conversation opportunities

March 15-20, 2010

This week I have been more apt to make the most of opportunities to communicate with others and also to practice my Kreyol. Partly this change was to meet my own need for interaction, but also I was working to make myself more available to those around me and be attentive to what God is calling me to in this place. I'll highlight a few of the moments that were more memorable.

On Monday, Pierre Richard, Rubenson, and Keshare (three of the youth who attend Bibliotec) joined the Carlin children and I in the ocean for some play and swim time. I enjoyed watching their interactions and increasing comfort within one another. The Haitian youth shared a couple logs with the Carlins so that everyone could take turns "floating" in pairs. We all worked together to move the logs to another portion of the beach when it was unoccupied so that we had more room.

On Wednesday, the plan for Bibliotec changed less than 20 minutes before we were scheduled to begin. Instead of working with Guito (one of the compound staff) to teach the children how to make banana leaf pots, Nicole led the children in efforts to begin a compost pile for when we are able to plant. We then spent some time practicing English and Kreyol vocabulary. Pierre Richard, Tessa, and I shared a book. This lesson was helpful as Pierre Richard corrected my pronunciation. I love having the ability to laugh at myself and share in the apparent quality of Haitians not to take life (or themselves) too seriously. At the end, Nicole taught the children how to play Kanna, Kanna, Kodenn (Duck, Duck, Turkey) because the translation is easier than Duck, Duck, Goose. As I watched the game progress, it reminded me of the simplicity of life and how easily some things translate, while other things are more difficult. Teaching a game can be simple, but sometimes nuances exist which are harder to explain or will never make sense in different cultures. I also watched the children's interactions, observing and trying to understand more about Haitian life. I often find myself uncertain as to what initiated an altercation between two people or surprised when people leave amicably when I'm anticipating problems.

During Bibliotec, the older teenagers were walking along the beach and called out to me repeatedly as they passed the compound. Because we were in the middle of Bibliotec, I did not go to them to identify what they wanted. Yet as I reflected upon the situation, it seemed to me as if they were practically "calling out to me to play" with them. I believe they were hoping for me to interact with them and would have likely enjoyed me walking along with them. I spoke with Nicole about my thoughts as we prepared dinner that evening and agreed that if I was sensing this situation in the future to make the most of it if I was available.

On Thursday, I was finally able to get down to the beach again with the children for a swim. Pierre Richard joined us as usual (in fact he now asks me every day that he sees me if we will be swimming that day). For a while we all enjoyed the cooler water, but after a few minutes Pierre Richard had moved his log back onto the shore to sit on. The next thing I noticed was that he began covering his feet with the sand. I have noticed the children often swim for a while and then go up on the beach where they cover their entire bodies with sand. Today I decided to interact with Pierre Richard, who is a prankster, by sitting on the log next to him and mimicking his actions. I had a ton of fun as I bonded with this young man. We laughed, joked, and enjoyed each other's company. Even Sophie and Sam became interested in watching what we were doing instead of swimming after a while. I also learned why the Haitian children covering themselves in sand... the sand is incredibly warm and helps to heat them back up after they've chilled themselves in the "cool" ocean of early spring. (I think the water is cool on some days still, but most people think that it is a perfect temperature.)

On Friday, Mike and Nicole spent the afternoon at a meeting to make contacts and continue addressing the educational needs in our area. They were meeting some groups interested in helping get tents and supplies to the schools in our zones, but they need additional information to be able to fully identify and then meet the needs. While they were gone, I took Sam, Sophie, Tessa, and Riah down to the beach to swim. Pierre Richard and Rubenson swam with us. I was so excited to witness the continued comfort of the youth as the Carlins choose to interact with the boys and play games. I am hoping their interactions with the Haitian youth will continue to foster a desire to work on their Kreyol as well as just engage with the youth around us more regularly. Plus Pierre Richard and Rubenson were becoming more free in their interactions with me. I was encouraged by the changes I noticed, such as promixity in the water, the number of games they played together (instead of Carlins with Carlins next to Haitians with Haitians), and the fact that the Haitians would swim to me and hang out just like the Carlin children do.

On Saturday, I went to market with Nicole and Clement as usual. Like the week before, Pierre Richard rode along to by sweet treats to sell to his neighbors as a small business. Unlike the previous week, Rubenson also asked to ride in with us for the same purpose. The boys got in on both sides of the truck, leaving me sandwiched between them in the middle. When we stopped to pick up Madame Jeanette, Clement told Rubenson to move to the back. After arriving at the market, the boys ran off to buy their merchandise before finding us to help carry the bags back to where we parked the truck. We had not been able to locate everything we needed, but decided to leave everything attended in the truck before making another walk-through for the last couple items. I opted to remain with the boys, and the rest of the group ran along in their search efforts. While we waited, Rubenson asked me to sit on the bench in the truck bed with him. Pierre Richard quickly disagreed and told me to sit in the truck. I thought they were up to something, but couldn't decide what. I wondered whether they both wanted to sit in the back together and were plotting something, but was unsure. I enjoy riding in the back with the wind hitting my face/head (depending on which way I choose to sit), so went with that option on the return to the compound. Rubenson sat in the back and Pierre Richard sat inside the truck. We drove up the road and stopped at the other end of the market to buy mangos, water, and bread. The boys repeated their dialogue with me about where I should sit, at which point I realized that they were fighting over me in some sense. They both wanted the privilege of sitting next to me, even though we wouldn't really be talking. Since I had sat next to Pierre Richard on the way to market (and because I love the wind blowing in my face), I remained where I was in the truck bed next to Rubenson. The joy of the experience was being able to see my relationships with the youth here developing and knowing that God has a purpose in these.

The week has been one of encouragement and hope as I continue to settle into life in Haiti. Relationships are being developed, even if they are slower than I would prefer. I am able to see God's hand in the situations and rest in the fact that everything is in His time. I trust that I was in His will and that He will continue to provide for my every need (spiritual, physical, AND emotional).