Profound thoughts, personal feelings, and what ever else strikes me as I traverse life's meandering path.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Haiti Odyssey: Not for the faint of heart

HEADED OUT WITH OUR LUGGAGE

ON OUR FLIGHT TO HAITI, GIDDY WITH ANTICIPATION

OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF HAITIAN SOIL

WE ARE HERE AT LAST! (AT THE AIRPORT)

SO CURIOUS HOW SIGHTS, SO LONG UNSEEN, BECOME FAMILIAR AGAIN IN AN INSTANT

THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFT WAITING TO GREET US AT HOME: OUR DEAREST ELIETTE!

AND A DELICIOUS HAITIAN MEAL!!

EAGER TO EMBRACE OUR HOME AGAIN THROUGH TASTE

FAMILIAR SIGHTS OF HOME, OUR BEAUTIFUL TREE, COMPLIMENTS OF OUR MOTHER

OUR FIRST VISITOR, WAWA!

THE S.T.E.P. CHRISTMAS PARTY (THE SEMINARY WHERE MY PARENTS BOTH TEACH)

BEING HONORED FOR 31 YEARS OF SERVICE AND GRACED WITH PRAYER

A LAST DAY TOGETHER WITH JEHU'S STREET KIDS

FINAL GOODBYES WITH THE BOYS, WHO DESPITE BEING GROWN, WILL NEVER FORGET THE LOVE MY MOTHER SHOWED THEM. THEIR SORROW AT PARTING HUNG HEAVY IN THE AIR AROUND US.

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER WITH FRIENDS

OUR CHRISTMAS EVE SELFIE!

DECORATING COOKIES, AND WE MADE SURE TO MAKE SOME UNUSUAL ONES

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GET MANGOS, TANGERINES AND AVOCADOS IN THEIR STOCKINGS, BUT WE WERE THRILLED!

WE MANAGED TO MAKE TIME FOR A PUZZLE OR TWO

GAME NIGHTS! HOW I'VE MISSED THESE TIMES

OUR WONDERFUL PARENTS

OUR TRUSTY TRUCK (OUR FIRST TRUCK WAS SKY BLUE AND OUR HOUSE USED TO BE LIGHT GREEN) YOU KNOW YOU'VE LIVED IN HAITI A LONG TIME WHEN YOU GO FROM A GREEN HOUSE TO A PINK HOUSE AND A BLUE TRUCK TO A GOLD TRUCK

HOW THINGS CHANGE; NOW THEY HAVE STOPLIGHTS!!??

OUR SCHOOL (IT WASN'T PURPLE IN OUR TIME)

MY FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM

MRS. HERSEY, MY FRENCH TEACHER

MR. HERSEY, OUR AMAZING LITERATURE TEACHER WHO NOW DIRECTS THE SCHOOL

MRS. FARQUHARSON, SHE TAUGHT BOTH OF US, AND MADE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

HAITI GONE GREEN; YAY FOR RECYCLING

OH THE MOUNTAINS! THESE ARE HAITIAN MOUNTAINS! I WOULD KNOW THEM ANYWHERE.

RUNNING INTO "UNCLE" BRUCE, WHO ALWAYS REMINDS ME HOW HE  GOT "KICKED OUT" OF OUR HOUSE WHEN I WAS BORN

HOUSES ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE

AT THE BEACH

TROPICAL COLOR


BOUGANVILLIA

THE CLEAR WATER IS SO BEAUTIFUL

DRVING HOME FROM THE BEACH

A PASSING HOUSE

FAMILIAR ROADSIDE SCENE


SEEING CHILDHOOD FRIENDS ALL GROWN UP AND WITH THEIR OWN CHILDREN

CONCRETE MEMORIES: M.J.M. 1993 (MY INITIALS INSCRIBED WHEN THE CEMENT WAS STILL WET)

INSCRIBING OUR NAMES IN THE CACTUS, JUST LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS

LOOKING OUT OVER PORT-AU-PRINCE FROM OUR CAMPUS

THE BIBLE SCHOOL, A LANDMARK OF MY CHILDHOOD, WHICH EXISTS ONLY ON PAPER AS THE REAL THING WAS DESTROYED IN THE EARTHQUAKE

AND THE PACKING RECOMMENCES

POURING MY HEART INTO WORDS BY CANDLELIGHT

NEW YEAR'S MEAL, TRADITIONAL PUMPKIN SOUP

THE DEAREST OF FRIENDS, JOHNY AND ROSADITE

ELIETTE'S BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

AMANDINE, ME AND MY NAMESAKE, MICHELLE

OUR DEAR CELIA

ONE OF THE MOST PATIENT MEN I HAVE EVER KNOW, MY TEACHER AND FRIEND

ONE OF OUR ADOPTED AUNTS

LIFELONG NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS

WE SMILE FOR THE CAMERA, BUT OUR HEARTS ARE BREAKING

CAN THIS REALLY BE GOODBYE?

LEAVING HOME FOR THE LAST TIME

ONE LAST GLIMPSE

AND THERE WE ARE. FLYING AWAY. HOMELESS IN THE CLOUDS.

5 comments:

  1. Oh gosh. That was beautiful I actually was crying by the end. Thank you for sharing Michelle. Pictures really are worth a thousand words. I love you.

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  2. Heartbreaking, my dear ... thanks for sharing and bringing me back with you as well. Blessings as you grieve.

    Lisa

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  3. You captured a lifetime in this blog, and it touched my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your parents' faithfulness has left an eternal legacy in the hearts of Haitians. "Well done, good and faithful servants." You are both blessed to have such parents and such warm memories.

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  4. Beautiful pictures. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I love seeing your home.

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  5. Wow, this was so beautiful to read and look through. Brief thoughts with images that will stick with you for a long time. Thanks Michelle. This felt like the "goodbye" I feel I never really got to do.

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