Kim Priore

Well it may not have taken 40 years of wandering in the desert, but these past 24 hours have sure seemed like an eternity.  Nevertheless I am finally home, back in the land of Dunkin’ Donuts and CVS, praise the Lord.  When you fly out of Tel Aviv airport, they tell you to get there 3 hours in advance.  Because I am my father’s daughter, I gave it a good 9 hours, just to be on the safe side.  Actually it was because Shan flew out at 11:30, and rather than make Doug and Mandy drive me back at 2:30 in preparation for my 5:30 a.m. flight, we just made one trip and I camped out in the airport for the night.  (They’re not kidding about the 3 hours either, fyi, they all but give you a cavity search, they don’t mess around.)  So after a whirlwind tour of Jerusalem all day Sunday, and a quick stop for some Arabic Chinese food (don’t ask), we bid the Holy Land a fond farewell.  My first flight was uneventful; the second included a screeching baby across the aisle from me, and a Romanian woman next to me who was straight out of central casting.  I’m talkin’ the head scarf, no teeth, the whole nine yards.  Didn’t speak a word of English, knew I didn’t speak any Romanian, and YET proceeded to chaaaatter away at me like we were old friends.  It was kind of adorable. 

So that’s that.  A short Logan Express ride later and here I am back at 7 Fairview with only a suitcase of dirty laundry and souveniers, and a few stray Israeli shekels in my pocket to remind me that it wasn’t all a dream.  This trip had many layers to it – on the surface there was just the sheer fun of being on a break from school, away from the everyday work responsibilities, etc etc and hanging out and laughing with some really fun people.  Then there’s the spiritual aspect of it and how it really makes the Bible kind of come alive when you can really see the places and picture how things really would have looked (occasionally with a helpful reenactment photo to aid you).  There was also of course the pure joy of hanging out with my brother and sister-in-law again, and being able to see firsthand how they’ve become a part of the community there and are so clearly doing God’s work.

People keep asking me what the highlight of the trip was, and it’s really hard to narrow it down.  For the fun layer – just hanging out at the apartment, telling stories, laughing till our sides ached.  For the spiritual layer – I think the Galilee sights were especially cool to see, to be on a hillside looking out at the lake and realize that even if this isn’t the hill where the Sermon on the Mount was preached, it’s pretty close to it.  For the family layer – watching Doug joke around with his students and realizing that while they may give him a hard time, they truly like and respect him.  And watching Mandy’s 4th graders sing “Lord I Lift Your Name On High” in Arabic, complete with the hand motions, really brought a tear to my eye.  You get so used to hearing Arabic only when, as Shan said, it’s shouting slurs at you thru Al Jazeera, that you don’t realize that there are children here in this forgotten corner of the world, using that same language to praise the name of Jesus.  Children didn’t ask to be born in the midst of a war they didn’t start, and who certainly didn’t ask to be fenced in like animals, children who live at the birthplace of Christianity where it’s now threatening to die out.

Doug wrote that it was harder to say goodbye this time, and it was for me too, but for different reasons.  Because now having been there and seen how important their work is, I can’t wish for them to be anywhere else.  Some people work to bring peace and stability to the world with weapons, and I know in many ways that’s a necessary thing.  But my brother and sister-in-law are using the words and the love of Christ to try and bring people the peace that passes understanding, and it makes me so proud.  Their presence there is a living testimony that these people are not forgotten.  Having met them now myself, and laughed with them, and drunk their tea (and coffee!) and enjoyed their hospitality, I know that I won’t forget them.

After all – excellent, emotional soft rock is hard to forget.  And if you don’t get that one, you’ll just have to come hear the story.

Hey all – this is just a quick note since we are running out to a barbeque with some of Doug’s 11th graders, but I wasn’t sure I’d have another chance to post before leaving.  It’s been a great couple of days – Thursday was pretty low key, although we did enjoy a tour of Bethlehem University, courtesy of a priest who, among his other adventures in life, once worked as an English teacher for the Saudi Arabian army.  Awesome.  Yesterday (Friday) is Doug and Mandy’s day off, because it’s the Muslim sabbath and theirs is a predominantly Muslim culture, so we took off for the Dead Sea.  We journeyed to that holiest of holy places, the Ahava Factory Store.  It was truly a religious experience.  Also fun was floating in the Dead Sea and feeling the lovely burn as it (hopefully) set about to healing my various skin ailments.  Woo!  Saltiest water on earth.  Ow.  Last night we met up with Josh and Lauren once again, this time on this side of The Wall, and went out to a restaurant called “The Tent,” over in Beit Sahour near the Shepherd’s Fields, for some yummy Middle Eastern food.  Josh and Doug enjoyed a nice hookah (and Shan gave it a shot!) and made plans for the arrival of DC and Dr. Mu.  Today we went on a field trip with the entire high school to the Herodian (a giant mountaintop fortress built by Herod the Great) and the Solomon’s Pools, and then winding up at the local Checkers for some burgers.  I think that was the kids’ favorite part, but Doug gave a great tour nonetheless.  This afternoon the Fab Four headed for the left coast, and saw our 3rd sea in 10 days – and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean out at Ashdod, the former Philistine capital.  Also we managed to keep Shan from heading off down the road to Gaza, so you know, that’s good.  We even found a McDonald’s, and I’m happy to report that fast food soda is almost as good here as anywhere else!

Ok so that’s all, like I said, barbeque tonight and then we’re doing Jerusalem all day tomorrow – Holy Sepulchre, Garden Tomb, the market for last minute souvie’s, etc – and then off to the airport where I’ll be spending most of the night and flying out at 5:30 Monday morning!

It’s been a fantastic trip – of course not looking forward to say goodbye, but looking forward to seeing everyone again, handing out souvenirs, boring you all to death with pictures – and then hitting the ground running for 2nd Semester!

Last night was awesome – we went into Jerusalem and saw the Temple Mount (although we didn’t get to go up because it was closed), the Wailing Wall, and my personal favorite, this archaeological park on the southern end of the Temple Mount where they’ve excavated back to the time of Christ.  Among the things they’ve uncovered are the steps leading up to the temple in the time of Jesus, so as Doug points out, while there are multiple places in Jerusalem where you can say maybe/probably Jesus might have walked here, this is one spot where we know for sure he would have climbed these steps on his way up to the temple.  SO COOL.  That was really moving.  After that, we went to pick up Doug’s friend Josh and his wife Lauren and went out for Armenian food.  And lemme tell ya, the Armenians know their way around a kitchen.  It was delish.  And it was v. fun hanging out with the Til-ton once again. 

This morning Shan and I went on a tour of the Deheisha Refugee Camp with an organization called Alternative Tourism Group.  It’s not what you would typically think of as a refugee camp – not like tents and stuff.  It’s more like being in the projects, really.  Apparently there were tents when the camp was first formed, in ‘48, then the UN built these small units, like 3 meters by 3 meters, and now there’s some bigger apartments.  But what started out as a camp of 700 people has grown in population to 11,000 – but not in dimension.  So the same space that held 700 now holds 11,000.  The kids are 3rd generation refugees.  It’s really sad.  I think the saddest thing to me was the graffiti and artwork depicting keys – keys are the symbol of the refugees because a lot of them still have the keys to the houses they were forced out of so many years ago.  We wound up the tour having coffee (eesh! Starbucks it ain’t) with our tour guide Ayman and talking politics for an hour or so. 

On a brighter note, this afternoon when Doug was done with school he took us down to the Elah Valley, better known as the spot where David fought Goliath.  Shan was kind enough to reenact the decisive moment in said battle for photographic purposes, with Doug reprising his oft-played role as Goliath.  It was fantastic.  But yeah, very cool, and again – much like the steps – one of those spots you kind of have to know about, there is no sign, no fanfare, nothing.  So it’s really thanks to my brother’s wealth of Bible knowledge that we were able to see that.

So that’s about all – my trip is more than half over, which is sad!  Still lots of fun stuff ahead of us on the weekend.  But I’m having a fantastic time, and I really enjoy the whole not going to work or school aspect of vacation.  Can’t say enough good things about that.  And of course the hanging out with Doug, Mandy, and Shan and eating yummy Middle Eastern Food and laughing a lot.  Also CNN International – soooo much better than the domestic.  Sheer heaven for an international news junkie. 

I think that’s it for now – peace out from BJ in the WB.

Well it’s mid-morning break time here at the “American School” in BJ.  Shan and I have spent the morning with some of Doug’s classes – his 11th graders are a trip, your typical boisterous group of teenage boys, which you know, I’ve never been too popular with but Shan was a big hit.  I talked about Haiti and she talked about her work in the inner city.  Since apparently they are fascinated with black people, so it’s great that I could bring them a resident expert. 

Yesterday we had a tour of Bethlehem, organized by one of Doug’s students, Marwan.  And no I’m not at all bothered that that was the name of the terrorist on 24 a couple seasons ago.  Marwan’s awesome though – he set up a tour with our new friend Walid, who we think might be the mayor of Bethlehem, because he knows so many people.  So he took us to the Shepherd’s Field, the Church of the Nativity, and the Old City of Bethlehem.  He may be the world’s only living Catholic Muslim, because if I could boil the entire tour down to one salient point it would be this: the perpetual virginity of Mary.  Walid feels very strongly on this point.  Never any relations between her and St. Joseph.  No brothers for Jesus.  Always a virgin.  He’s Muslim, but he went to a school run by Fransciscans, and we really want to find them and let them know they did a bang-up job with him because the training really stuck.  And he punctuates every sentence with, “You understand?  You understand my meaning?” So that has become our new favorite catch phrase.  We were on the tour with one other American, this SUPER annoying old guy who was slightly crazy, but we tried our best to ignore him.  The tour wound up at Marwan’s family’s store, where they extended us Palestinian hospitality, which means your choice of a beverage.  Shan the coward who thinks she can take on the terrorists at Hebron opted for the tea, but yours truly was all, bring on the coffee.  And proceeded to have a cup of coffee that I could still feel in my esophagus like 8 hours later.  It was pretty awesome.  Marwan’s family offered us half off of anything in the store, because of our association with the school and Doug and everything, so that was nice, we got some souveniers. 

In the afternoon we visited Mandy’s class of adorable 4th graders and bestowed upon them the gift of their own personal white marker boards which Mandy had ordered, so they were really excited about that.  They demonstrated some of their English skills by practicing their contractions.  After school was out, Doug took us to see a few more sights in Bethlehem, including the old city gate and David’s wells.  OOH – I neglected to mention that our tour with Walid included the market and what is apparently the best falafel in town – made with onions in the middle of it.  mmmmmm falafel…..  Anyways then Doug ran some errands so I got to see where he gets his meat and fresh vegetables, and then this little store where he communicates with the shopkeeper in Spanish, because she doesn’t know English but knows Spanish, and he doesn’t know that much Arabic.  Pretty adorable.  It was in that store that I saw my favorite item spotted to date, which is some kind of GIANT liquor bottle in the shape of…are you ready for it…a machine gun.  If there was any way I could get that out of the country I would.  It’s the most fabulous thing I’ve ever seen.

This afternoon once we’re done warping young minds, we’re headed into Jerusalem for the first time – we’ve driven through it because that’s how you get in and out of the West Bank, but we haven’t done any of the sights yet.  So I think we’re going to start that this afternoon and then hopefully have dinner with Josh and Lauren. 

Well, we’re back safe and sound from the Kinneret, otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee (if you’re a Dan Cloutier music fan then you already knew that term! Hi Dan!).  It was an amazing two days of seeing the incredibly varied geography that makes up this tiny country, as well as the absolute wealth of archeological sites, which, if you’re a geek like me, is a blast and a half.  But it was awesome, we saw ruins at Korazim, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Dan, and Banias – known in Biblical times as Caesaria Philippi.  We also saw the churches of: the Mount of the Beatitudes, The Primacy of Peter, the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, and the one over Peter’s house in Capernaum.  Very cool.  And it’s really amazing how it just brings all of the stories to life and allows you to picture things really happening.  My brother’s wealth of knowledge makes him a great tour guide, so if you’re in the market for a tour of the Holy Land, I would highly recommend this guy. 

On the agenda for tomorrow is seeing the sights around Bethlehem – Doug’s arranged for a tour through one of his students so apparently a couple of Arab dudes are picking me and Shan up at the school gates tomorrow morning and taking us to the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square and the Shepherds Field and all that good stuff.  Awesome.  I’m sure Shan will try and bribe them into taking us to like Ramallah or Hebron, where she is just itching to go.  Today we were up in the Golan Heights by the Syrian border and there’s all these signs that say ‘beware of the land mines’ on the side of the road, and so naturally Shan had to have her picture taken next to one of those.  Good times.  She says if we avoid Hebron because it’s unsafe that means the terrorists have already won.  I say I’m willing to concede that battle.  We shall see…

So that’s all from Beit Jala this evening folks – having a fantastic time, wishing I could have tucked you all in my suitcase, but alas, it was full of Doritos.  And other stuff. 

Night!

Hi Everyone!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I’ve arrived in Beit Jala, Palestine safe and sound!  I’m sitting in Doug and Mandy’s apartment staring out at an amazing view of their town!  There were no problems with my flights, which was a huge answer to prayer.  Not sure whose prayers – my flight from Milan had a bunch of priests on it, and when I touched down in the Holy Land I was clutching my rosary beads and sitting next to 2 Italian priests.  So something tells me Nana Mella was looking out for me.  And all my luggage got here safe and sound as well, which I was really glad for mostly because of all the presents inside!  To everyone who sent stuff, thank you so much, it was like Christmas morning around here when I started pulling stuff out of my bags!  And the video was a big hit. 

We’re taking off in a few minutes for the Sea of Galilee, we’ll be back Sunday night and hopefully be able to write more then.  Love and miss you all!

Well boys and girls, I’ve been quite the world traveler lately, or at the very least, the East-coast traveler.  I don’t dare go much farther since a certain one-handed wonder who shall remain nameless is currently in possession of my St. Christopher’s medal, so it really wouldn’t be prudent.  On Thursday and Friday I was in sunny Florida…I’m guessing it was sunny, I was inside the hotel the whole time so it’s kinda hard to say.  I went there on business for one of my many jobs.  This is the one where I do research for the Bible Agencies.  That’s right, Kim in Florida, holed up in meetings for 2 days with CEOs of Bible Agencies.  What could possible go wrong?  Heh.  Well despite the multitude of possible answers to that question, I am proud to say that I was very well-behaved, and kept my liberal academic Ivy-league elitist mouth shut.  I know, right!  First time for everything.  I had to leave in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, got to the airport in plenty of time, only to discover a mile-long security line.  At 6a.m.?  Seriously?  Ok, live and learn.  I still had plenty of time though and then….that’s right, you always knew I looked like a terrorist:  I got singled out for the pat-down (good morning!) and then they went thru my bag with a fine tooth comb.  Now I had done my homework and everything, or so I thought, I had nothing over 3 ounces and had it in a clear ziplock bag, but APPARENTLY I didn’t read closely enough, because you’re only allowed to have like 5 things.  I had like, 15.  So some poor long-suffering security guard had to stand there while I nearly cried trying to choose between like my MAC makeup and my Origins skincare stuff.  I mean could you choose between your kids?  Honestly.  I was like, I’m sorry, I know I’m being such a girl right now.  And he was like, oh that’s ok.  It’s just that this stuff is so expensive!  So by the time I was done with my reenactment of Sophie’s Choice, I had only 15 minutes till the flight left, i.e. 5 minutes till they close the door.  So this is where Kim, dancer/cheerleader extraordinaire, who NEVER runs if she can help it, breaks into an all-out sprint for the plane.  Prior to this I had been looking quite the consummate professional, in my nice purple linen Banana Republic pants and my freshly ironed and starched blouse.  By the time I arrived at the plane, I was a sweaty mess.  Lovely.

So it must have been during that time, i.e. when we moved from Sophie’s Choice to Chariots of Fire, that I ripped said linen pants.  I didn’t realize this until AFTER I had arrived at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, stopped off at the restroom, stopped in the gift shop and bought replacement toiletries for the ones I had to toss aside back in Boston, and was heading for the van with my driver.  THIS is when I realize that the hem of my pants, which before had maybe an inch-high slit on the side, was now split halfway up my leg.  Freken A.  I’m long past anywhere I can stop and buy a sewing kit.  So I get to the place I’m staying, which is a conference center run by one of the Bible Agencies, very nice but doesn’t have everything (like, for example, a sewing kit) that a normal hotel would have.  I even asked the cleaning crew, I was like, el safety-o pin-o?  No?  Gracias.  I’m like crap I am so screwed.  But THEN, I have the brilliant idea, aha!  I could staple it!  So I go down to the front desk, and I’m all, uhhh do you have a stapler I could borrow?  And the lady’s very nice, she’s all, here you go, and then I say, now, please ignore what I am about to do, and I disappear from her view, bend over, and staple my linen pants shut.  That’s right folks, a product of Wellesley and Harvard, roughly $150K worth of education stuffed inside this skull and counting, and she’s got staples holding her pants together.  Awesome.

So other than that, the Florida trip was a success and I met some cool people and got to spend some quality time with EM, so that’s always fun!  This weekend I headed up to North Woodstock, New Hampshire for the Annual Priore Family Columbus Day Weekend Leaf-Peeping Extravaganza ™.  Now new and improved, featuring Goedharts and VanderArks and Giffords, oh my!  I had lots of fun playing with the godsons and drinking beer around the campfire and staring at the foliage.  And eating.  Lots of eating.  I think I gained like 20 pounds this weekend.  But at least if I split my pants I’ll know what to do.

…to let everyone know that I am home, safe and sound.  Thank you all so much for the cards, notes, emails, blog comments, prayers and all-around support.  Tonight I’m going to sleep in an air-conditioned room with a full stomach, having watched the Red Sox achieve a come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the 9th.  This truly is a great country.  Despite being so tired I could throw up, I have seldom been happier.  Tomorrow I’m leaving for Soul Fest (Woo! Go Who Stands!) and a couple of days of R&R.  At some point hopefully I can post the final chapter of my amazing journey out of Haiti, it’s the stuff that legends are made of, seriously.  I’m excited to see everyone at the wedding Saturday or church on Sunday or whenever, and catching up with you all.

Tonight my friends in Pignon go to sleep not knowing if the next mosquito bite means malaria, the next drink of water means typhoid, or the next military coup spells trouble for them and their loved ones.  My prayer is that I won’t forget them in the craziness of life here, and that God will make me worthy of being their friend, because it’s an honor I don’t deserve.  They have inspired me, loved me, humbled me, braided my hair, sung to me, fed me, let me ride their donkeys, gotten me across rushing rivers in one piece, and made me laugh.  I will see them again soon, “si Dye vle.” (God willing). 

Goodnight from the Home of Champions,

“Blan Kim”

It’s hard to explain the joy of the Haitian people until you’ve experienced their stoicism day in and day out.  These people face more challenge and hardship in one day that I will likely face in my whole life.

Today we got rain.  It came in the afternoon: hard, driving, soaking rain – the kind that makes debris lying around a yard rise up and float away.  Prior to this it was a very busy morning for me.  We basically packed about two weeks of work into one day.  Make that  half of one – we were done by 2:30.  It began with our scheduled 8:30 meeting with the chicken coop committee, which convened promptly at 10:45.  I got all of my questions answered, heard about how difficult it is to keep this small business afloat, their determination to make it succeed, to learn from their mistakes and setbacks and make it better.  I also got a good look at the sugar mill and an update on that, not to mention a marriage proposal from a toothless guy with a wife and a few kids at home.  Sweet.  Then Jephthe took me to the homes of a few people who had purchased eggs from the chicken farm, brought them home and hatched them, built their own little coops, and are replicating the project on a smaller scale.  One guy hopes the eggs will help pay his way toward finishing high school.  Through the streets and backyards your intrepid reporter traipsed, over sugar cane husks, trash, and Lord knows what else.  I even got my donkey ride!  Yes it’s on video and yes (Dad and Doug I’ll just beat you to it here) I made an ass of myself.

In the meeting this morning, sweltering under a tin roof, swatting at flies, and enjoying the smell of a couple hundred chickens, it occurred to me how very different this was from a business meeting in the States.  I looked at the little chicken coops that people had slapped together in their yards – not trying to be mean but to the untrained eye they look, well, pathetic.  You have to know what they represent to see the hope therein.  On the way back, Jephthe pointed out the house where Sanon grew up, which is really quite decent for here, but which was just a harsh reminder that this world contains disparities which divide people who migh otherwise see eye to eye.  It made me angry and sad.

So I mulled all this over this afternoon as I napped and attempted to sleep off a headache.  Then the rains came.  When rain comes in Haiti, life comes to a stop.  They’ll cancel class, close up shop – I’m not kidding, my kind of place.  So the crowd on the front porch of the guest house had started to grow and I went out to see what was up.

There was a card game going on, Mitou was having her hair braided, the kids were splashing in the growing lake in the front yard, and Jephthe was – well – being Jephthe.  He couldn’t contain his joy at the much-needed rain, and the prospect that we might have working showers before I left.  As lightning split the sky and deafening thunder echoed off Mt. Pignon, the mood was one of general revelry.  Over and over I kept hearing peppered throughout the conversation the word “dlo,” the Creole word for water.

Immediately I started to worry about what this would mean for our drive to Cap tomorrow.  Jephthe just shrugged: “God will make a way somehow.”  I finally had to catch myself and say, Has God not provided everything else for this trip?  And not in my timing, but in His?  Look around, I thought.  Look at these people who could find so much to worry and complain about, and instead they’re rejoicing in the “dlo.”  Even Mitou, who rarely speaks in English unless I ask her something, was beaming up at me from under her half-braided afro, “God is good.”

This is the point in the trip at which I’m supposed to have it all figured out, and present you with such nuggets of wisdom as, “They’re poor but still so happy, and so giving.  And the children broke my heart.”  And those things are to some extent true.  But they’re not happy all the time, there’s nothing romantic about a poverty that means you can’t feed your kids.  Both Caleb and Jephthe have had problems since I’ve been here with empoyees stealing from them.  At times I know I’ve been the object of not-so-kind laughter.  And quite frankly, y’all, begging kids can get annoying after awhile.

The truth of the matter is that people are people no matter where you go.  There are nice ones and mean ones and inspiring ones and those that will disappoint you.  There’s not much you can do about that.  But it’s a sinful, fallen world that says it’s ok for Jephthe’s kids to grow up here while ours grow up wanting for nothing.  I hate it when people try to explain Haiti’s poverty with simplistic answers about work ethic or alcohol or Vodou.  But I hate it even more when they seem ok with it.  And so I’ll do my small part to change it, not because I think I can, but because I’m not ok with it.

I wrote this entry out longhand in my journal because the power’s not on yet and even if it was, it’s still raining too hard to try and make it over to the cyber cafe (Hey, when in Haiti…).  I may have to build an ark to make it to Cap tomorrow.  For all I know this is some huge tropical storm, not like I’ve seen a forecast in 2 weeks.  What I do know is that tonight, God has sent “dlo” to people who know how to rejoice in it.  And I’m really honored to be with them.

Greetings all, from rainy Pignon.  This is good news, they really need rain.  Every day we get like a little bit, but we haven’t had a good rainstorm since I’ve been here, this is the first.

So the word is I’m staying one more day in Pignon and leaving for Cap Tuesday morning.  I just have to trust that we’ll get there in time for my flight and that everything will work out.  It’s going to be a long day of travel, what with the four hour drive to Cap and then the MFI flight which can take up to 4 hours, depending on how many stops we make.  BUT the good news is, Pastor Jephthe insisted on a Tuesday departure, because, he says, we have much to accomplish tomorrow.  You’re tellin’ me, I say.  So the day is kicking off with an 8:30 meeting with the chicken farm and sugar mill people, that I actually get to attend and ask my questions in person, so I’m really happy about that.  And I got to clarify some things with him tonight about the water project, so that’s good too.  So slowly but surely things are coming together and I *think* I will get what I need to do my job.

So today was pretty slow, the highlights were church (it’s a stretch to call that a highlight but hey it was something to do) AND getting my hair braided, Haitian style.  So I shall look quite fabulous when I get back.  Ronise did it, who’s a 19 year old girl who lives with Jephthe and Mitou.  And of course there was like a committee around her consulting and offering opinions, even Mitou came out at one point, circled me, gave some instructions in Creole that necessitated Ronise taking out some braids and re-doing them, it was quite the production. 

One of the amazing things about this community is the way they take in kids in need.  Jephthe and Mitou had already taken in like 2 kids before they even had one of their own, and now they have Ronise too.  Even Pa and Ma Sidoine, who have like 9 grown kids, have at least one foster kid that I know of right now.  And they’ve had numerous ones over the years.  Moise, the one they have now, is 2 years old and is SO CUTE.  I have many photos and videos of Mo.  But apparently he’s from one of the villages where they have a satellite church, and his mom was like crazy or whatever, and they were trying to do something about it, and the last straw was when the mother tied him up in a tree by one arm.  This is when he was like 3 or 4 months old.  So sad.  And taking care of the kids is like a community thing, it’s very different from our conception of like the nuclear family that sits down to eat every night.  I miss that, but at the same time it’s kind of cool to observe this kind of community.  But also, Bos Ely, who was our boss on the worksite last year, was one of the first foster kids that Pa and Ma Sidoine took in.  I didn’t know that.

Anyways, so tomorrow looks to be a busy day, and an early night as we will be leaving at the CRACK of dawn on Tuesday.  (There’s a rumor that the car we’re taking to Cap is air conditioned.  I don’t know if I’m that lucky but I’m holding out hope.)  Hopefully I will have time for one more post, but if not, you all can assume no news is good news.

Which reminds me – a footnote:  I hear there’s been some stories about the troubles in Port au Prince in the news recently.  To be honest I’ve stopped reading my Google alerts for Haiti while I’m here, because they seem so completely unrelated to the reality I’m living.  And I know that it’s not unrelated, obviously, the instability there is the reason they don’t have good roads here.  All politics is local, ultimately.  But Port au Prince is 12 hours by car, and all the violence seems light years away from the people I’m meeting here.  And Cap has been very quiet.  So please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers, and at the same time rest assured I have felt very safe the whole time I’m here, and the people who live here all the time, both Haitians and Americans, are not worried at all. 

So that’s all, good night from peaceful, rainy Pignon!