I've been trying to focus on the positive while I've been down for the count with typhoid... I've been attempting to work out my funny bone by watching funny movies (my mom's favorite prescription for when her family gets sick :). I've been taking my mom's advice so much that I think I could apply for a job as a movie reveiwer! :) I turned movie watching into an 8 hour day of work! I could also start my own weight loss program called "Got Typhoid?" as I've lost 5 pounds this week! It's amazing how you can make one slice of pie last 3 days when you're nauseous and have a funky white coating on your tongue. And using a rusty can opener can be an amazing workout when the furthest you've traveled all day is to your spare bedroom in a 700 square foot apartment. But I feel like having typhoid is right on par with getting a tape worm for weight loss-- rather effective, but you still have to work the bugs out!
So in light of thinking about happy things, a few weeks ago I saw the neatest thing. And the memory has been warming my heart even on days when I've had the worst chills!
That day, I was craving cookies. Big time. So, I set out down the street headed to the closest cookie vendor. And wearing my favorite skirt. It's always nice to try to feel kinda pretty in the 105 degree heat. As I walked, I heard some familiar shouts from children.
"Blan (white girl)," they called out as I strolled by. I smiled and debated on answering with my typical response, "My name's not 'Blan,' it's Diane."
Before I decided, I walked by 2 women. One was short and stocky and pushing a wheelbarrow heavy laden with a giant steel pot in it. The other was tall and slender and perfectly balancing a medium sized pot on her head. And then with the same insistent voice that the children yell out "blan," they called out, "Diane!"
I was quite surprised! I didn't recognize these women. And the way that they yelled my name is not the way that a friend typically greets you. Creeped out, I continued down the road to my cookies. After buying several packages of the tasty little coconut cookies, I turned towards my home again. And passed the same 2 women, who called out in the same way as before.
I felt the Holy Spirit prick my heart through my armor. When you leave to go out on the street, often you steel yourself. You know that the children will call out to you. Often, people will stop you and ask you for things... money, water, toys, a radio, your hand in marriage. Some are truly in need; others are just playing a game to see your response. But I felt clearly that God wanted me to put down my guard.
So, slowly, I turned around, forced a smile, and said to the women, "Ah, I see that you know my name, but I'm sorry that I do not yet know yours!"
The women smiled broadly and introduced themselves. We attend the same church, and they had seen me introduced in front of the congregation several months ago. They live on the Saline-- the poorest part of town-- and were headed to Kay Pov Yo, or the Home for the Destitute, with food. The shorter lady pulled the lid off her pot to show me a heaping mound of rice and beans. The tall, slender one took down her pan and showed me a red fish sauce that emitted a tantalizing aroma. While impoverished themselves, they feel strongly that the church needs to help those less fortunate, and they had volunteered to take food to Kay Pov Yo. Our church does that on occasion, they explained to me.
And they complimented me on my skirt, one that my mom had given to me recently. And they complimented my mom's good taste in clothing. And they thanked me for coming to Haiti.
And I was thoroughly humbled by their generosity. And their kindness. I'm also so thankful to know that others love the downtrodden ones that have captured my heart. And the memory of it still makes me smile. :)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Health and Haiti
Thank you soooo much for the sweet emails, love, and prayers as I recover from typhoid!! Thankfully, I'm finally starting to feel a little human again this morning. I have a little more energy, a little less abdominal pain, and a lot less nausea. Also, my labs returned to normal yesterday-- praise the Lord!! At the beginning of the week, my WBC was 3,000 and my Hct was 30, as can happen with typhoid. It's so nice that on paper, my body is getting better. Hopefully, the rest of me will follow along soon!!
My friend Caleb is doing food distribution, and he sent out this email update as a prayer request for our health. It so eloquently sums up my experience here, that I wanted to share it with you too:
Caleb
..."Actually, I would ask you to please pray for the health of all of the workers and missionaries here. It is true that Western hygiene and good diet help protect us but we need more than that. I don’t intend to be dramatic but this place is full of sickness and death, before and after the earthquake. I hear the death wails from the hospital so frequently I almost don’t notice them. Same with the stories, “oh so and so’s son died last night of an asthma attack.” “Oh him? Yes, his family was all killed.” “No, no, this was a different 3 year old who died of malnutrition.” I could write on and on, pages maybe, but my point is just that one gets used to this stuff it’s so common. And we who work here are only protected by the grace of God. It’s not that we deserve more protection than our brothers here, it’s that if we are to help them we have to be healthy and strong enough. God please give us that grace."
Amen.
My friend Caleb is doing food distribution, and he sent out this email update as a prayer request for our health. It so eloquently sums up my experience here, that I wanted to share it with you too:
Caleb
..."Actually, I would ask you to please pray for the health of all of the workers and missionaries here. It is true that Western hygiene and good diet help protect us but we need more than that. I don’t intend to be dramatic but this place is full of sickness and death, before and after the earthquake. I hear the death wails from the hospital so frequently I almost don’t notice them. Same with the stories, “oh so and so’s son died last night of an asthma attack.” “Oh him? Yes, his family was all killed.” “No, no, this was a different 3 year old who died of malnutrition.” I could write on and on, pages maybe, but my point is just that one gets used to this stuff it’s so common. And we who work here are only protected by the grace of God. It’s not that we deserve more protection than our brothers here, it’s that if we are to help them we have to be healthy and strong enough. God please give us that grace."
Amen.
Dangerous Dave and Dancin' Di
Another one of my adventures before I got struck down with typhoid...
"Pye, pye, fe bak... pye, pye, fe bak," David repeated and grinned at me over Esther's head. We were doing it! We were actually teaching our first swing dance lesson together, and it happened to be in Haiti... with explanations in Creole! Esther looked delighted!
And David pointed out to me a universal truth of dancing... Women everywhere love to dance, and male shyness crosses international borders! David's taught many beginner lessons before, but this was my first time helping him teach a group. And what a fun group to start with!! Esther had invited us to church that morning for David's only Sunday in Haiti, and after seeing lots of pictures on my fridge of David and I swing dancing, Esther asked us to teach the youth group how to dance. Swing is how David and I met a year and a half ago and something that we still love to do when I don't have a broken arm or typhoid. :)
The girls loved it! I think God planted a dancing gene into almost every woman's DNA. And there's something about the creativity and smoothness of lindy hop that beckons to that gene. Even in another language. Even if the boys hang back shyly.
The pastor and some of the younger guys bravely repeated our little mantra (foot, foot, go back; my attempt at translating step, step, rock step), and they picked up the steps rather quickly. David was the perfect teacher, and I loved watching him communicate through the international language of dance. All we need now are some good swing dance instructor names, as all the best instructors have names with a cool ring to it. How do you feel about Dangerous Dave and Dancin Di? Coming to a country near you soon!!! :D
"Pye, pye, fe bak... pye, pye, fe bak," David repeated and grinned at me over Esther's head. We were doing it! We were actually teaching our first swing dance lesson together, and it happened to be in Haiti... with explanations in Creole! Esther looked delighted!
And David pointed out to me a universal truth of dancing... Women everywhere love to dance, and male shyness crosses international borders! David's taught many beginner lessons before, but this was my first time helping him teach a group. And what a fun group to start with!! Esther had invited us to church that morning for David's only Sunday in Haiti, and after seeing lots of pictures on my fridge of David and I swing dancing, Esther asked us to teach the youth group how to dance. Swing is how David and I met a year and a half ago and something that we still love to do when I don't have a broken arm or typhoid. :)
The girls loved it! I think God planted a dancing gene into almost every woman's DNA. And there's something about the creativity and smoothness of lindy hop that beckons to that gene. Even in another language. Even if the boys hang back shyly.
The pastor and some of the younger guys bravely repeated our little mantra (foot, foot, go back; my attempt at translating step, step, rock step), and they picked up the steps rather quickly. David was the perfect teacher, and I loved watching him communicate through the international language of dance. All we need now are some good swing dance instructor names, as all the best instructors have names with a cool ring to it. How do you feel about Dangerous Dave and Dancin Di? Coming to a country near you soon!!! :D
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Alo? This is Diane speaking....
A typical week of phone calls in the States consists of things like a call from my mom with an invitation to dinner, a call from David about when he’s picking me up for a date, calls from friends to set up coffee chat-fests, and maybe a long distance call to faraway friend or sibling who’s still close in my heart.
My typical Haitian phone calls in a week go something like this:
Monday morning, Mme. Soliet called to tell me that they were out of food. Completely. She sent the orphans to school without any breakfast and had nothing to serve them when they return. Is there any way that I could help them?
That led to a brief cry over orphans going hungry and then more phone calls around to see if there was funding available. Thankfully, the last team that was here left a generous donation that will get her through for a few more days, and another phone call lined up some things for the orphanage after that.
Next, Monday afternoon was phone call from Mis Vero, my dear Haitian nurse friend. She was calling to see if I felt any worse and to let me know that she was coming by to take out my IV, the one that she had put in that morning when she visited me at home. I’m so thankful that she makes house calls!
That night, I made a call to my family to tell them I have typhoid.
Tuesday consisted of calls from missionaries to see how I was and to discuss some upcoming visitors, a call from a Haitian buddy to tell me about the LaGonave soccer team playoffs on Sunday and how I should go if I’m better, and a thank you call from Mme. Soliet.
Wednesday, there were calls to set up a missionary flight in a 4-seater plane to Port in a few weeks, calls about hiring someone to cook and clean for me since I can’t get up off the couch, and calls to pray that God would protect the food distribution from rain and violence. The good thing about being sick is that you have lots of time to pray!
Today has had more calls from the orphanage (with a report that the kids are all healthy and playing, and sometimes playing too rough and Mme. Soliet gets to be referee), a call from Caleb about keys for somewhere and how the police on the mainland may have been looking to appropriate some of the food from his distribution and to please keep praying.
So, my phone’s been busy this week! And sometimes the calls feel a little bit like lines from episode of Burn Notice. Just another normal week here in Haiti….
My typical Haitian phone calls in a week go something like this:
Monday morning, Mme. Soliet called to tell me that they were out of food. Completely. She sent the orphans to school without any breakfast and had nothing to serve them when they return. Is there any way that I could help them?
That led to a brief cry over orphans going hungry and then more phone calls around to see if there was funding available. Thankfully, the last team that was here left a generous donation that will get her through for a few more days, and another phone call lined up some things for the orphanage after that.
Next, Monday afternoon was phone call from Mis Vero, my dear Haitian nurse friend. She was calling to see if I felt any worse and to let me know that she was coming by to take out my IV, the one that she had put in that morning when she visited me at home. I’m so thankful that she makes house calls!
That night, I made a call to my family to tell them I have typhoid.
Tuesday consisted of calls from missionaries to see how I was and to discuss some upcoming visitors, a call from a Haitian buddy to tell me about the LaGonave soccer team playoffs on Sunday and how I should go if I’m better, and a thank you call from Mme. Soliet.
Wednesday, there were calls to set up a missionary flight in a 4-seater plane to Port in a few weeks, calls about hiring someone to cook and clean for me since I can’t get up off the couch, and calls to pray that God would protect the food distribution from rain and violence. The good thing about being sick is that you have lots of time to pray!
Today has had more calls from the orphanage (with a report that the kids are all healthy and playing, and sometimes playing too rough and Mme. Soliet gets to be referee), a call from Caleb about keys for somewhere and how the police on the mainland may have been looking to appropriate some of the food from his distribution and to please keep praying.
So, my phone’s been busy this week! And sometimes the calls feel a little bit like lines from episode of Burn Notice. Just another normal week here in Haiti….
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Note from the Sick Bed and How to Eat a Coconut
Some Follow Up on Being Sick:
Typhoid. {sigh} And anemia. {sigh again} Once again, I am thankful that none of this takes God by surprise, even though I had not been planning on getting sick this year. It's nice to finally have some answers on why my stomach still bothers me and why I'm exhausted, but I still covet your prayers.
While I've been convalescing in my home for the past week, I really have no new adventures to report. So, I've been working on reporting an older adventure. A few weeks ago, I learned how to prepare coconut here, and my experience is as follows...
How To Eat a Coconut in Haiti:
"Knock, knock!" someone called to me on evening a few weeks ago. It was Jon Bena, who was standing outside my door with 3 other Haitian friends and Caleb. Here, it's rare to actually knock on someone's door, and much more common to call out. Another typical greeting is for the visitor to say "One" (honor) to which you answer "respe" (respect). This particular evening, they had come to visit and see if I wanted some coconut.
In America, for me, coconut comes sweetened, shaved, and in a plastic bag. In Haiti, it comes from Jon Bena's 13 year old friend climbing the coconut tree in the yard outside my door. In an amazing feat of acrobatics, this boy climbed the 40 foot tree to throw down some coconuts for me.
After that, we walked over to a stump so that the buys could hack off the outside covering with a machete. Ben, Jon Bena's twin brother, is teaching the younger guys who to use a machete and still keep all of your fingers. Ben and jon Bena learned how to use one when they were 11 or 12.
After the thick outside layer was off of the coconuts, we migrated back to my house, found a drill, and made a small hole in the top of each coconut. That allowed us to extract the yummy coconut water. We poured all the coconut water into a pitcher, added sugar, and stuck it in the fridge for a couple of house until it was ready to be a nice, tasty, chilly treat for us!
Next commenced coconut smashing... which means going outside to my front patio and dropping the coconuts onto the ground to break the brown outer shell. It was then ready to pry out of that dark brown shell with a small spacula. After that (and sneaking a few small pieces to taste :), the coconuts were ready to peel the outside skin off. While I enjoy nibbling on it with the light skin still on, it's best for cooking and pies if you peel the rest off. I've found that a small paring knife is quicker than a potato peeler, but either way it's still a time consuming task. After that, the final step in the process is grating the coconut. At long last, your coconut is ready to be munch or added into granola or made into a delicious coconut cream pie!
Typhoid. {sigh} And anemia. {sigh again} Once again, I am thankful that none of this takes God by surprise, even though I had not been planning on getting sick this year. It's nice to finally have some answers on why my stomach still bothers me and why I'm exhausted, but I still covet your prayers.
While I've been convalescing in my home for the past week, I really have no new adventures to report. So, I've been working on reporting an older adventure. A few weeks ago, I learned how to prepare coconut here, and my experience is as follows...
How To Eat a Coconut in Haiti:
"Knock, knock!" someone called to me on evening a few weeks ago. It was Jon Bena, who was standing outside my door with 3 other Haitian friends and Caleb. Here, it's rare to actually knock on someone's door, and much more common to call out. Another typical greeting is for the visitor to say "One" (honor) to which you answer "respe" (respect). This particular evening, they had come to visit and see if I wanted some coconut.
In America, for me, coconut comes sweetened, shaved, and in a plastic bag. In Haiti, it comes from Jon Bena's 13 year old friend climbing the coconut tree in the yard outside my door. In an amazing feat of acrobatics, this boy climbed the 40 foot tree to throw down some coconuts for me.
After that, we walked over to a stump so that the buys could hack off the outside covering with a machete. Ben, Jon Bena's twin brother, is teaching the younger guys who to use a machete and still keep all of your fingers. Ben and jon Bena learned how to use one when they were 11 or 12.
After the thick outside layer was off of the coconuts, we migrated back to my house, found a drill, and made a small hole in the top of each coconut. That allowed us to extract the yummy coconut water. We poured all the coconut water into a pitcher, added sugar, and stuck it in the fridge for a couple of house until it was ready to be a nice, tasty, chilly treat for us!
Next commenced coconut smashing... which means going outside to my front patio and dropping the coconuts onto the ground to break the brown outer shell. It was then ready to pry out of that dark brown shell with a small spacula. After that (and sneaking a few small pieces to taste :), the coconuts were ready to peel the outside skin off. While I enjoy nibbling on it with the light skin still on, it's best for cooking and pies if you peel the rest off. I've found that a small paring knife is quicker than a potato peeler, but either way it's still a time consuming task. After that, the final step in the process is grating the coconut. At long last, your coconut is ready to be munch or added into granola or made into a delicious coconut cream pie!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
David's Amazing Missions Blog :D
I'm so excited for him!!! My amazing boyfriend David got accepted into a missions internship program in Costa Rica for this fall! I can't wait to read all about his adventures there! He'll be doing civil engineering projects and speaking a ton of Spanish.
You can follow him too at: www.engineeringhope.blogspot.com
You can follow him too at: www.engineeringhope.blogspot.com
p.s.
Hi, again!!!
Just a quick note of enormous thanks to my dear friend Bethi for my lovely blog makeover!!!! While waiting for the arrival of her second adorable baby girl, Bethi made my blog look gorgeous! Thanks a million, my dear friend! And welcome to the world, baby Madeline! I'm so glad you're here!
You can follow her adventures at her amazing blog: http://www.bethibook.com/
Thanks, Bethi!
Just a quick note of enormous thanks to my dear friend Bethi for my lovely blog makeover!!!! While waiting for the arrival of her second adorable baby girl, Bethi made my blog look gorgeous! Thanks a million, my dear friend! And welcome to the world, baby Madeline! I'm so glad you're here!
You can follow her adventures at her amazing blog: http://www.bethibook.com/
Thanks, Bethi!
My Life as a Haitian
Hi, blog friends!
Sorry about the long absence! It's been a really busy but neat month! I feel like I've gotten to experience a lot of distinctly Haitian things, and it's been wonderful. Are you interested in some details on my adventures as a "blan" (white girl) pretending to be Haitian?
First, I got back into the country 3 weeks ago after a nice little rest in the US. Since life has been a bit more intense for us post-quake, our mission board asked us to work a certain number of weeks and then rest. So, I was up on the respite cycle again, and it was nice to see my family, some friends, and my David again. So sweet!
Since I've been back, it's been an adventure! On our way back out to the island, we stopped in a little town and bought pates, a yummy little deep-fried, homemade hot pocket. Then, we took the sail boat, The Wesleyanna, back to our island paradise. Shortly after I got home, I opened the cupboard door, and a tiny gecko ran out! Next, the water in my kitchen didn’t work, so I got just a little taste of Haitian life as I carried drinking water from the Guest House to my own (if I were really Haitian, though, I would have carried it on my head—the women here are amazing!!!). I am so thankful to have running water again!
I’ve also been exploring the local market. When we have short term teams visiting from other countries, I usually eat in the Guest House with them, so I haven’t needed to cook for myself very often. But this month, I’ve gotten to do so more. Matt (a friend of mine from SC who’s also here serving for a year), Caleb (a guy from NY who’s been here since the earthquake directing food distribution), and I all went to the market. Matt’s great at finding the stuff that we want, Caleb’s amazing at negotiating prices on mangoes and lobsters, and I am the coconut buyer (I made friends with a merchant and her daughter and they give me a good price ). Matt and Caleb also found (and tried) dirt cookies, much to the amusement of the women working in the market!). Dirt cookies are made from a certain type of clay, sold very cheaply, and are supposed to stave off hunger pangs when you’re starving. Matt says that they taste like—shocker—dirt! Please pray for those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from; for those who find that dirt cookies are their only option.
I’ve also been working in the hospital clinic. It’s been neat to get to know the nurses better, see patients on follow-up visits, and feel more comfortable in my Creole. It’s been slightly less neat that some of my patients share well, and I’m home sick today.
David’s here for a visit!! It’s been fun to have him (especially when I wasn’t sick ). We went to my friend Esther’s church on Sunday, and we were asked to sing a duet! That’s how they like to make visitors feel welcome!! And it really doesn’t matter how you sound as long as you make a joyful noise to the Lord (thankfully, since I’m not much of a singer!).
There’s a quick summary of some of my Haitian adventures! I’ll try to update again as soon as I have some more adventures!
Sorry about the long absence! It's been a really busy but neat month! I feel like I've gotten to experience a lot of distinctly Haitian things, and it's been wonderful. Are you interested in some details on my adventures as a "blan" (white girl) pretending to be Haitian?
First, I got back into the country 3 weeks ago after a nice little rest in the US. Since life has been a bit more intense for us post-quake, our mission board asked us to work a certain number of weeks and then rest. So, I was up on the respite cycle again, and it was nice to see my family, some friends, and my David again. So sweet!
Since I've been back, it's been an adventure! On our way back out to the island, we stopped in a little town and bought pates, a yummy little deep-fried, homemade hot pocket. Then, we took the sail boat, The Wesleyanna, back to our island paradise. Shortly after I got home, I opened the cupboard door, and a tiny gecko ran out! Next, the water in my kitchen didn’t work, so I got just a little taste of Haitian life as I carried drinking water from the Guest House to my own (if I were really Haitian, though, I would have carried it on my head—the women here are amazing!!!). I am so thankful to have running water again!
I’ve also been exploring the local market. When we have short term teams visiting from other countries, I usually eat in the Guest House with them, so I haven’t needed to cook for myself very often. But this month, I’ve gotten to do so more. Matt (a friend of mine from SC who’s also here serving for a year), Caleb (a guy from NY who’s been here since the earthquake directing food distribution), and I all went to the market. Matt’s great at finding the stuff that we want, Caleb’s amazing at negotiating prices on mangoes and lobsters, and I am the coconut buyer (I made friends with a merchant and her daughter and they give me a good price ). Matt and Caleb also found (and tried) dirt cookies, much to the amusement of the women working in the market!). Dirt cookies are made from a certain type of clay, sold very cheaply, and are supposed to stave off hunger pangs when you’re starving. Matt says that they taste like—shocker—dirt! Please pray for those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from; for those who find that dirt cookies are their only option.
I’ve also been working in the hospital clinic. It’s been neat to get to know the nurses better, see patients on follow-up visits, and feel more comfortable in my Creole. It’s been slightly less neat that some of my patients share well, and I’m home sick today.
David’s here for a visit!! It’s been fun to have him (especially when I wasn’t sick ). We went to my friend Esther’s church on Sunday, and we were asked to sing a duet! That’s how they like to make visitors feel welcome!! And it really doesn’t matter how you sound as long as you make a joyful noise to the Lord (thankfully, since I’m not much of a singer!).
There’s a quick summary of some of my Haitian adventures! I’ll try to update again as soon as I have some more adventures!
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