This week has been so ridiculously crazy and full that my exhausted heart has been all over the place.
But, as I've been grading what feels like millions of final exams, at the end of the day, my favorite place is still the same as Jean Williams.
annual musical composition competition...
complete with judges
and tons of fans
Nora has been spending lots of extra time this week with Micheline and Gertha as the girls have both been at school every day with testing and while I've been at work. As I fight Mom guilt...I come home to sweet happy moments like these. SO thankful for such loving women in my life!
annual musical chairs...
and Christmas party!
When I pulled out my planner today, I noticed that Lily scheduled herself in today :)
I LOVE how Nora smiles when she's sleeping.
Just in case you haven't seen enough Nora pictures, I love what a big girl she thinks she is here :)
Annual Christmas worship night!
And my favorite night, annual staff Christmas party at our place...
I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard as all night Tuesday evening. THIS is Rosa and Ethan and Haylie showing everyone how to eat cookies from their foreheads without using their hands.
Junel, June, Simeon and Jodenel were HILARIOUS.
Limbo was a huge hit, too.
I just love these men and women. My heart was so full just hanging out with the community who have been working SO hard alongside us all semester. Every morning when I wake up early, getting the girls braided for school, I can already smell the garlic sizzling from the cafeteria...they're already hard at it. When I'm in class, Jodenel is in the office. Even when I fall into bed at the end of the day, PoPo and Jaqueline are walking the yard.
Our staff loves each other, and I am so grateful to be a part of them.
I LOVE all the background faces in these.
I'm not sure where we'd be without Granny in our lives. Matt's been calling her his Haitian mama for almost 10 years now, and it's so true. She loves us all well.
Half the staff had had to leave by the time we took the group photo, Nora was out cold and Sofie was melting down, but it's still a special and very random shot.
The soccer tournament, however, is always the biggest deal. Haiti just loves soccer, and the classes LOVE to compete.
so gorgeous.
In the end, second year took the title of champion for the year!
And totally lost it :)
Yes, there were literally students crying in this picture :)
This is us trying to do homeschool while I'm proctoring exams right after Lily's come from French school. Yeah, there is too much going on right now :)
I MISS time with my kiddos, and days like this week that are go-go-GO and fall into bed exhausted are too much! We actually had hot blended spaghetti-carrot drink (yep, just like it sounds) for dinner tonight with the students because it was 6 pm and I still hadn't even BEEN home to make dinner.
BUT, Christmas break is almost upon us, and I am thanking God with a full heart for the 80 students and 20 staff members who make each day such a gift. We are all ready for a break, and the Lord continues to sustain us.
This beautiful week, however, was heavily burdened by the loss of one of our dear student's babies yesterday evening. Micheline's (pictured above with Nora) brother, Jonas, is a godly and hardworking man who has been studying at EBS for the last two years and he is the administrator at a high school. He emanates God's spirit, and for years now he and Carmel, his wife, have been hoping and praying for a baby.
Last night they lost their fifth child...all five in her fifth-sixth months of pregnancy.
She was fine, all was fine, she woke up yesterday fine...started to feel pain, went into labor, delivered and lost the baby. Again. After Again. After Again.
We have all been so hopeful this time, so prayerful, so WANTING this sweet little one in their lives, so WANTING the gift of parenting for them.
There are surgeries, some places. Insurance, experts. Good medical care, help, possibilities. Other places.
Carmel doesn't have access to any of those things.
When Jonas came in my office this morning to tell me, ah. The heavy awfulness heart-shatter was just unbearable. I couldn't breathe trying to keep it together.
"We don't understand," he said quietly.
I don't, either.
I know He weeps with us. And I know He is enough.
Please be praying for them.
(sorry this post is so up and down...LIFE!)
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