getting back in

What an incredibly hot whirlwind these last few days have been!  The front door has been revolving as friends have come to meet Nora (whom we have been told 100 times should have been a boy, but assured that girls do have their place nonetheless...and 200 times that she looks exactly like Sofia did).

I've been working hard to get us unpacked and put away, cleaning out lots of cabinets and trying to figure out exactly how to get back into the swing of things--but new--with Nora.

The girls have been riding bikes and playing with the neighbors and enjoying being with Micheline and Gertha and walking to Shayla's and playing with Boone and Junior and hanging out with Granny in the kitchen.  They are so glad to be home.   I have tons of happy pictures from these first few days, but my phone (that I have used all summer for pictures and have used these last few days) is not Haiti compliant, and now I can't figure out how to get the pictures off of it and onto here...soon (like, when Matt has time to figure it out for me :)

Haiti is still deciding when everyone will start school for the kiddos, which is varying from September 7th to September 14th and October 5th...we'll see.  Both girls are actually anxious to get back in!

Our first day of class started so well yesterday, with over 20 new students starting first year with Inductive Bible Study and with Matt preaching in chapel.  It has been SO SO good to see our co-workers again and to see them so on top of things and enjoying their jobs and starting out the tone and spirit of the year WELL.

The sweat never stops dripping...we just drip all day and shower RIGHT before getting into bed so at least we start the night over with clean sweat!  There has been very little rain all summer and everything is brown and crunchy and hot...all praying for rain.

For the first time ever, we have returned from time away to NO generator issues, NO water issues, and not even internet issues.  No cholera epidemic, no chickungunya epidemic, no major crushing heartbreaks or losses for any friends or staff members...  For the first time ever, we came back to someone already in our house and paving the way through the dust and rats, to someone (the same someone :) already attacking the office as I try to get back in there, to neighbors cooking dinner for us for a few days, Taco Tuesday and peanut butter pie!

All of that makes all the visitors these first few days feel like a joy and not a burden, and I'm so thankful.

Rick safely arrived today to join Carol and all of us and to help Phil...such an added encouragement to the already incredibly encouraging (and fussy baby bouncing Carol).

Also remembering how well babies do at slowing you down and turning you to prayer.  How greatly expanded my prayer time has been these past days, as I am awoken frequently throughout the night and interrupted frequently throughout the day...precious time with Him if I am disciplined enough (or needy enough, whichever) to embrace it!

As difficult as it is NOT be able to jump into the office full swing, or even back into the house full swing, already it has been a learning time of slowing down, remembering that my sufficiency and adequacy and strength is in who HE IS...not in what I accomplish, but in asking for help, turning to Him, relying on others and falling fully on Him, remembering the things that are the MOST important.  

It is always the circumstances that force us to be continually drawing close to Him that grow us and bless us the most, isn't it.

One of the things I love about life in Haiti.

Thank you for your continued prayers...hopefully will have pictures soon!