A rough adjustment

Today I'm feeling anxious, awkward, like a foreigner in my own country. My chest feels tight, my legs shake back and forth throughout class, and my mind races. It's been one week since I came back from Haiti and it makes me uneasy that I have 5  more weeks until I go back. I keep trying to assure myself that 35 days is really short, but each day that I'm here ticks by a little more slowly. The countless email checking, scanning over my planner, and replaying the math of how many days until I leave are all fruitless efforts in making the time go faster.

I know that God has me here right now and so I'm trying so hard to be here 100%. So often though, I feel like my heart and mind are stuck in Haiti and I'm just walking through life here in a half-conscious manner.

As I mentioned above, I'll return to Haiti in 5 weeks. This was a trip planned prior to the earthquake and the highlight of the trip will be introducing this passion of mine to my mom. Yup, that's right. My fair skinned, 50-something year old, resort-style traveling mother will be joining me on this trip. I'm so proud of her for giving her reservations to the Lord and allowing him to change her heart for Haiti.

As for news from Haiti. The children at the orphanage (OLTCH) remain outside all day and night. We are still working at finding both a temporary and long-term fix for them. Some members from the board of the orphanage will be in Haiti in about a week from now and will get an updated assessment of the situation of Haiti and specifically at the orphanage.

The nursing school is as busy as ever. There is a portable hospital being built on the grounds of the campus and should be up and running by the end of this week. News is that doctors are slowly leaving the area. Help has been dwindling down in the past week. There is still an intense fear for aftershocks in Haiti. The National Geological survey predicted a 90% chance of an aftershock over a 5.0 in the next 30 days. People remain sleeping outdoors.