In Joy vs Enjoy

As I walked this morning I saw a sign that caught my attention. Many times you see things here that are spelled wrong or they are said in ways that are not correct because of the lack of understanding of the English language. Today it was the later. The sign said,
"In Joy Bar".

I laughed at first and told Shelley to look at the sign. We had the same thought about the great life lesson that it was for all of us to live our lives by.
Maybe we would ENJOY our lives if we lived IN JOY.

The Smell...

This past Monday Shelley and I started walking in the mornings. I have always liked walking in the morning, secretly always liking the idea of being a runner. Now I hang out with Beth who will run the Boston Marathon next month. I am the kind of person who can only stay in the house just so long with out getting cabin fever, so walking has always been good for me. It helps me clear my head and gives me a regular prayer time. While we lived in Florida I had gotten out of the habit of walking, so now I am really paying the price since I am so out of shape and Shelley's legs are twice as long as mine, I am enjoying myself none the less.

I was thinking it would be a good idea to try and explain what it is like to walk on the streets here. It is so far from walking in my nice quite neighborhood in the States that I don't really know where to start. This picture really needs something like "smell-o-vision", if there is such a thing.

Here I go:

1. TAP TAPS: Dozens of them going up and down the road making many stops along the way picking up people just starting their day. Tap-taps line the side of the road so you have to make the choice to weave in and out or go around. Going around puts you in the middle of the street dodging what is coming in front of you. Weaving in slows you down some and puts you on the edge of the car catcher.

2. CAR CATCHER: After my walk on Wednesday I have come to the understanding that cleaning the car catcher is the one job I could never do here in Haiti. I used to think I couldn't be the street butcher, but I have changed my mind. The car catcher is a cement ditch on the side of the road that is about waist deep. It not only catches cars if you get too close, it catches water, trash, food, mud and of course it is also where all the pee-pee ends up. For months on end all of these things collect in the car catcher creating a wicked nasty black slim/trash mixture that you can smell for blocks - as seen in the picture. (When Caleb Hojara was a little boy he asked me if you could die from the smell? I am thinking it could happen.) A group of guys get together with shovels and stand in the car catcher scooping out this stuff on to the road. Now logic tells you that a big dump truck will be right behind them to pick it up and take it away. Sorry, this is not always what happens. It sits on the streets for a few weeks while it all ends up back in, you guessed it, the car catcher!! Leaving behind the smell. I don't really know why they dig it out and don't take it away - job security? I have no idea.

3. Food Vendors: Breakfast, lunch or dinner. You name it you can buy it!! Rice, beans, chicken, meat pockets, fruits, veggies, goat, the list goes on and on!!

4. Anything and Everything Vendor: This is what I would call walking in the middle of a flea market. The street is full of people selling anything and everything you will need. If you are white it is best to spot what you are looking for and send a Haitian back for you so you don't have to pay what is often called "white boy tax"! If I had to sit on the street all day I would call it "give me a break tax"!

5. Creek Beds: What you would call a road here can often look more like a dried up creek bed. This makes walking quickly a real challange. At times I am convinced this is why so many people do in fact walk here. They don't really want to drive because they can make better time on foot than you can in a vechile.

I am guessing you are thinking why on earth would you walk in all of that. My answer is - I really am enjoying myself. It was like when I learned to ride a motorcycle and saw things I had never seen on roads I had driven day after day. You loose track of how many times people yell "blan" at you and move in to a whole differnt place and can enjoy the culture and people. I can say that now that I don't need Advil every four hours for the pain in my legs and feet.

Sun Rise Service

Happy Easter!

This morning we got up at 4:15 a.m. so that we could all meet together and have a 6:00 a.m. sun rise service on top of the mountains over looking Haiti. We met together as a church so we could sing and pray over the city of PAP and all of Haiti. We had a small breakfast and moved down to our church to meet up with everyone and have a 9:30 service. It is so good to be connected with a home church that you really love. After church Byron and Shelley had a great lunch with about sixty-five people. We watched our lobster children swim for awhile and enjoyed our friends. Oh, we can't forget home made vanilla ice cream and brownies!!

Finally, A Beach Day!

We have been in Haiti since November 26 and have not been to the beach yet. Personally, I think that there is something wrong with that, others would say, "only fake missionaries go to the beach". We had planned to go for a couple weeks since the kids didn't have school on Good Friday and we didn't have sewing school either.

The beach is about an hours drive on a good day and can be filled with many adventures. We have a few friends who drive this road to church each week and I am pretty sure they should get some kind of special certificate for advanced driving skills. You only get this certificate if you can stay on the road, not closing your eyes and screaming every time a cameo goes past you with animals and people hang off the top and sides just barely missing your truck and taking off the mirror as they go past you at about eighty miles per hour.

When we finally got to the beach Parker came to me and said, "Mom, I saw seven dead animals and one naked person!" (I, however, lost track after two dead donkeys.) I am also pleased to report that on the way home the naked lady was finally looked upon with compassion in her community and given under ware and a shirt, but still standing on the side of the road.

We had a great day at the beach filled with swimming, cliff diving, snorkeling and kayaking. We all look and feel like one of the seven lobsters we got for $20 that I boiled after we got home. Haiti's beaches are so beautiful, but not the place to run out of sun block.

As we sat on the beach, we looked at each other and said, "can you believe we really live here". I guess with our personalities our parents knew we would always do something like this. It is an adventure and we are loving it!

p.s. Thanks for the great pictures Jes!

Fashion Show

A little Wyclef on the IPod - Fifteen Happy Ladies and the crowd went wild!!

They stayed late to make sure they would be pressed and ready for the fashion show! They all came the next day with new hair styles, lip gloss and fancy shoes!! It was a great day! Some of the ladies looked so different I didn't even recognize them! They have all changed so much in the past month. They have such hope and joy on their faces! I am proud of each of them and can't wait to see what they will do in the next month! As part of the sponsorship each lady got to keep the skirt they made in class! That was a really big real for them! Thanks to all of you who have given us fabric for the program! You made their day!

1878

How do you fix a sewing machine that is 130 years old?
Simple!
You call Al Danis in the States. Oh wait! You get on-line via Skype and call Al Danis in the States with your laptop that has a built-in camera and wireless access so that Al Danis can see what you are doing and can walk you through with step by step instructions for a sewing machine that was made in 1878 by the Singer Company only 130 years ago that is now in the middle of a classroom full of ladies getting ready for a sewing final in Haiti. Sounds Crazy!! But, that is what Dan did today! I am not sure they could have fixed it without Al seeing the machine in real time.

When we say, "it takes everyone to make this work", we aren't kidding! Thanks Al!

Just For Fun: We walked around the classroom with Al on-line so he could see all the ladies working on their machines! They loved it!

Practical vs Overkill

Today I thought I would talk about an important part of driving in Haiti - The Bumper! It is important that you understand the unwritten rules of driving here.

RULE: You are given the right of way if your bumper enters the intersection first!
This can be tricky. If you think about going for a second longer than the other drivers deems necessay you will loose your rightfully earned spot in front of the other cars. It's kind of like having a kid and scolding them. If you even think about cracking a smile you have lost the battle and they know that you won't really spank them and after a few minutes of yelling you give in and they win.
Back to the bumper!
Most vechicles here have bumper issues, they have been smashed and trashed as their owner learns the painful and costly unwritten rules. Some things are however out of the drivers control. This is when you have to think about practical vs overkill bumper issues.
RULE: Can my bumper stop a tap-tap that can't make it up a hill, while keeping my bumper and car in tact?
TEST: This morning we started out for church making our way down Delma 33. As we made our way in and out of the traffic, we climbed up one of many hills in our route. All of a sudden, everything slowly began to slide backwards toward us. This was the test! Would we pass? The tap-tap couldn't make it up the hill, his brakes began to fail and he rolled back into the water truck, as the water truck rolled back into the jeep which in turned rolled back into, you guessed it, our bumper! I am happy to report that we passed the test and didn't have to test the back bumper as well this morning!
What seemed like the overkill bumper of the century on our truck has now become the very practical bumper!
LESSON: Never judge a bumper!