Frogs

   It was a normal recess. Green team was on the swings, Purple was on the field. All was well, girls jumping rope, boys tackling each other while playing kickball...until I heard it. The bloodcurdling scream that can mean only one thing: a frog.
   I know this probably seems a bit dramatic because, well, it is. However, I have come to understand that in first grade recess, a frog is no laughing matter. Well, not for the kids, anyway. Lizards are creepy, spiders are too, but in the minds of my students, nothing is to be more feared than a frog. I'll explain shortly.
   As the shrieks continued, I walked over to where several of my girls had surrounded the unfortunate amphibian. "MISS KATIE!", "A frog! A frog! A FROG!" and "KILL IT!" they screamed, running away, and then coming back to get a better look. "It's not going to hurt you. Just leave it alone, and it will hop away." I said. Although I've only been here for a month, I feel like this is the hundredth time I've said it. "But it will pee in my eye!" they cry. The classic response.
   For whatever reason, my students think that you will go blind if a frog pees in your eye. True or not, there is an obvious solution: don't pick up the frog. Once again, I explain this to my kids. Once again, it doesn't help. Shakira prepares to kill the frog with a rake she found. Hadassah and Samira grab handfuls of dirt. The rest of the girls scream intermittently,  and the boys have now come over to see what the commotion is about.
   Finally, I step between my kids and the frog, tell them to put the dirt and the rake down right now, shoo them back to the playground, and wait for the frog to hop off. It takes a few minutes, and several of the kids come back to check on it, but the frog finally hops through the fence, completely unaware of the chaos it caused.
   This scenario will probably take place again at least two more times this week. And the next week. And the week after that. But it makes me laugh every time. Oh, how I love my first graders.

Art Week

   This week in first grade, we learned all about art. We read stories about making art, looked at pictures of famous paintings, and we ended the week making watercolor paintings. Was I a little scared to give all of my thirty one kids paint and cups of water? Yes. However, they were great. We only had one incident of "He painted my shirt, so I painted his back!", and other than that, it was a lot of fun!
   I loved seeing how many different designs my kids made. A lot of my boys painted Batman or Spiderman, and the girls did lots of flowers and hearts. Boats were a popular subject for both the boys and the girls. However, even with the similarities, each painting was original and uniquely beautiful.
   I hung the paintings in the hallway outside our classroom today, and they look great!  Below are some pictures of the day we painted, and of the finished paintings in the hallway. Enjoy the art-and the smiles!

How I Met the First Lady

   Okay, so technically, I didn't exactly meet her, but she waved at me and said "hi", which is basically the same thing, right?
   It happened yesterday. Megan and I took a group of visitors to House of Hope (an orphanage housed in the La Point hospital) in the afternoon, and when we arrived, there was a huge crowd across the street at the gas station/restaurant, which is pretty unusual. Curious, Megan asked one of the street vendors what was going on. The lady pointed across the street and simply said "Martelly." Martelly, for those of you who don't know, is the President of Haiti. We asked her if she meant the President, to which she simply replied "Oui", and returned to her shop.
   Although Megan and I wished we could go see for ourselves, we had the visitors with us, and fifteen white people is about as conspicuous as you can get in Haiti. So, we continued down the street and through the hospital to House of Hope. I quickly forgot about the crowd outside when I found Sorlanda, one of the little girls at House of Hope, who I've become extremely fond of.
    After about thirty minutes, a group of people with cameras and videocameras (real, professional, cameras) come in, followed by a rather large entourage. First came a tall, somewhat scary security guy, then a short, but also intimidating woman with a gun. Then, several men in suits carrying large, official-looking folders, and a woman in the middle of everyone else. She stopped and talked to a couple of the visitors, smiled at the kids, and walked back to House of Hope's office. Megan asked one of the nurses who it was, and they told her that it was Sofia Martelly, the First Lady. A few minutes later, the group emerged, and walked back, still filming and taking pictures. As she walked toward the exit, she smiled at me, waved and said "hi", and continued on, out the door. I was still holding Sorlanda, so all I could manage was a small wave and "hello" back to her. And then she was gone, just as quickly as she'd come.
   Apparently, they didn't have any official buisness at House of Hope, they were just in the neighborhood, and stopped by to take some photos for publicity. Whatever the reason, I now get to say that I've met (okay, I've seen) the First Lady of Haiti. Which, if I do say so myself, is pretty cool.

Friends from Home

   Last week, I was incredibly blessed to have friends from my home church visit me. Kari, Therese, Meg, Natalie and Claire. It was so much fun to have them here! We went to House of Hope, had a Haitian lady cook us dinner, delivered clothes to kids at a nearby creche, and had great evenings just laughing and enjoying each other's company. Meg brought crafts and toys for my kids, which they absolutely loved! Miss Nila from church sent chocolate chip cookies for my entire class, which were absolutely delicious! She even sent me some of my own, plus some of her famous scotcheroos. Made my day!
   We had a VBS for the street kids on Thursday, which was so much fun! Kari gave a lesson on Daniel in the lion's den, Mme. Thom translated, and some people from another group acted the story out. We asked the kids questions about the story, and then sang some songs. We had a small craft for each kid, as well as stickers, crackers and cookies. They loved it! We probably had close to thirty kids there, and several nearby adults got curious and came over to watch.
   Kari was kind enough to bring me some things from my parents. It's amazing how excited I was about simple things, like a shower curtain, rain boots and extension cords. Things that are normally 15 minutes away at Walmart, but here...available only by boat order or a really awesome friend-thanks, Kari! I also got cookies from my sweet Ellie, along with some artwork (from both Ellie and Constance) and some letters from Kenzie and Elijah.
   It was a great week, and I was really sad to see my friends leave on Friday. However, I am excited for what this week will bring. Every day I get to know my kids a little bit better, and I fall more in love with Haiti. I'm getting to know some of the local kids that don't go to Sonlight, like Bendjy, a little boy who lives across the street. The kids are starting to know me, too. Every morning, as I walk down the street, several kids will say "Good morning, Miss Katie!" They want to know where I'm going, when I'll be back, if I have crackers, and any other number of questions. My creole is slowly improving, I still can't get much farther than "Hi! How are you? I'm fine, thanks." but I recognize more words than I did when I first got here. Unfortunately, this creates some awkward moments, like when I understand enough to know that the people in the tap-tap are talking about me, but not enough to know what they're saying. Yep. Awkward.
   I love it, though. I love learning, getting to know people, and just relishing every minute that I'm here.
   

Kari and I at the creche, along with Allie Hammond, one of the missionary kids.

Getting Settled

   Two weeks in. It feels like I just got here, and yet it also feels like I've been here forever. I finally finished unpacking last night, and I'm starting lesson plans for the next couple weeks.
   I am so glad to be back in Haiti. I feel so at home here...and it's more than that. It's the feeling that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. Even though being here isn't always easy, and there are things that I miss, I have complete peace. I honestly can't remember the last time I have felt so...alive. The peace of God truly does transcend all human understanding.
   My first week was a little crazy. Okay, a lot. There was so much I was trying to take in, and I was overwhelmed. Thankfully, Beth made it so much easier. She had everything ready for me, and even had things planned for my first two weeks on my own. Even though she had a lot to do to get ready to leave, she was always there if I needed anything, and really helped me get settled. In short: Beth Puricelli, you rock!
   My kids are awesome. They have adjusted to the switch pretty well so far, and I'm starting to see their personalities show. They are quick to help me if I forget or skip something during class, and my aides, Mme. Islande, Mme. Bazile, and Miss Sabline, are fantastic, too.
   I couldn't ask for better roommates. Tara, Megan and Alisha have been so welcoming, and have helped me so much since I got here. Everyone at Sonlight has really encouraged me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful people supporting me here and at home.
   There have been some hard parts. Trying to process some of things I see and learn while staying on top of classroom duties is somewhat of a challenge mentally and emotionally. The fact that one of my students lives across the street from me in a tiny shack, and probably doesn't get enough food, stings my heart every time I go outside. A few of my students will come to school and tell me they're hungry, because their parents couldn't feed them that day. At House of Hope, an orphanage we visit frequently, there are some adorable twin girls that I love watching and holding. They're five months old, but no bigger than newborns. We went last Saturday and one of them was very sick. Three days later, we found out that she had died.
   Through all of this, the good and the bad, I feel that I am drawing closer to God. As difficult as it is sometimes, it really forces me to rely completely on Him, because I couldn't handle this in my own strength. So despite the sadness and frustration I sometimes feel, there is a constant joy and peace, because I have no one but Jesus to turn to. Stripped of everything I know and way beyond my comfort zone, I find that Jesus really is all I need. And I can't think of a better place to be.

A pre-Haiti post

    Although I'm in Haiti now, I wrote this in the Miami airport, during the layover before my flight to Port-au-Prince. I thought I would share it, for those of you who don't know how all this came to be. How an eighteen year old girl, with nothing to offer but faith in an amazing God, has moved to a third world country to teach 31 first graders. Sounds crazy, right? I still can't believe it's my life.
   A little over a year ago, I visited Haiti for the first time. After getting over the initial culture shock, I fell in love. I spent a week at Sonlight Academy, in Port-de-Paix. Helping teach preschool, playing games during recess, visiting an orphanage, taxi rides, little kids shouting "Blan! Blan! Blan!" as we walked by--I loved it all. If my parents hadn't insisted I come home to finish high school, I might have just stayed.
   Ever since I left, I'd been praying for an opportunity to go back. I was hoping to make another week long trip in March, but I didn't feel a definite 'yes' or 'no' from God. I most certainly did not plan on moving there to teach this year.
   On January 7th, I found out that Stephen and Beth Puricelli (missionaries from our church) were leaving Sonlight in March. My sister Mackenzie suggested that I should go teach first grade for Beth. I laughed, and promptly put that thought out of my head. Later that evening, it came back. "What if...?" Again, I pushed the thought from my mind. Although I did hope to go back someday, I had decided that I wasn't going to apply for a full time position for another year or two. God, however, apparently did not take my decision into account.
When I woke up the next morning, there was an email in my inbox from Sonlight, asking if I'd be interested in taking Beth's place. I immediately ran downstairs to show my parents. Although we were surprised, we decided to pray about it, and to go ahead and send my application in to Sonlight. Then we waited to see if God would open the door. He did. On January 11th, it became official: I was going back.
   Six weeks later, here I am. God has taken care of everything. From clothes, to plane tickets, to fundraising, He's been there every step of the way.  My wonderful church family had a fundraiser and prayer send-off for me, and I have a ton of cards and letters to read when I get to Haiti. In just a few days, I'll be learning how to teach and take care of 31 first graders. I am so humbled, and so incredibly thankful. I feel blessed beyond measure to have so many people supporting me and cheering me on.
   I'll be honest: I'm nervous. There will be a lot to learn quickly, and I'm not sure I'm ready. But I'm also excited. And really, this isn't about me or my abilities. It's about His glory. God called me to this, and He will help me see it through. I will not be able to do this on my own, I would never be ready in my own strength. But I don't have to be.  Because my life is His, and He is in me. I may be unprepared, but He is not. He is bigger than cancelled flights, nerves, homesickness, culture shock, illness, and anything and everything else I may face.
   I am so excited to see what the next three months will bring. Thank you to everyone who is keeping me in their prayers, I couldn't do this without you!
~Katie