what day is it?

Man, living out of a suitcase and traveling from place to place will disorient you a bit. Or a lot. I'm really not sure what today is, other than the fact that we did school today (yes, I traveled with school books...bleh.) and therefore I think it is a weekday.

We are having a blast.

And still somehow managing to be productive at times...getting taxes done and other necessary things.

And I did mention that we are having a blast, right?!

Zoe (and all the other little ones) love Aunt "Cake"

These two love riding along in their sin wagons.
I still stand by this post I wrote so long ago about the spawns of satan toys out there.

Cousins. Sweet sweet cousins. Less than a year separates these three and it has been so fun watching them play together.

Some of you may scream blasphemy from these next words: They are forecasting snow today and we are all hoping for a good storm! We have been living in the land of perpetual Summer and will be returning for more Summer in 1 short week and we are NOT over winter and snow yet. 

Bring on the snow!

the land of endless (thoughts on returning to America, 5 days in)

I pride myself on my decisiveness.
I know what I like/want/think and can quickly and efficiently make my mind up and move on.

That is, until, this week.
And suddenly the endless choices at the Starbucks counter seem...endless.

Geesh, what has happened to me and my quick decision making skills?
And who thought that Caramel Flan was a good flavor direction to go in for Starbucks?

Why does there need to be 100 choices for shampoo?

Ezra told me in the airport coming through that "There is a lot of light skins here."

American public bathrooms seem like a spa to me.

And the quiet. Oh, the quiet. It is so loud in my ears. My ears are still literally ringing with it. Like right now, since I am up before everyone else and there is no white noise going...the silence is deafening.

Things seem so very easy here. If you need something, you just go to the store. If you want to use your washer/hairdryer/microwave you just do. And you don't think about electricity. At. All.

I still am not used to brushing my teeth with the sink water.

And don't get me started on the wonder of a dishwasher.

There are trash cans everywhere.

Kid-friendly is an understatement.

I can walk through target and feel blissfully unnoticed.

I'm pretty sure this is reverse culture shock and by the end of three weeks I won't even notice these things again...

But I hope not.

Ella is in her happy place seeing all her cousins and friends. She has not stopped smiling.

in the span of a day

We went from this...

heat induced nap, dirty feet, and a the sounds of a noisy city all around

To this...

invigorating cold, boot encased feet, and quiet so loud it is ringing in my ears

Thursday Thoughts

After a day delay for the ironically timed winter storm that dumped on NC, we are headed to America this morning!

For some reason I hear that Neil Diamond song playing in my head...

I also heard a John Denver song blaring out on our street this week.

Man, that brought back a lot of memories.

You fill up my senses...

I like listening to this one Creole radio station here. You can hear Celine Dion, Douggie Fresh, John Denver, and Haitian Kompa...all in the span of 10 minutes. And then you get to be shouted at in Espanol or French during the commercials. They don't make stations like that in America, friends.

The goodbyes to the kids at our mission were harder than I expected. Its just three weeks people, but for some reason I was having a harder time leaving them that I thought I would. I think we are all more attached than we realize.

Despite our delay in leaving Haiti, we did manage to have some fun while we waited out the winter storm going strong in the US. It might have involved jumping off a balcony into a pool...

For the record, that activity was neither condoned or approved of by the management of Our House of Hope. For. the. record. Ahem.

Well, its time to trade in the flip flops for the snow boots...

As we head to the land of target and starbucks and feet that stay clean all day long!

Happy Thursday!

thursday thoughts : on control, good books, and worms

I've been thinking a lot on the issue of control lately. I am an admitted control freak, who has come a long long long loooong way since moving here. Because you pretty much aren't in control of much in Haiti.

Truthfully, its been so incredibly exhilarating to really (really!) give up the reins and just live in the Spirit's power on a daily basis. 

And by exhilarating I mean scary and wonderful and scary and wonderful and scary...

Two books that have rocked my world lately:

1) The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller. Despite its short 3 chapter length, it has made a big impact in my life. It's really worth the read. And its only around $2 for a  kindle download.

2) Spirit Rising by Jim Cymbala. Speaking of control...I have loved this books emphasis on living in the Spirits power. And don't worry, its not a "woo-woo" Holy Spirit book =)

We knew it was inevitable.
My kids have worms.
Gross...yes, I know.
TMI...yes, I know.

Thankfully, we have the right meds and everyone is feeling much better.

How bout' some pictures...

Their enthusiasm to have their picture taken is overwhelming, no? 

They love when I go all "granny" on them =)

These two know I hate when they flip their eyelids.
Therefore, they do it to me all the time.
I think they just like to hear me say "Mwen Peh!" (I'm scared!)

Ezra is moving out of his "Sonic era" into a "dragon phase"...
and I can no longer impress him with my feeble attempts at drawing.

In less than a week we will be in the good ol' US of A.

I get a little bit giddy thinking of hot showers and clean feet and food I can just order and pick up. And seeing friends and family, of course.
And hot showers and clean feet and food I can just order and pick up.

Happy Thursday!

beauty from the broken

We have a Haitian family (and all their extended family...) that lives right next to us, sandwiched in a small lot of land that sits between our pink house and the Have Faith Haiti Mission compound.

One day I heard singing out my bedroom window.
Soft, lullaby-ish singing.

I looked out my bedroom window and watched...

I saw the Momma giving her boy a bath.

He stood on a 2x2 foot concrete slab in the middle of a mud and gravel yard. She had a large bucket filled with water and was dipping out smaller bowl fulls of water and pouring it over his head. Soaping up his body in between. Then pouring more water over his head to rinse.

She was looking at him and singing to him.
He was smiling and enjoying his bath like any small child.

As I stood there and watched I was struck by the beauty of the scene before me. A momma and her little boy sharing a bath that while certainly aren't up to my American standards of bathing conditions, was filled with love and gentleness.

I'll admit, when we first arrived, I looked at their living conditions with...pity.

But now, after living with them, I'm not seeing just the conditions...I'm seeing them.

Devoid of pity.

I'm seeing the enviable community they are surrounded by.
I'm seeing the assistance given to the elderly man walking down the road from a stranger.
I'm hearing the singing as laundry is hand scrubbed and line dried.
I'm seeing the joy found in simple stick and rock toys.
And I'm seeing a Momma giving her little boy a bath. Maybe not in the same conditions I bathe my children in, but certainly with the same amount of love and care.

Yes, life in Haiti is hard. And conditions are not always good.
But it isn't just hard. There is joy and beauty.

The longer I live here the more I realize how much I need to remove myself of my American mindset of "what they need" to the human level of what we ALL need...

to be looked at with dignity and worth,
and to know the deep life-changing love of the Savior.

A Savior who doesn't look at us with pity, but mercifully, thankfully, and overwhelmingly sees the beauty beyond our own brokenness.