Too Much Computer... Where's the People?

The luxury of having the internet here will be a blessing as we somehow try to bridge the gap between us and our loved ones but I can't seem to get off it tonight, a problem that I don't wish to have!  This after I just told Forrest, another guy on the base, that I don't want to log on more than once a day.  Tonight its been two long sessions and I still wanted to blog...

Funny how there is so much quick, compacted conversation that is had on the internet.  People can't even bother to spell words properly anymore.  How is spelling "bye" like "bi" easier?  If I do that starting next week, I am going to have a seriously confused group of students.  Although, Creole, the official language is spelled completely phonetically, just how it sounds.  So just take most French words and spell them how you hear them and you might be close to speaking Creole!  After the first 2 days, a Haitian was telling me to just speak Creole, just go ahead and do it.  Maybe it will be easier to learn than I thought.  Here's hoping, because some days in the classroom I just know that I'm not going to have a translator...

Back to the initial conversation though... And meaningless and intelligible it was not.  Well perhaps some of the latter because when 2 parties attempt to speak each other's language without ever knowing much of it beforehand it can't help but be a little muddled.  2 things I did today:

1) Sang ABC's with a new friend Eddy, under a tin roof, while the daily thunderstorm tried to stifle the laughter in our childish exuberance.  Of course, my little friend Stetson was there as well, so that made us feel like we were singing for his benefit, right?  No, song is perhaps the best way that you can learn something new.

2) Sang Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes in English and Creole.  Tete, Epol, Genou, Zotey for those who aren't fluent :)  I constantly made sure I did the actions and words out of order to frustrate and amuse my young teachers but they were adamant that I do it right!  No better way to gear up for ridiculous classroom behaviour than exhibiting it yourself, and remembering how fun it is :)

This could have been the single most important day I have ever experienced in a missions setting so far.  I was able to take the time to simply BE with the people, mostly children, and absolutely love each other's company, for hours and hours, free from time constraints or group pressures that often short missions are inevitably subjected to.  Unlike past short-term missions, I can truly say that this is my home for now, and I am trying to do as a Haitian might do, taking time to converse with anyone who has the time (everyone), with no keyboard, but just simply my impressionable self, who is committed to nurturing relationships with others because that is what God has called me here to do.  If you have prayed through our mission statement at all since we've been here, know that your faithfulness in prayer will work at establishing deep-rooted connections with many lost and directionless people who are desperate to see God's Kingdom come but have lost sight of that in the wake of all the disaster this country has experienced.  And sometimes, all you have to do is recite your ABCs... in song, and like you mean it, of course.  Who knows, your life may depend on it :)