Morning surprises

September 14, 2012

Waking up this morning I found that this morning there is no water in the house so the children went to the mountain source carrying buckets and plastic bottles to fill and bring back for washing themselves, dishes, and clothes.  I found that Wozlo needs new sandals.  I found that our food supply is low because there have been demonstrations in Miragoane and best to stay away till they are over.  The kids ate spaghetti two mornings in a row for breakfast.  No complaints…they love spaghetti!  This morning  Cawol and Wozlo will go to market.  The younger kids are in class, the older kids will go later.  Painting continues.  After only five months of use the house needs to be painted.  This time we are using brown in the areas that get the hardest use.  One lives and learns here.  No matter how many times I have tried to teach the kids to keep hands off walls, it just doesn’t sink in.  They are kids!  I place a basin of soapy water at the entrance as a reminder to wash hands when they come in from play.  They seem to connect OK with this and wash often.  We were blessed with a few rain showers during the night and we pray that our garden grows.  Banana trees are planted as the beginning of our vegetable and fruit garden.  My little flower, tomato, and spice garden is surviving in spite of being accidentally raked for weeds, and trampled by the painters. (The “weeds” were actually small wild flowers.)  Our “living” fence has been planted and is almost complete with crossbars made of bamboo.  We need a fence to protect our garden from hungry goats and donkeys.  The roosters are our alarm clock waking us at 5:30 in the morning.  I find that if I go to bed when it gets dark in the evening, then I’m ready to wake up at sunrise…very basic living that works well here.

I listen to the kids practice singing and think about all the advantages that our kids have that other kids in the community do not.  It’s almost unfair, but then, my hope is that our kids will be leaders in the community.  Our kids have special private classes three times a week with focus on math, language arts, and science.  Our kids have singing and choral three times a week with an accomplished music teacher.  They sing as a group for Sunday service.  Our kids are training to be lectors.  A few of the kids are on the regular schedule for readers.  Our kids are acolytes.  Our kids have music lessons on Saturday morning.  Our kids have bible study two afternoons a week.  Our kids are learning to plan worship services, beginning with planning our evening chapel prayer service.  Gastina selects the hymns to be sung, the psalms and readers for the psalms.  She uses the BCP, the hymnal and the bible to format the service.  (Gastina’s long term goal is to become a priest.)  Occasionally we welcome guest preachers.

Our kids don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from and are able to concentrate on their studies.  Our kids also work, washing their own clothes, and helping to keep the yard clean.  Our kids play hard kicking a soccer ball till it is thread bare!