Well I was completely lax in getting last weekends update posted to the blog - my apologies, it is a fun one!
November 24, 2013
Happy
Thanksgiving week everyone!
It’s surprising how full the days are
and how fast time goes even when there are no guests in the guesthouse. Though
I have to say it sure is nice to be cooking for ourselves for a bit. Quesadillas.
cream of potato soup, risotto, and homemade mac and cheese are all favorites we
have enjoyed the last few days. The soup was such a nice fall treat, but it
still made me sweat to eat something that steamy hot. Nights have definitely
cooled off and for that we are thankful.
As always, one of the best things
about having less responsibility at the guesthouse is the ability to do more
with the girls. Saturday morning we were invited by Tim and Michael – pilots
for Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org) - to give the girls a tour of a real
airplane and an explanation of what MAF does in Haiti. They did a great job,
and the girls loved it, though Widline wanted to know where “the BIG planes”
were. Maybe next time Widline. At one point the girls were asked if any of them
wanted to be a pilot someday and Yorline – one of our most confident girls -
shot her hand up. Who knows?? Maybe someday.
You can see Nahomie at the controls looking great with all the gear. Nahomie is 15 years old and last
summer passed the 6th grade national exam to enter secondary school
this fall. In fact, Nahomie got the highest score on that exam of any girl in
her class! About a year ago we had some “growing pains” with Nahomie, but
we are pleased to say she has really shown effort and maturity as she has taken
more responsibility in her schoolwork, and also shown more interest in using
her musical talents at church where she seems to be integrating herself more
there. She knows she is a pretty girl and sees the attention it gets for her.
We continue to try our best to give her a solid sense of self as a person and
as a child of God so she does not feel the need to seek validation in the
attentions of others. It is a tough battle against much of what the media even
here in Haiti is telling her, but she is a smart girl and we work for the best
as we do everything we can to enable her to make good choices.
You may also notice there are not 17
girls on the group photo. While Nahomie has upped her game at school, our four
5th graders have run into trouble this week with their teacher and
were not allowed the privilege of joining us for the fun outing. The house TV
also disappeared for a few days and will only return with a renewed commitment by
all to follow the house rules for watching. Ahhhh, the joys of trying to do the
right thing training up young people!
Blessings from Haiti,
Gerritt and Julie
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