My mom.

My mom is on her way to Haiti right now to spend a week with us. She's bringing our excellent friend Israel with her. Side note: Israel was the ringbearer in Nick and I's wedding almost 10 years ago... now he's in college and is all grown up.

Here's why I am excited the most about my mom visiting me--
She gets to meet Jean Louis, Jerry, Yves, and Sandy for the first time!
She will get to see Prisca, Wildarne and Fritzie for the second time!
And she she will get to see Nia, Nico and Jos for the jillionth time!
She will bring me presents! Err... I mean, she will get to see me and Nick for the majillionth time!

Having our extended family bought into our lives here in Haiti is a huge part of the redemption process for our kids. Because let's face it, our kids have a lot of people coming and going in their lives. Visiting teams. More lately, aid workers. Friends of families who live here. And they love the visitors-- it's fun for them.

But the redemption part happens when people don't just come, but they go. And then they come again. And then they go. And then they come again. And then they go... When this happens, our kids (who all suffer with abandonment issues in varying degrees) begin to learn that there are people that will come and go. But then there also are people who will come and go, and come again. And they will need to go, but they will always come again. And as that process happens a few times, they learn (and frankly, as a missionary in the same position as a lot of my kids-- I too struggle with the numerous goodbyes) that there's this special group of people that we consider family. And no matter how often they come and go, they always love you and they are always for you. (And fyi- these people aren't always related to you, but knitted together as family by the hand of God.)

I am excited about my mom coming today because ALL 10 of my kids call her Nana. It's not something that I taught them to do, they just heard Nia, Nico and Josiah call her that and it just spread. When I mentioned to my kids last month that Nana was coming for a visit, there were cheers and much jubilation all around! Prisca, Fritzie and Wildarne started talking about all their "Nana memories" and started telling the others all about it with smiles and laughter. My heart melted.

I will post some pics later on today when Nana arrives!