Internet, Cars, and Food...

...are so stinking fast in America! It's kind of awesome.

I arrived back in Dallas last night. I had dinner with friends and slept in a big comfy bed in a cool, air-conditioned house. I went for a run this morning that involved a lake and quiet cool air instead of dust and  car horns.

I forgot how easy things can be in the land o' plenty. I downloaded a You-Tube video in 23 seconds. I took a hot shower that had water pressure. I forget that houses have central A/C and every time the air turns off I think "oh, the generator stopped working."

I have broken about 3-4 different traffic laws because I think I am driving in Haiti. The roads are weirdly smooth.

I'm excited to be back. I miss Haiti and it's craziness but I think I am going to relish the sweet simplicity of predictable life here for a few weeks.

Just a few thoughts.

I hate cats...except for this one

I don’t like cats. I’ve always loved dogs, but I’ve never liked cats, not even a little. They are snooty, stuck-up, and “too cool for school.” They are the rich-kids of the animal world. As with all mammals, they are cute when they are young. Kittens are awesome. They are scraggly, clumsy, and just insanely adorable….then they become cats and lose all appeal. When we got Jasper I was in love with his soft fur and incessant cuddling. He was cute, but he was also a kitten. I knew the dreaded day would come when he would become a real cat and all the cuteness would go away. All kittens grow up and become snotty, boring cats.

Except Jasper.

This is the coolest cat ever. Perhaps the only cool cat. He is no longer a kitten (although not quite an “adult”) and still awesome. He is sometimes more dog than cat which adds to his appeal even more. He plays and romps around the apartment. He kills spiders and rips cockroaches to shreds. Although there is no way to prove this, I believe every mouse and rat in the area has smelled him and has run away in terror.

I envy his daily schedule. Wake up. Attempt to trip Katie and I as we walk around in the morning. Nap. Play. Nap. Snuggle. Nap some more. Eat. Nap. Bask in the warm sunshine. Nap. Eat. Snuggle. Nap.

At times he can be exceptionally annoying. In the past week he has shredded two full rolls of toilet paper (sadly I lost the picture of him proudly laying upon the large pile of destroyed paper.) He chews on our hair. He sometimes nibbles a little too hard. He tries to climb up our legs like they are trees. 

He has deleted emails, changed songs, and adjusted the brightness of my screen doing this. Stupid cat. 

He's never fallen in. It's really only a matter of time though.

But, then he gets all cute again and it’s hard to stay mad at him.

This summer he will be hanging out in Haiti while I am back in the states.  I will miss this little fur ball. I hope he is still cool when we get back. Even more, hope he doesn’t get out and get eaten. More than likely he will spend his summer in one big extended cat nap. 

Some Lessons Learned This Year

As the school year is coming to a close and I am exactly 7 days away from flying home and closing out my first year in this country I am beginning to think back over this year and all I have learned. Some lessons are silly, some may not make sense, some have changed me forever. 

So, in school teacher writing prompt fashion, here we go:

This year in Haiti I have learned...

...how to use a gas stove.

...how to properly wash and peel vegetables that may want to kill me.

…. that a drive shaft can fall out of a car.

…. that Haiti is the hottest place on the planet and it’s not even close.

…. how to drive in Haiti.

…. life isn’t fair and the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” is inexpressibly large and devastating.

…. some Creole.

….7^th and 8^th graders are the most awkward little people in the world.

… God has a plan for each of us and we should just say yes to it.

…. cats are actually kind of cool.

…. God didn’t make anything without a purpose, but he came close with mosquitoes.

….Air conditioning might be the coolest thing. ever. (lame pun)

…. beans and rice are awesome.

…. only one person can save the world and it isn’t you and it isn’t me.

….only one person can save Haiti; again, it’s not you and it’s not me.

….people matter more than tasks.

…. stuff is just stuff. Sometimes it causes more problems than it solves.

…. this world is jacked up. Not just Haiti, America too. It’s got big problems and Jesus needs to come back soon and wreck shop. 

….that we are made for community.

….that community is one other way that God shows his love for us.

….that Downton Abbey is an awesome show.

….that mangoes are another way God tells us he loves us.

….internet can be the most frustrating thing on the planet.

….walking is fun.

….how to play Pinchole and Ultimate Frisbee.

….when at all possible, don’t get stitches in a Haiti hospital

….my school is a cool place to work.

….I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

This is not an exhaustive list of what I’ve learned, but just a few that immediately come to mind. I’ve learned a lot and still have a lot to learn.