I'm really Here!!!

Hola y bendiciones, amigos y familia!

It is amazing to think that I have already and only been in Jimani (HEE-mah-NEE) for a week and a half! After smooth sailing (well, flying) travel, I jumped right into crazy life here.

Right now I am sitting in my bed up in Team Housing, which is the floor above the clinic on the opposite side of campus from the Children's Home. I am finally feeling fresh and clean from a cool (well... cold) shower after not having water for 2 days. Pizza flavored Pringles are my evening snack of choice and I find that they are just as addictive here as in the states ;)
(click "read more" to ... read more... and see pictures!)


Everyday, all week long I have said to myself, I have to post something new, but now that I am actually here before it is ridiculously late, I have a hard time knowing just what to say!

A taste from Facebook statuses to get me started:

Cannot believe how in 2 days my heart has expanded to fit so many more kids... I really love them so much... You have no idea... I cannot say with words... 

 It is true... in no time, ALL the kids have my heart, not just the ones I knew from last year. Already I have bonded with so many of them. I am honored that they care to love me...

Craziest day possible. Pretty much everything that could have happened did. 2 days without showering and most of today there was no water - we wash hundreds of dishes a day. Found out one of our kids has malaria. Something happened with the power source at the Children's Home and so there were no lights except in one place. A fight or two. Discipline issues. Offended teenagers. Everything running later than usual. Overtired kiddos. Water flooding the laundry room. Way fewer adults than usual. Wow... Real life happens here :) But Nana Rhonda and I ended the day thanking God that He is in control even when we are not. Amen and amen. Tired, sore, achy, exhausted, dirtyx2 from head to toe, but I am at peace and there is joy in my heart. Estoy tranquila :) Thank you, Jesus. 

 Ya... that was a crazy day... But it was a good reminder that we cannot do this on our own...

Today was a victory day! One of our boys who left a couple weeks ago on his own accord returned and was welcomed back by the family. It was a neat thing to see. Also, Gabriel, who had malaria, is back from the hospital and much better. It was great to see him back, too! Tomorrow we celebrate the risen Savior who died to pay the price for the sins of the world. Pray that our kids would truly understand and that the truths of God would sink deep into their hearts and minds. 

Poor Gabriel was sick for a couple of days and when he got blood work done we found out he had malaria and he had to stay in the hospital for a couple days. Praise God that he is better!

My conversations in Spanish today consisted of various topics including boyfriends, if I have kids and do I want them, organ donation, kids getting in my suitcase and my pocket when I go back to the States, getting pow-powed with the wooden spoon when I was little (did you cry?), when and how I will make another video with music in it, who is washing dishes tonight, how much I love babies (I got to snuggle one today! ^_^ ). I feel quite accomplished being able to communicate these things with the kids... We work together and figure it out and we might not get it right all the time, but it is amazing to me still. :) Love my life in Jimani. 

I love that God has allowed me to learn the language as much as I have and given me the desire to know more. Spanish has become a new love of mine and I crave more and more of it. ...I really did have conversations about all of those things... haha!  ... Organ donation! ... still makes me laugh ...


As another way to share about the little things of life, I have created a hashtag on Twitter to give bite-sized snippets of my days and experiences living in the DR. If you click on this link - #MiVidaEnJimani - you should be able to see those things :)

I have also begun a Facebook photo album called Jimani 2013 - In the Beginning and if you click there every once in a while I should have posted more pictures. The kids LOVE having their photos taken :)

Last week, I noticed a bunch of the boys doing front flips around campus and so I started taking some videos. They love to watch themselves afterwards and usually I let them - but this year, since I have a computer, I bring it down and set up my speakers so we can watch the videos on a 14 inch screen rather than a 2.5 inch screen ^_^ One night, I put a bunch of the videos together and added music. This is the result (on Youtube): "Got to Get Movin!". When I set up the next day down on the patio, we must have watched it 10 times! :) It was so much fun to have created something that they love so much (I admit I am quite proud of it ^_^ Thanks to Group1 Crew for the perfect song!) Now though, they keep asking if I have made another one, or they tell me that I should! :) I will one day.

Dieu Puissan is my buddy from last year and this year we found out that we had the same birthday! He is now 17 (and quite the charmer - just look at that beautiful smile!) and I am 23 as of March 27th, 2013. :) In Haitian Creole, his name means God Almighty. Pray that He would live life for the Lord and that he would not be trapped by the snares of the world, that the  devil would have NO hold on his life in ANY way. Love this boy so much.

Vanderly was taking school pictures for our school program on campus and after all their individual shots were taken, they wanted to take some with me. This started out as a picture with maybe 2 of the kids, but as soon as they know a picture is being taken, more hop in! ^_^ Please pray especially for the girls, that they would know the love of the Father and that they are loved unconditionally by us, too!

Eduardo I met last year but didn't really get to know him that much because I left a couple weeks after he started coming to the day program with his 2 brothers. He is a spirited little boy with a deep growling, gravely voice and loves to do flips and walk on his hands. :)

The tradition is that on your birthday you get soaked with water. Well, with 50ish kids on spring break from school ... I got SUPER soaked! ^_^ It ended up keeping me cool most of the day because I got a second helping after lunch ;)

Thanks to Vanderly Arnold for some AWESOME photos! :D

REMEMBER:
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Thanks for making it this far! :)
More to come!

Blessed,
Jenna Christine