Update

I know it's been a couple of days since I posted.  That's mostly due to the fact that I've been sick.  Nothing serious.  Just a cold that has wiped me out.  But, thanks Mom and Susan for sending more Dayquil.  It's helping to keep the cold at bay.  I also decided to start a Z-pack (antibiotics) because the cough was settling in my chest.  I don't want to develop bronchitis, so I decided to play doctor.  I figure the antibiotics can't hurt me and I've encountered so many different germs here that a good zap of medicine might do me some good.

The last couple of days I've wanted to do more, but my body just hasn't cooperated.  Yesterday I did therapy in the morning with a couple of kids, helped with lunch, and then lay down "for just a few minutes" before heading out to do therapy with Chi Chi.  Yeah.  Four hours later I woke up, having slept the entire afternoon!  My intentions were to go this afternoon for the therapy, but suddenly I am swamped with work!

Gertrude has a number of e-mails that she wants me to follow up on in regards to updating sponsorship profiles with an organization in England, sending out sponsorship letters from kids who are sponsored by this group in England, sending quality good decent pictures of the chicken coop, and following up on our decision to create a 501c3 non-for-profit in the States for Notre Maison/St. Joe's.  In addition to those tasks, a new group came to visit the kids today, and in talking with that group, we discovered that one of them works for a small T.V. station/newspaper in CA.  She interviewed Gertrude and me about the orphanage and the horse and water therapy we've started.  It may be a good way to generate some financial support for both programs.  I also invited the group to join me next week for water therapy and horse therapy if they wanted to.  I would love all the support I can get for the water therapy so that more kids can go.

Needless to say, those activities took up my time this afternoon, so Chi Chi didn't get any therapy again today.  I plan to make up for it by heading over tomorrow after my Creole session with Oriol.

I am slowly getting over being homesick and missing my friends.  However, my cold has made it hard not to think about sleeping in my own bed and having the luxuries of the U.S. at my fingertips: ice cold drinks, hot water, my dog, snuggling, mindless T.V.

We had a hard rain for about 15 minutes late this afternoon.  We needed it.  I loved it.  Sitting up on the roof, I could see and feel the rain coming in.  The temperature dropped and the wind picked up.  The rain started slowly with gentle taps on the tin roof.  It quickly grew to deafening sounds on the roof as the rain came down in sheets.  I actually felt cold.  Goosebumps on my arms.  Felt good.

As I watched from the safety and dryness of the roof, I wondered about others in Haiti not so lucky.  Merchants who had to pack up quickly and lose any income from the night.  The kids at the other orphanage whose staircase to the roof isn't covered by anything.  The rain would come right down into the living quarters, flooding the small area.  People in the neighborhood still living in tents left over from the earthquake.  Water runs right under the tent walls.  

Even in Haiti, where life is hard for everyone, I still don't have it as hard as some.  And for that I am thankful.