mangos in a smoothie.....one of my favourite things!

due to lack of inspiration, i am going to describe to you my new favourite treat.

Mangos are in season, and i have to say that this season may be my favourite. not spring, not summer, fall or winter, but mango. we can drive down nearly any given street, and along the road there will be various women selling a variety of goods. but the ones i love the most are piled in neat little pyramids of three or four, in all their golden glory. in my experience, i have learned that if you want one to eat right away, get a mango that is mostly yellow and a little bit (or a lot) soft to the touch.  these you can squish in your hands some more, and move the pit around inside before biting off the top and sucking out the juices. it's messy, but oh so yummy! if you want one to keep for a few days, get one that is more green and is still firm. and if you want one with which to make a mango smoothie, well, there are pros and cons to use of either. if you use a soft one, juices will squish between your fingers and run down your wrists as you cut the flesh from the pit. however, that mango bursts with flavour! if you use a firmer one, they aren't quite so messy, but maybe not quite so sweet. (now, remember, this is from my limited experience, so it could very well not be accurate!). in the last few weeks i've had multiple mango smoothies, and each one has been a delight to indulge in. the perfect mixture of mango, ice, milk, maybe a little sugar, and sometimes some pineapple or banana all blended together to make a wonderful, refreshing, healthy drink.

as i write, susie's and my latest concoction sits beside me in all its orange, smooth, thick, cold, mango-y glory, backlit by the soft glow of a lamp. from time to time i take a sip and revel in the simple pleasure of a mango smoothie. it just goes to show that the best things in life are not necessarily free, and neither are they ridiculously expensive. they are just a pile of three mostly golden, rather mushy pieces of fruit that cost 25 gourds (approx. 60 cents).

i love being in Haiti. mostly because this is the place that God called me, and it's where my heart is at home. even after a hard day, i know that for now, this is where God wants me; and that makes it worth it all. mangos are just a side-benefit. the perks of the job, if you will.

Down Memory Lane

This morning while organizing one of the drawers in the office, i came across some DVDs labeled 'GLA Kids 2009'. In the office we took a few minutes to check them out and see what they were all about. it was neat to watch footage of the babies and kids who were here two years ago (ones that i knew), but have now gone home to their forever families; most of whom have been home for over a year now :-)

We thought that the nannies would enjoy seeing these videos as well, so this afternoon while most babies were down for their naps, we went to the nursery with laptop and DVD in hand, set it on one of the little wicker chairs, and invited all the nannies to come watch it. they all gathered around, and for five minutes we went back in time. i loved listening to their comments and exclamations as the faces of 'their' babies played on the screen. These ladies love all the children who come into their care, and their appreciation of being able to watch this video was made even more evident when we reached the end and they asked to see it again! :-)

It was special to be able to share that time with the ladies in the nursery and NICU who give so much to our kids; women who are essentially the babies mommies, meeting their needs until they go to their forever families. we appreciate them so much! God bless our nannies and nurses!

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! 

. 

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. :-)

In the hands of God

It's a cool evening, and i sit on the rooftop pondering today. stars peek through the smattering of clouds that cloak the dark night sky, and a gentle breeze wisps around me. And somewhere beyond that blanket of stars, in a place more beautiful than can be imagined, a tiny little girl angel named Lovely is being cradled in the hands of the One who created her and knew her more intimately than we could ever know. My heart aches for her young mom who is experiencing a loss that i cannot imagine. She was here with her baby girl faithfully since the day she brought her to us. Her love for her baby was evident. And then this morning her baby went to Heaven. We'd all hoped and prayed for little Lovely to grow and become strong, but for reasons we can't understand, God's plans were different than our dreams. it doesn't seem fair that a mama should have to watch her baby die; it's not fair. but our world in incredibly un-perfect.
The only thing different between me and any one of these babies that come to God's Littlest Angels is that i was born in different circumstances. That little baby girl who struggled to survive, who ached with hunger could have been me. The little boy who's tummy is distended, his hair discoloured, his limbs bony and skinny could have been any one of my siblings. But they weren't. Because we were born in Canada (not to say that Canada doesn't have kids that go hungry, but certainly not to the extent that it happens here!). How fair is that? The Bible says that "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." Luke 12:48. I have been given much; i have not been called to simply take life easy because i have the means with which to do that, but to use what God has given me to bring glory to Him. He has called me to love and serve Him to the best of my ability. I cannot, with a clear conscience, sit back and do nothing while people suffer. Right now God has called me to this place to serve Him in whatever way He presents opportunity. His call on my life may change one day, but for now, this is where i need to be.
This evening i went into the nursery as the children were being prepared for bed. I spent some to loving on a little miracle boy who went from being a mere skeleton a year ago, to being a healthy, strong, active little boy who loves to run, play, and make lots of noise. I scooped him up in my arms, gave him a kiss, and tickled his little tummy. A belly laugh rose from deep inside his little body, and his eyes sparkled. I put him on the floor, and he scurried around, laughing and yelling. Then he proceeded to spin around in circles, get dizzy,  tumble to the floor, get up, and do it again. Later, when i took him back to the nursery to go to bed, he waltzed on in, marched up to a bed that had a little girl in it, and patted it as if to say 'this is my bed'. i indicated the empty bed next to her and said 'how about this one?' he came over, patted it, then looked up at me as if to say 'will you put me in?' i lifted him into my arms and gave him one last kiss on the cheek. Just as i was beginning to lower him into his crib, i felt his little lips on my cheek as he returned my kiss; he's never done that before! my heart swelled with love for this little miracle who continues to amaze me.
It's a unique opportunity to be in such a close vicinity to miracles and to see the hand of God at work, even if it's not always in ways that we want or expect.

it's been a crazy week!

What a week! Last week we had 9 kids come from another orphanage and 5 who came from somewhere else (the details have been rather lost on me, as we've been so busy getting everything in order!), so this past Tuesday we had 21 family members, mostly parents, come to do paperwork and the other things necessary when new children are brought in. Needless to say, with 14 new kids, plus any others that were brought individually (and there were several of those as well) we were kept busy! if you are interested in reading more about this past week, feel free to check out the blogs at: http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/
These go into much more detail about all the events of the week, and i don't feel like doing that myself. lol!
i will say, however, that it's exciting to see beds that have been empty for over a year start to fill up! i just wish it wasn't like this; that parents have to make the incredibly hard decision to give up their child in the hopes that a family somewhere else can give them a better life than they can provide themselves. no parent should have to make that decision! i wish the world was perfect....