Apple Cake

I have a friend here at GLA named Marguerite. She volunteers at GLA for three months at a time and then goes back to her home in Northern Ontario. I have to give her a lot of credit for being the oldest person I know who comes to Haiti for months at a time, who can take naps on the hard floor of the balcony, who enjoys playing in a bounce house, and who has a facebook. Her life story could probably become a best selling biography so full it is of fascinating and harrowing tales which she recounts to us each day. Her husband, a lumberjack, was killed in a work accident. She had six kids at the time, and the youngest was eight days old when the accident happened. And so she ran her household of six children on her own. That in and of itself is a story full of stories.

She first came to Haiti a few years ago and never stopped coming back, even after getting extremely sick on her last visit here. Marguerite loves the children of GLA very much, and pours out incredible amounts of energy into caring for them. A few nights ago, she went into the big nursery and visited each crib, singing every child a song. We have several shared interest including watching documentaries, following God, babies in Haiti, and nutrition. And French. She is a native French speaker, and I use her as my living French-English dictionary.

Last night, Marguerite and I made an apple cake. Marguerite directed the endeavor, as it was her own created recipe. We made it in the Main House kitchen, to me nothing short of thrilling. The Main House kitchen is much bigger and much much more full of activity than the Toddler House kitchen. The Main House kitchen is where the babies meals are made, where our dinners and lunches are made, where the food of the nannies and nurses are made; a LOT happens in this kitchen. We made our apple cake in the midst of Haitian cooks frying yams, chopping chicken, and peeling potatoes. I've never made anything in it before, and it felt like treading on new and unexplored territory. No doubt baking in this kitchen is actually a very commonplace activity, so call my enthusiasm asinine fatuity if it makes you feel any better, but I tell you it was exciting. And yes that sentence was essentially pointless – I just wanted an excuse to use the lovely combination of asinine and fatuity in the same sentence.

Marguerite's cake was massive. I've never baked a cake in such a gigantic pan. We filled the pan up with finely chopped and cubed apple pieces, poured two bottles of sprite and eight cups of water into the apples, covered them with cinnamon, and baked it for about half an hour. Pouring bottles of sprite onto diced apples was a highly enjoyable experience. While it baked, I stirred up a batch of butter pecan cake mix which was poured in a thin layer over the apples when they came out of the oven, then back into the heat the cake went until the cake batter was golden brown and voila!!! Our beautiful cake was finished. Life was very exciting. I fed several pieces to several children who gobbled it up.

I even ate a piece of apple cake for breakfast this morning. Life continued to be very exciting. I have greatly enjoyed my time with Marguerite and I will miss her when I leave!

On another completely unrelated note, enjoy these pictures from the past week!

My Wednesday boy has been smiling more and more lately!

We celebrated all of the October birthdays this past week!

And there she is in the bounce house...

He does look so fetching in green floral fabric

A day in the life of Kathryn always includes poop. And more often than not, it includes poop on my clothes and skin and hair.

This was his face right after the incident. I kid you not, this picture was taken immediately after returning from the changing room. What a little imp.

Enjoying sunny afternoons on the balcony with two of my favorite little girls

The Other Children of GLA

Thus far, I've blogged almost only about "my" children. Let me now take a moment to tell you about the other children of GLA. Each day, these scores of other babies and toddlers dig their way deeper into my heart. At first they were just a lot of cute kids that I didn't know. Now I know almost all of them by name, and even better, they recognize me. The energy and enthusiasm and excitement that greets me when I walk into the big nursery often brings tears to my eyes. I'd like to introduce you to a just a few of them here :)

This girl is BEAUTIFUL. She can be serious, but her laugh is becoming more and more frequent. Her smile is radiant. Her volunteer left on Monday, but I'm hoping to bring her up on the balcony any way. She is the sweetest, prettiest little girl.  

This boy is so much fun! He has the best grin, and a super awesome, mischievous, fun-loving personality. He never fails to make me grin.

This girl is amazing! She came from the other orphanage and was hospitalized for weeks because of rat bites. She's doing super well now, though, and her eyes, her smile, and her whole countenance are beautiful to behold. She's also put on a lot of weight since coming to GLA - she gained five pounds this past month!!!

This girl's story is beautiful! You can read more about it on GLA's blog here. I especially love her smile - she has the best dimples!

This fellow here (on the right) is quite the chap. He's turning three this month, but is sadly in the minority of children here who do not yet have a family. He is an intelligent, inquisitive boy who I greatly enjoy.

This girl is sweetness itself! She is always content, always smiling, and so kissable and lovable. Her smile always elicits real happiness inside of me. She's beginning to recognize me, and her attitude of joy is contagious.

I love this boy! He's the roly-poly-est, smiliest little chap. He turns one this month. Spending time with him is always a joy. He was recently matched to a wonderful looking family, and I'm so excited for him to go home and give them the joy he's given me.

This baby boy was one of the first I saw when I walked into the NICU, and his smile warms my heart. He has a full head of hair (about twice as much now as he did when I took that pic!) and he's also gaining weight quickly.

This girl is quite the character. She has an undiagnosed developmental disorder, and she was so sick that she almost died when she first came to GLA.  She is doing well now, though, and she has a mind of her own. She always has an agenda that she must accomplish or else agonized wails will ensue. I adore her smile and her laugh. She loves the bounce house, and she can't stop laughing whenever she's on it!

This boy is such a cutie! I've just started to get to know him better in the past couple of weeks since he has a volunteer now. He is full of the craziest kind of energy, and his smile is the best!!!

These twins are so great. They are really smart, really interactive, and really fun to be around. They also love each other very much - one night when I walked into the big nursery, they were standing quietly in their cribs, holding hands and looking at each other lovingly. My day always gets a little bit better when I see them.

This girl is just the sweetest. She's a tiny little thing, and she just started walking. She is particular friends with my Tuesday boy. She smiles at me whenever I walk in the nursery.

I already talked a bit about this boy; his parents were the ones that visited a few weeks ago. He greets me each time he sees me with a hearty laugh and by jumping up and down and giving me hugs and running circles all around me!! I just love it!

This girl is quite famous on the GLA blog. She just got back from surgery in the Dominican Republic about two months ago. She's extremely smart, interactive, and fun to be around. She does something cute, funny, charming, and endearing every time I see her. She speaks an interesting mix of Creole and English. The other day during lunch, I saw her running around the kitchen chanting, "Eat, Eat, Eat, Eat, Manger, Manger, Manger, Manger!" (Manger = eat in Creole). Getting to know her has been a joy. She has a family waiting to bring her home from Luxembourg!

I just love this girl!!! She is the oldest here at the Main House, and she really should be at the Toddler House, but there isn't room there, so she's here for now. She and I have so much fun together. I can have a different kind of a relationship with her since she's older and able to understand a lot of what I say. The games we play together are so much fun. Her laugh makes me happy beyond belief. She always gives me a hug when I go into the nursery. 

So those are just a few of the many wonderful children here at GLA. Each one has a unique personality, crafted so perfectly by the Creator. Each one brings something wonderful and irreplaceable to GLA. And slowly but surely, each one is finding a place in my heart.

Birthday!

My apologies for the delinquency in posting this past week. It has been the hardest week I've had thus far for reasons I'm not yet permitted to blog about, but hopefully will be soon.

Today is the second birthday of my Thursday girl. It was wonderful to celebrate her life and all that God has already done through her and in her.

We had a variety of delicacies at her party – watermelon, chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and sprinkles, and cupcakes with lemon frosting. She enjoyed and consumed all the food she was given, although she ate it much more readily when she was sitting on the floor with only me watching her than when she was up on the table with everyone watching her!  

I love this little girl and I'm so thankful that she is a part of my life.

Church in Haiti

I've been keeping myself quite busy these past few days, hence the deplorable lack of blog posts, but before I get y'all up to speed on the busyness, I've been meaning to say a word or two about the Haitian church that I attend each week and I intend to finally do so now!

Each Sunday, I have been going to the nine o'clock service at this church:

Although usually there are two or three other white people in the congregation, there have certainly been a couple of times when I was the only one. The service takes place in a smallish room with a concrete floor and simple, wooden pews. Sometimes there is an acoustic guitar playing, other times there is no instrumentation. I know almost 50% of the songs that we sing. Including Happy Birthday which is sung in almost every service in both English and French to those who celebrate their birthdays! Each week, I am beginning to understand more and more of the Creole, and I take in 95% of the French parts. I am also greatly enjoying getting to know the people at the church. Usually we have a few minutes to talk before the service begins as well as after the service ends, and every week I know more people.

Last week, the thirteen year-olds graduated from the children's programming at the church. They were all dressed up, they performed a dance for us, there were skits and special music throughout the service, and they received certificates.

Yesterday, five people were baptized. I marveled at the joy of hearing these people professing their faith and being welcomed into the Kingdom of God.

One week about a month ago, there was a man who was visiting Eglise D'Espoir (The Church of Hope) for the first time. He was apparently blind as he was being led by another, and he wore dark glasses. He stood in the middle of the service and walked up to the pulpit. It was unclear to me whether or not this was planned. He then began to sing. His voice poured out in melody – deep, powerful, and rich. He removed his glasses mid-song; his eyes were mostly shut and clearly non-functional. The congregation was entranced. He sang with passion, with joy, with a power and a beauty that can come from God alone. After a grand finale, a string of notes that soared high and plummeted low and stretched far, the song finished and the room reverberated with applause. A woman stood up and said of lot of things I didn't understand in Creole.

He was back the next week. He sang again the next week. This time, he sang a song in English, and it was a song I knew – you are my desire, you're all I want...

Never have a heard a voice so beautiful.

Later, the pastor informed us that he was indeed blind. A blind artist, a singer, living in a tent. Somehow he found his way to the church, and asked if he could sing a special. Normally they wouldn't allow such a spontaneous special song from a complete stranger, but that time, they did. I'm glad they did. The image of him standing there, singing that God is his only desire, the image of a man without sight and without a home, but with a voice that he did not use to curse God, but to praise God will stay with me for a long, long time.

Haitian Church is wonderful, but I must say I miss Knox quite a bit. Quite a massive bit. And I'd like to give a shout out to my small group, who sent me the most fantastic packet of letters that I've read time and time again. Thank you for making me feel so loved even at such a distance!

The Caretakers of the Children

The nannies and nurses and cooks who work here at GLA continually impress me. They feed children thrice a day, they bathe the kids daily, they dress them, they change diapers, they take temperatures, they are amazing at doing hair, they even put up with us American/Canadian volunteers quite graciously. They stay here for four consecutive days, and then they go home for two days before coming back and starting it all over again. Their beds are in the kids' rooms. They have dedicated huge amounts of their lives to raising these children and preparing them for a new home. I feel it is a great honor to be working alongside them, and one of the best parts of my trip thus far has been building relationships with the nannies/nurses/cooks who speak French or English.

One of the cooks always greets me with a wonderful smile and a “Bonjour, ma cherie” (Good morning, my dear) minutes after I walk through the door. Her warmth and her genuine good morning greeting serve to set a glowing tone of happiness for the entirety of the day.

One nurse I've enjoyed getting to know rides on three different tap taps to get here. It takes her about two hours to get to work. She speaks English decently well after spending only one year of her childhood in an American run orphanage.

One of the nannies closer to my age loves to giggle at my accent and teach me new French words. Her smile is radiantly contagious.

One of the night nurses has been particularly warm and welcoming and kind to me. Usually the volunteers stay up on the balcony with their kids, but ever since she first invited me to stay, I love to sit in the NICU after dinner and talk to her. She speaks French and a little bit of English, and she's been teaching me lots of Creole. She has two children, and one of them celebrated her birthday the same day that Clara did! Every day, she asks how I'm doing. Then she asks about how my day was and what I did that day. When I talk to her, I feel important. I feel encouraged. I feel loved.

One late night in the NICU in the heat and with the buzzing mosquitoes and the plethora of sleeping babies, she and I talked about our God and what we love about Him. She showed me her Bible – a book she brings with her to work every day. It is worn through and through, the pages are tattered, and it is taped all along the spine. I asked her what her favorite verses were (though I did not ask if she had favorite verses; I knew without asking that she did). Right then and there, she began to recite to me her favorites. For several minutes, she sat there, scripture flowing smoothly from her mouth. Every now and then, I caught a line, a word, a phrase that I could understand. She ended with Psalm 23. I certainly recognized that one, even when spoken in a foreign language. Oui, le bonheur et la grace m'accompagneront tous les jours de ma vie, et je reviendrai dans la maison de l'éternal pour la duré de mes jours.

 

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

I stand on the balcony and face west towards the setting sun. The tapestry of colors that adorn the sky are beyond what any man could ever conceive of or create whether or reality or imagination. Mountains beyond mountains stretch far into the distance. Layers of deep purples and dusky grey blues hem me in from the east to the west. Majestic, resplendent, golden-tinged clouds perfectly fade into sheets of vibrant pink colors cast over the blue sky – as blue as the truest blue. Pure white birds careen through the sky, floating on the breezes. I wonder if I should go downstairs to get my camera, but I don't, because I know that no camera could ever serve to portray this moment in time that God has so perfectly crafted.

In the background, the soundtrack to Narnia plays. With a landscape any less breathtaking, the music would likely feel cheesy and overdone, but the swelling chords and rhythmic modulations match the scene that surrounds impeccably. In my arms is a child, a baby, born into this world not five months ago. Back when I thought come October I'd be more than a month into my first year at Hillsdale College. This is no Hillsdale College. I marvel at God's goodness at bringing me to this place – this Pearl of the Caribbean, this place of unspeakable beauty. And I marvel that He has given me the privilege of holding this child, this baby boy, so small, so perfectly made, so much more beautiful and complex even than splendor of the sunset.

But it is not perfect. Screams and wails from babies inside mingle with the music. On the street, shouts and yells and cries resound. Motorcycles speed past. The smell of burning trash penetrates my nose. And this baby who smiles and coos in my arms has a mommy who cannot care for her son. The perfection is tragically marred.

Now he sleeps in my arms, sucking his thumb, breathing deeply. My heart aches with the brokenness. The sun has gone down, the sky is now murky shades of grey and dark blue, and the air becomes chilly. My heart aches for I want the sun to come back. I want it to stay there and illuminate the mountains forever. But my heart rejoices for the great and powerful plans of redemption God has in store for his son, his son that He made and whom he loves. His son that He has allowed me to hold and rock and sing to while I watch the sun set.  

Church, Pudding, Culinary Exploits, Etc.

Yesterday was an interesting day in the life of Kathryn. There were several highlights, all of a very different nature, and they were as follows:

1. Church. The thirteen year-old's at Haitian church were all graduating from the children's ministry this morning. This was fun to watch – they helped out with leading the service, there was a skit and a dance, and it reminded me somewhat of Children's Sunday at Knox. It was also fun because I'm starting to get to know multiple members of the Haitian church, and even if we can't exactly communicate all the time, I'm still making friends anyways – something that causes great happiness.
2. Pudding. I found pudding in the cupboard, and I made a batch of cookies and cream pudding to feed to my children (at least the ones who are capable of consuming and enjoying such delicacies) tomorrow for a special treat. This excites me a great deal.
3. Culinary Exploits. One of the things I've had a hard time with here in Haiti is eating healthily. This is mostly because I feel a great lack of fresh fruits and vegetables – items which are nearly always found in abundance at my house. The food is phenomenal, but there just isn't a lot of fruits and veggies. We occasionally have opportunities to visit Haitian grocery stores where we can buy whatever we wish to, but so far only that has happened only once since I've been here, and I've been craving fresh fruits and veggies ever since I got here. Anyways...they do feed us well, and I love the food, but on Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings, we have to fend for ourselves. Thus far, I have done pretty well in saving leftovers from Friday dinner/Sunday lunch, but this weekend it was not so. We were scheduled to go on an outing that would involve lunch this Saturday, and so I did not save anything for lunch. But then all the other volunteers decided to get sick. So there was no outing, and therefore no lunch. I ended up eating dry cereal and bread for lunch on Saturday. It was not particularly enjoyable. So last night, I determined to take some initiative and make myself something decent for my dinner. Making yourself dinner in an unfamiliar kitchen with many unfamiliar ingredients is no trivial undertaking, but I did so with great enthusiasm. I felt like I was five years-old again playing kitchen, but with real food! Thrilling. After much investigation, though, I hadn't come up with much in the way of possibilities. Many of the items useful for cooking in the refrigerator are reserved for the staff who purchased them, and I was limited pretty much to canned/boxed goods. Finally after about half an hour of poking about, I decided on tomato soup and macaroni and cheese for my dinner. For whatever reason, it did not occur to me that both these items are very salty and very hot temperature wise. I also forgot that microwaves in Petion-ville can sometimes take a lot longer than microwaves in Michigan. But twenty minutes later, I began to consume my smoking hot, super salty dinner. Even though it was a cooler night, the food caused great perspiration. The microwaves may take longer, but I found out that they still do the job (especially when your food is in there for ten minutes) and my mac n cheese tomato soup combo was really really hot. And due to the vast amount of salt, I found it necessary to down several eight ounce glasses of water. My mood of culinary happiness was somewhat deflated, but I have hopes that next week I will be more equipped to think through my dinner a bit more thoroughly, and maybe I'll even have some fresh fruits and veggies by then. But I must say it was still a good deal of fun to play kitchen.
4. Showers. I took my first not freezing cold shower here in Haiti. It was also my first shower in over a week. The beautiful feelings of semi-warm water leading to cleanliness cannot be underestimated. However these beautiful feelings likely would have been more welcome had I not been so hot from my dinner, and I intentionally spent a few minutes in frigid water to rectify the situation before bathing in the warmth.
5. Documentaries. While puttering about in the kitchen, I discovered a case containing dozens of documentaries. Not sure what they were doing hanging out in the kitchen, but this thrilled me to no end – it's been far too long since I watched a good documentary – and I settled down to watch a terribly intriguingly fascinating documentary about the secret service (Ben and Si you would love it) followed by a rather dull but still worthwhile documentary about Barack Obama. I do love documentaries, and the idea of further enlightening on uneventful Sunday nights is quite a welcome prospect, especially as I have finished reading most of the books I brought down and I've listened to the sermons that I brought at least three times each.
6. Fierce Compassion. Truth be told, I miss San Francisco and I miss researching about Chinese discrimination in America and I miss agonizingly and painstakingly writing and re-writing the harrowing stories of Donaldina Cameron. Since coming to Haiti, I've had less conversations about Donaldina Cameron and spent less of my time and mental energy on Donaldina Cameron than I ever have in the past two years of my life. And I miss it. I miss it so much, as a matter of fact, that I sat down to read my book last night for the first time since it was published. I'm having a hard time getting actually absorbed in it, and it's more torture than anything else as a plethora of flimsy sentences, lousy modifiers, and typesetting errors continually taunt me, but perusing it was comfortingly familiar nonetheless.
7. My wall of happiness. Yesterday I switched beds. The incentive for this was that the new bed had a wall next to it, and after a few bad bouts of homesickness this past week, I wanted a place where I could display the various cards, Bible verses, and pictures you all have so kindly sent to me. I did so, and my wall of happiness makes me very happy and encouraged indeed. As far as I'm concerned, I might as well be living in a veritable castle what with my documentaries, happy wall, warmish showers, and pudding.