It has officially been three weeks since I got home from Haiti. It is so hard to believe that just three weeks ago I was leaving a whole other country to come home to my family and America. So many emotions and so many thoughts and feelings are constantly swarming my mind...it is simply overwhelming.
It has been nice to come home and see my family and hang out with them. And it has also been fun to see my friends again and spend time with them as well. But, everything is different. It doesn't feel the same. It is wonderful being home and I am loving it...but a part of me feels like a piece of my heart is still with my babies. I am so torn now...something I have never experienced before. Since Haiti, everything doesn't seem as important. All the things that used to stress me out don't even phase me. They just don't seem as important as loving on my babies in Haiti. It's almost as if a part of me is missing now.
The one thing that is comforting to me right now is knowing that, for now, this is where God wants me to be. And for that, I am content. It is so refreshing knowing that God directs our paths and tells us exactly where He wants us to be. If it weren't for that, then I know I would be completely lost!
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my little angels and wonder how they are doing. I am constantly seeing little things that bring me right back to my patio in Haiti. I would give anything to hold one of my babies again, and can only hope that I get to go back and do so again.
I am excited to finally be able to share with my friends and family about my trip to Haiti. I will be showing pictures, a video and other small things that I brought back from Haiti. Consider this your invitation to come and hear about my adventures in Haiti. The missions night will be at my church at 6:30 this Sunday. The youth mission trip will share as well as one other...so it will be a night full of hearing what God is doing around the world through missions.
Isaiah 6:8 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? then said I, Here am I; send me."
Hope you enjoy these sneak peak pictures!
I can't believe I am already writing this post. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was leaving and first beginning my adventure in Haiti. But, like all good things, things come to an end. My time in Haiti is now finished and I am so grateful for all that God taught me, for all the experiences I had, and for all the lives I touched during my six weeks.
Friday was the longest and hardest day of the entire trip! I left the house in Port-au-Prince shortly after 7 am. We made it to the airport fairly quickly and it was finally happening. I made it through the airport and waited for an hour and a half before I finally boarded my plane. After filling out customs papers I sat back and couldn't believe I was gearing up for landing in the States. So many thoughts and emotions were flying through my head. We landed in Miami and was quickly shuffled to customs. I looked a bit suspicious because I was bringing back some coffee to sell for the missionaries in Haiti. Carrying on a brown package of 20 lbs of coffee raised a lot of questions for the customs employees, but I finally made it through almost 2 hours later.
Once I got through customs, I made it back through security and the wait continued. I called my parents and Jori and then talked with Larisa as I waited for my flight to finally leave 4 hours later. My flight was about to board when the pilot was suddenly nervous about the heat of the engine. It was really hot and it was not cooling down. After mechanics came and worked on it, they decided that we needed a new plane. Finally an hour after our scheduled departure time we were boarding our plane. It was around this time that I was feeling a bit anxious because my layover in California was not a long one. We were supposed to land at 7:30 and depart at 8:20 for Seattle. I called mom and asked her to pray with me that I could make it back, and God hear our prayers. We landed in California at 8:45. After quickly getting off and going through another set of security, I arrived at my next gate 5 minutes before boarding time. I was able to buy a bag of peanuts and a bottle of water for dinner and walked right onto my plane. Apparently there was bad weather in San Francisco Friday morning pushing ALL of their flights back for the date...a provision from the Lord! After a quick flight and nap, we landed in rainy Seattle and I was home.
Now, just a long walk and a few minutes separated me and my family. I couldn't believe the moment was finally here. I walked through security and the hugs and kisses began! I was home! Paul and Karen even came to welcome me home, a wonderful surprise! :)
The last 48 hours have been somewhat of a blur. It's good being home with my friends and family again but it doesn't feel real...at least not yet. I am anxious for the presentation I am giving at church. There are so many pictures and stories to tell that I can't say it all now and that is challenging but good. Thank you, friends and family, for praying so diligently for me during my time. I knew God was hearing your prayers and your support is unbelievable.
If you have any questions or are interested in hearing more specific stories or see pictures, you are welcome to join us for my presentation. Sunday, July 22nd. More details to follow about time and location. Again, thank you for your love for me and for your interest in the beautiful people of Haiti!
The one thing that is comforting to me right now is knowing that, for now, this is where God wants me to be. And for that, I am content. It is so refreshing knowing that God directs our paths and tells us exactly where He wants us to be. If it weren't for that, then I know I would be completely lost! 
