May and in the USA

May 18th, 2012 First, I have to say, I have had some really rotten going with this program.  They have changed it and it does NOT work right.  So, please excuse the mess!!    I decided it was time to get an update out to everyone.  What a time we've had.  We really thought that after dealing with measles with Savanah, things would settle down and be calmer.  I am coming to believe that we should never assume anything.
We got packed up and on May 10th headed to the US for a 7 week trip.  We spent a day and half in Fort Pierce getting items we knew Vero needed, plus all the items for Abbie's birthday party.  Yet another year that we missed it.  Then on Saturday we headed north.  Wanted to make sure we made it to Wisconsin for our youngest daughter's graduation from college.  We are SO proud of her for the constant struggle it took for her to achieve this. She did a great job and deserves praise for her hard work.    The first day we made it north of Atlanta, GA, and stopped for the night.  Next morning we awoke to a storm.  But we knew we had to head on through.  You always want to believe you can drive out of a storm, right?  We had horrible rains all the way to just southeast of Murfreesboro, TN. (And saw 6 accidents along the way).  It let up a bit and we were really happy.  I told Don that I needed to stop and simply walk for a while.  It was really tense driving in that rain.  So, we  stopped at Wal-Mart to walk around.  Called our son and asked them to meet us for lunch.  (Our plan was and still IS, to spend some time with them on the return trip, so we wouldn't miss the graduation).  They came in and we had a great lunch where mom's ate free since it was mother's day.  And had some good fellowship time with the family.  Then got back on the road again...AND THE RAINS STARTED UP AGAIN!!  I made it as far as Paduka, KY, and then told Don we simply had to stop and get some sleep.  Signed in to the hotel and the sun came out.  Figures, doesn't it?  But we had a good night's rest. (Don said if he were driving =which he doesn't do in the US= we would have stopped and waited for the storm to pass).  The next day we made it to Wisconsin and got to our daughter's house.  Totally exhausted and ready to chill for a day or two before contacting anyone.  We arrived on Monday, and she was graduating on Thursday, so we had some "down" time.  Wednesday night, Don wasn't feeling the best.  Spent all night throwing up and really not well.  Called the doc's office on Thursday morning.  Got in that afternoon.  Had lots of tests and blood work, and then an ultra sound.  Doc came back in and said "I've set you up with a surgeon for tomorrow morning."  Don had a really bad gall bladder.  He came home on pain meds and went to bed.  I went to the graduation with our son and two grandsons.  Don's sister and her husband met us there.  We were so proud to see our daughter walk down and get her degree!!  (Don got to see the pictures we took of her).       Then this morning we saw the surgeon.  Within a few minutes of examining Don, he set up surgery for this afternoon.  At 12:30 they took him in for removal of the gall bladder.  He was back home by 5:00.  That is so amazing to me.  Major surgery to remove a part of your body and you are in surgery, out and back home within 4 1/2 hours.  Don had supper with us...he only had soup and crackers and apple juice, but after 2 days of eating NOTHING, he was happy.  This is just before he went into surgery...and his nurse (who was GREAT) wanted to be in the picture.  His first smile in two days!!
We serve an AWESOME GOD, don't we?  He walked before us these 8 days we've been in the states.  We are really happy this didn't happen in Haiti or on the road.  This whole situation was sort of a downer for our daughter's graduation, but we plan to make it up to her.   Please keep Don in prayer for a quick healing.  And pray for us as we continue our short trip here.  We have another grandson graduating soon, so we won't leave here until we are part of that, too.  The doctor sees no reason why we can't leave to return to Haiti when planned.  For that we are REALLY thankful.  God doing HIS thing again...seeing to our needs before we even know about them.   Also, keep Vero, Abbie and Savanah in your prayers.  We know it's not easy for Vero to have this added responsibility of Savanah while we are gone, but we praise God she is there for us and for Savanah.  And also pray for Savanah's adoption.  We don't know where it is right now, but God does, and we are depending on Him to see it through. Well, Don is sleeping soundly, FINALLY!  And it's time for me to do the same.  So, remember, God is walking with you when you turn your life over to Him.  And He walks before you, and has His plans in line to be what you need when you need it.  We are SO thankful that the Lord is a major part of our lives.  He truly IS an AWESOME GOD.  We pray you are in that place where God can do for you what He has done for us... keeping His hands on us and all we do.    Keep praising and praying and following!!!

Missing Abbie's birthday

Well, we'll miss Abbie's birthday, yet again.  So, I decided to make some cupcakes for her as a "pre-birthday" celebration.  I had decided to also give Savanah a cupcake, one little piece at a time.  Don said, no, let her have her own cupcake.  We were all laughing so hard.  She is a little eating machine.  We set the cupcake in front of her, and she wasn't sure what to do with it.  She does pick up her crackers and things, but this was BIG.

 So, of course, you lean in and try it....

 And then, when you find out it's GOOD... you go for it, totally...

 

I really thought this one was cute...she's looking at what is in her hand and thinking "what is all of this?"

 

 

 And finally, it's "grandma I liked that".

 When I was showing Don the pictures with Savanah on my lap, she was all excited and her lips started smacking...she wanted more.

Well, back to the mundane...Don has been hauling water for the orphanage...three loads in one day.  He said the mountain of wash they had there, and no water, made him feel so bad.  So, he hauled until he ran out of time.  The women were so thankful.
 I'm putting a couple of photos here of his trip yesterday.  He puts it into a big holding tank but also fills their barrels.  Pray for them to get that well dug and working.

 We are almost packed and ready to go.  Just two more days.  We'll miss Abbie, Savanah and all our friends, but are very anxious to make this trip, too.  We'll keep you posted as we travel and see people.  

The Lord has really been speaking to me about being an intercessor prayer warrior.  I know we have had them the whole time we've been in Haiti, and know we would not have made it without them.  But God showed me that I can be there for others, not only on the mission field, but those struggling with all different problems.  We have had a great example of a faithful and powerful prayer warrior in Louisa Destine...a fantastic Haitian friend.  She not only prayed, but she prayed until she got an answer.  And she taught others how to come before the throne of grace with those prayers.  And now she is in need of those intercessory prayers.  She is on dialysis in the states.  So, pray for her, but pray for me also, that I follow where the Lord leads.

It's back to work and back to baby care.  You have a super great, Christ centered, Christ filled day.  Keep the Lord at the front of all you do.  
 

STOP LIGHT and prayer requests

Wow, I was going to add this last week, and totally forgot.  Cap Haitian now has ONE stop light.  A real working one.  I haven't seen it yet, but others have.  We did see that the road had real lane markings on it... and wondered about that, but since it was right in front of the police station, we thought they may be teaching their officers something?  BUT that is the corner where the new light is.  It's on the boulevard.  The main road along the waterfront.  And it has one road leading to it.  They say the light has a timer on it, so you know when it will change.  But I have to laugh.  The missionaries who have seen it, said they didn't realize it was there until they had gone through it.  There was a policeman on a motorcycle behind them and they thought he was going to stop them, but he didn't.  Guess he didn't know what to do with it.  

But this brought back to mind something that happened many, many years ago.  Kathy and Alice (the missionary gals across the street) and I used to go to Port about once a month to visit friends there.  We were downtown and all of a sudden I saw a stop light, and it turned red.  I stopped.  Horns blew, people yelled and cars went around us.  Two stoplights had been installed in Port and no one paid any attention to them.  We were almost hit because we obeyed that light.  And now, all these years later, here we are in Cap, with the same situation. 


I'm also asking for prayers in this letter.  We received news yesterday that my (Karen) brother has cancer that has spread throughout his body.  Please keep him (Bob) in prayer.  And also his wife, Bev.  This is a very difficult time for them.  We are so thankful we will get to see them soon.  We are praying God will touch him and heal him, but if that is not in God's will, then we pray God will take the pain away and ease his suffering.  Pray with us for God's Hand on Bob's body and his life.


And I'm also asking you to keep Vero in prayer.  She has so much on her plate right now, and she will be adding the care of Savanah to that.  She will need strength and a lot of wisdom to keep going.


For now we simply ask that you keep your eyes on Jesus and all He has done for you.  Praise God for His faithfulness and thank Him for His sacrifice for you.  I know that is something we all need to do daily.  No matter where we are on our walk, God is always right by our side, with His Hand on us.  All we have to do is reach out and take that Hand!  


Till next time, God bless!

May 3rd update

Seems we keep busy constantly.  Don has been really busy trying to keep the IDADEE orphanage in water.  Their well went dry...not sure if it ever really worked or not.  But with so many kids and staff, they desperately needed water.  He has been making at least 2 trips a day out there with water.  Vero said everyone is so thankful for that water.  This is not drinking water, this is for cooking, washing clothes, washing kids and the normal things.  The people who were going to drill yet another well, ended up leaving Haiti for a time.  So, prayers are needed for them now.

Between Savanah and Abbie, my life is never dull.  Abbie is shooting up like a weed.  She will celebrate her 7th birthday in just 2 weeks.  Savanah is a constant source of laughter.  She loves Abbie and gets so excited when she walks in from school.  And she seems to know when that is.... she will not take a nap in the afternoon.  Once she has spent time with Abbie, she will nap.  

In just one week Don and I will travel to the states.  We'll be gone about 6 weeks.  We need a break.  But our main reason for going is that our youngest daughter is graduating from college.  She spent quite a few years after a rocky divorce getting her life working again.  We are so proud of her and want to be there for this huge accomplishment in her life.  And just a couple weeks later one of our grandsons will graduate from high school.  He is also training to be a pilot.   On his invitation for his graduation party, he has two quotes.  I wanted to share them with you... it shows that his heart is totally into flying.

     "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes   turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

     "Pilots are just plane people with a special air about them." 

 It really is a privilege for us to be there for these events.  Vero will be keeping Savanah while we are stateside.  That's a real blessing for us, too.  We know she will be well cared for.

And keep MFI in prayer as well.  With summer approaching they will increase their work load.  Many things happening there.  Check out their web site and see what all is going on.  The link is at the right of our blog.

We've been blessed the last two weeks to have had several different missionaries come for a visit and share a meal.  We sure enjoyed the fellowship and time spent with them.  I like to cook, so this gives me a reason to do it, and have the added benefit of time with friends.  I don't get to go out much anymore, with the baby here, so this has been a real joy for me.

I'll close for now, but please remember to keep Haiti in your prayers.  With the world in chaos, many people forget about this little island.  Pray with us that the Lord will abundantly pour out His Spirit on Haiti and it's governing forces.  i guess we need to pray the same thing for America.  And for the world.  The only way the chaos would end is through the intervention of the Lord.  BUT, I have read the Bible, and know that the Lord is coming soon...so this may all be leading up to that point.  We know God is in charge of all things, but we also know He allows us our free will. Some of the people who are exercising that free will are not using it to the best advantage.  So, we'll continue to pray for revival and that the Lord will open eyes and ears to hear His word and truth.  

The little "ditty" we heard years ago surely applies now..... "When you walk with the Lord you don't get bored!!"  Praying you are keeping your eyes and ears tuned to the Lord for His direction in your life!!   Blessings!