Surprises

This week started with a couple of surprises. I met the team members from Park Place as they unloaded the bus. I saw one guy from the distance about my age. As we met around the corner, we both looked up and realized the other's face was familiar. We each said our names and immediately we placed each other. I went to jr. high and high school with Zac. We both had changed our names since we last saw each other but there wasn't much else that had changed. Charles and Zac recognized each other as well. We spent the rest of the week reconnecting and talking about the in between days. The three of us spent one evening pouring through names of classmates and revisiting memories from the White Station hallways. It was fun. There were small moments here and there of talking about our  kids, our struggles through the years and the ups and downs of life. So much in common we didn't even know. We all sat on the couch today and talked about the hard parts of shallow Christianity and estranged relationships with family members. It was refreshing to be real and open about the hard Haiti life and the glimpses of hope that make it worth it. Zac came with his grandparents on this trip. I have to say I was inspired all week by the relationship he has with his grandparents, who happen to be stellar people. And also just listening to what he's overcome from some hardships in high school to working as an ER doctor in Little Rock. Charles was gracious in helping with the girls so I could assist at a couple of medical mobile clinics with Zac, Tony and Dr. Shubert. All in all Charles and I were so glad to see Zac. I hope it won't be another 15 years before we see him again.

The second surprise was another team member. Gloria (Gladney) and I have several great mutual friends. We spent a lot of the week talking about our friends and how those friendships developed. Gloria and I exchanged stories and talked about motherhood and serving. Spouses and mealtimes. It was so good to see Gloria and have her on the trip this week. I was pleasantly surprised to have connections to two team members without even previously knowing! I was inspired by Gloria's story of adopting Lottie, a sweet little girl from China with special needs. Gloria seems to take it all in stride despite all the sacrifice.

The rest of the team was phenomenal as well. Today in Thoman we sat on concrete bricks as chairs and enjoyed the village people. Charles and Shirley Roe could not have been better leaders and for that we are thankful.

Along with these connections, we had a great week serving the locals in mobile medical clinics, helping the kids in the orphanage, VBS, women's ministry and reaching out to the people in Thoman. A highlight of the week was seeing Alex and Franz do VBS. They are so good at it and I see them light up as they teach the kids the verses, songs and stories.

The girls and I will be sad in the morning when the bus pulls away. I have come to accept this routine of people coming in and out of the Hope Center and leaving a little gap on Friday mornings after they go so we do our best to be thankful they came and not too sad they go back a little different.