Long Week

It's been a loooooong week. It feels like one of the longest we've had in a while.

Some numbers:

55 people from 10 countries gathered here in Guatemala over the course of 5 days to discuss political advocacy and the MCC Connecting Peoples programs.

2 nights where my girls were awake until 10:00pm due to activities, and another late night way past their bedtime.
3 times I went through a drive-though to eat a meal in the car.
3 days I drove back and forth twice a day between home, the girls' school, and the retreat center.
45 minutes to the retreat center, with traffic.
7 people who came to a lunch we hosted were Guatemalan alumni of MCC young adult programs (6 went to US or Canada, one to Bolivia, one will be going to the US in August).

1 talent show with people from 10 countries, including 3 cute Chapman girls singing and playing "5 Little Monkeys."

2 more very busy weeks before a rest during Holy Week.

Countless conversations with other MCCers and workers who share a passion for helping the "least of these."

50+ visitors coming

Speaking of working from home, last night Michael and I spent hours on our living room floor after the girls went to bed, putting together Welcome packets for a conference we are hosting this week.


MCC partners and staff working in advocacy throughout Latin America (including Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, and US and Canada) are coming for a conference on Advocacy. Several issues will be covered, including a visit to a local Guatemalan community that lives along a river affected by a hydroelectric dam. This is also combined with a conference among MCC's Connecting Peoples programs (learning tour groups, Young Adult programs). More than 50 people will be coming to share and dialogue together this week.

This means it's been a crazy week or two finalizing details in the office, with everything from printing name tags and schedules in three languages (English, Spanish, Haitian Creole) to dealing with a last minute change of venue. Whew. But tonight and tomorrow everyone arrives, and the weeks and months of planning are put into actual motion.

Looking forward to a good and full week, followed by two more intense weeks which include another 3-night meeting we are hosting. March promises to be a full month.

Before Noon Today

A few things I did before noon today:

A work video call with other Reps and our bosses throughout Latin America. (Isn't technology amazing?) I love that our job connects us with people who live in Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua and Bolivia. We only get to see this group in person about once a year, but we so appreciate connecting with the only other people in the world who know exactly what we're struggling with in our job and the reality of trying to balance life and work and another culture.

We received some really good news that a recent Guatemalan applicant to MCC IVEP (an exchange program where young adults from outside North America live and work in US or Canada for one year) was accepted and will be traveling to the US this August. It's special because she also happens to have been my Spanish teacher for a short time, and she's a very sweet and deserving person of this opportunity. We went in person to tell her the good news, and she cried tears of joy, she was so happy and surprised. Another fun part of our job that we got to experience today.

Ruby had her one-year check-up and shots. She's 21 pounds, 74 centimeters (this wasn't a super accurate measurement, but it's around 29 inches). This puts her around 50th percentile for weight and height. Not too surprising as she's long and lean. 
Then I walked and picked up the girls, and walked home. Another day where I'm thankful our home and the girls' school, and in this case, the local Mennonite Seminary where we went this morning AND the pediatrician's office, are all so close to each other that I can walk with Ruby in the stroller and feel safe.

Haiti

March was a busy month (really, we have no months that are not busy). We had a team retreat for a few days, and then our family went to Haiti and the Dominican Republic for 18 days. We had our annual meetings with our counterparts in other Latin America countries. It's always a good connecting time with other people in the same role as us, especially those balancing life with little kids. Last year these meetings were in Bolivia, and the year before was our first week in Guatemala. 

First time traveling as a family of 5. Everyone did great. 

Haiti was fascinating. There were still remnants of the earthquake, which was now more than 5 years ago, mixed in with intense poverty.
This was a view of Port-au-Prince as we took a bus and left the heat of the city for the cool mountains, where our meetings were held.

A common sight in Haiti. Overcrowding is an understatement here.

We visited one of MCC's projects, where they support a school. This was one of the students, getting to know Ruby. 

A few scenes from the countryside:

Road side drink service.

A few small tiendas (stores) in front, with houses that look like small sheds scattered throughout the countryside. 

Bananas. Or maybe plantains. 

We traveled to another part of Haiti. Most of the group took off for a few days to visit some more MCC projects, and a few of us moms and our kids stayed behind.

It was a pretty gorgeous place to be "stuck" with all three girls for a few days by myself.

The girls swam for hours every day. Hazel officially learned to swim and can now swim, unassisted. Of course, neither girl is strong enough to be in the deep end by themselves, but I am totally a proud mom that both girls could "dive" down and get toys from the bottom of the pool, and swim and kick all over. 

In this picture Ellie was the center of attention of this group of kids. I finally asked them to back off (as best as I could since they spoke French) as they started splashing her and getting in her face a bit. She's used to, when we travel, being goggled at for being a little gringa (white) girl, but I felt like these kids were too much in her face and not respecting her distance.

Idyllic beach playground. 

Time-out Time.
With Michael gone, the girls had some hefty tantrums and time outs. I had to snap this picture.
Both girls had lost swimming privileges and were told that at the beginning of swim time they'd have to sit out for a while. This may have been a more effective consequence if the pool hadn't been empty. Oh well.

The girls loved kayaking with Daddy.

We did a lot of traveling by bus and plane, and the girls did well.

Michael was able to see more of the MCC projects than I did, so I don't have much to share about the work there. Overall, our impressions of Haiti were a mix: the food was delicious, the difference between Haiti and DR was telling of a long history of colonialism and development. We kept wanting to speak Spanish and forgetting that we were in a French or Creole-speaking country.

After a week and a half in Haiti, we took a bus to Dominican Republic to spend some time resting and relaxing as a family and with a few friends. Pictures to come of DR.