yog-ocracy+ i think i'm growing up

Okay. So much for blogging more often. Lots has happened. Went to a cool waterfall after I got back, my first waterfall in Haiti. I must say again- that was a blast! then, On February 8th- it was my 1 year anniversary of being in Haiti. Wow. I can't believe it's been a year.

Ian and Monica- the only two that have been here longer than me by about a week- are leaving on Monday. This causes me to write about something quite special to my heart. Exercising is my anti-drug. Do you remember those commercials from the 90s? Well, I do. Okay, it may not be my anti-drug, well, maybe it is, but that just sounds dorky. It's my de-stresser, my way of coping if you will. So, as I've included more and more people into yoga, we've been dubbed many names..."the yoga cult", "the exercise group" but my favourite by far is "yog-ocracy". See below



the bright light in between us is Bob. Bob Harper. He's my favourite. Monica has been faithful to the yog-ocracy. Often doing it when everyone else bails. Funny moments of when we were the only two doing yoga and we'd stand side by side accidently hitting each other, before we realised that we had the entire room.

Monica and I have had good times together. I'm honored to have spent time in Haiti, loving people beside her- at shelter sites- where she's do hygiene promotion....getting pulled out of situations with Minustah (the UN) to yoga to tea time talks. And then there's Ian- who has been a good sounding board, also with whom I had the grossest experience of my life- with de-pumping latrines, I'm not too sad though- because I'll see them in a couple of weeks in Switzerland at the ROC. But a part of my life in Haiti will definitely be missed.

So,

now, onto the 2nd part of my blog- which is what makes it so long. I guess if I blogged more often I could have one topic/blog. Still working on that. So, I spent some time at the other base the past couple of weeks, working on starting our evaluations of the food part of our program on that side. A couple of days ago, I was walking around with one of my friends that I've known for about 6 months. And she said to me, "Patty, I've seen you grow so much in the 6 months I've known you". "Really?" I replied. She went on to say how she could see me grow as a worker and as a person and how cool that was for her to be able to see that.

That was surprising to me (in a good way- it's always nice when people see that you're trying to be a better person)- and made me think a lot too. because. i don't feel like i've grown very much. it's actually been this past year that i've realised some of the ugly things inside of me, that i didn't even know were there. things that have taken many tears, many angry moments, and much silence to come to terms with. you know, when i was 20 or so (back in the day) I remember how I used to think I amazing I was. Ha ha. Then I think when I hit about 23 or so, I started to realise how screwed up I am. :) Or maybe that's what happens when you think of yourself like Romans 12 says, "thinking of yourself with sober judgment", and it was then that I just started realising who I really am.

I just had my exit interview as i'm leaving in the next couple of months and when i was answering questions about the past year, i couldn't help but say, "Hmm....I guess it's really cool how God works, because had this been july, august, september- i would probably have spit nails during my interview.....but.....it's not july, august or september". it's february, and i just can't explain how different things are. but, they are.

i think in facing situations, i've never faced before and feelings i've never had to deal with before, i finally had to admit, with my head bowed, "i guess i'm not tall enough yet, God. I'm willing to grow more". And even though Haiti is known by all as a difficult place, with a people that are difficult to deal with, maybe it's a place that refines people....makes them better in that it teaches one about himself/herself.

Well, I still have a little over a month and a half left in my contract for sure. Inshallah, maybe I'll have more lessons to learn.

I can only hope.

~P