Regrouping

It was evening - I had just settled on my bed to try to escape into a novel. The phone rang and I considered not answering. We'd been getting a lot of wrong number calls recently and phone manners here don't require an apology from the caller (just hanging up and trying the same number all over again). However, I leaned over and grabbed it anyway. "Bonswa - Wall's Guest House" To my surprise it was Lydia - my friend from Canada, along with Theresa, Joan and Henrietta. What a wonderful surprise and what a great pick-me-up. I am sometimes fearful that my friends have forgotton all about me after I've been gone awhile - so it was great to hear from them - thank-you so much for calling! Further more, I check my computer and realize my daughter has written to say she has arrived safely in Africa and is busy getting orientated and meeting new friends. I am reassured. Our son writes to report he is paying the bills, looking after our property and attending to his grandparent's needs - more assurance and pride. It's amazing how quickly I feel invigorated.

It's the week after Christmas - typically the time when we think of New Year's resolutions at home and goals for the new year - things we'd like to do or perhaps prefer to stop doing. For us, at WIGH this year, we are looking at how best to spend the rest of our time here. Shall we focus on some different goals or should we just take a deep breath and dive into the recently busier life here with renewed vigour. My own personality is such that I want to say, this has been fun - now what can we do?
Fortunately I'm married to a man who is all about commitments and fulfilling them. He likes stability - I thrive on new things.
Here's to taking a deep breath and diving in again.
(This is Waldo beside our pool!)

Christmas Greetings!

Christmas Greetings from Haiti. It is Christmas morning as I write this. We breakfasted on fresh mangos, mandarins, watermelon, eggs and toast this morning with our children. Then we drove them to the airport and watched them walk through the doors of the airport for their flight to Ft Lauderdale and then to Toronto. Though on the verge of tears much since then, I have been cheered just looking through the pictures of our activities with them this past week. We had a wonderful time over the last 10 days since our children arrived from Canada, their 2 extra suitcases loaded with gifts from themselves and
family/friends back home. We couldn't help but feel the reversal of roles that happens as you age - we sat and opened presents our kids brought the first night they got here.
We are so very grateful that we could spend Christmas with Cara, who leaves tomorrow for a one year teaching assignment in Namibia, Africa and Conrad, who is going back to St. Catharines to complete his university studies.
We took vacation ourselves while they were here to do some sightseeing and relaxing.
One especially wonderful location was spent on Ile a Vache, an island off the southern coast of Haiti.


This was the view from the balcony of our room. The resort is called Abaka Bay (www.abakabay.com) and we lacked for nothing as the helpful staff looked for every opportunity to serve us. We spent a lot of time snorkeling, swimming, laying in hammocks (I particularly enjoyed the rum punch) and exploring the endless white beaches.


Here we are exploring a cave along the beach. The island itself has no cars even though it has a population of about 12,000 people. The owners of the resort are interested in attracting some medical personal here for short periods of time so that they can set up a clinic for the villagers within walking distance of this beach.
It was tempting for me, to say the least. Anyone reading this interested??


One travels to the island via motor boat and the way back proved to be a bit of an adventure as the motor quit soon after we left the dock. However, Haitians are never lacking for lending a helping hand and we hailed a sailboat nearby who took pity on us.
We simply gave him our anchor as he "towed" us into a neighbouring bay where the owner of the Resort picked us up with another boat.
Notice the blue blue water that is so characteristic of the Carribean.


We spent most of our vacation near water - I believe I will never tire of listening to waves lapping on the shore while I drift off to sleep. It makes for a nice memory as we prepare to spend the next number of months back in the city.
Once again we are so mindful of the many who do not have the priviledges that we have enjoyed. Most of our staff have never travelled outside of Port-au-Prince and are interested to know where we go when we leave on exursions.

December 24th was spent back at Walls Guest House where we enjoyed a party with the staff along with Jason and Corey (previous entry) and their children. The staff all received gifts and a bonus this year and their gratitude, after a very lean year, was a treat to watch. We attended the Christmas Eve service at Quiskaya Chapel, an non-denominational church we attend.
The menu today will not include turkey and stuffing, likely haitian style chicken with rice and beans. We think of you all with warmth, good wishes and grateful hearts. Our gratefulness extends to all our families, our friends - old and new, and most of all to God to whom we owe everything. May you enjoy a peaceful Christmas season wherever you may be this year.

Adoptive Parents

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our job at the Guest House has been meeting the variety of interesting and remarkable guests that we have the priviledge of hosting. There is none that I have as much admiration for as the adoptive parents.

To be an adoptive parent of a Haitian child, one has to be willing to go through an unknown period of waiting time. It could be 5 months, or it could be 15 months (or longer) before an adoption is completed and the child is finally able to come home to North America. Each of the many steps of the adoptive process takes patience, strict adherence to current rules and whims of authorities, and of course, money. We have met a number of dedicated parents in various stages of this process. One family who is staying at our Guest House right now have just received their 2nd adoptive child and have become acquainted with 3 more (siblings) whom they are in the process of adopting. They will have to leave the last 3 here and continue to write letters and send pictures until the process is complete and they can return to take them home.

Haiti has many many orphanages! Many of the children who are dropped off at orphanges are ill, malnourished and actually have at least one parent. However the parents often leave one or more children at the orphanage because they are unable afford to feed and care for them or pay for their medical needs. If a parent comes to visit their child, they do not ask for them back because they realize that they are better off, certainly healthier and well-fed. Many children have little or no contact with their orginal families.

Today we are having a Fet! It is Erica's birthday. She is 3 years old and has quickly become a favorite at the Guest House in the week she's been here. Her smile can be described as adorable and impish at the same time. Adopting her will mean addressing complicated medical needs in the next few years. Our cook has planned a special meal of goat, fried plaintain and specially seasoned rice! We are anticipating a great celebration tonight! Jessica, Erica, Jason, Christina, Corey, Clifford, Emmanuel and Virlande

I want to dedicate this entry to Corey and Jason and other parents like them who show the willingness to perservere in their goals to be able to offer a good home, consistent love and resources to their new adoptive children.

Faces of Rural Haiti

Adventure Tour

This week Waldo completed his first solo Adventure Tour. That means he planned and coordinated a whole week of activities and adventures for 2 Canadian couples who wanted to explore the many sides of Haiti.
Here he is having a "mountain top" experience - part of the tour involves taking a trip into the mountains to visit rual villages and interact with the co-operative staff and participants.

This is market day in one particular community. Once a week they bring their animals and once a week they have market day with just products and produce. One sees everything from plastic sandals to goats for sale. The proper way to buy something is to bargain for it. You have to be willing to throw prices back and forth until you can come to an agreement. Most people at this outdoor market have probably never seen a store, let alone a mall.


Here we are walking through a banana plantation on the way to the silo that this particular co-operative has built (the yellow building in the background). The community leaders show us how they store their seeds safely in the silo until the prices go up and then sell them for a profit. This community effort benefits hundreds of families in the area and is only one of the ways they benefit from working together. A second project involving better management of water will begin here in the new year.

Another part of the tour involved visiting a medical facility at the University Hospital in P-a-P. Here is the eye clinic where a patient is being assessed.
We try to show the many sides of Haiti. Though there are many illiterates in the rural regions, there are also highly educated people and services in Haiti. Health care is not universal in Haiti but it is fairly accessible in the city, including many specialists. One pays for health care but it is not unaffordable if one has an income.


This is our group having dinner at a restaurant one evening. It's fun to sample Haitian cuisine with our guests. It's also important to spend time talking about what we've seen and experienced. Everyone has come to the tour with different backgrounds and we
learn from each other as we proccess our thoughts about the week.



And finally - relaxing at the beach - a time to enjoy the blue Carribean waters.

Of course, these pictures show only a fraction of the activities. We try to arrange activities around the interests of the participants. Guests often say that it seems they've done enough to take up several weeks' time. We like them to get their money's worth!