Mungeli, India Mission Trip: Working with the Nursing Students

In addition to teaching music and later, giving some spacey NASA-ish talks at the RamboMemorial School, I am getting to work with the nurses and nursing students for about 40 minutes to an hour daily. They are so wonderful and so sweet! I see them all around the hospital in the afternoons and evenings and they are always smiling and ready to say a hello and chat a bit or help me understand what is going on with a patient. My music sessions are to help with their chapel services and provide some instruction that can make the small groups better when leading the congregational songs. I am also helping them to consider adding some prayers and Gospel message and/or a few minutes of a mini-sermon / the word / a testimony from someone to the chapel services. At present, there are some extremely lengthy songs, one psalm, the Lord's Prayer, and more singing. The pastor that used to be on staff left last year so the service has morphed slightly is more like a prayerful singing time than a structured service (which is completely fine). I am hearing that some would like to incorporate more prayers and some would like less verses in some of the many lengthy songs.

I am teaching them about head voice, chest voice, and different styles of singing (basically some of the the same lessons I am doing in the school classes.) The nursing group also doesn’t know how to read music, but I'm teaching them some basics so we will make some progress! 

I noticed right away on the first day here in chapel that they sing everything by rote and most of the English songs are from a pretty terrible book of texts called “Adore”.  I think they think that I know all 500 songs in there, but I don’t. I know very few “contemporary praise songs”. They may not change their whole way of singing, nor should they, while I’m here, but at least they will learn a bit about reading music and some new songs. I am thinking of how I can send them some newer hymnals and/or some more musical materials. My hope for the music instruction that I am giving is to present the tools to continued independent learning in music and maybe one or a few of them might choose to pick up an instrument one day. The hospital owns a keyboard in the library where we are holding chapel services (b/c of the rains and flooding in the actual chapel) and Dr. Anil Henry, the head of the Christian Hospital Mungeli, owns one which I took to the school. Dr. Henry sings very well! He also seems to really have a love for good music and music in any style done well. He listens to the singers at the chapel services and makes good comments when he gives his morning announcements. I like him because he has a vision for this hospital, vision for the nursing students (both to be good nurses and to be confident and independent women who know their options in jobs and in life), and he is a kind and gentle man with a twinkle in his eye that tells me he has a sense of humor and is very observant.

I love hearing the nurses and students singing in Hindi. I am in awe of the lengthy melodies and all of the ornamentation that I hear. The style of singing reminds me of what I heard in my many visits to Bulgaria and the throat singing styles which are loud and chesty. Many people say that it's "flat", but I have heard Bulgarian (and now Indian) choirs as well as many others, that sing perfectly in tune using the throat singing as long as each sectional part is in perfect unison. Sometimes, I hear microtones as well, adding to the already eastern tonalities. It really sounds cool! I have some video from a couple of the morning chapel services and when the internet is back in full force (or maybe when I get back home in August), I’ll post some videos of some cool Indian music sung by these lovely ladies.

Mungeli, India Mission Trip, Working at the Rambo Memorial School

Today, I attended the morning chapel at 7:30 and then the nurse’s rounds. After breakfast, I wandered around a bit and headed over to the Rambo MemorialSchool. There are 750 students at the school in grades 1-12 and it is an English Medium School. After meeting with principal Avanash, I went with him and Prashanta to a classroom where they had gathered two classes together or fourth and fifth graders. I taught them a song: “Jubilate Deo” (attr. Michael Praetorius), hoping to get to where we could do it in a canon and then began telling them about the differences between head voice and chest voice and what bel canto singing style is. I talked to them about the differences between some kinds of folk music and what classical styles of music included. Then, I started teaching them some basics about music and notes. I showed them various kinds of notes, the staff, and lines and spaces.

They were SO EXCITED! After this, we sang Jubilate Deoagain and I went on to another classroom with two classes combined. After the same lesson, I helped one of the teachers with some phonetics and followed that with another class period of combined classes and then another! Whew! It was super fun, but intense. I wanted to make sure that I was not going too quickly for them as I was teaching in English. There were several teachers there in each class in case anything needed to be explained in Hindi. I thought about it in the third and fourth classes and had them take a fun selfie with me! There is one above and here is the other! 

After 7:30 chapel, followed by morning rounds with the nurses and doctors, I will be teaching three classes per day at the school and then will have sometimes have free time in the afternoons. In the evenings, I will work with the nurses and nursing students. I hope to give them some “new” songs, teach them a bit about reading music so that they can have the tools to continue learning on their own if they wish, and to have them learn the differences between singing chest / throat singing and using the head voice more. This is a huge HUGE concept to practice. In the midst of all this, I want them to laugh and have some fun :-) They are fantastic students!!

The school itself is partially new and there are construction plans ongoing. As far as I know, they do not have any instruments including a drum or a keyboard. Music is not a normal part of the curriculum either and everything I am teaching them is brand new for them. During the year, I am planning to try and get some people together to send some instruments that they can use and some basic music instruction books. If you would like to help me, please let me know at choralmusicrules@hotmail.com

Mungeli, India Journal: Day 2

Today, I attended the morning chapel, currently being held in the hospital library because of the heavy rains. There was a fair amount of good singing going on and some prayers and then during one of the songs, a GIGANTIC clap of thunder sounded and the roof began to wobble down toward us and back. Then, I was told that it was a tin roof and that wasn’t thunder…..it was the giant monkeys jumping on the roof!!! These guys are rather large…

                   

At the end of chapel, we were introduced to everyone and then everyone dispersed. I attended the nurses’ rounds. Today was not a very busy morning so I went back to have some breakfast and afterwards Kahala showed me around the hospital.

We attended the doctors’ rounds and I got to see each patient in the men’s and women’s wards as well as a private room patient. There was an encephalitis patient, one with a back cast, one with splenomegaly as a secondary to what he came in for. I also saw two newborn babies in their incubators. They were in a quiet room by themselves. (Since Tuesday when this was written, there have been ten more babies born and two of them have died). The hospital does a ton of C sections here for two reasons: Malnourishment is high so bone structure demands C section and many women give at a birth very, VERY young age.

After these rounds and exploring the other hospital rooms, someone picked us up to go to the Rambo School. As I was walking across the schoolyard, tons of little kids came running up saying “hello, how are you” and extending their hands! SO CUTE!!! The older ones seemed more shy, but still said hello as I passed by.  I went in to meet with the principal, Avanash, for a while and we talked about what kinds of things the students knew and might not now about various subjects. After our chat, he took me around to each classroom and I got to meet each teacher and say hello to each class. As with my Bulgarian teaching experience, the students immediately stood up when they saw me and said “Goooood morning ma’am” They are being taught in both Hindi and English and the school has grown from 600 to about 750 students. Indeed, their classrooms are extremely packed and they not only need space, but better conditions in general. There is some construction going on at the school, but it is slow.

Tomorrow, I will begin teaching three or four classes (not sure yet) and then I may ride the school bus as it takes them home around various outlying villages. I’ve heard riding the bus is fun and I can see some of the countryside and smaller villages this way. I also met with someone who puts together the weekly Sunday evening service and I will be helping with that as well as meeting with the hospital nurses every evening for music (and English texts) time etc. So excited! Things are shaping up for me to do!

Mungeli is not as hot as Delhi, but it is hot. It’s also high monsoon season and rained almost all day today. I love it!! I tried walking to one part of the village to go to the market, but I was wearing sandals and they were slippery so I will try another day. I did manage to drop off some cloth I bought in Delhi to a woman living near the hospital who is a good seamstress and she will make me a sari “suit style” outfit from the material! To ask her to do this and another errand, we were invited into her house. It had a hardened mud/concrete mixed floor, partially no roofing, but the covered rooms have electricity, ceiling fans, cooking stuff etc. Items like toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrushes etc. were kept outside between roof tiles. 

looking out from someone's house into the road

Interesting to be in someone’s house. 

The internet has been out here for some time in the town so I am writing daily, but will post all at once when I get the chance! I’ve taken lots of good pictures, but many were from a moving car and not the best. I plan on taking some time for photography in between breaks and monsoon rains!

                   

Arrived in Mungeli, India

Today, I flew from Delhi to Raipur, India. Once there, a Christian Hospital Mungeliambulance picked me up along with Dr. Lisa and Shane Roberts from California. Shane is a nurse, technician, and loves photography like me and Lisa is a Social and Behavioral Sociologist at Loma Linda University doing research here on women who have had stillbirths, prevention, care and mental state afterwards. They are both fantastic!

The road from Raipur to Mungeli was INSANE and I am so indebted to the makers of Bonine motion sickness medicine! I don’t think I would have made it if it weren’t for that! Our driver, Arun is fabulous and carefully dodged people walking, carts, bicycles, motorcycles, cattle, water buffalo, and even monkeys (!!!) In addition, while I know firsthand that New Orleans roads and potholes are even worse than Charleston’s used to be and can truly swallow a car and several people….the road to Mungeli potholes can (and did) swallow whole trucks and take the rest of the road with it. There were a couple of times when I thought the ambulance jeep might fall over, but somehow it didn’t.

We stopped at a little roadside spot where there were a few shops and a line of people outside waiting to buy whatever was being cooked. Shane said it was probably samosas (? Triangle-shaped puffs with chic peas and potatoes inside), but instead, it was fvardas (sp?) which deceptively look like tasty oatmeal cookies and in reality were burning hot, spicy discs from the netherworld, full of chilis and onions and black magic. (Actually, I ate half of one and when the burning began to feel like I’d had three shots in a row of Romanian Tuica, I gave up, for the benefit of my esophagus.)

All along the way, I marveled at the green countryside, low, broken-down houses, rice fields, and the giant monkeys. About ¾ of the way there, the jeep broke down, but Arun and Shane fixed it. While they were fixing the car, I noticed the most intensely old and crumbly house a small distance away with two rather emaciated cows in the front. It looked like part of the brick abode didn’t have a roof. Then, I noticed a satellite dish. I started noticing them at many of the small, crumbling houses.

Once we arrived in Mungeli, we took out things into the guest house which is at the base of the hotel staff/doctor apartment. Every building around us looks awful and is in shambles. We met Kavita, our housekeeper and cook, who had a marvelous hot lunch for us. I remembered immediately after lunch to take my Doxycycline pill (to prevent Malaria). Then, we went to the hospital and met several people. Lisa showed me around a bit and then we met up with Shane at some chairs in an outside hallway. It was here that my body decided to reject the malaria pill and I started throwing up. Whee. First day and I am the one throwing up at a hospital. I went back to the guest house and luckily, it stopped pretty quickly. After a shower and some rest, I was ready to walk around in the evening and meet some more people as well as eat the chicken curry for dinner. I met Kahala Cannon as well. She is a dentist from Tennessee and had come last year, but decided to come back and stay for a year! I am really looking forward to tomorrow and meeting Dr. Henry as well as attending rounds, chapel, and classes!

TRIP TO MUNGELI, INDIA

I am thrilled to be going to India in July to volunteer with both the Christian Hospital Mungeli and the Rambo Memorial School! They also have a Nursing School. Right now, I am still working on the VISA application, but hopefully, everything will be fine about that. I've been on mission trips before - to Izvorsko, Bulgaria (as part of the before activities of a conducting workshop) and to Haiti (with The Red Thread Promise and St. Paul's Episcopal Church working with children from St. Vincent's Episcopal School and Orphanage). I will include some of the links to my blog posts from that trip at the bottom of this post in case anyone would like to read about that trip. I will also be blogging a LOT more about India and my activities before I go and once I am there.

One thing I love about any trip abroad is that I get to learn about a unique culture and explore a community different than my own. What I love about mission trips in particular are the opportunities to give back to the world community, the seeing the positive differences and effects you can have on those who really need it (including oneself), and breaking the barriers of language or station to do something that ultimately involves God's love, ministry, faith, work, and discovery.

How did this come about? Well, my friend Rev. Landa Simmons was my very first boss at Shiloh Christian Church in Lithonia. This was my first church job as music director instead of a singer or children's choir director. She is on the board of the Rambo School and was organizing a trip to make a fun camp for the school. She invited lots of folks and I happened to me one! I am so grateful for this connection and the opportunity! Now, if approved, I will be an official Global Ministries volunteer in addition to representing St. Paul's Episcopal! The work they do is simply AMAZING! Here is a link to their work in Mungeli: http://globalministries.org/sasia/projects/mungeli-hospital-1.html 

WHERE AM I GOING?
I will fly into Delhi and take a jet to Raipur. From there, the hospital will transport me to the village of Mungeli in the district of Chhattisgarh. I think will be there for three weeks.
Here is a great video from the hospital and school!

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?
I will be doing lot of things such as: teaching a music class, singing every day with small groups, art projects such a ZENtangle, talking about the Solar System as part of my NASA / JPL Solar System Ambassador program. I cannot wait to show them NASA's Eyes on the Solar System! I hope to help folks learn English as well. At the hospital, I hope to volunteer in any capacity needed. I just finished a CPE certificate course on Ministry to the Sick so I hope to actually be of use pastorally in some ways - even if language is a barrier, I feel that I can contribute in this ministry of presence and hopefully be of comfort to someone. It is very important to me.

HOW AM I DOING THIS?
I've been saving up my pennies and am being super frugal about things. I'm going in July because my UNO teaching is online this summer. I am hoping to raise a little money for housing this June.

AFTER THE TRIP?
I was very fortunate to be able to have several choral adjudication jobs this spring so I have saved every bit of that. I plan on going somewhere after my time in India and maybe even on a trek. I have some ideas as to where, but I'm not sure yet so I will save this portion for a surprise.

VIDEO LINKS
What We Do Here - from the Christian Hospital Mungeli
Documentary: The Story of India - a PBS series
Documentary: Welcome to India - BBC series in three parts, scroll down to see

LINKS to PREVIOUS HAITI MISSION TRIP
1. Mission to Haiti
2. St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped
3. Haiti: First Impressions
4. Day Two: Preparations
5. Day Three: Campers Arrive!
6. Day Four: Ocean Swimming and More
7. Haiti: Sunday and Monday
8. Final Days of Camp Jake

So, wish me luck in India! I will add new posts once I know more about what I will be doing and more details of my trip!

Sal (shorea robusta) - the state tree of Chhattisgarh (wiki commons image)

HAITI - Info and St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped & Orphaned

St. Vincent's is an Episcopal orphanage and home for the disabled and handicapped in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is both a residential and a day school with a good medical clinic. They host between 200 and 300 children and residents range in age from five to 61. It was founded in 1945 by the sisters of the order of St. Margaret, an Episcopal order. The school is now under the Episcopal diocese of Haiti. There are caregivers on site and food, medical needs, and living quarters are provided, but the center is greatly underfunded. While they receive visitors throughout the year and members are selected for Camp Jake (of The Red Thread Promise), it is all they can do to provide for basic needs. They have medical, educational, and prosthetic programs at the school. Father Sedoni is connected to St. Vincent's, though he has a church of his own where he is rector.
The Episcopal Church in Haiti is large and had a presence at the 2012 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Diocese of Haiti is the Anglican communion diocese which is actually the entire country of Haiti. Holy Trinity Cathedral, located in Port-au-Prince has been destroyed six times, including in the most recent earthquake of 2010.

The current Bishop is The Right Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin.
Episcopal Relief and Development Foundation has more information on programs in Haiti and around the world.

While visiting St. Vincent's as a Camp Jake counselor this July 2012, we spent some time with our amazing campers (who showed us around), took some photographs of the facility, and also heard a wonderful men's choir practicing. Here is a YouTube link to a video of a portion of their rehearsal.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhT1os3x1v8 


This is the men's dormitory room:

This is the women's dormitory room:

Main hallway

Lovely doing laundry for the girls while talking to Diumenne

Here is a classroom. Small, but clean and organized.:

Here is another classroom upstairs

There is a good medical clinic there with several rooms, including one with exercise machine.


All in all, St. Vincent's Episcopal School is a haven in a broken city. It gives hope and resources to so many along with education and care. If you are Haiti, make a plan to stop by this place and greet the residents here or in another school or orphanage. 


You can also find St. Vincent's on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/ecolestvincent.haiti 

Haiti: Final Days of Camp Jake

So, the final days of the camp were definitely the best days because the kids were opening up, getting to know us well and we, the counselors, were getting to know their likes and dislikes as well as develop both a routine of activities and continue new fun surprises for them. Wednesday and Thursday included The Lion King film in French which proved to be a big hit, a massive art project of painting the masks that Kelly Andrews had done of each camper, spa time with DeeDee, Shawn, Jake, Tom, Ana, Laura, Casey (and more?), some valuable pool & beach swimming time, super fun face painting (by counselors and also letting the kids paint our faces and arms!), and nail painting time.

The Spa time for our campers is such a neat idea. Aveda donated materials, chapstick, calming & energizing massage oils etc. to the camp. Each camper was brought in for some relaxing music, a foot massage, some massage therapy if needed with Jake, a facial, and a generally relazing and special time for all. Some of them were so relaxed that they cried and some actually fell asleep. It was a treat, something that they will remember for a long time. Each camper was taught that taking care of oneself is important, instructed on how to care for their skin, and given some Aveda lip balm to take home.

In the last couple of days, there were some awesome music times as well. Once, we were so hot from playing around the bar and pool area that we decided to take music down to the beach where we had gone the previous day. So, we lugged instruments, led our blind campers, wheeled chairs down there and set up in a circle. Not five minutes had passed before it started to sprinkle and then.........DELUGE! It POURED rain on us as we scrambled to make sure that each camper was not getting wet.....but they were getting wet as the circular veranda area didn't have that much cover to reach enough beyond the chairs. Laughing, we all got into the very center of the veranda and tried to sing ("Singin' in the Rain"). Then, what I can only assume was a microburst of rain literally fell out of the sky sideways and drenched us even more and began to pick up lounge chairs and toss them about. It made me think "I wonder if this is what a tornado feels like", Ha!
Here is a picture of us in the rain, singing....

I realize I've mostly written about daily camp activities and that's fine, but one thing that I also wanted to write about last week was the campers "coming alive"

One thing that struck me from the very beginning is that this Camp Jake experience is a hallmark of our young campers’ lives. They range in age from 5 to 61. About a third are blind, a third are deaf, and there are many in wheelchairs. There were initial big smiles as they descended from the buses, but it took a day or so to see some of them truly opening up and letting their personalities out. They were so much fun!! They are a vibrant and sparkling group. I have trouble with any country or government that feels anyone with any disability is a “waste of life” or "untouchable". Our campers were AMAZING. I loved to see how they help each other and look out for each other. I also loved seeing them become more open with us during the week, teasing us, or speaking out in group activities. I learned that the average life expectancy in Haiti is 56 so Jimmy, our blind 61-year old accordionist in the group is almost an anomaly. I'm not sure how a school can afford to keep everyone that comes their way, but I'm gratefuI the orphanage is there and didn't turn people like him away. I also found that many of those in Haiti who have any education at all only have up to about 5^thgrade. Many of the campers are super smart, but they lack the broad spectrum of educational challenges and opportunities to which they should be exposed. They shut down for many reasons. I imagine that they spend a lot of time to themselves or in small groups and this camp is the social lottery of a lifetime. I know there is a choir at their school and thank goodness because that will help those folks to gain a needed sense of community and interaction. St. Vincent's is lucky because they do have lots of visitors during the year and some folks to help them out. 

I noticed that my three blind girls, Jesula, Rosaline, and Rosana basically sat to themselves at first - until they were engaged by me or another camper or counselor. When they spoke, they spoke softly. It was through music that they usually became outgoing, especially when it reached a certain height and attracted them by including some choral music. They also opened up enough to try swimming even though they were very scared of it. I saw one of them go in the pool by herself on the final full day! Little Oxilus (left) engaged others in sign language, smiled, giggled, and acted like a normal five-year-old boy. This was incredible because the counselors who had seen him before said that he did not engage at all the last time they saw him.

I saw several other kids literally coming alive here when one of the counselors spoke to them or picked them up and swirled them into the air. Little Diyana in her wheelchair STOOD UP at one point during one of the crazy music jam sessions and she was wiggling a little dance. We all went nuts. Tonight, Sonya held little Auguste in her arms and he stood up out of his chair and smiled and just hugged her back super strongly and stroked her face and arms. What is his future? Who knows what this will be? It’s hard knowing that he may go back into his silent self when we leave. Some of the campers have been in the pool and ocean for the very first time, have painted for the first time, and have developed friends for the first time.  Some have had physical therapy that they've needed for ages and have been given tools and ideas to continue on their own. It’s weird to say you see any sort of progress in three days, but I think it is possible. Even some progress with us is heartwarming to see. As a result of their new experiences, I have been changed as well.

Haiti: Sunday/Monday

This post was intended for Sat and Sun but the Internet has been out since then b/c of lots of storms! It is, in fact, the raint season here! I must post it without pictures or video b/c it takes half an evening to email myself pictures etc. will update soon with both.

It’s POURING rain right now. Thank goodness! It is now at least 20-30 degrees cooler. I knew it was going to be a heavy and early rain this afternoon (instead of evening) due to the hotter than Hades temps during the first portion of the day. Sure enough, the clouds blew up in about 40 minutes from the Eastern mountains (singing hymn “From the Eastern Mtns”), met the warm sea air and 15 min from that the torrential rains began. It’s actually been raining for over an hour. It settled down a bit from the loud cracks of thunder, but has since picked back up with the rain. I LOVE these storms. Beautiful lightning over the sea and cool winds to make you sway into a rain-accompanied coma J I used to play in the pre-hurricane storms on Kiawah Island when we lived there and I don’t mind being drenched with sheets of rain here since I’m already drenched with sweat anyway. Since we are all on break, I thought I’d write about the adventures from yesterday and today.

Sunday, after our counselor meeting, downing some strong coffee, getting everyone ready, and breakfast, we had a service in the Salle Karay room at the resort.  Gregory, one of our translators was to preach and I was to lead the liturgical portion of the service and add some music. I knew my iBCP iPhone app would one day come in handy! Also, I’m glad I brought the Episcopal Hymnal, just in case. It was a short service, but many of the campers had been asking on Saturday and at breakfast on Sunday whether or not we were going to have church so we decided it would be appropriate. After all, they are from St. Vincent’s Episcopal School for the Handicapped and Orphaned and asking about services. Before the service, we did some music….jamming time. We started inthe lobby and paraded down towards a bungalow. Claves, the cajon drum, shaker eggs, boomwhackers, and some great singing. Mackenson, one of the caregivers, plays guitar and knows a wealth of songs. After I led them in Louez le Seigneur, he got them started on some Haitian praise songs and they went nuts with joy!

For the service, I opened with a welcome and prayer and then a morning collect. Then, I moved on to a song and asked Andrew to lead us in Amazing Grace with his guitar. Most of them knew the melody. It’si nteresting that if you don’t pause to give specific directions, they will start immediately with singing and later started right away with the Lord’s prayer. We had to remind them to wait a moment. Next, we said the creed responsively and with translation. I had selected various lines from the Prayers of the People Rite II and then made up several lines about being thankful for the beautiful sunshine, for friends, for this camp time together, for those who aren’t feeling well and for those who had gone on before.

[aside] Let me say a few words about folks not feeling well. We have several campers who have gotten upset stomachs because they simply are not used to eating from a buffet line and once they discovered how much they could have, decided to eat three plates of food before we could warn them to slow down! They are not used to plentiful plates and I guess they feel like they had better eat all they can. Their school takes good care of them, but by no means do they have the resources to provide anything near what this hotel can do, nor the extras like popcorn, so much fruit juice, or cookies. They’re kids though and I feel like they should enjoy these things while they can, within reason of not getting tummyaches.

Back to the service - To end my portion of the service, we said Lord’s prayer - everyone in their own language and we finished all together. Gregory, one of the counselors/translators, preached using some references from Genesis, Ephesians, and Romans. To sum up (and paraphrase) - He spoke of the Loas and God existing on the Earth together and then there could only be one with breath so along came Adam, made in God’s image. Even though he was in God’s image, all deformities, deafness, and weaknesses came from Adam and not from God. Then he spoke of how Jesus was sent. He spoke of believing in God and Jesus (but not the Trinity). He used several references and did a good job speaking. His words were translated into English by Jonas and into ASL by Laura who is one of the most excellent signers I’ve ever seen. She’s very facially animated, super friendly and fun.  After Gregory finished, I closed with “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God” #711 which they really liked because it’s easy and you can sing it in a canon. After the service, we had music time until it was film time.

For lunch on Sunday, the wonderful hotel staff arranged for our whole group to eat lunch on the beach under a GIANT tree. It was fabulous and I think the kids really liked it (except for the fire ants at the end –they were getting on the bread and anything that had fallen on the ground under the tables!)

Next, it was swim time and my girls did not want to go into the ocean so we all talked upstairs for a while. Hre is a picture of them in their FABULOUS t-shirts! :-)

After break time and dinner, the kids finished the movie and we all went to bed.

MONDAY

I woke up to the sound of footsteps outside the door. I raised the slats slightly and saw three men with machetes chopping tree branches and some weeds…seemingly at random. The area is quite overgrown so I wasn’t sure why they were diligently chopping in odd spots……They went away after a while. Today was long, but I thought it went well! After our sweltering breakfast, we broke into groups andmusic ended up on the beach until noon. It was about 16 campers with Andrew, me, and Casey. Here is a pic of Casey working with Diyana on how to hold and play a Cabasa.

After explaining to them in French that we were going to demonstrate things and take turns, Andrew began by showing them each instrument: cabasa, claves, triangle, etc. and how to play it in two ways. They did it and then passed each instrument to the next person. The structured time was mixed with free “jamming” time.  He did a fabulous job of it all and Casey helped pass the instruments out and engage each person.

After lunch, it POURED rain for a good long while. The internet went out and the water system backed up so several folks had brown or pink-ish water in sinks & showers. My girls made it to their room just in time for the downpour. Later, we watched a film: The Smurfs in French. It wasn’t the old animated smurfs I had seen before. The kids enjoyed it though and after this, I played checkers with JoJo, an amazing artist with no arms or legs. He beat me terribly and then we went to dinner. After dinner, it was music time. Casey and Andrew did another amazing job with everything. I got my three blind campers tosing their beautiful chorale and it was a hit. Here are a few links to short video examples of their singing that I uploaded to YouTube:

Jesula, Rosaline, and Rosana singing:

- http://youtu.be/41Fh-hLEAik

- http://youtu.be/G6r9ZXxiVc0

- http://youtu.be/g3IIyWJTmzY

It was hard to make everyone ready to listen to some slow, soft, a cappella choral music. Not only was it hard to quiet the other campers who didn’t understand what was happening, it was hard to get the three shy girls to sing when everyone seemed in such a hurry. Finally, they began and it was well worth the wait. It was this experience though, that solidified the fact that I am a fish completely out of water with most non-Classical, popular tunes. I barely know the words to tons of songs and even though I may love them, I seem to always need sheet music with me that also includes the words. I wish I had brought a book of praise songs because that is what this group of campers really sinks their teeth into. There was a time when I could not stomach the vast majority of 80’s praise songs. Now, I see their value and I like some of them. I know a few by heart (not many) and luckily, we are a great music team so my singing part is only a portion of things. We made music until about 10 p.m. and sang them to their door with a "Goodnight Song" that Casey made up. Everyone went to bed laughing!

Other news today: A new counselor joined us today. His name is Howard, aka "Panda" and he is a photographer for the Physicians for Peace organization and will be taking photographs of the camp this week. Another mission group (from Indianapolis) arrived today and will be staying here at the Kaliko Bay area. They are working on finishing touches to new buildings that their church helped build, including a hospital.

Another great day with some great people. J

Haiti: Day Four - Ocean Swimming & More!

Today, we got our campers up early and served them breakfast. Each counselor takes time with certain campers and then we all check and see what they need in terms of eating help, drinks, dessert etc. Most of the kids have their friend groups and tend to stick together. It s amazing to watch how some of them help each other and which kids act like parents to the others. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the first blog post, but they are all from St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children on the other side of Port au Prince and I think many of them are orphans - either by happenstance or by parental neglect. Next, we split up into groups. Some moved to the pool area where a group was beginning to play some music, my group went to the beach and batted around a GIGANTIC red ball. It’s huge and they all loved it. For the blind campers, it was fun to get into a circle and call each other’s name out so they’d have a head’s up for the big ball. Their smiles are priceless!

Then, some of us went to another area on the beach where there was a basketball court. Laura and Casey played basketball with a few children in wheelchairs while Jesula, Mackenson, Roseline and I sang songs with the guitar and Casey came to help play. They knew some Episcopal hymns and then we listened to them singing some Haitian praise songs and gospel. It was beautiful! One of the songs was “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” made into a gospel song. Next, a bunch of us ended up by the pool area and did music for two more hours. The cajon drum box got lots of play and there was an older gentleman with an accordion who has a great ear and would pick up anything Casey played on the guitar. There was some wonderful art going on upstairs, some folks were playing UNO and Dominos, and down at the beach a small group was chilling out by the sea. Since it was extremely hot and everyone became super exhausted after a while, we all went down to the water’s edge to sit under the shade of a tree. Very nice time together.

At lunch, Sonya went around to each table and gave an Episcopal blessing in sign language and speech. After lunch was a little down time and I actually slept for 30 minutes. Around 3:30, we got all of the campers out of their rooms again and down to the shore. It was time for swimming in the ocean. As for me, I used to live at the beach and had different years where I’d be all about ocean swimming and then some years were filled with stepping on horseshoe crabs, baby hammerhead sharks, and slimy things. (Once, I had gotten up enough courage to slip off the raft I was using and just before I did this, I noticed a GIANT jellyfish bobbling over towards me. Aaaaagh!) So, today I was a little afraid, but since I was leading two blind girls into the pool and everyone else was also getting in, I decided to suck it up and get in. I stayed in for about 25 minutes with them and we did have fun. Then, I saw a small white jellyfish and decided I was done. The girls wanted to sit in the surf and said they were ok so I checked around and then went up to the veranda area to guard stuff and keep an eye on the campers still on land.

It was fun to be in the ocean at first and it sure felt great in the heat, I admit, but I’m still a bit nervous about it. Oh well, I tried. I don’t know what exact temperatures we’ve had, but I can verify that it is officially close to 1,000 degrees in the shade.

(Jesula, Mackenson, and Roseline singing)

Tonight, I tried conch for dinner....sort of sauteed. It tasted like chicken with a slight aftertaste of some kind of Asian sauce.



After dinner, we gathered the campers around the pool area and did some great music for an hour and a half! Got them all to their rooms and then I was happy to be able to swim under the stars for a little bit. My back is hurting so it helped a bit. Another great day with great people. J



Haiti Day Three - Campers Arrive!!!

Today has been an extremely exciting and rewarding day, right from the beginning! We got up and met at breakfast around 8 a.m. Then, we made lunch for the campers and made sure that their new surprise bookbags were filled and ready. Extra Swim suits and other items were located in case any of the campers didn’t have one. Then, we waited. No one was sure exactly when they would arrive until we learned when they had left St. Vincent’s. I heard a bus!!!! Here it came, down the rocky hill and into the hotel area. The first bus had the wheelchair-bound campers. We formed a little music group and welcomed each student as they got off the bus. As they were being lowered down the ramp, I wish you could have seen the smiles on their faces!! It was worth this entire trip. They recognized familiar counselors and were SO HAPPY to see all of us. The joy was incredible. I found myself shedding plentiful tears and was super glad for my sunglasses to hide it among the giant river of sweat coming down my brow. These young people are beautiful and charming. This is a bright spot in their life, this camp. What an absolute honor to be able to be a part of something that will honor them and let them know they are loved and perhaps end up changing their lives. To be treated like a normal person in a normal place with loads of fun and lots of love – this is what it should be all of the time. More tears. Then, I realized I wasn’t the only one and that everyone was moved. It was an amazing moment.

After getting the campers off both buses, we all went into the “Oval Office” – a main organizing room that was rented for the week. Once we got everyone inside, Tom talked about plans for the day and week. Then each counselor introduced themselves and told where they were from.  After lots of clapping, it was time to eat lunch so we went down by the pool and shared a meal together. Many were able to eat lunch without help, but some needed the counselors to help a bit.

After lunch, it was time to get baggage to each room and get them settled in. In my charge are three lovely blind girls named Roseline, Rosana, and Jesula. They speak Créole, understand about 75% of my French, and Jesula knows some English. I have to say that finding their bags was a challenge, as they weren’t marked on the outside. Each girl had a piece of cloth in the back zippered pocket and they recognized their bags that way. Then, leading them carefully among the sloped walkway, while pulling their luggage was a challenge – as were navigating the stairs, BUT I did it and was also able to help pull a wheelchair (with camper in it) upstairs.  We were given time to orient them to the room, explain that we would all be going swimming soon and then go change ourselves. Doing this, we led them down to the resort pool and explained pool rules. Then, everyone went swimming and when I say they enjoyed it, that would be a severe understatement. Some of them were afraid of the water at first.....but I think if I did not have any arms or could not use my body to walk or stand, I would also be afraid. After a few minutes and some pool toys - along with each counselor helping to hold them afloat, they were enjoying themselves.

After some down time, we met for dinner. Then, Andrew and Casey started some music time with a fantastic box called a cajon and a guitar. Tom brought a giant bag of percussion instruments which were passed out so everyone could play.The whole group sang and danced. Then, we moved the music out by the pool and sang until the lightning got too close for comfort. We just barely beat the rain and moved upstairs to our main meeting room where we did music for another two hours or so. I taught them three easy songs and they sang beautifully! Being an Episcopal school, I brought a hymnal 1980 which I'll pull out later in the week. I started with "Father We Adore Thee" which they already knew, moved to Louez le Seigneur, a Cameroon processional which they loved and harmonized to. Then, we sang Siyahamba, a easy South African song. They are excellent at Call & Response and harmonize well. Casey did a rhythm game with them, Gregory sang some popular songs they knew, and Andrew used the cajon to get them energized and involve them in rhythm. After we walked them to their rooms, we had a staff meeting and went over some ideas fro tomorrow. The group is such a nice one and we all have been able to share ideas, to joke around, to laugh, to get hard things done, etc. so far. Looking forward to the rest of the week!

Haiti: Day Two - Preparations

Today began around 8 a.m. for me….some others got up earlier to eat breakfast, but as I’m not much of a morning person, I opted for the extra hour of sleep JAt our first meeting today, we began immediately to organize supplies, snacks, toys, school items, clothing, medical, and spa items for the kids who will be our campers. I was awestruck by the quantity of what people were able to bring: whole suitcases of shoes & socks, art supplies, musical instruments so each camper can participate, balloons, toys, tons of kinds of snacks, materials for the spa day they will experience, and much more. Many items were donated by people or organizations, but many were brought by the Red Thread Promise counselors.

After a break, we went back into the meeting room and learned how to operate the walkie/talkie units – that was fun….lots of interesting code names have sprung up during the day. Then, Matt read us the names of the campers to which we will be assigned. It was amazing to hear past counselors talk about each camper, sharing things such as: how to pronounce their name, age, their abilities, habits, funny stories, games they liked, and more. It was heartwarming and you can really tell that they care about these kids very much. It was evident that true relationships had been formed - tears were shed when talking about their young friends. We are here to make a difference and to establish trust and love and to show them that we aren't just coming to drop off supplies and then walk away. We all can’t wait until they get here tomorrow and to play with them!!!

Then we went around the resort facility to see where wheelchair accessibility is, talked about pool safety, beach safety, and who to call for various needs. Some of the campers will have caregivers with them from St. Vincent’s, as they are wheelchair bound, have prosthetic limbs, have issues eating and/or wear undergarments that may need changing. Almost all of them will have some hearing deficit and many are blind. So, I am planning music activities accordingly. In one of the meetings, we talked about art and the projects that art therapist Kelly will do. Then, we moved on to music and I gave various ideas. Andrew is the main music counselor and Casey (athletics) will help us – he even brought his guitar. We will use Boomwhackers, all sorts of percussion instruments, and I brought a boombox (to leave with them) and about 30 CDs of all sorts. I know that we will treat the campers to a relaxing spa treament day at the end of next week. I think it was also decided that we will offer a giant dance night at the end of the camp! Fun!

I helped make nametags with Kelly during the afternoon and right now, we are on free time til dinner. After dinner, we will have one more meeting. The kids show up tomorrow at 9 a.m. and it will be a joyful chaos while we get them settled in. I’m told our hours will be about 7 a.m. til 11 p.m. “on” so that we’d better take advantage of today so I am blogging now (to post after dinner), then going to go swimming, sit in the shade of a tree down on the beach, and maybe read a little bit. I am definitely in withdrawal from following and contributing to the Episcopal Church’s General Convention, but every now and then when I can check the internets, it makes me feel good and connected to do so.

Here is last night's sunset, post-storm. Man, Oh man! It POURED tonight as well. The internet was out for a portion of today and I never got in the water after all. No worries, we're all in the open-air lobby area listening to Casey and Andrew play guitar and sing. It's nice and everybody's relaxed.