Quick Update

I’ve had an incredibly difficult week. I had a test on Monday, 9 hour clinicals on Tuesday and 2 papers due at 7:00am, clinicals on Wednesday, school today and another paper due tonight. I got 4 hrs of sleep Monday night because I was finishing papers, and 4 hrs of sleep Tuesday night because I was working on another paper. When I don’t get enough sleep, I tend to get physically sick. Well, I was in a patient’s room on Wednesday, watching her physical therapy session, 2 days post-op from a knee replacement. All at once, I got very upset about her pain, my blood sugar dropped, and my exhaustion caught up with me. I got sick at clinicals, came very close to passing out, and threw up. I was extremely upset I had to leave clinicals early.

But even in the midst of all of my difficulties this week, God opened my eyes to His blessings. I was able to do 3/4 of a paper yesterday afternoon while I was lying down; when I was driving to school this morning, I had to put my visor down because the sun was shining so brightly; I got to school and found out one of my tests next week was postponed; I got to cuddle with a tiny, 4 month old baby girl at work; and I came home from work to find Mylee and Chase, who we used to babysit, and found out they’re spending the day at my house tomorrow!! God is so good! Today also completes 10 weeks of the semester and I only have 6 weeks left!

Last weekend, my family was blessed to be able to visit the Creation Museum for a short, 36 hour vacation. The museum was astounding and if you haven’t been, I highly recommend the solar system programs. One of my favorite parts was getting to stay in an old bank that was built in 1903. The inside was redone so it looks like a little house. I got to sleep in the vault. 🙂 The only bad part was when I rolled over and bonked my head on the concrete wall. I woke up with a bruise on my forehead. I love history, so it was awesome to think that 100 years ago, people were walking in there and conducting business. People I never knew, and who lived an incredibly different life than I’m living now, worked and lived their lives in there!

Your continued prayers for my sanity and the ability to complete all of my assignments would be wonderful.

Love of My Life

I’m in love with Haiti. I think about the country and the people multiple times a day. I dream about the next time I get to go and plan for when I actually get to move there. Being with one of my friends from Haiti and getting to talk to my Haitian dad yesterday, was AMAZING. But I’m paying for that experience today. It’s just about all I can think about. And I just want to cry because I want to be there so badly.
                                           
This beautiful country has so many aspects. The beach is gorgeous. White sand, blue water, brightly colored flowers, it’s just amazing. The mountains against the horizon are awesome. I’ve only gotten to hike one mountain yet and not very high, but I look forward to going to the top someday. I think even the city, with all of its pollution, trash, and crumbling buildings and roads, is beautiful. It’s a part of the country I love so much, so I think it allows me to see past all that.

The smells are overpowering. Foods being cooked at roadside markets, trash being burned, and burning sulfur are the ones that stick out to me most. They may not always be good smells, but I would welcome them right now. 🙂

              

The sounds are probably what I miss most, besides the people. Cows, donkeys, chickens, and dogs can be heard all hours of the night (if you haven’t heard a donkey, you have to listen to the sound clip I attached:)). Cars are honking constantly as they warn other cars they’re passing. Being surrounded by Creole – oh, I miss it.

There’s so much about this country that I just can’t explain. The cars driving all over the road as there are no rules to the road. The intense heat and humidity that, surprisingly, are incredibly motivating. The bright colors of clothing, buildings, and tap-taps (the local transportation). The women balancing unbelievable baskets and jugs of goods on their heads, without using their hands. You really have to see it to understand.

       

And the people are incredible. They look at you and wait to catch your eye so they can smile at you. The children just want to be near you. They’re just content to hold your hand or sit on your lap. The people are so warm and inviting. One time I was at a tent city passing out rice and some children were holding on to me wherever they could. I think a couple of them were pulling my hair or dragging me or something….I can’t remember. But I told them not to do that in Creole, and I will never forget their reactions. They were stunned that a white person could speak some Creole! They turned to each other and kept saying in Creole, “The blanc (what Haitians call white people) can speak Creole!!” It was pretty funny. 🙂

I hope this gives you a little picture of the country I love so much. 🙂

Stay or Go?

The first time I went to Haiti, I met an amazing man – Pastor Jean Marie, the pastor of the local church where I go in Haiti. Right away, he told me I reminded him of one of his daughters, so Grace (his daughter) and I were going to be twins and I was his adopted daughter. Pastor has a wonderful wife and 6 children and I got to know them when I spent a month there in the summer of 2010 (above is a picture of Pastor, his wife, and two of their daughters).

For 3 years now, I’ve waited and asked God when I get to go back to Haiti. I miss the country and the people SO much. Pastor Rolland said in church this morning, that, “It’s a great day to remember what God’s done for you,” and that really convicted me. A little later, as I was sitting in the next service listening to the music, I thought I recognized one of pastor’s sons, and I was right! Junior was visiting from Maryland, where he’s currently living and going to school. I was so excited that my family got to go out to lunch with him and he was able to come back to our house and spend some time. While he was here, his dad called and when he heard where Junior was, he remembered me and asked to talk to me! I’ve had a rough week because I have 2 tests tomorrow (prayers would be awesome!!), and this was such an encouragement and so refreshing to be connected with Haiti again. I CAN’T WAIT until I get to go back to Haiti!!

That brings me to a difficult decision I have to make. Due to my professors’ recommendations, I applied for a summer internship program with a local hospital, which, if I got it, would ensure I was hired out of school. But I haven’t gotten called about an interview. I was also recently told about an opportunity where I can pay approximately $35 a day to go stay at a clinic/orphanage in Haiti where I’ve never been. I heard that as a nursing student, I would get multiple opportunities a day to practice starting iv’s, dressing wounds, and giving care to people of all ages. Plus the orphanage contains 90 children, 5 and under. How awesome is that?!? So I really need all of my prayer warriors’ prayers! I want to know what God wants me to do this summer. Should I stay in the States and further pursue a nursing internship, or should I go to Haiti and get experience, spend time with babies, and learn more Creole?