A Week Off...What does that mean?!

A week off of school for Mardi Gras.  Hmm...what is a week off?  I honestly cannot remember the last time I had a full week off from work, without compensating for some other type of work.  I think it was my freshman year of college Spring Break when we went to Fort Lauderdale (it was also the last time I have seen an actual sandy beach).  Mardi Gras is big here in Haiti, so we all received the week of from school.  I was worried, usually when I do not have a lot going on is when I get emotional.  When I miss my family, miss my Lexingtonian family, miss BSF, miss being able to get in my car and meet up with someone, miss sending funny text messages, miss going to the gym or church.  But, thankfully, I have had a busy week!  I have been able to get a LOT of school work done, and able to visit with a lot of folks here in Haiti.

One day I went on a 12 mile hike (do not do in Sperry's without socks), and we traveled to this cave in La Croix.  It was a beautiful hike through the country side.  God makes some beautiful scenery, by golly :D.

This picture was taken on our walk back.  I love being able to see the mountains and the ocean together. This high up you are able to see how blue the ocean is, and the different shading of blues.

Tuesday night, a wonderful family invited me to their house so that I could see the Mardi Gras festivities first hand.  Their house is down town, right in the thick of it all.  Groups of a hundred people would march up together with drums and the whole group would dance and sing.  We all danced on their balcony it was a grand ol' time!

These are the parents, the Maurrasse's, and they are such wonderful people.  Anywhere from 10-25 people who are homeless in the Port-de-Paix area stay the night at the bottom of their house, and they feed them.  Not to mention they have raised 7 wonderful, respectful children and put their relationship with Christ and school first.  They have also taken in a couple of their nephews because their Mom was not able to take care of them.  While interacting with them I could tell they were genuinely good parents.  They were involved in their kids lives.  Which is rare here,  and equivocally heartwarming to see.  They carry out the open door policy, and the Romans 12 hospitality practice.  After dinner we had the best discussion on the importance of living a holy life, and priorities in life.  They gave me a tour of the land that they own, this picture was taken on a rock on said land.  They also drove me around down town and gave me a tour, I now love down town Port-de-Paix...I used to be terrified.

So thankfully, I have been busy this week and have fallen even more in love with Haiti.

To God be the Glory.