Hope your Christmas was GREAT

 We hope your Christmas was really good.  We had a quiet and nice time here.  I'll only put a couple of photos here.  Some good friends sent in some neat gifts for all to share.  Captain Dick and his wife Linda (MFI) sent Abbie a box.  It was so funny.  The first picture shows what she got.  Now, I want you to know, ELMO is a giggle Elmo.  Abbie slept with us that night...WITH Elmo.  Every time she turned over, Elmo giggled.  That lasted until she was finally asleep....then he was ejected from the bedroom.  Her shirt, with the MFI logo on it was a SUPER hit.  She said now she is like Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa...she IS MFI.  Doesn't take much to make them happy, does it?   

 

We had gotten her some inexpensive dolls...the Disney princess type...she's been into that lately.  Well, Shannon knew I had gotten those dolls, and when she went out for a week and a half, she got Abbie the tent, with the princesses on it, and a crawl space to get into it.  She LOVES that thing...and thankfully it does collapse quite easily and opens easily, too.  Those are her princess dolls in the box in front of her. She got lots of nice things from many friends.  I had her help wrap some gifts.  We had gotten Shannon some huge packs of gum (she LOVES gum).  Abbie had a fit.  She said that is a FAKE Christmas present, it's not real.  Anything you can eat, in her estimation is NOT real.  But this year she did not tell before hand what anyone got.  A first for her.  

Had to throw in a photo of the puppy...keep praying that no one steals him from us, like they have all our others.  His name is Peter Puppy....Abbie named him after one of our grandsons.  He is a cute thing, and surprisingly he DOES listen.  

 

Don has been working hard on the door for the gate.  He has run into so many problems, but ends up solving them.  It just takes SO much time!!!  I think he is going to hire someone to make the big gate....he probably won't be happy with it, but it will get done quicker that way.  His time has just been spent doing too many things, to get time to work on the gate.  Pray for him as he figures out how to do it and who to hire to do it.

New Years will be quiet for us.  We tend to stay at home and normally get to bed early.  Things here are quiet and we are praying they stay that way.  Pray with us on that, too.  And pray for the container that is sitting at the docks now.  We finally sent some money to get things going on the paperwork.  They have been putting it off, so we are happy that at least there is some movement on it.  We know it won't get here before the new year, but that's okay now.  Prayerfully we'll get it the first week of January.  That would be a huge blessing.

I don't know what it's like where you are, but it's COLD here in Haiti.  Our normal LOW is med to low 70's.  Tonight it's supposed to get down to the 50's.  That is BAD for here.  With all the medical problems going on with Cholera, these low temps will create another problem.  People here simply cannot stand it when it gets into the upper 60's, so this is going to be a REALLY difficult time for them.  We'll have more and more people coming with doctor and hospital bills now.  As we all sit here wrapped up in blankets and with sweatshirts and socks on, we think of all of those here who have NOTHING to keep warm in...not even a wind proof home.  A lot of prayers are needed in that area, too.

For now....God bless!!!  And keep in mind how much the Lord has blessed you this last year.  Even when problems arise and trouble seem so huge...HE IS THERE FOR YOU!! And then look at the Haitians who are suffering, and remember, there but for the grace of God, go you.  If you're reading this, you have a computer...they don't even have a sweater.  Keep praying for Haiti...it's leaders, it's health care workers, and the people here.  Thank you!!

Near to Christmas

Hello again,
Well, things are STILL calm and we are very happy with that.  They evidently had someone come in for a recount of the election results.  But are not announcing it until after Christmas.  Some have heard that they will hold off with the announcement until after the new year.  This would not be good, since we have teams scheduled.  That will be a time of NOT being on the roads or being visible.  Pray with us that things will be as the Lord wants it and that there will be safety for the teams.  We would hate to cancel teams since preparations have already been made with flights and all the expenses for a trip.  We are totally dependent on the Lord for wisdom and discernment for things now.  (Well, we always are, but right now it is so important for teams.)

Don has been working on the door for the gate, and as with everything here in Haiti, problems come up and make it so difficult.  I think the saying "everything that can go wrong will go wrong" has been a part of this whole job.  Add to this the beggars who stand right next to him and won't leave, you can see his frustration level is VERY high.  So please pray for him.  But  not for patience.  He needs strength, wisdom and for his mind to be clear on how to accomplish things the right way.

Yesterday we had a plane load of cargo...almost 6,000 pounds.  It was a hard, hot day, but God was good and we didn't have any major problems.  I am doing so much better physically, but the trip to the airport sure does work on me.  I am glad I am only making the trip once a week.  I could not handle more than that.  Don wanted me to go to town with him and Vero and Abbie to get some things this last week.  I said, nope, I know my limits.  I sure wanted to go, but know how it would affect me.  

Vero is doing SO good at the airport.  I'm so glad the Lord worked it out that she can be there for me.  And not only the pilots, but the airport people really like and respect her.  She has a great work ethic and does a fantastic job.  Her work with the evangelism is going really well, too.  She sure loves working for the Lord.  You can see it in her eyes when she gets home.  Pray with us that the Lord will touch hearts to help with her support.  She needs to meet her needs (and those she helps, too).  We know the Lord can do it, but still ask for your prayers.

Shannon has been working with Vero on the evangelism and also has her ministry with the older girls at EBAC.  They seem to be responding so well to her influence and to the way God is directing them.  Keep her in your prayers, also, for God to continue to use her as He directs.

Abbie, well, Abbie is Abbie.  She is a joy and inspiration to have around.  I had made a calendar for her to mark off the days till Christmas.  One day she marked off two days, hoping to bring Christmas sooner.  She is constantly sitting her dolls up and "preaching" to them.  And I have to say, she pretty much does a great job.  She takes a message she has heard in church and "expounds" on it.  And she is constantly playing with Peter Puppy.  The one puppy that survived when our dog Leah had pups.  We just pray that someone doesn't steal him like they have our other puppies.  

Well, I'd best be going and getting some work done here.  I keep waiting for someone to do it, but oh well, no one knows WHAT to do, so I'd better work.  You all have a super great Christ centered day.  Keep smiling, Jesus loves you, A LOT!!!!

Dec. 14th...on our way to Christmas

I was a bit shocked when I realized I had not posted since the 9th.  Then it dawned on me, I had only sent an email to a friend about what was happening here.  I'm sorry for not keeping in touch better.

It's really been relatively quiet.  Traffic moving, things seem back to normal, although tensions still exist.  With all that was expected, nothing came about.  This is a blessing, to be sure.  But it did put our planes off for a few days.  MFI finally came in on Saturday with 2 DC-3's.  Not a whole lot of cargo for Cap Haitians, as they were taking some to 2 other cities as well.  I was not at the airport, but Don and Vero kept me informed as to what was happening.  The one plane came with passengers and then headed to PIgnon to pick up others, and come back to clear them out of country.  The second plane developed engine troubles.  .......

Let me back up here a few years... When MFI only had the radial engine planes, we would be blessed with having the pilots spend a night every so often, while they worked on the planes here, after having problems.  Since they purchased the turbine we haven't had them stay with us hardly at all.  But I used to keep a beef roast in the freezer, JUST IN CASE they had problems.  It sort of became a joke, that if there were problems, I had a beef roast for them here.  ......

Well, when Don called and said the one plane would probably be overnighting...I put on the beef roast I had.  I knew there were either 2 or 3 crew we would be putting up.  Well, it wasn't long when Don called back and said the other plane was back from Pignon, and it also had engine problems, and we would be putting them up, too.  I figured no problem.  I asked how many beds to get ready.  I wasn't sure if they had a flight attendant or not.  Don said, well, 6 crew, and 23 passengers.  We DO NOT HAVE 29 beds.  Our max is 20, if it's evenly divided between men and women.  I was about to go into panic mode.  then realized that two of the groups flying out were from missions in this area.  I called those missions and asked if they could return to the airport and pick up their teams for another night.  Very graciously they did that.  And I asked the one mission if they had room for a small team.  They did.  That meant we had the 6 crew and a small team of six from Pignon.  

Our dorm had not been used in a month, so it needed a LOT of work.  Vero called the gal who helps us and sent her over.  Two of "our guys" came, too, to help out.  And then Betty (one of our girls) came to help.  They did a superb job of cleaning and making beds up.  I had gotten three beds made, but not 12, so the help was GREATLY appreciated.  Then my next problem arose.  I had 12 people to feed.  I knew the roast would not make it.  So, I scrounged my freezer, came up with hot dogs, mac and cheese and green beans.  Not a feast, but it would do.  I knew the head of the small team, since he flew with us quite often.  But the other five I didn't know.  The Lord really blessed us with a great group.  And of course our pilots were awesome, as always.  Made pancakes for breakfast and they were off.  It took a bit for them to get the planes going, but they finally did and were in the air.  Then we found out the passenger plane had problems in  Provo.  But there they had ways to get help.  

I found out Saturday that our speaker for English church would not be able to make it.  Not a huge problem, as we could have a prayer and praise service.  I just had to let the worship leader know.  Couldn't get in touch with her, but knew it would work out.  Then Sunday afternoon, I found out that she was sick and wouldn't be there...I was asked to take over.  Although I do lead service every few months, I normally spend a day preparing for it.  God was good and gave me something I had gotten last year to share.  A good friend is an author and she had sent a three part story on "The Birth of a King" last year.  It dealt with Mary, telling Jesus the story of his birth.  What she went through in her life...as a 14 yer old girl, pregnant and not by her fiance.  What her family may have felt, what her intended must have gone through, and what the community felt.  A whole different perspective on the birth of Jesus Christ.  Yes, it was a "story", but with so many truths in it.  I have loved that whole story and am thankful for it, because it shows me that Mary was human, just as Jesus was.  That, yes, she was highly favored by the Lord.  But also that she went through a very hard time, serving the Lord.  

I do believe God honored Mary's faith and HE carried her through all those troubles.  But I also believe there is a parallel in the story for US.  WE will encounter problems and the Lord is there for us as well.  Being a Christian does not exempt us from trouble and hard times.  But it does mean we have Someone to walk with us through these times and Someone who can relate and help us to cope with it.  



I pray that this CHRISTmas season you will look beyond the glitz and glitter and realize that, that little baby came to earth for YOU and for me.  He went through more than we will ever experience, and He did it all for US.   Keep in mind the WHOLE Christmas story...yes, Jesus is the focus of it all, but the whole story shows us that God IS with us in all things.  IF we turn to Him.

Have a blessed day in Him.  Hold on to that Hand offered to you.  And keep smiling!!!

Dec. 9th and it's TOO quiet

I know you have all heard of the term "lock down".  Well, that's what we feel like here.  No traffic moving (roads blocked everywhere), and no one can go anywhere.  It's just way too quiet.  We are not used to this.

Two nights ago we had gun fire here in our yard.  We were not sure what was going on.  Someone told us it was kidnappers.  But evidently they had left with no hostages.  Then yesterday we found out what really happened.  Even with the election problems, people are still not happy with the UN because of the cholera situation.  Well, evidently there were some UN fellows out walking and checking things out.  People started throwing rocks and bottles at them.  They ran up a road, and one of them fell into a hole they were digging for a public latrine.  They started shooting in the air, to keep people away.  Got the one out and they ran...thinking our drive was a road they came this way.  When they found out it wasn't a road, they reversed and ran back out...shooting in the air.  People were still throwing rocks and bottles.  Our house had been hit with the rocks, too.  It sounded awful, like huge boulders hitting the roof.  It was simply rocks, some good sized, hitting the tin. But they were thrown over the wall behind us.  (This was at 11:45 at night!!)

Last night I couldn't sleep, so was up reading.  At about midnight, it sounded like someone was ripping tin off the roof at the dorm.  (or somewhere close).  My second thought was that they were taking the flat steel for the gate door.  There was no way for Don to secure it, although the door frame was chained down.  I got Don up, he got our watchman up and they went looking.  The watchman didn't want Don outside at night, with the kidnapping threat here.  But after he made the rounds, Don went out to check the door he had welded.  All was fine, nothing missing.  NO idea where the noise came from.  But...after Don was up, he could hear it too.  So, must have been somewhere close by outside our compound.  

Now today it's REALLY quiet.  We know the road blocks are still up.  But we don't even hear the people on the street talking and yelling, like they normally do.  So, we sit tight and wait it out.   I was put in the position of having to decide to call off our MFI flight.  AGAIN.  I do call and get other opinions on it, so it's not just my call.  But the government took it out of my hands.  They closed the airports until further notice.  

We did hear that there is traffic moving on the other side of the airport, but nothing in town or on this side of town.  Airport is still closed and no one can get there anyway.  So, how long will this go on?  Who knows.  

All of this to say, PLEASE keep praying.  We know prayer works.  God is keeping us safe and we totally depend on Him.  We won't do anything foolish.  Why tempt God when He is already caring for us?  We'll try to get some work done here.  I know Don is working overtime on the gate now, and doing what he can to get it done.  He doesn't have all the material to get it totally finished though.  So, we'll pray things cool down and he can get what he needs.  

We are still looking up and praising Him for His love and sacrifice for us.  We do serve an awesome and mighty God.  Since He sent us here, we will depend on Him to take care of us in all things.  We'll keep you posted as we hear things, but remember, many of the things we "hear" are just rumors.  We wait until we have some sort of confirmation on what is happening before sharing it.  We could probably write a book on some of the rumors we have heard.  Some you simply have to laugh off and hope no one really pays any attention to.  Others, you wait and see.  

So, pray with us that this whole situation will calm down and things return to "normal" here.  That is in parenthesis because we're not sure just what normal is.  

Love to you all from this "interesting" country of Haiti.  

Our Newsletter for Dec. 2010

We sent out our newsletter on Tuesday, so wanted to post it here, too.  I had a third page on the letter that I am not putting here.  It was one requesting a response if you still wanted to receive our hard copy letter via postal service.  The three options were:  via postal service, via email (which I may change our email address soon) or here on the blog.  If YOU have a preference, please let me know.  Thank you!!

Davis' in Haiti  ~  December 2010

God's grace and peace at this Christ centered time of year.  I will try to do a recap of this year in Haiti for you.  So much has gone on, and a lot to tell, but I'll try to keep it as short as I can.

The New Year entered with "Earth Shaking" awareness.  An understatement, to be sure.  The devastation, destruction, loss of life and injuries were beyond imagination.  Yet, what satan meant for evil, God turned into triumph for Him.  We are still seeing the results of the shaking 11 months later.  Yes, physically it has created chaos.  But spiritually, there have been hundreds of thousands coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  Missionary Flights had a huge impact on Haiti through this trying time.  To get a glimpse into that, you can go to MFI's  web site.  (www.missionaryflights.org).  They also compiled and published a book with input from many people as to what happened and how the people were helped.  It's an excellent book.  Check it out at:  www.shakinggroundunshakablefaith.com.  I hope you have the change to see this.  It is awesome!!  We praise God for all the responses we had to help those in such great need.  It's an ongoing struggle for the people and we are thankful for those who see that need and send help.  God has used you mightily in Haiti.

From that point on, we had many teams come.  So much has been accomplished through teams this year.  No matter what the project was, it brought hope and faith building time to the Haitian people.  The fact is that Haitians know that these teams give up vacation time, use their money to come and help, and end up being a part of many Haitian lives.  God has blessed both the Haitians and the team members through these trips.  Lives have been changed and that is the aim of teams.  To change lives, both Haitian and American (or Canadian or others) for the better, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have had 5 containers (40 feet long) of food, scriptures and supplies arrive this year already.  Another, with the Christmas Bag project and food and scriptures, should have landed here in Cap yesterday.  We are praying for a quick release and distribution this time.  It would be amazing to be able to send out the Christmas bags on time this year.  No matter when the container is shipped, it seems the powers that be on this end hold it up and they don't go out until the new year.  This year we are praying that we will be able to get these out in time for Christmas.  (An added note:  the children don't care if they are late, they are thrilled to get them at any time, but we care.)

We spent 2 month stateside in May and June.  It was a needed break after all the chaos and after effects from the earthquake.  The amount of people coming to our door has increased dramatically.  There are so many with honest needs, but then we also have those who take advantage of things and want to get whatever they can, even if they don't need it.  A lot of discernment is needed with this.  

In November Haiti was hit with another disaster...CHOLERA.  There are still minor disputes over the origin.  What really matters is controlling it and getting help to those who need help.  The death toll raises daily, and that is dramatic.  In a lot of areas, they have been treating the sick with great results.  But those who cannot reach help in time, simply die wherever they are. And without proper training or advice, those caring for the sick contact the disease and become another fatality.  We have heard several different scenarios on what will happen and how long it will take to control this.  What is desperately needed now is prayer.  Prayer for the health-care workers here, who are wearing out.  Prayer for trained people to come in and supplement those workers.  Prayer for those who have cholera, and for the families of those who have not made it through.  Prayer for the people to listen and respond to those trying to teach them how to avoid getting cholera.  

And now the elections here in Haiti.  This is another case of chaos here.  Very few seem to be happy with the election...aside from the head of the UN and Preval.  We are hearing many different stories from all areas of how it was not a fair election.  We have no personal knowledge of what transpired, just what we have heard.  But we do know, no matter what is announced on the 7th as to the outcome, there will be problems from those who did not make it.  Everyone is expecting wide spread demonstrations once the announcement is made.  But we also know God can put His hand on this and take care of it all. That is what we are praying for.



We know without a doubt that the Lord is with us in all things.  But like all of you, at times it seems we can't tell He is there.  Our faith has to take over where our senses lead us to doubt.  We do serve an awesome and great God.  We know He is with us in all situations and through all the strife here.  And we praise Him for all he does for us on a daily basis.  From the little things He controls for us to the huge problems that He takes care of.  He IS an intricate part of every aspect of our lives and we acknowledge that.

                       Our prayer list includes:
Haiti:  all the situations that have shaken this country in the last year
Our ministry and lives:  That the Lord would guide, direct and protect us in all areas
Our family:  that the Lord will open doors, guide and direct them and keep them safe
The future of Haiti and our ministry here

May the Lord guide and direct YOU in all things.  And may your Christmas celebrations be centered on the true meaning of this holy season...the birth of Jesus Christ.

In His Name and Service,

Don & Karen Davis

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6

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2. Our mail checks to ~

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Marietta, GA  30061

(designate for Don & Karen Davis Fund Code #10)  

On our way to Christmas

I have decided that this post is only going to be upbeat things.  Everyday has it's down moments, but today I'm not going to let it get to me.

  I am posting pictures, only four of them, that show some of our upbeat things.  Don and Vero went to the airport today.  It wasn't too bad there, but the road coming home was something else I guess.  They have blocked the main road, so you have to take back ones.  I think they are FINALLY going to pave the main road...won't that be a great thing?  Shannon went to EBAC to be with the kids and do Bible study.  Keep that in prayer as she ministers to the older kids there.

Okay, the pictures.  This first one was just a fluke.  I looked out the door, saw this and ran for the camera.  I loved the way the sun was shinning on the trees and coming through the smoke.  Yes, it's smoke.  Someone was burning something, but I loved the effect of it on the yard.  

 The next one is a nativity set I made way back in 1979.  My sister and I had joined a ceramics class.  This is the first nativity set I ever owned, and I did it myself.  I now have several.  I love the differences in each one.  Guess that is something I would collect if I collected things.  Hummm....I have eagles, and cups...but anyway.  The three little colored angels are our Abbie angles that I either bought or received as gifts.  The hanging white one my daughter sent me.  Gee...I like angles, too.  Good thing I'm not collecting, huh?  

This one is my village I put up for Christmas each year.  This belonged to our oldest son and he gave it to me.  I've added a few pieces to it, but not many.  I don't have it all up here, because of space, but I like it anyway. 

 The last one is our tree.  I have ornaments that our kids made when they were a lot younger.  Some have gone the way of many aged things and aren't anymore, but I still have a lot they made.  I love those.  And one year our daughter made me a set of Gingerbread boys and girls...those were all our grandkids.  BUT we are now missing one since we have a grandson who isn't there.  I'll find a way to get an ornament with his name on it, too.  And our three great grandsons aren't on there either...another project to think on.  The packages under the tree need a bit of explanation.  Looks like a lot, huh?  Well, I put all of our ornaments in used gift boxes each year.  Then once I hang them up, I put the boxes under the tree, and it looks like a lot of presents.  There are a few there, but not that many.

I'll start working on our Christmas letter this week.  And I'll post that on here too.  I made a calendar for Abbie to mark the days off till Christmas.  She loves doing that.  She has a school program coming up and she has every one's parts memorized.  She is so excited about that.  It tells the real story of Christmas, so she tells it to us each day.  I'm so glad she is in a Christian school with such a positive influence.


Well, time to go and get supper ready and get more work done.  I hope your "pre-Christmas" time is spent focusing on the REAL REASON FOR THIS SEASON!!!  That little baby in the manger came to save us all, and we need to make sure that the real story is told!!  Have a blessed Christmas season, with Christ at the center of it all.

Wednesday and it's calm

Very happy to say it's relatively calm today and tonight.  Have heard a couple of gun shots in the distance.  But many times that is simply a home owner shooting in the air, saying I'm here and I have a gun.  Nothing exciting.  We keep praying this calm remains.  The situation with cholera is still a very prevalent thing.  It doesn't seem to be getting much better.  In fact in many areas it's getting worse.  Please keep praying for the whole thing.  Talked to the doc on Tuesday.  He looked totally worn out.  Health care workers are few and needs are many.  We've been praying for workers experienced in, or trained in, cholera situations.  If the workers we have here now wear down, they too, can become ill.  Maybe not with cholera, but sick just the same.  Please pray for the workers already here and for those God is moving to come and help.  

I found a paper a neat friend, Audrey, gave me (in Nov. of 2008), and I wanted to share it with you.  No idea who the author is, (it could be Audrey) but it reminded me of all of you out there, praying and keeping us going here!! You really are true friends.  And we praise God for you!!!

FRIENDSHIP

F ~ Fun-loving, Faithful

R ~ Risk of being real, understood

I ~ Interested in the welfare of others

E ~ Expect the best of others

N ~ Natural relationship, accept others

D ~ Delightful to be around

S ~ Sympathetic, Supportive, Sweet

H ~ Helpful, Hopeful, Healing, Happy

I ~ Interdependent by helping others

P ~ Patient, Pleasant to be around

If I were given another opportunity at life and friendship I would seize every minute of it!  I would look at it and really see it and live it for Jesus!!

Thanks Audrey, for keeping me looking UP and relying on Jesus for my strength and support. 

We just received a book from a friend.  It's a book on dealing with trauma, like the earthquake, in a Biblical way.  It's in Creole and is totally geared to the earthquake situation.  Everyone who has seen it has been really impressed with it.  I'm thinking we should order some for the pastors...maybe a few anyway.  It is geared for a seminar situation where the pastor would teach the leaders in the church, who would in turn, teach those under him and so on.  Pray with us as we make some decisions on this.

Our container is supposed to dock tomorrow.  We are praying it will, with some reservations.  But if we can get it soon, it would be great.  I have my Christmas Bag booklet and am getting ready to make decisions on who/what/where the Christmas Bags will go.  I really do like doing this, since we've seen the outcome of what these bag, with scriptures can do.  They give joy, yes, but they give hope, in the form of the Gospel.  And people ARE reading them.  Praise God for the work He is doing through Stan and Gloria, and Missy, and the whole group who put SO much into this program.  This DOES change lives for the Lord!!  Keep praying for them and check out the web site at right.  

Everyone here is in bed already.  They poured the ceiling on the IDADEE orphanage today.  A HUGE job...had 120 workers to mix cement, haul buckets and do the actual pouring.  But it's done, praise God!!  Vero and Shannon, with the help of others, made a meal for those guys...lots of work doing the meal, too.  God is REALLY good and is working wonders at the IDADEE compound!!

Tomorrow I'll try to download and share some photos with you.  Until then, keep smiling and keep Jesus at the center of all you do!!!

 

Sunday late morning..the 28th

We listened to a good sermon this morning.  But it's really weird...no traffic noises, no people noises (except the beggars in the yard).  The law is that no vehicles can move on election day.  Only those tap-taps that have a special sticker in the window.  And we have heard nothing, so those must be VERY limited this time.

Have NO idea how the voting is going, or what people are doing.  In town may be different than here, but we are enjoying the peace and quiet.  

Update on cholera...it is not slowing down at all, in fact we have heard it is escalating.  How true is that?  We have no idea.  But the health officials we have talked with, and in talking to other missionaries...it seems to be really bad.  Yes, there are some cases in this area, but they are confined, PTL.   We may have some problems doing the final work on the gate, since no one is willing to go into the river to get sand and gravel...they are afraid the rivers all over are infected.  We know many are...but not exactly which ones or where those are.  We are praying, along with many others, that the meds keep coming in and will be sufficient for the situation.  And we are specifically praying for the medical personnel.  They are all so overworked and worn out.  

We are dealing with so many who come and say they either have someone with cholera in their family or someone in the family had died from it.  It takes a LOT of discernment to separate and find out the truth.  Some are using it to simply get money.  Pray for that situation here.

I'll try to post some more positive photos soon.  We have the decorations up and it's a daily struggle with Abbie now about Christmas.  She keeps saying TODAY is Christmas.  (She wants some presents).  Minor things, like a LIVE eagle (who won't bother grandpa's birds), and other way out things.  Then things scaled down, and she said a doll.  I told her she has 4 already.  She said she has enough love for more dolls.   She has a soft bunny who she named "Puney", she said he needs some friends, so we should get him a present, too.  She does love to GIVE AWAY things to others, too.  And we have a box of toys she is packaging up to give to other kids who don't get anything.  She does share and we are happy about that.  

For today, that's about all the news.  We will keep you informed as things progress with the election..although it will take days to hand count the ballots. 

We pray you will keep this season a Christ centered one.  Don't let the gifts and glitter overshadow the real reason we celebrate.  Someone had told us it's wrong to have a specific day for Christmas since no one REALLY knows when Jesus was born.  My feeling on it is that no, we don't know, but having a day set aside to HONOR Him and His entrance into the world via human form is fine.  The specific day is not what is important, it's the REASON He came that should be what we celebrate.  I have a song on a CD that I like.  The chorus is "He had the birthday, we got the gift..."  And that is so true...yes he was born FOR US...and He died FOR US...we need to focus on His coming, that it was all done ~ FOR US!!  If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior, it's time to sit down and learn what this season is all about...Jesus Christ came to this earth to live and die in OUR PLACE, so we can have eternal life!!!!  So....CELEBRATE Jesus this season!!

Friday AM

We are still thankful...no problems in country at this point.  Although we have heard from many different sources that they will erupt. It's nice when so many are wrong in this way.  We are still praying that nothing happens. 

Vero and Shannon made it home safely last night.  They sat at the airport in Port ALL day, waiting to get on a plane to come home.  We had our thanksgiving dinner once they got here.  Abbie was so wound up about the "Thanksgiving feast" that it was hard to keep her down.  All I kept thinking about was "This will be so much worse when Christmas comes".  She had Don and I up at the crack of dawn to have the feast.  At school they had talked about the pilgrims and the feast they had with the Indians. 

Again I ask you to keep Barb and her boys in your prayers.  I guess it's more than just them, it's the spouses and grandkids, too.  Our hearts are still heavy for them.

Today, while Abbie is at school, we hope to get the Christmas decorations up.  Don't know if it will happen, but we are going to try anyway.

As this election draws near things are getting wilder and wilder here.  We even have the candidates calling on cell phones telling you to vote for them.  Before it was text messages, not it's recorded messages.  So, the states have nothing on us with that now.  Had a plane flying over dropping photos and "vote for me" messages the other day.  Had to clean our yard out with those things. So we'll be really happy when this whole mess is over.

We are living evidence of how God works daily in people's lives.  It seems there is something big each and every day where His presence is made visible.  And that makes it so awesome to work for Him and have His guidance and care obvious.  I hope you are in that same place with the Lord, where you can see and feel Him working with and through you on a daily basis.  God bless and keep smiling.

Thanksgivng blessings

On this 2010 Thanksgiving day, I am first and foremost thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done for me!!  I praise Him and thank Him and am totally humbled by being able to be a small part in His work.  

So, it's time for a "thankful" list.  I am thankful for:

   My husband ~ with all his accomplishments and busyness, he still loves me.
   My children ~ although they are all far away, they are always a part of my heart and life.
   My grandchildren ~  even though I didn't get to see them often, they still have a part of my heart.
   My great grandsons ~  that the Lord has blessed us with these gifts from heaven.
   My friends ~ who uplift, encourage, laugh with me, cry with me, and love me, even when I am not lovable.
   The privilege of being able to serve the Lord, even in a small way.
   For those who help keep this ministry going, even in the hard and tough times.
   For our friends here in Haiti, American, Canadian, and Haitian, who walk with us through the difficult times here, as well and the great times.
   For our Haitian family...Vero, Abbie, Betty, Ruben and on and on...
   And again, for the Lord who walks with us, keeps us, encourages us, sustains us, and simply loves us, through all things.  
   I'm thankful for the home we live in, the vehicles we are privileged to drive, the provisions we have, when so many others are in need, all of which the Lord has provided for us.


It keeps coming back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is a part of every aspect of our lives, in all we do and say.  And we praise Him for it all.


I hope you have that knowledge...that Jesus DOES save...that He is there for YOU...and that you can walk in the fullness of life with Him at your side, guiding, protecting and loving you. 


And we thank all of YOU for being there for us with prayer support, with financial support and with your encouragement and understanding.  God bless you in a mighty way!!!!


THANK YOU Jesus and our friends...for being what we need when we need it!!

A difficult Wednesday

I had originally planned to do a "thank you" list today, in light of Thanksgiving tomorrow.  I may have to wait and do that tomorrow.

On Monday we had received word that a good missionary friend of ours from Bohoc (near Pignon) had a heart attack on Saturday evening.  The good thing was that he was in Florida at the time.  Many, many prayers went up for Jim.  This morning the family had to make a very difficult decision to remove life support.  Jim passed away not long after that.  We have known Jim and Barb Howard for many, many years.  They are a fantastic couple who have done a tremendous job.  Their goal was to help put people in business so they could be self sufficient.  There are many in Haiti who have been helped by Jim and Barb. 

We are asking all who read this to lift Barb and their boys up in prayer.  This will be a very difficult time for them.  

I remember when they used to come down to the airport for mail and cargo.  (Now their things are flown up to Pignon, so we don't see them very often).  But the guys at the airport used to call Jim, Goliath.  Jim is a big teddy bear.  Looking gruff with a heart as soft as a teddy bear and a love for all he came in contact with.   Jim loved his iced coffee and the hottest pima (hot) sauce there was.  And he was a hard, hard worker.  

Our hearts are broken right now.  It is so hard to think that Jim won't be there with a phone call or a cryptic email.  He loved to tease, too.  He will be missed an awful lot.  By a whole lot of people here in Haiti, as well as in the US.  

So, we are asking for prayers...for all who knew and loved Jim.  He may be in a fantastic place, but he's left a huge whole in our lives.  

And now another prayer request.  Vero and Shannon went to Port to work on the permi de sejour papers (residency papers).  I had told them this was not the time to go, but they felt they should.  They are now stuck in Port, with road blocks all over the place there.  I have a feeling we won't see them until sometime next week.  We were told the problems would start here either today or tomorrow. And this will go through the election.  And it could last beyond.  Depending on who gets in.  I wish they had made it home before all of this.  But we are praying that the Lord will put His protection around them and keep them safe.  That is our second request, pray for their safety.

The last request is for the situation here in Cap.  Pray for common sense to take over and for peace to reign.  Pray for protection for all those who are here serving the Lord.  We won't be leaving the house from this point on until things calm down, but there are others who may not be able to do that.  

 Sorry for the long prayer requests, but I know many of you will pray with us on all of these things.  God is willing and able, and answers prayers. 

Sunday evening Nov.21sst

It was a quiet, rainy day today.  For this we thank the Lord.  There are rumors that tomorrow the situation will erupt again, but we are praying it  won't.  

I have to share a bit here about last Sunday...no, I'm not going way into Ray and Bonnie's problem, but do want to refer to it.  Last Sunday at English church, Dr. Bill Cooper shared.  We ALWAYS enjoy hearing him, he is such a gifted teacher.  To make it short, he spoke on what do we do when we are in bad situations.  Do we pray and ask God to PLEASE get us out of it?  Or do we pray and ask God to be with us and teach us through the situation.  His message really hit everyone.  It was fantastic. (And this was before the problems arose on the streets).   Well, then Ray and Bonnie left for home and got into their "situation".  Ray said the first thing he thought of was Dr. Bill's message.  He said, now he couldn't pray to get OUT of that situation, but to ask God to be with them IN it."   I shared that at church today since I was leading service.  And again, Dr. Bill shared with us.  

This message went right along with last weeks.  He used three examples from the old testament.  The first was in Exodus 14: 10-15...where the Israelites were facing the Red Sea with the Pharaoh's army behind them.  Moses responded to their fears with:  "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today..."  

Then he shared about the three men who were in the furnace (actually 4 were there).   And what their response was.  Then on to Daniel in the lion's den.   When he finished, I calmly said, "I hope this isn't another case of God speaking to you and telling us how to respond this week."  But if that IS the case, we know how to respond, even if it is tough.


The really NEAT thing in this was that Dr. Bill had prepared these messages TWO MONTHS ago.  And they were delivered right when we needed them.  AGAIN...our God is an AWESOME God, isn't HE????  He walks before us, beside us and behind us.  He is our guide and protector.  And we thank Him and Praise Him for who He is and what He does.  The song, "Our God is an Awesome God" really fits.  


I hope you are walking hand in hand with Him, and letting Him lead and direct you.

 

Saturday PM...Nov. 20th

Well, we arrived home safely.  The ride in was an eye opener.  Black soot everywhere from burning tires and trees that had been chopped down to block the roads were moved over.  There was one container they had blocked the road with.  Evidently whoever was removing the blocks...pushed it around and then pushed it to the side and turned it completely over.  Wheels sticking up.  I had the camera but was looking and not thinking of taking photos.  So, figured on the way home I'd get the shots.  Well, the container was right side up and hooked up to a truck by then.  Sorry nothing good in the photo department there.

There was a LOT of traffic, both vehicles and on foot today.  We were hoping it would continue all day and give us a chance to get home.  

We got the the airport, checked in the passengers and as we finished the first plane arrived.  They were both scheduled at the same time, which we DID NOT want.  But we got the first one unloaded and the engines started when the second one landed.  That was great.  I don't know if you can imagine almost 11,000 pounds of cargo...but it was a LOT of stuff.  We were short two workers, so Vero and I worked cargo too.  This was a hard day as far as lifting.  But we made it.  Customs was pretty good.  They seemed to get things through pretty quickly.  Once everyone had their boxes, we had ours cleared and left.  Traffic was pretty heavy, but it did move, which was a blessing.  What surprised us is that we were headed home by a little after 1 PM.  

We were doubly blessed by the fact we were able to greet and visit with a very good friend who we see only once every few years.  Pere Bruno was a great friend many, many years ago.  He, his wife and children were a blessing to us for many of our first years here in Haiti.  He now lives in the Dominican, but still has a ministry here in the north of Haiti.  They are one of the first Haitian families who we were friends with.  And they are one very strong Christian family who we respect greatly.

Don was able to go and get some of the iron for the smaller gate when we got home.  It will be a bit before he can get the needed iron for the main gate...but now he can start working on it.  The down part in all of this is that our friend Bill and his daughter Jenny were not able to come down.  He was going to help Don with the gate.  But with circumstances like they are, we just didn't feel right letting them come into this horrible situation.  But we miss them a lot.  I, personally, looked forward to the fellowship.  But God knows what we need and He will take care of it all.  Our close friends, Ray, Bonnie and Belle, have all gone stateside, so we are feeling a bit depressed right now.  We will really miss the fellowship with them while they are gone.  

I'll close for now.  I am going to check out the photos I did take and see if there is anything worth sharing on here.  Till then, God bless and please keep praying for Haiti and it's people.  And pray with us that the unrest will not resume.  We are praying it is over, even though we hear it will start again on Monday.  We serve a miracle working God and He can change things if it is His will.  We are definitely praising and thanking HIM for how today went.  He kept His hands on us.  PTL!!!  

Saturday AM...the 20th

It's early, but wanted to get a quick note out and ask for some prayers.  It's drizzling out, which is good...any problems usually don't occur when there is rain.  Not sure if the rumors are true or not, but some say problems will start today again.  That's why we need the prayers.  With 10,000 pounds of cargo coming in, we need to be there, distribute it and get out of there before anything comes up.  PTL, MFI got a really early start and we should be home relatively early, depending on customs, of course.

I'll post this evening and let you know how things are going.  Keep praying!!  God hears and answers our prayers.

Friday has arrived and is almost over

Today was busy..in many ways.  Vero, being a work-a-holic, washed windows (the ones she didn't finish yesterday).  That is a major job here since windows and screens don't fit right and you have to take them apart, wash them, put them together, then TAPE them to keep the bugs out.  She finished that then went to Bible study for a while.

We did have a plane today, but not cargo.  MFI flew in to take some people out.  Had a full load there.  Took a lot of arranging to get it worked out on this end, but we finally succeeded in doing it.  I didn't go to the airport today, since I have to be there tomorrow. 

The road were cleared by this morning.  But we have heard that it will a short respite.  Rumors say that the people doing the road blocks were paid off to open them.  We have heard they will be blocked again, not sure if tomorrow or the next day.  Pray with us that we will be able to get our cargo in and distributed tomorrow, from the 2 DC-3's coming.  We are talking about over 10,000 pounds of things.  That's a HUGE amount for a LOT of missions.  And much of it is for the cholera situation.  But please keep tomorrow in prayer, BIG TIME.  

Right now the people here are living in fear...fear of the rocks and bottles being thrown, fear that they will be on some "hit list", fear that the UN will shoot them (yes, they fear that even though it has not happened yet, that we know of), fear of Cholera, fear that "someone" is poisoning the rivers, the fears go on and on.  Reasoning does not clear up any of the fears.  Thus the people panic and follow whatever the rebels  do.  Pray for a resolution to this madness and that people will start to use reasoning and common sense when listening to others.  

Pray for our safety as we travel to and from the airport tomorrow.  We don't have real fear, but know that we have to be cautious and vigilant in where we go and what we do.  God gave us common sense and we plan to use what He has given us.  But with 2 plane loads of cargo, we have to go.  God knows this, too, and we are sure He will be going with us and keeping us safe.  

We have again realized that in the 27 years we've been here we have not seen things this bad.  We've been through a lot, but this is different.  We covet your prayers for us, for our friends here and for the Haitians who have no part of this rebellion, but are the ones who are suffering.  

Ray took his group to the airport today to fly out (and Belle went out also).  He said the soot from all the burning tires was pretty bad.  He said everyone on the streets has a black coating on them.  How sad for a country already in misery to have to go through something like that. 

On a better note... our windows have been washed, our house having a "spring cleaning" for Christmas, and Don is getting some of the "little jobs" done.  Oh that he could buy the iron to finish the gate...but alas, no stores open to purchase it.  

Vero and Abbie are anxious to get the Christmas decorations up soon.  Don keeps insisting, AFTER Thanksgiving.  But they would love to do it now.  They really enjoy just sitting and looking at the decorations, and I don't have that many anymore.  

For now...keep your eyes on Jesus, even when it's hard.  Keep your hand in His and keep your mind on the things of God.  He is with us through whatever we face.  When the waters seem too deep, He is our life preserver...hang on to Him.  We pray you will always be in that place where the Lord can richly bless you!!!

Wednesday evening...

It's just after 9 PM and I'm sitting here so glad I don't hear gun fire or other loud happenings.  It may be because of the rain, but for whatever reason, I'll praise God!!

Things seem to be slowing down a bit...but we'll know for certain tomorrow afternoon.  Tomorrow is a holiday here in Haiti.  But even if that is the reason things quiet down, we'll still Praise God!!  People won't be real anxious to get back into protest mode, when they need to get food.  They'll let it go to get back to life again.  At least that is what we are praying for. 

The president has asked that all protests stop so that medical care can be gotten to those suffering with Cholera.  Pray with us that the people listen to his advice.  So much has gone on in these few days and it's so hard to realize that innocent people have died because of the desire of a few to "show their power".  And not only the ones who died, and leave family behind, but those who have suffered because they could not travel and get their produce to market, and buy needed food, and get medicine for illness.  Yes, those with cholera are suffering because meds can't get to them, but the whole realm of people are suffering as well.  

We are praying that this will stop, but we are also praying for the people who started it.  We pray God will step in and make Himself real to them.  Yes they have anger, but our God is a God of forgiveness and mercy.  There must be other ways to deal with what they are upset about.  Pray that God will show them how to do it in a way that doesn't cost lives or harm lives at all.

No real news at this point, but still need prayers to go heavenward for this poor country.  Pray for the leaders to be faced with the reality of the Lord, and that they will have to face Him and acknowledge Him!!  

Thanks for being with us through this rough time.  We know God has heard the prayers lifted on our behalf, and on behalf of the people here.

We are into Thursday...

This morning Vero and Shannon made it home safe and sound.  Still LOTS of road blocks everywhere, but Cequer went and got them on motorcycle.  So that is one huge relief. We have gotten so many different stories of what is happening everywhere.  Received one story that the roads on the airport side of town are all clear now.  Then a missionary who lives over there said, no, they are not...maybe a motorcycle can get through but nothing larger than that.  And this is daytime...give it a few hours and they will shut it up again.  And we got another one that the president is sending his "army" up here with tanks and guns to set things straight.  Haiti does not have an army.  And another radio message that things will now stop and roadblocks will be cleared.  Still nothing on that either.

So, we simply sit  here and wait to see what will happen next.  Tomorrow is another big holiday...where they block the roads for the celebration...so even if THESE roadblocks are cleared, the new ones will go up tonight for tomorrow.  We are waiting to see what tomorrow and tomorrow evening will bring us.  

We heard some shouting and hollering and whistling on the road here.  Vero calmly walked out there and came back to say they were watching a soccer match.  I think that is a good sign.  We still are not leaving the compound.  It is silly to take chances when tempers are still at fever pitch.  

Don has cleaned his garage...(much needed)...plus fixed a broken pipe and some other minor things that kept getting left undone.  So the time was not wasted.  Abbie's been home from school all week...no one could make it there.  THAT created some fun times here, trying to keep her busy.  She really does pretty well on her own, but she was missing mommy and her friends at school, and just simply wasn't happy with the way things were.  Now mommy's here and can take some of that off of me so I can get some work done.  I have not been on email hardly at all in the last week.  Too busy on the phone and running after Abbie.  

Phone has calmed down some today, which is a blessing.  It would be great to go back to normal one or two calls a day.   

During the day we don't have the gun shots or explosions (of who knows what).  So, it seems pretty quiet now.  We really are praying it will continue to be calm and quiet and that things could get back to the normal chaos here.  

God has given us a peace that no matter what happens we are in His hands and He has control of us.  For this we are really, really thankful.  Keep praying!!!

Quick update on the situation

Here it is Tuesday, a normal MFI day, and no planes.  The whole situation is escalating now.  We have no REAL idea why all of this is going on.  We have heard from different sources different reasons.  The word out now is that no white people should be on the streets at all.  No problem, we don't plan on going anywhere.  But Vero and Shannon are stuck half way to town at Vero's brother's house.  At least they are safe.  

Roads are still blocked, and the fortifications seem to be increasing, so it won't be easy to tear them down.  Here at our place things are quiet.  We have a group of police sitting about 2 blocks from our place, trying to figure out what to do.  At least they are keeping things calm here.  But no way to go beyond our place at this time.  

MFI is trying to figure out how and when to come in...since it would be impossible for anyone to get to the airport.  They are on standby to come and take those out who want to leave, too.  MFI is always right there for us when we need them.  

I am trying to coordinate getting a couple of other groups out, with us and with Hendricks Motor sports.  But again, just waiting on the situation to clear up enough to get people to the airport and get the airport open.  

Like I shared before, life is never dull here.  Can't say I especially WANT this type of excitement, but God is here and walking with us through this, so we can depend on Him to help us cope.  It really is amazing to know that whatever comes our way, God will be here and help us with it all.  We don't have to do it on our own.

Pray for things to calm down.  Pray for God to make Himself real in this situation.
Till next time..... God bless!!

Urgent prayer need

Yesterday, after English church, our friends Ray and Bonnie and Belle, headed back to Limbe.  About half way there, they ended up in the middle of a road block...I do mean middle.  (That's a story Ray would have to share).  But there were some major problems.  They made it home safe after hours of being stuck and driving where the vehicle should NOT have gone.  But then today, Vero and Shannon headed to the airport (at about 6:45 AM) to go to Port au Prince.  They were to fly out at 8, but didn't make it in time.  There were road blocks all over and rocks and bottles being thrown.  The airline said they could fly at noon.  Well, the airport ended up being closed because of the problems.  They sat there all day until Vero's brother could come and get them on a motorcycle.  (Four on one bike...humm).   Went through some areas where it was hard traveling.  Then crossed the river in a boat.  They are now at his place and will spend the night there.  Hopefully home tomorrow morning.  When they called, they could hear guns being fired quite near. 

Now on to what we have HEARD as to the reason for all of this unrest.  The people have gotten to the point of "the straw that broke the camels back".  Haiti has gone through so much in the last 6 months and I guess they finally broke.  They are blaming the UN for bringing Cholera to Haiti.  If this is true or not, who knows.  But they have been attacking the UN vehicles, and want the UN out of Haiti.  The UN had fired back and we've heard they have killed several people.  This has caused even more unrest.  

In our area this morning, you could hear the yelling and the people shouting.  There were NO vehicles moving, since all the roads have been blocked.  By this afternoon, we heard some tap-taps and a lot of motorcycles.  Found out they couldn't travel far, but got people from one place to another way out here.  The city is shut down completely.  Roads and bridge are blocked completely.  

We had to call MFI and cancel the plane for tomorrow.  We felt it would be dangerous for people to travel yet tomorrow.  We are sincerely praying that tomorrow things will start to calm down.  We will make a decision on MFI having a flight on Wednesday or not after we see what is happening in town tomorrow.  

All of this to ask you to pray.  PRAY big time.  Pray for peace to return and people to calm down and realize that what is going on will not make the problems go away.  Pray for the Lord to intercede and touch hearts.  

We do appreciate all the prayers that have come our way in the last months and we sincerely need them yet again.  

One thing that is a positive note here....Don took the braces off the second pillar for our gate today.  It looks great.  Another BIG step to having the gate finished.  

God is in control and we are totally leaning on Him in these times of unrest.  We had a great sermon Sunday from a dear friend, Dr. Bill.  He said, during troubled times, are we praying, "God take the troubles away."?  We should be praying, " God walk through this time with us, and help us to learn from this experience."  It's hard, but we are learning to do it.  So, pray with us that God will walk with us (and the other Christians as well) and that He will show us His Grace and Mercy that we can share with others, even in this hard, hard time.  

Prayerfully, more to follow tomorrow...God bless!!!!!

Almost a week

I can't believe it's almost a week since I've posted.  A few really busy days and then a couple of feeling cruddy days, I guess that's where it all went. 

Don has the fellows here pouring the second column for the gate!  YEAH!!  Can't wait for it to be finished.  It will still take a while but we are hoping not REAL long!  Of course, when you are working hard and trying to get things done, something else comes up.  A water pipe broke...or in reality, someone broke it off.  Cequer (one of our "kids") simply put a plug in it until Don can get at it to fix it.  

I spent a couple of days "standing guard" again.  Sure cuts into my work time, but that's better than Don not being able to finish his work.  Oh yea, the other "thing" that went wrong...the cement mixer had a flat tire.  No problem right?  Wrong, it was tubeless and had to order tubes.  Got them and figured no problem, simply put the tube in.  Wrong again.  Someone had borrowed the mixer at one point, and they didn't wash it down.  The whole wheel was cement and Don couldn't get the lug nuts off.  He finally pulled the wheel off the axle.  Only to find out the bearings were shot.  He did the best he could to fix it and put it back together.  This was AFTER he found out the whole problem had been the valve stem.  So, for now the cement mixer is working.  It seems nothing here is ever easy.  

I've gotten pretty far behind on my emails, so have to spend some quality time doing that now.  Of course this all depends on if I'm needed outside again.  Never a dull moment here.

I totally forgot I hadn't posted on here about the new book that MFI published.  It's about the earthquake and many who helped here.  I have ordered mine and am really anxious to see it.  Go to the web site and take a look.  I saw some of it before it was done and it's really awesome.  The web site is:  www.shakinggroundunshakablefaith.com  I know  you'll enjoy it once you get a preview.  


Need a lot of prayers for the cholera situation here.  It's spreading and becoming a national crisis now.  I don't even know the current numbers of deaths and infections.  But it raises daily.  It  hits a lot closer to home when you know someone who didn't make it.  And some simply are not heeding the warnings or taking simple precautions.  I guess they are thinking it won't hit them.  How tragic is that?  The information is out, via radio, TV, teachers in classrooms and many other ways...but people have to LISTEN to what is said.  So, please keep praying and lifting this poor, torn country up to the Lord.  


One of our dogs had puppies yesterday.  Abbie, being Abbie, named them.  One is Michale and one is Peter.  She said they are named after our grandsons.  I guess since they were here, she wants to remember them.  And there were only two male puppies.


One other praise item.  I want to thank the physical therapist who was here.  I believe the exercises he gave me are starting to work!!!  It may still take a while to get all movement back, but it IS starting to work.  


Okay, that's our news for now.  Let us know how YOU are doing.  I may not be able to answer all emails, but we love to hear how  you are and how we can pray for you!!  Even in troubled times, our God is awesome and shows us a way through our problems.  Take hold of His hand and keep smiling!!

Sunday evening

It's now Sunday evening.  What a couple of days.  Yes, Tomas bypassed us, but his tail didn't.  Last night we had some pretty wild winds and some  heavy rain.  Not enough to cause us problem, but it sounded like there were gun shots while we were at the dorm.  It was branches breaking off the trees and falling on the roof.  Early this AM, quite a few of Don's beggars were here and picked up all those branches to use for firewood.  And there were a lot.  Both our full time watchman and our night watchman have bananas planted all over the place.  Well, they lost quite a few of them to the winds.  I'm not sure how strong the winds were.  Don has a gauge but I don't remember what he said.  They weren't anywhere near hurricane strength, that's for sure, but pretty good ones anyway.

This morning Don and I listened to a CD a church sends us.  Good sermon.  Then this afternoon Pastor Mark preached at English church.  It was a GREAT message, although there weren't a lot of people there.  Sure enjoyed it.  

Tonight it seems cool to me, the team thinks it's really nice.  But it's calm and no rain so it's great, however you look at it.

Hope your week goes great and that you let the Lord guide and direct all you do.  Just keep remembering.... GOD IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomas has left us

About 1:00 PM our time we received word that Tomas has left our area.   We received less than an inch of rain here.  So, problems with flooding are non existent at this point.  We may still get some rains but nothing as to what people had predicted for our area.  

This is another example of God's answer to prayer.  Many, many people, Haitians and foreigners alike have prayed this storm away...and God heard and He answered.  We serve an AWESOME God.  That word keeps popping up where the Lord is concerned, but it's SO VERY true!!!  He is awesome and He does answer payers.  

Thanks to all who have prayed with us and gotten Haiti through the worst of Tomas.  You are the ones holding us up before the Lord and we praise Him for putting you in our path for that reason!!

We are praising and rejoicing in how the Lord keeps us safe!!

A thankful note

Wow, two posts within a short time...I'm doing good.  I just wanted to add a note here.  Don is on HAM radio with the hurricane net.  They asked him to come on so they can monitor what the weather is like here.  They have people all over the Caribbean on the net, checking on the storm.  

I'm thankful we have interent.  I'm thankful the storm seems to be missing us totally.  I'm thankful that Don has the HAM radio so we have communication even if we had gotten hit here.  

HAM radio operators are a blessing beyond measure.  They monitor and respond to any and all situations.  If something would happen, they have the connections to get help to those in need.  

So, we simply are praising God for all He is and all He does for us!!  Pray!! Praise!!  Rejoice!!