Memories from Jacmel...

 Beautiful mountain views on the drive to Jacmel.

 Bassin Bleu... about half an hour away from Jacmel.

100 gourdes entrance fee for foreigners; free entry for locals!!

Kylie considers where the least moss is before she she takes her fourth leap...

... into the deep blue!

 A mosaic mural by the beachside.

 Did I mention my favorite colour is green?  

I loved the change in atmosphere from the dusty brown colours of Port-au-prince.

 Another mountain view.

Great view by the water but no sand to sunbathe here.

 I was saddened by the sight of this trash right by the beach.

Last but not least, the latrine we used for the weekend.

Twenty mosquitoes welcomed me each time I made a visit.

I was glad to return to the comforts of "home" in PAP but 

I have more than 350 reasons to remember Jacmel!

Some more proverbs....

Proverbs from the Bible....

He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Prov 13:3

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Prov 14:12

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

Prov 14:10

When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Prov 16:7

Even in laughter the heart may ache.

Prov 14:13

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Prov 3:5

And this one came out of the mouth of one of my 3rd Graders... his alias shall be Insightful.

The heart is deceitful above all things... 

Jeremiah 17:9

Let me give you the background.  Forgive me if my thoughts are scattered.  

3rd Grade have been memorizing Galatians 6:7  "Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows." We discussed how our actions have consequences, either good or bad, depending on what we sow into our lives. We talked about the importance of our choices and decisions. We reflected on the choices the Israelites made and their repetitive cycle of sin. God continued to be gracious to the Israelites; no matter how many times they strayed from him, His heart was always for them to return to Him.  He provided numerous Judges to lead them.

After Samuel served as their judge the Israelites wanted a king; God gave the Israelites what they desired even though it was not what He wanted for them (scary thought!  God will give us what we desire even if it is not part of His perfect plan for us). Ultimately, God wanted to be the Israelites leader; to be their King.  

Some things never change; mankind still wants to be the leader of his own life.  It's no different in 3rd Grade where one of my students said "since some leaders cannot be trusted, we should be the leader of our lives; we should decide what's right or wrong for ourselves." Then Insightful said, "God is the only one who can perfectly lead us; the Bible says that even our own hearts can deceive us."

It caused me to reflect on the times where my heart has deceived me... and the importance of keeping close to God's Word.  His Word needs to be a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. He alone can be trusted to guide me; not my heart.

To the mountains...

I love the lush green mountains.

Street vendors with their bright colored umbrellas.

 

And we finished with yummy desserts!  

I had the coconut ice cream inside the coconut shell... mmmm!

Other flavours were: grenadia, cacao (like chocolate) and mango.

Dedicated to Jane

Having people over is a good reason for me to cook!!  I love hosting people for lunch or dinner.  Cooking for more than one makes the effort and labour worthwhile. Since living in Haiti I haven't cooked all that much.  On Sunday I rediscovered my passion for cooking.  It's enjoyable and rewarding when one has the time.

The honorable guests who came for lunch. 

Thony hosted my first visit to Haiti in July 2010 and also hosted my stay in December.  He works for World Hope International and the girls in yellow, black and blue are volunteering with WHI for up to a year. Jill, my flatmate, also joined us and Thony's wife Sarah. 

It was a little crazy trying to get a meal ready after church but I did plan early and prepare half the meal the night before.  Here is the result!  A pumpkin, spinach and fetta quiche.  I cheated with the base; I lined the baking dish with French toast.  (Too easy!)

Wish you were here to enjoy it Jane!  Bon Apetit!

Haitian Proverbs

Today I bought a book of Haitian proverbs with the aim of learning more Haitian Creole as well as learning about how the people of Haiti think; to take a peek inside their worldview.

Tonight I'm enjoying browsing through the book.  It's so easy to use!  First there's the proverb in Creole, then the literal translation in English and then an explanation in English (for those like me who are cryptically challenged and need the proverb explained).

Here's some food for thought....  or some tasters to begin with:

Degaje pa peche

To make-do is not a sin.

Explanation: Doing what one must to survive is not evil.

Bef san ke, Bondye pouse mouch pou li

God shoos away the flies for the cow with no tail.

Explanation: God takes care of those who cannot help themselves.

Se pa tout moun ki ale legliz pou priye.

Not everyone goes to church to pray.

Explanation: You cannot know another person's motives.

Move zafe pa janm gen met

A mess never has an owner.

Explanation: Nobody wants to take responsibility for a bad situation.

Sa ki fe pwomes bliye, sa k'ap espere sonje

Those who make promises forget, those who are hoping remember.

Translations and interpretations by Wally R. Turnbull

A waterfall in the city...

If you ask me for directions I could not tell you how to return to the peaceful and serene waterfall that is just minutes away from the bustling streets of Port-au-prince... I can recall taking a tap-tap for the first time, which I was nervous about and prayed fervently for safe travels!

I can also tell you that we walked for a couple of hours alongside bustling traffic, on dirt roads with open gutters and through street trash (which sadly, is not uncommon in Haiti); as we entered a village close to the waterfall the roads were quiet and we trekked through mud!

But the beauty we found at the end of our trek was well worth it!  I owe thanks for this adventure to my risk-taking colleague Josiah and his hand drawn map, as well as our local interpreter Fred.

The lovely Amber and Katie.  

(If you look closely Katie is wearing a bandage on her left ankle; the night before she injured herself in a volleyball game but still soldiered on the next morning! That's what I call a "go-getter".)

 Beautiful views along the way.

My favorite flower in Haiti: bougainvillea.  

I love the splash of colour it brings to Haiti.

Katie and I.  Katie is teaching music at Quisqueya.

We had to jump of streams of water as we got near to the waterfall. I was the only one who tried extremely hard to keep my runners dry!

Along these streams we came across locals bathing and others washing their clothes by hand.  

I secretly took this pic.

The waterfall.

Below... my adventurous colleagues Amber and Josiah, and our tour guide Fred; as they trekked higher Katie and I stayed at the base of the fall.

All are welcome to join us next time!! 

What is strength?

The 3rd Graders' perspective on strength...