I still wish I had my own space. I still long to work in a kitchen by myself without worrying about what someone else would prefer. I still wish we could have a "quiet" family meal together more often. I still would like more alone time. And I still wish that the aunts that work in our home didn't have to hear EVERYTHING that goes on in this house!
There are so many things I love about these ladies, though! One of them goes back and forth with Gabe all the time about who is the best soccer team. They are always comparing scores and teasing one another about their favorite player. She can also calm an irate toddler better than anyone I have ever met. That is a valuable skill here! Another spends a lot of time with Zion Hope. She lets her help cook or just sits and chats with her on the front porch while they are all playing. She will sit and hold Ezechiel and sing for a long time in the afternoon. A strong spiritual presence is a strength of another one of our aunts. She loves the Lord and it is clear in her actions, her singing, and her dedication to reading her Bible. She works hard every day. There is the strong, steady one. The one you can count on to be there when you need her, you know she has your back, and she appreciates your efforts and affirms you when you need it. She can tell when we are missing family and will step in when we get tired or weary. We sing often in the Grace House. During family worship, while doing dishes or mopping, and while sitting on the porch with the children. We have an aunt who loves to sing and it is a joy to listen to her voice. She makes the other aunts laugh when she is here, and brings a lightness to the day. Lastly, we have a sub that is only here a few times per month. She speaks great English and it is so nice to just ask her for help when trying to convey something when I don't know the correct word. She is kind and patient and is easy to have around.
We love these ladies. Our children, all of them, love these ladies. They have been key adults in their lives and I never would have known how they would connect with them. I love them. They are precious to us. I have said it before……they see us at our worst and still love us.
We took them out for lunch a few weeks ago and told them about our plans to leave Haiti this summer. That we feel that God is calling us back to the United States. It was hard. At one point Dan looked at me and told me he wasn't going to do it. He pleaded with me, "Let's just wait for another time". But he did. He explained things well. He told them that we love them and that Haiti will always be in our hearts. That we want to stay connected to them. They told us things, too. Things about Haiti, their difficulties, and they were sad, but they understood. They asked questions about our future and about who would live at the Grace House. We laughed together. We teased one another. We decided to make the next several months a precious time together. To pray for one another. To treasure the time. Will you pray that we can indeed treasure the time? That we won't live in the past or in the future. That we will indeed appreciate the blessings of each other.
