Only Four More Days.....

I've had a very long day already (since 9:00 a.m. and it is now 2:00 p.m.) fighting with the Internet service, trying to check email, and just now was finally able to log on to my blog page. Wow! Most people would call it quits but it's a half-hour walk back home and the rain is still coming down. We've had more of the same kind of weather for the past week. Yesterday it was my turn to have laundry done and of course it poured after the new girl, Jeanette, hung them on the line. My clothes spent the night there and continue to hang there because we've had more rain. I may be taking my clothes in a Hefty bag if we can't get them dry by Monday evening. I still have another load that she did not get to wash. Okay, Weather Angels, we need some sunshine around here!
I only have four more days to get ready for my short trip to Houston. The kids have been restless and some have been acting up. I think they are thinking I may not come back or they really don't want me to leave. I have had a few mixed emotions myself. I can see how my presence here is really important to them but I also am looking so forward to a break and being with family and friends. It has been very lonely here at times.
When I am able to spend time on the Internet, I try to find other websites of Americans that are currently living here and learning more about what life is like for them and the ways of Haiti. The biggest difference that I can see between them and me is that most of them are here with a group. I am here on my own. They have each other for encouragement and support when the times get tough. They can work out a game plan for their mission and laugh at each other's ability to endure the Haitian lifestyle. Most of them are dealing with the general public and other outside institutions. I am living in a family situation and actively involve with the daily lives of those around me. There's no doubt that being in my shoes is not an easy task but at the same time, it isn't exactly horrible. There are plenty of people in this community who have it so much worse than I do. Some go for days without food. Many are sleeping (or not sleeping) in very poor and wet conditions for the most part. Many are very sick without the means for getting well. But, the saddest of all, are the many who face each day without hope. I know what that feels like and I was living in America under wonderful conditions. The chances for survival and a better life are slim without hope. If I can at least acknowledge a few lost souls each day, and make them smile for the smallest reason, I feel I have done something good. I want to at least let them know that someone knows they are here and that they matter.
I have been here now for nearly four months and even though the novelty has died down some, there are still many who run out (especially the children) to greet me when I am coming down the road. I can hear them calling my name even before I see their faces. Some just want to touch me. Others want to practice saying something in English. Some are getting the courage to ask my name or tell me theirs. I, too, have had to be a little more courageous and practice some of my Creole. I can understand how they feel when they are unsure of what they are saying. I have been laughed at, but take it lightly. I make it a point not to laugh at them. I don't want to discourage future attempts.
As for my leaving, I have fast-forwarded several times, trying to imagine what it will be like when I have to say my final goodbye. I already love these children as if they were mine and it's only been four months! I am hoping that this short trip will give me a little more insight and a better understanding of what God has planned for me.
On a good note, we will be celebrating two August birthdays this weekend since I will be gone on the official days. Alicia will be 11 and Fenelson will be 12. They are very excited but I have not told them which day yet because I still want to surprise them. I am praying that the propane will hold out long enough to bake the cake and also that the oven won't burn it. We've already had one casualty with an Angel Food cake. The kids didn't care. They ate the burnt part too!
I have finished four of the eleven drawstring backpacks that I am making for the kids. Each time I finish one, a child will come and ask if his or hers is next. When I get back from Houston, I will definitely have to pull out the sewing machine and hope that there will be enough gas for the generator before school starts. Ours is still broken so we are using a smaller one that is on loan from Lucner. It only last for a couple of hours which is what we are used to anyway. Cuts into my mealtime and bedtime routine but it's only temporary.
It is now 4:00 p.m. because we lost the connection again. I hope to get this posted right away. As I reviewed my writing, I found it interesting that I have a theme of "fours" for each story. I wonder what that's about? Oh well, may the "Fours" be with you. Ha!
I hope to have time to write while I am in Houston but if not, I'll be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are some things that you folks back in the States should be thankful for:
1. Air-Conditioning
2. Electricity
3. A Refrigerator
4. Hot Showers with the lights on.
5. A Television with lots of stations to watch and the ability to change them.
6. Eating whatever you please, whenever you please.
7. Ice Cream
8. Doing whatever you feel like after 9:00 p.m. (indoors or out)
9. Driving down the street in your own car.
10. Reading a newspaper.
11. Listening to your favorite music all day.
12. Picking up the phone to make a call and actually having a conversation without static or a time delay.
13. Going to the movies.
14. A fresh cold salad.
15. The sound of silence.
16. A clothes dryer. Ha! Wish I had one now!
18. Your neighborhood grocery store or shopping center.
19. A house with more than two rooms.
20. Living in the United States of America.
I am grateful to be here but will certainly take advantage of all the amenities while I am in Houston. Thanks for caring. Love to all!