It has been one week back in my
Haiti home, and I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for my friends and family here
in Haiti. I am thankful for this
country. I am thankful to be back here:
safe and healthy. I am thankful for the
people who make it possible for me to be here both through prayer and financial
support.
I am also so very thankful for my
time in the States. Though I did not
necessarily know it, the time of rest, respite, refreshment, and reflection was
very needed. I am thankful for the
illness that caused this slowdown that God knew I needed. I was able to spend my time at home with
friends and family. I was able to spend
time with Raphael and Margaret’s beautiful family. I was also able to do quite a bit of wedding
planning (which relieved a big stressor for me). Most importantly, I feel like I was able to
do a lot of reflection. I had time to
actually process some of the hard times I’ve encountered in Haiti as well as
look back on some of God’s blessings and provisions. I feel like I have come back to Haiti a new
person with a new perspective.
I’ve spent this first week
adjusting back to life here. I have been
so blessed by everyone being excited I am back.
I got back relatively late, but was welcomed by signs taped to my room’s
door compliments of the boys. I was also
welcomed back by many cockroaches! After
the power went out my first night back, I was trying to go to sleep. I kept hearing a noise and thought there
might be a rat in my room. I decided to
check, and thankfully I did not find a rat.
Instead, I found about 20 cockroaches in the bathtub! Yuck!
The next day I set off a bug bomb and have killed around 50! Hopefully that is the majority of them. I am thankful for the boys coming to help me
pick up all the dead ones – not my favorite part of life here!
Most of my mornings have been spent
with Benji. He’s been pretty sick, but
we are praying the medicine will make him feel a bit better. This boy brings so much joy into my
life. I cannot thank God enough for
letting me play a small role in his life.
My afternoons have been spent with the
boys. They started school this week and
will practice reciting their lessons with me.
Before I left, they were really into playing baseball except they were
using their hands as a bat. I brought in
some foam bats. They were so excited and
planned a big baseball game for yesterday afternoon. I was informed I also had to provide music
for the event. It was so funny watching
the entire field break out in dance at random parts of the game. I will say I think they might need Coach
Karenbauer to come show them how to properly use a bat, but we had fun
nonetheless.
Wadley's first day of fourth grade! |
Baseball game |
I have been encouraged to blog
more, so I really will be working on it.
My big focus for this next week is the nutrition program. Be on the lookout for some posts about the kids
in this program and what the program is doing.
Thanks for all your help in getting me back here. It is so good to be home.
Thank you for sharing. I also am thankful for your time in the USA of reflection. I think of Jesus words to his disciples when they come back from buying food while he was talking to the woman at the well. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
ReplyDelete32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." .,.. It sounds like you found some of that food!
So glad you are home and it is good to see your glow back. I believe you will thrive in Haiti because God has joined your heart to the people there.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see you do what God wants you to do joyfully. He is always with you. Be Blessed
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see you do what God wants you to do joyfully. He is always with you. Be Blessed
ReplyDelete