No Other Place on Earth I'd Rather Be

The sun that had been hiding the past 3 days was ready to show her face again Saturday morning. It slipped through the screened windows of the guest house and danced around the room cheerfully waking us up. 

Stretching in the narrow single bed I feel a small body beside me. Sure enough, it's Jayden. He must have crept in some time during the night. Checking the time I realize breakfast will be ready in less than 10 minutes so as quickly as I can I get my two sleepy boys ready.

Breakfast consists of fried egg on toasted Haitian bread and it hits the spot. Right after breakfast it's time for meetings to begin between UCI and our visitors so I walk back to the guesthouse. Jayden soon finds some friends to sing and play with and it's fun to watch him interact.

It's Justin's nap time, so once he's resting in the pack and play, I get comfortable on the guesthouse veranda. The next few house I have some spare time to enjoy the sun and catch up on some writing.

Meetings last from 8:00 a.m. till noon when there's a break for lunch. After lunch they begin again till there's a break at 3:00. At this point we organize a spelunking expedition to the Voodoo caves. 

5:30 p.m. dinner is served again at the university cafeteria.

In the open field around the cafeteria a couple of boys are playing in the tall grass. They are very excited about seeing their pictures on my camera so I take a few and then show them.  

More meetings are planned after supper and they finally disband when it's very dark out.

Inside the guesthouse we wind down together by sitting at a long table eating peanuts, reading books, writing, working on building plans and sharing thoughts about our day and stories about our lives.

The fluorescent light bulbs flicker dimly overhead, the chairs aren't comfortable, the cement floor is muddy and the mosquitoes are biting, but right now, at this very moment, there is no other place in this world I'd rather be.