Back home in Haiti!

 Greetings,

   Well, even with all that is going on, we are still praising the Lord and hoping you are doing the same!

   Prayer, praising and rejoicing means so much especially in these troubled times.  As most of you know back at the beginning of June, we were able to get on MFI’s first passenger flight out of Haiti since the start of the pandemic.  We had to have some check-ups and get some minor things taken care of.  We did encounter some delays due to the “quarantine” limits, but nothing that was very hard.  Before we left, we didn’t see much of the pandemic here.  Although after we left, we received news of 2 acquaintances who passed away.  Yet Haiti, at least in the north, didn’t experience the wide spread mess that other places encountered. 

   Then our travels started.  We were able to see almost all of our family on this visit out.  That was our largest blessing.  And, of course, we accomplished all of our check-ups that had been delayed.  It’s always a joy and a blessing to be in American churches and get to visit and see our friends.  But it’s also a joy and blessing to be able to return home to Haiti, to be with those we love here, and also to return healthy and ready to get back to work. 

   And that is what we are doing.  In the last few weeks, there was a lightning strike here on our compound.  Took out some of the internet, damaged one of our inverter systems, and we now have a leaky roof again.  Thankfully MFI had some large tarps we were able to bring back with us, to cover the roof.  (That’s a work in progress this week).  Don is over working on the inverter system at the dorm, and then on to some electrical situations here at the house. 

   We flew in yesterday and brought in a lot of the “extras” we put in our food buckets.  And also, lots of PVC parts and things we can’t purchase here.  Thankfully Abbie was here and helped go through all the tubs of things we brought.  Got it all sorted into the areas they needed to be and ready to go.   I was able to catch up on a lot of the paperwork that gets left for me to do.  And today will start sorting and preparing to get moving on the next batch of buckets.

   While we were gone, the exchange rate here in country escalated quite high.  For someone with American money, it was okay.  But for most Haitians, who have no US funds, it was catastrophic.  Before we left, you could exchange $100 US and get $1,800 Haitian dollars.  That would have been at 18% change rate.  When we came back it is up to 23.5%, which mean we could get $2,350 Haitian dollars.  Sounds good, right?  Wrong!!!  For us it was okay, but for the Haitians who have no US funds, and were having a very difficult time making ends meet before, this rise was awful.  Prices rose with the rate hike, so people are really, really hurting now.  We saw so many desperate people before, and now it will be so much worse.  This rise in the exchange rate effects EVERY area of living.  Food costs rise, gas prices rise, schooling cost escalate…well, it all rises.  And the poor were not doing well before all of this.  Add to all of this health care.  It is a horrid situation for the normal person.  So, this is our main prayer request right now.  That the Lord would intervein and help.  We know the Lord is able and willing to help,

 So, we are asking for tons of prayers for this country.  Will you join us in this? 

   Only being back a day, we haven’t gotten much more information that this.  But I’m sure I will find out more as the days go on.  So, add to the prayer request that God will give us wisdom, strength and insight as to how and where to best use what He gives us.

   I imagine you have all noticed I like to end many letters with “blessings”.  I just read a devotional from David Jeremiah and I’d like to share part of that with you.  I like that it conveys what I feel. 

   “…what does blessing mean? …..In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the words for blessing literally mean “happiness.”  The Old Testament word osher came from a root meaning “to be level or right, to go forth in properness and rightness.”  The New Testament makarios also means to be happy—that is, “to live in God’s favor.”  So, when we say, “God bless you,” we are invoking the happiness only God can provide.  And we find that happiness by living according to His guidelines for life—full of the Spirit and based on the Word.”

   So, in closing, I would again like to say, ABUNDANT BLESSINGS, and God bless you.