and on and on...

well, i finally got my first haitian "disease" (although, i'm pretty sure i had this when i was younger too). i got ringworm (most likely from one of my kids). i have a little spot under my arm, which isn't that big of a deal...but i also have a spot of it on my face. seriously...on my face??? how is that even fair? it's really not that bad, and norma has given me some medicine for it, but it seriously grosses me out.

i didn't want to talk about it a whole lot last week, with the southland group here visiting because i didn't want to freak any of them out! it's not really a big deal, it's just annoying.

don't worry, i am not planning on posting any pictures of it on here! yuck!

old friends, new friends (part 2)

2008-03-15T14:26:00.001-07:00

it would only let me post 5 pictures, and i had 6!

old friends, new friends, i love my friends!

2008-03-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

After many tears and sadness, our friends left in the big red truck to fly home to Kentucky this morning. I have so many stories and funny things to post from the week...it was AMAZING! I will be putting all my pictures from last week on facebook very soon, but I promised I wouldn't do it until they got home and could put their's up first. So, here is a sneak peek with just a few pictures from the funniest week I've had since moving to Haiti. I am so glad I got to be with so many HILARIOUS people who CONTINUALLY had me and Ashley cracking up! We love you all so much and we miss you a lot!

let me see your grill...

2008-03-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

first of all...yes, my friends are here and i am having the best week of my life! it's so great to have so many familiar faces around...and it's such a blessing to have so many funny people to make me laugh. i feel like i don't laugh nearly as much in haiti as i do in america. except this week. oh my, the laughing that we have done has been ridiculous! there are no people in the world like kentucky people and definitely no people like southland people!

but, that's another post for another day (with other pictures and lots of crazy stories!)

anyway, on to what i was really planning on writing about. after our dentist's visit last week, several of my children were glad to show me their new clean teeth. one of my poor little girls had to have 5 crowns, 2 teeth pulled, 2 cavities filled, and something else. they had to knock her out 2 days last week just to get it all done. but she was definitely a trooper.

my dear friend, alai, didn't have to have quite as much work done...but he was definitely proud to show me his mouth...and here is what i saw:

he's got a nice shiny new grill. hilarious!

so funny!!!

2008-03-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

Check out Ashley's video on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpFunLt4-JU

It's so funny you might just pee your pants!

you've got mail...really?

2008-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was mail day...what a glorious day! I love it when Carmen gets a big bag of letters to pass out!!! The best part about mail day was that I got 4 pieces of mail yesterday! That's the most I've ever gotten (usually I am lucky to get 1 thing!). So thanks to Dad and Bonnie for my Valentine card, Nancy for my letter, and Kimmie for the card and newsletter! What a great surprise!

When it rains, it pours...

2008-03-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know whose idea it was to have a visiting dentist AND for the "Health Department" to give our kids vaccines all in one week, but it has been NUTS!

Having the dentist here is bad enough! Of course, my students have the worst teeth since most of them have never seen a dentist before. I have already had 2 students get "knocked out" for extensive dental work (one of them has to go back for more) and I have at least 1 more. Many more of my students have to go in to have cavities filled, etc.

And to top it all off, today, the "Health Department" showed up to do vaccines...so not only are 1/2 of my students getting tortured by the dentist, they ALL had to have a shot. And apparently, the people giving the shots aren't really trained medical professionals. I saw some of them sticking the needle in, pulling it back out and sticking it back in the child's arm. I also saw several of my kids wiggle and wriggle because they were in such pain.

There are no pictures today. Preschool was too sad for pictures :(

February Newsletter

2008-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

Life happens best in community...that's what my home church in the United States claims. I truly believe this with my whole heart...but for the longest time, I never realized how true this was. Of course, my community is so important to me. People I can count on to share my joys and sorrows...People that will drop everything to tend to any "need" I might have. But for the longest time, sub-consiously, this was completely an "American" thing. However, over the past few weeks and months, I have come to find this true of life in Haiti.

First, personally, because I dearly miss my community. In America, I was surrounded by so many people that I love, who love me, who are my support and my backbone through life. They make me laugh, they hug me when I cry, they are there to just hang out and do life with me. People that I could count on to do everything and do nothing...all at the same time.

But I have finally seen this concept is not an "American" thing. It is a "human" thing. People in Haiti are in constant communication with each other. Everyone speaks to each other on the streets. Haitian people ALWAYS ask how you are and how your family is. And it is quite possible that I know as many Haitians that have cell phones as I know Americans that have them. They don't have electricity, but they have cell phones (you should see what a funny sight it is on Sunday mornings at church--EVERY SINGLE electrical outlet is in use, charging someone's phone). Seriously...people living in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere have cell phones.

It is just more proof that communication and community is more important that other material things that I sometimes consider necessities.

Life happens best in community.

Teaching Preschool
I think the best part about teaching preschool is that I get to teach my kids whatever I want. I do have books and curriculum that I go by, but other than teaching them the alphabet, colors, numbers, etc. I get to teach them anything else I want. This semester, they have learned (or are learning) "awesome" and "peace out." Today I started teaching them to say "cheese" when someone was taking their picture. But the funniest thing I have tried to teach my kids is smiling! Most Haitians don't smile for pictures, so sometimes it can be hard to get my kids to smile when I am snapping shots of them! Most of them understand now, but some still have a little trouble. Check out Clyde's and Alai's smiles:

RETREAT

We had our ladies' retreat at Cap-Haitien this month. It was such a nice time to relax and rejuvenate! It was really fun to get to know some of the other ladies a little better. And yes, my nerdiness came out on the day trip that Ashley, Kala, and Allison and I took to the historic Citadelle and Sans-Souci Palace. I won't bother you with all the details of that, but it was AMAZING!! (if you are a nerd like me and enjoy history, I would love to share more about it!).

For more pictures from our trip, check out mine and Ashley's (because Ashley takes AMAZING pictures) facebook links:
Mine -- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100165&l=78378&id=38312267
Ashley's -- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11707&l=0fb29&id=500539845

Answered Prayers

Thank you for all the prayers about our church building because we are FINALLY building!!! Just as a quick reminder, the mayor came out at the beginning of the school year and told us we weren't allowed to build anymore...eventually it came out that he wanted to bargain with us to do/buy some things for the city. But we finally got approved by a judge (who apparently is higher than the mayor) and we have been building for a couple weeks! This is such an answer to prayer with all the groups that will be coming in this spring! Hopefully with their help, we will progress and get a little closer to a finished SonCenter!!!

Also, you have heard many stories about Emilien over the past year. He is 14 years old and works with John at the school doing construction and maintenance. He is absolutely one of the sweetest boys I have ever met.

John had the privilege of baptizing Emilien a few weeks ago! He is such an amazing boy who is going to do amazing things in Haiti!

It's Prank Time!!

2008-02-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all, I love to joke around. And I have ALWAYS loved a good prank (nothing illegal, that will damage or hurt someone's feelings obviously...just some good old fun). From the Busy Bandits in Forrer Hall to "decorating" our sorority's advisors' homes (on more than one occasion), a lot of my college years were filled with pranks.

So, like I said, if you know me at all, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am filled with the "pranking spirit" here in Haiti. I have recently kidnapped a puppet from Miss Ashley's First Grade class. His name is Jackie Chan (yes, the kids named him Jackie Chan). I have left a couple ransom notes for the kids and they are in QUITE AN UPROAR about it! Hopefully, Miss Ashley will be able to use this as a "learning experience" for her kids and they can write letters back to me! (and yes, Miss Ashley knows I have him!)

Jackie enjoys chillin' on our front porch:

Jackie checking his e-mail with his friend Roger:

beautiful faces

2008-02-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

There are no words to describe these beautiful faces. I love my babies!

Singin' in the Rain

2008-02-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Our fall semester here was EXTREMELY rainy, so when I was at home for Christmas, I decided to purchase some rain boots. And I have only gotten to wear them one other time, on a weekend...but today, the glorious day was finally here. I didn't even know it was raining until my roommates said something to me about it. So I put my rain boots on and got ready for school. Only to discover that our street was the only wet street. Once I turned the corner at the end of our street, everything was as dry as a bone. Such a disappointment.

Teaching Haitians to Teach Haitians

2008-02-25T17:21:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Miss Jen brought the seniors over to the preschool to help my kids with puzzles. My kids had SUCH a GREAT time! They absolutely LOVED it! And it was fun for me to be able to interact with students who speak better English! The older students were very helpful with my kids and seemed to really enjoy hanging out with them...which is our main goal at Sonlight. We are here to teach Haitians so that they will in turn reach out to other Haitians. I know I have only been here for a short time, but I am already excited and can't wait for the day when one of our graduates takes over my classroom and teaches preschool for the next 20 years!!!

Elie and Jean:

Adlai and Scott:

It's Limbo time!

2008-02-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today Emilien and Josue came over for lunch. I know I have said it before, but I LOVE THESE BOYS! They are my absolute favorite Haitians! We ate and talked and had a good time with these sweet boys. After lunch we played some music so that Josue would start dancing for us. We played the Limbo and Ashley went to get a broomstick. After I showed them how to Limbo, they both tried it. It was so funny! Josue kept running under and hitting his head on the broom and Emilien leaned his head back so far he couldn't see where he was going!

the streets are flowing with milk and honey...and um....yeah.

2008-02-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

as most of you know, there is no sewer system in haiti...and a lot of people don't have toilets in their houses (luckily this is not us...we are fully equipped with toilets, so mom, please don't worry!). but if you've "gotta go" you have a couple options. you can a.) go in the street, b.) go in a kivet, bucket, or pan and later throw it in the street...either way, it ends up in the street. luckily we have a ditch in front of our house where all the sewage ends up...it's not just randomly placed in the streets. at least it is all in "one place" to avoid.
and luckily we have nice man who works next door who always keeps our "ditch" flowing fairly steadily so as not to keep the sewage stagnant in front of our house. Sometimes I love living in Haiti and sometimes I don't. But, compared to some of the kids at our school, if the worst thing I face in day is jumping over a pile of poop on my way to school, I'm pretty lucky.

my replacement

2008-02-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

I think they have found my replacement for when I leave Haiti.

pictures

2008-02-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

remember that one time i said i was going to post a picture and write something on here everyday? then when i moved here, we didn't have internet for a while and then we only had it in the work room at school. i kind of gave up on that idea. but i would like to try to put more pictures on here. so now that i've said it, you have to hold me to it!!!

so here is me trying to do that again. these are 4 of my favorite boys in haiti (witchy, walkem, wood kimley, and widloveson). they came over to our house today for cookies, play-doh, and a video. they are such sweet boys. i want to bring all of them home with me!

Let Miss Cleo tell your fortune...

2008-02-21T15:09:00.001-08:00

so i have this kid who walks to school every morning with a woman (don't know if it is his mom or not...she looks really, really young, but that doesn't really factor in here). this woman always has on a "head wrap" of some kind...usually, it's just a scarf wrapped around her head.

well, today, here they come trotting down the street to school and this lady looks like she is wearing a turban. seriously. she has on a HUGE black turban with a rhinestone clasp on the side. i seriously wanted to ask miss cleo to read my fortune.

i wish i could have taken her picture. it was crazy!

what to teach...

2008-02-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

I recently taught my kids to say "Awesome!"

I am taking suggestions for what YOU think I should teach them next. Leave a comment and let me know what you think 4-year-old Haitians should learn to say in English!

boredom has struck...

2008-02-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me preface this with "Yes, I know I am a dork...and Yes, I know this is probably the reason why I am still single at 27 years old."

As many of you already know, there isn't much to do in Haiti. Sure, we watch movies and some TV shows on DVD, but you can only do that for so long...You have to find something else to do to stop the boredom. We occasionally go on hikes or play games, but I have recently found a new hobby...and it's all because my computer broke last semester. Long story short, I had to get a new computer a couple days before I left America to come back here and will not have my old computer (with all my music and files) until sometime soon. My music selection is limited on my new computer (don't worry, I have plenty of Matt Wertz but not nearly enough Justin Timberlake), so I have been using my iPod to play music in my bedroom instead of my computer.

So, I have been listening to all this fun music and if you know me at all, you know if there is music on, I can't sit still...so I have been dancing around my bedroom for the past 3 or 4 days. And I don't just mean bobbing my head...I mean, I could be in a full music video (Brandy - think Shape of My Heart, Sophomore Year). Seriously, it is getting pretty ridiculous...but it is so addictive. It's like a drug and I just can't stop!

Honestly, any music will do...showtunes, hip-hop, 80's, 90's, anything with a beat...but I realized I had a problem when I started dancing to "Come 'on Ride the Train." After about 15 seconds, my first thought was, "How in the world did this song get on my iPod?" quickly followed by "Am I such a junkie that I will reduce myself to dancing to one of my most-hated songs (only slightly hated less than the Cha-Cha Slide...honestly, if you need the song to tell you how to dance, do you really enjoy dancing enough to actually BE dancing? another post for another day...haha!).

I have tried to introduce my roommates to this new phenomenon, but it just hasn't stuck. Ashley tried it last night, and I think she might be a social dancer...she's not quite a dance-a-holic like I am. If you know Ashley at all, it's shocking, I know...You would think she would have been hooked immediately.

Any suggestions for some fun new dancing songs???

Gratitude -- Nichole Nordeman

2008-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

I think I'm turning Haitian.

2008-02-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

SPOILER ALERT!! Don't read if you plan on watching Season 4 of 24!

When Haitians watch movies, they like to laugh a lot...and very loud! And they like to scream during exciting parts or funny parts. Well, yesterday, our house started a 24 (Season 4) marathon (we are trying to watch as many episodes of 24 as possible before our little Caribbean vacation on Wednesday). It has started getting to an intense part of the season and Jack and Audrey were trying to escape from some terrorists. Jack and Audrey both ran out of ammunition and were "trapped" when out of no where Tony Almeida (my favorite character) shot down all the "bad guys." When this happened, Ashley, Jen, and I all raised our hands in the air and cheered VERY loudly (I think Ashley even kicked her legs!). We were OUT OF CONTROL with excitement. It was actually a little bit embarrassing! hahaha!

I think I'm turning into a Haitian.

New Year, New Semester

2008-01-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and a brand new semester at Sonlight Academy. It was so good to be at home for a break (and as much as I wish it had been about 3 more weeks, that would have made it that much harder to come back). Being back, though, has been abnormally comfortable...like this is my home for now.

It is nice to be back in the warm 80 degree weather!!! It doesn't make me sad to be enjoying the Caribbean sun and laying out in January! And while we were laying out (we lay out on the roof of the school where no one can see us) we saw a ship close to Tortuga (The Pirate Island that is right off the coast of Port-de-Paix). There are boats in and out of our area all the time, but the only way to describe this boat is "A Pirate Ship." It looked like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. I was waiting for Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom to hop out and save the day. Who knows what the boat REALLY was, but for my own sake, I am going to say I saw a real life pirate ship.

And speaking of boats, for those who don't know, our boat came in over Christmas break and I have been bombarded with lots of yummy goodies...oh yeah, and my kids got their Christmas gifts! They were so excited for all the surprises! Thank you so much to everyone who donated toys, clothes, candy, school supplies, snacks, movies, etc. for me and for the kids. It was so nice to have all of that to come back to after the break at home!!!

sacrifice???

2007-10-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

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?

money, money, money!!!

2007-10-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

Haitian for a Day

2007-09-16T14:23:00.001-07:00

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

2007-09-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

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

the God who sees me

2007-08-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

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)

still sweatin'

2007-08-22T06:07:00.001-07:00

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!!!

Cady's in Haiti!

2007-08-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

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