Soapfest Wrap-Up

Soapfest was a hit!

When we got back from Haiti, I wanted to do something tangible- something to get people involved. I threw my very own Soapfest to get my friends, family and co-workers involved. I was asked by my boss not to be pushy with people at work. Me? Pushy??
I behaved myself, and my Soapfest box in the office filled up several times. In fact, all the donations from work filled an 18-gallon tub! Additional donations from family and friends filled another two boxes, plus peanut butter and school supplies to boot! I brought all the supplies to Carole and Carl's home on Monday, only to find I miss it. The clean, cool smell of soap permeating my home, my office, my car. It was like an instant air freshener that also brought back warm memories of Haiti and House of Hope.
It's important to do things to help, but you can't forget why you're doing those things.
The hygiene kits being assembled from the collected items will be given to people in the community who can't afford those basic necessities. Can you imagine? I could easily go on a short rant about how lucky we are and how much we take for granted, but let's end on a positive note: Thank you to all who helped contribute to Soapfest- I could not have done it without you!

Stirring Up Old Memories

In high school, I considered myself proficient in math. I took advanced algebra, geometry, calculus and trigonometry. But don’t let anyone fool you into thinking math is like riding a bicycle. It’s not. After almost seven years of not using any of those skills (other than the occasional tip calculation), I remember nothing. Nothing! This wouldn’t be such a big deal- since I obviously don’t use those math skills everyday- except for the fact that I’m studying for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test).

In high school, I actually enjoyed math. I know, call me crazy. But there’s something satisfying about solving for a defined answer. It’s not subjective. No matter how complicated or insane the problem may seem, you always want to get one predetermined answer. And it can’t be anything other than that predetermined answer. I remember having calculus tests with only five total questions. Tests that lasted the full class time: 90 minutes. Getting one of those answers felt like such an accomplishment.

With all these strange, almost sentimental, thoughts running through my head, I decided it would be good for me to clear the cobwebs in preparation for the GMAT. I figured I would remember basic algebra, making studying not quite so painful. Unfortunately, every time I open my study folder, a new problem stumps me; a new equation fuzzily surfaces in my brain that I have to rememorize. For example: the Quadratic Formula. I had completely forgotten this formula until Justin triggered my memory last night during study.

“Quadratic formula? That sounds familiar. It must have been one of those formulas I drilled into my memory because it was so important.”

But do I remember it seven years later? Heck no! I had to look it up on Wikipedia this morning!

Half-way through the GMAT math prep workbook. Three weeks until the big test. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

A House for Everyone

Has anyone else noticed that everyone and their cousins are buying houses? I sure have. My sister started looking at a condo about a month ago, and she put an offer in (that was accepted) a few days later. That same week, I found out that a woman I work with was in the process of buying a house. Then last week, I get a call from my friend Emily in Colorado who is in the process of buying a townhouse. All first time homebuyers. I guess that $8,000 is on a lot of minds lately. I know it would be for Justin and I. Perhaps we rushed into this house thing. Maybe we should have stayed in an apartment the first year and a half we were married. After all, houses are a lot of work. Especially our house, where we wanted to make renovations since the day we moved in.
But enough of that nonsense. Houses are great. I love our house and would not have wanted to be anywhere else the past year and a half. If we had not bought our house, we would not have had Kevin. We may not have become so involved at church. Therefore, we may never have traveled to Haiti.

I like to think we started the house-buying trend.

House, even though we had to gut the kitchen, want to finish the basement, and need new siding and windows, I think you're great. Thanks for putting a roof over our heads and changing our lives for the better.

Sponsors At Last

It's amazing how good it makes you feel to give.
When Justin and I got back from Haiti, we decided to sponsor one of the girls at HOH. We had decided on Charlene because of many reasons: she was the first girl to really accept me, she has some great facial expressions, and she's super cute. I couldn't wait until we were officially sponsors so we could buy her gifts and clothes, send letters and pictures. A week went by after we contacted the director of the orphanage. Then another week. Then three weeks. Finally last night we got the information packet in the mail. It was like Christmas!
Along with sponsorship information and payment slips, the packet included a picture of Charlene and her story of how she came to HOH. Needless to say, it was a heart-wrenching story. Her parents were poisoned, and her aunt and uncle were the ones who brought her and her sister to the orphanage. Sister?! Christmas came again! Patricelande, one of the little girls at the orphanage, is Charlene's sister! Justin's parents expressed interest in sponsoring one of the girls, so naturally, we're going to recommend Patricelande. When we go down in July, we'll be able to bring gifts to both girls.

A Friend for Kevin?

This morning started off like any other- I hit the snooze button three times before dragging myself out of bed, stayed in the shower for far too long, and had to physically push Kevin off the bed in order for him to wake up to go outside. (Yes, he sleeps on the bed now.) Once I let him outside, he starts barking. Not unusual. So I stick my head out the door and tell him to come inside.
More barking.
So I go outside in my fuzzy slippers with the spray bottle, prepared to scare him into coming inside.
More barking. (Please keep in mind it's 6:00 a.m. and the sun hasn't even come up. People are still sleeping, and I'm pretty sure a barking dog is going to aggravate the neighbors.)
As a last resort, I walk into the grass with the spray bottle, ready to give him a quick shot of water in the face. And then I see he's actually barking at something. (Those of you with dogs know man's best friend frequently barks at imaginary things.) There is something in the bushes of our neighbor's house. Probably a bunny. During the summer, they have a whole family of bunnies living in their kid's playhouse.
Not a bunny. I saw a bushy tail. A squirrel? The body looked too big for a squirrel. And suddenly I had all these visions of foxes and skunks. In an instant, I imagined what would happen if it were a skunk: Running to the house, Kevin barking his little head off, Kevin getting sprayed, me giving him a tomato juice bath with a clothespin on my nose... Turns out, it was nothing to be afraid of. The neighbors had gotten a puppy. It was hard to tell since it was still dark outside, but it looked like it could be a Siberian husky.
I woke up Justin to tell him the exciting news. His response: "I wonder if they named him 'Justin.'" For those of you unfamiliar with the background, the husband in the family behind our house is named Kevin. Unfortunately, we had already named our dog Kevin when we found this out. A little strange, but we thought it was hilarious. Not sure how our neighbor's feel about it...

I Left My Heart In Haiti

We're home! Ok, so technically, we got home two weeks ago. I've been busy! I knew traveling to Haiti would have an effect on me, but I didn't think it would consume me once I returned. Justin and I are addicted.

So let's back up. The trip was amazing. We had great weather; got projects done quickly and still had time to bond with the girls. Here are some pictures of our trip:

While we were there, two big events occurred. The groundbreaking for the new medical clinic occurred on Saturday, and the foundation was poured (by hand!) for Patti's school on Wednesday.

On one of the days, we got the opportunity to take a trip up the mountain to the Baptist Mission. We got to ride through the "upscale" area, look out over all of Port-au-Prince, and got to eat extraordinarily green "ice cream".

Despite the fear of tarantulas and the constant bite of mosquitoes, we loved it. When we returned home, I couldn't get Haiti out of my mind. Why couldn't we bring all the girls home with us? Why couldn't we do more to help the community? Why doesn't everybody know what's going on in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere? So we decided to move forward. We're going to sponsor one of the girls at the orphanage. I'm continuing Lynde's great example by holding my own Soapfest. We're helping build/paint the bunk beds at church. And, last but not least, we're going back! The moment we stepped on US soil, we were ready to turn around and go back, but yesterday, we made it official. We're going in July to help assemble the bunk beds at HOH!

Working Vacation

The past two months have gone by in a flash. The holidays few by, I've been incredibly busy at work, and I volunteered to help with a large project at church in my off hours. It's hard to believe it's the middle of February already. Where did the last two months go? I think it's time to slow down and take a much-needed vacation. Thank goodness we have one planned for next week.

Pastor Chad sent out an email to a couple church members back in early January regarding an upcoming mission trip. I've always felt compelled to share our blessings with others, and recently, I felt like we just weren't doing enough. Hearing stories from people who have spent a year in Nicaragua or a semester in Honduras sparked something in me. They came back changed- more mature, more worldly. I didn't feel as though I could pick up and move my life for several months to a year, so that got pushed to the back of my mind for a while. Thankfully, PC changed those plans on January 5. Justin and I decided to go to Haiti for a week long mission trip.

Emotions I've experienced since saying yes: nervous, elated, scared (there are tarantulas and 6 inch long cockroaches down there!), proud, excited and impatient. Now, a week before we leave, I'm finally ready. We purchased our DEET and toilet paper, gathered together our sheets and towels, and stocked up on batteries for my camera. I just need to work on my Creole a bit before we leave, and I'll be ready to go.