Getting Settled

   Two weeks in. It feels like I just got here, and yet it also feels like I've been here forever. I finally finished unpacking last night, and I'm starting lesson plans for the next couple weeks.
   I am so glad to be back in Haiti. I feel so at home here...and it's more than that. It's the feeling that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. Even though being here isn't always easy, and there are things that I miss, I have complete peace. I honestly can't remember the last time I have felt so...alive. The peace of God truly does transcend all human understanding.
   My first week was a little crazy. Okay, a lot. There was so much I was trying to take in, and I was overwhelmed. Thankfully, Beth made it so much easier. She had everything ready for me, and even had things planned for my first two weeks on my own. Even though she had a lot to do to get ready to leave, she was always there if I needed anything, and really helped me get settled. In short: Beth Puricelli, you rock!
   My kids are awesome. They have adjusted to the switch pretty well so far, and I'm starting to see their personalities show. They are quick to help me if I forget or skip something during class, and my aides, Mme. Islande, Mme. Bazile, and Miss Sabline, are fantastic, too.
   I couldn't ask for better roommates. Tara, Megan and Alisha have been so welcoming, and have helped me so much since I got here. Everyone at Sonlight has really encouraged me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful people supporting me here and at home.
   There have been some hard parts. Trying to process some of things I see and learn while staying on top of classroom duties is somewhat of a challenge mentally and emotionally. The fact that one of my students lives across the street from me in a tiny shack, and probably doesn't get enough food, stings my heart every time I go outside. A few of my students will come to school and tell me they're hungry, because their parents couldn't feed them that day. At House of Hope, an orphanage we visit frequently, there are some adorable twin girls that I love watching and holding. They're five months old, but no bigger than newborns. We went last Saturday and one of them was very sick. Three days later, we found out that she had died.
   Through all of this, the good and the bad, I feel that I am drawing closer to God. As difficult as it is sometimes, it really forces me to rely completely on Him, because I couldn't handle this in my own strength. So despite the sadness and frustration I sometimes feel, there is a constant joy and peace, because I have no one but Jesus to turn to. Stripped of everything I know and way beyond my comfort zone, I find that Jesus really is all I need. And I can't think of a better place to be.