One of the best days yet!

Today has been one of the best days yet. It started when I woke up and realized that I had slept for SEVEN hours. That's seven hours in a row, not collectively over the course of several days.

There was no detention for the second consecutive day, and we didn't have any major issues at school. Diene complained that his butt hurt, but he must say that three times an hour. And his voice seriously sounds like Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. It's really quite endearing.

This afternoon I enjoyed some quiet time on the roof, skyped with the BFFs, and reflected on pretty much everything. I thought back to when I first applied to come here, and I'm amazed at how this experience has affected me. I've blogged about perspective, but I've stayed away from the emotions. I glanced through the pictures of the kids on the Child Hope website prior to coming, and I heard people talk about this kid or that kid, but I didn't get it.

Tears fell from my eyes the day I first met the kids. They were no longer faces on a website. They were God's children, and He was entrusting me with them for the summer. I felt so honored, and I knew in that instant I was supposed to be here. They looked up at me with their big, brown eyes and I melted. It was day one and I knew I was going to fall in love. So I jumped in, head first, and I haven't looked back. Yes their individual stories are heartbreaking, and the adversity they have overcome is the stuff we as Americans can only imagine. Their personalities tell a different story. They are stories of hope. They are stories of young girls and boys who love Jesus. They are stories that will change this country.

There's so much more to Haiti than what the media has shown us. Piles of rubble from the earthquake stand still. Tent cities are reminders of the ongoing struggle to survive. Strangers ask for food, water, and money at least once a day. It's only a couple hundred miles from the US, but it feels like another world.

After an introspective afternoon, we enjoyed some time with the girls. Caitlin brought over art supplies, Daphne and Youdelka took pictures with every camera they could find (I'm talking paparazzi), we took turns loving on Estaline, and we watched as Pastor Josh from San Diego got his hair done in corn rows. You had to be there. We returned to the house in time for dinner, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the roof.

Tomorrow is the end of another week. We will have some tearful goodbyes as the first of our teacher team departs for home, but we will celebrate knowing that we are united in God's love no matter where we are.