Almost One Week Day Check In!

Hello from Croix-des-Bouquets! It is Saturday and I've been here almost a week...5 full days to be exact, and it has been quite the 5 days. I arrived Monday, touching down at a tiny airport (not quite as tiny as the Pietermaritzburg Airport I touched down in last summer, but almost) and walked out to streets full of people. The ride to school was madness...there really isn't any organized way of driving here. You just stay to the right side of the road if you want, don't hit anyone, and don't let anyone hit you. However unusual it was so me, it was also slightly reminiscent of what was going on in my brain...complete chaos. My nerves dwarfed my excitement as I pulled into an oasis in a dirty and disorganized city. Louverture Cleary School is beautiful and it wasn't going to take me too long for me to fall in love with it.

Every day this week, my day began when my alarm went off at 5:30am (5:15 on my day to make coffee) and we set out to do a work project. I have learned to use the incinerator, turn and sift the compost, sort and crush rocks, and I even helped pour a wall (on my first day!). I've gotten to meet groups of students, especially the Philo and Rheto students (basically juniors and seniors) and I can't tell you how excited I am to get to know more of them...afterall, I didn't exactly come to sort rocks, though I knew that was part of the deal.

If you know me, you'll know that even if I try to talk myself out of it at first, I can pretty much make any place my home.  I've been here 5 days, and LCS feels like home.  Even I'm impressed with that.  Sure, I'm still getting used to bucket flushing the toilet (yup, I fill up a bucket and pour it in the toilet), taking cold showers 2 and 3 times a day (in this humidity, it's actually pretty nice), and doing manual labor for 4 to 5 hours every day, at least for the next three weeks (although I have to say, I'm enjoying it. There hasn't been anything that I can't do and don't feel strong doing, which is awesome) I am really looking forward to this year.  I think I'm going to coach the boys' basketball team this semester, as well as help out with other clubs. I'm going to help with music at Mass, and possibly help with the musical in the spring. Today we played basketball, new Volunteers vs. returning and staff, and it was a blast...I've still got it. :) I guess what I'm trying to say is that this campus is beautiful, but it's the people that make it home, as is usually the case.  So I'm doing well.  Great, even. 5 days in, who saw that coming? I sure didn't. But I can't say I'm surprised, because this is all part of a plan that's unfolding before my eyes, that's probably going to be even better than I imagine it will be.

Love and prayers,
Mandy

P.S. I probably won't be able to get on the computer except for on the weekend, so you can expect updates on Saturdays or Sundays...I'll do the best I can!