Transition

Having been back in Haiti for about two weeks, we're getting settled back in.  The first few days were exhausting....hot, humid, tired from the trip, unpacking, and starting language lessons.  On Friday morning (three days after we got back), our sea container arrived, full of supplies for the hospital, and stuff for the families here.  We had lots of boxes, and unpacking and trying to organize took lots of time.

Then Saturday, we had a work team arrive from Rockville, CT.  David wasn't totally involved with this team, but still worked with them some.

Sunday we went back to Haitian church.  Orrin sat on my lap most of the whole time, mesmerized by the loud music and singing, the standing and sitting, the creole language, the Haitian people.  He made it partway through when I took him home for his nap.  We left right after church to go to Cayes to have an English AC church service with the people in Cayes.

We settled into more of a routine the next week....language lessons in the morning (more on that later), then David working in the afternoons.  I went to town grocery shopping on Friday, and Orrin stayed with Jami and kids while I was gone.  It was an arrangement enjoyed by both of us :)  I got to "get away" a little, and Orrin couldn't stop talking about how he "swim" at "Jami's house" and played in the "dirt" with the "dump truck".

Being back in our own house has given us the opportunity to do a little more disciplining (aka letting Orrin cry some things out a little).  He was very attached to his bottle and was very opinionated about it and what was in it.  So we made the rule that now it is only for night-night and he has to use a sippy cup for during the day.  A few time outs in his bedroom, followed by a little talk and praying together, and he seemed to get the message.  At first he would say "bottle" when I went to get him a drink, but he wouldn't fuss when I'd give him the cup.  And now, it seems to be a forgotten problem.  The same pattern seems to work when he's getting upset or not obeying.  He cries for a few minutes in his room, and when I go back there, immediately he takes my hand and says, "Pray."  Maybe he'd rather have the prayer than have to look me in the eye and listen to my lecture ;)

David has been working again on electrical problems...down to the hydro, installing a new generator, looking at wiring that has some problems....  We're trying to study, but sometimes it happens only in the mornings before our lessons, when we're trying to cram! :(

After living at someone else's house all summer and not having to cook much :-D I was afraid I was going to have to re-learn to cook again.  But I guess you don't forget totally, and we've been eating anyway.  We still have Madam Ino come cook us three lunches a week, and we eat the leftover rice and beans the next day for lunch too.  It's really nice :)

We brought lots of food with us, and so I've got a good selection of "american" food to work with for now, which makes things easier.  One night I pulled out a bag of blueberries from the freezer that we had brought with us.  Orrin saw it and was repeating "blueberries" over and over and over.  It's about all he would eat for supper.  Soon he had blueberry smeared all over his face, hands and chest.  David was trying to take a picture of him, when the kitchen timer went off.  David caught the look on Orrin's face at that instant.  It was priceless.

You mean that was the last blueberry!?

Yesterday, Orrin seemed to be totally used to Haitian church again.  He immediately wanted his toys and candy, and ignored most of what was going on around him.  After lunch, we went to the beach for a little relaxing, swimming and good lobster for supper.  Orrin really enjoyed the beach this time.  The waves were not huge, so he wasn't scared, and he had a new swim vest from his birthday that he used and was able to swim all by himself!!!

The transition seems to be going good overall.  I feel like I'm getting back into the routine, catching up on some sleep, and getting more energy back.  That's good, cuz now we have hills to climb again on our mountain in Bonne Fin!

Highlights of our Summer Home

A few of our fun times we had this summer....fyi the pics are mostly of Orrin...it's more fun to take pictures of him than of us I guess :)

Orrin loved getting "airplane" rides in the laundry basket :)

Eating out at the Piggy Bank restraunt in Oakville with Gpa and Gma Gerst.

Ok, eating out in general was fun :)

Labor Day Weekend camping with Dad and Mom Z and family.  Sadly, it was just a little too wet sometimes.....

SPOILED!  Orrin eating Oreos...I mean the filling of the Oreo.....

Homecoming Parade in Wapello.  Can't believe the kids who are the King and Queen candidates are the same ones that I helped out with in their Second Grade Class when I was in High School! Getting old......

Orrin and I were in Forrest at our old house one afternoon when the ice cream truck came with it's jangly tune playing.  Couldn't resist one of those good old fashioned American experiences!!

Orrin took part in a few library programs this summer!  What fun!  And he got showered with prizes from the Morning Sun Library!

Orrin and Carter eating together one evening when we were at Troy and Leann's.

Grandpa giving Orrin a ride on the skid steer.

Building a house out of couch cushions!

So much corn on the cob!!!

Stopped in at Superior Ambulance and MedForce to say hi one day.  Someone got to sit in the helicopter and thought it was pretty neat!

Time with the cousins....I thought this was a priceless pic :)  Will, Orrin and Drew did not get along so great all the time....Orrin was kind of a bully and liked to push.  I even heard him whispering it early one morning.  "Push....baby....Drew..."

Orrin pushing a kid-sized cart at a store in Morris, while we were visiting Great Gma Luthi.

Orrin's first combine ride!  We rode with U Wayne and then in the tractor with Tory.  Now Orrin knows exactly what equipment he needs to "farm" with his toy tractors.  And it even has made for some meltdowns when he didn't have a wagon to go with his tractor and combine.....

Orrin got to go to Bass Pro Shop this summer with Gpa and Gma Z while dad and mom were on vacation.  Such fun for him!

Mesi Anpil

With just under 2 weeks til flying back to Haiti, we want to say "Thank you very much!" or "Mesi Anpil" to all our friends and family.  This summer was a huge blessing to our family to be able to come home and spend time with all of you!

Thanks to all of you (Troy and April, Troy and Leann, Clint and LeAnne, Reuben and Krystle, Joe and Rhonda, Glen and Holly, Elmer Lanz, Colin and Lynelle, William and Melissa....and forgive me if I missed any!) who had us over for supper or the evening.  We loved the time to fellowship and share time together.

Thanks to my friends who helped pack things up at our house (and haul everything!) before David got home!  It was a huge help and made the job a lot more fun!

Thanks for all your words of encouragement and support.  In our whole time through this journey, we have not had ONE negative comment from anyone.  What a blessing to us!!

Thanks to our parents who let us stay with them for weeks and weeks!  We are very fortunate to have family that let us stay with them!  And thanks so much for all the meals you made and hours you watched Orrin!  He will not know what to do when he climbs out of bed in the morning and can't find Grandpa or Mama!

Thanks to everyone who supported us financially through Forrest ACWR this past year.  I know God is able to provide, and I think of the missionaries who would fly to a foreign country with a whopping $60 in their pocket and no place to live.  They had a lot of faith!  We were able to go knowing that God was providing through our church family!  It was a huge help to be able to come home and be able to focus on packing up, selling things, going to training, spending time with family and friends, and finishing out our interview process.  Ok, so David did work for his dad and my parents, but it sure took a lot of pressure off!

Thanks for all your prayers in the past and we ask for them again as we transition back to Haiti.  We don't know what is in store for us there any more than we do here in the States, but we feel the need as we make the move back to keep us focused on what God wants from us!