Happy New Year!

January 1st in Haiti is Independence day and the second is Founders day. Yesterday was the first day that really felt like a holiday/vacation day for us. I didn't have any patients to see, house was clean, bags unpacked, computer running so we had some fun time. For the kids a fun treat is computer games, I like to cross stitch and Cory mowed the lawn. No, we didn't stay up late to greet the New Year. On LaGonave we generally heard firecrackers but here the only thing one could hear was the church service. Today being a holiday is also a no-clinic day. Tomorrow our kids will start back to school.




I wonder if there is a people group in the world that do not compare things. During our visit on LaGonave we were asked a few times if the North feels like home. It was nice to get back, 'home' to our own beds and our things. It was much easier to return to a functioning house-stove, water, electric and Internet than when we first moved and had to make do. But in many ways LaGonave still feels like home.

[Photo from ravine hike on LaGonave]


But I often have to remind myself when I start to compare LaGonave with Fauche that it is not fair to compare where we were at 9 years on LaGonave with where we are here at four months. Both locations have positives and negatives. LaGonave will always feel a bit like home for us-as it does for Kris' family even after 30+ years away. LaGonave is part of our family history, spiritual history, and part of our hearts. We enjoyed our visit but at the same time it is good to be back.





During January we will focus on getting ready for the folks and team coming at the end of the month. The kids will return to the routine of school. They will complete the half-way point of the school year 2 days before Grandma and Grandpa Ter Avest come for a visit. We are all looking forward to our first team.