Thanksgiving update

Ok, that wasn't an original title, but then,  don't judge a book by it's cover ;-)

This week has looked a little different for QCS. Our accredidation organization, ASCI, offers a yearly conference, and this year, QCS hosted the Haiti/Dominican version. Two days of educational videos is a nice break from teaching, and it has helped remind me that students sit like this all day unless we give them space to move.

Our generator has malfunctioned and we're running off of the back up generator. It doesn't have enough power to run much more than the office, the classroom in which we're watching the conference and the soccer lights. (They bring in revenue as outside groups use the field extensively)

The generator will be fixed before school starts up again. Such is life in Haiti. Things break, and we 'degagé' create a way around the problem.

I am not always that flexible.  I've grumbled my way through the last week, as I've made plan after plan for thanksgiving only to find that it changed, moved, cancelled.  The car broke down, there were mild riots, my puppy keeps finding new places to take a dump.

And I don't do well reminding myself that this is life, a series of challenges to my peace, my hope and my joy.

But, all is well. 

My puppy likes to snuggle. She'll wrap herself around my neck in a pseudo hug, and it's nice! She also doesn't smell. I wash her with Fructis shampoo, so she smells like a hair commercial looks.

Tomorrow, my friend A. is coming from New York. She comes with a gust of fall weather and longing for other friends and experiences now behind me. 
To say I am looking forward to her coming is not exactly accurate. I can feel her coming closer every hour.

We will hike Seguin together. We will talk and we will sit quietly side by side.  I'll make her tea and we'll try to make Chadec and Lam together.

Classes:

I have been challenged by the administration to switch up class time use and so I've been changing the fledgeling curriculum I've developed last year to reflect that change. It's working well - students are engaging, working hard and learning.  I, however, need to find my feet in the new program. 

Prayer:
- students. continue to pray for their growth.
- My own journey. I am hoping to visit Belgium this year, and am planning accordingly. This is a major step for me. I've not planned a vacation just around me before.

suprised by gratefullness

It didn't last long, but I had a moment of intense gratitude today. I was very thankfull for my tile countertops. Nothing had happened, neither was I anticipating anything happening. I was simply very grateful for living in a house that has tile floors and tile counters. It was sensible and practical and I firmly approved of the idea.
And I realized, in order to be grateful, you have to know for a fact that the thing is yours. I spend so much time living with my life held closely in my hands, watching events and memories slip out of my grasp, worrying about bearing the loss of one more person, one more place that I had lost out on being thankful.  There are moments that are indisputably mine - no one else will take them from me.
so I began to look at other things I was grateful for, especially living in Haiti.
- as I said, tile floors and counters. Easy cleaning, clean feeling.
- large living quarters
- roommates that are chill about my new puppy
- my new puppy
- mountains at my doorstep!
- The growing trees and bushes in my little garden
- World class rum for a dollar a bottle.
- Cuban cigars at 2 dollars a pop
- a family nearby with similar book tastes
- a lending library that hosts a meet and greet every two weeks
- walking again.
- public transport for 25 cents
- students who engage
- shakespeare reading parties
- Singing in chapel


Those are just a few to pop into my head. I have more, but it's nice to have a list of things that are MINE.  Because they are mine, I can be grateful  for them.