It was a day in Haiti...

On Thursday, I had a day where I thought I was in Haiti.

I was getting ready to take my 12 kids to chapel, and one of the other 1st grade teachers needed to run to the restroom...so I told her I would take them down. So there we were, all 28 of us in a row...and I looked back and had a happy memory...

I missed my line of 36 little Haitians...standing there and smiling at me!

So walking down to chapel, I pretended...and knew that God had given me that memory for just a second...

A Letter of Love

Yesterday there was a letter sitting on my counter.

It was in kid writing...
and the return address said Gabe.

I was so excited...I tore open the envelope and looked at a sweet picture from my Gabe in Haiti. What a fun surprise and a happy day.

Overwhelmed...

Today I was in Kroger.
And I got really overwhelmed. This has continued to happen to me since living in Haiti. I don't know if its because of how much we have, the crowds, or what...but I start walking around and get a bit nervous.
Today I was getting food for the next week or two...and I even had a list. But I did get a little distracted. People were everywhere, not saying excuse me, pushing past others, being very loud.
What it must be like to move here from another country...wow.

Cell phones...and a surprise party!

I love that my Haitian friends have cell phones! It is always such a fun surprise when they give me a call just to say hey...I love love love it!!

Also...my roommate Amanda Claire showed me one hilarious video on the SNL site.
I mean...so many amazing lines that you could get from this video!
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=237294

My new favorite song...

I absolutely love this song...and it makes so much sense. God has given me so much...and I stand in front of Him, asking him to be my everything...

I’m the one with two left feet
Standing on a lonely street
I can’t even walk a straight line
And every time you look at me
I’m spinning like an autumn leaf
Bound to hit bottom sometime
Where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won’t let me fall
You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
'Cause You are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart

I’m the one with big mistakes
Big regrets and bigger breaks
Than I'd ever care to confess
Oh but, You’re the one who looks at me
And sees what I was meant to be
More than just a beautiful mess
Where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won’t let me fall
You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
'Cause You are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You’re everything good in my life
Everything honest and true

And all of those stars hanging up in the sky
Could never shine brighter than You
You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
'Cause You are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You are
Oh You are Jesus,
You are You are everything

Moments...

Sometimes sadness takes you by surprise.


Sometimes you know that its coming. I think I knew that this summer would be a hard one. Moving into an apartment, finding a job...totally affirmed the fact that this is one summer I am not spending time getting myself prepared for another year in Haiti.


I miss it. I don't see how I couldn't! Living there for 3 years, adapting to life there was something that I loved. The simplicity of life...not having to worry about time (granted sometimes having people show up late could unnerve you some..) and just the common interest in people are things that I greatly miss.


I got some pictures developed the other day...they really made me happy!!

6 Words...

On Sunday...Jon Weece asked for us to make a 6 word phrase about our life.

I think this would be mine...

Jesus called me...Mwen renmen Ayiti.

Four 2 Best Friends

These boys are amazing.

Hanging out with Marc and Gepson this year has been one of the highlights of my year. These boys have taken us around town, made us laugh, and just been good friends. I am going to miss them...but it is wonderful to have such great friends!!

2 Suitcases...too many memories

1 week left.

As I look around my room...which is a complete disaster zone as I try to pack, I wonder how I can pack 3 years of my life into 2 suitcases (well...3 because I get one of Cady's too).

I can pack up my pictures, clothes, books, and even school stuff, but I can't pack up all my memories. I am so glad that God gave me the opportunity to be here. I catch myself getting emotional alot during the day...and I just can repeatedly give thanks that he has let me be here. I have grown so much...and I can't even really begin to explain the ways I have changed.

I am going to miss being here...but one thing I do know is that my love of missions won't ever change. And my love of Haiti will never go away.

Which could mean...I may be back...

Burdens to bear...

For those of you that received Cady's email about things that are happening...
I wanted to let you know the updates:

Yesterday, there was an accident right in front of our school. Sonlight receives diesel every few days, and yesterday was part of the routine. While filling up the tanks, something happened (either the hose came loose or a line was cut) and the diesel came out. Right in front of the school, there are always ladies making rice, marinad, banan, selling candy, cookies, etc... The diesel got onto the ladies, reacted with the hot oil that the ladies use...and created an explosion. One of the sweet ladies that works out there, Mme Marange and another woman were seriously burned. I was in the workroom when they brought Mme Marange in, and she was burned at probably 60% of her body. Carmen and Norma rushed them out to the hospital, to get them the help they needed. Before they left the hospital, the doctors said they would be okay.
This morning, we found out that Mme Marange had died in the middle of the night. We haven't heard anymore details.
Please pray for the families of Mme Marange and the other lady (I will find out her name soon). This was a huge accident, and everyone around Sonlight...teachers, students, aides...are all hurting and very sad.
One of my students this morning said to me..."Miss Ashley, I was going to buy some candy, but the lady died." Even my 1st graders are hurting. Its hard when tragedies occur, because we don't understand what God is going to do from the situation.
All we ask is that God is glorified through this...

Please pray for the family as well...they are not believers in God...and are heavily into VooDoo. Pray that this will be away for them to see God's love...through us, our students, and the community.

All the little ducks follow...all in a row

Last night, Cady, Josh, Kala, Lorraine, and I had a little adventure!
The Sonlight basketball team was playing downtown at a school called Lesly Docteur, so we loaded up on taxis to go and watch.
Once we got there...we were definitely the only 'blans' there, except for Kyle...who is one of the coaches.
The students showed us where we needed to sit...so we followed them and took our places to watch the game. We were sitting with our students and Mr. and Mme Edrice...who have 7 kids at our school! The Maurasses are one of the most kind, thoughtful, and loving families that I have ever been around. They intrigue me because of their amazing traits, and the fact that Momma and Papa Maurasse aren't even Christians! But God is using them in so many ways...to work with, love on, and help provide for street kids.
Anyway...back to my story...
We all cheered on Sonlight through the first half. At halftime, some of the fans from the other team, CNDL, came over to our side and sat above us. They started bothering our girls...and I think there was even some spitting going on! But Mme Edrice and Mr. Edrice set out to take care of it. They tried to get the boys to move, but when that didn't happen...I am pretty sure we staged a protest! All of the Sonlight fans got up and moved!! We waited, and finally we were ushered back to our seats. As we were walking...Momma Maurasse looked at all of us and said...
"Everything will be okay".
We watched the second half of the game (we lost) and then proceeded to start leaving. We were all planning on just taking taxis home (this would be a definite adventure, in the dark) but the Maurasses wouldn't hear of it. Mme Edrice grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go...she definitely wanted to take us home! So we all crammed in their SUV and Papa Maurasse drove us back.
Yea for our Mama Duck...who takes care of us!!

Group Time...

Having a group here always means being busy! I am 'in charge' (and I say that loosely haha) of being the tour guide around Port-de-Paix. I have employed Allison as my help...and Cady as well!
Its always an amazing experience, seeing the different reactions from the groups. There are people who immediately get right in the middle, love on the kids, do anything they can. There are those who step back and take time to take it all in, and then there are those who just feel a burden and want to help out. The amazing thing is, is that I think you can be all of these 'people'. When I came to visit, I loved playing and talking to the kids. I also had to take some time, and I was very quiet and retrospective (which everyone knows isn't really me!!), and then I felt that I needed to help. I wanted to help. So here I am!
Anyway...groups are fun. They always bring a different dynamic, a different feeling with them...and I enjoy getting to meet new people!

Friends

I love these girls!!!

Thaina

This is Thaina. She is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever had the privilege of teaching. Thaina joined our 1st grade class in January. She actually started out this year with Cady in preschool. After a week, they decided she was too bright for it, so they moved her on to kindergarten. Thaina was already writing sentences when most of the kindergarteners were just starting to learn sight words!
So in January, Thaina moved to 1st grade. She is such a bright spot in my classroom. She's always smiling...which I love...because I am trying to always smile too. With her in my classroom, its easy to do! Thaina catches onto little jokes that I make, she can figure out logic problems, and she is one of the hardest workers in my class.

Watch out Haiti...in 15 years, you are going to have one bright and driven girl on your hands...and I can't wait to see what God has in store for her!!

Its Gettin' Hot In Here...

Today is the first official HOT day. Now granted you may say...Ashley, you live in Haiti. Right, but today it was hot, all day long. Not humid for the morning with some rain to cool us off. Or a nice breeze that breaks up the heat. Today was a hot, humid, heavy day. And this meant...hot, sweaty, sticky kids!
In the mornings, our kids have abour 25 minutes to run around, play, talk, etc...before pledge starts. This morning as we were lining up, I had a line full of boys with sweat just dripping off their faces. Then at recess...they just ran and ran and ran...and were soaked by the end! Walking into the classroom, Febens gave me one of his famous hugs, which meant the whole front of my shirt was covered in sweat!!
Good to know my kids love me...even when they are sweaty!

Cool Whip

Now I know that if you read both Cady's and my blog, you are thinking...what is the obsession with Cool Whip??
But seriously...if it has been months since you have gotten any 'new' food...and you get a treat like Cool Whip, you would be talking about it too!! I love Cool Whip. You can ask my parents. I used to get caught with a spoon and the Cool Whip container often. So...there you go!!Anyway...we are thanking the customs people and Oreste for getting the freezers off the boat so quickly, so we can have a little bit of fun!!!

New Additions...

So there have been a few new additions around Port-de-Paix recently.
One would be the amazing new stereo system that our neighbors in the alley have. Its so fun to hear the LOUD music (sarcasm included) every day. I have heard an eclectic collection of music...such as Celine Dion, Wyclef, Elton John, some Haitian rap, and even heard some soccer games. We have decided that it may be in our best interest to make them a CD of some new 'songs' for them to play...songs we wouldn't care to hear!!
Also, Claudia and Warren had their baby!! On Saturday night, Arwen Elizabeth was born. We have heard she has a full head of hair and is a happy and alert baby. Yea!!!

Febens

So many things can be said about this wonderful little boy.

Every morning when he sees me, when I stand in the door at the beginning of the day greeting my students, after recess, at the end of the day, and anytime in between...Febens always gives me a hug!

He is always the first to hand me a drawing he has done, the first to give me his goofy grin, and one of the first to stand up and shake it when we dance!!

I love this boy.

And as he likes to write...

Miss Ashley

Miss Cady

Miss Febens
Three to best friends to gedher.

A Visit to Pirate Island

Last Saturday, we had the AMAZING opportunity to visit La Tortue. Its an island, that can be seen from Port-de-Paix...and its the famous pirate island! It had been rumored to have the most beautiful white beaches, so when Lenny and Allison asked us to go, of course we jumped at the chance!

We rode on a boat (about an hour and a half there...2 hours to get back) and had a fun time. On the way out I had to 'focus' on the land...I was definitely getting a little seasick. On the way back though, I was too busy laughing and trying to hold on as the boat would tip over to one side. We almost lost Allison at one point!

The beach was amazing. I can't even put into words the amazingness that was the beach. And the ocean was exquisite. It has been one of my favorite moments in Haiti.

A New Requirement...

Evidently there is a new requirement for being in 1st grade at Sonlight...

Shaving your eyebrows!!

The picture on the left was from last school year, when Dimitri decided to shave off his eyebrow just because.

The picture on the right is of Tracy, from yesterday, who also decided to do a little 'shaping up' of her brows.

Seriously...why do my students do the strangest things??

Bruised Reed

For those of you that don't attend Southland in Lexington, Bruised Reed is a ministry that began to support, encourage, visit, and pray for women at nightclubs in Lexington. Once a week, people donate their time and make food, pray over it, or go and deliver this food to the women at the nightclubs.
Two of the women that work with this ministry, Jani and Shawna, have been in Haiti since Friday. We were invited on Saturday to go around and visit a couple of brothels here in Port-de-Paix and invite them to church. So Cady, Amanda, and I loaded up with a few women and 2 Haitian men and went in search of these brothels.
What an adventure. We visited 3...and I was in a whole other world. I was blown away by the sadness, the pride, the dirtiness, and the shame that these women bore. At the second brothel we visited, we were overwhelmed by the happiness and joy these women had for us! They wanted to sit next to us, touch us, and just 'be loved'. Diana, a permanent missionary here, invited them to come to their church on Sunday. They all seemed very willing and open to going!
Cady just had a phone call from Jani, and 8 of the women showed up this morning! Praise God! They were asking for Cady, Amanda, and I by name...and were wondering why we weren't there. Please pray for the ladies that work at these brothels...that they feel invited by others to attend church, they feel loved, and most importantly, that they understand that no matter what their past, God will always love them.

April Fools...

Cady and I thought about funny pranks we could pull all day...from taking funny pictures and sending them home or even doing something to the kids, I finally remembered that my dad had sent me 3 cans of silly string. Now, for those of you that know my dad, this isn't a far-fetched idea at all. Cady and I went home after lunch, grabbed two cans of silly string, and went off looking for our 'victims'. We decided that Gepson, who works in the office, would be the best to attack. We took the lids off our cans and were ready to spray, right as I opened the door. Luckily, another great victim, Marc, was standing at the desk talking to Gepson!
I opened the door, and we started to spray...it was UH-MAZING!!!!
After we finished, we ran! Marc came running after us and tried his hardest to pry the can out of my fingers...too bad!! Then, we sprayed Luc, the yardman at Sonlight. He was a little confused on what it was, but laughed really hard!!
As we were finishing up, we sprayed into Norma's patio, and got a few ladies, Norma included!
It really was a great prank...
So thanks Dad for the amazing cans of silly string...and the confusion of all the Haitians we sprayed!!!

Pirate Beach Day

On Monday, some of the teachers piled into the red truck and rode about an hour away to a beach called La Baye. It is very beautiful, with sand, beautiful blue water, and amazing sun!!

Laying under the sun, of course getting a bit toasty, was amazing. It was a total 'Spring Break' thing to do!!

And of course I am always 'documenting' with pictures...and this picture pretty much sums up the amazingness of the day...

I like to think this man used to be a pirate...just check out his 'shorts' (underwear...promise!), his sarong (that said I Love Jesus) and his amazing 'man'danna. He was the coolest thing on the beach Monday!

Playing with Play-doh

Each week, my students have 8 spelling words. We have a workbook that has different activities for them each day, but I also like to add a few fun things for them, so that they can continue practicing their words.
One of our favorite activities is to spell our words with play-doh. The kids each get a can, and we pick one word, spell it with the play-doh, and then do air hi-fives when we are finished.

After we spell all the words, I give the kids a few minutes to play with their play-doh. I wanted to share this sweet creation my Jeff did...He really is sweet!!

Uh-mazing people.

So its Wednesday...and I am still recovering from the amazing group from Southland that was here last week. We had SO much fun...I can't even explain it. Here are some pictures...of my new and old friends!!

Laughing so hard my belly hurts

This is going to be a short post...just to let you know that I am having one amazing week! A group from Southland is here...and we have been hanging out, laughing, and just sharing in lots of community. It is what I needed. I needed some hardcore laughing. Man...these people are so funny! I thank God for them being here...

Twinkle Twinkle

We have been working on nursery rhymes the past 3 weeks, and this week we have been saying Twinkle Twinkle.
Audra loves the camera...so she said she would say it for me.
Listen to the words (not right at all) and then wait for the best part...its amazing!! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpFunLt4-JU

I thought I was going to have to go to the bathroom...I was laughing so hard!!

Painting faces

There is a group here from Texas this week...they are painting faces...here are just a few of my cuties!!!!

They did paint my face...but oh darn, there's no picture of that!!

Drama, Drama, Drama...

If any of you have read Cady's latest blog update, you will know what I am writing about.

This week, the dentists are here. That alone, strikes fear in the hearts of any child at Sonlight. Since there really is no dental care around, we are lucky to have an amazing dentist who gives a week to come and help all of our students.

After seeing the dentist, our kids then get to have their teeth cleaned. They get to pick a prize out of the box...and who doesn't love prizes!! Shelldens loved her neon green basketball headband..

On Tuesday, we had to send home notes with our kids about getting vaccinations. So yesterday was the fateful day. I thought we were going to be okay, we had talked about it, but then...the vaccination people got a little confused. They all came into my classroom with their supplies, came to the front, and lined up. This created a little bit of freaking out (I would have too!). They left and went outside, and after recess it began. Most of my students were coming back in with smiles on their faces, and told me how strong they were. Then I had 6 girls who were bawling. Wailing. Crying so hard you would have thought their arm was about to fall off. Who loves getting shots?? Not these girls!!

If the students didn't bring back their sheet signed, they weren't able to get their shot. Most of my students brought their sheet back, some had already had their shots, and then there was Sophiana. Sophiana's sheet said no...and she was so upset!! So she sat at her seat, tears streaming down her face, all because she wanted to get a shot.

I really and truly hope today is better than yesterday!

Al George

Al George is one of my students. He has a very political name!

He is very funny...and always laughing. He gets all the little hidden jokes inside of our stories (which is hard for my kids since they don't always comprehend the background) and loves to make up stories of his own.

It seems right now that Al George loves me. He has told all of the students around him...and in the past two days, I have received many small bits of paper with the following written on it...

"I want to cise cise Miss Ashley" (cise is translated in 1st grade language to kiss).

Its good to be loved...even by a 7 year old!

Where did our puppet go??

My roommate Cady is a professional prankster...from the stories I have heard...she became a legend in college! So it comes as no surprise that she has now begun her pranking in Haiti...the targets, my 1st graders!

Cady 'puppet-napped' our favorite puppet, Jackie Chan (my students lovingly named him). On Tuesday morning, she 'sent' us a note that said something is missing from your classroom. What is it?? After we decided that it wasn't Vasthie (who was out sick with chicken pox...as you can see below), we realized that it was the beloved Jackie Chan.

So I have taken this opportunity to use this time to teach...hard to believe I know! But we are writing letters, describing him, and working on our sentences. The students have been really funny about it, and are always asking me if I have seen Jackie when I leave the room for just a second! Even yesterday in the late afternoon, I saw one of my students who asked me if I had seen Jackie Chan, and then asked me if he was in the box that I was carrying! It will be a funny day once we find him! I will keep you posted!

Blame It On The Rain...

Today I had a flashback...with the help of a CD from Thom. Thom and Cara go through their CD's and then send them onto the White House girls...so we can see if we want them! Today, I had a sack full of CD's on my desk...and the first ones I pull out are burned, then I pulled out an amazing copy of Milli Vanilli...Girl You Know Its True. No joke! Now if my students are going around singing songs such as "Girl You Know Its True" or even "Blame It On The Rain"...its not my fault!

The Zipper Man

So there is this man that comes to church on Sundays that I have affectionately named the Zipper Man. He’s in his late 50’s (I am guessing) and is very involved in church. I noticed this last year, and really thought it was so funny. He comes to church with a little lunch box that zips around. In that lunch box, he carries his Bible, his hymn book, and another book. All three of these books are zippered around the covers to protect the pages. I am hoping that he has stock somewhere in zippers...

Suzy Homemaker...

I have been little Miss Homemaker today (Mom, Grandma, you would be proud!)
This morning when we got home from church, I decided to make some cupcakes. Then, Cady and I had to talk about lunch, and we were having Emelien and his brother Josue over for lunch. So I then made some baked spaghetti. I was proud of myself today!!
Having Emelien and Josue over today was so much fun. Emelien works with John at the school, doing construction. He is 14, and has picked up English with John's help. He works hard, is super responsible, and easily one of the sweetest kids I have ever met. His little brother Josue, is in preschool, although he is 7. Josue just started school this year, and so he is starting a bit late, but working really very hard. These two boys are just amazing...and after an afternoon of silly dancing, laughing, singing, and translating words from English to Creole and vice versa, I felt very satisfied as Suzy Homemaker!!

Birds...

I have a fear of birds...and not because I think they are scary, I think many birds are beautiful, I just get nervous that a bird is going to attack me and peck out my eyes. Dumb huh?? And I think I only watched the movie "Birds" once!!!

My students during recess like to be creative. Many imagination games are taking place all day...and they love to use anything they can find in their games. A few weeks ago, my kids found these pieces of a tree that had fallen off and were laying on the ground. They collected them, put them together, and made 'nests'. Then they came and grabbed my hands, pulled me over, and showed me how they were the birds and they had made nests. I think I can handle these birds!

Ti Paul (or Ti John...)

Walking is one of my favorite activities in Haiti. I have become a huge fan of getting out, getting fresh air, exercise, and just being with some of my favorite friends.
We walk many different paths, but there is one path that takes us past a place where a boy named Ti Paul lives. Ti Paul (which means Little Paul) is physically and mentally handicapped, and one of my favorite people to see on our walk. He gets so excited to see us, especially when we start speaking to him! Once when we went walking, I was loving on him, hugging on him, and out of excitement, he bit me (not very hard), under my arm. As shocking as it was, I knew this was his way of showing how much he loved us giving him attention.
There aren't schools or homes for people with special needs to go to, and so I shudder at the fact that I am not sure what happens to these special people.
Yesterday, Allison, Cady, and I went for a walk. We walked past Ti Paul's house, and he seemed happy to see us, but hesitated in stumbling up the side of the hill. We finally coaxed him up just to talk to him, and he was so happy that he didn't even mention that I called him the wrong name (I kept calling him Ti John!) His excitement and love is what I hope I have always for my students and the people around me, whether I am in Haiti or in the States...(I promise though, that I won't bite!)

Happy 100th Day!!

So here in Haiti, in the first grade classroom, we celebrated our 100th day of school. Now you may ask...what about eveyone else?? Here's the thing. Here at Sonlight, we don't have the ability to call in sick and request a sub. So, if we are sick, our children go home and have a day off of school. I like to think that they my students are going home, working, reading, and learning, and not being excited that their teacher is sick..(but then I remember the excitement of having a sub!)

In honor of the excitement, today we made 100 day hats, we wrote about what we could eat 100 of, stayed quiet for 100 seconds (yea right...) and did 10 sets of 10 exercises. At the end of the day, my students; got a lovely 1ooth day certificate and a big old kiss from me! Now that we have hit 100...its all downhill from here!

Love is...

With love in full bloom for my students, I decided I would ask them what love is. Of course, this was met with confused looks (remember, English is their 2nd language!) So I asked how do you know someone loves you or how do you show someone you love them?
Here are some of my favorites...

Love is...
-when my sister has a surprise for me (Timothe)
-when you write them and a letter and say I love you (Tracy)
-giving water and food and cake (Tanouchka)
-when he tells me he loves me (Berdjna)
-when you write 'beautiful' and smell good (Al George)
-when you kiss someone (Barbara)
-when you write a letter (Jeff)
-eating ice cream with someone (Samuel) -I agree wholeheartedly! :)
-because God loves me (Flore) -this one touches my heart!

Have a wonderful Valentines Day...and remember what Flore says...God loves us, which shows us love!

Breaking Bones...

So one of my students has broken a bone in his collarbone/shoulder area. I am not really all that sure where it is, but Carmen says its a small bone (she saw the very fingerprinted x-ray). It happened right before our break last week, and another student pushed poor Lud down. Lud fell and all day he was complaining about his shoulder hurting, etc...

He came to school yesterday with his arm inside his shirt, in a sling. It was his right arm, he is right handed, so it has been an adventure! He has been a trooper, writing with his left hand and trying his best. I can't help but giggle though when I see his right arm creep up through the collar of his shirt to scratch his nose or adjust his paper...so I think that he is going to be okay!

Lud, Yodh, and Marc

Also...as Valentine's Day approaches, my students are getting excited and are asking others in our class if they will be their 'valentines'! It starts early I guess! :)

The Citadel and Sans-Souici Palace

Cap Haitien was a great vacation. It truly was a good time to relax, think things through, lay by the pool, hang out with friends, but also have some adventure!

On Friday, Allison, Cady, Kala, and myself woke up early to head to the Citadel. We met our guide Mike in the lobby of our hotel, and our driver Papichou (Poppy-shoe). Now Papichou had a very nice Montero Sport that we were all looking forward to riding in. Until, we get out to the car and Mike is in the passenger seat and we realize one of us is going to be riding in the back. Being the nice person I am, I climb in the back. What was I thinking?? For an hour, I held on while we went over horrible roads, swerved massive potholes, and went straight up a hill. I was flailing around in the back...my legs were going everywhere, and I was even offered a seat in between Papichou and Mike, on the emergency brake. No thanks, I decided to just hold in all my sickness feeling and pray that I didn't puke.




We finally reached the highest we could go...got out (I was finding my legs again) and found a 'horse' to ride to the top. This really wasn't a horse as much as it was something that was short. But, it got us up the mountain! After a 30 minute ride up, we finally arrived at the Citadel. It was absolutely amazing. We walked around, looking at the intricate details they had put in, the systems that they installed while making this fort, and heard the story about King Christophe and why he wanted to build the Citadel. (To the left, this is a view of the Citadel while riding up the mountain on the horse).

It truly was huge, and amazing. There were still cannonballs there, some of the cannons that were stolen from Napoleon's ship, we saw the toilet that never had to be emptied, and saw an amazing view of Haiti from the very top.



After viewing the Citadel, we went down to the palace of Sans-Souici. This place was also very beautiful. It amazes me how ruins stay in tact, so much of them that you can tell what exactly it was going to be inside of the palace...and of course, I think we all did a little dreaming about what we would do if we lived in a palace! Who wouldn't?



The rest of our trip was great. We did some shopping (there are lots of little stores that sell to visitors that come in and people on the cruise boats that stop at Labadee. There was a man who was trying his best to sell me some bowls (i was looking at them of course!) He first told me I could pay 200 American, and I laughed really loud and said no. Then he tried 40 American. And I said no and walked out of the store. He came after me and brought me back...and asked me how much I would pay. So I said 200 Haitian (about 28 American dollars). He accepted, and now I am the owner of a really amazing wooden carved salad bowl and 6 little bowls to keep it happy!


Here's a picture of my other adventurers...and I will let you know of more stories when I think of them!

What Do You Do On A Day Off??

We have this whole week off because of Mardi Gras, and I bet many people are wondering what it is that we find ourselves doing. Are you ready for this??
Not much.

Not that there aren’t things for us to be doing, but when you are teaching, you can sometimes feel overworked and tired. So all you really want to do is rest! Definitely. It is Monday, and I have already found myself thinking of things that I can do to keep myself entertained but not worn out!! J
Yesterday, we started a 24 Season 4 marathon. This of course, was exciting. When watching a show like 24, you sometimes have to watch as many as you can to keep the suspense down. So that’s what we did!
I have decided, from watching 7 episodes of 24 in the last 24 hours, that there are many words that I should try to integrate into my vocabulary.
Schematics…Thermal Satellite Scan…Sensory Depravation Torture…Scenario (only if its pronounced as sin-are-e-o)…and more words that I just can’t even remember!!

Now don’t let my bumming around fool you…I do have plans to go walking, work in my classroom, and get ready for our Ladies Retreat…but it is also nice not to worry about what I am teaching tomorrow or if my copies are ready. Let’s just hope I don’t get too bored…because that happens too!

House of Hope, Mardi Gras, and Bathroom Breaks

One thing that I have been elected to do over the past couple of years is be an 'orientator' for groups that come in. I get them settled in at the hotel, help them understand the culture (well, as much as I do), and take them around different high points of Port-de-Paix.
The group that was in this past week was from Florida. They were a group of older adults (60's-70's) who were up for any challenge we gave them! Yesterday, Allison, Cady, Kala, Josh, John, and I went with them downtown to the market. Market can be an overwhelming experience, with Haitians stopping you, asking for money, or for you to buy something from their table.
After that, we drove out to La Pointe, to one of my favorite places, the House of Hope. This is an
orphanage/hospital for children whose parents can't take care of them, are malnourished, or have TB (on the well end of that). One of these babies, Oldina, has become my favorite. I immediately search for her when I get there, and then hold on to her until they make me leave!

This coming week we have a break. I know, we have been here for a month and already have a week off!! Here in Haiti...we get Mardi Gras week off and then we have Easter break as well. Anyway, this week I will be doing nothing but relaxing (so email me if you want!) and on Wednesday, 8 of us ladies are heading to Cap Haitian for a relaxing little 4 day retreat. It will be fun to get away, lay by a pool, go shopping at little vendors, and even go to the Citadelle! It will be fun, and also a time for me to get my 'ducks in a row' concerning my next year decisions. So...we will see!

Lastly...I am putting this on here for Cady (it is funny too), on Thursday we were preparing to go outside for recess. My kids were decorating their sponsorship envelopes, and were a little perturbed with me when I told them it was time to get ready to go outside. I heard a moan go across the room, so I told my class that they would be able to work on their envelopes when we came back in and they were having their bathroom break. Dimitri (who loves to bring me gifts) looked at me in all seriousness and said..."Miss Ashley, why did are you going to break the bathroom?" Oh the joys of literal meaning!!!

Love is in the air...

First grade always seems a bit early to start 'loving' someone, but not here!
Yesterday as we were unpacking and getting ready for the day, one of my students found this love letter on the floor:

Dear Jeff,
How are you,
Do you love me,
but I love you so much,
You is my boy fried,
you are my best boy fried,
I love you,
Berdjna
this is for you Jeff

So after trying my best not to laugh outloud, I let one of my aides read it, who continued to say, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!"

I would like to say that I am teaching my boys how to be good 'boy frieds'...and laughing at how funny my kids are!!!

Common Confusion...

Obviously, when learning any new language, you are prone to mistakes. Today, two of my kids got their words a little bit confused!!

During snack, I gave each of my kids Flintstones vitamins! Its always such a treat when they get these, because they think they are kinda like candy. So after talking about how they make us strong and we should always take our vitamins, I let them chew them up. They were so excited, and a few wanted to just suck on them to make them last longer. As I was walking by, Audra grabbed me and said, "Miss Ashley, everyday I think you should give us violins". Who knew that giving them vitamins would make them want to join an orchestra!

There has been some sinus issues affecting alot of our students lately. During Math, Tracy was rubbing her nose alot and then looked at me and said, "I just have burgers Miss Ashley. I just have burgers. " And I said, "Excuse me?" And she repeated..."I have burgers. Burgers in my nose". Who knew?

My fears...

So, over the past 2 and a half years, I have really gotten a chance to feel comfortable with the pigs, goats, and donkeys that roam the streets...and I always love dogs...but my fears of creepy crawly things and mice have intensified.

Tonight, I had just put the pizza in the oven and ran upstairs to plug my laptop back in after some surging. As I walked into my dark room, something scurried across the floor. Naturally, I freaked...thinking it was a mouse! If you don't know, I have become terribly afraid of mice and rats after one jumped out of my filing cabinet my first year here. Not a fun thing at all! Anyway...I began screaming...and not just small screams...I am talking full force scare my roommates screams. Kala came upstairs and we began to try and catch this lizard with a cup and a magazine. To no avail, he is still somewhere in my bedroom (or hopefully, out my balcony door).

So tonight...hopefully I will sleep without the fear of something creepy and slimy crawling on my face. Ewww.....

Why did it take me so long??

So after 2 and a half years, I decide to start writing in a blog. Luckily, I will not bore you with all of my exciting stories and amazing adventures that I have had (because if you ask me about it, sometimes I just freeze up and forget). So I will just update you on the happenings of my life, the excitement of Haiti, and my plans for the future.

In the past two weeks...we have been busy! Living in Haiti, my life has quite roughly adjusted to not having lots of things to do, places to go, pretty much not having a consuming schedule. But, we have been busy unloading the boat with all of our supplies and Christmas presents for the kids, unpacking our crates, report cards...and now things have started to settle down a bit.

Sorting Christmas presents for our students can be somewhat stressful, but this year was actually really easy! Pretty much, sponsors decide to send down gifts for their sponsor students...and then we add gifts to those who may not have a gift. One of my favorite things to see is opening up a present for a child, and it having a big bag of candy with a sweet note that talks about sharing with your friends. And the excitement on my students faces...what an amazing time...

My students...I wish that I could remember every funny moment...But thats impossible!! Two of my students, Tracy and Ted, have found out that I know the movie High School Musical. So sometimes, while they are working, I hear a "pssstt...Miss Ashley. Do you know this song?" And I will then be serenaded with one of the many songs from the movie. Ted also likes to tell me all about Hannah Montana (his favorite show...he has satellite) and Tracy asked me yesterday if I liked to watch BET. You can tell which of my children are a little bit blessed!!!

As most of you know, I have found a new favorite hobby...hiking and exploring around Port-de-Paix with my friends. Last Friday, Allison and I went for a walk and it turned out to be an adventure! We first went to visit her maid who just had a sweet little baby, and while we were there, the rain began to pour! We waited, and when it had stopped, we decided to start walking again, and for the next little bit we were rained on! We tried hard not to slip on the mud (which is usually inevitable when it comes me!) One of the most amazing things on our walk was the invitations that we received to come into houses and wait for the rain. In one area, every house seemed to invite us in...and not just because we were white! God's love shines through so many people...would we ever really feel comfortable inviting a stranger into our house to wait for the rain to end...and would we ever accept an invitation like that?