Kim Priore

Ok a little more time to post this time.  It’s kind of weird I’m sitting in the kitchen of Jephthe’s brother’s house, and this guy is married to an American woman, so the house feels like an American house, there’s internet and some people are watching friends in the next room.  Haiti is definitely a land of contrasts.

Today my exciting new experience was a community shower down by the river.  No, not IN the river, don’t worry I haven’t taken to bathing in ox pee.  But they have like a giant spigot thing set up, it’s (relatively) clean water and it’s like a waterfall basically.  Because oh yeah, by the way, no running water at the guesthouse this time.  No idea what that’s about.  But it’s making things a little more…interesting.  So we went in our clothes, because, well, even though it’s like a national geographic special down there, doesn’t mean we have to totally join in the culture.  Nevertheless we were quite the spectacle. 

Anyways, Jephthe’s wife Mitou had the baby, I think I mentioned, a month early but mother and baby are doing ok, his name is Abdell, which means servant of God.  He’s a whopping like 5 pounds, something ounces.  They could only tell me in metric numbers.  I was like, what is this, Canada?  (That joke was for Doug).

Other than that, not much to report.  I wish I had some exciting stories but life moves pretty slowly here.  It’s weird not being a part of a work team, both because it’s weird not having my friends with me and it’s weird not doing the manual labor in a place like this.  But it’s good because it’s making me slow down and get to know the culture more.  But it’s wierd, like I’m always telling people who think I’m smart that I get to class at Harvard and I’m like the dumbest person in the room, here I feel like the Haiti expert I am at home is being totally out-Haiti’d.  It’s humbling to realize how much I still have to learn, how many people are soooo more dedicated than me, how LITTLE difference all of that studying creole flashcards made!  The Creole is almost impossible to understand.  Although I’m picking up a phrase here and there.

There’s a church service going on down the hill and we walked by it on the way up to Caleb’s house, and the singing was going on, and we stood for a minute but made our exit before we got sucked in.  And there was this woman singing oooon and ooon, and Kara, who’s this missionary who lives here full time goes, “Give a Haitian a microphone…”  And I died laughing.  Those of you who’ve been here can understand that!

So that’s all from Pignon this evening folks!  As always thanks for the prayers and love and support!  Oh, and one more thing, the girl from Florida who’s here that I’m rooming with is a Yankees fan.  So please pray for me!  I am truly being stretched out of my comfort zone in every way.  God has a sense of humor.