Day 228.

Today, I...

saw what happens when your bus breaks down. You file out the front, the driver gives you back your change, and you wait until the next bus comes. Then you ride a bus that's twice as full as it should be and arrive at your destination roughly 30 minutes late.

missed school.

realized I am going to miss the incredible wisdom that comes out of 13-year-old mouths. I gave my girls an essay prompt in typing class, asking them to write what they would do if they had a billion dollars. Everyone immediately wrote how they would build a house for their parents, "to get them out of this place." Many wrote about adopting every black baby in Haiti, creating homeless shelters, constructing institutions for alcoholics and drugs addicts, and of course -- if there was any left over -- buying shoes and clothes and plane tickets to Paris. One student turned to me and said, "Hannah, I think the reason God doesn't give us all this money is because then we'd be so caught up in doing all of these things that we'd forget about Him. I think maybe it's better if we just stay poor like we are now." How am I supposed to leave this place four weeks from today?

learned from Karen, one of my girls who has a one-year-old girl of her own, that no public hospital offers epidurals. She and I went to visit Nazareth, my star math student who is currently starting her 41st week of pregnancy. When I (with a shocked face) asked Karen why on earth this country expects its (mostly) young mothers to withstand such pain, she looked at me almost incredulously and said, "Do you know how much those things cost?"

smiled as I heard this mantra throughout my math class, "Por Tanya...por Suyen...por Jeremy..." Two of my five students have children and another is about to pop. As the sun blazed through the windows of the Refuge, threatening to burn every ounce of concentration, my student-mothers kept repeating why they were there: "For Tanya...for Suyen...for Jeremy..." These are the names of their children.

- Hannah

Day 227.

Today, I...

saw the illuminating glow of facebook for the first time in a long time. To be completely honest, it was not nearly as fulfilling as I anticipated. I guess I'm -- what's that word again -- maturing...?

missed being with my family on Easter. I missed flowering the cross at WPC, I missed searching for my Easter basket among the tops of shelves (my parents always hide them depending on one's height. Mine tends to be on top of the fridge), I missed seeing a crocus bloom.

realized I am going to miss being pampered by Kathy. Today she made us a chocolate cake that was simply divine.

learned how friendly the DePaul class of 2014 is! As I plunge further on my roommate quest, I'm stumbling across faces and future friends that I can't wait to spend time with.

smiled as thousands of miles away, my brother Henry proclaimed to me, "He is risen!"

HE IS RISEN INDEED.

- Hannah

Day 226.

Today, I...

saw a Costa Rican ritual on the news: make giant paper mache versions of Judas and burn them in the streets. That's not unnerving at all...

missed competition. I got to watch the Butler vs. Michigan State game on TV and the adrenaline, anxiety, and excitement all came rushing back at me. If any of you are in high school sports right now and reading this, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE. I know practice can be a pain, but it's one of those things that you consider a burden now, but you will look back and realize it was a blessing.

realized I am going to miss the weather. John Mathis emailed me saying that he and his family returned to the 45 degree drizzle of Washington while I woke up comfy cozy wearing nothing more than shorts and a tank top. Starting off the day with sunshine makes life so much less depressing.

learned that often times you don't get to know a person until you are thousands of miles away from them.

smiled at the anticipation of Easter tomorrow! My parents sent down peeps, I'm back on facebook, and the tomb is empty. Can't get any better than that.

- Hannah

Day 225.

Today, I...

saw a Good Friday procession at the Catholic church. It included a large plaster Mary:



missed having conversations where I don't have to include back stories to all of my tales. Last night I got to see the Mathis fam one last time before they left this morning, and it was so nice to just throw out names of Anacortesians without having to explain their role in the community. In other words, I miss the folks of my hometown.

realized I am going to miss how much I play my ukulele here. I have a feeling my future roommate won't be quite so tolerant with my pluckings.

learned what pineapple tea tastes like! Better than I expected, I'll say that much.

smiled as my inbox continues to fill with insight from my friends who are also my teachers and mentors. I haven't really asked for their permission, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I shared their thoughts with you...(if you do, just email me and I'll take it down!)

"Yesterday my two flower seeds, which I planted last week with my mentee, sprouted. It was one of the best things ever. I have to keep making things sprout. This is what I'm meant to do. Things, people, whoever, whatever. I need more life in my life. Spring is making me yearn so much. (I also had my first experience walking on stilts.)"
- Sarah Moses-Winyard

And that's Beauty.

A beauty that lifts like a song

strum across my emotions.

And you're the musician

who knows how

to make my beauty sing;

to coax forth my melody.

From that first note you struck,

my soul takes over;

transforming that ditty that I thought I was

into the grand overture that I am.

And as you round out the harmony,

we sing together.

Our songs, however distinct,

are somehow perfectly intertwined;

an everlasting opera.

Joy and Sorrow. Beauty and Pain.

And that,

that is the beauty of Love.

- Elisabeth Raff

- Hannah