raindrops, tree frogs, and the ponderings they initiate

Some of my favourite sounds happen at night during rainy season, when the rain patters gently (or ak foc) on the foliage and the tree frogs chirp cheerfully. it creates such an atmosphere of calm! they are sounds to fall asleep to.

If things had gone according to the tentative plan, tonight would be my last night in Haiti. i'd probably be packing right now, and tomorrow i would be saying goodbyes and heading to the airport to hop on the plane and come home to the mud and brown that typically usher in Ontario springs. i have always loved spring (minus the mud and brown), and i guess one of the things that i miss when i'm in Haiti is watching the seasons change. the snow of winter to the fresh green of spring; the fresh green of spring to the heat and long nights of summer; the heat and long nights of summer to the colours of fall leaves and the crisp, cool air; and the crispness of fall to the first snowfall, snow boots, jackets, hats and scarves....

but back my point about the tentative plan. Today was NOT my last day in Haiti! I am now going to be staying through the summer, with a visit home in June :-) i wouldn't trade being here in Haiti for the chance to see spring come this year. Yes, there are things that i miss about home - family birthdays, socializing with my friends there, spending time with my family, DRIVING.... but nothing compares to knowing that where i am is where God wants me to be! it helps that i love doing what God has asked me to do, i suppose! lol

Jim Elliot has a quote that i find encouraging and inspiring: 'Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.' That's what i'm going to try to do, for whatever length of time God has me here. and if i get called to something else - or somewhere else in another country, Heaven forbid! - then i will do my best to do the same there as well. Following God may not be easy, but it sure is an adventure! An adventure i don't want to miss.

'Yon Ti Mache' (a little walk)

On days when i get caught up with work in the office and nobody needs assistance with anything in particular, i get to hang out with the kids and volunteers. This afternoon was like that, and i had the opportunity to take a walk with a couple of the girls and their kids. I got one of the little boys who was mine when i volunteered in the fall :-) he's a character, and it was fun to have him out! 

This little guy was in awe of everything he saw! He would walk for a short distance, then some sound or sight would distract him, and he's stop to inspect it. he took in the trees, a chicken and her chicks, a 'machine' (car) ect. in great detail! it was fun to see his reaction to the world outside the gate!

While walking down a dirt road, we came across a ti kabrit (goat). As i expected, my little walking partner stopped to check it out. But unlike what i expected, he started to walk closer to it, showing little fear! The goat backed away from him. However, it came forward when i held out my hand for it to sniff. i wanted this little guy to be able to touch the goat, but they got too close for comfort, and the goat backed away again :-( 

So, although this little guy didn't get to feel the soft whiskers of the little goat brushing against his fingers, he did pretty much get eye to eye with one! 

p.s. Thanks to Amy for capturing these moments on camera! 

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Beautiful Scenery and Leprechaun Leaps

This afternoon a couple of volunteers and i went on a walk to a place that two other staff members 

and i discovered yesterday. it was a place that was 

kind of off the beaten path. to get there, we took a path that led through a canopy of trees, down a couple hills, past grazing cows, horses, and chickens scratching in the dirt, with terraced farmland on either side. At the bottom of the 'last' hill (i'm not sure there are ever 'last hills' in these mountains, as one could always go further) there was a half broken wall that i thought rather picturesque, and a small patch of

 

grass. We sat down on the patch of grass and

looked out over the valley, soaking up the sun 

and the beauty, and chatting for a while.  when we
decided it was time to head back home, we began
the trek back up the steep incline. at the top of
that hill, it looks like the road just drops off into
nothingness with a beautiful scene in the background, so we decided to have a little photo
shoot while walking up the hill. over the course of this shoot, one of the girls took a running leap and clicked her heals together, and thus commenced all of our attempts at the leprechaun leap :-) While practicing and taking pictures, there were some

kids watching us from a little further down the hill. i'm sure they were probably like 'wow, what crazy people!', but i continued my attempts. i finally kind of got the hang of it, and the moment was captured on camera. several minutes later, after all three of us were done, we heard some yells and laughing from the bottom of the hill. we looked over the crest, and there at the bottom, those kids were running, leaping, and trying to click their heels :-D it made me very happy! lol. Those are the kinds of things that memories are made of. :-)