what is normal anyway?

The past few days have been a whirlwind…to say the least. 

So incredibly grateful tonight to Jon and Ashley for ALL their help with getting my apartment in order prior to my arrival and since I’ve been here. Seriously. All their friends and our other neighbors, the children and the staff at the orphanage have done so much. It is so nice that this little apartment already feels like home and my kitchen is organized, thanks to Ash.

I will try over the next few days/weeks to get some more things in order around here with everyone’s gracious help and post some pictures. It’s a pretty great little set up and it’s nice being right across the outdoor walkway from Jon and Ashley’s home. For those who haven’t been here and seen it, it’s essentially a big cement home that has been divided into 3 apartments on the bottom that 3 different families live in and then up a stairway are 2 more apartments on the 2nd floor. For those really curious, mine is on the right of the stairway and the Barchus’ is on the left. Too much detail? Okay. Sorry.

The past few days have been wonderful, as I know you all can imagine and are not surprised to hear. Today was what I would say felt like was our first “real” day here with a little sense of normalcy setting back in with the kids and life with them. This is the longest length of time Jon and Ash have been gone since they moved here and SURPRISE, Tata joined them on their return. Now I guess we’ve begun what will become a new normal, although there is no normal. With 30+ kids around there is always something (or should I say, someone) throwing a little curveball for "normal" life here. Life will look a little different now but hopefully only a good kind of different.

Speaking of "normal", today for instance was going to be a normal Wednesday. We get to the orphanage and the children are all home from school in the afternoon. (Wednesday afternoons they have off.) We busted out some new games Ash brought back from the States. “I Spy” and “SLAP” or “SWAP” or something…I can’t remember now but before we could bust out the games one of the little girls had a couple of abscesses that needed drained and some attention so off we went to the clinic area that is now at the orphanage because of the new dorm (thank you GOD and BCN for this incredible gift!) and Ash held her while I took care of some of that. Jon was in the city about an hour away to go to the bank, since that’s the closest bank. Yes, an hour.

We taught the kids the games and then all played SWAP together (I think it’s SWAP…) and I only wish that each and every person could have heard and been around the table with us. The laughter. Oh my word. It kills me and it’s just about one of my favorite things in this entire world. (Betsy, Adolphe got giggling SO hard at one point he could barely breathe…that incredible cackle. LOVE!) Games were over for a little while so then it was time for Tats to work on some French vocab words. The kids and I did this for sometime, which is fun and frustrating all at the same time. It will come. I guess I need to quit playing SWAP/SLAP and study more…but where’s the fun in that? (In all seriousness, a tutor is being set up so please pray this is a great fit and that it works out well for scheduling purposes!)

Before dinner, the kids were showering, doing chores, studying and then another medical need became priority. Meds were gotten from the pharmacy in town and also for ringworm on the scalp one of the kids has and off we go to dinner. After dinner, another abscess (not lying). After some studying time, Augustin and Jon come in the meeting room and Augustin has this HUGE ganglion cyst on his hand that Jon took care of while I assisted. Seriously? Seriously. It was gnarly.

About the 3^rd procedure of the day in, Ash was holding the kid and said, “It’s so nice you’re here. Jon can be working on fixing the well and you can be doing this and I’m always happy to assist.” 

It was a pretty crazy afternoon/evening and this only paints a small picture of what life is like and an even smaller glimpse of what all of today held but as I fall asleep tonight my heart is literally overjoyed to be in this place. To love on these kids. To offer assistance when possible. To supply hugs always. To laugh until my sides hurt. To be the hands and feet of Jesus alongside others who are doing it so beautifully.

It’s always something new.

Never the same.

Sweat pouring down.

Many bugs, lizards.

Lots of laughter.

Some tears.
And always worth it.