orphans?!

It's so funny.  Here I was feeling like I hadn't posted a blog in several days, but I did just yesterday!  Time moves very slowly here, which is the way I prefer it.  I feel like I get to experience so much in just one day, and even have time to check facebook, write in my journal, and read the bible!  

Well, yesterday I wasn't feeling too great.  Actually, I felt sick since Saturday in America, but I was stubbornly refusing to admit it to myself.  I couldn't even really eat at the airport in Chicago all night, and I had a headache since before I landed in Haiti.  Yesterday, I finally admitted that I wasn't feeling great, and I came back to the staff house to take some phenergan and sleep extra long.  And now I feel fantastic!

We are so fortunate here to have plenty of electricity and water.  We have a generator because the city electricity goes out often (every night).  We get to have fans on all night with the generator though!  It's great!  Also, I can take a shower like every day, so I feel pretty darn spoiled.  Those things are a lot more than your average person here has access to.

Today we went to two orphanages - Foundation for the Promising Children of Haiti (FPCH) and Tree of Life.  One problem here is that many parents give their children to the orphanage in hopes of giving them a better life - consisting of two meager meals a day and still bleak conditions.  There have been a lot of problems in the past with people adopting kids who have parents.  It rips families apart, but the parents let it happen because they want a better life for their kids.

We gave the kids toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap!  We also got to give out TOMS!  YESSSSS!  I have always wanted to be a part of the whole Toms thing.  

I had a lot of fun with the kids today.  The kids at Tree of Life were very needy and affection.  They ran to us with their arms up and didn't want to be set down the entire time.  I fell in love with a little one named Luciana.  I'm going to get a lot of opportunities to visit these two places in the future, so I'm trying to remember names.  There are so many kids, though; I know it will be a very long time before I get very many names down.

I am trying to be good with the food.  I have eaten at least two things at every meal though!  There is bread, rice, salad, eggs, bacon, beef, yum.  We had cupcakes for desert last night and pudding tonight - yes, very spoiled.  I was so excited tonight because I thought we were eating goat, and I really liked it.  I was so ready to get on here and tell all of you that I LOVE TO EAT GOAT!  But, that wouldn't necessarily be true, because I found out that we were actually eating beef.  Fail.

It is really hot here, so do pray that I will be able to handle it as it gets even hotter in the coming months.

I have been excited to practice my Creole, but I still don't know much - especially with adults.  I have plenty to play around with the kids though!  I can do colors, numbers, shapes, days of the week, months, etc.  

Ali and I and some Haitians live in the staff house.  Really though, it's a huge house that's mostly empty right now.  I know that later in the summer I will be sharing my room with a couple more interns.  For now, I have TONS of space!  

As ever, please post questions and comments!  

Shelbs