ET Under the Stars

Our visitors from South Carolina packed Steven Spielburg's ET with them to Haiti, the classic film of an unexpected friendship, acceptance, and "phoning home." The kids were mesmerized by the film, which they watched in French under the night sky in the guest house. Their entranced expressions glowed by the screen as they watched Elliot's bike take off into the sky in awe. What a pleasure to watch this family favorite for the first time with the kids of Espwa!

Scrub-a-dub-dub

Mary's group also took an afternoon to go help the house mother's in the village with their laundry chores. The house moms taught them how to properly scrub the clothing and had fun working alongside them. It was an afternoon of chatting in Creole and English and lots of laughter.

Getting Outfitted

Mary's group also brought lots of donations of clothing and shoes for the children. We are constantly in need of new clothes and especially shoes for these kids as they run them ragged in the village and on the uneven rocks that cover Espwa and Haiti. Mary's group brought hundreds of nice dress shoes for the kids to wear to church, school and other formal events. And many of the girls got to pick out their own dresses at the Quad.

Carnival Festivities

This week, Mary's group from South Carolina put on a carnival for the kids at Espwa. They even flew all the way to Haiti with a bouncy house for the little ones to jump in. It was their first time inside of one and they absolutely loved it! Mary's group has donated the bounce house for us to keep for use by future volunteers with the children.

They had different carnival stations set up around the church: from a station where the kids shot water balloons to dose small candle flames, to a ring toss, a bean bag toss and tattoos. The kids had so much fun running from one station to the next and left with their hands and pockets full of candies.

Thanks Mary's group!

New Babtime Music Video

Everyone's favorite Espwa singing group, Babtime, has released a new music video for their song "Pitit Tig Se Tig." Thanks to friend of Espwa, Natalie, for filming and editing!

Bright Smiles

Last weekend we had a visit from TLC Dental. In one weekend the group of dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants were able to see 165 kids and members of the Les Cayes community. They worked together with some of our older boys who got experience as translators.

Thanks for your work TLC!

Guest House Managers Wanted

As Kelsey and Rachel wrap up their year serving as the Guest House Managers, Espwa is looking for new applicants to take over for June 2015 - June 2016. The Guest House Managers are the primary contact for visiting teams of Americans who come to Espwa to do service. They help to arrange travel and project plans before the volunteers arrive, and live at the guest house full time to help make the volunteers' experience at Espwa a valuable one. The job requires strong planning and organization skills, flexibility, a lot of energy, a welcoming, hospitable demeanor, and a strong love for Espwa and its purpose. It is a wonderful experience for anyone who wants to become a closer part of the Espwa family, form strong bonds with the children, and meet hundreds of amazing volunteers from all over the country. If you or someone you know is interested, please e-mail espwaguesthouse@gmail.com for more information. We look forward to hearing from you!