Posts Tagged ‘letters home’

Hello, one and all. Should by my final group e-mail assuming everything goes well.

Anyway, Ernante and I arrived in P-au-P this morning in the pouring rain – thanks to Michelle. Said goodbyes to everyone during the last three of four days. Had parties the last three nights. I think we’ll take a break tonight. Everyone cried a ton including my little brother Misses, he’s 23. I didn’t cry and Ernante only cried once. She is in much better spirits than I would have predicted. She’s joking and enjoying watching tv in the hotel now. I hope she’ll wash some clothes this afternoon too.

I’m at the office catching up with all of the staff. Going to try to get some money for my stay in P-au-P. Shouldn’t be a problem. I have plenty left from my service if they don’t give me any. We are going for Ernante’s visa interview on Thursday. I’m pretty nervous about the interview because if they don’t give her a visa I have no idea what we will do. I really don’t think we wil have a problem as I spoke to an interviewer in the consulate and he said whether or not it was him that will do the interview, we will be treated well. He also said that as long as the birth and marriage certificates apper to be legitimate, which they are, we won’t have a problem and will receive the visa the same day. We still can’t help but worry. Uncertainty is a killer.

So, I suppose if Ernante receives the visa this won’ be my last e-mail. Expect an e-mail on Friday. Until then, take care.

Mason

Dear Friends and Family,

This is going to be a short one since I’m going to one today and I want to send this out the some film.

If my parents haven’t told you by now our marriage came off with only on hitch and that was Ernante and I. The reception was a great time and everyone was filled with merriment (beer, wine, champagne and rum). Afterwards, some of us went back and partied at the Verrier’s house with all the family and some friends. Anyway, it was a really great time and I never imagined I would have so much fun at my marriage.

Now I’m waiting for Ernante to return from P-au-P. She stayed in P-au-P to pick up some documents from the doctor’s office and the National Archives that we had prepared last week for the visa process. Hopefully, all the documents have been prepared and she will come back tomorrow. Then we will send the visa packet off to P-au-P and await a date for our interview. In the meantime I have an s—load of paperwork to do before PC will let me leave the country. Fun, fun, fun.

So that’s it. I hope you are still enjoying your summers and it isn’t still so hot. I saw on CNN that you were experiencing a major heat wave. So take care and before you know it I’ll be home. This may be my last group letter. See you in November or December.

Love,

Mason

Hey, thanks for all of the responses. I’m sorry I can’t write you all back. I just don’t get much time on these computers. I just wanted to respond to the most frequently asked question in your responses. Yes, Ernante and I are planning to return to the States in November when my service is finished assuming that we receive a visa for her. That’s what I have been doing all morning. After paying the petition fee they give me a final information package and its all in French. What a joy! I can’t translate French and most of the Haitians I know despite studying French for years and claiming to be literate, when given a French text fumble around a lot. Hopefully, we will return to P-au-P after the wedding to complete all the medical exams and other stuff for her. It should be fun. Okay, that’s it. Take care.

Mason

Dear Friends and Family,

I’m going to make this a short one since I’m going to town tomorrow and I don’t have a lot of time to write this. Everything is going pretty well here. In general the county has settled down politically although I heard there were demonstrations in P-au-P this morning. We still don’t have any idea what the long term prognosis this government is, but what it sounds like from the international community, Aristide is starting to come into line with what they want. I hope things stay calm at least for the time being as I have a trip to P-au-P scheduled for next week.

I am pretty excited right now because I just put in air conditioning in my house. Okay, it’s not really air conditioning, let me explain. As some of you may know my roof is made of corrugated sheet iron. When the sun hits the roof it heats it up. The roof then radiates that heat – right on top of your head if you’re sitting inside. So while it provides shade it doesn’t prevent the heat from entering the house.To remedy this problem I had a particle board ceiling put up in my kitchen and dining room, where I don all of my writing and paperwork. It makes the rooms at least 5 degrees cooler and probably more. So although it’s not exactly air conditioning, it certainly feels like it. I’m so excited that I can sit and work comfortably during the day.

Well, I think I’ll stop here. I have more time to write but I’m reading a good book about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and I haven’t had a chance to read at all today. I hope you are all weel and enjoying the warmer weather. Take care.

Mason

Hey everyone! I am in P-au-P for a few days so I thought I would write you all a little e-mail. I hope you are doing great and not suffering from the winter blahs too much. It’s 80 degrees and sunny here, just like it always is. Don’t be jealous though. The weather gets pretty boring here after a while. It’s nothing like the change of seasons in the northern states.

Well, I have some pretty exciting news for you all. I, believe it or not, recently became engaged to Ernante. It looks like my shopping days are over. I’m finally going to buy. Okay, that’s a really bad analogy. Anyway, we are planning to get married in late July. I haven’t told anyone here in Haiti except for the PC country director, so we can get the paperwork done, and Ernante’s family. To my great surprise they weren’t very surprised. I guess they kind of expected me to marry Ernante. I think I may be getting too predictable.

Other than that everything is going pretty well. I completed my Jeremie to Camperrin bike trip in 6.5 hours two weeks ago. Not too bad, but I fell a few times due to the huge, slippery rocks. I have also become pretty skinny lately – I couldn’t figure out why. It turns out that I have 3 kinds of worms including tapeworm. On top of that I have a nice little head cold. I think it was a stress related cold since I had a ton of responsibilities last week and a grant presentation. The grant was accepted. I will be building two spring cappings in Latiboliere with the Scout group.

I’m assembling and repairing bikes again this week. Hopefully, this will be my last extended trip to P-au-P to do this. Take care and think warm. Later.

Mason