A Week Off...What does that mean?!

A week off of school for Mardi Gras.  Hmm...what is a week off?  I honestly cannot remember the last time I had a full week off from work, without compensating for some other type of work.  I think it was my freshman year of college Spring Break when we went to Fort Lauderdale (it was also the last time I have seen an actual sandy beach).  Mardi Gras is big here in Haiti, so we all received the week of from school.  I was worried, usually when I do not have a lot going on is when I get emotional.  When I miss my family, miss my Lexingtonian family, miss BSF, miss being able to get in my car and meet up with someone, miss sending funny text messages, miss going to the gym or church.  But, thankfully, I have had a busy week!  I have been able to get a LOT of school work done, and able to visit with a lot of folks here in Haiti.

One day I went on a 12 mile hike (do not do in Sperry's without socks), and we traveled to this cave in La Croix.  It was a beautiful hike through the country side.  God makes some beautiful scenery, by golly :D.

This picture was taken on our walk back.  I love being able to see the mountains and the ocean together. This high up you are able to see how blue the ocean is, and the different shading of blues.

Tuesday night, a wonderful family invited me to their house so that I could see the Mardi Gras festivities first hand.  Their house is down town, right in the thick of it all.  Groups of a hundred people would march up together with drums and the whole group would dance and sing.  We all danced on their balcony it was a grand ol' time!

These are the parents, the Maurrasse's, and they are such wonderful people.  Anywhere from 10-25 people who are homeless in the Port-de-Paix area stay the night at the bottom of their house, and they feed them.  Not to mention they have raised 7 wonderful, respectful children and put their relationship with Christ and school first.  They have also taken in a couple of their nephews because their Mom was not able to take care of them.  While interacting with them I could tell they were genuinely good parents.  They were involved in their kids lives.  Which is rare here,  and equivocally heartwarming to see.  They carry out the open door policy, and the Romans 12 hospitality practice.  After dinner we had the best discussion on the importance of living a holy life, and priorities in life.  They gave me a tour of the land that they own, this picture was taken on a rock on said land.  They also drove me around down town and gave me a tour, I now love down town Port-de-Paix...I used to be terrified.

So thankfully, I have been busy this week and have fallen even more in love with Haiti.

To God be the Glory.

Celebrating L-O-V-E!

I love Valentine's Day, it is the day to celebrate love.  Here is how we celebrated in Kindergarten and High School today.

This is what each Kindergartener had waiting for them on their desk this morning.

Today was also Mme. Patrick's Birthday.  We had a lot of celebrating to do in Kindergarten.

Please look at Hadassah's face, too funny!  This was their excitement over all of their goodies!

After Writing I kicked all the Juniors out.  I told them they were not allowed to return until I said so.  I then placed all of the Juniors and Seniors surprises at their seats.  I enjoy them so much, they're good kids.

This is a few of them enjoying their treats.  Rodh, sharing (or taking) with Evenson.

This was our hallway decoration for Kindergarten.  Flowers (made from their hand tracings), hand picked just for you!

The Juniors and Seniors wrote love poems and decorated them.  Who would have thought a group of 18 year olds would love glitter so much!!

Seriously, I LOVE Valentine's day!

To God be the Glory!

For the Least of These...

This is very simple, but by far started my Monday off on the right, humble foot.  And I thought it was fit to share.  This morning in my reading, I read Matthew 25, and I did not get past that chapter because God was already starting to speak to me through it.  Here is the main passage that stopped me:

I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me,I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

With this on my mind, I was running late to get my room ready for school.  Already my mind was flooded with tasks to do, and I had forgotten the scripture 50 yards away from my house.  When all of a sudden, a young boy comes right in front of me, "Madame papaye s'ilvousplait, papaye."  I had 12 writing books in one arm, my keys and coffee in the other, and over my shoulder a very heavy bag filled with all the teacher materials I would need for the day, oh and it was pouring rain, oh and I only got 3 hours of sleep the night before.  I was prepared to blow him off, to tell him I was running late.  But for some reason, not of my own will, I stopped handed him the writing books, set my coffee on the ground, reached into my bag grabbed out my notebook and ripped out a handful of sheets of paper and gave them to the boy.  "Mesi Madame," and he was on his way.  I picked my coffee up from the  ground and started walking, already thinking of what I needed to complete for school.  Then God  whispered in my ear, "The least of these, you gave ME paper.  Mesi." God is good people, and He takes my breathe away. Since you also answered God's call and helped me be here, He says "mesi" to you as well.  I love you so very much!  I hope He takes your breathe away! To God be the Glory!