Reporting Live From Jacmel, Haiti! (or Deaf for Today)

Grab a cup of coffe..this is a long one. (and the spell check is not working..so..you will reading my honest I can't spell verson.

Wow! Has it only been two days since I left Manteo? In this time warp where everything is so new and so familar at the same time. JFK and the frustrations lie somewhere back in time and I have stepped thru the wardrobe into Narnia. Time at home (now where is that again??) has stayed the same. On this side of the wood it is all so strange and yet so wonderful!
I was met at the airport by Nixon. He "tipped" all the right people and got me in and out without any fuss. The excitement erupted as I stepped on the bus to chants of "NANA!, NANA! NANA! Nick brought all six of the children to meet me.It was AWESOME! The ride over the mountains was not to bad if I didn't look out the winow. But you can't help but look out the window because of the incredible beauty, and the incredible poverty. The winding mountains ride got even a little worse when the storm came and decreased vibability to say NOTHING! Everone slept but Nia and I ( and the driver thankfully) we had a lot to catch up on. Nia is a read dear child.
I brought gifts for the children (of course I did, I'm their grandmother!)I gave dolls to Fritzie, Wildane and Princess (that's not her name but I can't remember how to spell it and princess is my assocation word :)It was maybe the most satsifying gift givig I have ever done.Their reactions where so sweet and they have played with and cuddled their new dolls all last night and all day today.
We had campout last night and I slept in the living room with the entire Mangine family!And sleep I did. Out like a light in minutes, no...seconds.
This AM was Sunday and church. Gwenn stayed home because she has been sick. Josiah stayed home with her. Nick had to teach children's church so he and Nico went there. Nia pleaded to come with me to church so Nick let her :) I wasn't the only 'blanc' person there. I saw one other. As I entered the room there was the strong, yet not offensive smell of sweat. (The temperture was in the high 80's a far cry from the 100+ temp that I had seen predicted)Still with no AC and hundrends of people in a small church and lots of dancing and clapping..well you sweat. A nice, honest type of thing. If that is weird to you it is because you have maybe not been here.
I loved that the deaf kids who I met in the Spring all smiled and waved when then saw me. My friend Marie-Denise was quick to welcome me back with a big hug. Nia and I sat close to the front and watched the deaf as they signed the worship songs but I could not see the inturperter. When she stopped to allow a young woman to sign a song I caught her eye and signed to her "May I come over there so that I can watch you sign?" With a big smile she waved me over and Nia and I crossed the front of the church and sat slap in the middle of the deaf kids! I loved that I knew what was going on and was able to follow most everything in the service.I understood for the first time why sometimes deaf people tune out and get distraced. It is hard work,at least for me, to watch an inturperter for 2-3 hours! So here is this 'blanc' grandmother with her grandaughter in the middle of the deaf section in the front of the church. SO..someone sent for Leann so she could introduce me to the church. When church was over my deaf friends lingered for a LONG time. Most of them have aged out of the deaf school which is very sad. We spoke of God raising up one of them to be a leader and maybe even a deaf pastor. I have so many things I want to get some of my friends in the states to help me help these kids!Tomorrow I will visti the deaf school to meet some more of the students and speak with Jean-Claude the teacher.
The baach was wonderful and warm. Not quite so blue today as it was churnned up but beautiful none the less. The beach is still very littered.
I have so much more to say but it is late....so I will close and listen to the fan, the distant drums and the lonesome treefrog.