Sunday

My notes from yesterday and today are not very good, but I will try to make up for it with a few pictures.

Went to the Free Methodist Church near Delmas 6 today.  We got the times a little confused, so ending up socializing with some of the missionaries during Sunday School.  Larry Judy lives up near the church and hosts plenty of team who visit Haiti and that is where I got to meet Katie.

Katie is a very cool girl.  She was 24 and working here in Haiti when the earthquake happened.  Katie and Jack were two people trapped in the Friends of Haiti Organization (FOHO) building during the earthquake.  FOHO is a Free Methodist organization and they have both returned to Haiti this year.  I enjoyed getting time to talk with her and to hear about her recovery process.  The whole idea of what actually happened still boggles my mind.  I just can fathom it.

Katie, Baby Jeanie, Edwani, Vanderline, Jack

To save getting bogged down with details, let me briefly explain the significance of this picture.  It isn't the best picture, but these people are amazingly connected. Edwani's husband was a Pastor who was killed in the FOHO Building.  Jack and Katie were trapped in the same building, but rescued and medically evacuated due to injuries.  Jack's wife Jeanie died in the building during the earthquake.  The two children are Edwani's - Jeanie and Vanderline.  Edwani was pregnant during the earthquake and when she gave birth named her new daughter Jeanie in honor of Jack's wife.  Incredible.

Back to house so Kendra could go to Vanderline's birthday party. It was $30 US a person because they went to a hotel with a buffet for lunch and pool, so Omar and I enjoyed free time!  We went back to Russ and Sherry's where I took a 2 hour nap and then did more office work.  Omar watched about 3 hours of TV in Spanish.

Kendra returned and at 4pm we decided to visit Juju's house.  This is the house we stayed at before until they stole some of our belongings.  We took a pineapple and just wanted to visit to see how they were doing.  For many of our trips, they were very gracious hosts to us.  I was a bit nervous at first, but very excited to see the kids - Karina, Deborah and Radal.

When we arrived, only Madam Thomas (the Grandma), Deborah and Karina were there.  Juju speaks Spanish, but she wasn't there, so we practiced our creole and Karina translated since she knows English.  Madam Thomas kept asking if we were staying.  Deborah was very cuddly.  She held my hand and talked with me like I hadn't been away for so long.  We stayed for only a few minutes, but it was a nice visit.

Zami mwen (my friend) Deborah, and Emily

To Paraguayan UN Base at 6:30pm for Catholic Mass outside. Yes, you read that correctly.  Dinner afterwards. Jorge Diaz is an interesting story teller. Being friends with the head honchos is interesting because you can always figure out the pecking order.  The also told me, in Spanish, that I had abandoned them since I hadn't visited in so long.  They are throwing a big party on December 2nd when their "mission" is finished in Haiti.  I wonder if I'll be able to visit.

Home to visit with missionaries Dan and Dee Synder who are FM with a focus on the Dessalines hospital.  Then bed.