Just wanted to get a quick update on the container situation before I leave for the US tomorrow. We talked to our broker while Stan was here. He said the ship with our container on it is now scheduled IN to Haiti on the 23rd. That means they MAY clear it between Christmas and New Year's. Which then means we won't get it until January sometime. Pray with us that it will come in God's time and the price will be more reasonable than it has been. Again, the Christmas Bags won't be given out in time for Christmas. Such a disappointment. But they will be given when we get them. And the kids will be just as happy whenever they do arrive.
Our team left yesterday. They were great. We enjoyed our time with them. They didn't really get to do what they came for, delivering Christmas Bags, but they did a lot of other things and saw a lot of missions. They adjusted well to the changes and we were thankful for that.
We are going to have Christmas with Vero and Abbie tonight. It's been hard for Abbie to see presents under the tree and not be able to open them, so she will get to do that tonight. I'll try to get some photos, and prayerfully be able to post a few.
Everyone here is battling bad colds and coughs. We have decided maybe it's something in the house, but don't know. Guess we'll find out in time. Don is starting to clear up and Abbie sounds better, so maybe we are on the way to getting over this. It's been raining and cold (for us anyway), so maybe that had a lot to do with it.
I want to follow our daughter-in-laws lead and put a thankful list each time. We really DO have so much to be thankful for. God has brought us great teams. Through some very wonderful people God has supplied finances and food to distribute. We are very thankful that we have been able to help so many in need. We are especially thankful at this time of year to remember that the Lord loved us so much He sent His Son to stand in our place. We pray more and more people will come to the realization that God's sacrifice is our salvation. We praise and thank Him for His Love, Grace and for His Son!!!
May you be blessed beyond measure as you celebrate the most precious gift of all, JESUS!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Closing in on Christmas
Hello again,
Sorry it's been a while since I have been on. We've been so busy. Add into that, putting up Christmas decorations. The day before Thanksgiving, Vero said, "in two days we can put up the tree and decorations, right?" I had told her we had to wait until after Thanksgiving. So, that is what we did. Not as many as I have done in the past, but things are still "Christmasy". Abbie walks around saying Merry Christmas to everyone. We don't have to deal with "political correctness" here. We can keep Christ in Christmas. And He is. Abbie has her own manger scene, and talks about how Mary and Joseph had to find somewhere to stay so baby Jesus would have a nice place to be born. This set is so neat, and she is so happy, thanks to Wendy and Joe Karabensh. They gave her the set last Christmas. But anyway, here are a couple of pictures of our decorations. Abbie loves to watch the tree and play with some of the Christmas decorations.
Aside from getting into the Christmas spirit, we have a team here. They came to distribute Christmas Bags for Haiti. The glitch there is that the container didn't come. So, they have been finding other things to do. But some bags were brought in by MFI, and they have gotten bags taken out to one orphanage and to one church. But they are seeing and doing a lot of things, too.
My exciting news is that after the team leaves on Tuesday, on Thursday I leave. Our daughter and her boys are getting to spend Christmas at Disney. And I am getting to go with them. "Every Child Has A Dream" foundation is sending Donny and his family there. Donny has Cerebral Palsy and was chosen for this trip. Another bonus to this is that I have to be there a few days before they arrive, so I am going to spend those couple of days with my brother and his wife. (A prayer request here is for Bob, my brother. He is heading into chemo treatment for colon cancer.) I won't be here for Christmas, but I will return on the 30, with a team, and will be here for New Year's, which is the biggest celebration in Haiti. They celebrate Christmas, New Year's and their Independence Day all together. So, we'll have a celebration then.
Don has been so excited about being able to help so many people. He is heading out this afternoon to deliver food to yet another area. Supplies are running low, but we are depending on the Lord to provide what is needed. The homes he has been working on are coming along great. The families are so happy. For those we have been able to help, this will be a time of rejoicing. Pray with us that the Lord will continue to help us bless many more. God has used so many wonderful people to bring these things to reality. We are so thankful for all the help and all the prayers, too.
For now, I am going to wish all of you a VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS, and pray you are keeping Jesus at the center of all the celebrations. Remember, He IS the reason for the season.
Sorry it's been a while since I have been on. We've been so busy. Add into that, putting up Christmas decorations. The day before Thanksgiving, Vero said, "in two days we can put up the tree and decorations, right?" I had told her we had to wait until after Thanksgiving. So, that is what we did. Not as many as I have done in the past, but things are still "Christmasy". Abbie walks around saying Merry Christmas to everyone. We don't have to deal with "political correctness" here. We can keep Christ in Christmas. And He is. Abbie has her own manger scene, and talks about how Mary and Joseph had to find somewhere to stay so baby Jesus would have a nice place to be born. This set is so neat, and she is so happy, thanks to Wendy and Joe Karabensh. They gave her the set last Christmas. But anyway, here are a couple of pictures of our decorations. Abbie loves to watch the tree and play with some of the Christmas decorations.
Aside from getting into the Christmas spirit, we have a team here. They came to distribute Christmas Bags for Haiti. The glitch there is that the container didn't come. So, they have been finding other things to do. But some bags were brought in by MFI, and they have gotten bags taken out to one orphanage and to one church. But they are seeing and doing a lot of things, too.My exciting news is that after the team leaves on Tuesday, on Thursday I leave. Our daughter and her boys are getting to spend Christmas at Disney. And I am getting to go with them. "Every Child Has A Dream" foundation is sending Donny and his family there. Donny has Cerebral Palsy and was chosen for this trip. Another bonus to this is that I have to be there a few days before they arrive, so I am going to spend those couple of days with my brother and his wife. (A prayer request here is for Bob, my brother. He is heading into chemo treatment for colon cancer.) I won't be here for Christmas, but I will return on the 30, with a team, and will be here for New Year's, which is the biggest celebration in Haiti. They celebrate Christmas, New Year's and their Independence Day all together. So, we'll have a celebration then.
Don has been so excited about being able to help so many people. He is heading out this afternoon to deliver food to yet another area. Supplies are running low, but we are depending on the Lord to provide what is needed. The homes he has been working on are coming along great. The families are so happy. For those we have been able to help, this will be a time of rejoicing. Pray with us that the Lord will continue to help us bless many more. God has used so many wonderful people to bring these things to reality. We are so thankful for all the help and all the prayers, too.
For now, I am going to wish all of you a VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS, and pray you are keeping Jesus at the center of all the celebrations. Remember, He IS the reason for the season.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thanksgiving, Christmas 2008
Praise and Glory to God!!!
We are a bit late with Thanksgiving greetings, but want to combine them with our Christmas greetings. We have so much to be thankful for this last year. Yes, there have been the "downs" and "hard times", but don't we all face those every year? And hasn't God brought us through to rejoice another day? We've had hurricanes, floods, and other disasters, we've had medical problems, emotional problems, but we can still rejoice in the fact that God is God, and He is above all. In 1 Thess. 5: 18, it says, "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." It does NOT say, FOR all things... it says IN all things. So, in circumstances like the hurricanes, we pray, "God, make something come of this where YOU receive the glory." And we can rejoice, because so many people have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, THROUGH THE HURRICANES. What satan meant for evil, God allowed for GOOD. Our faith was lifted so much by the response to the request for help for those who suffered. Just ONE of the stories where help was given is in the picture attached here. This is Cequer and his mom, after they got the walls up.
Their house was standing after the hurricanes...until someone touched the wall, and it fell in. It was a stick and mud house and this man and woman had taken in their grand kids and then lost everything. We were able to help one of seven of their children (Cequer) rebuild them a home, of cement blocks. All because of the caring hearts of so many of you. A smile is worth a thousand words...it brought tears to my eyes to see her and her son after he started working on the house. She has a home and can care for her grandchildren. These two photos are from just before the final walls fell down, to where they are now. They have a roof to put on and doors and windows to put in. The right half is the one being built. The one on the left is the family that took them in. The roof is part of what we helped with.
Praise God for the help sent to them. And this story is repeated several times. Add to that, the amount of people we were able to help with food. Wow, the praises that went up when a family could feed their kids. These are just a few of the many, many praises we have had.
Now we add to that, those of you who have realized that the situation for the people here is going to take a long time before they are anywhere near self-sufficient again. We praise God for your continued help to help those in need. Our God is great, but the people He has used are also high up on that list for us. The needs continue, and God supplies, through you...and we are humbled by it all.
We have had some fantastic teams who have accomplished so much in so many areas, especially those who helped bag and fill so many buckets of food to deliver. I wish I could name them all, but we don't have the paper for that. Working in clinics, doing work in evangelism, working on churches, schools, homes, and the dorm, too!! The list goes on and on. And aside from the work they did, they uplifted our spirits a lot. We were blessed, very blessed, and so thankful.
We still have our prayer requests, I think everyone does. So we will share them. And we will ask you to rejoice with us as God answers them, too.
As we leave 2008 and enter 2009...we pray that the Lord will become a vital part of many things, not only in the US, or in Haiti, but in the world. Pray with us for revival to start and build mightily. Starting in hearts and progressing to governments. The time is short and we are praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in an awesome way.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thess. 2: 16,17.
Our special praise and thanks go to:
We are a bit late with Thanksgiving greetings, but want to combine them with our Christmas greetings. We have so much to be thankful for this last year. Yes, there have been the "downs" and "hard times", but don't we all face those every year? And hasn't God brought us through to rejoice another day? We've had hurricanes, floods, and other disasters, we've had medical problems, emotional problems, but we can still rejoice in the fact that God is God, and He is above all. In 1 Thess. 5: 18, it says, "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." It does NOT say, FOR all things... it says IN all things. So, in circumstances like the hurricanes, we pray, "God, make something come of this where YOU receive the glory." And we can rejoice, because so many people have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, THROUGH THE HURRICANES. What satan meant for evil, God allowed for GOOD. Our faith was lifted so much by the response to the request for help for those who suffered. Just ONE of the stories where help was given is in the picture attached here. This is Cequer and his mom, after they got the walls up.
Their house was standing after the hurricanes...until someone touched the wall, and it fell in. It was a stick and mud house and this man and woman had taken in their grand kids and then lost everything. We were able to help one of seven of their children (Cequer) rebuild them a home, of cement blocks. All because of the caring hearts of so many of you. A smile is worth a thousand words...it brought tears to my eyes to see her and her son after he started working on the house. She has a home and can care for her grandchildren. These two photos are from just before the final walls fell down, to where they are now. They have a roof to put on and doors and windows to put in. The right half is the one being built. The one on the left is the family that took them in. The roof is part of what we helped with.
Praise God for the help sent to them. And this story is repeated several times. Add to that, the amount of people we were able to help with food. Wow, the praises that went up when a family could feed their kids. These are just a few of the many, many praises we have had.Now we add to that, those of you who have realized that the situation for the people here is going to take a long time before they are anywhere near self-sufficient again. We praise God for your continued help to help those in need. Our God is great, but the people He has used are also high up on that list for us. The needs continue, and God supplies, through you...and we are humbled by it all.
We have had some fantastic teams who have accomplished so much in so many areas, especially those who helped bag and fill so many buckets of food to deliver. I wish I could name them all, but we don't have the paper for that. Working in clinics, doing work in evangelism, working on churches, schools, homes, and the dorm, too!! The list goes on and on. And aside from the work they did, they uplifted our spirits a lot. We were blessed, very blessed, and so thankful.
We still have our prayer requests, I think everyone does. So we will share them. And we will ask you to rejoice with us as God answers them, too.
- For the help to continue for these hurting people and their situations here.
- For health and strength for both of us.
- For our son and daughter-in-law as they continue this long drawn out process of adoption. That God would intervene and let their new son come home to them.
- For all of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, that the Lord would make Himself a constant presence in their lives.
- For Karen's brother as he undergoes chemo therapy for colon cancer.
- For the government of Haiti, that the Lord would put His Hand on it, and change hearts and lives for Him, from the president on down.
- For the president elect of the US, that God would be a guidance and a presence in all decisions made.
- For this coming year...that the world would start to see the mighty works of the Lord in new and miraculous ways.
As we leave 2008 and enter 2009...we pray that the Lord will become a vital part of many things, not only in the US, or in Haiti, but in the world. Pray with us for revival to start and build mightily. Starting in hearts and progressing to governments. The time is short and we are praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in an awesome way.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thess. 2: 16,17.
Our special praise and thanks go to:
- Missionary Flights, Int'l. for their unending service and help to all missionaries in Haiti, the Dominican and the Caribbean.
- Stan & Gloria Curtis for their team leadership, containers, unending encouragement and love and all the work they do 24/7 for Haiti.
- Our families for allowing us to follow the Lord and do what He has called us to do.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Back in Haiti
Hello again,
Well, I'm back in Haiti. I'd send pictures, but it's hard to take them under water. I came in on Tuesday and from that time on we have had RAIN...BIG TIME. It stopped long enough yesterday (Thursday) for us to unload the plane and get things to the missionaries. God really does have good timing. All the water is simply standing on the ground. It has no where to drain. And this isn't light rains, it's been pretty heavy and constant. Oh, and that brings cold here. Maybe not like you experience it, but for us, it's COLD. In the mid to upper 60's is like below zero other places. The damp makes it so much worse for the Haitians. I'm concerned we will be facing a lot more medical bills coming our way from people who can't pay them. The cold and rains bring on a lot of sickness, especially for those who have a poor diet to begin with and have no resistance to things like a simple cold. The type of weather we are having will cause many deaths, too. So, please, not only pray for the rains to end, but for the people to be protected from the effects of it.
I went stateside for a week to get some work on my back. Doc did a great job and helped a lot. But old age seems to be taking over...well, I know I'm not THAT old, but it's creeping up fast. Now we are down to learning to live with some of the problems, and thankful that others problems can be helped. I just have to learn to adjust to doing things a bit differently.
We are STILL praying and praying for our son and daughter-in-law's adoption. It makes me frustrated and angry and at times even furious that they have to fight so hard and can't seem to make any progress in this mess. And that is just me...I can't imagine how they feel, waiting to bring their son home and hitting so many roadblocks. And our new grandson is only one of many, many who have to wait on the whim of someone in government to sign papers. There are so many who have homes waiting, and families who love them waiting, and here they sit, in orphanages that are overcrowded and understaffed, while some bureaucrat pompously takes his time to sign papers. Well, that is my frustration talking. I know the Lord knows all about it and we have to trust Him to make these things work out. But it's so hard not to say, WHY???? Will you pray with us? Not only for the adoption to move along and get to the point of completion, but for peace, and joy, for all involved. It's been a hard, hard time for everyone. We need the Lord to move in hearts in government, and bring peace to those who WAIT!
Abbie continues to be a joy for us. She is definitely 3 going on 13. Her memory, here skills and her actions far exceed her 3 years of age. She is smart, without a doubt, but she is also wise beyond her years. She knows just how to work into every one's heart and soul. She loves singing about the Lord and doing her memory verses. Her mommy is doing a great job of working with her when she is not working. She is continually curious about life in general. A simple statement like, I KNOW God made that orange, but how did YOU get it? Or, God even loves the bad men, doesn't He? I keep thinking of the verse in Matthew 18:3..."And he said; "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." When I see Abbie and her insights and love for everyone, I think of that verse. She is not torn by circumstance, by prejudice, by hurt...she is simply following Jesus' lead. Oh that we could all be that way. And let Isaiah 11:6b become a part of our thinking..."...and a little child will lead them." Wow...Abbie sure does lead many.
This was supposed to be just a short "catch-up" note, but it sure didn't stay short. Sorry for my ramblings. I think I need to adopt our daughter-in-laws way of including praise items in my blog. She really is an encouragement to me, too. So, I'll start by saying, I am so thankful for the woman our son married. Through her blog, she has helped me to praise God, even in difficult times. And I'm very thankful for the wonderful chiropractor who has kept me moving (in many ways) in the right direction. And for MFI for all they do for so many, not just us. And mostly for our Lord, who cared enough to give His all that we might live and breathe and have our being!!! (I also love Christians songs that teach us God's ways and His word).
Until next time, God bless and keep your eyes on Him!!
Well, I'm back in Haiti. I'd send pictures, but it's hard to take them under water. I came in on Tuesday and from that time on we have had RAIN...BIG TIME. It stopped long enough yesterday (Thursday) for us to unload the plane and get things to the missionaries. God really does have good timing. All the water is simply standing on the ground. It has no where to drain. And this isn't light rains, it's been pretty heavy and constant. Oh, and that brings cold here. Maybe not like you experience it, but for us, it's COLD. In the mid to upper 60's is like below zero other places. The damp makes it so much worse for the Haitians. I'm concerned we will be facing a lot more medical bills coming our way from people who can't pay them. The cold and rains bring on a lot of sickness, especially for those who have a poor diet to begin with and have no resistance to things like a simple cold. The type of weather we are having will cause many deaths, too. So, please, not only pray for the rains to end, but for the people to be protected from the effects of it.
I went stateside for a week to get some work on my back. Doc did a great job and helped a lot. But old age seems to be taking over...well, I know I'm not THAT old, but it's creeping up fast. Now we are down to learning to live with some of the problems, and thankful that others problems can be helped. I just have to learn to adjust to doing things a bit differently.
We are STILL praying and praying for our son and daughter-in-law's adoption. It makes me frustrated and angry and at times even furious that they have to fight so hard and can't seem to make any progress in this mess. And that is just me...I can't imagine how they feel, waiting to bring their son home and hitting so many roadblocks. And our new grandson is only one of many, many who have to wait on the whim of someone in government to sign papers. There are so many who have homes waiting, and families who love them waiting, and here they sit, in orphanages that are overcrowded and understaffed, while some bureaucrat pompously takes his time to sign papers. Well, that is my frustration talking. I know the Lord knows all about it and we have to trust Him to make these things work out. But it's so hard not to say, WHY???? Will you pray with us? Not only for the adoption to move along and get to the point of completion, but for peace, and joy, for all involved. It's been a hard, hard time for everyone. We need the Lord to move in hearts in government, and bring peace to those who WAIT!
Abbie continues to be a joy for us. She is definitely 3 going on 13. Her memory, here skills and her actions far exceed her 3 years of age. She is smart, without a doubt, but she is also wise beyond her years. She knows just how to work into every one's heart and soul. She loves singing about the Lord and doing her memory verses. Her mommy is doing a great job of working with her when she is not working. She is continually curious about life in general. A simple statement like, I KNOW God made that orange, but how did YOU get it? Or, God even loves the bad men, doesn't He? I keep thinking of the verse in Matthew 18:3..."And he said; "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." When I see Abbie and her insights and love for everyone, I think of that verse. She is not torn by circumstance, by prejudice, by hurt...she is simply following Jesus' lead. Oh that we could all be that way. And let Isaiah 11:6b become a part of our thinking..."...and a little child will lead them." Wow...Abbie sure does lead many.
This was supposed to be just a short "catch-up" note, but it sure didn't stay short. Sorry for my ramblings. I think I need to adopt our daughter-in-laws way of including praise items in my blog. She really is an encouragement to me, too. So, I'll start by saying, I am so thankful for the woman our son married. Through her blog, she has helped me to praise God, even in difficult times. And I'm very thankful for the wonderful chiropractor who has kept me moving (in many ways) in the right direction. And for MFI for all they do for so many, not just us. And mostly for our Lord, who cared enough to give His all that we might live and breathe and have our being!!! (I also love Christians songs that teach us God's ways and His word).
Until next time, God bless and keep your eyes on Him!!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Another great day
We have another great team working here. First they did a fantastic job of putting up a roof in a day and a half. Actually only 8 hours of work to complete it. Then they turned to working at the dorm. Believe me, we are really getting "up town" with the dorm now. Our watchman's room (which he only used for storage), is now holding our chest freezer, a washing machine and it has a light in it, too. It's become a great storage place for water bottles, pop bottles and all the cleaning supplies. They also put a ceiling in it. To top off that, they added hot water for showers...this is something a LOT of teams will enjoy. And the gals did some awesome work of arranging things there at the dorm, painting the closets, and a whole lot more. Some of the fellows and gals painted the last two outside walls of the dorm. They all did an afternoon of evangelizing. And there is so much more, but my mind in on hold right now. You get the idea...they are awesome.
We've had two great weeks of people, for sure. And through all of this I wasn't a lot of help. I came down with something. Doc has me on meds, said it might be close to pneumonia. So, I'm laying low.
This team leaves on Tuesday, and I'm going out with them to get some work done on these old bones. I should be back and going strong after a few adjustments. While I am in Florida, MFI is having their banquet. I'll get to go to that this year.
On Wednesday, November 12, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in Haiti. At times it doesn't seem we've been here that long, at others, it seems longer. But we are where the Lord put us and we will celebrate in His leading.
We ask that you keep our son and daughter-in-law in prayer. The adoption is STILL not moving. Not really sure what the hold up is, but we are praying that somehow, someway, something starts to work out right for this whole thing.
We've had a lot of rain again. More than we need. And it has kept Don from getting out to some of the more remote places he wants to take food. It's been a blessing to hear how the help we have given to those in Gonaives is progressing. All they needed was some encouragement and some way to get the work started. God has used SO MANY wonderful people to help these people. We simply can't say thank you enough for all the help given.
Well, it's Sunday, and we have to get ready to go to English church soon. We keep praying God's word will go out in force in this nation and that people will turn to Him for guidance and help. Reaching out to Jesus and letting Him become their source of life is what we are praying for.
Till next time...God bless and have a Christ centered week.
We've had two great weeks of people, for sure. And through all of this I wasn't a lot of help. I came down with something. Doc has me on meds, said it might be close to pneumonia. So, I'm laying low.This team leaves on Tuesday, and I'm going out with them to get some work done on these old bones. I should be back and going strong after a few adjustments. While I am in Florida, MFI is having their banquet. I'll get to go to that this year.
On Wednesday, November 12, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in Haiti. At times it doesn't seem we've been here that long, at others, it seems longer. But we are where the Lord put us and we will celebrate in His leading.
We ask that you keep our son and daughter-in-law in prayer. The adoption is STILL not moving. Not really sure what the hold up is, but we are praying that somehow, someway, something starts to work out right for this whole thing.
We've had a lot of rain again. More than we need. And it has kept Don from getting out to some of the more remote places he wants to take food. It's been a blessing to hear how the help we have given to those in Gonaives is progressing. All they needed was some encouragement and some way to get the work started. God has used SO MANY wonderful people to help these people. We simply can't say thank you enough for all the help given.
Well, it's Sunday, and we have to get ready to go to English church soon. We keep praying God's word will go out in force in this nation and that people will turn to Him for guidance and help. Reaching out to Jesus and letting Him become their source of life is what we are praying for.
Till next time...God bless and have a Christ centered week.
Monday, November 3, 2008
A new face for the dorm
Hello again,
We have had one busy week. But what a week. It's been a joy having Stan and Gloria here. They gave the dorm a real face lift. These are just a few of the areas they accomplished. It's beginning to look like a home now. We hope the teams appreciate all the effort they put into this.
We have been praying the rains would stop. We have had rain, rain and more rain. Tonight is the first night it has not rained in a while. But the night is not over yet. We are still praying. It will need to dry out a bit before Don can get out to some of the really needy areas.
While here, we took Stan and Gloria out to visit Ray and Bonnie, some friends who work with Pastor Paul and Belle Romeus. They went along when Ray went to feed the people at the "poor house". It is actually just an empty old school building with cement desks where people come who have no where else to go. They were touched by an older lady who was in there sleeping on a cement table. We took them to the Asile (a well run place for displaced persons). The Lord worked that all out and tomorrow that older woman will be moving into the Asile where she will get proper care and medical attention. What a blessing.
So much was accomplished in this last week, it's hard to explain. But it was all positive. We had a great, exhausting time. Don and I have both been under the weather, but we still enjoyed the time with our good friends.
We have a big team coming in tomorrow, so are looking at another week of working. They will work mainly with another missionary, putting a roof on an orphanage. What a blessing they will be to them. We'll keep you posted as the week progresses.
For now it's time to close and get some rest. Remember to keep Jesus as your focus and let Him be your guide in all you do. We are praying for the election tomorrow. We are praying God has His Hands on it. Have a super great day and keep praising God!!
We have had one busy week. But what a week. It's been a joy having Stan and Gloria here. They gave the dorm a real face lift. These are just a few of the areas they accomplished. It's beginning to look like a home now. We hope the teams appreciate all the effort they put into this.
We have been praying the rains would stop. We have had rain, rain and more rain. Tonight is the first night it has not rained in a while. But the night is not over yet. We are still praying. It will need to dry out a bit before Don can get out to some of the really needy areas.While here, we took Stan and Gloria out to visit Ray and Bonnie, some friends who work with Pastor Paul and Belle Romeus. They went along when Ray went to feed the people at the "poor house". It is actually just an empty old school building with cement desks where people come who have no where else to go. They were touched by an older lady who was in there sleeping on a cement table. We took them to the Asile (a well run place for displaced persons). The Lord worked that all out and tomorrow that older woman will be moving into the Asile where she will get proper care and medical attention. What a blessing.
So much was accomplished in this last week, it's hard to explain. But it was all positive. We had a great, exhausting time. Don and I have both been under the weather, but we still enjoyed the time with our good friends.
We have a big team coming in tomorrow, so are looking at another week of working. They will work mainly with another missionary, putting a roof on an orphanage. What a blessing they will be to them. We'll keep you posted as the week progresses.
For now it's time to close and get some rest. Remember to keep Jesus as your focus and let Him be your guide in all you do. We are praying for the election tomorrow. We are praying God has His Hands on it. Have a super great day and keep praising God!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
A quick peek...
I wanted to share what is happening now, here and in the states. The first two pictures are from Indiana, where they were loading our NEXT container. This one is on the way already. Stan, with a lot of help, finished loading that before he brought Gloria down here for this week. A lot of work goes into getting these wonderful supplies to us in Haiti. We are so thankful for everyone who helps in many ways to get these here. These pictures were taken at Seedline, the same place we get our scriptures for Haiti. This is where Stan loads the containers. Seedline is a blessing in so many ways. Also you will see some of the wonderful people who have donated the much needed supplies, like peanut butter and all the Christmas bags. A blessing in so many ways.
These next two pictures are just the start of what Stan and Gloria are doing to the dorm. They painted the whole inside of the dorm, with the help of some of "our kids". Now they are doing a whole redecorating job. This will be like a first class hotel when they finish. Gloria sure has the knack for the job. And she brought all of the wonderful "homey" things, too. I will wait a day or two to show you the finished product. Those of you who have been here before, won't believe the changes. We are moving up in the world!! Guess we will soon earn the old title some placed on the dorm of "The Haiti Hilton". 
You do realize these are the "before" pictures...with everything is confusion. But you will be pleasantly surprised by the wonders performed.
We have had rain, and rain and rain. This has somewhat put a damper on delivering food and supplies, but it is still moving out. And we are happy to get these delivered, since another container is on the way. God sure has been blessing us with the help needed to get things moving. And we do praise Him for it.
Stan brought down information and scale models for yet another new project. When we think we are at the limit, God expands us again. I'll have more to share on this with you in the future. But it's something looking good and would be a tremendous help for the people here if it works out the way it is set up.
For now, have a super day in the Lord. Let Him be your guide and keep your eyes and ears tuned to what He has to say to you. May you walk in the Lovelight of His blessings.
These next two pictures are just the start of what Stan and Gloria are doing to the dorm. They painted the whole inside of the dorm, with the help of some of "our kids". Now they are doing a whole redecorating job. This will be like a first class hotel when they finish. Gloria sure has the knack for the job. And she brought all of the wonderful "homey" things, too. I will wait a day or two to show you the finished product. Those of you who have been here before, won't believe the changes. We are moving up in the world!! Guess we will soon earn the old title some placed on the dorm of "The Haiti Hilton". 
You do realize these are the "before" pictures...with everything is confusion. But you will be pleasantly surprised by the wonders performed. We have had rain, and rain and rain. This has somewhat put a damper on delivering food and supplies, but it is still moving out. And we are happy to get these delivered, since another container is on the way. God sure has been blessing us with the help needed to get things moving. And we do praise Him for it.
Stan brought down information and scale models for yet another new project. When we think we are at the limit, God expands us again. I'll have more to share on this with you in the future. But it's something looking good and would be a tremendous help for the people here if it works out the way it is set up.
For now, have a super day in the Lord. Let Him be your guide and keep your eyes and ears tuned to what He has to say to you. May you walk in the Lovelight of His blessings.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A quick update
Good morning,
I wanted to get a real quick update on here before I leave for the airport. Our team leaves today and it's a sad thing. They have done SOOOOOO much work and accomplished so much for us. We just can't express how amazed we are with what these 4 people have done. The first photo is of them standing with most of the buckets they filled. They almost reached the 100 mark. You have to realize that they didn't just fill the buckets. They bagged rice, beans, cornmeal, sanitary napkins, they bottled oil, folded socks bagged laundry soap and a whole lot more. After doing all of that, they started putting things in buckets. And we have a lot of things ready to put into buckets when we get more. You are looking at MANY, MANY weeks of work that Don and I would have had to do. They saved us so much valuable time. Now we can start delivering, instead of working on doing this work. After getting these buckets and a lot of boxes of beans, rice and napkins ready, they had to move them into the containers, so they are out of the way for our next teams. The second photo is them loading the truck to take it all over to the container. They handled these heavy buckets many times after all the work of getting them filled. Tomorrow and Saturday will be spent getting a lot of these delivered. What a blessing this team has been to us.
On another note.... please keep our son and daughter in law in prayer. After thinking things were moving with the adoption papers...they have stagnated again. It's such a hard, frustrating time for them. They want their son home SOON.
We are praising God for holding off more rain, so the team was able to deliver some food and a few buckets. We have had nice weather while the team was here, except for one evening which kept them for travels. But they filled in by working here.
MFI continues to bring in much needed supplies. They have gone way beyond their limits in getting help to Haiti. The rest of the world forgets us, but MFI is still there, "Standing in the Gap". Praise God for them. Please keep them in prayer.
Off to the airport... have a super great day and think on the many things God has done for you. Keep Him in all you do today.
I wanted to get a real quick update on here before I leave for the airport. Our team leaves today and it's a sad thing. They have done SOOOOOO much work and accomplished so much for us. We just can't express how amazed we are with what these 4 people have done. The first photo is of them standing with most of the buckets they filled. They almost reached the 100 mark. You have to realize that they didn't just fill the buckets. They bagged rice, beans, cornmeal, sanitary napkins, they bottled oil, folded socks bagged laundry soap and a whole lot more. After doing all of that, they started putting things in buckets. And we have a lot of things ready to put into buckets when we get more. You are looking at MANY, MANY weeks of work that Don and I would have had to do. They saved us so much valuable time. Now we can start delivering, instead of working on doing this work. After getting these buckets and a lot of boxes of beans, rice and napkins ready, they had to move them into the containers, so they are out of the way for our next teams. The second photo is them loading the truck to take it all over to the container. They handled these heavy buckets many times after all the work of getting them filled. Tomorrow and Saturday will be spent getting a lot of these delivered. What a blessing this team has been to us.
On another note.... please keep our son and daughter in law in prayer. After thinking things were moving with the adoption papers...they have stagnated again. It's such a hard, frustrating time for them. They want their son home SOON. We are praising God for holding off more rain, so the team was able to deliver some food and a few buckets. We have had nice weather while the team was here, except for one evening which kept them for travels. But they filled in by working here.
MFI continues to bring in much needed supplies. They have gone way beyond their limits in getting help to Haiti. The rest of the world forgets us, but MFI is still there, "Standing in the Gap". Praise God for them. Please keep them in prayer.
Off to the airport... have a super great day and think on the many things God has done for you. Keep Him in all you do today.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The work continues...
Today is another day of rejoicing in what God is doing. The team has worked SO hard getting things ready to distribute. Well, today they were able to load up the truck and make one delivery. We had rains last night, so can't make the trips we wanted, but they will be going to one school and getting food given out there. We are praying that by Wednesday the roads will have dried out some and they can go to another school to get supplies there. 
Yesterday Pastor Mark preached at English Bible Fellowship. He had a great message for everyone there. He challenged us to remember our calling. But also not to put the calling before the "Caller". It was a great encouragement and something we all needed to focus on..jpg)
We got word this morning that our next container is loaded and ready to go. That is so good since we have almost distributed all that came on this last one. It's been such a blessing having this team here to help get things organized and ready to go. The needs are so great and our God is SOOO GOOD!!!
Just wanted to get this update out and let everyone know how God is working here. So many people to help and so many ways God is sending us to help them.
Isaiah 43:20b: ...because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen..." God IS our provider and He is working on the behalf of the people of Haiti!! We praise and thank God and we also thank the people He has used to help us. Have a VERY blessed day in the Lord!
Yesterday Pastor Mark preached at English Bible Fellowship. He had a great message for everyone there. He challenged us to remember our calling. But also not to put the calling before the "Caller". It was a great encouragement and something we all needed to focus on..jpg)
We got word this morning that our next container is loaded and ready to go. That is so good since we have almost distributed all that came on this last one. It's been such a blessing having this team here to help get things organized and ready to go. The needs are so great and our God is SOOO GOOD!!!Just wanted to get this update out and let everyone know how God is working here. So many people to help and so many ways God is sending us to help them.
Isaiah 43:20b: ...because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen..." God IS our provider and He is working on the behalf of the people of Haiti!! We praise and thank God and we also thank the people He has used to help us. Have a VERY blessed day in the Lord!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The bucket project
Greetings to all,
We have some GREAT news to share. First let me explain a few things about what is happening right now. Yesterday we had a small team arrive. They are from Titusville, Florida. What willing and wonderful hands to come at this time. They not only came to help, they brought a lot of things for the "Bucket Project". So, we have combined some of the things from our newly arrived container, some of the things we have purchased with funds God's people have sent, and some of the things this team brought. They started working as soon as they arrived. They sorted, stacked and arranged things to begin work today. It's not even noon and they have a full day in already. We praise God for the people who have helped this project in so many ways, with finances, items, and hands on. What this team is accomplishing would take Don and I weeks to do ourselves. We are so blessed. And in turn, they will be blessing so many, many people.
This first picture is early this morning as they started to get the buckets ready for filling.
This picture is just a few of the finished buckets. But they aren't closed yet because Don and Pastor Mark are out purchasing some corn meal to go in the buckets, also.
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This picture shows most of what we are putting IN the buckets. First and foremost are the scriptures (John/Romans, and tracts), then there is rice, beans, oil, spaghetti, peanut butter, tomato paste, a bag with soaps/lotions/shampoos, socks, Malox, tooth brushes, small table cloth, necklaces, tennis balls, and women's sanitary napkins. Missing from this picture is the corn meal. Now, as things run out, they won't be included, but the rice, spaghetti, oil, tomato paste and most important, scriptures, will ALWAYS be there. .jpg)
I just wanted to share with you how the project is going. We will be delivering some of these in the next few days. I hope to get some photos of that to put here too. We really are so pleased to have these great people here with us. What a blessing for us and the Haitians to have such willing hands to help.
Till next post, share Jesus love with others.
We have some GREAT news to share. First let me explain a few things about what is happening right now. Yesterday we had a small team arrive. They are from Titusville, Florida. What willing and wonderful hands to come at this time. They not only came to help, they brought a lot of things for the "Bucket Project". So, we have combined some of the things from our newly arrived container, some of the things we have purchased with funds God's people have sent, and some of the things this team brought. They started working as soon as they arrived. They sorted, stacked and arranged things to begin work today. It's not even noon and they have a full day in already. We praise God for the people who have helped this project in so many ways, with finances, items, and hands on. What this team is accomplishing would take Don and I weeks to do ourselves. We are so blessed. And in turn, they will be blessing so many, many people.
This first picture is early this morning as they started to get the buckets ready for filling.
This picture is just a few of the finished buckets. But they aren't closed yet because Don and Pastor Mark are out purchasing some corn meal to go in the buckets, also. .jpg)
This picture shows most of what we are putting IN the buckets. First and foremost are the scriptures (John/Romans, and tracts), then there is rice, beans, oil, spaghetti, peanut butter, tomato paste, a bag with soaps/lotions/shampoos, socks, Malox, tooth brushes, small table cloth, necklaces, tennis balls, and women's sanitary napkins. Missing from this picture is the corn meal. Now, as things run out, they won't be included, but the rice, spaghetti, oil, tomato paste and most important, scriptures, will ALWAYS be there. .jpg)
I just wanted to share with you how the project is going. We will be delivering some of these in the next few days. I hope to get some photos of that to put here too. We really are so pleased to have these great people here with us. What a blessing for us and the Haitians to have such willing hands to help. Till next post, share Jesus love with others.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
A huge praise....
Hello to all,
Well, today we are rejoicing. As many days as we were "supposed" to get the container, it didn't come. Well, on Thursday morning, Don headed in with some of our guys to unload the overflow container and bring it home. When they inspect the containers, they move everything from one container to another. I had told them the last time that it would not fit into another one, and they found out it didn't. When Stan packs a container, there is not an inch left. And NO ONE can pack it like he does. So we end up with an extra one with the things that don't fit in the first one. Then that afternoon, the container arrived here. We are praising God for it's delivery. We spent Friday sorting and getting things ready for delivery. What a job, but what a joyful job it was. Don made deliveries yesterday and today will do more. We are so thankful it is finally here and food and supplies are moving out into the countryside.
This picture shows what fun inspection can be. They take every box out and this time they looked into each box. Then the guys have to re stack it in the second one. They really, really worked hard this time, to get it done in a timely fashion and get home. Those guys were totally exhausted when they got here for a meal..jpg)
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Then when the container got here over a week and a half later, they had their work cut out for them again. This time they had to put boxes in the right places for distribution. They worked hard and did an excellent job. Notice all the boxes from "Feed My Starving Children". These will feed so many, many people. .jpg)
One of the missionaries was here helping us out and we loaded up his truck to help with his orphanage and his feeding program for the poor house. So many need help and we praise God that He sends the supplies for us to help those out..jpg)
Even after giving out quite a bit, Don still has a lot to distribute to the many he helps, plus the ones we are trying to help who are displaced or without any means to obtain food. A very hard ministry, but one worth taking on. Look at all the peanut butter that was donated. That is another really special blessing for us. And we praise God for the people who supplied it for us. It's a fantastic source of protein for the families.
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Well, we have another praise to offer here. It seems our son and daughter-in-law's adoption process has started on the move again. Please, please keep it in prayer. They need to have their son home.
Someone (not positive of the company) has donated tents to MFI for the victims of the disaster here. We have a few coming to us to help the ones we are working with. These will be shelter for those who have nothing, another blessing from the Lord!!
It's time to close out and get back to work. Just wanted to share our praises with everyone and let you know things are finally moving in a positive way here again. Have a great day and keep Jesus at the front of all you do. Remember what He did for you, and serve Him in whatever way He directs.
Till next time, or until He returns... our love to you all.
Well, today we are rejoicing. As many days as we were "supposed" to get the container, it didn't come. Well, on Thursday morning, Don headed in with some of our guys to unload the overflow container and bring it home. When they inspect the containers, they move everything from one container to another. I had told them the last time that it would not fit into another one, and they found out it didn't. When Stan packs a container, there is not an inch left. And NO ONE can pack it like he does. So we end up with an extra one with the things that don't fit in the first one. Then that afternoon, the container arrived here. We are praising God for it's delivery. We spent Friday sorting and getting things ready for delivery. What a job, but what a joyful job it was. Don made deliveries yesterday and today will do more. We are so thankful it is finally here and food and supplies are moving out into the countryside.
This picture shows what fun inspection can be. They take every box out and this time they looked into each box. Then the guys have to re stack it in the second one. They really, really worked hard this time, to get it done in a timely fashion and get home. Those guys were totally exhausted when they got here for a meal.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Then when the container got here over a week and a half later, they had their work cut out for them again. This time they had to put boxes in the right places for distribution. They worked hard and did an excellent job. Notice all the boxes from "Feed My Starving Children". These will feed so many, many people. .jpg)
One of the missionaries was here helping us out and we loaded up his truck to help with his orphanage and his feeding program for the poor house. So many need help and we praise God that He sends the supplies for us to help those out..jpg)
Even after giving out quite a bit, Don still has a lot to distribute to the many he helps, plus the ones we are trying to help who are displaced or without any means to obtain food. A very hard ministry, but one worth taking on. Look at all the peanut butter that was donated. That is another really special blessing for us. And we praise God for the people who supplied it for us. It's a fantastic source of protein for the families..jpg)
Well, we have another praise to offer here. It seems our son and daughter-in-law's adoption process has started on the move again. Please, please keep it in prayer. They need to have their son home.Someone (not positive of the company) has donated tents to MFI for the victims of the disaster here. We have a few coming to us to help the ones we are working with. These will be shelter for those who have nothing, another blessing from the Lord!!
It's time to close out and get back to work. Just wanted to share our praises with everyone and let you know things are finally moving in a positive way here again. Have a great day and keep Jesus at the front of all you do. Remember what He did for you, and serve Him in whatever way He directs.
Till next time, or until He returns... our love to you all.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
A few pictures
Hello to all,
I thought I'd add a few photos here to let you see what Haiti is now looking like over a month after the storms have passed. It's so sad. These photos were taken by Haitians who went down for two different missions. The people who went were so saddened by what is still unlivable conditions. I'll explain what some of these are....
If you look close at this first picture, you can see the man evidently dug out the dishes for their home. The woman is washing them in that filthy water. Next to him, the dirty ones, next to her, the "clean" ones.
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This next photo is amazing. That is a container turned upside down on that wall. That had to be HUGE force to do that!! Also note, the gates are standing, but the wall is about gone.
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Now remember this is over a month AFTER the storms had finished with their destruction. This WAS a road...now a river with vehicles piled up.
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You can see the path of destruction in this one...nothing left at all.
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This WAS the only road to the north...simply gone.
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You can see the need to pray is still very evident. The people will be a LONG time trying to rebuild what they lost, if they ever can. We praise God for the help we have received to help those we can. Some in Gonaives, some who are trying to relocate and find a new life.
Today (Sunday) we had a very good service in English Bible Fellowship. Our speaker was Pastor Saint Ange Monestime. He is a dynamic Haitian pastor who shares his heart in his messages. He used 1 Peter 5:5-7. His two points were to develop an attitude of humility and develop an attitude of trust and faith. He expounded on these very clearly and it was a great encouragement for everyone. And through it all, he stressed we can count on a caring God.
One upscale thing that has happened. We checked our empty LP tanks and found one full. I think the Lord must have done that...we didn't have one. But we sure are praising God for it being there. Isn't He Good???
Well, time to shut down the generator and get some rest. You all have a super great week. spend some of it serving the Lord, okay?
Isaiah 49: 16 ""See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands: your walls are ever before me."
I thought I'd add a few photos here to let you see what Haiti is now looking like over a month after the storms have passed. It's so sad. These photos were taken by Haitians who went down for two different missions. The people who went were so saddened by what is still unlivable conditions. I'll explain what some of these are....
If you look close at this first picture, you can see the man evidently dug out the dishes for their home. The woman is washing them in that filthy water. Next to him, the dirty ones, next to her, the "clean" ones.
.jpg)
This next photo is amazing. That is a container turned upside down on that wall. That had to be HUGE force to do that!! Also note, the gates are standing, but the wall is about gone..jpg)
Now remember this is over a month AFTER the storms had finished with their destruction. This WAS a road...now a river with vehicles piled up..jpg)
You can see the path of destruction in this one...nothing left at all..jpg)
This WAS the only road to the north...simply gone..jpg)
You can see the need to pray is still very evident. The people will be a LONG time trying to rebuild what they lost, if they ever can. We praise God for the help we have received to help those we can. Some in Gonaives, some who are trying to relocate and find a new life. Today (Sunday) we had a very good service in English Bible Fellowship. Our speaker was Pastor Saint Ange Monestime. He is a dynamic Haitian pastor who shares his heart in his messages. He used 1 Peter 5:5-7. His two points were to develop an attitude of humility and develop an attitude of trust and faith. He expounded on these very clearly and it was a great encouragement for everyone. And through it all, he stressed we can count on a caring God.
One upscale thing that has happened. We checked our empty LP tanks and found one full. I think the Lord must have done that...we didn't have one. But we sure are praising God for it being there. Isn't He Good???
Well, time to shut down the generator and get some rest. You all have a super great week. spend some of it serving the Lord, okay?
Isaiah 49: 16 ""See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands: your walls are ever before me."
Friday, October 3, 2008
Our own flood
Hello to everyone,
Well, what a day it's been. Don left very early this AM to make some deliveries. And I thought it was going to be an easy day and try to catch up on some work here. Abbie sort of keeps the work down to a minimum, but I did do some of the "left behind" work that needed doing. Then this afternoon, our watchman, and yardman came over. I figured the yard man came for his pay, but the watchman I wasn't sure about. They were both very excited and I had a hard time understanding both of them talking at once. Finally, I figured out they were saying they heard water running in the dorm. I grabbed the keys and started running over there. Water was rushing out UNDER the door. I had a hard time getting it open and getting in. I was ankle deep in water and saw a fountain flowing from a pipe under the kitchen sink. It had thrown bottles of cleaner and all sorts of things into the dining room. I yelled for the watchman to run and turn off the water. Then just stood there. The kitchen, living room and dining room were all flooded big time. I made a quick call to Don to get home...he said maybe 2 hours and he'd be here. It ended up being almost 5 hours before he came. I called Vero and had her get one of our girls over to help. Both Toto (our watchman) and Pepe (our yardman) helped use brooms, cardboard boxes, and whatever we could find to push the water out the door. Leah, one of our workers, came right away and started working on it, too. Even Abbie helped, well, sort of. I praise God the water didn't go into the bedrooms, although we couldn't figure out why it didn't. We had a REAL mess to clean up. We ended up tipping up the stove, to get the water out from the inside, moved all the furniture, and kept sweeping for an hour and a half. Then the girls started mopping up what they could from that point on. It is still seeping out from under the cupboards. The living room furniture has wet bottoms. Tomorrow we will put some of the things outside to try and dry them out. Nope, pipe isn't fixed. Don got home too late. But praise God we had a shutoff valve for just the dorm. The yard looks almost as bad as when we had the heavy rains. Even some of the people that come, looked in and decided no way would they get help today. What a fun time!!!
Still waiting on word on the container. Our broker said this AM that he still thinks Monday is a go. We'll see. Keep praying.
I am going to try and figure out how to download some pictures from my phone here. I took a couple at the airport on Tuesday and we laughed and laughed. This was the second time we saw this, and I finally realized I did have the camera on the phone. (I'm not very technically literate, so don't use it). They ran out of fuel for running the things at the airport. Well, they got a 55 gallon drum. With a hose, transferred the fuel to 5 gallon cans. Then, using one of the cones they put around the planes (so you don't get too close), they turned that dirty thing over, put it in the gas tank and poured fuel into the holding tank. The remark, from another missionary, "Well, we're in Haiti!!"
I am going to close and try to accomplish some work yet tonight before power is off.
You all have a super great evening and day tomorrow. Keep Jesus at the front of all things!!
Well, what a day it's been. Don left very early this AM to make some deliveries. And I thought it was going to be an easy day and try to catch up on some work here. Abbie sort of keeps the work down to a minimum, but I did do some of the "left behind" work that needed doing. Then this afternoon, our watchman, and yardman came over. I figured the yard man came for his pay, but the watchman I wasn't sure about. They were both very excited and I had a hard time understanding both of them talking at once. Finally, I figured out they were saying they heard water running in the dorm. I grabbed the keys and started running over there. Water was rushing out UNDER the door. I had a hard time getting it open and getting in. I was ankle deep in water and saw a fountain flowing from a pipe under the kitchen sink. It had thrown bottles of cleaner and all sorts of things into the dining room. I yelled for the watchman to run and turn off the water. Then just stood there. The kitchen, living room and dining room were all flooded big time. I made a quick call to Don to get home...he said maybe 2 hours and he'd be here. It ended up being almost 5 hours before he came. I called Vero and had her get one of our girls over to help. Both Toto (our watchman) and Pepe (our yardman) helped use brooms, cardboard boxes, and whatever we could find to push the water out the door. Leah, one of our workers, came right away and started working on it, too. Even Abbie helped, well, sort of. I praise God the water didn't go into the bedrooms, although we couldn't figure out why it didn't. We had a REAL mess to clean up. We ended up tipping up the stove, to get the water out from the inside, moved all the furniture, and kept sweeping for an hour and a half. Then the girls started mopping up what they could from that point on. It is still seeping out from under the cupboards. The living room furniture has wet bottoms. Tomorrow we will put some of the things outside to try and dry them out. Nope, pipe isn't fixed. Don got home too late. But praise God we had a shutoff valve for just the dorm. The yard looks almost as bad as when we had the heavy rains. Even some of the people that come, looked in and decided no way would they get help today. What a fun time!!!
Still waiting on word on the container. Our broker said this AM that he still thinks Monday is a go. We'll see. Keep praying.
I am going to try and figure out how to download some pictures from my phone here. I took a couple at the airport on Tuesday and we laughed and laughed. This was the second time we saw this, and I finally realized I did have the camera on the phone. (I'm not very technically literate, so don't use it). They ran out of fuel for running the things at the airport. Well, they got a 55 gallon drum. With a hose, transferred the fuel to 5 gallon cans. Then, using one of the cones they put around the planes (so you don't get too close), they turned that dirty thing over, put it in the gas tank and poured fuel into the holding tank. The remark, from another missionary, "Well, we're in Haiti!!"
I am going to close and try to accomplish some work yet tonight before power is off.
You all have a super great evening and day tomorrow. Keep Jesus at the front of all things!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A super article on Haiti
Good morning,
Don came across an article this morning that is so well written and so true, he wanted to share it with anyone who has Internet access. It is much too long to put here, but it is a great article that puts things in the right perspective on Haiti. Please take the time to go there and read it. This gal did a fantastic job.
http://www.californiaaggie.com/article/1392
You may have to copy/paste it to your browser.
Don's been "under the weather" for a few days. Our doctor came in on the plane yesterday with his family. They stopped on the way home to see Don. He has dehydrated, so Steve has him on some re-hydrating drinks, but other than that, he is on the up swing now.
We've seen that fuel is coming in more and more, so we pray that situation is lessening. But propane gas has not made an appearance yet, and that is a very needed item for the mission community. Pray with us that it comes in very soon.
MFI had a good flight in yesterday and brought some needed supplies. They are flying two special flights today and tomorrow with relief supplies for Gonaives. We will also have our regular flight tomorrow. They are really working hard to help the storm victims...keep them in prayer, too.
With some money received yesterday, we were able to help 3 families last night with food. Two of the families are still in Gonaives and one has been displaced here in our area. The needs are so great!!! But God is working out help through some wonderful people. Thanks to all who have sent help!!!
Okay, back to work. Keep our son and daughter-in-law in prayer. There may be a breakthrough in their adoption process. We are praying there is and that it will be very soon.
Till we talk again. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Don came across an article this morning that is so well written and so true, he wanted to share it with anyone who has Internet access. It is much too long to put here, but it is a great article that puts things in the right perspective on Haiti. Please take the time to go there and read it. This gal did a fantastic job.
http://www.californiaaggie.com/article/1392
You may have to copy/paste it to your browser.
Don's been "under the weather" for a few days. Our doctor came in on the plane yesterday with his family. They stopped on the way home to see Don. He has dehydrated, so Steve has him on some re-hydrating drinks, but other than that, he is on the up swing now.
We've seen that fuel is coming in more and more, so we pray that situation is lessening. But propane gas has not made an appearance yet, and that is a very needed item for the mission community. Pray with us that it comes in very soon.
MFI had a good flight in yesterday and brought some needed supplies. They are flying two special flights today and tomorrow with relief supplies for Gonaives. We will also have our regular flight tomorrow. They are really working hard to help the storm victims...keep them in prayer, too.
With some money received yesterday, we were able to help 3 families last night with food. Two of the families are still in Gonaives and one has been displaced here in our area. The needs are so great!!! But God is working out help through some wonderful people. Thanks to all who have sent help!!!
Okay, back to work. Keep our son and daughter-in-law in prayer. There may be a breakthrough in their adoption process. We are praying there is and that it will be very soon.
Till we talk again. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Monday, September 29, 2008
The container
Hello,
Just a quick note. The container was inspected today. They say we may get the container next Monday. Pray for that, and pray that the cost is reasonable, for Haiti, that is. We are rejoicing that the inspection did take place.
Keep praying....
Just a quick note. The container was inspected today. They say we may get the container next Monday. Pray for that, and pray that the cost is reasonable, for Haiti, that is. We are rejoicing that the inspection did take place.
Keep praying....
Monday morning
Good morning,
What a great day. English church yesterday was such an uplift. We always appreciate visiting pastors who are willing to teach. But yesterday was "one of our own" missionaries. Tom has a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of the Bible. I cannot relay word for word what he shared, but I can relate the idea he presented. They had been in north America for a couple of months. When they returned, one of his trusted workers was telling him about a Jackie Chan movie. He said, "Why do we Haitians put such stock in karate and in Jackie Chan? His movies are not true. He has a fight with 200 men and he WINS! This is not true." Well, Tom is not a Jackie Chan/karate fan. But he told this man, let's look at the Bible on this. And he went to 2 Samuel 23:8 - 11, and read the story of David and his 3 companions. In verse 8b, it reads, "Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter." Then Tom went on to other incidents in the Bible. One was when David killed Goliath. He took 5 small stones from the river and faced Goliath. An interesting point here, that I had never thought of...if David felt God was with him why did he take 5 stones, not just one? Then Tom showed us, Goliath had 4 brothers, and David did not know if he had to also take them down. But Tom told his Haitian worker, the difference between Jackie Chan/karate and what is in the Bible is GOD. God was on the side of David, and all the other great men who fought for Him. And with God nothing is impossible. Tom then called us all to be great men (women) of God and step out in faith and share what the Lord has done. He did a super job and challenged us to be warriors for the Lord.
I just wanted to share that with you and challenge YOU to be what God wants YOU to be for Him.
Pray for the container...today is the inspection and we are praying it goes quickly and the cost will be reasonable.
Have a great day in the Lord!! Keep smiling and let people see Jesus in YOU.
What a great day. English church yesterday was such an uplift. We always appreciate visiting pastors who are willing to teach. But yesterday was "one of our own" missionaries. Tom has a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of the Bible. I cannot relay word for word what he shared, but I can relate the idea he presented. They had been in north America for a couple of months. When they returned, one of his trusted workers was telling him about a Jackie Chan movie. He said, "Why do we Haitians put such stock in karate and in Jackie Chan? His movies are not true. He has a fight with 200 men and he WINS! This is not true." Well, Tom is not a Jackie Chan/karate fan. But he told this man, let's look at the Bible on this. And he went to 2 Samuel 23:8 - 11, and read the story of David and his 3 companions. In verse 8b, it reads, "Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter." Then Tom went on to other incidents in the Bible. One was when David killed Goliath. He took 5 small stones from the river and faced Goliath. An interesting point here, that I had never thought of...if David felt God was with him why did he take 5 stones, not just one? Then Tom showed us, Goliath had 4 brothers, and David did not know if he had to also take them down. But Tom told his Haitian worker, the difference between Jackie Chan/karate and what is in the Bible is GOD. God was on the side of David, and all the other great men who fought for Him. And with God nothing is impossible. Tom then called us all to be great men (women) of God and step out in faith and share what the Lord has done. He did a super job and challenged us to be warriors for the Lord.
I just wanted to share that with you and challenge YOU to be what God wants YOU to be for Him.
Pray for the container...today is the inspection and we are praying it goes quickly and the cost will be reasonable.
Have a great day in the Lord!! Keep smiling and let people see Jesus in YOU.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday Morning...
Good morning,
I sent out an update to our prayer warrior list 2 days ago, but forgot to update on here. Sorry. Not a LOT is happening, but there is a bit. We've seen some trucks that made it through from Port au Prince. They come caravan style to avoid problems on the road with both thieves and those who have nothing and are desperate. We think they were carrying staples, like beans, rice, oil, and those sort of staples. The problem is the prices of these things have gone out of sight. I understand them charging more, since they are taking risks to get them here, but it seems a bit extreme. And the normal Haitian can't afford those prices. There have also been some gas trucks who made it through. Fuel is coming in slowly, more like a trickle. But it's a start. No propane at this point, so we are still praying for that. And we may not be able to get it the first few trucks that come in, either. People are in a panic state for items they can't get. Yet, we know the Lord knows, and is in charge. Although things seem to be starting to calm down, the situation with the displaced people has not changed. They still have nothing and have no where to go. So, please keep praying for them and us, and all who are trying to help them.
Don has been a bit overwhelmed by the school costs. He is still trying to help about 15 kids with their schooling. He has gotten some of them started with the first payments they have to make just to get into school. They have to pay an "inscription" fee, which is a registration fee. Then they have to pay for the first month of school, then pay for uniforms (which are required here), then books and shoes. It's unreal what it takes to get a child in school here. Don has already paid quite a bit for these 15 kids he has helped, but to finish their fees to cover through December, he still needs way over $2,000 US. Then for the rest of the school year, he needs another $670. Parents here would sell their last cow (and their means of livelihood) to put a child in school. They feel educating their child will help them in the future. (The child can graduate, get a job, and help support the family). But most cannot afford to do it for all the years needed to graduate. It's sad that this education is costing so much here.
We have been able to help out more with food since our last update. Many, many have come up here from Gonaives. They have nothing and no where else to go. Helping with food is a first step. From that point on, we really need the Lord to guide and direct us in how, where and who to help. Please keep that in prayer.
The rains have finally stopped. Our ground is starting to recover from that onslaught. But within a day and a half, the roads were back to being a dust bowl. A lot of the roadwork was washed away and our roads are worse than they were before. So, travel take a lot more time. (and you acquire a lot more bruises from bouncing around).
MFI has been in and delivered much needed supplies along with the relief supplies they have been bringing. We are so thankful for them "Standing in the Gap" for everyone here. We have missionary friends who are praying for tents. They have so many displaced people at their compound and need places for them to sleep and eat. They are also praying for food to feed them, but shelter is important. They also have several churches out in the country toward Gonaives, where people have lost everything, even their church. They would like to go in and help out with at least food and shelter for them. Please pray for them.
We are doing okay...it's a struggle for us emotionally, and even spiritually at times, but we do know that God is here and He is with us and with the Haitian people who will call upon Him. Pray for us to be a good witness to all who come, even those we cannot help.
Keep the container in prayer...we've put down a deposit on it now, and Monday we are supposed to go in for inspection. It could take another week after that before we get it. Pray that it is released and the cost is lower than expected. And that we get it quickly. The first step is on the way and we pray for delivery.
Time to get ready for church. It is a joy to see the Haitians rejoicing in the Lord, no matter their circumstances. They love to pray and sing. It's very uplifting.
We know you face struggles, too, and we are praying God will meet your needs as you turn to Him. Have a super great Sunday. Our love to you all!!
I sent out an update to our prayer warrior list 2 days ago, but forgot to update on here. Sorry. Not a LOT is happening, but there is a bit. We've seen some trucks that made it through from Port au Prince. They come caravan style to avoid problems on the road with both thieves and those who have nothing and are desperate. We think they were carrying staples, like beans, rice, oil, and those sort of staples. The problem is the prices of these things have gone out of sight. I understand them charging more, since they are taking risks to get them here, but it seems a bit extreme. And the normal Haitian can't afford those prices. There have also been some gas trucks who made it through. Fuel is coming in slowly, more like a trickle. But it's a start. No propane at this point, so we are still praying for that. And we may not be able to get it the first few trucks that come in, either. People are in a panic state for items they can't get. Yet, we know the Lord knows, and is in charge. Although things seem to be starting to calm down, the situation with the displaced people has not changed. They still have nothing and have no where to go. So, please keep praying for them and us, and all who are trying to help them.
Don has been a bit overwhelmed by the school costs. He is still trying to help about 15 kids with their schooling. He has gotten some of them started with the first payments they have to make just to get into school. They have to pay an "inscription" fee, which is a registration fee. Then they have to pay for the first month of school, then pay for uniforms (which are required here), then books and shoes. It's unreal what it takes to get a child in school here. Don has already paid quite a bit for these 15 kids he has helped, but to finish their fees to cover through December, he still needs way over $2,000 US. Then for the rest of the school year, he needs another $670. Parents here would sell their last cow (and their means of livelihood) to put a child in school. They feel educating their child will help them in the future. (The child can graduate, get a job, and help support the family). But most cannot afford to do it for all the years needed to graduate. It's sad that this education is costing so much here.
We have been able to help out more with food since our last update. Many, many have come up here from Gonaives. They have nothing and no where else to go. Helping with food is a first step. From that point on, we really need the Lord to guide and direct us in how, where and who to help. Please keep that in prayer.
The rains have finally stopped. Our ground is starting to recover from that onslaught. But within a day and a half, the roads were back to being a dust bowl. A lot of the roadwork was washed away and our roads are worse than they were before. So, travel take a lot more time. (and you acquire a lot more bruises from bouncing around).
MFI has been in and delivered much needed supplies along with the relief supplies they have been bringing. We are so thankful for them "Standing in the Gap" for everyone here. We have missionary friends who are praying for tents. They have so many displaced people at their compound and need places for them to sleep and eat. They are also praying for food to feed them, but shelter is important. They also have several churches out in the country toward Gonaives, where people have lost everything, even their church. They would like to go in and help out with at least food and shelter for them. Please pray for them.
We are doing okay...it's a struggle for us emotionally, and even spiritually at times, but we do know that God is here and He is with us and with the Haitian people who will call upon Him. Pray for us to be a good witness to all who come, even those we cannot help.
Keep the container in prayer...we've put down a deposit on it now, and Monday we are supposed to go in for inspection. It could take another week after that before we get it. Pray that it is released and the cost is lower than expected. And that we get it quickly. The first step is on the way and we pray for delivery.
Time to get ready for church. It is a joy to see the Haitians rejoicing in the Lord, no matter their circumstances. They love to pray and sing. It's very uplifting.
We know you face struggles, too, and we are praying God will meet your needs as you turn to Him. Have a super great Sunday. Our love to you all!!
Monday, September 22, 2008
A small update
Hi,
Well, we heard some fuel came in yesterday. Many had to wait for a long time to get anything. Some even missed their evening church services because of waiting. We are waiting to hear if more has come in. The first few days will be horrible to get fuel once it does come in. So, we have a bit left, and we'll wait. We just keep praying.
I guess the radio station must have gotten fuel, since they have the generator on this morning. Either that, or they decided to run it in the AM and not this afternoon...we won't even try to figure that out.
I have to keep reminding my self that Abbie is only 3. When we were in the states, I got a book for preschoolers. It's basic letters, and numbers and things like that. Well, it has a CD with it. We put that on one of the older computers for Abbie. She can turn it on, get into her program, and work through all the different areas of the program now. I'm afraid she will pass me in computer knowledge the way she is going. It's amazing how quickly she picked it all up. And yesterday when I was trying to get her ready for church, I had a real time trying to tie her bows in her hair. I finally took them out to start over. She asked what was wrong. I said, I can't tie the bows right. Her response was, "Well then, I guess I can't go to church, huh?" I said why not? She said, "Well, if you can't tie the bows grandma, then I simply can't go to church like this." I got them tied, and she DID go to church, but again, I have to keep reminding myself she is only 3.
I am on the committee for English Bible Fellowship. This month was my turn to lead service. This was not really something I looked forward to. To arrange things, and be responsible for everything is a bit overwhelming, especially for me. I worked and prayed, and prayed some more. There weren't that many the first Sunday, but yesterday we had a lot more. God answered all my desperate prayers and it went fine. And our speaker did great, which helped a lot. It's been a lesson in obedience for me. Following the Lord and our leaders. One more Sunday and then I'm done for a while. So, still need some prayers for that.
Not much other news here right now. Still a lot of refugees coming north and people in desperate situations all over the country. It's hard for us, so I can't even imagine how it is for the nationals going through this. Keep everyone in prayer.
On a lighter note... we keep hearing that we should be careful what we pray for or what we wish for... well, I heard a joke that puts that into perspective. If you don't like jokes, just pass this by....
A man and woman (both 70 years old) were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant. They were sitting at the dimly lit table, when all of a sudden a small fairy appeared on their table. She said, "You have both been so good and faithful through your marriage, that I want to grant each of you one wish." After only a short hesitation, the wife said, "OH, I would love to go on a world cruise with my wonderful husband." And poof, she had two tickets for a world cruise in her hand. The fairy turned to the husband. He looked at her and then at his wife. He said, "Well, dear, I do love you so much, but an opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime." He turned to the fairy and said, "I'd like a woman 20 years younger than me." Shocked, the fairy and his wife looked at him. The fairy shrugged and said, okay. And poof.... the husband was 90 years old.
The person who sent us that said, Remember, fairy's are WOMEN!! But it's also a reminder to think carefully what you wish, or pray for.
Have a great day, and keep the Lord at the center of it all!!!
Well, we heard some fuel came in yesterday. Many had to wait for a long time to get anything. Some even missed their evening church services because of waiting. We are waiting to hear if more has come in. The first few days will be horrible to get fuel once it does come in. So, we have a bit left, and we'll wait. We just keep praying.
I guess the radio station must have gotten fuel, since they have the generator on this morning. Either that, or they decided to run it in the AM and not this afternoon...we won't even try to figure that out.
I have to keep reminding my self that Abbie is only 3. When we were in the states, I got a book for preschoolers. It's basic letters, and numbers and things like that. Well, it has a CD with it. We put that on one of the older computers for Abbie. She can turn it on, get into her program, and work through all the different areas of the program now. I'm afraid she will pass me in computer knowledge the way she is going. It's amazing how quickly she picked it all up. And yesterday when I was trying to get her ready for church, I had a real time trying to tie her bows in her hair. I finally took them out to start over. She asked what was wrong. I said, I can't tie the bows right. Her response was, "Well then, I guess I can't go to church, huh?" I said why not? She said, "Well, if you can't tie the bows grandma, then I simply can't go to church like this." I got them tied, and she DID go to church, but again, I have to keep reminding myself she is only 3.
I am on the committee for English Bible Fellowship. This month was my turn to lead service. This was not really something I looked forward to. To arrange things, and be responsible for everything is a bit overwhelming, especially for me. I worked and prayed, and prayed some more. There weren't that many the first Sunday, but yesterday we had a lot more. God answered all my desperate prayers and it went fine. And our speaker did great, which helped a lot. It's been a lesson in obedience for me. Following the Lord and our leaders. One more Sunday and then I'm done for a while. So, still need some prayers for that.
Not much other news here right now. Still a lot of refugees coming north and people in desperate situations all over the country. It's hard for us, so I can't even imagine how it is for the nationals going through this. Keep everyone in prayer.
On a lighter note... we keep hearing that we should be careful what we pray for or what we wish for... well, I heard a joke that puts that into perspective. If you don't like jokes, just pass this by....
A man and woman (both 70 years old) were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant. They were sitting at the dimly lit table, when all of a sudden a small fairy appeared on their table. She said, "You have both been so good and faithful through your marriage, that I want to grant each of you one wish." After only a short hesitation, the wife said, "OH, I would love to go on a world cruise with my wonderful husband." And poof, she had two tickets for a world cruise in her hand. The fairy turned to the husband. He looked at her and then at his wife. He said, "Well, dear, I do love you so much, but an opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime." He turned to the fairy and said, "I'd like a woman 20 years younger than me." Shocked, the fairy and his wife looked at him. The fairy shrugged and said, okay. And poof.... the husband was 90 years old.
The person who sent us that said, Remember, fairy's are WOMEN!! But it's also a reminder to think carefully what you wish, or pray for.
Have a great day, and keep the Lord at the center of it all!!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
A letter from Don
Note from Karen:
Very seldom does Don feel the need to sit down and share totally what he is feeling. Normally, he gives me the ideas of what to write, and I do it. But God laid a burden on Don's heart and this is his sharing of that burden. I know it's long, but please read it to the end. Thank you.
Greetings,
I have been watching the news on the Internet (when we have electricity), about the severe flooding in Gonaives. There are reports from all over the world, even from the UK and China.
About 4 years ago, when Gonaives was flooded, it was because of a large dam that broke. That dam was never rebuilt, or the situation repaired. The flooding is far worse than last time. Gonaives is over 6 feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains on three sides that have all the trees striped off of them. It's the third larger city in Haiti and Cap Haitien is the second largest.
What you hear is only what is happening in Gonaives and a few other cities. The sad things is, many organizations are using this to get money. Yes, some goes to Goanavies, or other huge areas, but a lot of it doesn't make it here. We have experienced it with a couple of big organizations here. A lot of it goes for their operational costs (offices, vehicles, advertising, etc.). Not a lot goes here, directly to the people. Yes, we do know this first hand. We worked with one that raised $15 to $20 a month per child supported. We received here, at the most, $6 per month, per child, to house, feed, school, and deal with medical expenses. We are not saying all ministries work this way, but when talking with other missionaries here, we are finding that a LOT of them do work that way. But our concern is not about that aspect of things. Our concern right now is helping those who are in desperate need NOW!
There are many places all over Haiti where smaller towns and villages were also flooded and people have lost everything. Their gardens (and that is almost all of Haiti) are flooded and ruined or washed away. It will take a very long time before they can plant a garden again. But what do they do about feeding their families now? We are looking at at least 6 months, or more like a year before they can plant again. And this is only if they have not lost their tools. Then where will they get the seeds to plant? It's a very hard time for the Haitian people.
They have decided to open school 4 weeks later than was scheduled. They said it's because the families don't have the money to send the children. School costs have gone up a lot. For example, I gave one student $30 Haitian to sign up for secondary school. That is like high school in the states. Two weeks before school was to start, she was only the 7th person to sign up, in a school that has hundreds of students. A short note here, the average yearly income in Haiti is $350 US. And with an unemployment rate of 80%, you can see that the vast majority of people earn almost nothing, if anything at all. One dollar Haitian, to a Haitian is like $100 American is to an American.
We have more people coming to us this year for help with food, medicine and doctor bills, and money for their children to go to school. We have many more than we have every had before and it's very hard to try and explain to them why I can't help everyone. Some that I have been helping, I just can't help this year. This means the kids stay home with no hope. To some I was able to give just enough to get them uniforms and enough to get into school, but they need a lot more money, that we simply don't have. We need more support to help the poor that the Lord gave us to help.
The cost of construction materials, food, medicine, doctors and schooling have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in price.
Right now there is no fuel in northern Haiti because four main bridges have been washed out. Nothing can get from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. You can buy gasoline on the street (in some areas) for $90 to $100 a gallon. It was up to $114, but they brought it down in some places. (That is between $11.54 and $14.62 US a gallon). Two years ago, when we had a little extra money, I bought 2 drums of diesel fuel. I praise God now, when there is no fuel. I am using it for our generator and I also put fuel in a truck to haul material to some of the victims of the storms. A gallon of cooking oil is $90. A cup to a cup and a half of rice is $8 to $10. A large bag of Charcoal is over $100, and on an average it would only last about 2 weeks. Beans, if you can find them, would be about $12 to $14 for about one to one and a half cups. These are all Haitian prices. But to a Haitian it is out of their reach. And these are the staples of this country.
There are times when I get a love offering to help the poor people. One hundred percent of it goes to help the people. If it's for material for their houses, or food, I will try to send a picture of the family with the item. I haul sand and gravel for the people and don't ask for gas money. It averages about $150 to $200 Haitian per day. Most of the time I pay for the sand and gravel, too. I want to do what God has called me to do...HELP THE POOREST OF THE POOR AND SHOW THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS BY ACTIONS AND NOT JUST WORDS.
I have been given some money for the flood victims. People have sent it to me because they know that 100% of what we get goes where it is intended. One family lost their home. There are a few parts standing, but touching it would cause it to fall down. The neighbors took them in. The only problem with that, the neighbor's house has no roof. But they DO have walls. so, we sent someone down to help put some tin on the roof, and to give them some food. This was not in Gonavies, it was north of there in the mountains. Another family had to rush to the mountains above Gonavies to save their lives, and lost everything. They ended up here, in our area, with a family member...there were 32 people in his yard...he had no where for them to sleep. We gave him some money to feed them and try to help them restart their lives. We also gave some money to a Haitian pastor who has had refugees come to his church for help. There were several families the money will help. Those in this area are suffering because there is no produce to purchase. Vegetables were all washed away in the gardens. In essence, their livelihoods washed away with the rains.
I have checked out some sites on the Internet if you are interested in finding out more about what is happening here in Haiti.
www.missionaryflights.org
http://news.google.com/news?hi=en&ned=us&q=haiti&btnG=Search+News
I am sure if you go to your search engine and type in "Haiti+News" you will find even more. I have heard more about Haiti from other countries than I ever find in American news. But that doesn't surprise me too much.
Help has started pouring into Gonavies. The two plants who produce water through reverse osmosis are up and running. (This is the same as Culligan water in the US).
Water is being flown in by helicopter through MAF. There is a US Navy ship with 16 helicopters on it, plus the UN is helping a lot. Canada is there helping also. There are at least 2 large ships hauling food and materials in. The Red Cross was one of them, with 300,000 tons of food and medicines. MFI had been "Standing in the Gap" for many, not only in Haiti, but other islands, too. Check out their web site.
This is great and really needed, but...what about he other areas? Where is their help coming from? From individuals like you and me. Stepping in where needed. We don't have the big ships, the big organizations or any of that help coming to these people. They either have us, or they have nothing. Sad, sad, sad! But true. We need to step in and help where we can with what we can. We need to bring Jesus to them along with physical help. Can you be that help for us? We really are praying God will touch people to help us help those in need.
Thank you for listening and praying for us. God put us here for a purpose. This may only be a small part of that purpose, but helping the poor and needy is our constant mission.
In His Service, in a destitute land...
Don & Karen Davis
Very seldom does Don feel the need to sit down and share totally what he is feeling. Normally, he gives me the ideas of what to write, and I do it. But God laid a burden on Don's heart and this is his sharing of that burden. I know it's long, but please read it to the end. Thank you.
Greetings,
I have been watching the news on the Internet (when we have electricity), about the severe flooding in Gonaives. There are reports from all over the world, even from the UK and China.
About 4 years ago, when Gonaives was flooded, it was because of a large dam that broke. That dam was never rebuilt, or the situation repaired. The flooding is far worse than last time. Gonaives is over 6 feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains on three sides that have all the trees striped off of them. It's the third larger city in Haiti and Cap Haitien is the second largest.
What you hear is only what is happening in Gonaives and a few other cities. The sad things is, many organizations are using this to get money. Yes, some goes to Goanavies, or other huge areas, but a lot of it doesn't make it here. We have experienced it with a couple of big organizations here. A lot of it goes for their operational costs (offices, vehicles, advertising, etc.). Not a lot goes here, directly to the people. Yes, we do know this first hand. We worked with one that raised $15 to $20 a month per child supported. We received here, at the most, $6 per month, per child, to house, feed, school, and deal with medical expenses. We are not saying all ministries work this way, but when talking with other missionaries here, we are finding that a LOT of them do work that way. But our concern is not about that aspect of things. Our concern right now is helping those who are in desperate need NOW!
There are many places all over Haiti where smaller towns and villages were also flooded and people have lost everything. Their gardens (and that is almost all of Haiti) are flooded and ruined or washed away. It will take a very long time before they can plant a garden again. But what do they do about feeding their families now? We are looking at at least 6 months, or more like a year before they can plant again. And this is only if they have not lost their tools. Then where will they get the seeds to plant? It's a very hard time for the Haitian people.
They have decided to open school 4 weeks later than was scheduled. They said it's because the families don't have the money to send the children. School costs have gone up a lot. For example, I gave one student $30 Haitian to sign up for secondary school. That is like high school in the states. Two weeks before school was to start, she was only the 7th person to sign up, in a school that has hundreds of students. A short note here, the average yearly income in Haiti is $350 US. And with an unemployment rate of 80%, you can see that the vast majority of people earn almost nothing, if anything at all. One dollar Haitian, to a Haitian is like $100 American is to an American.
We have more people coming to us this year for help with food, medicine and doctor bills, and money for their children to go to school. We have many more than we have every had before and it's very hard to try and explain to them why I can't help everyone. Some that I have been helping, I just can't help this year. This means the kids stay home with no hope. To some I was able to give just enough to get them uniforms and enough to get into school, but they need a lot more money, that we simply don't have. We need more support to help the poor that the Lord gave us to help.
The cost of construction materials, food, medicine, doctors and schooling have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in price.
Right now there is no fuel in northern Haiti because four main bridges have been washed out. Nothing can get from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. You can buy gasoline on the street (in some areas) for $90 to $100 a gallon. It was up to $114, but they brought it down in some places. (That is between $11.54 and $14.62 US a gallon). Two years ago, when we had a little extra money, I bought 2 drums of diesel fuel. I praise God now, when there is no fuel. I am using it for our generator and I also put fuel in a truck to haul material to some of the victims of the storms. A gallon of cooking oil is $90. A cup to a cup and a half of rice is $8 to $10. A large bag of Charcoal is over $100, and on an average it would only last about 2 weeks. Beans, if you can find them, would be about $12 to $14 for about one to one and a half cups. These are all Haitian prices. But to a Haitian it is out of their reach. And these are the staples of this country.
There are times when I get a love offering to help the poor people. One hundred percent of it goes to help the people. If it's for material for their houses, or food, I will try to send a picture of the family with the item. I haul sand and gravel for the people and don't ask for gas money. It averages about $150 to $200 Haitian per day. Most of the time I pay for the sand and gravel, too. I want to do what God has called me to do...HELP THE POOREST OF THE POOR AND SHOW THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS BY ACTIONS AND NOT JUST WORDS.
I have been given some money for the flood victims. People have sent it to me because they know that 100% of what we get goes where it is intended. One family lost their home. There are a few parts standing, but touching it would cause it to fall down. The neighbors took them in. The only problem with that, the neighbor's house has no roof. But they DO have walls. so, we sent someone down to help put some tin on the roof, and to give them some food. This was not in Gonavies, it was north of there in the mountains. Another family had to rush to the mountains above Gonavies to save their lives, and lost everything. They ended up here, in our area, with a family member...there were 32 people in his yard...he had no where for them to sleep. We gave him some money to feed them and try to help them restart their lives. We also gave some money to a Haitian pastor who has had refugees come to his church for help. There were several families the money will help. Those in this area are suffering because there is no produce to purchase. Vegetables were all washed away in the gardens. In essence, their livelihoods washed away with the rains.
I have checked out some sites on the Internet if you are interested in finding out more about what is happening here in Haiti.
www.missionaryflights.org
http://news.google.com/news?hi=en&ned=us&q=haiti&btnG=Search+News
I am sure if you go to your search engine and type in "Haiti+News" you will find even more. I have heard more about Haiti from other countries than I ever find in American news. But that doesn't surprise me too much.
Help has started pouring into Gonavies. The two plants who produce water through reverse osmosis are up and running. (This is the same as Culligan water in the US).
Water is being flown in by helicopter through MAF. There is a US Navy ship with 16 helicopters on it, plus the UN is helping a lot. Canada is there helping also. There are at least 2 large ships hauling food and materials in. The Red Cross was one of them, with 300,000 tons of food and medicines. MFI had been "Standing in the Gap" for many, not only in Haiti, but other islands, too. Check out their web site.
This is great and really needed, but...what about he other areas? Where is their help coming from? From individuals like you and me. Stepping in where needed. We don't have the big ships, the big organizations or any of that help coming to these people. They either have us, or they have nothing. Sad, sad, sad! But true. We need to step in and help where we can with what we can. We need to bring Jesus to them along with physical help. Can you be that help for us? We really are praying God will touch people to help us help those in need.
Thank you for listening and praying for us. God put us here for a purpose. This may only be a small part of that purpose, but helping the poor and needy is our constant mission.
In His Service, in a destitute land...
Don & Karen Davis
The ongoing struggle
Well, another day in a turbulent country. It looks like soon we will have to revert back to the days when we first came to Haiti. No electric, no fuel, food becoming rather scarce after a bit. It sounds depressing, but we have done it before and survived, so we will again. The ship that was supposed to bring fuel for the Cap Haitien area seems to be a dream now. We heard, and this could be rumor, but we've heard it from several sources...they have decided to sell the fuel to the government of Haiti, not to individuals. Well, the gas stations are individuals. And if it goes to the government, it will go to Port au Prince, where it cannot reach Cap Haitien. Somehow, someway, we are praying fuel, aside from black market, will become available. There are still some food supplies coming in. Not sure from where, or how they are getting in here, but we will not complain about it. The only problem now, is the cost. But somehow we will find a way. When God puts a burden on your heart, He will find a way to help you achieve what He wants.
I will be putting another entry on here today. Don wrote a prayer letter and it went out on the plane yesterday. I think most of you know, this was hard for him to do. Normally, he tells me what he'd like, and then has me write it. But this time, he spent a whole day, praying and writing.
We were asked what we put in care packages that we give out. Much of that depends on who and where it is going. But basically, Don puts a gallon zip lock bag of each rice, and corn meal and a quart of beans. Then he puts a container of oil, some spaghetti, and a can of tomato paste. This all goes in a 5 gallon pail, with a cover. These buckets, depending on the size of the family, will last close to a week in most situations. Now we are thinking of making another type (or adding to an existing) bucket. Many of the people have lost everything through these storms. We would like to add to those buckets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, washcloths, and maybe even some other personal hygiene products. This one is still in the process of working out. Food we can get, these other items may be pretty expensive here. But The Lord can work that out too. So, as you can tell, this is in the planning stages.
Yesterday MFI brought in the part we pray was hit by lightening on our generator. It is expensive, but we need the generator to keep up communications and do some of the important work that needs to be accomplished. Don is working on that this morning.
We are praising God for so many things right now. He has given Don and I a heart for the people, and we rejoice when we can help any of them. We are so thankful for the help we have received thus far in reaching out to those in need. The lines are so long, and the needs so great, but it's like the vision God gave Don a long time ago. He showed Don this long, beautiful beach with unlimited amount of sand. He said, this sand is like the people in Haiti...but I am giving you just a handful of sand (and people) to help. Each handful I give you, I will help you provide for. When looking out over the vast amount of sand, it's overwhelming, but when looking at that handful, and God's provision, it's a reachable goal. Now we are waiting on those God impresses to help meet those needs.
Another praise is Abbie. Each day she comes up with so many different things to lift our spirits. Oh, she has her times when we would like to just put her in a room until she gets her naughtiness out, but that is the smallest part of time. She is something else. I think the Lord put her and her mama with us so we can keep a perspective on the lighter side.
Well, as always lately, we are asking you to pray. Pray for Haiti, pray for the tough situation here, and pray for us to follow God's leading and direction.
Keep smiling, you never know when a camera is about. Makes you want to keep a smile on your face all the time!!!
I will be putting another entry on here today. Don wrote a prayer letter and it went out on the plane yesterday. I think most of you know, this was hard for him to do. Normally, he tells me what he'd like, and then has me write it. But this time, he spent a whole day, praying and writing.
We were asked what we put in care packages that we give out. Much of that depends on who and where it is going. But basically, Don puts a gallon zip lock bag of each rice, and corn meal and a quart of beans. Then he puts a container of oil, some spaghetti, and a can of tomato paste. This all goes in a 5 gallon pail, with a cover. These buckets, depending on the size of the family, will last close to a week in most situations. Now we are thinking of making another type (or adding to an existing) bucket. Many of the people have lost everything through these storms. We would like to add to those buckets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, washcloths, and maybe even some other personal hygiene products. This one is still in the process of working out. Food we can get, these other items may be pretty expensive here. But The Lord can work that out too. So, as you can tell, this is in the planning stages.
Yesterday MFI brought in the part we pray was hit by lightening on our generator. It is expensive, but we need the generator to keep up communications and do some of the important work that needs to be accomplished. Don is working on that this morning.
We are praising God for so many things right now. He has given Don and I a heart for the people, and we rejoice when we can help any of them. We are so thankful for the help we have received thus far in reaching out to those in need. The lines are so long, and the needs so great, but it's like the vision God gave Don a long time ago. He showed Don this long, beautiful beach with unlimited amount of sand. He said, this sand is like the people in Haiti...but I am giving you just a handful of sand (and people) to help. Each handful I give you, I will help you provide for. When looking out over the vast amount of sand, it's overwhelming, but when looking at that handful, and God's provision, it's a reachable goal. Now we are waiting on those God impresses to help meet those needs.
Another praise is Abbie. Each day she comes up with so many different things to lift our spirits. Oh, she has her times when we would like to just put her in a room until she gets her naughtiness out, but that is the smallest part of time. She is something else. I think the Lord put her and her mama with us so we can keep a perspective on the lighter side.
Well, as always lately, we are asking you to pray. Pray for Haiti, pray for the tough situation here, and pray for us to follow God's leading and direction.
Keep smiling, you never know when a camera is about. Makes you want to keep a smile on your face all the time!!!
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