What do you say?

Yesterday in English class we had more students than we've had since the beginning of our second session. It was our advanced level class, so it was encouraging to see more familiar faces that had been in our first level class last time around. We taught about some usual stuff...distance words (far, farther, farthest) amount words (some, more, most) and quality words (good, better, best), other vocabulary (which we enjoyed acting out for them--hit, punch, kick, slap, Chris even threw in headbutt as a bonus word) and others. We read from the book of James about not judging people by appearance, and they practiced reading aloud and explaining the meaning of what they were reading. It was a good class overall.
After class we usually stick around for 15 minutes or so while people pay for class, ask questions, and greet us. Yesterday a woman I hadn't seen since December was there. Her name is Lilianne and I think she is probably in her 30's or low 40's. I greeted her and told her we were happy to see her, and then asked her the question I have felt compelled to ask people the last week, Eske ou gen fanmi nan Port au Prince? Or..do you have family in Port au Prince? I don't know why I always ask this, I guess I just want to acknowledge that the earthquake happened, and that I know it has affected them. The last few people we have talked to about it have shared that yes, they have family there, (mostly everyone does) but they are okay. They have come to Fauche to live with them, since their house was broken, but they are ok. A few have lost a friend or a brother-in-law, but most are relieved to report that they have found their families. It was not so with Lilianne. Standing in the church talking in the midst of a small crowd of students, she told me that she had lost a friend, some others, and her husband. We were speaking in Creole, so I thought, did I hear her right? So I asked again, your husband? And she said, yes. Her husband. And most of her family was there, in fact. They had looked for them but weren't able to find them. What do you say? For some reason I just couldn't believe it. Here she was, in English class, so calm and if I hadn't asked, I wouldn't have known. I gave her a kind of abrupt hug, and told her how sorry I was and how I wished I could help her, but knew I couldn't, and how we would pray. Even back at home after class I kept thinking how I must have heard her wrong! The thought even crossed my mind, Is she just saying that to try to get something from us? I just couldn't accept that she would suffer such great loss. The people here seem to be suffering quietly. They go about their days and keep on, but we know they are dealing with loss as well as rearranging their lives so their family members can come live with them indefinitely.
So, please just pray for Lilianne and people like her! Pray they will hold on to their faith in God if they have it, and if they don't that they will find it. God's comfort is the only thing great enough to care for them right now. thank you!
I know that was pretty heavy, but I wanted to share it. So on a lighter note, this picture is of Chris holding our picture frame which has totally been covered with mold! Yuck! It's been so wet here that things are just turning white and some are growing these lovely green spots. They're kind hard to see in the pic, but you can see from Chris's reaction that it's not good! But nothing a little Clorox won't kill. We love Clorox in Haiti. Thank you so much for your continued prayer. Chris's dad is in Haiti right now, going to the field hospital that Dr. Kris is working in this morning! It is awesome to see how God has made a way for him to come, and not only that, to work with Dr. Kris! Last night he stayed with some missionaries we know, Carl Gilles and Dan and Joy Irvine. We were able to talk with him on the phone and it was such a cool thing, knowing he is down in Port au Prince and getting ready to help. We are still praying about the possibility of joining up with him next week if we can help, and if we can find a way to get down there. But for now, it's back to school! Anna and Eli are doing well, and have shown a lot of strength this week with their mom gone. Our next blog will show some pictures from our school days. We are working on some action shots today. Love to you all!