We Just Passed the 3 Year Mark!
It’s August 2020, and do you know what that means? We recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary of moving to Haiti! We moved to Haiti on June 20, 2017. Can you believe we’re almost 2 months into our 4th year already? Wow, it’s amazing to think about how much we’ve learned and grown over these last 3 years! If you think back over the last 3 years of your life, it’s likely you’ve seen some big changes as well. We’re excited about how far we’ve come, and we’re looking forward to making further progress in caring for our Haitian kids and preparing them for the future. Here’s an update on what’s been going on in Haiti as we continue to work remotely and make plans for school.
Coronavirus News
Haiti has been on a downward slope of Coronavirus cases and deaths for several many weeks now, and the government has loosened some restrictions. The airport is open for people to fly into the country. Flights are coming down in price as we make tentative plans for our return. Quarantine and Covid-19 test requirements are still unclear for those traveling into the country, but we’re watching, listening and planning for when we can head back into Haiti. We continue to move forward with updated programs and planning for our kids in Haiti.
It’s hard not to compare what the effect of the virus is doing to Haiti without talking about what it is doing in the U.S. The schools in Haiti, just like the schools in the U.S., are trying to discern how to “reopen” for the 2020-2021 school year. The trouble in Haiti is that it never really had a 2019-2020 school year. Our school year in Haiti typically goes from September to June like a lot of schools in the U.S. Last year there was a lot of political unrest which prevented the start of school until December! The holidays hit and they had their normal time off, went back for another month and a half, and then…COVID! Since June 2019, our kids have only been in school two and a half months. The solution?
Haiti School Schedule
Haiti has decided to finish off last year starting August 10th and ending in October. Have finals and national exams, then start the 2020-2021 school year in November. Our kids will be required to wear masks and to practice as much social distancing as possible. Some of the schools have divided the grade levels so that all the kids are not there at the same time so that the classrooms can do as much social distancing as possible. Imagine driving 70 plus kids to 7 different schools, Monday-Saturday at many different times, starting at about 6 am with the last pick up at around 1 pm. Our drivers will be very busy! We need a spreadsheet to logistically move them about! We are excited to get them back to school and learning in the classroom environment again.
Our Plans
As we mentioned above, we are tentatively making plans to return to Haiti towards the end of August. Denise found a doctor in the Rochester area who has ordered more test and recommended a different path for relief from her nausea. She has some good days but is trying out a new medication that may help ease the symptoms. Please continue praying for complete relief as we plan our return to Haiti.