Life is a funny thing. When you look at the road stretching out before you, it looks like it's blocked with obstacles and covered in a thick fog, but when you look back on that same stretch of road, you realize that it was just a few children's toys on the road, and the fog was only on your glasses and all you had to do was wipe them.......
ACT 1
SCENE 1
( curtain opens)
-----I want you to go to Haiti, to an orphanage called God's Littlest Angels.
-But Haiti's dangerous.
-----I will make it safe. You will have security.
-But it has a terrible reputation. People will think we're crazy.
-----I want you to go to Haiti, to an orphanage.....
-They say it's the kidnapping capital of the world.
-----You will have security. S E C U R I T Y
-It's in the top five poorest countries in the world. Will there be food?
-----There will be food left over each and every day.
-There's very little to no health care there. What if something happens?
-----You're married to a nurse. There's a nurse full time on staff. The doctor comes every Wednesday, so you don't even have to drive to one like you would in wealthy North America.
-Cool.....very cool..... what about when I'm travelling every day to Fort Jacques?
-----Yes, I have that covered, too. From the time that you arrive within these gates until the time you leave, you will NEVER be more than earshot from a former EMT from Calgary Ambulance. How's that?
-Awesome. But what about communicating with back home?
-----You will be able to use the internet every day, and the phone, too.
-But people won't understand. They never do, because they just don't experience the same things.
-----So write a blog.
-They say the airport is kind of scary to navigate....
-----You will meet up with three others in Fort Lauderdalewho are going to the SAME PLACE who are equally as scared. You can hold hands.
( curtain closes)
FINAL SCENE
( curtain opens )
-----It's time to go, now.
-But it's hard. We'll never see some of these people ever again. (tick, tick, tick)
-----I know, but your life is in Canada. This was just temporary, remember?
-But we didn't know that we were going to spend 6 hours a day with one kid who is the most adorable kid we could ever imagine, even though he's a spit-up propulsion expert.
-----It's time to go now.
-But we will never see him again. Ever. (tick, tick, tick, tick, tick)
-----Say goodbye.......
( curtain closes )
Live like there's no tomorrow.
Love extravagantly.
Leave a lot to be followed.
Goodbye ordinary.
(taken from Goodbye Ordinary, sung by Mercyme )
2 comments:
Hi Garner and Michelle,
I'm sure you are surprised to see a comment from me..."who is Andrea??" you're thinking. And how does she know about our trip to GLA? Well, my brother Steve sent me the link to your blog, knowing that GLA and Haiti has a VERY special spot in my heart, and that I might be interested in reading about your experiences there. As I read through your adventures it brings back such fond memories of my time there, love for the kids I spent time with, as well as a deep pain for the people of Haiti. They experience poverty in a way that we, in our comfortable lives, have never come remotely close to experieincing. It makes me cry thinking about it, and how helpless I feel sometimes...is there any hope that it will get better for them. Anyways. I am not writing a note to cry to you, but rather to thank you. Thank you for taking that step out of your comfort box to go to Haiti in the first place. Thank you for taking the time to love the children of GLA in a way that seems so simple to us, but in a way that they so desperately need. Thank you for the stories of things that only happen in Haiti that brought me laughter to read about (like squeezing your truck into a spot in traffic not even big enough for your quad!). And thank you for taking the time to share with us the experiences you had there. Gods blessing to you as you readjust to life in AB (which I'm sure will not be completely easy).
Andrea DeVries
Dear Garner & Michelle. Sorry our computer was down for over a week & Cam just brought it back this AM. So Mom & I have just read your last blogs. VERY WELL PUT >>> You both have a way with words. ~~~~~~two boxes of kleenex later !!!! (Mom only). It must be hard to leave. You said you would never see some of these people again and never see the special one again ( although they are all special ). But God works in mysterius ways.Your own Grandmother never thought she would ever see her daughter again, let alone you Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren. Life takes all kinds of twists and turns. And if it is not meant to be in this life , perhaps you will meet again in eternity . So any ways~~~ WELCOME BACK HOME . It looks like by hook or by crook I was the first comment in this book , and now possibly also the last. Love you lots Dad & Mom H.
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