July 5, 2012
My 18th birthday and I got to spend it in Haiti! How awesome! It started out as any other day up at Grace Village. Then Jean came and we started going through the containers to find all the stuff we need and organizing it somewhat. Jean had about 10-15 guys working for him that he just picked up off the streets from down in Titanyen. We got the first one done then Jean gave them a break and got us all watermelon. Then about 7 of them serenaded me and sang "Happy Birthday" kind of, because half of it was in creole and half in english. But they had the tune down, and I knew what they were supposed to be saying so it was cool! Then the team came and it got crazy. They basically had a food fight in the cafeteria with chocolate pudding. It was all over the tables, the floors and the walls. The children were covered in it as well. Not good. They they did an activity where they could cut up shirts and decorate them. It was hilarious how they did it and they dressed al up. I took tons of pictures that I will put up once I have my camera!  Anyways then they had their soccer game, there was a guy on the team that wanted to pay so they loved that! The team was getting ready to leave and so we all went to the cafeteria, sang some gospel songs, and then prayed and they left. After that we had a Scabies scare. So Fanfan and Jessica went on a adventure. They were going to get us pizza for dinner, and the ointment, or treatment fot the scabies. The thing was they needed enough for 65 kids, and for all of us adults and the workers who deal with the kids. They got the pizza, then went to get the lotion. They had to go to numerous stores in order to get enough. So they finally got home at like 8, and the pizza was cold, Jean sent ice cream for my birthday and it was totally melted, and the fries were cold and soggy. The pizza was good though. Kathy was doing laundry and she had rubber gloves on, she wanted to try a fry so I fed it to her. She bit down and was like "no, this is so gross. Do not eat them, its so bad!!" She just left it hanging out of her mouth like she didn't know what to do so I took it back and threw it away. It was super funny. While we were waiting for pizza and scabies cream, we were all researching what to do and what it looks like and how to treat it and everything about it. I also got to talk to my family on the phone! It was awesome! I talked to all of them, and even Jake, Kayla and Uncle Mike! (: It was really nice to talk to everyone. Im glad they are having fun but I miss the tons! After church, once all the kids were in bed, and sleeping, Ericka, Kathy, and I ventured off into the side of the land. We found a wall that you can sit on and look down over the village and far out into other places of the country. It is so gorgeous. The hill is all lit up because that is where the wealthier people stay so they have money to pay for electricity, and a house and nice things. We were talking as we sat up there about how it is kind of a sad symbol of the class' in Haiti. The rich are up on the hill with money and power looking down on their country and most of them are doing nothing to help the poor impoverished places and people of their country. But seriously it is so gorgeous from up there. Me and Kathy decided that would be our nightly spot to unwind and think and  chat about whatever! Its so pretty. Its quiet except for dogs barking , but its not like the cities, with all the cars and commotion it is quiet and peaceful and beautiful! 
Erick leaves tomorrow and I'm super sad. She is so nice and she knows a lot about everything! She is so smart! I totally wish she could stay but we will Skype, so she can see the kids too because leaving them is the hardest thing ever. I know how strong of a bond she has with some of the newer kids that are going through so much. She did a fabulous job, and we will all miss her :( Since my family wasn't here to give me birthday hugs and kisses the kids took over. I got so many hugs and kisses. Lots of them sang to me and danced for me. It was so sweet! 

Friday July 6, 2012

This morning we got up, got ready, and  after all the worry and commotion about the scabies that we had last night we finally decided to take the boy to the doctor to see if it actually was scabies, because if it wasn’t, and treated him and all the other kids, and did all that we would have needed to do it would have used up so much of our time for nothing. So we took him in and it turned out that he doesn’t even have it, right now at least. We just need to keep watching it and look for the other signs. So we left at about 10:00 am. We were driving to drop Claudia off at the airport, and bring Ericka to the guest house in Port au Prince. Along the way we got stopped twice by police. It is illegal to ride in the back of a truck, but they don’t enforce it. Unless your white. Well guess what, Ericka and I were in the back with Guillame, and Junior, and we are white, and they stopped us. Twice. They asked for our passports. Since Ericka and Claudia had all their bags with them they had their passport with them, but since Jessica and I were just going to the doctor we didn’t even think to bring them. So the guy is asking us all these questions then he said, “you go out and have no identification you get big trouble.” I was so scared. Especially since we were right in front of the police building. I thought they were going to take me and put me in Hatian Jail.... Ummmm scary! But they let us go both times we were stopped. We dropped off Claudia, then Fanfan dropped us off at the doctor. I sad goodbye to Ericka :( and then we waited, got them their cards, they visited the doctor quickly. We got medicine for Junior, then we waited for Jean to pick us up. He came and got us. On the way home he stopped at that police building and was getting mad at them for causing us, and the teams on the TapTap trouble. Then our little Bondja said “Pee-pee” so we let him out of the truck and he starts peeing in  the middle of the field, basically facing the road... oops! So we got back to Grace and The girls and I decided that we need to start getting situated now that all the extra people are out and we have the room to just us. We were cleaning and organizing and it started to look super good. Then they all were outside talking to the kids about the new laundry baskets they will be getting in their rooms while i started to organize my stuff. They brought back a bottle of pop with them last nigh that nobody drank. I t was sitting on the floor by my bed. Apparently it got bumped over because when i stepped down i got glass in my foot and the blood just started flowing. EVERYWHERE!. I was so scared! I yelled for Kathy, her and Jessica came, then this guy who was here talking to Fanfan (it was his first time ever at Grace Village) picked me up and carried me to the truck. junior was in there laying out a blanket for us to sit on. We had it wrapped in a towel and everyone loaded in the truck and we left. Kathy is amazing. She held me the whole way there, praying for me and singing and wiping my tears as they are coming. We were driving around from one clinic to another trying to find one open, or one with someone that could fix me. it felt like we were in the truck for an hour, when in reality it was only about 15. Junior was propping my leg up, doing anything he could to help, but nothing helped obviously. The roads are so bad, every bump was torture it killed so bad. I cried the whole way there. Then we went to Global Outreach. Luckily there was a dentist there who they thought could sew me up. I was so scared. Needles and shots and stitches totally freaked me out. I was going crazy. They even gave me the medicine that makes you calm. It didn’t seem to help until they were almost done. But the Novicane shots were the worst. They stuck it in what seemed to me like 15 different spots, and then he started sewing it up and some of it wasn’t even numb, so that killed. I was screaming! Then they gave me one more, which i was not happy with at all, but after they did it I was thankful because the rest of the stitches they did dint hurt, I could just feel a little tugging. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people! If I didn’t have kathy and Junior there holding my hands, and singing to me I would have gone crazy. I wouldn’t have even let them do anything to me. And Fanfan and Mark also, for getting me there, for carrying me around, and for supporting me. Everyone along knew how scared i was and they were all so supportive and loving and they prayed and sang for me. It was so nice of them, I love them all and I cant even begin to tell them what it meant to me and how much I appreciate all they did for me! I love these people beyond words! Once we were done at the doctor they brought us back to Grace Village, and Kathy packed a bag for herself and me and then Fanfan drove us to Port au Prince for a night or two just to make sure nothing happens and to relax and keep it healthy. She is seriously the best! I love her! She is so kind and caring and sweet! And on the up-side I get to see Ericka more before she leaves(: So once we got to the guest house they had dinner ready for us, even though it was like 8:00. But it was tacos, my favorite meal the ladies make! I talked to my family for a couple  minutes, then I got ready for bed. Jean got me some crutches because it was hurting to walk on it how they told me to, and there was blood seeping through the gauze because of how I was walking. So we got over to where we are going to sleep. In the brand new house! Its gorgeous in here. We hung out for awhile then slept!