Friday, November 06th – 2015

Keith

SAY WHAT?
The kids have all been off school this week. School was closed due to elections and exam marking for the teachers. Needless to say the compound has been noisy and busy with everyone around. Mid-morning yesterday I thought my hearing was shot – except I could hear car traffic and birds singing. I went out on the compound and asked the house-mothers where all the kids were. Oh they all went to Kay Luckner’s for the day. Say what? How did I miss that information? I felt like Jay on “Modern Family”

“I only understand about 30% of what goes on around here!”

Anyway this morning everything is back to normal and the compound is a beehive of activity with kids on a sugar high from yesterday. There is lots of noise, shouting, laughing, talking, playing, crying and the busyness that we know and love.

COMPUTER CLUB
In July Beate started a computer club with the older kids. I have recommenced the club with meetings 3 times a week for an hour. HATS had some very nice laptops donated and we are putting them to good use. I brought two educational games for them and they are learning how to type (not the 2 finger hunt and peck like me) and a mathematics arcade game which they love.

The Prof and the students

JJ, Moise, Leika, Djemima and Dieumel enjoy the class and are working hard too.

I attached Ti Luc’s keyboard to a board and set up a computer station for him. It is amazing to see him type with both feet and his math skills are remarkable.

Ti Luc at his computer station

Tuesday November 03 – 2015

Tuesday Tidbits

These kids didn’t get the memo that the clocks went back Saturday night.
So we had an extra hour of praise and worship outside Karen’s house.

Construction is always ongoing at HATS.; the new bathrooms outside the church.

Joan the English teacher is also the music teacher for JJ on piano.

And the drivers’ education instructor again for JJ – Scary!!

It’s time for yard cleanup. Bring garbage or clothes or shoes or toys from around the yard and get a candy. Thanks Carol for the candy. Joan collected a lot of garbage AND a lot of good stuff AND Moise found his shoes!

This is why it takes soooooo long to get anything done at HATS.
The help (Keith) is lying down on the job – again – and pretending to be painting…..

November 01st - 2015 - English Anyone?

Hi, Joan here. I have to say I love to teach and although I have retired from formal teaching in Montreal, I have a wonderful opportunity here at HATS to continue to do what I love to do. Now I will let you in on a secret, I am a music teacher, but teaching is teaching, right? For all who are reading this and are classroom teachers I will endeavor to not let the team down!


I began lessons with Ti Luc but I am not the first to help him with his reading. Thanks to Jessie (of Seth and Jessie!), he knows all the small words and that helps a great deal. We have class every day except Friday and Ti Luc is moving along quickly. If you have ever seen Ti Luc do his happy dance you can picture just how delighted he is to be doing English lessons. I wish all my students were so keen!

There is not much that happens on the compound that the older kids don’t know about so I am pleased to say that I now have a class twice a week with the older kids. JJ can speak quite well and Moise understands a lot, which is very handy when I cannot explain things in Creole as these boys are willing helpers with the littler kids, small jobs, etc. I have found that hand language works pretty good too! Leica and Djemima will not be long catching up.


Although I would like them to be able to read the language we are starting with conversation. What is the fastest way to get a teenagers attention? Food. So we went to dinner at Madame Wight’s house. You can have a great conversation around food and the passing of the food and asking who would like to have the food and it took us 45 minutes to have our dinner.

Peanut butter and crackers along with a pop really makes a great dinner! I am grateful to have this time with kids and be teaching too!

Because it is all about the kids.

Thursday October 29th – 2015

Keith

Notice to the HATS Board of Directors:
October’s report will be late because all the papers and receipts are in boxes and Karen and Joan won’t be able to find anything for a few days.

Yup…. I finally got the office cleared out and prepped for painting.
I know I know ….. I was supposed to start on Monday, but on Monday the school was closed and I got busy with the kids……

·         Then there was a leak in the girls’ home sink

·         Then I had to tidy the depot to find the parts for the sink repair

·         Then there was a toilet to unblock

·         Then before the plumbing supplies were put away there was a kitchen sink leak

·         Then the kids wanted their bikes out

·         Then I had to fix a bicycle seat

·         Then the house mothers need the propane changed

·         Then Karen wanted a program loaded unto Joan’s computer

·         Then I had to show Joan how to use the program

·         Then a hockey game broke out

·         Then I needed a nap

·         Then I had to do the blog

·         Then I had to check the water tanks

·         Then the spring on the boys’ home door need to ne reattached

·         Then a quick trip to Luckner’s store for orphanage supplies

·         Then the house mothers need a sack of Fab from the depot

·         Then I started emptying out the office.

It’s all good stuff though, just the day to day workings here at HATS.
Joan and I are enjoying our vacation and having fun with the children.

I’ll start the wall painting tomorrow unless…….

I should be able to make the job last a week or so ……..

Joan in her new office with all the papers.

Joan deciding on the new color.

Keith starting on the office trim – Joan’s birthday ladder in still in good shape

Keith

October 27th - 2015

Tuesday Tidbits ...... in pictures.

Keith

Where would we be without the HATS cook Germaine

Markenson

Magdala

The 3 laddios playing nicely together - separately

Jonathan with the Hotwheels

Judel with the animals

Jofky with the puzzle

Luckner and Ti Luc hanging out

Sunday, October 25th – 2015

Church For the Kids By the Kids!

Joan

Hi everyone, this is our first Sunday back at HATS. I thought I would share with you what church looks like here at HATS. Now church at HATS is always interesting. Always the same with lots of variations so you are not always sure what is coming next.

Everything that is needed for the church service has to be taken over to the church.

The table that the young ladies use to lead us in singing, thanks to Vladimy who carries is over and back on his head. The books that we use to sing together...those of us that need them of course. The kids themselves know all the songs by heart. And they love to sing.

The water that is needed half way through because it is so hot and some of the children walk a long way to get to church. They are happy to share the 6 or 7 glasses amongst themselves...it is the Haitian way.

It’s the drums and tambourines that liven up the singing. Did you know you can make a drum out of 4 pieces of wood nailed together to make a square and then wrapped with clear packing tape? Makes a great bass sound to sing along with. Judel was having a whale of a time beside me today keeping the beat.

During the service there were a few groups that sang.  One was a group of the older kids who decided last year to get together a couple of times a week to sing together. You can see JJ playing the bongos with a great deal of skill. The HATS kids themselves, including the little ones, Magdala and SonSon, were one of the groups. A few of the older boys got up to sing and all of sudden Jofky, who is 5, ran up and joined in, and was welcomed just like that. To hear the children singing and knowing that the words they sing can bring them hope and joy in life is a blessing.

Although I did not understand much of the message given by one of the young men in the church, Josue, I did come away with the thought that Jesus is always with us. He is with each of the children that was there this morning, helping and guiding them in their lives.

Joan

Thursday October 22nd – 2015

Keith

And we are back – yup!  After 5 months at home it was time to return to our other home at HATS in Haiti. We arrived on Tuesday to a wonderful warm welcome by the staff and kids.  They were all surprised and pleased as Karen had not told anyone we were on our way. There were lots of hugs and broken Creole conversations and genuine glee from them and us that we are here.

A couple of times in the afternoon Joan and I were not sure we would see either home again! The main road to St. Marc was closed due to demonstrations related to this weekend’s Presidential elections. We had to take the back roads over the mountains which were narrow and some places unpaved and many hair-pin turns with no guard rails. Our driver thought he was James Bond or Jacques Villeneuve in a race car and not some dude in an old pickup truck. The scenery was fantastic (at least what I saw when my eyes were open) but I didn’t take any pictures because I was hanging on for dear life.

The kids thought we were glad to be here, but we were also glad to arrive at all.

We had a lot of baggage thanks to the generosity or friends and family. Five checked bags (275 pounds) and 2 carry-on bags. Basically no personal stuff as we left most of our things here in the spring. We brought clothes, shoes, sandals, diapers, food, hockey sticks, batteries, computer mice (or is that mouses?), books, school supplies, tools, painting supplies, toys, hardware, tape, screws etc. etc. Thank you one and all for your generosity.

Our dining room collection area

The five bags packed and the overflow stored for January.

We are taking our time getting used to the heat, unpacking and catching up on all the news from the summer. We also have 2 new little boys to get to know. We made a quick trip to St. Marc for groceries and get Joan’s phone activated. No road blockages today.

Joan, Magdala, Jonathan and Sandra at devotions

The kids have grown so much over the summer but it is still neat to see that personalities have not changed too much.

Jonathan leads the pre-schoolers (Magdala, Sandra and Sonson) in lessons.

Karen and Luckner are certainly pleased that we are back as well Luckner can now concentrate on the running of the school with nearly 500 students this year! Karen has a long list of jobs for Joan and I and we will start on Monday working through those in earnest. Job #1 is painting the HATS office. I think a bright red would be nice!! Suggestions?

Joan ignored the memo on not starting major jobs until Monday. She emptied out Carol’s wonderfully organized school supply cupboard and has a first coat of paint on already. I hope she puts everything back properly.

Joan and school supplies cupboard.

 Joan and the teacher’s pet, TiLuc doing homework.