Kids Programs and Other Stuff

This week marks the beginning of our second set of English classes. We had a really nice December break from teaching and I think we're ready to get started again. We tried to start yesterday, but it was raining and not one student showed up!

We've been getting better acquainted with Bill and Elaine Bailey, a couple from Wisconsin who are now living next door. They are great, and it's been really fun talking with them and being part of their adjustment time, which we remember very well from just a few months ago! We also rearranged our house a little and are hoping it will give us the fresh start we need for these next four months. A little change is always nice. :) On Friday, we had the privilege of eating lunch with our Creole teacher, David, his wife and two daughters. (Dane and Lovenji) It was so nice. Their hospitality was amazing, and we felt so blessed by it! We ate pumpkin soup, since it was their Independence Day and this is their tradition, with casava bread and beef. We tried to impress David by talking in Creole with his family and are hoping we didn't embarrass him by not making sense, haha! But we were so happy to be in a Haitian home and getting to know them a little more. The next day, Madam David came to our house and brought a pan of baked pasta, a jar of homemade peanut butter, and three coconuts. Wow, we still can't believe their generosity. We are passing our Creole lessons on to the Baileys since we don't have any free evenings with English class, so we won't have David to our house twice a week anymore. But we are hoping to keep our friendship with him and his family. (and no, not just because they bring us food! :)
David also showed us his office which is right next to the Compassion school. He works for Compassion as the communications director. He and I are sitting in his office in the picture to the right. They are amazingly organized for not having a computer. Every kid has a file which includes their grades from years past and current, a picture, list of gifts they have received from their sponsors, what their goals are, and more. It was really cool to see a close up of what Compassion is really doing after seeing representatives speak in chapel at IWU and hearing about the program back in the States. We also got to see the under 5 Survival Program building. This is the most successful program of it's kind in the north of Haiti. When I walked into this room, I was taken aback. It was like stepping into a preschool room you would see in the US. There are toys everywhere, Christmas decorations, and carpets laid on the floor, which is a very rare site in Haiti. It was so exciting to see that something like this is available for pregnant mothers and moms with 1, 2, and 3 year olds.
On Sunday we went to a program for kids in the area put on by Jean Pierre (one of the men who lives on the compound and is very involved in the community), a few church members and a teacher from the school. It was great. The kids got to sing a bit, earn prizes by singing for the group or saying a verse, play a few games, and watch Home Alone 3 in French while munching on popcorn, crackers, and candy. While the group was too noisy to actually hear the movie, I have never heard such loud and crazy laughter from a group of kids! They erupted in laughs and shouts every time someone would fall or get hurt, which if you've seen Home Alone you know it's most of the movie! It was fun being in the midst of such chaos and to know that the kids were having fun and getting to do something out of the ordinary for them. There is something really cool about witnessing that.
Today, Chris is off in the garden with Cory somewhere, and we are going to spend the afternoon getting ready for class. Thanks for reading!