7 days.....

The countdown is on - I have a week left in Haiti - that means I have 7 days to take in as much as I can. I know that come next Monday night at 8:30pm - I am NOT going to have as big of a smile as I do in this photo! I'll have said goodbye to the staff, friends, the kids and Ronel. Tuesday morning I'll leave the compound at 4am and head to Port au Prince with Nicolas. He'll drop me off and that's it - I'll be on my way to BC. It seems so unreal to me, but everytime I open my bedroom door - reality hits! My bags are almost all packed, I have given away almost all of my clothes that I either am not bringing home or don't see purpose in keeping here at Ronel's, I have brought everything down to Ronel's that I want to save or am giving to him to use. My room is very bare and almost depressing! Ronel and I had another good long talk and a good cry on Saturday. It isn't going to be easy saying goodbye but as we keep telling each other - We know that this is God's plan and He has something great in store for us! I keep telling myself that nothing worth having in life is easy! and I think that we're worth it!

I am very thankful that I am going home to some great friends who I know are going to be there for me - friends who will be there to listen, give advice when needed or just a shoulder to cry on. As much as I am looking forward to seeing family and friends again, the thought of not knowing when I am coming back to Haiti is very hard. Ronel & I have only been apart once when I didn't know when I was coming back and that was when I went out ill in Sept of 2004. That was only 2 months after we were officially a couple and things were much harder then first cause I was really sick and we didn't know what the doctors were going to find and also because Ronel didn't know how to email - thank God things have changed since then!! This fall, before I went out in Nov, Ronel asked me to show him how to email so he could get in touch with me himself and not always be dependant on others. He was a quick learner and we were able to email each other while I was out in BC. It was nice to be able to keep in touch and I know it is going to be a blessing while we are apart this time. Knowing that I am talking to him (and only him!) makes communication much easier and more open! Sending emails to someone else to print off - you are never as open and I know Ronel was more reserved in his letters too as someone else had to read and type his letters to me. I am thankful that people were willing to be the go-between for us but much more happy now that Ronel has learned to email on his own!