New Friends!

A few weeks ago Nick was sitting at an airport when he received a phone call from some random guy saying he thought we were neighbors and wanting to know if we could meet.

This may sound a little creepy to some of you, but when you live in Haiti, finding other people close by that speak English is few and far between.

Next thing I know Nick pulls through the gate with this couple and starts giving them a tour.  It took me a while to finish the task I was working on, but I eventually made my way over to start talking to them.  They were great and we really liked them, but even though we said we'd get together again, we weren't expecting it to actually happen.  It's just something you say in Haiti, "It was nice to meet you, we should hang out some time." But nobody actually does because we are all too busy.  Nick put their number in our phone under their organization because we couldn't even remember their names when they left.  I know, we are awful, but we have A LOT of people pass through here (126 volunteers this summer)!

These guys were different though!  We actually have seen them again.  We have gotten together with them now a few times, which is amazing.

They even invited us and our crew over to their place for lunch!  This was the first time since being in Haiti that we've been invited anywhere.  Jessica made an amazing lunch and we had a fun time hanging out.

Everything was going well until Eventz found a wet, bright red, paint roller and started painting himself and their patio.  Then Wedly followed with an explosive diaper that got EVERYWHERE and was in need of a bath.

We kind of thought after that lunch date they'd be done with us, realize we come with baggage, and move on!  They must be just as desperate for friends as we are because they've stuck around.

Last week Nick and I needed to go to the DR to buy some supplies so we asked them to go with us.  Brandon was busy that day, but Jessica hopped on the opportunity to have a good lunch and go to what we were promising to be an amazing grocery store (probably not so amazing to any of you reading this, but to us, words can't explain)!

We picked her up and headed to the border which is about 1 hour away.  Our first stop was to buy clothes hangers.  Yes, we have to go to a foreign country for hangers!  That was followed by the hardware store, and then lunch!  It's always so great to get out and have new exciting food, something we took for granted living in the States.

After eating an amazing lunch, we went to the giant (about the size of a gas station for you guys but giant for us) grocery store!  Nick and I always go "a little crazy" when we are there.  We can't help it.  They have canned fruit, juice, boneless skinless chicken, chips, yogurt that actually has to be refrigerated, cheese that doesn't taste like plastic and isn't pre-sliced, and SO MUCH MORE!  We ended up getting 2 grocery carts full of food and snacks!  In our defense, we were buying some stuff for the other staff here, but a lot of it was for us! Now before you judge, the grocery carts are much smaller than you'd have in the States, so we aren't THAT bad!

But Man has it been nice these past few days having Juice!  Normally people come up to eat and we can offer them water or water.  Now we have so many options to choose from and we have been drinking juice with EVERY meal.  It's great!  We miss juice.  We miss drinking varieties and are sick of water!

Jessica did well herself and packed one cart for them.  She was a little jealous that since we knew the layout of the store and there was two of us, I was able to go ahead of her and grab some of the good stuff before she got there.  She has already told me that next time she's throwing punches.  The boys will follow with the carts as we run through the store grabbing stuff as fast and we can, shoving it into our carts!

Jessica, it's on like donkey kong!!

We are so thankful to finally have some friends and have a way to "get away" and not talk or think about work.  When we hang out with them it feels so normal.  Normal doesn't come easy here!  We are so thankful that they contacted us a few weeks ago!  Now we're just hoping we don't scare them away!

Check out their blog www.brandonandjessica.org

Thanks Jessica for the great pics... yes I stole them from your blog!