Fun

Based on the serious nature of my last few posts, it may sound like life in Haiti is desperately sad, but this is really not the case.  There have been so many great times of community with the teachers and other adults here, as well as lots of fun with the kids, so I'll do my best to show how we experience joy in simple things in Haiti.  Here are a few photos of some of the younger kids playing Uno.

A huge source of excitement all around Haiti is soccer.  Everywhere you look children and adults are playing soccer.  One evening, I took the following picture from the roof of the school.  The big boys from the orphanage were playing their daily soccer game, which is usually very intense, even though they play in a small and dusty patch of land and they are usually wearing sandals.  As I looked out over the city, I could see a handful of other soccer games going on in the streets.  Crowds gather and children and adults alike take part in the game.  There is a sense of community whenever a big soccer match is being televised also.  Across the city you can hear people cheering when the favored team scores a goal.  What a fun national past time!

The children in the orphanage find all kinds of creative ways to pass their time.  From using plastic grocery bags as kites that fly around the school to turning old soda containers into musical instruments, these kids are creative in the way that they play.  Here is a picture of Vidlan, who had gotten into the supply of Legos and was having a blast building all kinds of cool things. 

Simply pulling books out of the library to look at is a big event for the kids.  Hannah, one of the college students who is here teaching summer school, pulled out a few chairs one afternoon and watched as the kids dove into the wonderful world of reading.  The smiles were big as they flipped through the pages, with the older students taking turns reading to the younger ones.

Even the adults know how to have fun.  At the end of the week, we celebrated the work accomplished by going out to Epidor- a Haitian restaurant.  A few of the Haitian teachers, along with the student helpers, and the team of American teachers had a great time together enjoying some good food and good conversation.  In Haiti spending time with friends and family is a big part of having fun, and there is never an awkward pause or lag in conversation with this crew.  It is such a treat to be able to just sit together and laugh at simple, silly things.  Below is a picture of the new principal, Mr. Relliere, in the process of taking a photo himself- it's nice to see that this new school leader has a great sense of humor!

I am so thankful for all of these small moments of fun.  In a place where there is so much hardship and life is difficult and serious so much of the time, it is important to be able to share the simple joys experienced here in this amazing place with these remarkable friends.  Thanks for staying along with me on this journey!  Love in Christ, Jessie