How a Missionary Family Spends a Month in America

Since moving to Haiti in October 2012, we've never travelled to the U.S. for just a break. Our trips have always had a purpose: Nathaniel's surgeries as a baby, speaking engagements or other work to gain support for the mission, Thérèse's birth, weddings, a funeral, etc. So though this trip has a vacation scheduled into it, here's a peek at what a missionary family does their first time in the U.S. after 7 months.

April 16: Fly to ATL

 April 17-19: Long overdue marriage retreat in ATL

April 19-21: Life Teen missionary end-of-year retreat at Life Teen's Camp Covecrest in GA

April 21-23: Life Teen bi-annual staff & missionary retreat at Life Teen's Camp Hidden Lake, also in GA

April 23-26:  4 doctor's appointments and catching up with dear friends at Covecrest, including Nathaniel's Godparents

April 26-May: 1 First family vacation (since our honeymoon) in North Carolina, thanks to a generous mission partner

May 1-May 4: Driving to another part of N.C. for Paul's niece and Goddaughter's First Communion

May 4-8: Fly to Boston. Borrow a car to see family and friends and prepare to be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. And visit our home parish and Thérèse's Godparents. Oh, and our dear friend Kevin get's to meet Thérèse!

May 9 & 10: Friend's wedding mass, reception & festivities

May 12 back to Haiti!


Somewhere in our free time we have to get dental checkups, pay bills, file our taxes late, figure out health insurance stuff, contact mission partners and hopefully have Nathaniel poop-trained (he's got #1 down). And, yes, missionary's do normal things so maybe Paul and I will get professional haircuts and I'll get my bushy eyebrows waxed and get a pedicure! 

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