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December 31 Another First Chocolate Trees!How fitting that I am eating chocolate as I write this Blog... For those of you who know how much of a chocolate fanatic I am will know how excited I was with my discovery yesterday! So obviously I'm not the shapest pencil in the box but small things really can make me excited! So here is my story...
A couple of the missionaries were taking a bit of a trip to church yesterday. It was a 50minute drive (it hasn't rained in a couple days so the road are fairly descent) and then a 50 min hike up and down a mountain and through streams. Just beautiful. Mom and dad this is where I will take you to church when you come. The church service was 3 hours long because they were celebrating the new year. On our way up one of the missionaries pointed out a chocolate tree!!! Did you know chocolate grows on trees. I didn't. Very exciting discovery. So as we came down the mountain, we stoped at a couple huts and the people showed us the process of how you turn a chocolat nut into a chocolate log! (you can just use your imagination to know what a chocolate log looks like) . I bought a chocolate ball. It is very bitter chcolate probably like baking chocolate. But I turned mine into hot chocolate with lots of milk and sugar. After not having a cup of hot chocolate for over 2 months - it tasted pretty good! It is just amazing what you can find in Haiti.
Tonight we are having a chinease new years celebration! And I have lost my voice so the house has been pretty quiet!!! December 28 Haitian FuneralsOur housekeeper's daughter has been very sick (palliative) since I arrived in Haiti. She was diagnosed with Leukemia. At the end of Feb she would have turned 8. From the first time I met little Erchniche (?sp) I knew she wouldn't have long to live. Well that first visit was almost 2 months ago. Last night at 6pm she left her earthly body to be with her Saviour, our Lord in heaven. We thank God that her 7 years were filled with love and laughter. What a privilage it was to be able to meet her before she went to her eternal home.
Today was the funeral. Before we left I was warned that I should expect some things that may be a little upsetting. At Haitian funerals, people wail. Yes wail. This sound was the most horrible sound of the day. We are taught to be quiet and withhold our feelings, the Haitians let their greif out! It did not seem like a celebration at all! However, her coffin was green. I thought this was so fitting because of the new life that she would be entering into - in the kingdom of heaven. Not sure if this was supposed to be symbolic but I took it as that.
So needless to say, it was another first for me today. I think this year will be full of firsts and this is just one to add to the list! December 26 Boxing Day...Well, I was told by my cousin Jeff that I needed to add to my blog. That people didn't have a good idea of what is happening on the 'Island' so I am going to try my best to keep you updated on everyday life here in Haiti! I will recap Christmas and then try to keep you updated throughout the next 10 months of this incredible journey that God has sent me on.
So Christmas Day...
Well lets back up one day...
So Christmas Eve Day...
We were invited to help two of our missionaries with a mission. The mission: To feed and give gifts out to 300 children. Yep that is a lot of mouths to feed! Just imagine how much rice, beans, chicken and pop we went through. The kids got a very full plate of food and most of them ate every single morsal off their plates. For those who didn't, they were taking their food home to feed their whole families. It was just an incredible feeling to be involved in this venture. I knew every child that got fed was being blessed in a very special way. One of our seminary staff (Haitian) did a devotional for the children and they acted out the Christmas story. Our yard guy was Joseph and did an amazing job. I didn't know he had a sense of humor and it just rang out! While the kids were opening presents I got one of the best Christmas presents. My family phoned. They were having a hudge get together and I got to talk to every single person who was at my parents house!!! This was so special. I didn't feel so far away! I think this day will go down as one of my biggest highlights this year!
So Back to Christmas Day...
My family has a tradition and I think I'm the only one who inforces it. But I was not going to let it slide this year! Usually we all sleep together out in the living room and we wake up in the middle of the night to open stockings then we all go back to bed until a reasonable hour in the morning. So since I couldn't be there to sleep with Emily and Mark, I set my alarm clock for 4am. I phoned my family and woke them all up. I don't think they were too upset because they miss me!
I live with one other women in a house and we invited another single missionary to stay over. So in the morning, Kate, my roomate, made a lovely breakfast for us and we opened the presents that people had sent to us - including our stockings!
About 10 missionaries got together and made a wonderful lunch. We had Pork and turkey (meat without bones) that flew in from the states. We had veggies, bread, potatoes, and cheesecake and Christmas baking. It was wonderful.
At about 4, all the missionaries headed up to an open area on the compound. We played soccer for about 2 hours! It was really neat. While my family was playing hockey on the pond, we were playing soccer! Then on Christmas Evening we met and had finger foods - we ate a lot on Christmas day.
Even though I missed my famil - A LOT, this was a great way to spend the holiday! It had been my prayer that I wouldn't just skip Christmas - because that is what I wanted to do but that God would really reveal himself to me in a special way. Well if we ask God for something He goes way above and beyond and that is exactly what He did.
How do the Haitians Celebrate...
They are very simple in their celebrations. Dinner usually consists of rice and beans and is no different on Christmas. Most Hatians don't have lights or trees. We don't have 'Christmas' trees in Haiti. And most don't have power so the lights wouldn't turn on. However, we got invited to many church celebrations and Chrsitmas concerts. We all took the day off but most Haitians work all day in their house doing their normal daily chores.
Boxing Day...
Well while you may be out hitting the stores finding sales, I went back to work. Boxing day is not a Haitian holiday and there aren't too many shops to try to find sales at! I'm happy to say that I am not missing shopping at all but will probably get my fill in Jan when I go to the states for Cross Training!
New Years Day is the biggest holiday for the Haitians so I will write next week and let you know how that goes! |
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