Quick Update

This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to get on the internet since we arrived in PAP. As always, things have been a whirlwind of activity since our plane touched down.  This is a very un-imaginative update...I just wanted to make sure I posted something.  I've been too busy to take much time to blog.  No worries, once my family is gone I will post some better updates with pics, etc.

Friday:

We left our town at 3:30 AM to head to the airport in Neward, NJ. Things went smoothly at the airport and our plane took off at 9:15 AM. Besides some turbulence and a bumpy landing, it was a great flight. Some things never change, and the airport in Port was just as crazy as always (if not worse). We collected all of our bags after a little pushing and shoving, and headed outside to meet Dorothy and Samuel. It was great to see both of them again. We loaded up all of our luggage, and headed “home” to Dorothy's house.

As soon as we got to Dorothy's the kids went crazy. We were all holding at least one child if not two. We spent the rest of Friday playing with the kids until we crashed in bed around 7PM (we had been awake for 36 hours).

Saturday:

We all woke up around 6:15 AM on Saturday. We began our morning by holding babies and playing with the kids. Then, we enjoyed a lovely Haitian breakfast (or should I say Dad and I enjoyed it...there was an awful lot of stirring around going on by the rest of the family). After breakfast I drove us to the gas station to pick up more diesel fuel for the generator. At 9:30 AM, we went to TLC Barefoot School (also know as my new place of employment). We met Mr. Nickson there (the principle) to show us around and give me the keys to my APARTMENT! The school is wonderful, and I absolutely LOVE my classroom. I didn't take pictures so you will have to wait...sorry!

The apartment is nicer that I could have ever hoped for! It is freshly painted, clean, and the perfect size for me. In fact, there is even a water chlorination/filtration system hooked up so that I can actually drink water RIGHT FROM THE SINK!!!!! I AM GOING TO BE SOOOO SPOILED!

After leaving the apartment, we drove to Epi'dor (a restaurant) for lunch. Then, we went to the grocery store in Petionville to stock up on food for dinner. Once we were finished shopping, we came back to the house to spend time with the kids and babies. Then, we drove back over to my apartment to unpack my things. The breeze blowing through my apartment was so heavenly that none of us wanted to leave! When we finally got back to Dorothy's, the power was out so we decided to go up to the roof to relax. The power came back on sometime around 10 PM...perfect timing for the fans to come on to help everyone fall asleep.

three suitcases and a guitar...

I am almost finished packing my life away into three suitcases.  My bags are filled to the brim, but I still have some more things that I want to take along.  So, now I need to either go back through all my bags to decide what I am going to take out so I can make more room OR just pay the extra baggage fee and bring another suitcase.  Ugh.  I hate packing...I hate packing...I hate packing.  Did I mention that I hate packing?

Today is my last day here in the United States.  It is pretty crazy how fast this trip has snuck up on me.  It seems like just yesterday I was leaving Haiti to come to the U.S.  I'm bursting with excitement at the thought of going back to Haiti, but I'm also sad to be leaving my loved ones here.

I've been getting a lot of questions from people lately so I thought I might as well answer some of them on here:

How long are you going for?


Well, I've been telling everyone a year.  To be honest, I don't know when I'm coming home exactly.  I will be gone anywhere from ten months to a year...not sure yet.

What are you going to be doing in Haiti?


This time around, I will not be living/working at Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue.  God presented an opportunity at the perfect time.  I will be teaching kindergarten (and helping teach pre-k) at TLC Barefoot School.  The school is located just down the street from FHLIR (where I volunteered before).  So, I will be able to continue to help Dorothy and spend time with "my kids" when I am not teaching.


Where are you going to live?


I will be living in my very own apartment!  Because I will not be getting paid to teach at TLC, they have generously allowed me to move into their apartment rent free!  The apartment was once home to Mr. Nickson, the school principle.  It is located directly beside the school so it will be very convenient.


What are you going to do in your free time?


When I am not busy teaching or planning.  I hope to spend my free time with the kids at Dorothy's house, ministering to those around me, and helping with the youth group at church.  If I am lucky, I might even have time to play guitar.


How are you going to live for a year without getting paid?


This is probably the question that I get asked the most.  My primary source of money is going to come from what I saved up while working two summer jobs.  I have also been very blessed by generous friends and family members who have donated funds.  Lastly, my church has assured me that should I need money, they will always help me.  I know it may sound crazy to go a year without an income.  God provided for my needs the last time I went to Haiti.  I know He will again.


What are you most worried about?


Nothing about living in Haiti really scares me.  What I am most worried about is being homesick/lonely. I have never lived alone before (not to mention alone in another country!!) so I don't really know if I am going to like it.  I'm really not too worried, but if I had to chose one thing that I was worried about that is what it would be.  I guess I should add that I'm worried about my dog, too.  I have to leave him behind in the United States.  I know my family will take good care of him, but he has been my best buddy ever since I saved his life in Haiti.  It absolutely breaks my heart to have to leave him behind!


How can I help?


I personally am always in need of prayer, as is Haiti.  If you happen to be interested in supporting me financially, you can click the "Support Me" link at the top of this page (located under the katie loves haiti picture).  Or, you can simply e-mail me.

Truck Pulls and Sleepovers

In an attempt to soak up my last remaining time in the US, I have been keeping myself pretty busy.  Yesterday, I met several friends at our county fair for an evening at the truck pulls.  It was not nearly as exciting as tractor pulls (especially because they kept having all kinds of technical difficulties), but it was still fun none the less.

While at the fair, I ran into some of my family friends.  I used to babysit their kids for them when I was in high school, and so I have become close with their oldest daughter.  I offered to have her spend the night at my house and she gladly accepted.  We had a fun night talking, playing games, making pancakes, and goofing around.  Sometimes we act so much alike that I swear we could be sisters.

We were having way too much fun with Photo Booth!

Five Days

It is a peculiar thing, this business of bouncing back and forth between countries.  Having two homes and one heart divided between the two can be difficult to handle at times.  Today I find myself just five days away from returning to Haiti.  I am looking forward to returning to my second home and my kids.  However, I am once again going through the difficult emotions of saying goodbye to a place and people that I love.  I am afraid that this saying goodbye stuff may never get any easier to do.

Since I moved back to the US at the end of March, I have almost seamlessly settled back into life here.  I got two new jobs where I was able to meet lots of new friends.  Just about the time that I felt comfortable and happy at my jobs, it was time for me to turn in resignation letters.  I am having to say goodbye both old and new friends once again.

Each time that I near a travel date, I start trying to savor everything around me.  When I know that I won't see my hometown or loved ones for a long time, I commit as much as I can to memory so that I can call upon it when I am feeling homesick.  I begin to take mental pictures of everything: the way the sunlight shines through the trees in the mountains, the way the lightening bugs sparkle in the corn fields, the way my dog prances through the tall grass, and the way the sun sets outside my back door.  With each day that slips away, I become more and more deliberate about everything I do.

This time when I leave my town, I will not see it again for a year (or at least that is the plan).  I've never been away for that long before.  So, as excited as I am to get back to Haiti, I first must go through the process of saying goodbye to the U.S.  I'm sure once the hard part is over and I am on the plane, the anticipation of arriving in Haiti will really kick in, but for now it is a mixture of excitement and sadness.  Like I said, having two homes and one heart is never easy.

Show Me Your Glory