Sports and English/French Lessons

(The picture is cropped, because I cannot show the children who are in the process of being adopted)

So lately, my daily routine has been something like this:

7:30am Wake-up
8:00am Breakfast
8:30am Start working in the Social Services office
1:30pm Lunch
2:00pm Back to work
5:00pm Off work, getting ready for sports/exercises
5:15pm Start doing exercises and running in the yard with the children
6:30pm Shower
6:45pm Dinner
7:00pm English/French lessons with the adolescents
8:00pm Everyone returns to their rooms for free-time.
10:30pm Bedtime

There are some variations here and there, but my everyday activities have been pretty much in this order. I have started to work out and run in the lawn area outside. I do about 25 laps after work everyday and it helps me to relax and de-stress. The children are always very curious as to what I am doing. They are always there to do warm-up activities with me, such as jumping jack, set-ups, and stretching. Most of the toddlers and older children run with me for the first 5 laps, but then they get tired and go do something else. As I keep running, there will be toddlers coming in and out to run with me half way here and there. It is quite cute. There are also whole bunch of chickens that run in and out on the lawn, as well. And there is a really pretty horse that is chained to a tree next to the lawn area and he always walks over to me whenever I get close to him. It is an awesome environment and it keeps me going. The lawn is pretty big, like the length of a small soccer field. I can get a pretty good run in 25 laps. Most of the adolescents will ride their bikes next to me and tell me to go faster. It keeps my motivation going. It is quite hot though, so I am pretty sure I am running a lot slower than what I am use to, but the sweat isn't any less, but much more!!!



Yesterday after my work out, I invited everyone to come eat watermelon. Stephanie had bought a watermelon for me and it was a perfect day to eat it! So everyone watched me cut the watermelon. It was huge and my face was intense!!! (Can't you tell from the picture???) We divided evenly the watermelon. Usually in Haiti they cut it into small chucks and eat it with a fork, but I told them that you can also eat the watermelons in slices. So I cut it into 13 slices and distributed among everyone! It was soooooo good after working out in the hot sun! It was exactly what I needed!

I have been helping the adolescents with their English and French work books. We sit down every night and go through a lesson with everyone. One of the older boys have been really motivated in skipping to a higher grade, so I told him that if he works hard everyday, he will be able to be closer to his goal. So he has been working hard. Doing a lesson with me each day. He does the workbooks during the day and I go over it with him at nighttime. Correcting his mistakes and letting him know the reasoning behind each response. He is doing great and improving really fast!!! I am very proud of him!

Two older girls have moved into the wing and it is starting to feel like a big family! We all eat together and we chat about life. They all think I am a very interesting person and that I eat weird combination of foods! Haha, it is quite funny the faces I get every time I make something in the kitchen! It is a learning process for them and I am happy that I can be here to help them along this interesting road of life! Super blessed!!!