From afar

I returned to Dallas last Monday and haven't stopped whirling. Until right now, a week later. Only two weeks left then back to Haiti and the kids I miss sooo much!

Within this first week, I got to enjoy meeting new family and had some official Mema's cinnamon rolls. Received games to bring back to Port and a new scarf... which obviously isn't needed where I live.

Got to see a friend from London and my Marine friend back from a second tour in Iraq/Afghanistan. It was weird: all three of us overseas in such different situations. Cool and good, but weird.

My oldest brother lives at home again, so it has been a fantastic people-watching exercise in my own living room.

I have only had to bite my tongue about 400 times to keep from screaming 'YOU ARE SHALLOW' and 'GOD IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN YOUR VERSION OF HIM'. Four hundred isn't too bad for my town, so I'm counting my blessings.

I saw snow on Christmas Eve and had to wear a sweater to my grandparents' house on Christmas day... a first for me on both accounts. I'm missing my hot weather home.

You're a $%##%*&ary?

I had a Haitian adventure on Saturday.


Corrie and I got into a car with a guy we knew a little bit and a guy we didn't know at all. We told them we just wanted to escape Tabarre for awhile and see different parts of the city. We were gone all day. Went up to the mountains. Walked inside a fort. Stopped in a village and ate plantains. Went somewhere super high and took pictures at sunset. The guys bought us flowers. It wasn't relaxing like we had hoped but it was so much fun.


On one of our stops, we got cokes in a place where missionaries wearing bonnets can be commonly found. Our newly met friend was talking about Haiti and why he loves his country and how he hates going to America, etc. He continues to say, "what, you're a missionary or something?" with some expletives thrown in.

I have never been stared at that hard in my life. Even as a ghost living in Haiti.


We left pretty quickly and piled into his car, only to turn on the radio and have music full of dirt spewing from the speakers.

It was interesting to say the least. Especially when he told us, while speeding through town with no lights on, he wants to become a pastor because "they make the money!"

I bet he hasn't read Pagan Christianity.

We call it "the SUN"

For Paige's 15th birthday, I had the awesome privilege of joining the Livesay fam on the beach. It was gorgeous. Found some dead jellies. Stepped on a sea urchin (I had shoes on... no worries). Swam in crystal blue water. Took funny pictures with Paige and the kids. Smelled beef jerky all day.


Speaking of pictures...

As Paige and I were walking back from another beach, two Asian men were laying in skivvies. These two had been next to the family all day, even in a completely open restaurant the waiter sat us right next to these guys. Anyway, we are walking by and laughing at some bad comment I made, and one of the men calls me over. Asks me to take him and his friend's picture. I stand so the sun isn't blaring but that wasn't good enough for them... the silent one (so far) says "No no no. Get in front of this light. The good light. We call it 'the sun'."


I started choking on laughter and took the picture. Then they wanted a picture with Paige and I, and we happily obliged.

Do I look like I don't speak English? And didn't I answer them when they asked me to take a picture?


Interesting, fun, relaxing day with a beautiful 15 year old and her beautiful family. I am lucky.