Life in Haiti is hard right now, but thankfully our kiddos remain relatively unaffected. Although they sometimes overhear adult conversations, for the most part, they are oblivious to the problems plaguing their beautiful country at the moment. We are so thankful for a safe place to be while we ride out this storm of instability, uncertainty and chaos, but it is also important to acknowledge the things that our kids have been forced to give up as well.
- We are staying home to conserve fuel and stay safe, which means no fun outings to the beach, a restaurant, or even a grocery store.
- We turn our power off every afternoon and during the night to help the solar power charge our batteries and to conserve diesel fuel. This means no internet (movie time) during those times and sometimes no water in our taps as well, since the well pump doesn’t pump when there’s no power.
- Nighttime potty breaks are more difficult and kids are more anxious in the dark.
- Internet coverage has been sporadic, which means we can’t always follow routines (music, movies, etc) and it is harder to communicate regularly with others, including our matched kiddos’ adoptive parents.
- We are also keeping our fans turned off and trying to use as little water as possible, so it makes it harder to keep cool without fans indoors or water play outdoors.
- Our nanny schedules have been modified because we don’t have enough fuel to send the tap tap every day to pick up staff, and the price of public transportation (motos) has skyrocketed.
However, we are still enjoying playing on the playground and swinging with our friends, going for walks or bike rides in our village and taking advantage of the internet when we have it. We are also so grateful that most nights have been relatively cool, often with a nice breeze and some much needed rain. Our staff have still been able to get fresh produce from the market for us, and staple foods are still available, even though they are more expensive. Sometimes, we even get fresh fruit like mangoes and bananas delivered to our doors! Nannies have still been able to come to work and we are continuing to adjust things as necessary to make it as safe as possible for them.
Please continue to pray for peace in Haiti and for kids’ placement and adoption paperwork to somehow be able to move forward despite so many offices being closed or only partially functioning. They have all been waiting so long and it is discouraging to feel like no progress is being made.
Like other kids in OCC, “A” is able to continue with everyday activities on campus.
Physical therapy continues for our kids in OCC.