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| HEADED OUT WITH OUR LUGGAGE |
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| ON OUR FLIGHT TO HAITI, GIDDY WITH ANTICIPATION |
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| OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF HAITIAN SOIL |
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| WE ARE HERE AT LAST! (AT THE AIRPORT) |
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| SO CURIOUS HOW SIGHTS, SO LONG UNSEEN, BECOME FAMILIAR AGAIN IN AN INSTANT |
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| THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFT WAITING TO GREET US AT HOME: OUR DEAREST ELIETTE! |
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| AND A DELICIOUS HAITIAN MEAL!! |
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| EAGER TO EMBRACE OUR HOME AGAIN THROUGH TASTE |
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| FAMILIAR SIGHTS OF HOME, OUR BEAUTIFUL TREE, COMPLIMENTS OF OUR MOTHER |
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| OUR FIRST VISITOR, WAWA! |
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| THE S.T.E.P. CHRISTMAS PARTY (THE SEMINARY WHERE MY PARENTS BOTH TEACH) |
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| BEING HONORED FOR 31 YEARS OF SERVICE AND GRACED WITH PRAYER |
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| A LAST DAY TOGETHER WITH JEHU'S STREET KIDS |
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| 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. |
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| CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER WITH FRIENDS |
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| OUR CHRISTMAS EVE SELFIE! |
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| DECORATING COOKIES, AND WE MADE SURE TO MAKE SOME UNUSUAL ONES |
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| I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GET MANGOS, TANGERINES AND AVOCADOS IN THEIR STOCKINGS, BUT WE WERE THRILLED! |
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| WE MANAGED TO MAKE TIME FOR A PUZZLE OR TWO |
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| GAME NIGHTS! HOW I'VE MISSED THESE TIMES |
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| OUR WONDERFUL PARENTS |
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| 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 |
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| HOW THINGS CHANGE; NOW THEY HAVE STOPLIGHTS!!?? |
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| OUR SCHOOL (IT WASN'T PURPLE IN OUR TIME) |
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| MY FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM |
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| MRS. HERSEY, MY FRENCH TEACHER |
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| MR. HERSEY, OUR AMAZING LITERATURE TEACHER WHO NOW DIRECTS THE SCHOOL |
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| MRS. FARQUHARSON, SHE TAUGHT BOTH OF US, AND MADE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS |
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| HAITI GONE GREEN; YAY FOR RECYCLING |
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| OH THE MOUNTAINS! THESE ARE HAITIAN MOUNTAINS! I WOULD KNOW THEM ANYWHERE. |
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| RUNNING INTO "UNCLE" BRUCE, WHO ALWAYS REMINDS ME HOW HE GOT "KICKED OUT" OF OUR HOUSE WHEN I WAS BORN |
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| HOUSES ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE |
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| AT THE BEACH |
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| TROPICAL COLOR |
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| BOUGANVILLIA |
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| THE CLEAR WATER IS SO BEAUTIFUL |
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| DRVING HOME FROM THE BEACH |
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| A PASSING HOUSE |
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| FAMILIAR ROADSIDE SCENE |
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| SEEING CHILDHOOD FRIENDS ALL GROWN UP AND WITH THEIR OWN CHILDREN |
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| CONCRETE MEMORIES: M.J.M. 1993 (MY INITIALS INSCRIBED WHEN THE CEMENT WAS STILL WET) |
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| INSCRIBING OUR NAMES IN THE CACTUS, JUST LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS |
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| LOOKING OUT OVER PORT-AU-PRINCE FROM OUR CAMPUS |
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| THE BIBLE SCHOOL, A LANDMARK OF MY CHILDHOOD, WHICH EXISTS ONLY ON PAPER AS THE REAL THING WAS DESTROYED IN THE EARTHQUAKE |
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| AND THE PACKING RECOMMENCES |
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| POURING MY HEART INTO WORDS BY CANDLELIGHT |
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| NEW YEAR'S MEAL, TRADITIONAL PUMPKIN SOUP |
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| THE DEAREST OF FRIENDS, JOHNY AND ROSADITE |
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| ELIETTE'S BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN |
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| AMANDINE, ME AND MY NAMESAKE, MICHELLE |
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| OUR DEAR CELIA |
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| ONE OF THE MOST PATIENT MEN I HAVE EVER KNOW, MY TEACHER AND FRIEND |
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| ONE OF OUR ADOPTED AUNTS |
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| LIFELONG NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS |
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| WE SMILE FOR THE CAMERA, BUT OUR HEARTS ARE BREAKING |
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| CAN THIS REALLY BE GOODBYE? |
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| LEAVING HOME FOR THE LAST TIME |
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| ONE LAST GLIMPSE |
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| AND THERE WE ARE. FLYING AWAY. HOMELESS IN THE CLOUDS. |
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.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking, my dear ... thanks for sharing and bringing me back with you as well. Blessings as you grieve.
ReplyDeleteLisa
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.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I love seeing your home.
ReplyDeleteWow, 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.
ReplyDelete