one of the reasons

insane.  That is the word to describe both our experience getting out of Haiti three weeks ago and coming home yesterday and today.  Our Haitian flight that was changed from Wednesday to Saturday notified us Friday night that they would not be flying Saturday, but to "try again" Wednesday.  Needless to say when we arrived in Fort Lauderdale at 10 pm (after several delays and de-icings), we were ready to come home!  So, another change in plans, we flew a more major airline into Port-au-Prince instead, got a taxi, changed airports, and got a tiny little plane to finally bring us home.

Though it was rough, we left home in Ohio at 3:30 yesterday and arrived home here today at 2 pm, so 24 hours is not bad in our experience :)  We only slept 4.5 of those hours, but we are home!

And how GOOD it is.  Abel and Maxi were waiting on the runway, and had been since 9 am, anxious to have us safely home.  It was GREAT to see these two true friends and GREAT to be back to our lovely Haiti weather!  As soon as we got in the door, Abel's family had a big "welcome home" lunch planned, so we walked over to his place, visiting with lots of friends along the way who were as thrilled that we were home as we were.  (It's such a good feeling to have people be genuinely happy to see you, isn't it!)

"A small lunch at my house" was Abel's understatement of the century, as they welcomed us home with heaps of gratinay (a macaroni dish), fried chicken, fried plantain, onions, peppers, tomatoes, homemade juice, and even a store bought cake!  Every time I ate something, Abel would immediately motion to his wife to replace whatever I had just eaten on my plate....so...the meal was never ending and we were STUFFED and sent home with plates of food.

After a small speech about his family's excitement for our return and good wishes for the New Year, he also gifted us with a large bottle of champagne, because they know Matt and I "don't drink."  (In Haiti, beer and wine are not considered 'alcohol'...but just the harder stuff like whiskey and rum).  We have been unable to ever communicate that there IS still alcohol in these drinks and therefore we still don't drink them...but Matt and I shared a good laugh as Abel handed a pregnant woman a large bottle of alcohol :)  Now, we have something to re-gift :)

Lily had a blast, we had a blast, and that continued tonight as we ate with John and Dorothy (Dodo and Bubba) and were able to catch up with them...what good friends they have become, and friends that all three of us genuinely missed.  

Something wonderful about Haiti that we always try to explain to people but that can't really be captured is just these things: relationships.  That's what it's all about.

Abel and Maxi were thrilled to wait in the blazing sun at the awful airport ALL day LONG because today wasn't about accomplishing a hundred things for them or about their free time...it was about their relationship with us.

Abel's family purchased loads of food and cooked all day yesterday and today for our lunch today, and it wasn't about the precious money, or the time it all took....it was about their relationship with us.

Neighbors left their homes to welcome us back, share their prayers with us and to celebrate our relationship with them...leaving their privacy and whatever else they were doing just to love and be loved.

John and Dorothy, ever becoming more and more our Haitian neighbors, joyfully did the same thing, sacrificing their food and time and a quite evening to themselves for us because our friendship was of the utmost importance.

Today, at Abel's table laughing together about the last three weeks, it wasn't the poverty or the politics or the state of Haiti that mattered.  It was US that mattered to them, and them to us...

The relationship-orientation of this culture makes it SO MUCH EASIER, in my opinion, to introduce the Father.  Sacrificial love?  We see it EVERY day.  Laying down your life for your friend?  Being in constant contact with your Father?  Being fully relied on someone other than yourself?  Loving your brother more than yourself?  Trusting?  All these issues that are sometimes so foreign in our home culture are so commonly practiced here that introducing the idea that the Father wants to be in relationship with US is almost just common sense!

Just another one of those reasons that we don't like saying that we are "missionaries to Haiti."  This is just where He led us to live, and to be transformed people.  Just another one of those reasons that it is GOOD to be home!

Add on the pile of Christmas cards from many of you and a few care packages, all sent in November and just arrived...we are So thankful tonight for our global family.