I am Blessed

It's been almost two weeks since my last post, so I have a lot to write to you tonight. I've just not had the mental energy or good wifi to post, it can take a long time to get it juuuuust right. :)

We have been very busy at CLS the past few weeks! Groups coming and going, but doing many great things. Last Thursday, a group from Beulah Baptist Church in Florida came and did VBS at a local church we call " Pastor Charles' Church". I went with them one day and they did an amazing job.

VBS at Pastor Charles' Church

Pastor Charles church is basically a tent, but the worship there is genuine and the people love the Lord in an amazing way. Outside of the tent (and other places in Haiti too) I see this particular vine whose leaves are shaped like hearts. They reminded me of God's love for me and for the people of Haiti. As a science teacher, I'm always looking for God in weird places.....and I always find Him. 

Last week was also eventful because I got to help with a minor medical thingy....taking out stitches from a boy's ear. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it was something I had never done and I LOVE experiencing new things. Notice the progression of the pictures. I started off with gloves, then decided I needed more light so I busted out the headlamp. Then I decided I couldn't feel where the stitches were......so I ditched one of my gloves. Tammy held the stitches out while I cut them. I am pleased to say that there was no blood and no tears. So I guess I can officially take stitches out. 

On a couple of other days I also had the privilege of going with the baby feeders. In case you don't know, workers from CLS go every weekday to feed the babies and smaller children that live in the ravine who will eventually come to school at CLS when they are older. This feeding program ensures that they will have developed properly so than can do their very best when they begin school. They typically get fed a half of a hard boiled egg, peanut butter sandwich, and a piece of fruit. The babies are also given vitamins, ensuring that they are getting everything they need to grow and be healthy children. I have been a couple of times since I have gotten back to Haiti, but last Tuesday, I got to really help with the baby feeders. We weighed that day to track their growth. Most of the babies were fine being held or were old enough to stand on the scale on their own. There were some exceptions though. They only wanted their mamas! My friend Katy recorded the weights in the chart, which is actually a much harder job than holding them while they are weighed. Kudos to her for being able to find all the kids' names on that list. Katelyn just arrived last Thursday, and has take over the baby feeding program. We know she will do great things with it!

I'm totally just skipping around with my days here because I can't remember exactly what I've done on which days, so just bare with me because, again, it's late while I'm writing this post! Sunday I had the opportunity to go to a Haitian graduation with my friend and summer school director, Beverly. It. Was. An. Experience. First if all, Haitians have a different sense of time than Americans do. People who know me, know I can tend to run late from time to time. However, I generally follow by times I am supposed to be places. Not in Haiti. The graduation was supposed to start at 9:00, instead it began at 11:15 and ended at 4:15ish. All I can say is that I am thankful it was indoors and air conditioned! Needless to day, we were proud of our graduate, but soooo ready to stretch our legs and breathe some fresh air. 

My face after about hour 4 of the graduation. :)

Saturday was an eventful day in that I bought a beautiful painting from a street vendor in the mountains above Petionville. The story is I was looking at the paintings and the guys are very persuasive in wanting you to buy their work. Of course, they always set the price very high, like $70.00 high. So you, of course, say no to that price because it is waaaaay to much. So then you haggle and work your way to what they say is a fair price. I begin low, of course, at like $20.00. They say that is too low so I say, I won't go above $30.00. They are still trying to get me to pay upwards to $70.00 for it and want me to name a fair price. I cannot get them to accept that I am not going above $30.00! What can I say, I can be cheap at times. So, getting very annoyed, I walk away back to where the group is standing. So what do they do? They follow me over there and are still wanting me to buy the painting for too much! Thankfully we decide we are leaving so I am able to go get in the truck. And what do they do? They follow me to the truck and are still trying to sell it to me, only they have drastically changed their minds and come down to $45.00, but I still stay no more than $35.00 (yeah I increased my limit by five). So they say okay $35.00 . Sitting in the front of the truck, sandwiched between two people, I hand them the money. They count it and say, no, that they said I would pay $45.00. So I, of course, say nevermind, forget it, and Beverly reaches to get my money back and I start to give back the painting, they quickly changed their minds and gladly took my $35.00. :)  It was an interesting experience to say the least.

My painting, hanging in my room

The beautiful paintings that line many streets in and around Port-au-Prince.

Okay, back to CLS stuff. I've mentioned before that what drew me to Haiti and to CLS were the children. They are the reason I am here. My heart is filled with the most overwhelming joy at times by being around them, playing with them, and taking care of them. Today, Sherrie signed the papers and got the keys for their new house that they so greatly deserve.They will be moving in hopefully within the next week or so. It is a very short walk from where I stay, so I am glad they won't be very far away. Just yesterday, I was having just a bad day and decided to go out into the yard to see the kids. Little Kervenson comes up to me with a toy about as big as he is and says in his sweetest voice, "Ms. Ashleigh, will you play with me?" It just immediately melted my heart and reminded me of why I am here. I adore these kids and love spending time with them. When things aren't going right, they bring me joy and remind me of God's unconditional love and the purpose for me being here. 

The new orphanage house, just down the street from CLS.

Kervenson

Magdala and Youvelande's photoshoot.

As I have stated before, living in Haiti can be hard. I miss home many times. I miss the autonomy of being independent and being able to do things exactly how and when I want to. But I believe God is trying reaaaaaally hard to teach me patience and understanding in difficult situations. However, I am always reminded, everywhere I go in Haiti about how blessed I am, which is where the title of this post comes from. It is very easy for us to get caught up in things that are going wrong in the world and in the teeny tiny bubble that makes up our "world". I have been blessed beyond my capacity to even comprehend. I have always had a bed to sleep in, even in Haiti (we will forget my first night on Haiti spent on a pool float :) ), I have and probably will only ever miss a meal by my own choice. I will most likely never know how it feels

to try and fall asleep at night with the rain pouring into my home. I will never experience the pain of not being able to care for my children and provide for their most basic needs. So, now, I am exponentially reminded of how blessed I am. I think, even living in Haiti, surrounded by poverty, I can get caught up in my own bubble and forget why I am here and how my "problems"are not really problems. God gives me these reality sandwiches frequently and I am thankful for them. 

While on this subject of thankfulness, I am so glad God has placed people in my life here in Haiti as friends. Both full time staff and those Americans visiting, have been so supportive and kind to myself and the other full timers, as we are called. I am so thankful for them! Seeee, that is just one more reason I am thankful. Well, the next time I blog, I should have some good stuff to share with you all about summer school, which starts this coming Monday. Getting into a routine will be very good for me, even though I won't like setting that dreaded alarm clock. You can't trust the roosters around here, they are too unreliable. : ) Please continue to lift me up in prayer, as well as the CLS staff, and children. 

Bon nuit!

❤️

Ashleigh

J.J. being sweet to Jean Wilson. They love him very much and like helping to take care of him.

Sam, my substitute dog since I can't have my own dog, Ginny, here.

Always Half Full....Never Empty

Mislene, Rosemarline, and Rosemica
playing the Spot-It game I brought.  They love to play games. 

So it's not really that late but I feel like it is. So this blog post maybe a little messed up. So forgive me and I'll try to stop saying so, so much. : )

Have I mentioned how much I love being in Haiti? I feel like this is my real home and where I am meant to be right now. I am so blessed that God has allowed me to do this. As usual, my cup runneth over. I feel like I'm am settling in better (finally got in a private room) and feel like I'm accomplishing more than I was when I first arrived. This is an answered prayer, because I was struggling to figure out exactly what my place would be besides teaching. 

Today, I did something that is just one of my favorite things....I got to clean out, organize, and most importantly, throw away a bunch of old junk. There is a supply room off of the school office that has become quite messy. Sherrie asked Katy and I to clean it. We worked for probably 6 hours cleaning and consolidating so the supplies can be easily accessed. We found there are 3 things we have a lot of: crayons, pencils, and notebook paper! We have tons!!!!! I was delight my surprised to find not one, buy two microscopes that actually worked. I thought there was ony one. Now granted, one of them doesn't even have it's' own light source, just mirrors, but it still worked really good. And I think these would be preferable on Haiti, since power is unreliable here to say the least. 

After cleaning the supply room, I was litetrally dusty from head to toe, complete even with dust freckles. I will definitely post pictures of the finished product. 

The medians on the way to church, painted for the World Cup. Photo credit goes to Lindsey Middleton. :)

Moving in to probably my least favorite subject: sports. I'm learning to appreciate soccer more because the older boys and girls at CLS love soccer, actually I think most of Haiti does. And with the World Cup in full swing....it's hard not to get caught up in soccer fever. The definite favorite in Haiti is Brazil, followed by Argentina. You see more Brazilian flags in Haiti than you do Haitian flags. The medians in the street have actually been painted with these two teams colors. 

Okay, enough sports. Today was Jeffley's birthday (one of the CLS kids). He's a sweet boy and today be brought us kineps. The kids eat these tiny little fruits like candy. They. Love. Them. He brought  a bundle for Lindsey, Katy, Tammy, and myself. 

Kineps! :)

The birthday boy Jeffley and I, last December

Saturday was especially significant because I ventured out and walked to the local Rebo coffee shop (kind of like Starbucks). We walk through the neighborhood market to get there and have to cross Airport Road, but it was totally worth it! AC, cold drinks, totally worth the sweat and fear that I might get ran over. I see many visits to there in my future. It is nice having an escape from the heat and just everyday stresses than can come from serving in Haiti. Although, all I am say is that I am blessed by my circumstances here. As I write this, I am reminded that out city power had been on for like 5 daaaaaaays! Which never happens. It went off maybe 2 hours ago, but is now back on. We have been overjoyed by this blessing. ☺️ 

Lindsey, Me, Katy, Josh, Tammy at Cafe REBO.
Notice the Brasil flag in the background!

Let me say a little bit about church. I love that we pretty much get to go to the same church every week. It is an English speaking church called Port-au-Prince Fellowship. It is weird going there because we go to the early service at 8:30 and get back around 10:00ish. I was just thinking today that my church back home doesn't even start until an hour after I'm totally done with my church service. 

I going to try and shut up soon, but I just want to share a lot tonight for some reason! Tonight I helped Madame Jaquelin clean up after dinner and was lucky enough to get to clean off the fried chicken plate. That meant I got to eat all the little fried pieces of skin that was left behind. : ) Ooooohh it was good. As I was putting away some leftover rice, God reminded me of how he has been preparing me for this for a long time. I literally went to out rice in a container and was trying to decide if it would all fit. For some reason, I remember my Aunt Shirley telling me that "you can put more in those than you think." At that money in dawned on me, that every life experience has equipped me for the plans God has for me. Just like me cleaning out that supply closet, I have cleaned and organized tons of stuff back home at church and for my mother. Who'd have thought I would have to do it at a school in Haiti or that it would come

in handy to know how to work a microscope? I am amazed by how God uses random little experiences to remind you of His purpose for you and His provision in your life to equip you. I said it once already, but my cup runneth over. 

I will leave you with a quote from Louie Giglio that I feel led to share: 

"God is using your present circumstances to make you more useful for later roles in His unfolding story." 

Goodnight from Haiti.

❤️

Ashleigh

It's Hard Being Here...

Yay! I'm finally back in Haiti for good. I have been putting off and putting off dusting off the old blog because I just wasn't in the mood to do an update. It has been a little challenging getting accustomed to being back at CLS again, which explains the kind of negative title to this post. :) God reminded me early on that being here in Haiti will not be easy. It will be hard. But I'm also reminded by the five months that follow my previous trips to Haiti, that not being here is hard too. God does not call us to do things that are easy and believe me, living in Haiti isn't easy. I'm thankful God reminded me of this early one....like on day one! But enough of that stuff... Here we go...

I traveled down with a wonderful group from my sister Sallie's church of First Baptist Church Williams, located in Jacksonville, Alabama. We were blessed by very smooth flights with no delays and yup, no lost bags! Even though arriving at the airport is easier than it used to be, I am still sooooo happy when I see a familiar face to pick me up at the airport. Seeing David and Edmond (the awesome, official CLS driver) at the airport was a confirmation that we were here! My friend, Tcharly, one of the older boys, was also there. Sometimes that arrival and greeting you receive at the airport is just the best thing ever! You never feel so good as when you get away from that airport. I was told once that if you can survive the airport in Haiti, you can survive ANYTHING in Haiti! One first for me this time was that as our bags were being loaded into the truck, a man serenaded us by playing the Star-Spangled Banner on his trumpet. It was quite amusing to say the least. :)

I was so glad to get back to the school and the children's home. The kids were excited to me. One of the twins, either Guyvenson or Yvenson tried opening the truck door before it was even parked! And I was thrilled to get out and hear Kervenson saying "Ms. Ashleigh! Ms. Ashleigh!". That boy is just soooo precious. Oh how I love him. 

Kervenson. Or as he calls himself, "the baby".

The last few days have been very very busy around CLS as the chikungunya virus has made its' way around the Children's Home and School. But we've got some really really good mamas here. :) As of now, most of the children are well and back to their usual selves. It was just the weirdest thing the first couple of days because there was hardly anyone playing soccer in the yard. Which is a rarity around here. 

I have enjoyed getting reacquainted with the children and others here that I hadn't met yet. As always, in Haiti, the days are hot and nights sometimes are too. The smells can be strange at times and it is super noisy, but there is honestly and absolutely no place on Planet Earth I would rather be than right here. Whether it is rocking a child to sleep, listening to the precious neighbor kids sing sweetly, or the boys playing soccer and being soooo thrilled when they make the goal, God had placed me and each of us here at CLS for a specific purpose. I cannot wait to see how God uses me to further His kingdom here. I would love to say more, but I'll leave that for another day. There is no possible way to tell every emotion or joy filled moment. No books in the world could EVER hold all of them. Please continue to pray for me and everyone here at CLS.

Ashleigh

Jean Wilson