So to explain the title, first it is so hot here I think I could just totally fall over - one of those days where you are wet and sticky all day long, and start sweating again within 3 minutes of getting out of the shower. That kind of day... super humid and you want to dance and play and have fun but you can barely make yourself move. Ah, the kids are super "tranquilo" too.
And the earthquake part - since I know you're wondering or maybe worrying - it was yesterday, 5.1 about an hour from here I guess. We were in the capital though so I didn't feel it or even hear anything about it til this morning when a couple teachers I work with told me they felt it. No damage though, and 3 deaths - a few vacationers who were on their way out snorkeling and got killed by the tsunami that resulted from the quake. Yikes.
And the other part - we finished our unit on bugs and celebrated Friday with "Bug Day" where Dave took us all on a bug hunt and we danced with our potato bugs that we made earlier in the week, made play-doh bugs, and I finally was able to make my dirt cups (with "bug juice") which the kids LOVED of course, Rosali finished hers in about 30 seconds and half was on the floor while Moises slowly savored every bit for at least 30 minutes til we scooted him along. Other bug activities included thumbprint ladybug leaves, handprint spiders, potato bugs, and lots more bug songs, dances, and games. Oh, and as you can imagine, our bug hunt was full of BIG bugs - including big furry tarantulas. I tried to take a video but it turned out mostly of me screaming at Wilkin to put it down. :) Some of our guys just aren't scared of anything.
In Santa Ana, I have started a new behavior program with my pre-teen girls. If there is one thing that transcends culture, it is adolescence and anyone who has raised or worked with girls this age knows the neck swinging or talk back that comes during that special time of their lives. So we started a new point system/game to go along with the house rules and each time I catch a girl following the rules I write down a point and the rule they did a good job with. Well, they LOVE this and are taking it to quite the extreme - I feel like I'm being waited on now hand and foot when I walk in, but we are having fun with it for sure.
On the NPH Haiti front, things continue to develop and improve slowly, and the visitors and aid keep on pouring in. Last week's visitors included Demi Moore, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Gerald Butler, among others, who started a charity that was primarily founded to support NPH's hospital. See pics here of the celebs with our kiddos http://punchbowlblog.com/2010/04/14/celebs-do-good-ben-stiller-gerard-butler-susan-sarandon-and-demi-moore-visit-haiti/ (maybe I should put in a trasfer request to NPH Haiti :) Oh and here is the website of their organization if you want to check it out... http://www.artistsforpeaceandjustice.com/ - you can find some info. on Father Rick - NPH Haiti's now celeb status director, as well as the list of the other big wigs who are on the board... Clint Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Russell Crow, Nicole Kidman...
Also, in NPH Haiti news, our new French teacher Cristal (then one who you helped me support after her family lost her house) finally came back to this side of the island today. After we gave her a few hundred dollars and she disappeared we thought maybe she decided to rebuild and was gone for good, but turns out while she was on "vacation" in Haiti to visit her family, her dad died and then she became deathly ill and was stuck in the hospital. But she still responded with a hug, smile, and "todo esta bien" when I saw her. The strength of some of these people is astounding. Anyhow, I am glad she's back around and hope I can be a friend.
For the weekend, we stayed with this absolute angel named Marysue who works for the American consulate and has an amaaaaazing 19th floor apartment in the capital overlooking the ocean. We spent the weekend hanging with Tim and Paola by her pristine swimming pool, eating pizza, going to the movies (my first one in almost a year - Dear Jhon - pretty good, but no Notebook), and eating delicious dinners she cooked for us while sitting out on her breezy balcony. It was such a treat and it was so hard to come home to our painful bed with wires that stick out every which way after staying at such a posh pad. But yeah so nice, she is just this sweet lady whose husband volunteers for NPH and they want to bless everyone and take in tons of guests from everywhere and spoil them rotton (all their kids are grown back in the states, except one with autism who they adopted from Guatemala). Our fellow house guests included a young man from Haiti who almost drowned after his car went off a bridge and slowly sank down, but without ever learning to swim, he somehow managed to rescue both himself and his American passenger. In return, he is now moving to the US to study at Rutgers college... Marysue's house was where he came to rest his head on the way to the airport. And a missionary priest/doctor/profesor/... who was a bit odd to say the least... he decided to shower in our bathroom without telling us so now seeing a naked priest is another first to add to my list (just couldn't not share that one).
Okay, well I think that's it cause I am just rambling and didn't really come today with any idea with what to write about, but oh I did want to share that I now have to articles about my program on the nph.org website. Look under News - Dominican Republic and you can find "Animals Come to Life" about our zoo trip, and the other one Katherine wrote called "Special Education Program".
Child of the week for prayer - Jose Martin. Though he has made loads of progress, he continues to struggle with his behavior and has so many problems in class. Love him to death though. Let me know if you're willing to pray for him on a continuous basis.
Oh and pictures - I will try to attach those now. Not working - will try in a separate email.
But love, peace, and prayers to all, and all those in Michigan - enjoy the cold!! I'd love to be there right now!! :)
Kristin
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| In the capital with my new neice Ana Leah! |
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