Joys of 6/8

JOYS OF 6/8

1. TIE DYE At Camp!
2. My PCV being there to help with Tie Dye!
3. The Sun Shining and Drying the Shirts ASAP!
4. All the Students being able to Enjoy the Rice Krispy Treat
5. A Free Ride Down!
6. One of the little boys almost losing it as I was tinkling him to death
7. Watching a little Home Alone Two
8. The AMAZING, SAVE THE DAY, ENJOY THE MOMENT Tutors I have for Camp!

The Happenings of Camp!

As most of you know- I just completed the first week of camp with about 13 other AMAZING volunteer tutors that are either going to the State College, have just graduated from Secondary School (High School)or are finishing up Secondary School. We were hoping for 45 students ranging from the age of 5-13 but there is about 70 students and I had to turn down about 20 parents/guardians due to the lack of space and funding. Picture style I will give you the story of the week.


-We made Frames out of what we found in the Gardens-


-We Did a Scavenger Hunt and Trivia Hunt Through the Gardens-


-We Read Poems to Eachother-


-We Colored Outside with Students from England-


-We Ran Around the Gardens-


-We Tie Dyed Shirts-

Joys of 6/7

1. Seeing the Faces of Students that have never made Rice Krispy Treats Before!
2. The Child that did NOT have ANY FUN on Monday had Fun Today!
3. Seeing my Island Mom, when I needed a hug the most!
4. More time in the Gardens!
5. PLAYING VOLLEYBALL!!!
6. Sleep- Over with one of my Peace Corps!
7. My PCV being at Camp and saving the day!

Joys of 6/6

The Joys are a week late but I have had a busy but FANTASTIC week! Pictures will follow soon (not sure when)

Joys 6/6 (Monday)
1. First Day of Camp!
2. Having MORE Children then we EXPECTED!
3. Running Around the Gardens ALL DAY!!
4. The Simply everyday Joys of being at CAMP!

Distraction...

...or the power of GREAT company!

We can just say there is never a dull moment in my life without a little disaster here or there. Today is no different.

I was preparing a pizza to take with me to the River and was boiling a hot dog to put on the pizza. I thought I heard my Landlord ask me something- we both tend to yell from outside to each other homes. So I went outside to Check if she was speaking to me, she was not but as I went outside I saw one of my dear friends from the Village. (Remember about the Hot Dog). It was his birthday yesterday, again yelling from my house to him on the road (about 75 yards). He comes up to Chat. We are sitting outside on the bench just enjoying each other company chatting about life. It is about 30 minutes that has passed, he makes numerous comments about how he needs to go and make some lunch. I tell him go make some food and I get up to go to my house.

There is a funny smell coming from the Stove. The beautiful light blub of “You have forgotten something” is shinning brighter then the Sun. Needless to say, the hot dog was FRIED, the water GONE, the sauce pan is RUINED, and my house was foggy and smelling for a few house! Was it worth- YEA!

Life....

… Explained by the hike I took

There is no concrete start or finish. We walk through it not always knowing the where we are going, how we are going to get there, or even if we are going to get there. At moments, we stop to look at the view, take some visual pictures, and have a snack. As we continue through life, we may get stuck and have a kind voice inquire if we are OK and take the load off our backs. Still blinding walking through life we get by with a little help from our friends, a hand to hold through a struggle and a conversation to share. It rains at times as well as the sun is shining bright. There is always some cool and refreshing event to enjoy. At end of the end of it all, we have laughed until we cry, get a little confused, learn something fun, we make a fifteen mess, enjoy each others company, and finished it all off with a KFC Mug Full of Cocoa Tea....

My Sweet Mema

There is this sweet lady, that I am going to call Mema. Mema is somewhere in her early 80s. She is not sure what month or date she is born but she knows she was born in 1906. I met my Mema at Church one lovely Sunday. She is a beautiful lady that walks with a stick and lives off the kind souls of random individuals, a small amount from the government, and the faith she has in God who will supply all needs to her. She lives in a small one room house, that is lite by candle light, no fridge, a small table top stove, two “bag” chairs as furniture, and a beautiful alter she prays at.

I went and saw her the other day and she simply brightens my day. She always grabs my hand and places it to her cheek. She was in high spirits when I saw her, he face light up as I walked up to her home. As she invited me in to her home, she said “I have been praying for you, your mom, your dad, and your whole family.” Before I am sitting she offers me Coffee as she always does, but I kindly declined, as I always do. I have a seat and we start chatting. I could spend all day with her, simply chatting about topics of nothing to important but the moments shared are greater then any topic of conversation. She tells me because I work for the government, I need to call them and tell them about Ms. Mema and when I tell them about her they will listen. I try to calming and patiently tell her just because I work for the government does not mean I have any connections that may help her. Instead, I humor the idea for her.

She does not have much if anything but she as this strong powerful faith in God and how he will provide every need she has. Her trust in God is amazing to witness, she is not looking for much, just some company. To hear from a women that has nothing to say “God is Good” makes you believe again. It makes an individual want to have faith that happiness does not just come from what money can buy but happiness comes from that 'something' an individual believes in.