Frozen Fingers Make Good Writers

What's cold, smiles and fills out a ton of applications?

A young "ex-pat" who has recently re-entered her country and is looking for a job.

She learned a few lessons today:

One of the applications filled today.

- It's the year 2012 and 89% of all applications should be done online. (I found this out after walking 25 minutes, in the cold, to the shopping center at which I was planning on applying, at least I got in some exercise). 


- I need to be over 18 to work at a warehouse. (I guess putting teens and saws in the same building is dangerous??) 


- After just one day of job hunting. I found some promising places. (Thus, I'm not understanding the whole "I can't get a job" thing that I've heard some say.) 

It's a matter of determination and self motivation. I'm not an expert in job hunting or anything, but it's easy to find an excuse for something that just takes some effort to get done. If you go our there, in the ice, with a grin on your face and fill out some papers you may end up with some money in your pocket later on.

My Toilet Paper is a Blanket

After dismounting the plane from Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Newark, New Jersey:

I’m standing in line to go to the immigration desk I see a lady directing people to their corresponding line.  My first thought: “She looks like a clown”, with her heavy eye makeup and 5-tones-too-dark lipstick. As I looked at her I saw that she had both fake eyelashes and fake hair. This is America? No. America can’t be summed up in one artificial woman.

Fast forward a few more hours. I’m sitting at the toilet. My arm reaches for the toilet paper; I grab a hold of it, “Gosh! I’m about to wipe with a blanket!” The toilet paper was so thick, full and plush I didn’t know what to do. I rerolled it and ripped off two dainty squares, one. by. one.  

Looks like I’ve come to a land where we have more than enough…and maybe, sometimes, too much; too much makeup, too much synthetic stuff and even too much toilet paper. 

"Out of the Same Cup"

We had just finished talking to the staff about our moving back to the United States. We talked rules, expectations, and guidelines.

There were tears in some eyes.

"Nou bwe nan memm gode a" (We drink out of the same cup) is what she said as we were finishing up the meeting.


In translation, she continued and she laid a hand on my waist: "When I came to work here I was prepared for anything. I didn't know the type of treatment I would receive. Later, I learned. Haitians and Whites sit together, eat together, live together. Even if I worked for a Haitian family doing the work I do (she takes care of children) I wouldn't be allowed to sit at this table with them.

Our eyes grew wet with tears.

Another spoke up: "I remember I had to cook the rice, Elijah (my ten year old brother) came and helped me cook rice. I remember him saying, 'I can do this, I won't get burned.' we work together. I'm going to miss this family very much.....I'll miss you all very much.

The other: "I will pray God's will for your lives..."

Encouragement and unity flooded the room. We had become a family here. A lovely mixture of Haitians and Americans, working together to serve the children. As the days grow shorter we have found "our greatest victory" and passing the baton is made easy, through trust in God and one another.