tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67305904255850728802024-02-08T18:13:32.479-08:00St. Andrew's School- Haiti- 2014Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-60571740751368503042014-03-08T20:59:00.001-08:002014-03-08T20:59:57.774-08:00<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlazeeEo6r6zYADQbkBIK5JrlddbbCzTcNjKTBQznvQlL__3o78XL_QC1o884VtcVpDCsnp0hraWj8udH30Lb6gMennXBvqHN-dszxKL7S4-4aEJe2vkCS7nXoS72mU62LDAwiQj9GNY/s640/blogger-image--979833188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlazeeEo6r6zYADQbkBIK5JrlddbbCzTcNjKTBQznvQlL__3o78XL_QC1o884VtcVpDCsnp0hraWj8udH30Lb6gMennXBvqHN-dszxKL7S4-4aEJe2vkCS7nXoS72mU62LDAwiQj9GNY/s640/blogger-image--979833188.jpg"></a></div><br>3/6/14<br><br>Dear Family and Friends,<br><br>After filming our Global Scavenger Hunt activity, I, along with<br>Delilah, Caleigh, and Hutch went down to the homes to help with the<br>installation of lightbulbs, outlets, and wiring. I was so impressed by<br>the restlessness and diligence of Philipe and Maurice, who worked<br>without a minute of rest. The houses consisted of one or two beds and<br>maybe one table. They were the size of <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="address" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">one to two St.</a> Andrew's<br>dormitory rooms. The floors were made of stone or dirt and at every<br>strike of the hammer, parts of the wall seemed to crumble. Wires are<br>suspended by bamboo poles and hang from home to home throughout the<br>village. Bear shared with us his concern that in a thunderstorm or<br>hurricane, the wires would fall over and disconnect. We are praying<br>that our installations are stable enough to last for a very long time.<br>Hopefully, this project would serve as an example for the people to<br>initiate change in their communities. In total, 7-8 homes now have<br>light and electricity, all solar powered.<br>At around <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">4:30</a> we all settled down for a dinner of Haitian pizza,<br>french fries, and plantains. After dinner we headed back down to the<br>school to play some soccer. Delilah, Caleigh and I were on a team with<br>Jacques, Hutch, Sonny, and a man from the village. We shutout<br>Joycelin, Michelle, Bridget, Liam, Fillipe, and Eddison, 5-0. The hard<br>rain from the morning made the field incredibly muddy and my sneakers,<br>worn from a season of volleyball in the fall were sliding all over the<br>place.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihofAcOXI1WlbpOi2Flhzrzi6UhV1a_az2wQyQQmV8e7fFt7kDKcLUxE0Oj2LIR9HV4CYV3rr9Gcfponp8u84sTE2T6peqbAF3JR7w96Wm_Oex4njdz6TVrLcZeq9XRAq4LsnTxlPp2tM/s640/blogger-image-911229084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihofAcOXI1WlbpOi2Flhzrzi6UhV1a_az2wQyQQmV8e7fFt7kDKcLUxE0Oj2LIR9HV4CYV3rr9Gcfponp8u84sTE2T6peqbAF3JR7w96Wm_Oex4njdz6TVrLcZeq9XRAq4LsnTxlPp2tM/s640/blogger-image-911229084.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpIRvj0nEobl-gulhfnOZDD3WQjxSZ_6gp-ZzP7qIBBi4U_CBljvF6hDiNxQ5IRPHaSsNvN430jhYZnuXP2Fkv4KXJP5XSg_t0xMVn4n-DkN96bCvGIHMxVvjEZKzKq3ArmGdfT9rX4k/s640/blogger-image--622370644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpIRvj0nEobl-gulhfnOZDD3WQjxSZ_6gp-ZzP7qIBBi4U_CBljvF6hDiNxQ5IRPHaSsNvN430jhYZnuXP2Fkv4KXJP5XSg_t0xMVn4n-DkN96bCvGIHMxVvjEZKzKq3ArmGdfT9rX4k/s640/blogger-image--622370644.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXv4P448wtPEvnvkX6DlGowWy2fxDpPED48zGSMsjso1ESmnXCdz29uBA9Uj8eprxSaYwKfii0ACCcNJ3cdyPORSgkQpAKwbpRQlh5GUsGk4aPfiluGpntH50YtbPSfIPA8sGeepDROPI/s640/blogger-image-1404815020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXv4P448wtPEvnvkX6DlGowWy2fxDpPED48zGSMsjso1ESmnXCdz29uBA9Uj8eprxSaYwKfii0ACCcNJ3cdyPORSgkQpAKwbpRQlh5GUsGk4aPfiluGpntH50YtbPSfIPA8sGeepDROPI/s640/blogger-image-1404815020.jpg"></a></div><br>3/7/14<br><br> I can't believe it's already day eight which means that today is our<br>last day in LaFond. I can't express how incredible this trip has been<br>and how much each and every person here has meant to me. The pure<br>beauty of this place and all the happiness and kindness the LaFond<br>community have shared with us are unforgettable.<br> When we woke up this morning we were blessed with a Haitian breakfast<br>that Sunny had prepared for us. This consisted simply of coffee,<br>juice, and bread. After such extravagant meals for the entirety of our<br>trip, it was really nice to be able to end our stay in LaFond eating<br>the way they do.<br> Right after breakfast we played soccer with the kids for a bit and<br>then we headed down to the school for a sort of culminating activity<br>with all of the kids. We all had so much fun playing duck duck goose,<br>red rover, sharks and minoes, and indian chief. It was initially<br>challenging to explain the games to them, but once they understood, it<br>was so incredible to be laughing and experiencing the joy of the<br>moment with them. Afterward, Hutch gave Jacques' soccer team uniforms<br>given to him by a friend in Delaware. It is difficult to express the<br>affect this had on the boys. They were beaming. As we headed up to<br>lunch we watched as they divided themselves up and started playing<br>against each other, now completely aware of who was on whose team.<br> Sunny had prepared another Haitian meal which consisted of potatoes<br>and carrots in a cream sauce. After lunch, we headed down to the<br>village to see how the solar panel installation was coming along. We<br>realized very quickly that everything was under control, so Bear took<br>us on a long walk through the village. We got to visit houses and meet<br>new people, and with every house we passed, another kid joined our<br>group. By the end of our walk, we had probably fifteen kids holding<br>our hands. I felt at this moment that we really had established<br>amazing friendships on this trip that I will never forget.<br> When we arrived back at camp Sunny had laid out an incredible feast<br>for us. It was delicious and a fantastic final dinner. Afterward,<br>about fifty of us headed to Jacques soccer field. Describing this<br>place as the most beautiful place I have ever been feels like an<br>understatement. Despite the cow poop scattering the field, it was<br>pristine. We were right at the base of a mountain, with rocks and<br>women and horses lining the hills. We split into different teams and<br>played for about an hour. I can't say I am particularly skilled in the<br>game of soccer, but even so, I had so much fun running around the<br>beautiful field. By the time the hour was up, the score was one to<br>one, which seemed like a perfect way to end, despite the fact that I<br>did really want to win.<br> When we got back Bear surprised us with the opportunity to go down<br>the mountain and visit some of the houses that had had lights<br>installed. It was amazing to see what the lights did for them and the<br>happiness they felt having received them. The darkness in Haiti is<br>unlike anything I have ever seen and I am so glad that they can now<br>face this darkness.<br> I have mixed feelings as our trip comes to a close. Of course I miss<br>everyone at home and the comforts of being in the states, but it's<br>difficult to say goodbye to this simple lifestyle, and the pure<br>happiness, kindness, and fellowship flooding through this community. I<br>hope I bring a piece of LaFond home and wherever I go next.<br> Much love, Bridget<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlK3Wr2uh6COzwe3OkuVQubm8VPenbVjTbX47GADypfHGbfypbDp9_Nz7KjiE0yyy_pX3eftiwNwIb-9QdWTZ1GWTUGzWhAPFet31STCawREPSScJe7bYJukYxPtX0yDqBED_RocIZA0/s640/blogger-image--1093634032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlK3Wr2uh6COzwe3OkuVQubm8VPenbVjTbX47GADypfHGbfypbDp9_Nz7KjiE0yyy_pX3eftiwNwIb-9QdWTZ1GWTUGzWhAPFet31STCawREPSScJe7bYJukYxPtX0yDqBED_RocIZA0/s640/blogger-image--1093634032.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaio-KQcVsCD1eTQooa18jnW-lntAqqi-txEKoqYlqgZm39s_298qUID7EPBD3Q7RbVr7jnegKLZZGWOxKV91Ij3YIa-2RN_rfBl2viXBjH-HSGGAlHT3awoVIa-m01ObBHtMTibVwTI/s640/blogger-image-1541473967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaio-KQcVsCD1eTQooa18jnW-lntAqqi-txEKoqYlqgZm39s_298qUID7EPBD3Q7RbVr7jnegKLZZGWOxKV91Ij3YIa-2RN_rfBl2viXBjH-HSGGAlHT3awoVIa-m01ObBHtMTibVwTI/s640/blogger-image-1541473967.jpg"></a></div><br> I feel like I've been here, in LaFond, for only six days but it feels<br>like a month and still I am so sad that we are leaving tomorrow. Today<br>was the last full day we had in LaFond and it was a great closing to<br>the trip, but still it was a closing that I want to delay. We started<br>the day as always, eating breakfast with the kids playing beside us,<br>but we immediately set into a routine of closure.<br> We headed down the hill to the school to play some lat big group<br>games with all of us. Duck Duck Goose, Sharks and Minnows, and Red<br>Light, Green Light were the most energetic games. The exuberance on<br>the kid's faces was pleasing and I immediately whipped out my camera<br>to see if I could pause time just for a second. It didn't really work<br>but I do have a few seconds documented forever.<br> After lunch we set out to work on the solar panel project, but really<br>we just visited the people of LaFond. On that four mile trek I<br>realized that there were still so many things that I didn't know about<br>the community, and it just made me resent my upcoming departure even<br>more. During that walk, I began to think about the impact my time in<br>LaFond had on me; not only was I more conscious of the need in the<br>world and how seemingly far away place had an effect on me, but also I<br>have an acute sense of what I need and what I am able to have.<br> The one constant thing in our visit was the soccer games in the<br>evenings. Jackque today took us to a REAL field and we played an 11 v<br>11 game which was an exciting and drastic change to the 6 v 6 games in<br>front of the school. It was amazing and it embodied our trip, with the<br>tussles and the cheers and the community....all on the field.<br> I want to write more i really doe, but I just had the saddest good<br>bye of my entire life in the middle of writing this. I realize how<br>close I was to these people and that it was coming to an end. We are<br>now focusing on hopes for the future but there is still a part of me<br>that wants to go back a day or two, and relive it again and again. My<br>headache from crying is getting worse from the light of the laptop, so<br>I'm going to sign off, but I want to leave you with one thought, you<br>interpret it as you please: Service is less about intent and impact,<br>and more about relationships, laughter, community and love.<br> -Joycelin Farmer<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsAnqBC47L2j61SfAp_OHboCF0tyw3KLzd67yIJemdfM0_p6WHdwikK6y37BI-Hr4RVa_ykO5JY_LIs5jT3GuO_EuUWkZA5tNE7zZ6jP_wnt9Qm1RbY6hWN_QQdTFnALxFG0bqaUu3yc/s640/blogger-image-38673465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsAnqBC47L2j61SfAp_OHboCF0tyw3KLzd67yIJemdfM0_p6WHdwikK6y37BI-Hr4RVa_ykO5JY_LIs5jT3GuO_EuUWkZA5tNE7zZ6jP_wnt9Qm1RbY6hWN_QQdTFnALxFG0bqaUu3yc/s640/blogger-image-38673465.jpg"></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VxqTFDZDURiIf6bEc3SDtsYr14EIcbhkbodMn0M2s_wwbID0HMk3qDLBdAc0RW_RJDD1Ge9spw1pi0B1c7M8YOpN_LBzqdz2ubdwufUhxP7ETt7zMivgMv9b6mbTshZetd8cL6kqeJM/s640/blogger-image--1426018710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VxqTFDZDURiIf6bEc3SDtsYr14EIcbhkbodMn0M2s_wwbID0HMk3qDLBdAc0RW_RJDD1Ge9spw1pi0B1c7M8YOpN_LBzqdz2ubdwufUhxP7ETt7zMivgMv9b6mbTshZetd8cL6kqeJM/s640/blogger-image--1426018710.jpg"></a></div><br> Around 3:00 this afternoon, our group was dispersed on three small<br>motor boats sailing to a small beach on a Haitian island. The vivid<br>array of the blues of the sky, clouds, and ocean water, were a stark<br>contrast to the bright greens and muddy browns of the LaFond community<br>which we had left a few hours earlier. The morning in LaFond had been<br>a bittersweet departure. Our master chef Sunni had made one of our<br>favorite breakfasts consisting of popcorn, banana's, bread, and peanut<br>butter after having a harried morning packing and getting the last of<br>our things together. Then the came the sad part: the goodbyes. Many of<br>the children whom we had gotten to know quite well over the past few<br>days were there to see us off. While a couple got their last minute,<br>"give me your shoes," out of their system, many gave us hugs and<br>smiles emphasizing the friendships we had already garnered.<br>As we piled into our two cars ready to go down the mountain, a boy<br>named Wanelson who we had all previously established as an adorable<br>yet tough prankster, came to also say goodbye. When Michelle stuck her<br>upper body out the window to give him a hug goodbye, he surprised us<br>all by commencing to cry. We all fled our cars to bear hug him of<br>course, even though he refused to look any of us in the face, however,<br>this last gift from LaFond showed us that even though it had not<br>always been visible, many of the kids cared about us just as much as<br>we cared about them, and that in itself was so special.<br>Our trek down the mountain to Petit G'uave was rocky and beautiful.<br>It was wild remembering our same journey upwards a few days earlier<br>and how contrasting our views are now then they were then. Once<br>reaching the hotel, we dropped off our bags and took the 30 second<br>walk across the street to the small rocky strip in front of the ocean<br>where our boats were docked. We took a 30 minute or so boat ride to a<br>small beach and spent a few hours there. We swam around inside the<br>clear and warm tropical blue water and relaxed on the shore. <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7">At 4:00</a><br>we had a late delicious 'lunch' (calling it a feast would be more<br>appropriate) of plates of ginormous lobster, mahi mahi, small french<br>fries, and fried plantains. Shortly after we headed back to the hotel.<br><br>It s now around <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://8" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="8">9:30</a> and I am lying on a lawn chair by the pool at the<br>hotel. There is a small band set up a few feet away playing typical<br>rhythmic and contagious Haitian music and my friends are laughing and<br>dancing on the pavement beside. I feel a bit physically drained from<br>the day, and mentally exhausted from bawling my eyes out a few minutes<br>earlier: Chris called us together and we stood in a circle. He took<br>out a candle, lit it, and directed us to pass it around telling the<br>rest of the group our appreciations and impact from the trip. I was to<br>be first and mumbled out a few things that no where near summed up my<br>feelings, and then passed it on. About 3 people later I started<br>feeling my eyebrows furrow together and an itch in the inner corner of<br>my eye. When Jacques spoke (eighth person around circle) I began full<br>on crying. By the time the candle came around the circle and got to<br>Bridget (who was our last person), I noticed I was joined by a couple<br>of others, The final step of the exercise was to bring the candle to<br>the center of our circle and have us all blow it out signifying the<br>end of our journey. This was followed by hugs and tears....and more<br>tears, and more hugs.<br><br>After we came to sit and listen to the music, I sat across from an<br>emotional Liam. We talked for a few minutes about the difficulty in<br>leaving and the pain we were both feeling. As I looked and listened to<br>him, I was so in awe of the capacity he possesses to care so deeply<br>for other people and the world around him making me realize even more<br>how lucky I was to be with the people around me.<br><br>Back to the lying on the lawn chair listening to music, wiring this<br>post, and reflecting on the trip, I have decided to try to sum the<br>experience up in a few sentences. So here goes...<br> Over the last 9 days, our odd bunch has come together in interesting<br>and unexpected ways and become a little family. Our family has learned<br>and endured together understanding Haitian culture, and certain<br>realties about the world around us. Through this journey, it seems we<br>have come to an unspoken consensus of a changed definition of service.<br>We now understand service is less about us alone enacting physical<br>surface change, and more about the relationships one builds allowing<br>change to occur side by side and hand by hand (as corny as it sounds).<br>Through this process of change and understanding, the puzzle to our<br>own personal identities and purposes have shifted, changed and<br>acquired new pieces. I know I can say and be joined in saying that<br>this experience will be held in our hearts and minds for the rest of<br>our lives. While I am confused, harried, tired, sad, distraught, and<br>upset, I am also incredibly happy and I just feel so thankful and<br>lucky.<br><br>Sending much love and our excitement to see you all soon,<br><br>Delilah Harvey<br><br></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-4675586168869585922014-03-08T15:46:00.001-08:002014-03-08T15:46:46.766-08:0003/08/2014 <div><br></div><div>Today, we left village, moved back to petit goyave and spent day at beach 45min away by boat. We had lobster, fish and chips and watched flying fish at sunset upon the return. Now we are hotel swimming!</div><div><br></div><div>-Chris </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-67278602616005683432014-03-08T15:11:00.001-08:002014-03-08T15:11:33.309-08:0003/08/2014 <div><br></div><div>Today, we left village, moved back to petit goyave and spent day at beach 45min away by boat. We had lobster, fish and chips and watched flying fish at sunset upon the return. Now we are hotel swimming!</div><div><br></div><div>-Chris </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-37746314191377276832014-03-07T06:27:00.001-08:002014-03-07T06:27:41.355-08:00<div class="p1">
La Fond, Haiti 3 - 5 - 14</div>
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Brothers and Sisters,</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Greetings from picturesque La Fond, Haiti where the folks are</div>
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beautiful and content. Their smiles and laughter come from a place</div>
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that knows where true happiness resides. Today is Ash Wednesday in</div>
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the church calendar and the imposition of ashes is the prescribed way</div>
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to celebrate this beginning of Lent. "From dust you came and to dust</div>
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you shall return" seems fitting in this country where the people in La</div>
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Fond are so connected to the land - green at this time of year due to</div>
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the short six week rainy season, and dusty and dry for most of the</div>
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rest of the year. Remembering you are mortal and that death is</div>
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assured restores humility to those of us who "have the world's goods."</div>
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Receiving ashes almost seems an unnecessary reminder to the Haitians</div>
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whose humility and lack of presumption is as refreshing as it is</div>
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convicting. Without all of the distractions and trappings of our</div>
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bloated society, people here concentrate here on living life - its</div>
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joys and its tragedies - knowing that our return to the dust is</div>
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inevitable and that we have the opportunity live, laugh, and love NOW.</div>
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So what do we spend our lives doing? I know that I try to push the</div>
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idea of my own mortality far out of my mind - but focusing on my</div>
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mortality this Ash Wednesday and throughout the forty days of Lent</div>
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will inspire me to live purposefully and with a grateful heart.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>To all of our loved ones whom we miss terribly we send our love and</div>
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we hope that you spare a moment today to remember this nation and its</div>
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incredible people who have endured so much hardship. Perhaps each day</div>
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in Lent you could say a prayer for Haiti and for all of God's children</div>
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who struggle to meet the challenges of finding the basic necessities</div>
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of life.</div>
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With deep appreciation for all who made this trip possible,</div>
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Hutch (or, "Etch" as the children here pronounce it)</div>
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La Fond Belle 3-6-14</div>
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When we woke up this morning it was soggy, windy and overcast. Our</div>
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plans to hike down to a small village in the valley had to be</div>
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postponed for safety reasons. The rain had made the paths slippery and</div>
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difficult to navigate. We decided to change our plans and asked the</div>
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students to present their findings from the "Global Issues Scavenger</div>
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Hunt" activity. Each team of two students interviewed members of the</div>
<div class="p1">
community, young and old, to gain a better perspective on issues</div>
<div class="p1">
surrounding healthcare, education, gender roles, housing, water</div>
<div class="p1">
security, agriculture and the weather. They also asked each</div>
<div class="p1">
interviewee what their hopes and dreams were for the community and</div>
<div class="p1">
what aspect of the community they were most proud of? We filmed their</div>
<div class="p1">
responses in a documentary format including segments with community</div>
<div class="p1">
leaders. All of these activities are an extension of the WLS</div>
<div class="p1">
leadership training curriculum. Students have learned to leverage</div>
<div class="p1">
their different temperament types including their strengths and</div>
<div class="p1">
weaknesses. In our group students are identified as Idealists who</div>
<div class="p1">
give birth to a vision, Conceptualizers who actively help the group</div>
<div class="p1">
solve problems, Artisans and Experiencers who make ideas become</div>
<div class="p1">
reality, Traditionalists who set boundaries, and Guardians, who take</div>
<div class="p1">
an active role in maintaining group cohesiveness. The group continues</div>
<div class="p1">
to evolve and it has been wonderful to see the students affirm and</div>
<div class="p1">
support each other as they share this journey together. Part of the</div>
<div class="p1">
leadership training includes a practice of giving "Stars" and</div>
<div class="p1">
"Stairs": Singling out individuals for special recognition (stars) or</div>
<div class="p1">
suggesting areas for growth (stairs). I would like to give "stars" to</div>
<div class="p1">
all of the members of the group for their exceptional openness,</div>
<div class="p1">
flexibility, adaptability, generosity and kindness. Our students have</div>
<div class="p1">
demonstrated these qualities over and over again with each other and</div>
<div class="p1">
with the members of the Lafond community. A special shout out to our</div>
<div class="p1">
leader-coordinator-superhero Chris for making sure that we always felt</div>
<div class="p1">
safe and supported while at the same time challenging us</div>
<div class="p1">
intellectually, physically and emotionally during our time in Haiti.</div>
<div class="p1">
We thank him for his endless stories about his eclectic adventures and</div>
<div class="p1">
awe-inspiring experiences in every corner of the globe. We thank him</div>
<div class="p1">
for his love of laughter and song and for his pure servant's heart.</div>
<div class="p1">
There are no words to express our gratitude to the Meance Family,</div>
<div class="p1">
Berthin (Bear) and Jacques for sharing their love of family and</div>
<div class="p1">
country. They have made us believers: A better future for Haiti is</div>
<div class="p1">
possible if we all work together and share the same vision. Finally,</div>
<div class="p1">
to my co-laborer and brother in Christ, "Coach" Hutch, you always</div>
<div class="p1">
believed we could make this happen. Thank you for supporting me and</div>
<div class="p1">
for being a living example of the Christian servant in 1 John 3:16. A</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
ma famille et à mes amis, "Mesi anpil." Je vous aime. -Diahann</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-26657063036718416452014-03-05T05:52:00.001-08:002014-03-05T05:53:58.628-08:00<div class="p1">
Monday, March 3rd</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Dear family and friends,</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
If I could find one word to describe the entire day that started with</div>
<div class="p1">
popcorn and hot chocolate for breakfast, the words "enlightenment" and</div>
<div class="p1">
"discovery" immediately come to mind. Today, we began our three</div>
<div class="p1">
service projects. One group is working on wiring solar panels in</div>
<div class="p1">
twelve homes. Another group is working to level out the hilly soccer</div>
<div class="p1">
field. The last group is spending time with the children of the Lafond</div>
<div class="p1">
Primary School--teaching, playing games, and singing.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Down at the school and soccer field, our St. Andrew's group was joined</div>
<div class="p1">
by nearly one hundred children in the village. Ignited by curiosity,</div>
<div class="p1">
enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to help, kids sprinted to grab a</div>
<div class="p1">
shovel and a bucket to help dig the dirt. The kids were either</div>
<div class="p1">
barefoot or wearing torn, muddy shoes. This filled me with a sense of</div>
<div class="p1">
despair, but when I looked to their smiling and grateful faces, their</div>
<div class="p1">
joy was nearly contagious. In a matter of minutes, we overcame the</div>
<div class="p1">
initial Creole-English language barrier and produced an efficent team</div>
<div class="p1">
system. One group, at one side of the soccer field, dug out the dirt</div>
<div class="p1">
into buckets. Another group carried the buckets to the other end of</div>
<div class="p1">
the field and another group filled the uneven terrain with dirt and</div>
<div class="p1">
planted sod. Before today, I had no idea that it was possible for</div>
<div class="p1">
pieces of grass and sod, planted in other parts of the field, to grow</div>
<div class="p1">
again with time and rain. You may be wondering: why are we spending so</div>
<div class="p1">
much time on leveling a soccer field? Why aren't we spending more time</div>
<div class="p1">
feeding the people and providing the people here with "real</div>
<div class="p1">
necessities?" However, if you could see the love and passion that the</div>
<div class="p1">
Haitian people here have for soccer, you would agree with me that by</div>
<div class="p1">
fixing their field, we are making the children here beyond happy.</div>
<div class="p1">
There is nothing more rewarding than to work with the children, in</div>
<div class="p1">
union, rather than simply work for the people here.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Later that afternoon, we gathered and listened to Bear's discussion on</div>
<div class="p1">
Haitian History and what we could to resolve the bigger problems of</div>
<div class="p1">
Haiti, like the poverty levels, class warfare, and political</div>
<div class="p1">
corruption. Bear identified the main problem of Haiti as the small,</div>
<div class="p1">
elite group that controls almost all the wealth in the nation. This</div>
<div class="p1">
group holds many monopolies on goods, lands, and businesses that make</div>
<div class="p1">
it is nearly impossible for the middle and lower class to climb the</div>
<div class="p1">
social ladder. Hearing this, I initially felt hopeless. Questions</div>
<div class="p1">
like, "How do we fix corruption? How do we break the strict class</div>
<div class="p1">
structure?" flooded my mind. Bear appeased my worries by showing that</div>
<div class="p1">
there is always a possibility for resolution and there is no such</div>
<div class="p1">
thing as, "there is nothing that we can do." He shared his vision of</div>
<div class="p1">
an ideal nation, where students would be educated to a</div>
<div class="p1">
university-level, and would return to their village and city to</div>
<div class="p1">
utilize their education for the benefit of Haiti. The cycle, that</div>
<div class="p1">
currently takes place, is that students that attain a great education,</div>
<div class="p1">
move to places with more opportunities, like the U.S, and become</div>
<div class="p1">
employed there. Thus, they invest the fruit of the education they</div>
<div class="p1">
recieved in Haiti to other countries, enriching them while leaving</div>
<div class="p1">
Haiti in the dust. We must strive to break this cycle and encourage</div>
<div class="p1">
students to return and invest their skills into Haiti in order to</div>
<div class="p1">
build a source of wealth. On listening to Bear's envisionment and plan</div>
<div class="p1">
of a restored Haiti, I was again empowered to realize our potential to</div>
<div class="p1">
create change.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Here, I am doing more than simply "service." Many people told me,</div>
<div class="p1">
before I left for this trip, "You don't need to go all the way to</div>
<div class="p1">
Haiti to help people. Besides, the nation would probably benefit more</div>
<div class="p1">
from sending them money." Before this trip, I did not know exactly how</div>
<div class="p1">
to address this. I wasn't even completely sure why I wanted to go,</div>
<div class="p1">
except to serve and learn. But, as I sit here now, I know that I will</div>
<div class="p1">
leave this place with a relationship with the country and its people.</div>
<div class="p1">
There is a special bond and connection that I have found with this</div>
<div class="p1">
place that cannot be achieved without first-hand experiencing the</div>
<div class="p1">
Haitian life.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I hope you all are doing well back at home. We miss you and will see</div>
<div class="p1">
you in a few days!</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Love,</div>
<div class="p1">
Michelle Kim</div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pNVxJLKOsGabas-opHOAuqidgT_sFiyhB8A3BxMFXn4CLwffxH5jw988RGT9uk5KkPXBddmmoZpmrqPU71N4q3D-3879npD6StBuEfcQmt8ZbR-36Bb0jRC8UUcdydltWdiEh8fkoLQ/s1600/Small+Group+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pNVxJLKOsGabas-opHOAuqidgT_sFiyhB8A3BxMFXn4CLwffxH5jw988RGT9uk5KkPXBddmmoZpmrqPU71N4q3D-3879npD6StBuEfcQmt8ZbR-36Bb0jRC8UUcdydltWdiEh8fkoLQ/s1600/Small+Group+Photo.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
March 4, 2014</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Today, we began to install the solar panels. We installed the solar</div>
<div class="p1">
panels on the top of the school building. Once the panels were</div>
<div class="p1">
installed, we went up the hill to install wires, lights, and sockets</div>
<div class="p1">
into two houses. Izzy, Bear, members of the community, and I went to</div>
<div class="p1">
two of the houses behind the school. We took out any of the appliances</div>
<div class="p1">
that were in the house before, and began our process. The group then</div>
<div class="p1">
fed the wire into the house so we could figure out where to place the</div>
<div class="p1">
new appliances. Once we had the wire fed in and the places measured</div>
<div class="p1">
out, we began the process of putting in the lights and plugs. We then</div>
<div class="p1">
put a light bulb inside the house and just outside the doorway. Once</div>
<div class="p1">
we placed these in, we fed the wire across the way to another, where</div>
<div class="p1">
we followed the same process for this house. Once we finished,</div>
<div class="p1">
according to Haitian culture, we were offered coffee. This was grown,</div>
<div class="p1">
hand crushed, and brewed. After this, we came back up to camp for</div>
<div class="p1">
dinner. -Liam Batson '15</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
People, food, and goats....The Market!!!!! the place was jammed packed</div>
<div class="p1">
with people, which wasn't the most comfortable, but even</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
J. Farmer</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
With all the things going on it was an exciting day. As we moved</div>
<div class="p1">
passed the craziness of the market, and onto the various service</div>
<div class="p1">
projects the day ended with great successes. We worked rapidly to</div>
<div class="p1">
level the soccer field. The St. Andrew's students and the local kids</div>
<div class="p1">
really combined their efforts to get the job done. The most impressive</div>
<div class="p1">
feat I witnessed was one of the boys taking a pick-ax to a giant piece</div>
<div class="p1">
of stone in the soil. Back and forth, back and forth was the pace of</div>
<div class="p1">
the day carrying loads of rocks and sod. When we all regrouped each</div>
<div class="p1">
team shared what they accomplished on their individual projects.</div>
<div class="p1">
Before we knew it night was upon us and the bands for Carnaval were</div>
<div class="p1">
coming through the mist to our campsite. As we rushed over to the</div>
<div class="p1">
commotion we were greeted by a dancing man in a skull mask. We were</div>
<div class="p1">
immersed in Haitian culture, dancing along with the people swinging</div>
<div class="p1">
branches, and listening to the beautiful sounds of their music through</div>
<div class="p1">
the night. As our group settled down for the night, the distant music</div>
<div class="p1">
serenaded us to sleep.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Caleigh '17</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-83683169611979409832014-03-04T20:07:00.002-08:002014-03-04T20:07:57.737-08:00Hello St. Andrew's Community!<br />
I just received a message from instructor Chris Lindstrom, who told me that bandwidth issues have prevented the group from uploading photos and videos but he did say that plenty are being taken and will be shared in the future. Today the group went to market day and then
this evening celebrated carnival. All is well -- more updates tomorrow.<br />
Ross Wehner, WLS<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-8638693861537764552014-03-03T13:07:00.001-08:002014-03-03T13:07:12.810-08:00<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Sunday March 2nd</div>
<div class="p2">
...Bfast, Church, Bananagrams...</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Did you know that the 1.5 million that the Haitian lottery amasses</div>
<div class="p2">
every year, that is equal to more of all the money coming into Haiti</div>
<div class="p2">
from Haitians living outside of the country.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This morning we woke up at about 7:00 which was pretty difficult</div>
<div class="p2">
after a long day yesterday. It was sunny outside with a light breeze</div>
<div class="p2">
and the air was fresh. Madame told us that she woke up early and</div>
<div class="p2">
watched the sunrise and Liam and Bear took an early walk with some</div>
<div class="p2">
people from the village. Sunny had prepared a delicious breakfast of</div>
<div class="p2">
boiled eggs, fresh mango and grapefruit, and bread with peanut butter</div>
<div class="p2">
and jam. We all ranted and raved about the peanut butter, as it tasted</div>
<div class="p2">
infinitely better than American peanut butter. At the beginning of the</div>
<div class="p2">
trip, Bear told us to both recognize the problems here, but also</div>
<div class="p2">
recognize the beauty and joy of this place. Between the morning</div>
<div class="p2">
conversations, the beautiful weather and the delicious food, this</div>
<div class="p2">
place is beginning to feel a lot like paradise.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After breakfast, Bear and Liam headed off to Catholic mass and the</div>
<div class="p2">
rest of us headed to the church right in the village for the mass that</div>
<div class="p2">
Jacques was leading. It is this small building with about ten long</div>
<div class="p2">
benches that the whole village packs into. I've realized that my</div>
<div class="p2">
understanding of french does not translate to Creole as much as I</div>
<div class="p2">
thought it would, but, nevertheless, despite not being able to</div>
<div class="p2">
understand what was being said as mass today, it was incredibly</div>
<div class="p2">
moving. There was so much love, spirit, and joy filling the entire</div>
<div class="p2">
church. We were asked to stand up and speak about why we were in</div>
<div class="p2">
LaFond and, more specifically, why we were in the church. Jacques</div>
<div class="p2">
translated for us, and our words were met with claps and smiles. We</div>
<div class="p2">
expressed our instantaneous love of the people here, our desire to do</div>
<div class="p2">
whatever we can to help, our thanks for everything they have already</div>
<div class="p2">
done for us, and our appreciation for the sheer beauty of LaFond. Mr</div>
<div class="p2">
Hutchinson also got up to the Pulpit and his words, again, were met</div>
<div class="p2">
with many "Amens" and smiles. By the end we were all singing and</div>
<div class="p2">
clapping despite the fact that we had no clue what we were saying. As</div>
<div class="p2">
the mass ended, we shook hands with everyone in the church, with all</div>
<div class="p2">
of us saying "Bonjour" and "Merci" and asking everyone their names.</div>
<div class="p2">
We then sat right outside the church overlooking the mountain with</div>
<div class="p2">
many of the kids, and they took pictures with our cameras and wrote</div>
<div class="p2">
their names in our journals.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What was difficult about this moment, however, was that the boys and</div>
<div class="p2">
girls were asking us for our journals and for our cameras. This was</div>
<div class="p2">
uncomfortable, because our first instinct was, inevitably, to give our</div>
<div class="p2">
things away. However, despite how difficult it is in the moment to say</div>
<div class="p2">
"No, je suis desolé", we've learned over the past few days that we</div>
<div class="p2">
have to encourage the children to both give and take. I've learned</div>
<div class="p2">
from reading Paul Farmer's book, "To Repair the World", about the</div>
<div class="p2">
ethic of "accompayment", or, in other words, to supply those around us</div>
<div class="p2">
with the tools to provide for themselves. When we were on our way to</div>
<div class="p2">
Petit Goave, Jacques gave these three boys who came up to our car</div>
<div class="p2">
window a few snacks, so I gave them a water bottle. I thought this was</div>
<div class="p2">
alright, that this would be enough for them, but for the next ten</div>
<div class="p2">
minutes one of the boys followed our car asking for more. When we're</div>
<div class="p2">
driving in the car we see all of these situations that we crave to</div>
<div class="p2">
repair, but we just drive past. It feels like second nature,</div>
<div class="p2">
therefore, to give them at least something because we don't have the</div>
<div class="p2">
time to "accompany" them, or work with them. I think this is something</div>
<div class="p2">
we are all trying to work through as our trip develops and as we think</div>
<div class="p2">
about our community service efforts at home.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After church, we came back to our camp and were greeted with a</div>
<div class="p2">
beautifully prepared lunch. Sunny had made us swirly pastries filled</div>
<div class="p2">
with vegetables in a red sauce. They were delicious. He has this tiny,</div>
<div class="p2">
little kitchen he works in and he manages to prepare this breathtaking</div>
<div class="p2">
meals. We've realized that this must mean he really adores what he</div>
<div class="p2">
does. Everytime we eat, a couple children hover at the edge of our</div>
<div class="p2">
camp. This is an incredibly strange sensation because we know all they</div>
<div class="p2">
want is some food. Thankfully today we had leftovers so we made them</div>
<div class="p2">
sandwiches and gave them the rest of the food Sunny prepared.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After this we played a leadership game led by Chris. We created two</div>
<div class="p2">
boundaries and the objective was to get from one side to the other,</div>
<div class="p2">
with the space between as a metaphorical river. We had seven pieces of</div>
<div class="p2">
paper that served as rocks, but these 'rocks' or pieces of paper were</div>
<div class="p2">
taken away if we let go of them. This was intially difficult, as we</div>
<div class="p2">
jumped right into it instead of consulting each other and creating a</div>
<div class="p2">
game plan. We made it across, but upon reflection, we realized that</div>
<div class="p2">
this game can serve as a metaphor for the service project we are about</div>
<div class="p2">
to start. We know that if we try to move forward without making a game</div>
<div class="p2">
plan and making sure everyone is on the same page, our project can</div>
<div class="p2">
suffer. This was also a really perfect example of all of our</div>
<div class="p2">
leadership styles, whether we are at the front vocally leading or</div>
<div class="p2">
staying behind or even leading by example.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After the game, we spent about an hour teaching all the children that</div>
<div class="p2">
had gathered how to play both tag and UNO. This was an incredible</div>
<div class="p2">
experience. They all caught on really fast and we learned really</div>
<div class="p2">
quickly that despite the language barrier there are so many</div>
<div class="p2">
commonalities that exist between us like a love for laughter and</div>
<div class="p2">
games. In the spirit of moving around, Delilah, Hutch, Liam and I</div>
<div class="p2">
decided to go on a run. Despite having trained all winter for a half</div>
<div class="p2">
marathon, this run was extremely challenging. We ran down almost</div>
<div class="p2">
vertcal hills filled with rocks and then right back up them which was,</div>
<div class="p2">
if not equally challenging, maybe even more so. It was almost like a</div>
<div class="p2">
Forest Gump experience, as we realized very quickly into the run that</div>
<div class="p2">
there were girls and boys running right behind us. We were greeted</div>
<div class="p2">
everywhere we went and while they seemed happy to see us. After</div>
<div class="p2">
trekking up the last hill, we saw that everyone had begun to play</div>
<div class="p2">
soccer and after a relatively quick, but delicious dinner, we joined</div>
<div class="p2">
in.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Now we are sitting around the table drinking tea and reflecting.</div>
<div class="p2">
These conversations are always filled with laughter, stories, and</div>
<div class="p2">
honesty. It's a perfect time to get to know each other and learn as</div>
<div class="p2">
much as possible from each other.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Bridget DuFour</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
To our dear family and friends-</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
We hope you are all doing well back home and we miss you all very</div>
<div class="p2">
much. In these moments of reflection, it is quite difficult for me to</div>
<div class="p2">
encapsulte all the varrying emotions I am experiencing. While I and</div>
<div class="p2">
the group have indeed witnessed some things that were difficult to</div>
<div class="p2">
see, experience, and understand, the number of moments where I have</div>
<div class="p2">
felt a sense of overflowing happiness and bliss on the trip thus far</div>
<div class="p2">
has been many. The natural beauty, the beautiful souls of the LaFond</div>
<div class="p2">
community, our group dynamic, our fearless and inspirational leaders</div>
<div class="p2">
Madame Johnson, Mr. Hutchinson, Chris our WLS coordinator, Bear (our</div>
<div class="p2">
given nickname) and Jacques our onsite leaders, and the INCREDIBLE</div>
<div class="p2">
culinary genious that is Sunni our chef, have made the past three days</div>
<div class="p2">
(boy, has it only been three days?!) enough enrichment and memories to</div>
<div class="p2">
last a life time. Though after what we experienced I feel I can be</div>
<div class="p2">
joined by my travel-mates in saying that our newfound desire for</div>
<div class="p2">
similar experiences will never be quite satisfied.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Today was a full and incredible day. As we headed down the hill from</div>
<div class="p2">
our campsite to the church, I did not quite expext the experience our</div>
<div class="p2">
group was about to receive. The church was no bigger than an average</div>
<div class="p2">
medium to large sized classroom with walls appearing to be thin slabs</div>
<div class="p2">
of pavement/stones cemented together. There are two square openings on</div>
<div class="p2">
either side of the church serving as windows, and the entrance into</div>
<div class="p2">
the church is a rectangular opening with no door. During the service</div>
<div class="p2">
when looking out the windows and door, we saw mountains ridded with</div>
<div class="p2">
green and a bright blue sky full of clouds.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
The service itself was a bit indescribable but I will attempt to</div>
<div class="p2">
capture its beauty and uniqueness. The preachers spoke with so much</div>
<div class="p2">
power, passion, and hope...it was spine tingling. The songs were the</div>
<div class="p2">
most expressive, as everyone sang with heart and conviction. Some</div>
<div class="p2">
swayed with their eyes closed and their hands in the air, others</div>
<div class="p2">
clapped their hands and tapped their feet with the rythem of the</div>
<div class="p2">
songs. We Americans attempted our best to follow along in song, some</div>
<div class="p2">
better than others...I mainly just tried to clap my hands as loudly as</div>
<div class="p2">
possible and sing some random noises that I thought I was hearing, I</div>
<div class="p2">
felt badly for Bridget who was next to me! The songs incited so much</div>
<div class="p2">
hope and love that you could practically feel, taste, hear, and see it</div>
<div class="p2">
circulating around-it was such a magical thing. I felt as if every</div>
<div class="p2">
inch of my skin was buzzing with excitement and unfiltered happiness</div>
<div class="p2">
at the beauty of the happiness yet pain, pain yet hope, behind the</div>
<div class="p2">
songs and people. It was amazing to think that this holy place was</div>
<div class="p2">
created without many resources, supplies or space. This of course is</div>
<div class="p2">
all an outside view. While I do feel as if I am trying to absorb as</div>
<div class="p2">
much as possible, it can be at times difficult to see a much more</div>
<div class="p2">
simplistic lifestyle and also frustrating that we don't exactly know</div>
<div class="p2">
the intimate details of these people's daily lives as we desire to</div>
<div class="p2">
help and make their living situations better. Despite these feelings,</div>
<div class="p2">
Madame has rightly told us to try to refrain from making assumptions</div>
<div class="p2">
just based on this outside view we see. After the service ended, we</div>
<div class="p2">
shook hands with everyone (which was so lovely) and went outside where</div>
<div class="p2">
we interacted with some of the children for a bit. Looking around at</div>
<div class="p2">
the rolling mountains and patches of green and brown, feeling the cool</div>
<div class="p2">
breeze, seeing the interactions of my peers and the children: Michelle</div>
<div class="p2">
chasing Bebe trying to get him to be in a picture with her, Bridget</div>
<div class="p2">
with 5 or more little children around and enchanted by her, and Liam</div>
<div class="p2">
trying to communicate with a local boy was almost too much to handle.</div>
<div class="p2">
I looked at Madame beside me and she just understood, I tried to get</div>
<div class="p2">
some words out explaining how I felt and she just shook her head in</div>
<div class="p2">
that we didn't really need to talk, she was feeling the same way. In</div>
<div class="p2">
that moment It was so unbelievably comforting for me to be able to</div>
<div class="p2">
share this experience with all of these incredible people.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Upon returning to the campsite and to Sunni's beautiful meal, we</div>
<div class="p2">
played Uno and soccer with some of the local children for the next few</div>
<div class="p2">
hours. As Bridget mentioned, the run that the four of us went on was</div>
<div class="p2">
probably the hardest yet most fun run ever. It felt, as she said, that</div>
<div class="p2">
we were in a scene of Forrest Gump...except with small children and</div>
<div class="p2">
various farm animals! Running on our cross country trek around LaFond,</div>
<div class="p2">
there were certain points when it felt as if we had the whole world in</div>
<div class="p2">
arms reach, it was hard to believe something this beautiful exists.</div>
<div class="p2">
After a delicious dinner when we returned from our run, many of us</div>
<div class="p2">
played pick up soccer with some of the local kids. I was so surprised</div>
<div class="p2">
at how good they are, especially considering the majority of them were</div>
<div class="p2">
barefoot and we were playing on the rocky and hilliest ground. They</div>
<div class="p2">
are blazing fast and have developed such good footskill, it was so fun</div>
<div class="p2">
for us to be able to all play together. The rest of the night was</div>
<div class="p2">
filled with reflection and games.</div>
<div class="p1">
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I feel so lucky to be in this place experiencing it with this group.</div>
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We miss you very much and you all are on our minds and in our hearts!</div>
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Delilah Harvey</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-56962861992216844832014-03-02T15:44:00.001-08:002014-03-02T15:44:02.304-08:00<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2/1/14<br>"Si ou konnen'm"-- If you knew me<br><br> Just a few notes, especially from our time on the road:<br><br> What will really knock you out about the conditions in Haïti is the<br>seeming endlessness of the poverty. Starting in Port-au-Prince, we<br>rode by 4x4 over uneven, unpaved, steep, and winding roads for five<br>hours, and made our way to Petit Goave. On our way through<br>Port-au-Prince, we were solicited by beggars, cripples, street<br>vendors, and children simply looking at us. In isolation, the number<br>of people who seemed to rely on traffic for their occupation wasn't<br>really concerning, but knowing that there are 2.5 million people in<br>the Port-au-Prince area, none of whom seem to have a more secure<br>source of income, is staggering. My father asked on our trip to the<br>Philippines, "How much can this vendor make selling that"? In Haïti,<br>aside from selling water in idling traffic in the heat, and what seem<br>to be hot dog rolls, people will jump on your car and begin wiping the<br>dust off, holding on as you start to lurch another few feet forward.<br>This city and this way of life goes on as far as the eye can see on<br>either side, into the hills, and went on for almost four hours. So,<br>what opened my eyes the most was the sheer number of people living the<br>same way as the people in tent towns and who burned refuse on the side<br>of the road. We had a delicious dinner at La Bel Acueil.<br> Today, we had a sweet breakfast at our hotel, with mango, spaghetti,<br>white bread and butter, scrambled eggs with peppers, juice, and<br>coffee. After breakfast, we discussed our expectations for ourselves<br>and for our leaders. We did an icebreaker where Michelle Kim had us in<br>stitches. Afterwards, we spent time between the pool, showers, and<br>journaling. After loading up the cars, we set ourselves for the two<br>hours ride over crazily unpaved roads over incredible mountain passes.<br>We made two stops, one for cassava 'bread', and one for a 'bathroom'<br>break, stretch, and a view.<br> We arrived in La Fond, unloaded the cars, and had a meditation in a<br>beautiful clearing with a view of the near clouds, and the valley far<br>below. We then had a delicious lunch, before our tour of the school<br>and the houses we will be wiring for two lightbulbs each. We were<br>joined by two sort-of friendly dogs and a cadre of children. We walked<br>for about 3 hours, greeting homeowners with a "bonjou" or "bonswa,"<br>sometimes accompanied by energetic hugs. We were also gifted with many<br>ripe oranges and grapefruits, and the promise of yams for later in the<br>week. Came back to camp to yet another beautiful and copious dinner,<br>with rice and beans, pasta gratine, fish, a spicy coleslaw, and<br>plantains. Now, we are engaged in the second furious round of UNO.<br><br>All our love to those at home.<br><br>Best, Isabel N.<br><br></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-78297952328199503672014-03-02T15:42:00.001-08:002014-03-02T15:42:04.441-08:00March 1, 2014<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2/1/14<br><br> It is hard to really put into words what we've seen so far in our<br>trip. Traveling through the capitol of Port-au-Prince, it was quite<br>prevalent of the size of the need that Haiti has. There are buildings<br>that are not complete, trash left in the streets, people in need in<br>the streets, and roads that had little to no pavement. We traveled 2-3<br>hours each day through these roads in order to reach LaFond. These<br>roads to LaFond were really just dirt paths wide enough for a car to<br>pass through. Once we got to LaFond, we settled in and began our<br>orientation to the area. Emma Brown '16 said that being in Lafond is<br>literally like being on cloud 9 because of the clouds that constantly<br>are present around us. All of the people in LaFond live in one room<br>houses where that one room is their living room, bedroom, and dinning<br>room. These houses are barely larger than a common living or dinning<br>room in an American house. Despite this, the appreciation for us being<br>here is immense. Madame Venante, who lived in town, was so<br>appreciative of the idea alone that she continually gave us hugs and<br>thank you's for what we will do. "I thought it was sad that kids were<br>wearing ripped shirts and shorts. And when they told me that they were<br>cold, I just didn't know what to do, " Michelle '15 said. It is hard<br>to see these people, especially the children, from things that would<br>never happen in America or any other 1st world country. These children<br>often begged us to give them clothes that we had on us. Berthin, who<br>will be helping us on the trip, even left his home and family in Lakai<br>so that he could find work in Port-au-Prince. Tomorrow, we will start<br>the preparation for our project of installing the solar panels.<br> -Liam Batson '15<br><br></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-53387716288332485162014-03-01T05:19:00.001-08:002014-03-01T05:19:42.961-08:00First night in HaitiThe group had a wonderful first evening in Haiti. They got to see different celebrations of the carnival and the upcoming Marde Gras. They enjoyed a great dinner of chicken, rice, beet salad and fresh grapefruit juice. The group is excited to head to LaFond today and will start updating the blog later today! Please call the office with any questions - <a href="tel:303-679-3412" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">303-679-3412</a>. <div><br></div><div>Erin Lasky</div><div>Director of Operations</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-35047481418162297892014-02-27T20:49:00.000-08:002014-02-27T20:52:31.315-08:00Just Hours before our departureOur bags are packed and we will have just a few restless hours of sleep before we board the van at 3 a.m. and head to the airport in Philadelphia...I am happy to report that the students raised almost all of the money we pledged, over $4,400 to build solar arrays for La Fond Belle, a small village north west of Port au Prince and donations are still coming in! A mixture of nervous energy and excitement will probably keep most of us awake. What will be our first impressions of Haiti? Has much changed since the earthquake back on January 10, 2010? Has the aid that poured into the country following the disaster made a difference? What will the people be like...and so many more questions. It is past the time I said I would stay up which means I am cutting into my 4 hour nap. Bon soir et à bientôt. Mme. JohnsonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730590425585072880.post-47670961067643238002014-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:002014-02-27T19:34:23.694-08:00Haiti Awaits with Open Arms!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLbadH7YDRDQEMw4Iwtn9URre8ahmv3mg5zExtTnAToUgbQWpEb-eW3mQIBfAUtAhfTegD42gAWa6EB1qGcfU25JUkacDF_cOlb5tyeT4nOCFKqM9feRxVeOiWS3TJeQ7iJj_bFeioys/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLbadH7YDRDQEMw4Iwtn9URre8ahmv3mg5zExtTnAToUgbQWpEb-eW3mQIBfAUtAhfTegD42gAWa6EB1qGcfU25JUkacDF_cOlb5tyeT4nOCFKqM9feRxVeOiWS3TJeQ7iJj_bFeioys/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jacques and I (and soon Berthin) are ready to welcome our St.Andrew's students and teachers tomorrow for a tour of Port-au-Prince and overnight orientation in Petit-Goave ;)<br />
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Stay tuned, the skies are sunny, the fruits are sweet, and the community is ready with open arms!<br />
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-Chris & Jacques<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01995959527800803011noreply@blogger.com0Petit Goave, Haiti18.433519 -72.86164918.403391 -72.9019895 18.463647 -72.8213085