Update #2

I woke up early and went running (heavenly for a serotonin junkie like me) where i saw other people running and walking for sport, bread and banana sellers, people hanging out and - get this - people playing soccer at that short soccer field in Place Boyer WITH A BASKETBALL, and UN trucks and some private cars too whizzing by.

It does suck being confined but we feel so much better because Martha and the guards and the guard’s son is here with us (Junior and I played a lot of Gabriela’s memory yesterday) and Martha made lunch for everyone! And she still had time for a 3 hour nap! Even the housekeepers came to work (one ran to get here) and when I asked her if she wanted to go home, she insisted that she do the urgent housekeeping! When I asked what that was, she said making the beds! There’s definitely at least one thing a day here to make us laugh and laugh even when we’re stuck inside.

Preval made a lovely speech yesterday at 2 PM, it was all about supporting "pwodiksyon nasyonal" (national production). Last night, the protestors gave Prime Minister Jacques E. Alexis 24 hours to resign. It’s 8 AM, everyone here knows that protesting starts around 9 or 10 and ends around 3 and 4 when the protestors get hungry.

Yes people are frustrated by protestors being violent but Martha said very clearly yesterday, those who are on the streets are fighting for all of us. Everyone is and should be affected by this crises, not just here.

What a blessing that many of you have been able to experience Haiti with us! Thank the good God we got Grandma and Grandpa to the airport- an hour 1/2 later would have been too late and they would not have flown (Grandpa wrote us already this morning that's what got me writing this update). What a blessing that our family has a little Haitian in it now and the chance to see more! You should see this little Haitian! On Monday she was fighting over bones to suck on with 1 year-old Francia.

Blessings to you all.

Esther, Matt and Gabriela.