Dear Faithful Readers,I want to give you an update into my life, being as I haven't blogged in several months. It's a shame really, but I've honestly felt at a loss in terms of where to begin. I've had so many thoughts and experiences I've wanted to share, but after waiting for so long, it becomes overwhelming to try and capture everything. And so what do I do? I don't write at all. And the "blogger guilt" sets in. But I'm determined to eliminate the guilt and catch you guys up, little by little. So here's the scoop:
I had the privilege to return to Haiti this past March to volunteer in orphanages in Port-au-Prince. The experience was amazing to me, and hard to describe in words. I was touched and humbled on so many levels as I stepped back to a place that I loved. The restless feelings of the previous weeks were calmed, and I relished every day I got to help and love the kids I came in contact with. And although the landscape was noteably different since the earthquake, the place and the people stilled filled me, as if I had never left at all.
At the end of the trip, I was invited to come back and work for the summer with Rebecca, who is in charge of the organization I volunteered with, The Foundation for Children in Need. After some twists and turns over the next two months, including another failed job opportunity in DC, it was clear that God had opened this door for me to come back and work in Haiti... Once the answer was sure, my plane ticket was booked and I left one week later...
So here I am, sitting in the stifling, summer heat. I've been here in Port-au-Prince since May, helping to run the Foundation's mission trips for volunteers that come for one week increments to help out in orphanages. And although the summer hasn't been without its hard moments and struggles, I am truly tickled pink that I've had this opportunity to work in a place that has called me back again and again. It will be very difficult to leave my "Haitian family" in a few short weeks to go back to DC. It will be very difficult to leave this country, this city, this people, and these kids that I love so much. But I will be ready to decompress. And I will be ready to welcome yet another chapter into my life.
Stay tuned.
Your ever-devoted,
Sarah J
