mango hunting

so, it's been awhile since i've posted. i don't even remember where i left off. i've been here about 3 weeks, which makes me an expert- or something like that so we joke here.

so, i guess i haven't explained in depth what i'm doing. i lead the assessment team which means i go into certain IDP camps and do kind of a macro assessment of the camp. first, are they really living there or do they unfortunately just want resources- and form what we call ghost camps. where they just make flags vs. the people who are forced to truly live in certain camps. so, i have a team that i have do individual assessments of people in villages. before they go in though, i get to do a macro assessment of the entire camp.

so last week, i'm walking with my translator and we get to the highway and i was planning on going to the camp next to the market. on the way there, some guys come up and say, "sam-ar-e-tan! please come to our camp". i kind of felt bothered, thinking, can't you see that i'm on my way to another camp? but i told them that i would come back and see them.

i went back up to the market camp. and did indeed come back and see this other camp on my way back. they greeted me- and i gave them my "talk" of why i was there. how i can't make any promises- but how i am here to collect information. they showed me around in their shelters which consisted of sheets, which did not protect them from the rain- their beds which were made of concrete blocks from the rubble with a sheet over it. then at the end of my assessment, they told me- "you are a gift from God. we have been praying for you to come". i had to hold back tears as i thanked them for taking the time to show me around and for talking to me. i have done many assessments and none of them have hit me like that one did. they didn't have tarp, latrines, or water close, yet i was an answer to their prayer.

that kind of shook me up. in a good way though.

on a good note, i learned how to drive an ATV. i had to drop off some paper for my staff- and it was a short way and we didn't have any vehicles left, so a co-worker taught me how to drive in a short amount of time, but it was similar to a motorcycle, so i learned quickly. and now- my life is complete. it was so much fun! i drove me and chip back and i think the haitians freaked out. they aren't used to seeing a woman drive a man around. that day- wednesday, we also just decided to take a quick trip to the beach around 5- for a breather.

on the way back from the beach, we decided to go to the river where we wash the vehicles. we went the back way down this steep bank and i see a duck and some babies. elijah was about to run them over- so i yelled stop! don't run over the ducks! and i said, "i'm going to shoo them". they kept saying, "are you really?" so i got out and started to shoo them away before i realised...."i....am standing in a landfill". definitely grossed out. but i shooed the ducks away and saved their lives and returned to a truck full of laughing co-workers.

i am blessed to be in a place where i am surrounded by mango trees. i heart mangoes. well, at about 8 that night, i mentioned to my friend/co-worker andrew how much i wanted a mango- let's go mango hunting i said. a couple of days before, i had been craving a mango. i asked him then if he would get me a mango - "how am i going to get a mango at night? you can't tell which is ripe?" so, i gave up, but he surprised me and got me one anyway (how in the world do i get blessed with the most amazing friends? no clue). so, wed. night i ask him to teach me how to mango hunt. so, we take our headlamps and a huge pvc pipe and he starts knocking them down while i catch them. they turned out pretty good! and it made me really happy.

so, lots of firsts, lots of fun times too. more to come....

patty