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| My dog Maddie. |
How could you not love coming home to a face like this? It has been over two months since I last wrote and time, like the past several months in Haiti, has flown by. I took a much needed break and rest from Canaan and the adventures that living here seem to bring on a daily basis and went back to Virginia and South Carolina to visit family and friends.
After living in Haiti for nine months you just learn to deal with and accept things that happen here. Things that would never happen back home happen here: infrequent internet, bucket showers, no air conditioning in 100+ temperatures, sharing space with various bugs and rodents that I never thought I would see in person, getting stared at wherever you go because you are white.
There were a lot of things that I was eagerly looking forward to when I got home...warm showers, a fridge that was always open, the feel of carpet under your feet, seeing my sweet friends.
I remember one Sunday afternoon before I left Annie and I took some of her kids on a hike up the mountain and the whole 90 minutes back down we discussed foods that we would be eating when we got back to the States.
I remember arriving at the Miami airport looking at the hustle and bustle of travelers and thinking where am I? I answered a vendors question in Creole, I had to put on a jacket the airport was air conditioned, the toilets flushed with no problem.
I remember when I first came to Canaan long term visiting teams would ask if I was experiencing culture shock and I would always reply no. I had traveled to Europe, Mexico, and various parts in Haiti and always felt I adjusted well..minus the fact that none of these places had Chick Fil A. Maybe I should have answered I had no problems coming here it was going back that seemed to be more shocking.
Visiting home was amazing. I loved seeing my dog. I loved seeing my parents and sisters. I loved seeing all my friends.
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| My two younger sisters and Mom |
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| Hanging out with friends in Charleston |
I loved the comforts of home, but felt uneasy about them at the same time. People go hungry every day in Haiti. Yet, there were meals that food went wasted. People go without shoes and clothes. Yet, Malls were full of them. People live in tents. Yet, large homes were common. It took five weeks to make it into a Target. It took just as long to not get overwhelemd when going into a grocery store.
Six weeks was just enough time to get a break from everything. Six weeks was just enough time to enjoy everything. Six weeks was almost too long. I missed waking up to hearing the girls singing in the morning. I missed seeing my friends whom I had come to love so dearly. I missed seeing the Mamba moms and their small babies. I missed their smiles. I missed the adventures, and yes even craziness, that happens here...and so I was glad to be able to have the chance to go home to rest and rejuvenate. I was glad to be back doing Mamba.
I was glad to come back home to Haiti.
What a beautiful post, Caroline. It brought tears to my eyes when I read the part about the girls singing. What a wonderful way to start and end the day. I remember it well. My short time in Haiti had such an impact on me that I pray I'll never forget. We were only there 10 days, but how odd it felt to go back to the US, back to the convenience, back to the complaining, back to the simplest things we take for granted. People think of Haitians and tend to pity them for how little they have. I don't. In so many ways, I envy what they have because their sights are set on Christ. They are so strong and show more faith and compassion than any place I've ever been. May God bless your time there. May you all be safe from the storm.
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