3 days short of July?!

Time flies. Time also tells me it’s about time I get back to blogging.

My posts fail to reflect that my two month long trip to Haiti has become a bit more permanent. Within a week of my arrival at COTP I knew that I wanted to spend an extended period of time at this place. I’m sure those of you I had a chance to talk to while I was home can vouch for me when I say I LOVE THE KIDS, I love the nannies and their families, and I love the COTP staff and volunteers. I’m even learning to love cows and to tolerate rats. Seriously, I couldn’t think of anything more appealing than being a nurse in this community for the next twelve months.

So... here I am. I returned to Haiti on June 7th after spending about four weeks in the states. It was a great trip! I got to participate in the beautiful wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Cruz and Vanessa Thomas. Vanessa and I have been friends since we were fifteen. It was pretty special to help her prepare for her wedding.

Between wedding festivities I spent a quick afternoon with my grandmother, aunt, and cousin in Santa Cruz and also took the train to Sacramento to float down the river with some other cousins. It’s a funny thing the first time you hang out with your other “adult” cousins as “adults.” Wasn’t it just yesterday our mothers were dressing us in matching winter sweaters and fluorescent ski gear?

After the wedding my family and I stopped for a Sunday morning church service where I grew up in precious little Morgan Hill. Then we drove to Tucson, AZ where I said hello to the family dog and spent a morning with my grandparents. Less than 24 hours later I was on a plane to Georgia. I spent an evening with Mr. Lt. Steven Vietti who happened to be in Alabama instead of Germany! We did a fair amount of reflection on how crazy it is to be where we are in life just a year after nursing school. That was fun. From Atlanta I drove with my cousins and aunt to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where the majority of our family spent an amazing six days on the beach. I rarely see this side of family anymore. Our family reunions are the BEST.

I made one more stop back in Tucson where I got to catch up with so many wonderful friends and check in with ELEVATE, the church I’d been attending prior to Haiti. Tribe girls, you still make my heart happy.

Finally, just a few hours before flying back to Haiti I was invited to share with my parents Bible Study class. Guess what I shared about?? Yep. Children of the Promise. Thanks for having me! Sorry I was so long winded.

My trip back to Haiti was pretty uneventful until I arrived at the Cap Haitien airport. It’s a tiny airport with just 3 carriers sharing the short air strip. Apparently, they’ve been cracking down on immigration regulations and weren’t too happy that didn’t indicate a departure date or an address of residence on my immigration forms. These errors led to an hour long conversation in an immigration office with Reekens (our driver) and I trying to convince immigration that I was volunteering for a legitimate orphanage, wasn’t being paid for my work, and wasn’t trying to marry a Haitien man and stay in Haiti for the rest of my life. We were only partially successful. They decided to copy my nursing license, make me a file, have me sign a few papers and promise to leave the country in exactly three months. They wrote the date in my passport just in case I forget. Looks like I might have to drive into the Dominican Republic for a few days to comply with their directives.

Life in Lagosette is as busy as ever. So much has already happened in the three weeks that I have been back. Assuming I find time to blog my next few posts will have to be a combination of current events and throwback thoughts. My goal is to be able to blog about things as they happen! I have so many crazy/amazing stories to share.

Hope this post finds you all happy and healthy.