More 4-H

This Art Project is all about the Shack Shacks! They are musically shakers made out of paper mache! A great and easy craft for the students!!

Volleyball!

I had a volleyball game this week and my nearest and dearest Alicia came to watch and she took some pictures!

4-H

At my Primary School, I am part of the 4-H program. We are having a big festival at the beginning of June. I am in charge of the Arts and Crafts projects. This week we decided to make natural frames. They turned out GREAT and will be on display during the festival. Enjoy the pictures of the students works of art!

Full Circle!

I was struggling trying to find the perfect, intriguing, delightful title and I just cannot think of one! It is more about the story and not the title, this story warms my heart more then another story I have written about. This caused tears of Joy and a panic to make a phone call in the middle of a conversation. Before I tell you what happened tonight, I must give you a little back story!

I met this 14 year old girl about 6 months ago, in a place where no 14 year old should be. Looking at her I saw her innocents but also her strength and adulthood she had gain through the situation she had been living. In my eyes, she was still a child, should be a school and hanging out with her girls. But instead, she was dealing with consequences, about to delivery a baby in a few months and about to enter motherhood before she finished secondary school.

The next time I saw this lovely lady, we randomly meet on a bench by my favorite Juice Man, a bench I pass 4-5 times a week but forever I will look at the bunch differently. I was going to a meeting but was already late so I decided to have a seat and chat with this young lady.

We were talking about schooling and her baby boy. I asked how he was, who was taking care of him, etc. She said an Aunt, but welfare would be taking him soon because herself or her Aunt could not provide. Then she looks at me, pure and honest, ask “Do you have any children?” I told her no, but of course I told her about Austin, my nephew. Then she looks again at me, with that same face of honesty and desperateness, she ask, “Do you want one?” I told her how it is neither the right time nor the place for me to have a child. That day I went on my way, hoping and praying that her and her child were safe.

Then, maybe a month after that, I see her once again. She is looking good and happy. I ask her about her son, she says he being fostered by a family but does not know any details. She said how she is signing up for alterative school next school (once a girl gets pregnant it is very hard for her to go back to normal secondary school even after the baby is born). She seemed to be doing well!

A respected individual of my village was just recently speaking of his child, I did not realize he had a child. I was very confused by the whole situation. This individual is just recently married and his wife is lovely.

Tonight I was asking about his wife because I did not see her and I had something for her. As I was asking, a friend of mine mentioned, she must be home with the baby. That opened the opportunity for me to ask questions about the mystery baby. With a little digging, I found out they are fostering a baby boy, from a young mother, from a village close to town. I asked a few morning questions and the light bulb was bright and shining as I ran to make a phone call to my bestest in the PC.

Yes, Ladies and Gentleman, the little baby boy, this respected family has, is the son of the woman I met about 6 months ago and wanted to make sure her son got to a safe home until she could care for him herself. Tears of joys were basically running down my race, as I was worried this baby boy would just be another baby in the welfare department but he is not. He is part of a loving and nurturing family, he will be well taken cared of, living in a house filled with laughter and joy.

It all came full circle. This young lady, who so honestly asked me to care for her children, can now rest at night knowing her baby boy is the best hands possible!

Mom Hugs!

Mom Hugs!

As many of you know… I love to HUG and I miss hugs from my mother! Click HERE if you have forgotten about the post all about me missing hugs!

Last week I was very fortunate to have two Mom hugs and really good Man Hugs! They do not compare to my own mother’s hugs but they will have to do until I see my mother again!

A PCV is celebrating her Birthday at the end of May, her Mother came down to Dominica to celebrate it with her! We had an amazing dinner together at an extremely relaxing and peaceful hotel that is set in the middle of the jungle where you can hear every sound from nature and see every star in the sky. Naturally, when I saw her Mother, I simply embraced her as she embraced me as well! It warmed my heart!

A friend of mine who I graduated from my undergrad with, came to Dominica to visit with her Mother. She did not come to visit me, they decided to come to Dominica before she even realized I was coming! But, I was pleased to be able to spend some time with her and her mother! Again, I got another fantastic Mother hug!

Now, the Man Hug! Many of you may be wondering about this one! The only male in our group happens to be from Michigan as well, he gives great hugs! He is such a trooper with me and realizes how much I love/miss hugs so he always embraces me when I see him. He went home for about 10 days and I happen to run into him in town and… Waa-La a Man Hug!

An E-Mail!

- My Coach is a HUGE OSU Fan and I saw this chicken at the Grocery Store and had to take a picture to show her!-

I sent the below e-mail to my University Volleyball Coach. I was reading and reflecting over it this afternoon and felt the urge to share it with you all. I try to keep my Blog joyful and happy. Fill it with amazing pictures of students, nature, and the projects I do. That is only one piece of my story. This letter reflects another piece of my story!

Her question was: Are you happy with the Peace Corps and the opportunities you have been given to help other individuals?

"As you can image the what seemed like a simple question is extremely loaded. If you were not someone I respected and cared for, I would simply say “I love Dominica, most days!” But there is more of a story behind it. I am will try to stay focused, answer your questions and not go on too big of a tangent.

I knew at the time of the decision, I needed a changed, I needed to be challenged and I needed a change of pace. I sure got that. Being in the Eastern Caribbean is very unique because you can be very connected to the world of the USA (with internet, TV, skype, etc) but then there are moments that you think to yourself this is NOTHING like the United States of America. I rely on other people for transportation (I take the bus everywhere, I am not allowed to drive, and most places you cannot walk to), it is like living in a small town which is something I am not use to (everyone knows what I am doing, I gain a pound and it is topic of conversation), and everything and anything takes about 10 times longer then it should. Activates get canceled, meetings I am suppose to attend get canceled without anyone telling me, and that is just life. There is no consequences for negative or positive actions.

Through this journey I have grown as a person, I take things say with a grain of salt if it is negative. I have become more confident and learned a whole new set of patience. Beth, I thought I had patience until I came here and man was I wrong. Because of this adventure I have done activities that I would of NEVER done, scuba diving, sitting on a bench for hours chatting with an older man as he tells me his whole life story, living by myself, be OK with eating by myself, not being in control of every moment (or ANY) moment of an activity, work with individuals with a different work ethic as myself, and truly understand the meaning of “It will all work at,” in this magically and silent way activities get accomplished here.

I have come to the conclusion there will be no structure, no painting, no long staying project that years from now people will say, “Michelle did that.” What I can do, what I have control over is, I can fill these children days with MORE positive attention, hugs, and creative projects then they have seen in their short years of life. I can treat people with respect and kindness, I can leave lasting imprints on individuals hearts, young and old. The individuals of my village and the areas I work with will leave those same imprints on my heart. I will carry with me hilarious stories of randomness, moments of sadness we have shared together, and moments of success. I have learned that life is about the small events in ones life, it is not always about the big picture. It is one of the little one running down the street to greet me with a hug, when one of my students proudly holds out his/her collar for me to put a sticker on it for a job well done, or a student coming to me asking me to read them a story and before I know it the whole class is around me trying to hear.

Yes, I am happy with what I am doing, I am glad I made this leap of faith! It has given me the travel bug and I am ready to explore."

Happy Mother's Day!!

I can say this honestly and proudly! I am where I am today because of the women in my life. I only have one biological amazing mother in my life but I have hundreds of strong women that has given me the strength and the support to follow my dreams today. I am where I am today, yes because of my own choices but also because I grew up, idealizing my sister who was a 'If a Man can do I can do' kind of lady. She was (and still is) reaching for every last goal, achieving new greatest, and having endless successes!

My mother raised me to follow my heart and anything is possible. To do what I loved and put love into everything I do. She so patiently (and still does) deal with my anxiety about life, tells me how "It will ALL be OK" and offers me unconditional love and support. My mother is the most selfless individual I know. She is always putting others before herself. I know how hard this journey I am is for my mother, and how it must break her heart when she has to go shopping by herself, watch other Mothers and Daughters eat at restaurants we use to or when she has to giggle a lone. But because she loves me so, she has left me go knowing I will come back, knowing I am not that far, and knowing I am doing what makes me happy!


To ALL the women in my life that have left imprints on my heart, I say to you Thank You! Today is your day, enjoy yourself and do what makes you happy!

Joys!

I have done Joys in a very long time but I want to share my day with writing a whole long story. Enjoy the Joys!

1. Sitting next to a four year on the bus, that would not talk to me a few months ago and he looks at me and says, ‘I like you!’ Then he carried on to tell me about his dinosaur and dragon he owns.
2. Two Modge Podge Projects
3. Mornings filled with coffee drinking and book reading (still with out being late)
4. Eating homemade pancakes under a candle light
5. The students went to Sports early (they were playing volleyball), so it was just me to read to the students. I brought the little ones down, got them sitting and their big browns eyes were looking right into mine. The excite and joy on their face lite my face.
6. Teaching the students ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ and seeing the students do their hand moments
7. The usually very emotionless student laughing until he fell to the floor laughing as I was tickling him

Pen Pal Program

My Aunt and I are doing a mini pen pal program with my Grade 6 class and her granddaughter’s confirmation class. It is an great experience for both classes, they are able to have a better understanding of a different life style. They have exchanged one letter thus far and I am about send the second letter to the confirmation class. I am hoping they will be able to continue the pen pal program once school is completed and the confirmation class has ended!



Here are some pictures of the students reading their letters and then writing back!

Reading Program!

As you all I know I just simply love my reading program. I wished I could do it every day but instead I just do it once a week. Each week it is just amazing to how much the Grade 5 students are learning how to ‘Tell” the story rather then just reading the story to the Pre-K students.



Enjoy the pictures. Sometimes pictures are so much better then words!

Post Secret!

This is not my Post Secret but was on the website for the week! It screamed my name and a lot of other PCVs may experience the same feeling!

Volleyball!

I am proud to announce that in the first round of my Volleyball League, the Acers (the team I set for), finished 5-3. We lost to a team who is undefeated and also last years champs. The other team we lost to, well we just did not play well!



Our last game was last week, where we played in Marigot. Marigot is where the International Airport is and about one and half hours away from my my house. To say the least, I was feeling a little car sick by the end of the trip. When I got home I went right to bathe then bed! On a positive note, We won the game against the Acers and most of the girls got to play so that was good!



I am not sure when Round 2 begins. We will play each team once more and then the top four teams will go on to Semi-Finals! I am getting excited!

I just found this website about the league so you can check it out, read some stories, and look at some pictures!

http://www.dominicavolleyball.com/