Monday, March 14, 2016

Settling Back In


I have now been back home in Haiti for over two weeks.  At some moments these two weeks have felt like only two days and at other moments they have felt like two years.  My time back has been spent reconnecting with all of my friends, setting up my house, and getting settled back into the Haiti routine.  Here is a before and after photo of my house!

Before

After


I would be lying if I said I didn’t love life in Haiti.  I absolutely love the chaos of it.  I absolutely love the people.  I absolutely love the cultural differences.  Yesterday I was reminded of all of this.  There were many moments of pure chaos as Haiti decided to not do the time change, but many phones automatically changed.  I think the most common question of yesterday was “what time is it?”  As I spent time in the afternoon running around laughing and playing tag with the boys, I was reminded how much I love the people here.  I was reminded of my love of the cultural differences when everyone started dancing at church.  While I am used to people feeling self-conscious about raising their arms, there were people in church doing the “whip and nae nae.”  How can you do anything other than smile when you see that?


Some of the boys after church
These last two weeks have been filled with so many good moments.  I have had so much fun celebrating my engagement with all of my friends and family here.  They are so excited to meet Liam.  I have loved spending every morning in the nutrition program being showered with hugs and kisses from the sweet kids there.  Every time I walk past them, I am bombarded with “TOREEEE!!”  I had to laugh a couple days ago.  One of the kids in the preschool yelled out “TO-LE” for my name.  One of the other kids was quick to put him in his place and tell him that he needed to pronounce my name with an R not a L. 

Love the nutrition program kids!


I also had the opportunity to teach an English class at the local trade school.  Roderick, the teacher, asked me to teach about Easter.  Each student was given an English Bible to follow along with as I read the Easter story.  We were able to discuss some words from the story that they did not understand.  They then started asking all sorts of questions about the bible and Jesus’s story.  I am so thankful for this trade school not only pouring into their educational needs, but also their spiritual needs. 


The trade school class
While these last couple of weeks have been filled with so many good moments, there have also been the moments that are not as easy.  These weeks have not let me forget the reality of Haiti.  As much as I love being able to hold and love on the boys, it is equally as hard to hold a sick ten pound two year old.  As much as I have loved following up on some of the surgery patients, it is equally as hard to see the patients that it is too late to help.  As much as I love church here, it is equally has hard to hear the voodoo drums every night. 

The hardest moment for me came after a long hard day last week.  I was sitting upstairs when one of the boys asked me to come to the birthing center (also used as the urgent treatment room).  As I walked in, I immediately saw Jozye, one of the boys from la baie, lying there and the doctor trying to find a pulse.  I immediately bent down at the foot of the bed and started praying.  There is still a little confusion about the story, but it appears that he had fallen, hit his head, and had a seizure.  The doctor told us his pulse was okay and we just needed to wait.  Those moments of not knowing what had happened and waiting for the doctor to say she had found a pulse were horrifying.  Jozye has a younger brother in the orphanage, Chinaider.  After the doctor said that we just needed to wait, I went to look for him.  He was in the back sobbing because he thought his brother had died.  These boys have already gone through so much in life.  I pray that in those moments I was able to be a little sense of comfort for Chinaider as we sat together and prayed.  I had the doctor explain to him his brother was going to be okay, and I just held him.  I am so thankful that God is faithful, and He heard our prayers that night.  Jozye is doing so much better, and sang at church on Sunday to praise God for protecting him.  What an example of how to give God the glory.  

Jozye and Chinaider

Thank you for all of your prayers as I have been settling in.  I have felt your prayers of protection and peace.  I could not be here without them.