Homecoming

I’m back! And the blog clearly needs to be updated. I sat down yesterday and tried to start writing, but I waited too long and too much has already happened and I’ve been tripping over where to start. Suffice it to say that coming to Haiti has felt like nothing short of a glorious homecoming. From getting off the plane and walking into the airport that is collapsing around you to the warehouse where you pick up your baggage on the “luggage carousel” and into a beat up tap-tap to drive through the pure chaos that is Port au Prince. I love it here. It literally feels like I never left.

But I did leave. And while I was busy working at grad school a few things changed:

• · Son of God orphanage CLOSED!
• · We got a CAR!
• · Thorston moved
  out and so we now have the top floor of the house while groups are able to stay on the bottom floor.
• · We now have a stove and a fridge. Winning.
• · Megan adopted Michaelle’s sister, Jessica.
• · The first building of the school is so close to being completed!
• · I finished a quarter of grad school (!?!)

But even so, it feels like I never left. Coming back to all the people I love here is coming home. I could rage on and on about everybody here. Actually, I feel like that’s what I spend most of my time doing.

Anyway, so the past few days: I’ve been going up to the school construction site on the mountain with KTB (Kyle the Builder in case you forgot) a whole lot; not because I’m useful in any tangible way, but because everybody needs a cheerleader, right? So I’ve been trying to run around a lot and say hi to all the workers, tell them good job, and occasionally burst into a song and dance for their amusement.

Maybe that’s good for productivity or something. And I love doing it. I love seeing them smile, even if its just because they’re making fun of the crazy white girl. I’m more proud than I can say of Kyle, Bernard, and everyone who has been working hard at the site day in and day out. The school looks incredible and is going to make a huge difference in so many lives here in Gressier… it already has.

Unfortunately, KTB had to leave us yesterday. The night before we all stayed up talking and laughing late into the night until everyone fell asleep one by one – the boys first and then Megan did that thing where she is talking and then falls asleep mid sentence and starts twitching. I stayed awake for a while after filled with joy and thanking God that I was in that exact place and time with these people I love so much. That was also the first night I’ve been really cold here. I went to sleep with pants on and actually felt really snuggly under the covers – a first for me in Haiti.

But then the sun rose all too quickly and we were off to the airport for a very miserable goodbye. I was glad to have Josh to talk to the whole way home and I don’t remember much else about the day except for taking a very intense nap, being sad, and going to the chicken coop orphanage at LaColline with the team that got in a few days ago.

Since then, I’ve appointed myself the unofficial deputy builder replacement. I’m not Kyle, nor do I know what I’m doing, but I’ve got spunk darnit. So I’ve gone up to the mountain the past couple of days to see how things are coming along, sing songs, say hi to everyone, look important, etc. Yesterday I pottered around for a bit before measuring the cistern they’re digging by the future kindergarten wing. It was at 7 feet and needs to be at 9 by Saturday and I made sure to tell everyone that. They thought I was funny. I’m not sure anyone takes me very seriously… hmm. Anyway, I was super pumped that they finished the first classroom! Then today when I went up for roll call I was very pleased to see the cistern was at 8.5 feet and will totally be finished by tomorrow. The guy doing the floors stayed a whole hour extra to finish the second classroom, yay! I made sure to sing him lots of song and make the children I was playing with clap very loudly for him when it was finally finished. So, basically I’ve had a fabulous time being the unofficial deputy builder.

Other notables from the past week: right after getting here we went to the orphanage where the girls from Son of God are now living. I’m pleased to say they look SO much better! Big improvement. We took a day to go to the beach… they found a new beach while I was gone that is grrreat. We ate freshly caught lobster and you can actually see the bottom there. And having a car is the greatest thing of all time. Woot! More to come...