May 2009 trip- first day

We flew out of Atlanta on Saturday, May 23rd. A lot like our February trip it took much longer to get to Haiti than planned. After delayed flights and a flat tire in the city we once again pulled up to Coq Chante after dark. It still amazes me the feeling I get when we top the last hill & can finally see the orphanage at Coq Chante. I would have never guessed in a million years that the mountains of Haiti would feel like home but it does. These people are now my family and friends and I love the time that I get to spend with them. The truck pulled up to the front of the orphanage & I stayed on the truck and watched as the girls sang. Even in the dark you could see the girls looking around for familiar faces. I got of the truck and Odette ran & found me. She was so happy to see me which is always a great feeling. She held my hand as I went around and hugged necks and kissed sweet faces that I have missed. It is so fun to watch the new people as they experience their first few minutes at Coq Chante. Odette then pulled me to the side and started asking me a question about Taylor, Abby and Molly. I thought she was asking where they were & I told her they were home in the United States with her daddy and she said no & repeated the same question again. I took her to Kevin to have her say the same thing to him & he said that she wanted to know when she was going to go home with me to live with Taylor, Abby and Molly. He told her that we were working hard to get her home and that it would hopefully be around December. She was so happy after that answer & of course I had to turn around and have a good cry for a minute. I know she must wonder and worry if this is ever really going to happen and it was great to be able to reassure her that it is and to see how much she really wants to live with us.

We all headed up to the girls rooms to visit & Odette drug me to her room. I laid on her bed & she said "Mommy fatige? (tired)" and I told her I was and it was almost time for bed and she said she was not tired. Since it was late we only stayed a little while with the girls and then we loaded up on the new truck headed for Kamatin for the night. Before Gina and I were even off the truck, Odette and Benita had run up to our room from last time and were sitting on their beds waiting for us. It was great to curl up next to her in bed again. I had so missed this girl!