Memorial day evening

Greetings on a day of remembrances.
Yesterday in church we did remember those who served our country and lost their lives. But we also remembered those who served our country and came back. Both of these are the reason we have the freedoms we enjoy. There have been so many emails concerning our servicemen and women. We should be thankful to all of them for their willingness to stand in our stead and keep us safe and free. We pray God's blessings on them for their service to US, in the USA (and Americans everywhere)!!

In our time here in Wisconsin we have been able to see so many friends and family. It's been such a good time. We are both starting to unwind and relax a bit now. Had a good gathering last night with friends and family. And today we visited Don's sister in the nursing home. Talk about memories...wow...some of it was hilarious. Some were between Don and Barb, and some I remembered as well. It was a great time.

We have talked to Vero in Haiti a few times already. And yes, Abbie, too. We had gotten some needed information from Vero and were ready to hang up when Abbie started crying and wanted to talk to us. So, I got on the phone talked for just a minute, then asked if I could talk to mommy again. She said Yes, you can. Let me talk to grandpa. She was full of stories to share (from Haiti to Wisconsin).

Wednesday we fly to Camano Island, Washington. We are excited to see everyone there, too. I hope the weather holds out and is warm there. As nice as the temps are here, being in the house has been cold. Everyone here has their air conditioning on, which we aren't all that fond of. BUT then again, the pollen has been really bad. So, when you think of air conditioning or pollen, the air wins out.

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we travel. It's really not a vacation as some think, but it is different than being in Haiti working. We'll try to keep you updated as we travel.

Keep looking up and asking the Lord to guide you. We need to constantly grasp the Lord's hands as we walk with Him through the good and the hard times. He will always be with you and with us.

Update from Wisconsin

We are in Haiti temperatures right now. Sure makes us feel at home. But the funny part is hearing everyone here complaining about the awful heat. Feels real good to us. We drove straight here to Wisconsin from Indiana, where we visited with Stan, Gloria, Missy and Bill. Great time, although too short. The trip here was long, but we wanted to get here to be in church on Sunday. Our son Dale was doing a presentation on his trip to Haiti. It was good to be back in our home church and be a part of some great preaching, too.

We haven't done a lot in the two days here, but we have rested a lot. The fun we are experiencing is trying to get the "love bugs" from Florida off our car. They are stuck like glue. Went through a car wash and it did NOTHING...not even the dirt. Guess the bug juice collected the dirt and they are on there forever. We are going to use some special stuff to get them off.

We have another week here, then it's off to Camano Island, Washington for 8 days...well, two days traveling so 6 days there. But then back here to wait for our glasses to come in. And then....well, guess we need to get our act together and make some plans. I know we will be heading to Pennsylvania. Just have to figure out the dates on that.

On our return to Florida we will be heading down the east coast to stop at Hendricks Motor Sports. We want to stop and say thank you to them from someone from Haiti, for all their help during the first weeks following the earthquake. They were such a blessing to MFI, to Haiti and to all the people there. And we hope to stop at Gibbs Motor Sports, too, and let them know how much we appreciated their help as well.

So, all in all, we are still sort of in limbo....we have never been like this before, but it's so good to just simply be here and rest.

We talked to Vero and Abbie a few days ago. I had sent some things in for Abbie's birthday, but it was a very sad time for us, AGAIN, to miss her special day. But she had some friends over and they had cake. Abbie cried because we had sent her some presents. All she wanted was apples and grapes, but we did send some other things, too.

Well, for now, we'll leave you with the thought that God is leading and directing us in all things. I hope He has His hands on you, as well, and is taking you to places where you can see His majesty and glory. If you're in the pits, grasp His hand and He'll pull you up. If you are on top of things, grasp His hand and praise Him for all He has done for you. He IS our strength and shield and we long to do what He wants. Walk with Jesus and let others see His light shining from you!!!!

On the road in the US

Hello to all...

We are on the road. Actually we spent 5 days in and around Fort Pierce. Most of that time was spent sleeping. Don't know if we actually caught up on the sleep, but it sure felt good to be able to rest and not hear people at our door calling us.

We were sad to leave Fort Pierce without Abbie and Vero. But we did send Abbie some birthday presents...she wanted apples and grapes. We also called and talked to her on her birthday.

One highlight of those 5 days was that we got to see Carolyn in West Palm. We are SO REJOICING with her...she is cancer free and healing nicely. What a mighty God we serve. And yes, He is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Carolyn and Rodney can still use some prayers though. It seems so many people we know are having problems in so many areas. But these sweet people need some extra prayers, so please put them on your list.

Right now we are in Knoxville, TN, at a motel. We are on our way to see Stan, and then up to Wisconsin. It will be good to see some of our kids this soon.

Please keep us in prayer as we continue on this trip. We really don't have an itinerary set up yet. I think just coming out and crashing has been good, now we need to sit and figure out where we are going. We'll be checking in here and adding what we come up with. We hope to get to see many of you in the next few weeks. Time will fly, we know that, but we'd like to get to see everyone. We know we can't, but we will try.

And please keep Haiti in your prayers. We continue to find ways to help so many who are still suffering. Although we are not there, everyone there is still in our hearts and minds. It's hard to leave them but we knew we needed a break. But in reality, our hearts are still there.

We have to remind ourselves of the fact that God IS in control, He is still the author and finisher of our faith, and we are to TOTALLY depend on Him for all things. Do you sometimes have that same problem? It's a good thing God is so faithful and so loving.

I'll close for now. But remember, keep Jesus at the center of all things you do. And when you are down, grasp His hand and let Him pull you back up. We do that a lot lately!!

Keep praying, keep smiling and keep looking up!!!

Some good reports

Good morning...it's a bright and sunny Monday and we have found some real praise items. In the last few days we have been talking with some of the pastors we have been helping. It's exciting to hear the good reports. With the help we have given, AND THE HELP FROM THE CHURCH PEOPLE, some of the displaced families have been able to return to their "homes" and start to rebuild their lives in Port au Prince. It's so exciting to see the church people step in and help provide things for them. They helped with getting food and clothing for the people. And this is a true sacrifice for them. But God will richly bless their giving and their efforts. Some of the refugees can now return, clear their land and start rebuilding. What a hard time for them, but at least it's a time they can now look forward to and rebuild. There is still a long road ahead for them, but God has given them hope in so many ways. I guess it's still hard for me to comprehend how much they have already gone through and what they still have to face. I know it will be very difficult for them to clear out the old rubble and start new. But in a way, isn't that what we do as Christians? We clear out the old rubble and start fresh with Jesus Christ? I praise God for helping me come to the realization of how the "rubble" of the old life needed to be replaced.

The last two Sunday's in English Bible Fellowship, God has blessed us so much. Both times it was Haitian pastors who spoke. The first was Wilbert Merzilus and yesterday was Pastor Codo. Both of their messages were centered on encouragement. And they were focused on the mission community. Overcoming the depression and stress of dealing with so much since the earthquake was what they spoke on. I guess most of us (missionaries) didn't realize anyone understood the pressure we were under since this chaos started. But to hear it from two different pastors was such an uplift. The encouragement was a blessing for all of us. I really praise God for giving us friends with such great insight. And I know the other missionaries there felt the same way. God really, really has blessed us with some fantastic Haitian friends.

I know I've shared some of our daily devotions with you in the past, but I'm only going to put a small part of the one I got today. Again...this helps us here, dealing with the huge amount of suffering people. Looking at things from God's view, and taking things into heart from His perspective sure does help. In today's message, Papa Roy added two thoughts at the end that really spoke to me. "Everyone else thought, 'Goliath is so big, I can't beat him.' David thought, "Goliath is so big, I can't miss him.' "A man of less faith might have been too nervous to take the proper aim.' " And his second thought, "Attack! If you tolerate a giant, it will take over your territory. Giants are like wildfires. They get out of control and will consume your life. That's why you don't run from giants. You attack them." And we are talking here about the attacks of satan, and the things that come against us daily. They can wear you down and take your joy, just like these situations here in Haiti have done. But we have God on our side, so we can step up and take control of things and let God have the victory, just like David did!!!

God is so good!!! Oh yes, He is AWESOME!!! He sends His word, and His people to us just when we need it most. We serve a mighty and awesome God...I hope you are walking in His path and can see daily what He is doing for you.

We head stateside in just three days. At this point we have not set down an itinerary, but I am going to corner Don, in the midst of all his work, and do that this morning. He is a bit overwhelmed right now with trying to get everything done before we leave, but I believe God is in control and He will help him through this.

We hope to see many of you on this trip. If we don't see you, know that we are praying for you. God has used each and everyone of you in our lives and we are so grateful!! We praise Him for putting you in our lives. I will try to keep posting throughout our trip, if possible.

Have a GREAT day, and serve Him with joy and gladness!!

Frustration and a small light

As you have guessed, the visa situation did not go well. To say I am not pleased with the consulate is way understated.

I will start by saying that I do understand their rules and I do understand that they follow them, to some point. But what has gone on is way beyond my understanding of what they are doing. Here is a short explanation of what happened.

Last year, Abbie was not given a visa because I was not there. I have legal custody and they said I needed to be there. This year, I went along and was NOT ALLOWED to go into the consulate with them. The man said with the mother there, the paper was not valid. THEN when Vero went in, she was told they couldn't give Abbie a visa because I was NOT there. She told them I WAS there, but they would not let me in. No response to it. I was SO angry when I found out.

They took Vero's phone away on the way in. I do understand they can't take a phone in... BUT they charged her $5 to get it BACK when she went out!!! That is robbery in my book!

But they simply refused Vero's visa again, WITH NO EXPLANATION at all.

I know their guidelines and that some of them don't work for Vero.

She has to have a huge amount of money in the bank here, to assure her return. Vero takes all of her money and helps people. Her family is her responsibility. She has a brother in school, who also has regular doctor visits because of severe problems with his leg. She pays those bills. She helps a lot of families who have no income, and no money. She gets food for them and helps them with doctors bills. She cannot justify keeping money in the bank when so many people are hurting. So, IDADEE put money in her account for this visit, to show she had some there.

Then they require she have land and family here. She does. She owns land in Limbe. And she has a lot of family she has to support.

The situation with her husband is another problem area I think. He abandoned her over 3 years ago and has not been in touch or helped her in any way since that time. She does not know where he is. She has tried to get a divorce, but the lawyer stopped working on it when they couldn't find her husband....just quit, after taking all her money. And she doesn't have any more to pursue it with another lawyer.

I can produce letters from pastors and business people here to verify her honesty and reliability. But the consulate won't even look at them, because that is not part of the "paperwork" they require. The point of this whole situation is, they do not want to listen to anything said by anyone...they only want what they can SEE on the papers they have. You are required to bring along documentation of things, but they never even asked to see these documents.

We know of people who have lied, and gotten visas, we know of people who have purchased visas outside of the consulate without ever entering it (to the tune of $5000 US). And they want us to believe that Vero cannot get a visa because she doesn't meet the requirements. She would be with us 24/7 in the US and only there for 2 to 3 weeks max...because of work. But that has no bearing on anything.

Can you tell I'm frustrated? Well, maybe a little. But let me share that tiny bit of light with you, too. The president of MFI is not pleased with this outcome either. He has asked for all her paperwork and is contacting people to try to get a reversal on this. I'm not sure it will change, but the thought that others are as upset as we are helps ease my feelings some. It isn't just a selfish desire on my part... although I DO want them to go to the US with us, it's for more reasons than for them to be with us. It IS for sharing with others the dreams and plans of IDADEE. The future of this orphanage depends on having the right people come and teach and help out. They need people to understand what this orphanage is planning and seeing the vision from one of the founders is so important. Yes, we could share, but coming from a former orphan, who has dreams of seeing other children given better chances than most have in this country has a much greater impact. Our desire is to see the youth of this country trained up with truth and honesty at the front of things. With a Christian background, they will become leaders who have the country's best interest at heart. Not money hungry, power hungry people. But God fearing, God loving, God serving people who can lead the country to victory over poverty and decline.

I guess I need to apologize for getting carried away. But you can tell this is a heart thing for me. To help the Haitians help other Haitians is the way this country will change. And we need strong Christians to do that. And the way to get there is through the training, as they will be doing in the IDADEE organization.

Okay, back to our AWESOME God. We know He can do things we can't even dream of, right? So, now, we place this whole thing in His hands and ask Him to intervene and take it over.

"Lord, we do lift this whole thing up to you. Calm our hearts, give us Your peace and show us Your desires here. Help us to step back and let You work things out in Your way. Give us the strength to continue in what You have for us. Guide and direct us, and keep us from getting in Your way. We do praise You. We do love You. And we do want to serve You. Be with us in all we do. In Jesus wonderful name, Amen!"

The ups and downs May 4th

I wrote that title and started writing the blog, and pow...the power went off. Just another in the ups and downs of life. We've had some really extreme ups and downs the last few days...even weeks, and I think I'm ready to get off this roller coaster. Please keep us in prayer.

Tomorrow, Vero, Abbie and I fly to Port au Prince and Thursday we go to the consulate for the visas. Please pray that the Lord will put His hands on things and let this go through. Vero won't be able to go out for a long time, but at least she will be able to see the states for a short trip this time. I am really praying it does take place this time. We have so many places where she can speak on behalf of the IDADEE orphanage, but first comes that visa. So, prayers are needed big time for this.

You know when you are in what seems like the pits, it's so hard to see the way up and out. But God always provides a way to do it. He sure is faithful, isn't he? Do I dare use that word here.... AWESOME? He really IS awesome. Part of what is so hard right now is the scores of people coming to the door for help. (Some do NOT need it, but they come anyway, since they think there may be a free handout). The stress of this is a bit overwhelming. And it's EVERY DAY, ALL DAY...not just once in a while. We need this upcoming break so much.

A very good friend sent me a book...the title is: "Heavenly Humor for the Woman's Soul". It sure came at the right time. I wanted to share just one tiny section with you. This is part of a section written by Tina Krause and it hit home. "....long before medical science heralded the benefits of laughter, God said: 'A cheerful heart is good medicine' (Proverbs 17:22; 'A happy heart makes the face cheerful' (Proverbs 15: 13; and, 'A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones' (Proverbs 15:30. God created laughter to lift our spirits, lighten our loads, heal our bodies, and provide a temporary reprieve from our chaotic lives." Boy, doesn't that just fit what I needed now? It sure did. I have been enjoying this book and all of it's insights.

Don has been so busy getting food delivered to so many needy areas. He is so worn out now. The Lord has been really pushing him to get closer to Him, and I think Don may start taking some much needed study time while we are out. It's so hard to do it while here, with all the demands on him.

Pray for our trip out. We are supposed to leave on the 13th of May and return on the 13th of July. At this point we aren't positive where we are going, except we need to get to Wisconsin for some appointments. We'll know more about what is happening on Friday. So, we'll keep you all informed.

I guess my closing remarks have to be about laughter. The MFI pilots keep me going and we always end up laughing about something or someone (usually ME), but that's okay. But remember to keep laughter in your sights and let it heal some of your trips to the pits. It does work!!!

An E-devotional for today (May 2nd)

Every day we get an e-devotional from a good friend. This one I wanted to share here, since it seems to fit so many areas of our lives, both here in Haiti and in the US. Thanks Papa Roy for your insights!!!

God's ears are graciously open.

Scripture faithfully proclaims that much tribulation is the believer's lot in this world. But it stops not with a mournful note. It also reveals the remedy in every period of distress. The remedy is prayer. This exercise never fails to bring relief. A distinct example stands before us. The Psalmist, mourning in the depths of trouble, lifts up a supplicating voice. God's ears are graciously open. We shall have sorrow. Let us similarly cry, and we shall find that sorrow leads to joy. (Henry Law)

In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me. (Psalm 120:1)

God is bigger than your biggest fear and your deepest pain. He promises us refuge, strength, and help during troubled times. Nobody else is capable of doing all these things so who are you going to turn to when life gets you down? Jesus is waiting for you with open arms, invite Him into your heart.

So who do we turn to when life gets us down? God brings comfort to those who have heavy burdens: He is who we need to turn to.

In God we trust,
Papa Roy

Sunday and insight from Don

As I was about to post, Don came in and asked me to post for him. So, here goes from Don!

How can you be led by the Spirit if you are operating in the physical realm?

Let's take a stop light for example. If the spiritual light says stop, but in the physical you see the green light to go, you end up in trouble. Your will and desires get in the way, which controls the physical man. So many times what you think is of God is your will and desires. Praise God for His patience as He tries to guide us and teach us through the spiritual man, for God is a Spirit and He made us in His image. Gen. 1:26-27 tells us that before sin, Adam's body was totally controlled by his spirit.