Haiti will always be a part of me

Hello from Haiti :D

Things here are much different than that of the US. There are no traffic laws, three fingers in the air means 2 (in the words of Obed accidentally), electric goes off and on throughout the day (everyone cheers when it comes back on), Haitians love to say "hey you guys" (James) and call each other by their "American names" like Aris (pronounced Ari-mice - that's how they think Americans say it), everyone says hi and the people of Haiti are very friendly.

So far the weather hasn't been the best with rain everyday but Saturday but we made the best of it. We've spent time stuck in traffic for muddy road conditions, adapted to where we were sleeping because we would have gotten soaked on the roof, walked FOUR miles back in the rain to the vehicle after leaving the school, got a flooded/broken (Alison, Ethan, and Jess) and spent time bonding indoors with the Haitians and learning their stories from before and after the earthquake and how they live. It's been amazing to think that some of the community living in tent houses or not even a house with 4 walls.

We were discussing this morning how we feel like we have been here so much longer than what we really have, but it's been because we are doing so much. We've run clinics, visited a school, visited an orphanage twice, toured a hospital... not to mention the little things that happened. We have become accustom to driving on the wrong side of the road, being SUPER close to the person next to you on the road, almost hitting people, flat tires going down a steep hill, constant beeping of the horn to tell someone you're passing/approaching/coming around a turn where you cant see, orphans grabbing our arms and dragging us along wanting to play and so many more. All these things I will remember forever and Haiti will always be a part of me.

Today I said goodbye to my sponsor child. As I held her in my arms she just squeezed me and it just broke my heart to leave. I am so glad that I was able to meet her and so many other girls who are in need of support for school and everyday needs. Meeting my sponsor child had been the highlight of my week. Every time we got to the orphanage I was always greeted with a BIG smile from her.  It just brightens my day knowing that I am able to be apart of her life.

With less than 48 hours til we're on a plane headed back to the states, my emotions are going a mile a minute. I don't want to leave my Haitian family and friends. Everyone here has been great and I am so lucky to have been able to experience this.

-Sarah