You Know You've Been In Haiti Too Long When......

Top 15 Reasons You Know You've Been In Haiti Too Long

1. You believe that 100% Deet is perfume
2. Your toenail polish melts and rubs off
3. You consider a Fiber One bar a meal and medication all in one
4. You can sleep through talking Haitians, roosters, dogs, heat, humidity, bugs, snoring, rain and thunder storms without benadryl
5. You stop putting on mascara because it melts off after 5 minutes
6. You come to believe that zits are beauty marks
7. You name your mosquito bites and then curse them by name when you wake up itching them
8. You crave rice with bean sauce and don't mind the little bugs you find in each bite
9. You can't remember what peanut butter tastes like without a jalapeno kick to it (that's how they made it here)
10. You don't flinch when a gecko runs over your foot at dinner
11. You can diagnose indigestion and prescribe tums before your patient even speaks
12. You sit down on the toilet and the first thing that comes to mind is "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down"
13. You feel insanely guilty for taking a shower longer than 3 minutes
14. You don't know how you'll go back home and sleep without mosquito netting over your bed
15. You don't cry every time you drive through the city and witness extreme destruction and poverty

Well only a few more days left. I miss Garlan so very much but at the same time I'm not ready to leave. I feel so useful here and don't want to give that feeling up. Last night we had the worse rain and thunder storm that I've ever witnessed here. The rain continued on and off through the day. That made it hard to sleep as you know that thousands of people have nothing but a tent or little tarps to live in right now. I read online today that there were several mud slides. Someone said our driver had two friends killed in one mud slide but I'm not sure if that is true. It doesn't seem fair that these people have to go through so much. It's like they don't have a break from devastation. I know the Lord is aware of them and I'll continue to pray that tender mercies will find these people.

On a lighter note my team threw me a surprise "wedding shower" tonight. I came in for team meeting to find balloons, rice crispy treats with candles and the letters A & G on them, presents, and lots of fun advice and love. I'm so grateful for such wonderful friends! I feel truly blessed to have had so many fun experiences in life but also to have met such wonderful people along the way. Most of them have helped to change and shape who I am and don't even know it. It definitely was a highlight to my day!