Karen Sat Day 7

Hello from Haiti!! I wanna start off by saying we are having a blast here, I am with the most amazing group of people... the work has been probably some of the hardest work I have ever done but the most rewarding and we are having a lot of laughs (usually at someone's expense) LOL Yesterday we worked on the roof of the school which is four stories high, we watched the Haitian workers mix the cement and one by one pass buckets up this really long ladder (that they made) up to the roof and then to us, then they lay the cement and use a long peace of wood to make the floor level. It is amazing to watch how they do things here. It was really hot, but they just keep on going. Being at the school everyday gave us the opportunity to meet a lot of the students that are not in the orphange we are staying at. They are so happy to talk to us, some of them speak English, some only a little. We are learning how to communicate through the ones that do speak English. They will translate for us so we can talk with the ones that we don't understand. We are learning some creole, it is so cool to watch them when we say things to them in their language, the love it. A lot of the kids that hang out at the school dont go there, you can see in some of the pics that there is a courtyard that they hang out in. They play soccer there, and hang out with their friends there. All of the kids that do not attend the school are so eager to help us with our work. One boy in particular has been there everyday, he is about 7 and his name Robertson. This kid is soooo cute, he has one tooth longer than the other and it is seriously adorable! He comes and works with us and does everything we do, he passes us the cement buckets, the cinder blocks, everything. He comes and gets in our line and he just wants to help. We felt so bad for him because he was wearing sandals that were half ripped so we got him some, it was the least we could do. We also made him a bag with some shirts and peanut butter and toothbrush/toothpaste...pretty much whatever we could find in the things that we brought. It's hard for us because we want to give these kids everything. There is no public school system, which absolutely boggles my mind, so if these kids don't get sponsored they don't go to school and basically roam around all day. Yesterday was our last work day, leaving that school and knowing that we probably won't see the kids that we have been with since we got here was really hard on a few of us. When we were leaving, a few of the kids and Robertson walked us all the way home, they were holding Amy and I's hands... I dont know if they sensed we were upset but it was a moment I will never forget. We cried the whole way and they just hugged us and were trying to say thank you and we will miss you, but the language barrier is hard. It seems like they get what were trying to say.

Today we went up to the mountains to the Baptist Mission, it has a bakery and a green house and a place where you can get American food and Ice cream. It was really nice to go up the mountains that we have been looking at all week, it was really cool up there too which was nice. Then we went to a spot that over looks all of Haiti, you can see the ocean and all the houses and tents. When we came back we played with the kids and had dinner. We then went to the supermarket. It was the most American looking thing we have seen the whole time we were here, except for the guards outside. It was nice to see more of Haiti then the villages we have been in. When we got back we had dinner. I am shocked to say that I have probably gained weight here.... I thought I would be losing it because of all the work, and I had a preconceived idea that the food would be bad. It is the total opposite, the food is delicious! We asked the women if they could make a cake because today is Dave's 30th Bday! They made the best chocolate cake and we got ice cream at the store. The women here also set up a little show for us. They got the kids into the dining hall and they all sang Happy Birthday to Dave, it was one of the best things I have seen. They sang in creole and in English and then they sang "Here I am to Worship" as well. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate a birthday, but I'll let Dave tell you about that. They also wrote all their names in a book that Doug ( one of the leaders) bought him at the Mission. It was so cute to see them all write their names! I can't say enough about how adorable and loving these kids are. They take care of eachother and share everything. The babies are so cute too. I got to hang out with Pastor Rigo today because I drove in one of the trucks with him, he is so amazing. This guy does everything for these kids, he takes them in and gives them a life that is a million times better than what they would have with out him. He is just a beautiful person, light just pours out of him. You can just see the love of Jesus in his face. We see him all the time at the orphanage and the kids just love him. Tomorrow we have church, dave is preaching. Then we go La Saline, one of the poorest places here, we will be feeding them and giving them water. Please pray for us because we are told that what we have seen is nothing compared to what we will see there. I am sort of all over the place tonight so sorry for that. I am trying to fit a million things into a few paragraphs. I am having the best experience here, but it is also really hard and really depressing. I am not sure if I am processing everything but being with these kids everyday and watching how awesome they are is pretty much worth it. I love watching the guys with the kids, they are all over them and it is pretty special to watch. They just play with them, and let them climb all over them, play with their hair, hold the babies. We have so many picks and can't wait to share them when we get home.
Love you guys and miss my man Cam! XOOXOXOXOXOOX
Karen