Life in Ti Goave has been anything but boring lately! Normally our town is quite calm and unruffled but lately there is much political tension. Apparently the magistra and the deputy, which would be the equivalent to our mayor and another high standing official, have stolen a lot of money from the town. The president of Haiti has visited a couple times and found that the money given for certain projects was not used in the way it should have been. However, the magistra and deputy certainly have several nice houses and cars. Or so the story goes. Regardless, there are manifestations more days than not. Manifestations vary, but generally involve large groups of people burning tires, stopping traffic, and occasionally stopping a big truck by parking it across the road and letting air out of the tires so that no one can pass. Of course the police become involved as well as the BIM-special forces- by firing tear gas into the air and occasionally firing shots to get the crowd to dissipate. It's all quite exciting! I used to go out and about without thinking but now ask the neighbors if it's ok. It's nothing to be scared of, but I feel it's wise to be cautious, especially with two little girls in tow. Things got really bad one week, someone got shot, another person's car was burnt and that is what it took to get a meeting with the big wigs. After that, the magistra was supposedly stepping down. So our town returned to it's peaceful, quiet self. For about a week and a half that is. Then on Wednesday last week things started getting hot again and by Friday, we were stuck at home. The manifesters decided they wanted our area to be more involved in the ruckus so they brought all the commotion up. We heard gun shots repeatedly all day long and got the drift of tear gas once. After the police shot the tear gas, people ran up past our house to get away from the fumes. We just sat on our roof with our neighbor for awhile, watching and listening. We are praying for things to get figured out and soon. It really hurts our local economy. None of the vendors dare venture out to sell and people don't go to the market to buy. Finally on Saturday, things settled down and life went back to normal admist all the rocks in the roads and the remains of burnt tires in the streets. Today, Sunday was normal as well; but we hear things will probably escalate again tomorrow.
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Quality is poor, I was trying to drive and take these at the same time, but
it gives you an idea! |
One day we drove out of Ti Goave in a rush. We were going north to a meeting and heard that that day was going to have a more intense manifestation. We didn't think to count but by the time it was all said and done, we passed about 8 places in a 10 mile stretch where there were remnants of burning tires on the road, rocks blocking the way, and in one spot, a big truck was getting the air put back in it's tires. Exciting!
About a month and a half ago, Clint had been invited to a workshop up in the north that would last for about four days. He chose to go, so I decided we girls would go to. We don't love to stay here by ourselves for that long. The day arrived to leave and Ava woke up vomiting. Hum, we didn't think too much about it, she had never vomited before in her short three years of life. We figured it was a flukey thing and went ahead and left. Thus began a 5 hour journey of more throwing up than I care to remember. Ava faithfully threw up about every hour to hour and a half while Mia also got her two bits in. Mia very rarely fails to get carsick and this was no exception. Especially on the hilly, curvy road we took to get there. I was so thankful to arrive around 2 p.m. There was a late lunch ready and waiting, rice and beans. I like Haitian food, but only on days when my stomach is NOT queasy. True to form, Ava seemed to be all better by around 4 p.m. However, by 5, I was pretty certain I was going to be the next victim. And so I was. Our accommodations were very basic, three twin beds, one small lightbulb, no fans, and bucket showers. As I lay in my bed, sick, I heard Clint come in our little house and say, 'wow, that's a big one! Maybe the biggest I've seen.' Ack! He proceeded to kill a rather large tarantula. This wasn't the first time that night I wished I had stayed home with the girls. Thankfully, my sickness only lasted a few hours; in the morning I was fine. Haitian food still had the power to turn my stomach though, as well as the girls', who had both woken up with fever! Well, that day wasn't horrible; the girls were drugged up. The next day, Clint woke up not feeling the best, and sure enough, by 9 a.m he was calling me to come pick him up; he was sick. So began the two and a half hour drive back to Blue Ridge where we had planned to stay the night in the Life Building. I drove while poor Clint suffered beside me. Mia was faithful in getting carsick and I couldn't take care of her while driving so Clint got to. That was an absolutely miserable trip, but I think we can almost laugh about it now! A couple weeks later he had a different seminar about five hours away, also a four day affair. I nearly chose not to go, remembering the previous time. But we gave it another shot and had a MUCH better, enjoyable experience that time!
We got home the second time on a Sunday evening. We didn't do much beside unload and take showers. While we were showering Clint kept saying that the water stank really bad. He warned not to get it in our mouths, just in case something was in the water. I inwardly thought it couldn't be and didn't worry much about it, but our water did smell awful. I did a couple loads of laundry the next day and they came out smelling about the same. After some checking, our cistern was clean but low and behold, Clint had to climb inside our 200 gallon tank on the roof to fish out a deteriorated frog! I nearly gagged and I'm certain Clint had to. The stench at that close of a range was worse than words can describe. It took several days for the smell to go away and several more until I actually felt "clean" after my shower.
Not all is doom and gloom as it sounds though! I get the privilege of taking formula to a set of darling twins every week. A couple of months ago, we heard a lot of wailing and weeping not far from us. Our neighbor said that a lady had died who had five days previously, birthed twins. He didn't know any more details than that. A couple Sundays later, one of the church ladies asked Joanna Seibel if she would like to come see these same twins! So we both went to see them that day. Jo got ahold of CAM and they have a special needs fund; they were able to buy three large cases of milk to give to these babies! Formula is outrageously priced here so this family is so thrilled! Since I can walk to their house, the formula is here and I have been taking a new can every 5-6 days. It's been so fun to see them growing! Their names are Jouri(you ree) and Jouranna(you rauna), a boy and a girl. It's also been fun to begin a friendship with the ladies that care for them. They call me ' Mama Let', their Milk Mama.
Clint continues to be busy at the Goat Farm. The barn is nearly finished and he has moved in all the goats. There are currently around 30, but they are actively buying more until they reach around 100 nannies. He borrowed a purebred Nubian buck to breed the nannies that he has now, so come January, we will have lots of cute, frisky kids playing in the barn as well. I love to watch them play and can't wait to take the girls to watch also! There about 100 little things that always need his attention at the farm so he is there a lot. Some days he has been there a couple hours and will call and say he is just now getting started on what he originally went to do! :)
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| At the farm |
Our rainy season is here now, making our nights so pleasant I forget how hot and muggy it was in the summer. A sheet feels wonderful and if I can make it out of bed early enough, a jacket hits the spot! Winter here is pretty wonderful:) Although come Thanksgiving and Christmas time, it feels quite strange to not have at least a little cold weather.
Ava has been coming up with several funnies lately. I love this age. Mia is also a lot of fun. They love each other to death but can also be pretty fierce enemies. They don't let life get dull:)
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| Sweet Sisters |
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| Ready for church |
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| A depiction of life in Haiti when there was still slavery |
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| Kiana and Ava-sweet friends |
