Me and Eveline from the baby house
Norma and Donatella with Ives and his art

Richarson, Richard's twin brother

Mandelson and the pencil holder and purse we made our of newspaper

Things are good. I've spent the last few weeks at the orphanage, with short breaks down to Petionville to do laundry and visit my babies in the hospital. I like it up here alot, because its nice and cool (even cold sometimes) and theres always something to do. I've especially enjoyed joining the madames and Maive making embroidered cards in Kay Christine. The children help as much as they can, and each card is sold for 3 US dollars to raise money for the Saint Germaine programs. It was easy enough to learn how to do, since my grandma taught me to do it years ago! In Petionville, the mothers of the kids who come to Kay Elian make the cards, which allows them to give back to the organization as well as receive the income that they are missing out on by bringing their children to therapy and waiting with them all day. The cards are really beautiful, and I'm going to buy several for Christmas this year.

I took some of the girls aside last week to do a project for Robin and sponsorship. The girls were asked to draw a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up, which they took very seriously. We ended up with 2 nurses, a doctor, a police woman, an air hostess and a nun. My Rosemene, whose missing the leg, drew the picture of the nun and was very happy that I found her to take her with me.

Last weekend, we had some of the volunteers from the Dominican Republic home over to visit us. There were 5 girls and a boy, and that was only some of their international volunteers! Its crazy because in Haiti, we really only have Maive, me and Norma and even Norma is really on her own wave length due to her more skilled position as physical therapist and her longterm relationship with NPFS. They were all under 30 and super nice, and it was very nice to meet them before I head over to the DR later this month.

We have several temporary volunteers right now, here for a few weeks and then heading home. Eddie from the States just left after his few weeks here painting the school, Renzo is here from Italy to visit his godson and Donatella is also from Italy, here as a physical therapist. I've already seen several people come and go, and am getting very used to new people being around all the time. At least there's never a dull moment.

After Liz, our Irish art teacher, left a few weeks ago, we've been very lacking in the art project department with the kids. Its a great form of physical therpy and is very stimulating for everyone. In an attempt to get an art therapy program up and started, I'll be in Petionville all of next week showing one of the older boys how to work with the children productively with paints, crayons, whatever we have so we can make artwork an everyday thing for the kids. I often work with the kids on various art projects, last week making purses out of newspaper and old books. I'll continue to do this in Kay Christine, but the younger kids in Petionville where we only have preschool and physical therpy need simpler, repetitive and muscle toning activities. We'll see how we do on supplies, but even if this boy can sit and help the kids extend their arms to draw with crayons individually it would be worthwhile.

The downside to Kenscoff is the showers- we never have hot showers in Haiti, but at least in Petionville, its so hot that you really don't care. A good shower here is considered a bucket of hot water you warmed up in the tea kettle.