Mariah's Gymnastics, Exercise & Dance Classes » Hands Across the Sea (HATS-Haiti)

The past couple days have been full and quite busy as usual but especially good for me because of having Mariah here. I enjoy having her around and she is quite helpful. She helps with Ti Luc early mornings before the devotions we have with our employees and children, and then she does school work with him after devotions. She is great with all the children and gets along really well with all the employees. Most everyone here has known her for years and all are thrilled to have her back.

Mariah with Ti Luc

She leads a gymnastic and exercise class three days a week with my children and house mothers. We are now thinking about having her teach worship dance. She is willing to do whatever is needed at any given time. Her language skills are a tremendous blessing to me as she can take care of many things with people who think they must talk with me. Her dealing with those things allow me to take care of other things.

She is spending some time at Luckner’s business helping Rose Lore. She has made numerous visits with me to the radio station, where she gets along with everybody and they with her. Mariah fits in wherever she goes. It gives me great joy to see her here in the country of her birth – the country of her people – working, helping, worshiping, playing, and being a blessing to many. At times just watching her interacting with others and being a help to many, brings me to tears. I have good memories of her and I walking, dancing and skipping around Deschapelles fifteen years ago singing our special little pumpkin song. Now she is grown up and back here to work with me for three months before heading to university or whatever else God might have for her in January. No matter what God’s plan is for Mariah’s future, I believe it will always involve times to come and help her own people here. If you have not already figured it out – I am proud of her!!

I was trying to get word to Maiah’s biological father that she was here so he could come see her, and he could see Liz before she leaves again. We had decided that Luckner would send someone to his town with a message. But then one of those God incidences happened. Before Luckner could send someone to look for him my security came to me yesterday to tell me that Jean Pierre was at the gate to which I quickly responded ‘let him unto the compound and bring him to the house please’. We saw him walking to the house loaded with gifts – a live chicken, a sack with avocados, oranges, limes, bananas, mileton, tomatoes. What a gift. I assumed he had heard Mariah was here and so came to see her. He was pleasantly surprised to know Mariah was here but said he had come to see me as he had not been able to get here for some time. He and Mariah enjoyed time together and he will return soon with his family. Liz was so pleased to see him as she had met him fifteen years ago when she had been in Haiti to see her granddaughter, Mariah, who was then four years old.

Mariah with biological father, Jean Pierre

My kids and house mothers look forward to Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays so they can join in Mariah’s gymnastics/exercise classes. I enjoy watching and taking photos.

Mariah & group she is leading with gymnstics & exercises

Mariah leading her gymnastic & exercise group

I have my own personal exercising that I do early mornings and evenings. The work I do here requires my keeping my health as it is so I now have a treadmill that I use twice daily.

The director needs to stay in shape

Jessie has been slowly and steadily getting her health and strength back. She and Mariah may paint the two big gates next week – the one to the main compound and the one to the school compound.

We continue to spend time at the radio station. Ti Luckner gets extremely excited every time he hears his papa’s voice on the radio and then wants to go down. He sits in the studio with earphones on just like papa. This morning at 10:00 I arranged to have my children in my living room to sing, via telephone, on the radio station. The older ones spoke greetings to people and they all sang several worship songs in both English and French. Apparently it sounded very nice and was well received and appreciated by people who heard it. I may end up giving them this opportunity every Saturday and perhaps including other children from our Sunday school and the community who might like to be involved.

Luckner on radio. God’s word going out

Ti Luckner sharing mike with Papa Luckner at Radio Creole

My children are all doing well. They continue to enjoy time with Seth and Jessie and now with Mariah and Nana Liz too. Since school opening is delayed they will have a little more free time than expected.