Grapes, Soccer, Shoes & Stars!

Yesterday was a full day of work and fun. We completed the photos and letters for all of the elementary children yesterday. After the letters are written, I spent hours translating them while Yvette downloaded photos and labeled each of them with the children’s names. As many of you know, the names are very different here so it takes time to confirm the spelling of each name. Yvette doesn’t like it when I say the names in French so I have to say them with my best English accent. Then Yvette and Mariah scanned the completed letters to be sent out. Below is a photo of them “working hard”!

Yvette and Mariah hard at work

As you can see in this second photo, they sure perked up when they knew they were being photographed 🙂

Now they’re really hard at work!

Sponsored students – letters and photos

The youngest students coming to have their photos done

Liette’s hired help getting the students’ photos

Multitasker Liette. Working on student’s letters and helping Ti Luc with homework

Last night we took a long walk on the canal and Ti-Luc rode his bike beside the walkers and strollers for the babies. Jonathan loves to ride in the small basket of Ti-Luc’s bike but I had to remind Ti-Luc to slow down as Jonathan was getting all shook up. The kids were thrilled to eat grapes freshly picked from the vineyard next to the main house.

Walking & eating grapes from Mama’s yard

Liette invented the two for one stroller

We had a little soccer game last night with the kids and then our daily time to lie out under the stars and enjoy the noisy beauty of Haiti.

Today we completed all of the high school children, including those going to school in the highest grades in other schools in the area. Mariah and Yvette went to market this afternoon with a few of the kids to get new shoes. She really enjoyed being squeezed into the tap tap with a ton of other people on their way to market.

This evening we had a soccer game with the little kids who were all quite excited about the “uniforms” that they got to wear, which were donated pinnies that we brought with us. They didn’t mind that the pinnies looked an awful lot like yellow dresses! Yvette was appalled when I stopped one of Ti Luc’s shots on net – it was instinct!! So when he had a penalty shot later, I had to jump out of the way to make sure he scored. Some of the kids enjoyed biking again and Judel is almost able to bike on his own. A few more days of practice and he’ll have it down pat. After dark, there was a lot of fun had with glow-in-the-dark bracelets that Yvette brought.

soccer game with Liette & Yvette

Yvette and I are heading up to the roof to stargaze – such a peaceful time, even if the roosters just won’t stop crowing!

Think of me tomorrow morning as I am doing a seminar for the teachers at the school. Hoping for an openness to new ideas so that we can continue to offer an even better scholastic experience here at Hands Across the Sea.