After three months of not being able to run because of the residual effects of Chikungunya in the arches of my feet, this past week I awoke three mornings with hardly any pain. The first thing I decided I would do this Saturday was attempt to run out to the farm, as it is one of my favorite, rare "down time" activities! This morning was perfect! Cool breeze and the sun was just coming up when I set out. I didn't make it all the way to the farm but I did end up completing a walk-run of four miles - my feet started aching so I cut it short. But it invigorated me to do it again tomorrow morning.
The other activity that I wanted to complete this morning was to go to the garden "nursery" in Dosmond with Renel, the Village Univers custodian, to purchase bushes for Village. We went to the nursery we've purchased from previously - plants growing in any container available, to include a hallowed out television set, and discovered they were growing "Chris-pee" ( a very tall Caribbean pine tree that the gardner and Renel referred to as 'Chris-pee' which informally translates to "Christmas tree").
In order to purchase "fleur" (flowering bushes) as they called them, we had to drive to another nursery (Haitian-style!) about a mile off road to a very neatly kept house and property. The bushes leading to the front of the concrete block one room house were very neatly trimmed. To one side of the hedge was a small circular arrangement of small fleur bushes and young palm trees. I was able to 'pick out' what I wanted to purchase then the gardner took Renel to the other side of the property, under some very large bushes (large enough to walk under) and he came back out form under the bushes with the fleur in little containers! Then the gardner proceeded to dig out two other bushes with his machete as he didn't have that particular fleur in containers! No shovel needed when you have a machete.
As I waited I looked over to the other side of the bush-lined path and there was a grave. The rock and pebble mound was freshly made. That caught me by surprise! It saddened me to think the gardner has just recently buried someone.
This afternoon was our first Bible study since I returned and although there were fewer than usual in attendance it was a joy to see those who came. And Wislin came! He is one of the 2014 Univers graduates who still needs a host family and financial sponsor to attend college. He is proficient in English (he was in the TOEFL class). I would love to see him in the U.S. in college next Fall! He is available to work as a translator for mission teams so some of you will meet him when you come to visit with us!
Cleaned the apartment, completed some computer work and started a new book tonight (just finished 'The Rescue' by Nicholas Sparks last night - I recommend it!) so off to bed so I can run again in the morning before church!
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