Saturday, November 13, 2010

Creeping back into America

Today we started creeping our way back to our "normal" reality......
Just worked for a few hours doing well child checks at TeacHaiti school.
It was a BLAST!!!!
We brought all the soccer balls, handknit and crocheted dolls, stuffed animals, matchbox cars, etc and had just enough to reward each child for their cooperation with their exam. (We also brought a huge bag of toys and supplies to the local hospital for them to distribute as they please.)
These kids have been receiving 2 meals daily the past few months while at school and they are STRONG!
Miquette Denie, the wonder responsible for this amazing place (and actually she has an additional fulltime job teaching at Quisqueya) told us about the amazing changes already happening with the kids. Malnutrition is on the run!
And at TeacHaiti the kids are not just learning the 3 R's. Today they were learning to crochet. They were having art class and actually will be using real canvases for their work. There was also a parent-child community-type project making beads out of paper- mostly old cereal boxes.
They rolled the paper, laquored it, then turned the beads into beautiful necklaces to sell!!!
Just wait until you see them!
 We will hopefully have these necklaces on our website for purchase soon.
Here is a link to the school in case you are wondering more- you can also learn how to sponser a child if you are a generous soul----    www.teachaiti.org/

Of course the sad part of the day is that we know that the cholera in St Louis du Nord is worsening....
The supplies are dwindling, people are dying.
Our own team here at MTI- the leaders that live here- are run ragged and working ridiculously long days with no days off and no vacation in the near future.  How to you take a day off when so many lives are at stake? How can you really take care of yourself in this crazy wonderful place of intense contrast, crisis, beauty, horror, joy and sorrow???
As usual we ended up working with the most incredible workers- people that will do ANYTHING to help.

How can we leave?
When can we come back?
How can we REALLY help from the US?
So many unanswered questions.
It is a bigtime lesson in letting go and just living.
When action is pure and selfless, everything falls into it's own perfect spot.

My perfect spot is my super-comfy bed here at the hotel MTI- complete with AC and a pillow.
Hope TMatt didn't bogart the rest of the Ritz crackers.....
Love, love and more love,
Julius

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