Update Time

Natalie Joy - May 25

Tristan William - May 11

I could begin anew with this blog and just call it "The Auntie Chronicles."  I just love their faces! It's such a fabulous experience every moment I get to spend with my niece and nephew. Equally exciting is watching my sisters being moms!  So crazy to think, yet so natural.

Things have been moving right along since I departed from Haiti in April. I spent a month in Texas helping my sis and bro-in-law out while they completed graduate school and had a baby in the midst of papers and tests and all things crazy. So thankful for that intentional time with them, as well as the blessing of spending my initial weeks of transition out of Haiti there  (for many reasons, but one being that Texas was a heck-of-ah lot warmer than Wisconsin). Also, I got to live in a camper, which was phenomenal.  I lived with a girl named Lauren. She's beautiful. I also lived with two (uninvited) rats who were evicted shortly-thereafter and a bird who had it in his mind to fly into our window continuously for days on end.  Lauren and I kinda felt like we were living in Snow White's cottage with all that wildlife, but we weren't whistling until we were emptying out the rat traps.

I had frequent mouse/rat encounters while in Haiti, but none this large!!

Lauren and me with the camper

Shortly before leaving Texas, I was contacted by a camp (shout out! Forest Springs!) that I've literally spent a large percentage of my life at, either camping or working. It's beautiful. They were short a nurse for the summer + I had no immediate plans post-Texas = operation camp nurse! It was a huge blessing to be back at camp for those four weeks: great spiritual fellowship, new friendships, and more nurse adventures. I will say, when campers came in with itchy mosquito bites, it was nice to not have to be thinking about the possibility of Malaria, Dengue Fever or Chikungunya virus while smearing on hydrocortizone cream. (Chicken what?? Click here to read more about this virus that hit Haiti hard shortly after I left).

Also, this happened...

...as well as many other things. But this is definitely notable. It was proudly displayed in the nurses station. The campers were a little too excited about it when they started bringing us ticks wrapped in tissue during meal times, asking for it to be taped to the wall-of-fame. Had to put the kibosh on that because ticks were escaping! Only ticks removed in the nurse's station could be added to the wall...

My co-nurse, Angela

Now I've been back home for a week, settling in and finally fully unpacked (aside from three weeks in November, this is the first time I've been home for more than a week since I left for Haiti in September). That is, physically unpacked...still unpacking some things in my head and heart.

Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternity. 

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

 If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. -John 12:25-26

"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, 

the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."  -C.S. Lewis

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