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!!

The rains have come

Good morning.  Well, the rains have started but we are amazed that we still have satellite service.  The cloud cover is heavy and we normally lose service.  Just another item showing God is here with us.  We have gentle rains, which started last night.  No winds.  

We received an email from a fellow missionary this morning and I want to share part of it with you.  It really does say something important.

Please pray for the people of Haiti who have suffered so much.  Pray that the lost will hear the word and believe.  Most who pray and seek God do not do so according to the truth of His Word.  Religious but lost.  Pray for believers to be protected but above all that their light would shine to those in darkness in this difficult time.

Would you pray with with us?  Through all of these situations being encountered in this poor country, the people need to see the light of the Lord shine through and reach out to  Him for His love and the grace He offers through salvation. They may have nothing, but with the Lord, they would have all they need.

Thank you for your prayers.  As time and internet allow, we will keep you posted.  The gentle breeze of Jesus is surely with us!!! 

Tomas - up close and personal

Well, we can still get on the internet, so decided to get a note out quickly. We've been tracking and watching Tomas very close. It's been a trip in the unknown. It wiggles east then wiggles west, then back again. It's like it's on a zigzag path. But the predictions now put it closer to Jamaica and Cuba, than the main part of Haiti. The northwest corner of Haiti may get hit pretty hard, but our area is out of the wider path predicted. Yes, it could change, but we are confident that we will be safe and have no real problems here. Oh, we'll have rain, and maybe some winds, but we don't believe it will be anything devastating. So, for those of you praying, thank you, and please keep the prayers coming.

The team is working themselves out of work AGAIN. They did this last year, too. They came with a projection of doing 300 to 350 buckets. And we, with so little faith, thought maybe they would reach 300...MAYBE! Well, the first day they spent the morning washing and cleaning out buckets. And the afternoon bagging items and then filling buckets....they completed 115 buckets in one afternoon!!! So, we went out and purchased more food and items for the buckets so they can keep working.

This afternoon they delivered some of those buckets (wanted them to experience it...and had to do it before the rains and bad roads made it impossible, or impassible). They also were able to visit the IDADEE compound. It's such an impressive work and such beautiful land.

Don is still struggling with getting this gate finished. Even our watchman wants it up SOON. Pray with us that our friends from Washington will be able to come and help Don out with it. (It's a tremendous job for only one person!)

We enjoyed sunshine most of the day and are now into some clouds, but it's really nice weather. Cool breezes and bearable temperatures. God is SO good.

In reading the Word, I found something that we all need to cling to....it's in Romans 1: 11b, ".....that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each others faith." We love to hear of how YOU are doing, so please keep in touch. We are praying for you and asking the Lord to lift you up and bless you.

Keep praying, for Haiti, for the people here to cling to the Lord and His precious gift of salvation, and pray for us, too, to keep focused on the Lord and what He wants us to do.

Until next time....keep smiling....GOD LOVES YOU and is holding out His hands to you.

Hurricane Tomas....

I wanted to get a quick post out before this storm cuts off our internet. The clouds are moving in and that limits us. This crazy hurricane keeps changing. The projected path changes by the hour almost. It goes back and forth from going directly over us, to going west of us. So we really have no idea if we will get the full force or not. We are praying not, but we'll see.

Don is diligently working on the gate. The ones who really need his help have been very understanding and leave when he asks them to. The others...are very insolent, nasty and obscene, and there is no way they will leave. They even ignore our watchman. So, getting this gate up is priority. Pray for Don as he works on this. (Even in the storm and bad weather.) He has been welding on the porch, to avoid all the stopping for beggars. It's helped but still a frustration. Keep praying.We have a new team in. Well, not NEW as such, they come every year and assemble buckets for us for the bucket ministry. This is SUCH a blessing. The first year the four who came did 97 buckets. The second year, just over 200 and this year they are hoping to do well over 300. God is really using them to reach out and help so many people. God's word goes into each bucket, so people are receiving physical and spiritual food. Their ministry here with these buckets may not be visual to them now, but in heaven, there will be those who come up to them and thank them for their dedication and work.

As the clouds allow, I will try to keep you updated on what is happening here. Pray this storm away with us.

With God, ALL things are possible!!

A short note...

Just wanted to get a quick note out today (well, actually tonight). Don and Vero went to the airport today...had a LONG day there. Plane landed and then the rains came. They waited and waited before the plane could fly to Pignon, then return for passengers. So, they came home tired and damp.

Yesterday Don and Daniel took the forms off the pillar for the gate. A few tiny problems, but they can be fixed. Now tomorrow Don will start on the welding of the next pillar. Even if it rains, he can work in the garage, so that's a blessing.
On Facebook, a good friend posted an article from yahoo that I thought you might like to read. Gives yet another look at the Cholera situation here. Here is the site to check out:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101028/ap_on_he_me/cb_haiti_disease_outbreak (you may have to copy/paste it for it work).

The problem is, who to believe and what to believe. The basis is, there IS Cholera and it has been spreading. So, we need to pray and ask the Lord to guide and direct those who have the ability to stop it, to succeed. And we praise God for those helping by bringing in the necessary supplies, like MFI. I have seen many organizations mentioned in many places, but none about MFI. And they were the first on the ground, just like at the earthquake, but no one noticed them. They were God's silent army. But we still praise God for how they serve Him!!!

Until next time...Live, Love, Laugh, and most importantly, Keep Christ at the center of all you do. Blessings!!!