Haitian Church and the Orphans

Going to a Haitian church was a really great experience! We walked there with the toddlers, dropped them off at their 'Sunday School', and joined the other adults in the main service. There was a lot of singing, several choir pieces, a long sermon and even more singing and communion to follow. It was a two and a half hour service! The building was build of cement, including floor, walls and ceiling. It was absolutely jam packed full of people! We all sat bum to bum, on wooden benches, with our shoulders overlapping. The lady on the end of our bench was half falling off, during the entire service... but no one complained! I couldn't believe how many people were crammed into that room! Everything was really loud too! The sound system was not good at all and it screeched a lot! The preacher was very animated and literally shouted his sermon into the microphone, which was extremely loud, especially because of the cement walls! But I loved being there! It was soo great to worship God with Haitians, and in the Haitian culture. It was also great to see how much they love the same God that I do!
We had fried chicken for lunch and I spent the afternoon sleeping and tanning on the roof of the toddler house. It was very relaxing! I've started a routine of giving all the kids hugs and kisses before bed, so that took up most of my evening. There are so many kids just desperate to be held. It can be emotionally exhausting, but also so fulfilling!!! I have never received so much love in all my life! I can't even tell you how many hugs and kisses I give out in a day, or how many I get back. Every time I even walk through the toddler house or the nursery, I have so many kids lifting their arms up to be held. One time I made the mistake of sitting on the floor of the nursery and had literally about ten kids trying to sit on me. They are very grabby and pushy too, so I have to be careful that they're not hitting each other in an effort to sit on me. I make sure that I give each of them a hug and a kiss and they just love it! It is so rewarding just to see their faces light up when I walk into the room. They already know my name, even though they pronounce it more like 'tasty'. Right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world! I have eight kids that I spend individual time with each day, so that is mostly what my day consists of. We take them up on the balcony to spend time with them. There are Haitian nannies who take care of feeding the kids and putting them to bed and stuff, and us volunteers make sure they each have the love and individual attention that they need. Trust me, that's a full time job in and of itself!
Well, it's time for my creol lessons, so I'll have to say good-bye for now!
-Stacey