He gives and takes away...

So, if you've been following my blog at all, you can tell that my life has been a bit of a whirlwind over the past 6 weeks or so, simply by my LACK of blogging ... I am going to try updating you in the coming days, with pictures and stories of my Christmas here in Haiti, my Christmas at home with family and friends (and an engagement!), and my experiences in the New Year back here in St. Marc.

As strange as it seemed, when I stepped off the airplane in Port-au-Prince on a few weeks ago, I felt like I had come home. I could not WAIT to see everyone here on the base, was almost giddy to walk into my little apartment again and see everything just as I left it (although covered with a fine layer of dust), and actually craved my first dinner of rice and legime (some sort of squash and carrot dish with a few pieces of beef, or goat, thrown in - we nicknamed it, 'mush' :)

It was also SO good to see my students again ... we've had a very good two weeks to start off the new semester (or trimester, I should say. looks like we'll only be able to fit in 3 of our 4 quarters this year, due to the delay of Hurricane Hannah). My students have been working hard, and it seems like we've accomplished more in these two weeks than we did in some of our MONTHS this fall! Such an encouragement ...

There has also been a lot going on here on the base. We have so many work teams and DTS groups (Discipleship Training Schools) who are coming to St. Marc, from churches and YWAM bases all over the world. It brings such energy and excitement to our little base! Right now, we have a team of 12 from Mexico, a team of 7 from Guadeloupe, and a handful of short-termers who are helping out with this and that. Tomorrow, we have a team from Oregon and on January 31st, a team comes from the good ol' state of PA! So things are hopping around here ... timeliness, especially for meals, is becoming more critical too. Sometimes I come to lunch to find nothing more than a half of a roll and a few wizened hot dogs left on the table! But God is also teaching me to be thankful for what I DO have ... especially when I know that many of my students come to school with almost nothing to eat.

This morning, at our staff prayer meeting, I found out that one of our close friends here on the base passed away this morning. She ran the soda and juice shope next to our local supermarket, and would often give us a free Fanta if we stopped by. She was only in her late 50's or early 60's, but apparently, after a car accident, something went wrong with her circulation (perhaps something in her brain?) and she died peacefully, and unexpectedly, this morning. It was such a shock to all of us. We all called her "Mommy" - and for years now, she has been Terry's Haitian mother. She has been a rock for him and for this base, offering encouragement and support during times when most of our other neighbors were doing much the opposite.

After school, Lindsay, Carline (one of our staff members, who is my age) and I walked downtown to pay our condolensces. It was so hard to walk into their little shop and to sit there in the darkness, surrounded by dusty cases of warm sodas and several other family friends, trying to decide what to say or not to say to Natacha (Mommy's only child) and her father. But it was good to be there, just remembering Mommy's face and her ever-present smile... She will be sorely missed.

I will write more later, because the dinner bell just rang. Don't want to miss my Monday night white rice! =)