Speeding Time and Sad Good-byes

My good intentions of updating this blog frequently sort of fell by the wayside during the last 2 weeks of my stay in Haiti.  The reason for this lapse was simply the fact that when I had time to update, we didn't have power; and when we had power, I didn't have time!  For the last 5 days, I didn't have internet access at all.  This blog post is a bit lengthy but consists mostly of pictures, so enjoy!  

Jason and Carolyn arrived at Haiti Children's Home on Tuesday, May 8th and their first evening there was already a bit of an adventure.  It was time to make supper and we discovered that our gas powered stove was out of fuel.  While we were discussing what we could make on our rather dilapidated electric griddle, the power went out . . . and then the sky opened up a torrent of rain.  I had already mentally resigned myself to a candlelit meal of peanut butter and jelly but . . . Carolyn had her heart set on beef stroganoff, so we embarked on the adventure of cooking over charcoal, by the light of candles and flashlights. 

Our next days were spent completing various projects.  Jason was kept busy using his imagination and woodworking experience to create various thing out of  . . . well . . . random pieces of not much of anything.

I think he rather enjoyed the challenge and the rest of us were rather amazed at the things he was able to create.  

Carolyn and I shaved the hair off the heads of 16 little boys and fed them chew-able vitamin C's as a reward for being so brave.  Does it make me a bit of a  health nut that I couldn't bring myself to feed them candy every time they bravely endured the cleaning of a cut or some other minor medical procedure?  Hey, they thought the vitamins were rather yummy!

We had Pool time . . .

And we had Chalk time . . .

   

We spent a wonderfully, relaxing day at the beach . . .

We were introduced to the painful wounds induced by impetigo . . .

We witnessed the first meeting between a child and her forever family . . .

We traveled to a remote mission, riding for miles and miles up a steep mountain road, on the back of a truck.  There we visited a school . . ..

We toured a newly built clinic that's sitting on the top of the mountain, waiting for someone to run it . . .

We stood on top of the world and asked questions, pondered, wondered . . .

We saw scenery that took our breath away and a beauty of people that did the same.

We're home now and the world seems strangely quiet.  I remember the way those little faces felt as I held them between my hands on the morning I left.  I kissed each forehead and told them I loved them.  I feel their little arms wrapped around me and I hear their questions of why and when will I come back?  I can't answer those questions.  In my head, I picture the way their beds are arranged in their room and when I know they're sleeping, I pray a blessing on each one.

This trip has truly been a gift from God and many of our friends and family were very instrumental in making it happen.  Thank you so much for making it possible!