Tuesday, September 4, 2007

So today I got up, BEFORE Roland yessssssssssssssss, and had breakfast. Once we were done with breakfast we headed downtown to see if my cell phone could be activated with a Digicel chip. Only in Port-au-Prince can this be done and since I cannot convince Roland to take an 8 hour bus ride there, we will have to go shopping. We caught a tap tap to St. Louis, so I could take a look at what material they had there for lessons for my junior church program. When we got there we decided to check out this cell phone store in town because Roland knows one of the ladies there. She only had a Sony Ericson model and was asking 264 Haitian dollars for it. NO thanks. Once at the mission, I said my hellos to Maureen and Erin, got the unpacking and organizing update, dropped off some meds, and made my way to the supply closet. What a train wreck of a room that was. This closet, which is probably 10 feet deep and 12 feet wide, with shelving units on the left coming out about 1 foot and a half, and about I said 50 mattresses on the right side coming like 3 feet out. In the middle of all this were boxes, bags, tarps, tents, and totes of just the most random stuff that you could ever imagine. I’m talking from toilet paper, to balls, to crafts, you name it, and it was there. So since I could not see the stuff I was looking for I decided to organize for a little bit. I started by stacking a dozen mattresses that were just thrown in the middle on top of everything. After that, I organized the floor mess, and let’s just say that now there is a floor and you can get around in that room to find what you are looking for. I found the box I was looking for, so the next time we go to the mission in a mission vehicle I am going to borrow it. I had lunch with Erin and Maureen and we chatted about all kinds of various mission things going on and traded stories of the week. It was good, having a little American time. Thursday Erin and some of the interpreters are coming to Port-de-Paix for Erin’s’ birthday to take her out for ice cream, so I think Roland and I are going to join them. As it turns out, we are actually going to go and get them so they don’t have to tap tap it down. While we were on our way back to the Orphanage I got to impress the Haitians and show them how we roll in America. The tap tap was crowed and a lady got on and had to stand in the middle, so I immediately got up and exchanged her places and Roland said that they other Haitians were surprised at that because if I had not been on that ride she would have stood the whole time. Back at the Orphanage, Roland and I changed into swimming attire and took the children swimming since I promised them yesterday and did not deliver. This time was different because Roland and I swam with the children, something that neither of us will do again. Two things lead to my decision to not want to swim anymore. One, the salt water was so bad and burned the eyes like nothing you would believe, and two holding kids while I am trying to tread 15 feet deep water is quite difficult. After swimming we headed back downtown to do some price shopping on cell phones. In all of Port-de-Paix there are only two Digicel phone retail places. I was amazed at that fact. The first one we went to Roland likes better but it did not turn out to be such a nice experience. They have some really nice phones and seem to be pricing them correctly, however their one flaw, which made me leave without purchasing, is that all the phones are locked in a case and they will not get one out for you to hold and see and determine if you like it. I am sorry but I cannot make a purchase like that without seeing if I like the phone first. So we went to check out the other store, and come to find out that at 430 they were already closed. So, since I was not ready to go back to the kids yet and bummed about no phone, we walked around for a while. It was a really good thing we did to because Roland ran into an old friend of his and got to go back to his house and talk with him for about an hour and a half. The place that this gentleman lives is not nice but definitely has A LOT of potential. It is this hotel/apartment complex. It has an internet café in it and a radio station. I liked it a lot. After we were done there we went back to the Orphanage, and got ready for dinner. While dinner was being prepared we went around and took some more of the staff pictures. This process is taking way to long and giving me way too many gray hairs. We got a lot done today though so that’s good. After dinner and after I had my tongue looked at, I retired for the evening to work on Miss Pats water filters and email the staff photos away. Yesterday at some point I noticed a lot of bumps on the bottom of my tongue and it felt like it was either raw or burnt. It did not go away by today so that is why I had it looked at. I am most likely just going to let it go. I am sure it will work itself out. Well I am going to bed now. Peace.