Interruptions

Yesterday turned out being one of those days....a day full of interruptions. One needs to learn to live with many distractions here and it adds a whole additional layer to home schooling.

The day did not start out any different than normal. Breakfast, school, a load of laundry, plans for Cory and Anna to attend a celebration for the small group of school children who completed a summer program of learning English.

Wondering when our boxes shipped in August by sea container would be released from customs we ask Jean Pierre to check while in in Cap. "Today" he reported when he called. Cory and Gener jumped in the truck and headed for Cap Haitian. The trip, less than 25 miles, currently means a rough, nearly 2 hour drive.

Holding down the home front included answering the door for requests: tape, small generator, keys, projector and stuff, second time for generator, napkins for the party. A second trip to the door required when the items return.


Anna made it to the celebration while Eli and I worked on some chemistry experiments. The afternoon lab ended up rather comical as we attempted to collect the needed supplies and substitute for the items we lack.

When his first attempted failed, Eli good-naturedly tried again, using his mom's idea-which worked worse than his first attempted. Sorry buddy.

But he received an 'A' for the attempt. [Notice the panic induced by the possibility of a major mess. If the water balloon proved too weak to hold the gas produced by the baking powder / vinegar reaction the powder remaining in the balloon would coat the kitchen.]

Cory and the guys missed the celebration because they ended up waiting for the whole container to be unloaded. Cory did note with interest the items sent via container: large TV's,  whole bed sets with fancy headboards, chairs, a few refrigerators (2cu ft. to full size), 60 cases of Capri Sun juice, many large boxes appearing full of used clothes, 2 or 3 foot stack of plywood, gallons of cooking oil, and our boxes. One box of ours ended up slipping by the guy's watchful eyes and sent to the warehouse or someplace else? The majority of our boxes contained donated over the counter medications for the clinic and a few boxes of personal items-books, towels, linens, peanut butter, spices, tools....

Cory returned home over 6 hours after he left. I'm sad that John Pierre missed the celebration as he spear headed the class. I'm always impressed how the guys handle major interruptions. While I'm better than I used to be I'm still learning. I remember on LaGonave when the hospital would frequently call me for emergencies or advice I ended up putting a sign by the phone that read "Opportunity to Serve".

May I learn to met every interruption with a smile and think of it as an opportunity not just to serve but to bless.

Thankful: Cory and supplies made it without trouble.
Prayer: Anti-United Nations protests in Port-au-Prince remembering victims of cholera.