And Then There Were 6!

Now that we have said goodbye to Bill and Elaine on Thursday, and there aren't any teams lined up, it is back to our usual 6 places at the lunch table, and family night movies with all of us in the bedroom watching rather than projected on the wall. We've enjoyed each person who has made their way to Fauche the last months. Little did we know we'd be meeting so many Americans during our stay, between here and Port au Prince. It's been neat!
Now there are certain things that are different when it's just the 6 of us. Special Friday night desserts last longer (and we don't feel bad taking seconds), our table manners decrease (my tendency to play with food comes out again), we can do things like water balloon fights on Saturday afternoon, and conversation topics change a bit. Now that its back to the way it was for the first 4 months, the trips to Port au Prince and everything that just happened with the earthquake and all feels a bit like a blip. I'm sure we'll have the same feeling when we go home...'Did that just happen??'
This weekend we've done a couple of out of the ordinary things. Saturday Chris and I worked on tiling the Thede's countertop. It was done by one of the teams, but for some reason the tile didn't stick, so it had to be popped up and redone. It took just about all day, with the grouting still to come. It was fun, for the most part. :) Who knew tiling was such a process if you want to do it right. Like I mentioned we cooled off with a water balloon fight in the afternoon with Anna and Eli.
Today we went to Pastor Emmanuel's church to see the dedication of his grandson, Thed. Thed is the son of Onyx and Mme. Onyx, who we have mentioned before had a great deal of trouble after she gave birth. She had serious mental issues and was not herself for months; it was so troubling to their family and very hard on them, as you can imagine. She was unable to care for Thed or be here in Fauche, since she needed to be in Cap Haitian close to her doctor. Today we were so happy to attend the service dedicating their son, and the afternoon service which was especially to honor the miracle of her recovery and Thed's life! She is So much improved. She stood up and spoke to everyone at the afternoon service and was totally normal, and everyone is thankful. Most of all, Pastor Emmanuel. It was a privilege to be a part of! We also got to hear a few of our students sing, which is always so fun. Churches in Haiti often have groups of men and women sing special music on Sunday, and it is always a treat. They will huddle close together, in somewhat odd formations, and sing beautiful harmonies acapella. Often, there are hand/body motions included. There aren't the same social limitations either--men are very expressive, they sing very high at times (even the one's you would least expect to have a high voice!) and you don't necessarily need to be the best singer. There are singing groups of kids, young adults, all women, all men, and mixed. It's neat! Another cultural observation I saw in action on Sunday was how it is not rude to be using your cell phone, anytime! We quickly learned this in Haiti when our Creole teacher would take 2-3 calls during every lesson, even if one of us was mid-sentence. He would look at texts, have conversations, while we sat there. Since then, I have seen people on cell phones during meetings, during class, and even during a service like this one. I smiled to myself when someone walked up to the front while Onyx was speaking quite seriously, and stood right next to him to take a picture of the crowd. Such distractions just don't seem to be taken offensively or with annoyance. If you make someone wait for an hour, it's basically okay! Smacking a mosquito off someone's head, no problem! Looking through the windows to see if you are home, or just standing outside til you notice, normal! Little differences like that make life interesting. Hopefully we won't be completely awkward at home from all the new habits we've picked up!
Well, on to another week, have a good one! (Above, more cute kids from the neighborhood that bring us moments of joy)