A Village Boy's Visit To The Big City

Once upon a time, in a village far away..



where the trees grew tall and sugar cane brushed their fluffy plumes against a brilliant sky..



and giant tarantulas, hid under rocks..



there lived a boy named Djempsky.


Although life was always interesting, since he lived close to the river, and he enjoyed the animals...





and spending time with friends...



He always wondered what life was like in the big city.



His Dad lived in the big city, his Mom spent time there as well, and an MAF airplane, carrying a pilot he had become friends with, would come and go and tell him stories, but all that still couldn't compare to seeing it for himself.



So one day he called his Dad, said goodbye to his Mom, and with a backpack full of his worldly possessions, set out on an hour an half trek to the airport.

The airplane came, with his pilot friend, but he wasn't able to go on the flight, so dejectedly he walked home again.

The next day however, there was an empty seat, and an excited Djempsky thought he must be dreaming when his pilot friend invited him to take the spot.

As the plane lifted off, he sported the biggest grin you could ever see...



Looking down he watched in amazement as the village and everything familiar grew smaller and smaller...


I bet he was a little nervous about the big city, once everything he had ever known disappeared from view, but he tried his best not to let his nervousness show.

Well the big city was a thing to behold and his eyes got real big as the airplane slowly made its descent...



Lots of houses, pavement, cars, he wasn't sure what to look at first.

He was happy to see his Dad, who had come to the airport, especially considering he hadn't seen his Dad in three years! But since Djempsky's father's house had been damaged in the earthquake, and he lived in a tent city at the edge of Port au Prince, Djempsky's mother called to ask if he could spend a few nights with us.

We knew Djempsky well, from the time we lived in the village studying Creole and Jason had formed a friendship with him, so we had no problem with him staying with us.

However, it didn't take long for us to realize we had some explaining to do...
How the lights turned on and off, how the ceiling fan worked, how to turn on the tap, flush the toilet, use the shower... He absorbed all the information in speechless wide eyed wonder, until we showed him the water bed he could sleep on. "Wait till I tell my friends this!" He exclaimed, "Water in a bed? That's incredible!"

After showing him around he shyly approached Jason with all his savings. "I was hoping to buy a soccer ball with this," he said, "Do you know where I could buy one?" So we drove him to Eagle Market where they sold soccer balls. He had never seen a store before and was quite impressed. However when he found out the soccer balls cost 800 Goudes instead of the 250 Goudes he had so diligently saved he was disappointed.

Later while video skyping with Jason's family, also something quite mind boggling for him,


we mentioned his soccer ball dilemma. Oma Krul, after hearing his story, offered to pay the difference and Djempsky of course was thrilled.

"Take a picture with me holding the ball", he said, after we came back from the store a second time.



Well, his visit included a lot of firsts for him and here are some of the pictures..

First time learning English, in a preschool setting!



First time swimming in a pool, although he had had a lot of practice in the river and was an excellent swimmer!



and first time to ever eat in a restaurant!



I forgot the Creole word for smile, and I think he thought taking pictures was quite serious business, therefore the look on his face!

This morning, after an early breakfast of pancakes and tea, it was time to head to the airport and fly back home to the village..



I'm sure now that he is back home safe and sound, he has many a story to tell.

Preschool!

It’s 9:00 a.m., Monday morning and it’s the first day of class. A very excited Jayden opens the kitchen door and calls his friends. “Likka, Sabboule, come, vini.” Within a minute all three are inside and I assign them to their seats. Nicholas gets a stool, and Jayden and Sabboule get two small chairs. With Sabboule, the quietest of the three, in the middle, we are ready to begin.

Flash cards, books, songs, puzzles and games, I’m well stocked on preschool supplies and all three kids are excited. Nicholas just finished school on Friday so now he’s home for the holidays and his main goal is learning English. Sabboule is there to learn to participate in a classroom setting and get over his shyness. Jayden who already know most of the material, is there to learn to sit still and follow directions. After teaching them to say “Good Morning,” I get the flash cards out to practice colours, shapes and numbers. Once we’ve gone through all the cards, I go on to teach them the ABC song. Songs are a real hit, so I teach them Happy Birthday as well. Jayden already knows his shapes, numbers and colours, but sitting still and following directions are skills he has not completely mastered yet. As class goes on we move to the floor and read books, look at pictures and then do an ABC puzzle game.

Nicholas is bright and catches on quickly. A shy Sabboule only participates with a lot of encouragement, but I am impressed with his English pronunciation. Nicholas has no problems with puzzles, but Sabboule can’t seem to figure out how two pieces fit together. Jayden knows the answers, but fidgets and blurts out the answers out of turn. An hour later class is done and it’s time to go play outside. I get my bubble blowing supplies and show the kids how it’s done.

Again, Nicholas catches on right away, but it takes a long time for Sabboule to figure it out. When he finally blows a bubble the smile on his face is priceless.

I sure love all these kids and am excited about teaching them for an hour each day! If both Nicholas and Sabboule can learn to speak English well, they will have so many more job opportunities when they are older and Anoud and Denise are very thrilled about this opportunity!

The Library!

"Are you ready Jayden?" I ask, grabbing my keys from the counter. "I'm ready!" He replies grinning. I smile back when I see him standing in the middle of the playroom holding his Pooh backpack.

"Let me help you with your backpack and shoes," I tell him, and he nods. I slip his arms through the straps and then help him put on his crocks. We are going to help out at the library this afternoon and I'm excited.
It wasn't until recently that I even knew we had a library and now I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon there. A few minutes later we are out the door and bouncing along in the truck. Although it is a short drive, the last stretch of road right before the school, where the library is located, is terrible. The street is very narrow and it takes awhile for traffic to get through as big trucks push past us, forcing me to ease the truck as close to a nearby wall as I dare. Driving this stretch reminds me of the obstacle courses we would practice at school on our bikes, and if I remember correctly, completing obstacle courses was never one of my strengths. I frown in concentration as I fight to maneuver the truck over a deep chasm and then straight through a trash heap. At one point the crevasse in the road on my left is so deep, it feels like I might roll the truck. Sweating in the heat, since the A/C is broken, I crank my wheel to the right and slowly accelerate till I'm upright once again. It's a relief to finally see the school gate and a minute or so after I honk, the gate is rolled open by one of the guards. After helping Jayden out of his car seat and locking the truck up, we walk over to the library. It's a warm day and the skies are blue. I love the palm trees and flowering bushes and take a moment to soak it all in. Excited, as usual, Jayden runs ahead.

Since the library is on the second story of the building, we have to take the stairs. I hold Jayden's hand as we make our way up, since the steps slope downward and they're a little slippery too. Once we reach the top, I crack open the door and we slip inside. Air conditioning! I quickly close the door behind me, leaving the heat outside, and greet the other MAF wives who are helping out too. Julie White, a MAF wife as well, is the librarian, and since the earthquake had left the library completely disorganized and dusty she's asked for our help to dust and sort out books. As I work, I'm excited to find many of my favorite authors in the adult section. Julie assures me, that once school starts in a couple of weeks, I can get a library card and check out books! Jayden meanwhile has made his way over to the children section and is soon looking at books.

Jayden inherited his love for books from his mom, and he's excited about the library too!

I keep working in the adult section, one that everyone has been working on for quite awhile and am excited about all the books there.

Later on, once the adult section is mostly completed I head over to work in the children section.
As I wipe layers of dust off the books and help rearrange the shelves, I smile.

I love books, and I'm happy to see there is lots of books here for Jayden to chose from as well.

Books, Wonderful Books!

I love to read. I always have and I’m pretty sure I always will.

I even considered myself a bit of a bookworm, that is, until I actually met one. Before this I didn’t even know actual bookworms existed. Wasn’t “bookworm” just a nickname for an avid reader? Apparently not! Last December, B.E. (Before Earthquake, which has become a new way we measure time around here) a friend of mine who knew I loved to read loaned me a whole stack of books. We had visitors, and it was dinner time by the time I got the books, but even while the spaghetti was cooking on the stove I couldn’t help but take a peek at the books and read a few pages. The first book I picked up was called Nebraska Legacy. It was interesting and captured my attention right away, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that there was something quite wrong with the book. The pages looked like this.

Who would do something like this to a book, I wondered? It looked like someone had taken a knife and made deep cuts into the book. On closer examination, I saw small holes in the pages as well. I picked the book up and shook it, but nothing happened. Then I began to turn the pages to the middle of the book and this is what I discovered.

Bookworms! “This can’t be real,” I exclaimed, as I watched not one, or two, but a whole family slowly emerge out of their hiding place. Wow, I guess bookworms are real! I quickly scanned the rest of the stack of books, but none of the others seemed to be affected. I called up my friend and told her what I had found and for her to check her bookshelf where she took the books from, but thankfully she couldn’t find any more. Having already started to read the book, I hated the thought of just throwing it in the garbage, so I came up with a brilliant plan. I searched my cupboards till I found a large leftover zip-lock taco shell bag that I could place the book inside. Before I put the book inside however, I went outside and sprayed the bag full of cockroach poison. I know it is powerful stuff, and if the fumes alone could kill a cockroach, it should have no problem getting rid of these pesky bookworms, I thought. I placed the book inside and sealed the bag. Then I placed the bag in my outside laundry room.

7 months later, having returned home to Haiti after the earthquake, I decided it was high time to clean out the laundry room. As I cleaned, I came across the book still nicely sealed in the bag. I opened the bag, wiped the whole book down with a damp cloth and carefully examined it to see if there were any worms left. Since I couldn’t find any, I soon began to read the book again, although I was careful to wash my hands every time I finished touching the book, just in case any remnant of poison was left behind. It wasn’t until I was half way finished the book that I was in for a surprise! A bookworm, and then another and another and another! I couldn’t believe it! Seriously, how could they possibly still be alive, after seven months with no oxygen, breathing in poisonous gases!

Shaking my head in wonder, I carefully placed the book in a shopping bag and threw it in the outside bin. Seeing how resilient the little worms were I just didn’t have the heart to try exterminate them a second time. I guess I will never know what happened to scout Painted Hands or Sarah Jane Benson, but oh well.

Happy 1st Birthday Jocemine!

Today the little princess turned one!



Chocolate cake with a birthday candle!



New dresses, shoes, hair clips, stuffed animals and a balloon!



and fun times with brothers and friends!

Goodbye Marin & Robert

We miss you!

Trip to the Village IV

I wake up to goats baaing, and roosters crowing. Early morning light filters in through the screened windows. I guess it's time to get up. I roll out of bed, get dressed and then change Jayden who has woken up as well. We head downstairs and enjoy a delicious breakfast of Haitian fritters. Once we are finished breakfast we walk to Caleb and Debbie's house to borrow their vehicle and then drive on over to the camp. I'm excited! The camp is where we lived for three months while we studied the Creole language and I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends there. As we drive up we see a group of boys sitting under a tree. We make our way over and get reacquainted. "Kote Mona?" (Where is Mona?) I ask Sonson, Mona's brother. "Na Kay la" (In the house) he responds. "Eske ou ka rele li pou mwen silvouple?" (Can you call her for me please?) I ask and he nods. Minutes later he returns with a grinning Mona and her older sister Renise. I hug her and she hugs me back. It's so fun to see her and talk to her! I'm glad to see that she looks healthy and feels strong. I ask her how old she is now and she says she is eight. “You're still pretty small for eight,” I tease her in Creole, but she just grin and shakes her head. Jason has meanwhile gotten involved in an animated conversation with the group of boys and I hear their shouts of laughter as he jokes with them. We walk over to the group and it is then that I notice a small naked baby, crawling on the ground. When I take a closer look I see that he's actually a toddler and that his tiny feet are paralyzed. Not being able to get where he wants to go, or not seeing his parents around he bursts into tears. His cries break my heart. Tiny flies buzz around his eyes, and his body is covered in dirt. I walk over and pick him up. "You will get your clothes dirty," some of the little girls around me point out as I hold him on my lap. I just shrug. Meanwhile the little boy has stopped crying and looks up at me. I hold him close. A few minutes later a young Haitian man walks up to me and says. "Sa Petite Mwen." (That's my child) "Li rele Kason" (His name is Kason). He is friendly and doesn't seem to mind that I'm holding the boy. "Kote Mama li" (Where is his mother?) I question. And he points to an entrance of one of the camp buildings nearby. I pick up Kason and then make my way over to his mother. The woman is only wearing an over sized T-shirt and greets me with a shy "Bonjou". She has some hot coals on the ground and is boiling a pan of water over them. I sit on the steps close to where she is sitting and begin to talk. Mona makes herself comfortable on my lap and I hold her close. Seeing me sit on the dirty steps the young woman instructs her husband, who has wandered over, to get me a chair. I tell her it's not necessary, but they insist, so I comply. Talking with her I learn that she is only 19 years old and from Port au Prince. Her mother and several other family members died in the earthquake. Since their house was destroyed her and her husband and two children moved to the camp as refugees. She has a four year old daughter, who watches us as we talk.

She's a very cute, friendly little girl and soon runs off to play with Jayden.

Kason, her two year old son, was born paralyzed and although his body seems strong and healthy, his feet are tiny and small. She gives him a bag of Dominican cheeses and he is quite pleased.
Once he's finished she passes him some sandals which he wears on his hands. Pulling himself on his hands he drags his legs behind him. He can move surprisingly fast, but the dirt and the dust makes for one dirty boy.
Once the water is boiling she adds some spaghetti noodles and waits for them to cook. "Eske ou gen kek rad pou mwen?" "Do you have some clothes for me?" she asks, pointing at her shirt. I shake my head. "Nou pa pote anyen" (We didn't bring any). Meanwhile Jayden playing with her daughter has run into the room where the family lives so I go inside to get him out. Looking inside I see how bare it is. Only some bunk beds that belong to the camp. There is almost no personal affects at all.

Just then the door opens to the room beside, where some young men are living. Their music is on and from my spot I can hear the words of this song.

She calls out to the man on the street
"Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh
Think twice
'Cause it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh
Think twice
'Cause it's another day for you
You and me in paradise

Staring at the meager breakfast of spaghetti noodles and realizing how little she has and all the sorrows and trouble this nineteen year old girl experienced, my heart breaks. Her first child at fifteen? Her second child a paralyzed boy? Her mother and other family members dead? No home of her own and no proper clothes to wear? Compared to hers my life is just another day in paradise.

Do I have anything I can give her I wonder? I check my purse and then notice Jason’s wallet. Shifting Mona over I secretly pull out some money. I then lean closer and reach for her hand. I close my hand over hers and then transfer the money. “Bondye bay sa pou ou” (God gives that to you) I whisper. She nods, looks up at the sky and smiles at God. “Mesi” (Thank you) she whispers.

Are you going to walk to the river with us? Jason calls, surrounded by his admiring fan club of boys. “Okay” I respond. Once more I grasp the young woman’s hand and then lifting Mona off my lap I stand up. I say my goodbyes and together with Mona join the group walking to the river.

The scenery is beautiful and I soak up the morning sunshine.

Mountains, fruit trees, sugar cane fields, cliffs, the winding river.

I follow the steep narrow path down all the while holding Mona’s hand.

I sure love this girl! At the river we sit down in the grass and just enjoy nature’s beauty.

Later back at the camp, Mona invites me to her house, so after leaving Jayden with Jason, Marin and I walk over. At the house I get to meet Mona’s father for the first time. He is very friendly and shakes our hands enthusiastically in welcome. The entire time we were doing our language school he was working in the Dominican Republic so this is the first time I get to meet him. Although their house is small and simple, it is still quite nice compared to the other homes in the village.

It consists of a dining room/living room and then two bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom are outside.

Peeking into the second bedroom I’m surprised to see a chubby baby boy fast asleep.

I question Mona and she explains that this is her new baby brother Jethro. He sure looks healthy! Mona’s family now consists of Renise, Sonson, Mali, Mona, Rosa and Jethro. As we walk out the gate Mona’s mother walks in. Seeing us she smiles broadly and gives me a big hug. Rosa, who was with her carries her and Mona’s dolls lovingly in her arms. These were the dolls from Oma Krul that we had handed out a year ago and it’s wonderful to see how happy they are with them. Although a little dirty and missing some hair and clothes you can tell the dolls are well loved.

After a walk to the other side of the river, we say goodbye to all our friends and drive back towards the village square. There we tour the hospital and eat lunch at the snack bar.

Once we’ve finished our Haitian hamburgers we head back to the hotel and pack up our things. We thank and say goodbye to Neil, the owner of the hotel, and then head back to the airplane.

It’s time to head back home. Looking out the aircraft window I catch my final glimpses of Pignon, before it disappears from sight.

Trip to the Village III

Staccato rain hammers down on the tin roof, drowning out the words of the elders’ prayer. I strain to listen, but the noise is deafening and I can hardly catch a single word. A strong wind rushes through the wall-less worship center and I shiver. Power, God’s power. The force of His rain is incredible. I close my eyes tighter and bow my head. God is all powerful. The elders’ voice becomes louder and louder as he shouts to be heard over the thunderous noise, but I still can’t discern his words. Finally he stops and I open my eyes. A dog lying at my feet, stirs and looks up. I hear a baby crying nearby and then a mothers’ gentle “shush”.

Mothers, nursing babies, dogs. The worship center has no walls, thereby signifying it is open to all. Since most Haitians feel they need church clothes and church shoes to attend a “real” church, each Sunday Pastor Jean Jean holds a second informal service in the worship center to encourage people to come as they are. When I first attended an afternoon service there, about 30 people would come but now the crowd has grown to well over 200. Bare feet or runners, T-shirts instead of dress shirts and ties, jeans instead of black Sunday pants, simple work skirts instead of Sunday dresses, it really doesn’t matter. People still wear their best, but not everyone can afford Sunday clothes and Pastor Jean Jean wants them to know that although men may look on the outside, God looks on the heart, and their hearts are just so much more important.

Just as the sermon begins the rain dies down a little, so the words of Isaiah 6 can be clearly heard. With Jayden on my lap, I shift in the wooden bench for a more comfortable position and focus my attention on the reading of God’s Word.

Earlier that morning we had woken up to Haitian soup for breakfast, something none of us had ever had before, but always willing to try new and different things, I ate the unusual food.

Later, waiting outside for Kristie, Pastor Jean Jean’s wife, to pick us up for church, Jayden fed leaves to a goat tied to a nearby tree.

At 8:15 Kristie arrived in a pickup truck and we enjoyed a 20 minute bumpy but beautiful ride balancing in the back.

The first service we attended began at 8:50 and was held in an actual church building. Many people walked long distances from all over the area for the service, and the church was full. The service lasted 2 hours and was a special time of praying, preaching and singing.

After church we ate lunch at Pastor Jean Jean and Krisitie’s house. As soon as lunch was over it was time for the informal afternoon service in the worship center. That service was my favorite part of the day.

When the service was over Marin, Robert, Jason, a visiting Peruvian named Palousa, and some Haitian children went for a walk. I stayed at the house with Jayden, and was sure glad I did, when an hour later they all returned soaking wet.

Although it had been dry when they left, another rain storm drenched them as they walked back. Thankfully a team had brought clothing along to handout, and Marin, Robert and Jason were able to change into some dry clothes. After a simple meal of soup and bread for dinner, Pastor Jean Jean and Kristie drove us back to the hotel. The road was so muddy it felt more like we were driving over slushy snow and we kept fishtailing. “Turn off the lights, Jean Jean,” Jayden would whisper loudly in 5 minute intervals. Willingly Pastor Jean Jean would comply and without the vehicles lights we were surrounded by impenetrable black, darkness. “Ooh”, we would all say, and Jayden thought this was a great game.

Now, back at the hotel I try everything to get Jayden to go to sleep. Although it’s way past his bedtime he’s just too hyper. It must have been that chocolate milk energy drink that Kristie gave him with dinner, I muse, as I watch the bouncing boy. When Jayden kept begging for chocolate milk with his meal, Kristie remembered she still had some. It wasn’t till he was drinking it that I read the words “Energy drink.” Figuring for one time it was probably harmless, I let him finish it. That was a big mistake! Finally close to midnight he dozes off. Exhausted, I pull the sheet up to my nose to protect me from mosquitoes and minutes later I doze off as well.

Trip to the Village II

I step into the hotel kitchen and find our room keys already waiting on the counter. After greeting the kitchen staff and explaining who we are, we make our way up to our rooms to deposit our luggage. The rooms are nice and spacious with Ikea furniture, new sheets and towels, freshly painted walls, a ceiling fan that works, and screened windows!

“You are spoiled,” I tease Marin, as we try out the comfortable beds. “You should be roughing it to get the real feel of the village!” She just laughs at me, as I ooh and aah over the room. Once our bags are stored we head back downstairs to the kitchen where the staff has lunch waiting for us. Lunch is a true Haitian meal of rice and beans, red sauce, pieces of chicken, a bowl of corn, pieces of mango and Haitian lemonade. It all tastes delicious!
By the time we’re finished lunch, Debbie Lucien is already waiting with her vehicle to take us to the market. I love Pignon’s market and am excited to give Marin and Robert a tour. The vendors are friendly and we have a fun time looking at baby chicks, goats, vegetables, cornmeal, clothing, hair accessories and shoes.


Marin, who works in a market in Holland, really enjoys the market experience. Robert says he can’t imagine buying anything there for a number of reasons and I just laugh. As we check out the wares, vendors keep trying to sell me large woman sandals for Jayden to wear or toys or candy for him, and I just shake my head. “Sandal yo tro gwo, li pa bezwen sa.” (“Those sandals are too big,” and “He doesn’t need that”) I keep repeating as they come up with a new product that I absolutely have to buy for him.
An hour later, once we’ve finished the market tour, Debbie brings us back to the hotel and we wait on the steps for Jason. In the meantime the sky has gotten gray and dark clouds are rolling in. It’s a relief when I finally hear the sound of the airplane’s engine and he’s safely on the ground.

Not even 15 minutes later the sky opens and the rain comes down.

After a few minutes I join Marin outside. The rain is so refreshing.
An hour later the sky is clear again, but the rain has left a muddy mess in its wake. As we walk over to Caleb and Debbie’s house for a cookout/barbecue it’s impossible to avoid the mud and it cakes our shoes and splatters our legs.


At the house we wipe it off as best as we can and then enjoy the hot dogs, hamburgers and Haitian side dishes that our hosts have carefully prepared. Besides us, there are three other work teams, which brings the number of people there to well over 100. After an enjoyable time of food and fellowship we walk back home as the sun is setting. Mules and donkeys plod toward us in the twilight, carrying their burdens of water bottles strategically balanced in hand made saddle bags.

Palm tree fronds scrape the darkening sky as children shout with laughter and roosters crow.

I love the sights and sounds of the village, so different from the busy city. Later that night, lying on a blanket on the grass airstrip we admire God’s majestic handiwork as we study the star formations. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!