And Spaghetti for Breakfast

It's hard to believe that I have only been here in Jacmel for 4 days. Already I have done so much and experienced so many things I never imagined and made so many new friends (not that I can remember all of their names yet, but I'm working on it!).

I have two friends in particular that I am especially grateful for, Mesye Patrick and Mesye PP (Pierre-Paul). They are both teachers at the school for the deaf as well as youth pastor-type figures at the local Protestant church. They know everyone in town and have taken me under their wing to show me around. They live nearby and walk me to and from places, and they are always making sure I am safe. I especially appreciate this since last night I found myself in the middle of a few thousand people marching down the streets of Jacmel singing praises to God and
carrying signs to further praise the one who kept them alive this time last year and ever since.

It was the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti yesterday and everything shut down like a Sunday so that people could go to church or remember in their own way. I chose to go to church and I learned why the sign for Protestant in ASL is fists waving above your head. The place was packed with people dancing and singing and swaying and shouting and kneeling and weeping and going absolutely crazy with gratitude and adoration. One of my favorite songs was I Know My Redeemer Lives - mainly because they sang the chorus in English a few times!

After church in the morning, I took a nap to let the incredible humility and gratitude of the morning sink and settle in my brain, I am learning so much here.

In the afternoon I met up with every Christian in Jacmel and together we walked the entire length of the city, singing and dancing and shouting praises to God again. It was incredible. Hours and miles later, we stood in the downtown square/big intersection and waited for the truck which had been carrying the band to unload piece by piece the whole setup and bucket-brigade it through the crowd onto the less mobile stage for the actual message part of the "croisade." Unfortunately, by this point, I was completely exhausted and thinking that I ought to get home in case Marika was waiting up for me, since we usually went to bed around this time (9). So I asked Patrick when it would end, "in two more songs we are going to start." Oh. I said I should leave soon, "no problem" he said and went back to singing. Then I repeated myself a little later, and he said "whenever you say" after this song? "sure." Then the song merged into the next one and he started singing, but then looked at me and I nodded so we took off through the crowd! It was amazing how fast we threaded through this crowd of people and I was about to feel relieved when I saw that now he was talking to his friend Bebe, the Motorcycle taxi driver. Oh dear.

I had heard stories of moto accidents and had already figured out how to say "oh no thank you, i really can't, you see, i promised my mother I wouldn't do anything stupid.." and then here I was sitting on the back of Bebe's motorcycle, cruising through the streets of Jacmel, and trying not to get dust in my eyes but still be able to see in order to brace myself for the inevitable death.
Glory to God I made it home in one piece! Marika was not worried at all, but rather spending the 12th in a different Haitian style, with friends and some good Haitian rum. I showered, drank about a gallon of water and passed out. And this morning, spaghetti for breakfast.

I love Haiti.