meet manny [& #41 & #45]

I write to you tonight from the living room of the house that I will call home for the next 4 1/2 months. I am sitting on the couch with 2 huge fans blowing relatively warm night air right at my face... they feel surprisingly good. I know many of you will be relieved to know that I made it safely to Port au Prince. After traffic on the way to Nashville, an hour delay in Miami, a random lady saving my butt by faking like I was with her at the airport because I didn't have a Haitian address, and then a 45 minute battle with everyone and their mom to get my luggage, I arrived [in true Haiti fashion] about an hour and a half late. I was so blessed to be greeted by huge hugs from Sara, Ashton, Wilna, and Michelle! My heart was filled with joy to see Sara running toward me outside the airport :) It's so good to be back!

Manny in the hospital

As is not uncommon in Haiti, we packed 6 adult people into a 5 person car, and I got in to realize that Erica was holding a precious baby boy. My first question was "where did he come from?" Michelle said "we got him today.. he's got typhoid fever." Apparently, his mother brought him to the clinic because he had severe diarrhea, where he was diagnosed with typhoid fever. After that, his mother said she could not provide proper care for him, and Michelle [the American mother of the family I'm staying with here] agreed to take him. Thats how big her heart is! Its amazing to watch. His name is Emmanuel, but we are going to call him Manny. So, we took this precious baby to the cholera hospital [although we are pretty sure he doesn't have cholera.. but they were the only hospital open late in the afternoon and we knew they could rehydrate him]. Manny is 14 mths old and weighs 6kg which equals 13.2lbs. Imagine how big a 14 mth old American baby is compared to him! He is spending the night in the hospital tonight and sweet Michelle is right by his side. What a sacrifice to make.. spending the night in a cholera hospital with a baby you just met today.

On the plane today my heart was a little heavier than I expected it to be when I came back to Haiti... heavy mostly for my family. If you don't know my family, you should know we are extremely close and my 4 siblings literally are my best friends. It's hard to think about all the things that I will miss out on while I'm gone. But I was listening to my ipod on the plane and just as my heart began to sag, the song "Constant" by Francesca Battistelli came on. The lyrics that really caught my attention go like this:

"Okay I really don't like change but I can't stop it.. I'm moving forward any way but with the promise.. You're the Anchor for my soul and thats all I need to know... You're my Constant!"

It really gave me comfort to be reminded that yes, things are changing but thats the way this world is. It's like shifting sand and always will be. But My God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!! [Hebrews 13:8]

Anyway... I guess I'm going to shower and hit the sack! Traveling wears me out! Not sure what tomorrow holds for me yet... but when I know, you'll know :) Prayers for Manny are super appreciated, as well as the orphanage and the girls I'm serving with here [Sara and Erica]. Prayers going up for you tonight too, sweet friend. Goodnight!

p.s. obvs today I completed #41 and #45 on my "101 in 1001" List which read: Visit a foreign country and Fly by myself. Orevwa!