A quick update from Haiti

Greetings,

Wanted to do a quick update to let you know what’s happening here in Haiti.  Obviously returning with the wrong mind set happened.  We thought since Savanah is finally home with her family (more on that later) in Canada, we’d have some free time…WRONG!  I think it’s something like having a bucket out in a heavy downpour…dump a bit out, thinking it will be a bit lighter…but before you can pick it up, it’s full again.  That IS what happened here.  First of all, Savanah was almost 6 when still here, so she was pretty free a lot of the time.  So when we returned and she wasn’t here anymore…things left undone took up that amount of time.  But it’s our hearts that still hold the empty feeling.

While we were out, we were blessed by a couple of families who gave us the opportunity to not only help people with the many problems here, but enough to get our next bucket project going. (Special thanks to Lou Ann and her family and to Terry and Diane for their generous help.) That is the main thing we wanted to share this time.  We have finally gathered all the food needed to start the first 25 buckets.  Now I want to let you know, when teams come and do buckets it’s a HUGE, HUGE blessing for us.  For Don and I to do this alone is REALLY time consuming.  We have to cut back on other things to get this done.  Vero helped me gather and bag the non-food items and believe me, that was a blessing!!  But Don and I had to do all the other bagging, and bottling.  It is so worth it to see those who get our buckets though.  We don’t do this for those who are constantly begging at the door.  We do this for the families or older people who are out in the country side and have no way to survive.  We try to get photos, but these people feel bad that they need help and we don’t want them to think we are using them when we take photos.  This has happened so often here in Haiti.  And our desire is to help not to embarrass them.  Many times we use our close kids here to deliver these, since they know the people and can do it quietly. 

All of that to let you know that these are going to be going out soon.  We filled the first bucket to make sure it would all fit in and then took a picture.  These are staples that all Haitians use and are thankful for.  The list?  Okay, here it is:  First of course is the 5 gallon bucket with a lid (reusable for water or storage when empty).  Rice, spaghetti, tomato paste, beans, flour, oil, oatmeal, cornmeal, and sugar.  Then we add laundry soap, toothbrushes (5 per family), toothpaste, soap, wash cloth, hand sanitizer, comb, pens, pencils, small carry bag, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, 2 booklets of John & Romans, and two scripture tracts explaining salvation. 

We have been asked why we put 2 of the scriptures and tracts.  Here in Haiti, having books or reading material is very treasured.  And even if they cannot read, they will find someone to read it to them.  (We have found out about this on many, many occasions). And the reason for 2?  Haitians really are a generous people and they will share the extra ones with someone else…thus the word of the Lord goes out beyond those we can reach.  We could write story after story of people who have shared with us that they had these scriptures from someone we had helped.  The blessing for us is that it is equipping the Haitians to share God’s word with others. 

Now on to Savanah.  YES, we do miss her.  Find ourselves saying, go get her, or see where she is, and then realizing she is at home in Canada.  She is happy.  She has her mom, dad, three sisters, and now, as of 3 days ago, she has a brand new baby brother added into it. Pray for that happy and excited family.  We still find a toy she loved, or something she cherished here and pause, but know she is so happy and her first words to us on the phone were, “Grandma, I’M IN CANADA!!”  Her hearts desire!

Here is Savanah's new baby brother, Andrew Alexander

 Our next steps?  Well, we hope to be able to do more buckets soon, but are also busy with regular things, like MFI (who are important to so many missions here) and the airport, working with other missions, with English Bible Fellowship, and just normal everyday life things. 

So, we ask you to please rejoice with us that we are completing our first 25 buckets since back, and that Savanah is home and happy with her new family, and that we are home and back in the swing of things here.  We were again asked, several times while in the US, when are we retiring…and our answer is still the same….”Christians don’t retire, they re-fire.” So we continue to look for ways to keep that fire burning for the Lord!!  And we are praying you’re doing the same!