Hello,
Just a quick note. The container was inspected today. They say we may get the container next Monday. Pray for that, and pray that the cost is reasonable, for Haiti, that is. We are rejoicing that the inspection did take place.
Keep praying....
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday morning
Good morning,
What a great day. English church yesterday was such an uplift. We always appreciate visiting pastors who are willing to teach. But yesterday was "one of our own" missionaries. Tom has a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of the Bible. I cannot relay word for word what he shared, but I can relate the idea he presented. They had been in north America for a couple of months. When they returned, one of his trusted workers was telling him about a Jackie Chan movie. He said, "Why do we Haitians put such stock in karate and in Jackie Chan? His movies are not true. He has a fight with 200 men and he WINS! This is not true." Well, Tom is not a Jackie Chan/karate fan. But he told this man, let's look at the Bible on this. And he went to 2 Samuel 23:8 - 11, and read the story of David and his 3 companions. In verse 8b, it reads, "Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter." Then Tom went on to other incidents in the Bible. One was when David killed Goliath. He took 5 small stones from the river and faced Goliath. An interesting point here, that I had never thought of...if David felt God was with him why did he take 5 stones, not just one? Then Tom showed us, Goliath had 4 brothers, and David did not know if he had to also take them down. But Tom told his Haitian worker, the difference between Jackie Chan/karate and what is in the Bible is GOD. God was on the side of David, and all the other great men who fought for Him. And with God nothing is impossible. Tom then called us all to be great men (women) of God and step out in faith and share what the Lord has done. He did a super job and challenged us to be warriors for the Lord.
I just wanted to share that with you and challenge YOU to be what God wants YOU to be for Him.
Pray for the container...today is the inspection and we are praying it goes quickly and the cost will be reasonable.
Have a great day in the Lord!! Keep smiling and let people see Jesus in YOU.
What a great day. English church yesterday was such an uplift. We always appreciate visiting pastors who are willing to teach. But yesterday was "one of our own" missionaries. Tom has a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of the Bible. I cannot relay word for word what he shared, but I can relate the idea he presented. They had been in north America for a couple of months. When they returned, one of his trusted workers was telling him about a Jackie Chan movie. He said, "Why do we Haitians put such stock in karate and in Jackie Chan? His movies are not true. He has a fight with 200 men and he WINS! This is not true." Well, Tom is not a Jackie Chan/karate fan. But he told this man, let's look at the Bible on this. And he went to 2 Samuel 23:8 - 11, and read the story of David and his 3 companions. In verse 8b, it reads, "Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter." Then Tom went on to other incidents in the Bible. One was when David killed Goliath. He took 5 small stones from the river and faced Goliath. An interesting point here, that I had never thought of...if David felt God was with him why did he take 5 stones, not just one? Then Tom showed us, Goliath had 4 brothers, and David did not know if he had to also take them down. But Tom told his Haitian worker, the difference between Jackie Chan/karate and what is in the Bible is GOD. God was on the side of David, and all the other great men who fought for Him. And with God nothing is impossible. Tom then called us all to be great men (women) of God and step out in faith and share what the Lord has done. He did a super job and challenged us to be warriors for the Lord.
I just wanted to share that with you and challenge YOU to be what God wants YOU to be for Him.
Pray for the container...today is the inspection and we are praying it goes quickly and the cost will be reasonable.
Have a great day in the Lord!! Keep smiling and let people see Jesus in YOU.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday Morning...
Good morning,
I sent out an update to our prayer warrior list 2 days ago, but forgot to update on here. Sorry. Not a LOT is happening, but there is a bit. We've seen some trucks that made it through from Port au Prince. They come caravan style to avoid problems on the road with both thieves and those who have nothing and are desperate. We think they were carrying staples, like beans, rice, oil, and those sort of staples. The problem is the prices of these things have gone out of sight. I understand them charging more, since they are taking risks to get them here, but it seems a bit extreme. And the normal Haitian can't afford those prices. There have also been some gas trucks who made it through. Fuel is coming in slowly, more like a trickle. But it's a start. No propane at this point, so we are still praying for that. And we may not be able to get it the first few trucks that come in, either. People are in a panic state for items they can't get. Yet, we know the Lord knows, and is in charge. Although things seem to be starting to calm down, the situation with the displaced people has not changed. They still have nothing and have no where to go. So, please keep praying for them and us, and all who are trying to help them.
Don has been a bit overwhelmed by the school costs. He is still trying to help about 15 kids with their schooling. He has gotten some of them started with the first payments they have to make just to get into school. They have to pay an "inscription" fee, which is a registration fee. Then they have to pay for the first month of school, then pay for uniforms (which are required here), then books and shoes. It's unreal what it takes to get a child in school here. Don has already paid quite a bit for these 15 kids he has helped, but to finish their fees to cover through December, he still needs way over $2,000 US. Then for the rest of the school year, he needs another $670. Parents here would sell their last cow (and their means of livelihood) to put a child in school. They feel educating their child will help them in the future. (The child can graduate, get a job, and help support the family). But most cannot afford to do it for all the years needed to graduate. It's sad that this education is costing so much here.
We have been able to help out more with food since our last update. Many, many have come up here from Gonaives. They have nothing and no where else to go. Helping with food is a first step. From that point on, we really need the Lord to guide and direct us in how, where and who to help. Please keep that in prayer.
The rains have finally stopped. Our ground is starting to recover from that onslaught. But within a day and a half, the roads were back to being a dust bowl. A lot of the roadwork was washed away and our roads are worse than they were before. So, travel take a lot more time. (and you acquire a lot more bruises from bouncing around).
MFI has been in and delivered much needed supplies along with the relief supplies they have been bringing. We are so thankful for them "Standing in the Gap" for everyone here. We have missionary friends who are praying for tents. They have so many displaced people at their compound and need places for them to sleep and eat. They are also praying for food to feed them, but shelter is important. They also have several churches out in the country toward Gonaives, where people have lost everything, even their church. They would like to go in and help out with at least food and shelter for them. Please pray for them.
We are doing okay...it's a struggle for us emotionally, and even spiritually at times, but we do know that God is here and He is with us and with the Haitian people who will call upon Him. Pray for us to be a good witness to all who come, even those we cannot help.
Keep the container in prayer...we've put down a deposit on it now, and Monday we are supposed to go in for inspection. It could take another week after that before we get it. Pray that it is released and the cost is lower than expected. And that we get it quickly. The first step is on the way and we pray for delivery.
Time to get ready for church. It is a joy to see the Haitians rejoicing in the Lord, no matter their circumstances. They love to pray and sing. It's very uplifting.
We know you face struggles, too, and we are praying God will meet your needs as you turn to Him. Have a super great Sunday. Our love to you all!!
I sent out an update to our prayer warrior list 2 days ago, but forgot to update on here. Sorry. Not a LOT is happening, but there is a bit. We've seen some trucks that made it through from Port au Prince. They come caravan style to avoid problems on the road with both thieves and those who have nothing and are desperate. We think they were carrying staples, like beans, rice, oil, and those sort of staples. The problem is the prices of these things have gone out of sight. I understand them charging more, since they are taking risks to get them here, but it seems a bit extreme. And the normal Haitian can't afford those prices. There have also been some gas trucks who made it through. Fuel is coming in slowly, more like a trickle. But it's a start. No propane at this point, so we are still praying for that. And we may not be able to get it the first few trucks that come in, either. People are in a panic state for items they can't get. Yet, we know the Lord knows, and is in charge. Although things seem to be starting to calm down, the situation with the displaced people has not changed. They still have nothing and have no where to go. So, please keep praying for them and us, and all who are trying to help them.
Don has been a bit overwhelmed by the school costs. He is still trying to help about 15 kids with their schooling. He has gotten some of them started with the first payments they have to make just to get into school. They have to pay an "inscription" fee, which is a registration fee. Then they have to pay for the first month of school, then pay for uniforms (which are required here), then books and shoes. It's unreal what it takes to get a child in school here. Don has already paid quite a bit for these 15 kids he has helped, but to finish their fees to cover through December, he still needs way over $2,000 US. Then for the rest of the school year, he needs another $670. Parents here would sell their last cow (and their means of livelihood) to put a child in school. They feel educating their child will help them in the future. (The child can graduate, get a job, and help support the family). But most cannot afford to do it for all the years needed to graduate. It's sad that this education is costing so much here.
We have been able to help out more with food since our last update. Many, many have come up here from Gonaives. They have nothing and no where else to go. Helping with food is a first step. From that point on, we really need the Lord to guide and direct us in how, where and who to help. Please keep that in prayer.
The rains have finally stopped. Our ground is starting to recover from that onslaught. But within a day and a half, the roads were back to being a dust bowl. A lot of the roadwork was washed away and our roads are worse than they were before. So, travel take a lot more time. (and you acquire a lot more bruises from bouncing around).
MFI has been in and delivered much needed supplies along with the relief supplies they have been bringing. We are so thankful for them "Standing in the Gap" for everyone here. We have missionary friends who are praying for tents. They have so many displaced people at their compound and need places for them to sleep and eat. They are also praying for food to feed them, but shelter is important. They also have several churches out in the country toward Gonaives, where people have lost everything, even their church. They would like to go in and help out with at least food and shelter for them. Please pray for them.
We are doing okay...it's a struggle for us emotionally, and even spiritually at times, but we do know that God is here and He is with us and with the Haitian people who will call upon Him. Pray for us to be a good witness to all who come, even those we cannot help.
Keep the container in prayer...we've put down a deposit on it now, and Monday we are supposed to go in for inspection. It could take another week after that before we get it. Pray that it is released and the cost is lower than expected. And that we get it quickly. The first step is on the way and we pray for delivery.
Time to get ready for church. It is a joy to see the Haitians rejoicing in the Lord, no matter their circumstances. They love to pray and sing. It's very uplifting.
We know you face struggles, too, and we are praying God will meet your needs as you turn to Him. Have a super great Sunday. Our love to you all!!
Monday, September 22, 2008
A small update
Hi,
Well, we heard some fuel came in yesterday. Many had to wait for a long time to get anything. Some even missed their evening church services because of waiting. We are waiting to hear if more has come in. The first few days will be horrible to get fuel once it does come in. So, we have a bit left, and we'll wait. We just keep praying.
I guess the radio station must have gotten fuel, since they have the generator on this morning. Either that, or they decided to run it in the AM and not this afternoon...we won't even try to figure that out.
I have to keep reminding my self that Abbie is only 3. When we were in the states, I got a book for preschoolers. It's basic letters, and numbers and things like that. Well, it has a CD with it. We put that on one of the older computers for Abbie. She can turn it on, get into her program, and work through all the different areas of the program now. I'm afraid she will pass me in computer knowledge the way she is going. It's amazing how quickly she picked it all up. And yesterday when I was trying to get her ready for church, I had a real time trying to tie her bows in her hair. I finally took them out to start over. She asked what was wrong. I said, I can't tie the bows right. Her response was, "Well then, I guess I can't go to church, huh?" I said why not? She said, "Well, if you can't tie the bows grandma, then I simply can't go to church like this." I got them tied, and she DID go to church, but again, I have to keep reminding myself she is only 3.
I am on the committee for English Bible Fellowship. This month was my turn to lead service. This was not really something I looked forward to. To arrange things, and be responsible for everything is a bit overwhelming, especially for me. I worked and prayed, and prayed some more. There weren't that many the first Sunday, but yesterday we had a lot more. God answered all my desperate prayers and it went fine. And our speaker did great, which helped a lot. It's been a lesson in obedience for me. Following the Lord and our leaders. One more Sunday and then I'm done for a while. So, still need some prayers for that.
Not much other news here right now. Still a lot of refugees coming north and people in desperate situations all over the country. It's hard for us, so I can't even imagine how it is for the nationals going through this. Keep everyone in prayer.
On a lighter note... we keep hearing that we should be careful what we pray for or what we wish for... well, I heard a joke that puts that into perspective. If you don't like jokes, just pass this by....
A man and woman (both 70 years old) were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant. They were sitting at the dimly lit table, when all of a sudden a small fairy appeared on their table. She said, "You have both been so good and faithful through your marriage, that I want to grant each of you one wish." After only a short hesitation, the wife said, "OH, I would love to go on a world cruise with my wonderful husband." And poof, she had two tickets for a world cruise in her hand. The fairy turned to the husband. He looked at her and then at his wife. He said, "Well, dear, I do love you so much, but an opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime." He turned to the fairy and said, "I'd like a woman 20 years younger than me." Shocked, the fairy and his wife looked at him. The fairy shrugged and said, okay. And poof.... the husband was 90 years old.
The person who sent us that said, Remember, fairy's are WOMEN!! But it's also a reminder to think carefully what you wish, or pray for.
Have a great day, and keep the Lord at the center of it all!!!
Well, we heard some fuel came in yesterday. Many had to wait for a long time to get anything. Some even missed their evening church services because of waiting. We are waiting to hear if more has come in. The first few days will be horrible to get fuel once it does come in. So, we have a bit left, and we'll wait. We just keep praying.
I guess the radio station must have gotten fuel, since they have the generator on this morning. Either that, or they decided to run it in the AM and not this afternoon...we won't even try to figure that out.
I have to keep reminding my self that Abbie is only 3. When we were in the states, I got a book for preschoolers. It's basic letters, and numbers and things like that. Well, it has a CD with it. We put that on one of the older computers for Abbie. She can turn it on, get into her program, and work through all the different areas of the program now. I'm afraid she will pass me in computer knowledge the way she is going. It's amazing how quickly she picked it all up. And yesterday when I was trying to get her ready for church, I had a real time trying to tie her bows in her hair. I finally took them out to start over. She asked what was wrong. I said, I can't tie the bows right. Her response was, "Well then, I guess I can't go to church, huh?" I said why not? She said, "Well, if you can't tie the bows grandma, then I simply can't go to church like this." I got them tied, and she DID go to church, but again, I have to keep reminding myself she is only 3.
I am on the committee for English Bible Fellowship. This month was my turn to lead service. This was not really something I looked forward to. To arrange things, and be responsible for everything is a bit overwhelming, especially for me. I worked and prayed, and prayed some more. There weren't that many the first Sunday, but yesterday we had a lot more. God answered all my desperate prayers and it went fine. And our speaker did great, which helped a lot. It's been a lesson in obedience for me. Following the Lord and our leaders. One more Sunday and then I'm done for a while. So, still need some prayers for that.
Not much other news here right now. Still a lot of refugees coming north and people in desperate situations all over the country. It's hard for us, so I can't even imagine how it is for the nationals going through this. Keep everyone in prayer.
On a lighter note... we keep hearing that we should be careful what we pray for or what we wish for... well, I heard a joke that puts that into perspective. If you don't like jokes, just pass this by....
A man and woman (both 70 years old) were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant. They were sitting at the dimly lit table, when all of a sudden a small fairy appeared on their table. She said, "You have both been so good and faithful through your marriage, that I want to grant each of you one wish." After only a short hesitation, the wife said, "OH, I would love to go on a world cruise with my wonderful husband." And poof, she had two tickets for a world cruise in her hand. The fairy turned to the husband. He looked at her and then at his wife. He said, "Well, dear, I do love you so much, but an opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime." He turned to the fairy and said, "I'd like a woman 20 years younger than me." Shocked, the fairy and his wife looked at him. The fairy shrugged and said, okay. And poof.... the husband was 90 years old.
The person who sent us that said, Remember, fairy's are WOMEN!! But it's also a reminder to think carefully what you wish, or pray for.
Have a great day, and keep the Lord at the center of it all!!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
A letter from Don
Note from Karen:
Very seldom does Don feel the need to sit down and share totally what he is feeling. Normally, he gives me the ideas of what to write, and I do it. But God laid a burden on Don's heart and this is his sharing of that burden. I know it's long, but please read it to the end. Thank you.
Greetings,
I have been watching the news on the Internet (when we have electricity), about the severe flooding in Gonaives. There are reports from all over the world, even from the UK and China.
About 4 years ago, when Gonaives was flooded, it was because of a large dam that broke. That dam was never rebuilt, or the situation repaired. The flooding is far worse than last time. Gonaives is over 6 feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains on three sides that have all the trees striped off of them. It's the third larger city in Haiti and Cap Haitien is the second largest.
What you hear is only what is happening in Gonaives and a few other cities. The sad things is, many organizations are using this to get money. Yes, some goes to Goanavies, or other huge areas, but a lot of it doesn't make it here. We have experienced it with a couple of big organizations here. A lot of it goes for their operational costs (offices, vehicles, advertising, etc.). Not a lot goes here, directly to the people. Yes, we do know this first hand. We worked with one that raised $15 to $20 a month per child supported. We received here, at the most, $6 per month, per child, to house, feed, school, and deal with medical expenses. We are not saying all ministries work this way, but when talking with other missionaries here, we are finding that a LOT of them do work that way. But our concern is not about that aspect of things. Our concern right now is helping those who are in desperate need NOW!
There are many places all over Haiti where smaller towns and villages were also flooded and people have lost everything. Their gardens (and that is almost all of Haiti) are flooded and ruined or washed away. It will take a very long time before they can plant a garden again. But what do they do about feeding their families now? We are looking at at least 6 months, or more like a year before they can plant again. And this is only if they have not lost their tools. Then where will they get the seeds to plant? It's a very hard time for the Haitian people.
They have decided to open school 4 weeks later than was scheduled. They said it's because the families don't have the money to send the children. School costs have gone up a lot. For example, I gave one student $30 Haitian to sign up for secondary school. That is like high school in the states. Two weeks before school was to start, she was only the 7th person to sign up, in a school that has hundreds of students. A short note here, the average yearly income in Haiti is $350 US. And with an unemployment rate of 80%, you can see that the vast majority of people earn almost nothing, if anything at all. One dollar Haitian, to a Haitian is like $100 American is to an American.
We have more people coming to us this year for help with food, medicine and doctor bills, and money for their children to go to school. We have many more than we have every had before and it's very hard to try and explain to them why I can't help everyone. Some that I have been helping, I just can't help this year. This means the kids stay home with no hope. To some I was able to give just enough to get them uniforms and enough to get into school, but they need a lot more money, that we simply don't have. We need more support to help the poor that the Lord gave us to help.
The cost of construction materials, food, medicine, doctors and schooling have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in price.
Right now there is no fuel in northern Haiti because four main bridges have been washed out. Nothing can get from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. You can buy gasoline on the street (in some areas) for $90 to $100 a gallon. It was up to $114, but they brought it down in some places. (That is between $11.54 and $14.62 US a gallon). Two years ago, when we had a little extra money, I bought 2 drums of diesel fuel. I praise God now, when there is no fuel. I am using it for our generator and I also put fuel in a truck to haul material to some of the victims of the storms. A gallon of cooking oil is $90. A cup to a cup and a half of rice is $8 to $10. A large bag of Charcoal is over $100, and on an average it would only last about 2 weeks. Beans, if you can find them, would be about $12 to $14 for about one to one and a half cups. These are all Haitian prices. But to a Haitian it is out of their reach. And these are the staples of this country.
There are times when I get a love offering to help the poor people. One hundred percent of it goes to help the people. If it's for material for their houses, or food, I will try to send a picture of the family with the item. I haul sand and gravel for the people and don't ask for gas money. It averages about $150 to $200 Haitian per day. Most of the time I pay for the sand and gravel, too. I want to do what God has called me to do...HELP THE POOREST OF THE POOR AND SHOW THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS BY ACTIONS AND NOT JUST WORDS.
I have been given some money for the flood victims. People have sent it to me because they know that 100% of what we get goes where it is intended. One family lost their home. There are a few parts standing, but touching it would cause it to fall down. The neighbors took them in. The only problem with that, the neighbor's house has no roof. But they DO have walls. so, we sent someone down to help put some tin on the roof, and to give them some food. This was not in Gonavies, it was north of there in the mountains. Another family had to rush to the mountains above Gonavies to save their lives, and lost everything. They ended up here, in our area, with a family member...there were 32 people in his yard...he had no where for them to sleep. We gave him some money to feed them and try to help them restart their lives. We also gave some money to a Haitian pastor who has had refugees come to his church for help. There were several families the money will help. Those in this area are suffering because there is no produce to purchase. Vegetables were all washed away in the gardens. In essence, their livelihoods washed away with the rains.
I have checked out some sites on the Internet if you are interested in finding out more about what is happening here in Haiti.
www.missionaryflights.org
http://news.google.com/news?hi=en&ned=us&q=haiti&btnG=Search+News
I am sure if you go to your search engine and type in "Haiti+News" you will find even more. I have heard more about Haiti from other countries than I ever find in American news. But that doesn't surprise me too much.
Help has started pouring into Gonavies. The two plants who produce water through reverse osmosis are up and running. (This is the same as Culligan water in the US).
Water is being flown in by helicopter through MAF. There is a US Navy ship with 16 helicopters on it, plus the UN is helping a lot. Canada is there helping also. There are at least 2 large ships hauling food and materials in. The Red Cross was one of them, with 300,000 tons of food and medicines. MFI had been "Standing in the Gap" for many, not only in Haiti, but other islands, too. Check out their web site.
This is great and really needed, but...what about he other areas? Where is their help coming from? From individuals like you and me. Stepping in where needed. We don't have the big ships, the big organizations or any of that help coming to these people. They either have us, or they have nothing. Sad, sad, sad! But true. We need to step in and help where we can with what we can. We need to bring Jesus to them along with physical help. Can you be that help for us? We really are praying God will touch people to help us help those in need.
Thank you for listening and praying for us. God put us here for a purpose. This may only be a small part of that purpose, but helping the poor and needy is our constant mission.
In His Service, in a destitute land...
Don & Karen Davis
Very seldom does Don feel the need to sit down and share totally what he is feeling. Normally, he gives me the ideas of what to write, and I do it. But God laid a burden on Don's heart and this is his sharing of that burden. I know it's long, but please read it to the end. Thank you.
Greetings,
I have been watching the news on the Internet (when we have electricity), about the severe flooding in Gonaives. There are reports from all over the world, even from the UK and China.
About 4 years ago, when Gonaives was flooded, it was because of a large dam that broke. That dam was never rebuilt, or the situation repaired. The flooding is far worse than last time. Gonaives is over 6 feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains on three sides that have all the trees striped off of them. It's the third larger city in Haiti and Cap Haitien is the second largest.
What you hear is only what is happening in Gonaives and a few other cities. The sad things is, many organizations are using this to get money. Yes, some goes to Goanavies, or other huge areas, but a lot of it doesn't make it here. We have experienced it with a couple of big organizations here. A lot of it goes for their operational costs (offices, vehicles, advertising, etc.). Not a lot goes here, directly to the people. Yes, we do know this first hand. We worked with one that raised $15 to $20 a month per child supported. We received here, at the most, $6 per month, per child, to house, feed, school, and deal with medical expenses. We are not saying all ministries work this way, but when talking with other missionaries here, we are finding that a LOT of them do work that way. But our concern is not about that aspect of things. Our concern right now is helping those who are in desperate need NOW!
There are many places all over Haiti where smaller towns and villages were also flooded and people have lost everything. Their gardens (and that is almost all of Haiti) are flooded and ruined or washed away. It will take a very long time before they can plant a garden again. But what do they do about feeding their families now? We are looking at at least 6 months, or more like a year before they can plant again. And this is only if they have not lost their tools. Then where will they get the seeds to plant? It's a very hard time for the Haitian people.
They have decided to open school 4 weeks later than was scheduled. They said it's because the families don't have the money to send the children. School costs have gone up a lot. For example, I gave one student $30 Haitian to sign up for secondary school. That is like high school in the states. Two weeks before school was to start, she was only the 7th person to sign up, in a school that has hundreds of students. A short note here, the average yearly income in Haiti is $350 US. And with an unemployment rate of 80%, you can see that the vast majority of people earn almost nothing, if anything at all. One dollar Haitian, to a Haitian is like $100 American is to an American.
We have more people coming to us this year for help with food, medicine and doctor bills, and money for their children to go to school. We have many more than we have every had before and it's very hard to try and explain to them why I can't help everyone. Some that I have been helping, I just can't help this year. This means the kids stay home with no hope. To some I was able to give just enough to get them uniforms and enough to get into school, but they need a lot more money, that we simply don't have. We need more support to help the poor that the Lord gave us to help.
The cost of construction materials, food, medicine, doctors and schooling have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in price.
Right now there is no fuel in northern Haiti because four main bridges have been washed out. Nothing can get from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. You can buy gasoline on the street (in some areas) for $90 to $100 a gallon. It was up to $114, but they brought it down in some places. (That is between $11.54 and $14.62 US a gallon). Two years ago, when we had a little extra money, I bought 2 drums of diesel fuel. I praise God now, when there is no fuel. I am using it for our generator and I also put fuel in a truck to haul material to some of the victims of the storms. A gallon of cooking oil is $90. A cup to a cup and a half of rice is $8 to $10. A large bag of Charcoal is over $100, and on an average it would only last about 2 weeks. Beans, if you can find them, would be about $12 to $14 for about one to one and a half cups. These are all Haitian prices. But to a Haitian it is out of their reach. And these are the staples of this country.
There are times when I get a love offering to help the poor people. One hundred percent of it goes to help the people. If it's for material for their houses, or food, I will try to send a picture of the family with the item. I haul sand and gravel for the people and don't ask for gas money. It averages about $150 to $200 Haitian per day. Most of the time I pay for the sand and gravel, too. I want to do what God has called me to do...HELP THE POOREST OF THE POOR AND SHOW THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS BY ACTIONS AND NOT JUST WORDS.
I have been given some money for the flood victims. People have sent it to me because they know that 100% of what we get goes where it is intended. One family lost their home. There are a few parts standing, but touching it would cause it to fall down. The neighbors took them in. The only problem with that, the neighbor's house has no roof. But they DO have walls. so, we sent someone down to help put some tin on the roof, and to give them some food. This was not in Gonavies, it was north of there in the mountains. Another family had to rush to the mountains above Gonavies to save their lives, and lost everything. They ended up here, in our area, with a family member...there were 32 people in his yard...he had no where for them to sleep. We gave him some money to feed them and try to help them restart their lives. We also gave some money to a Haitian pastor who has had refugees come to his church for help. There were several families the money will help. Those in this area are suffering because there is no produce to purchase. Vegetables were all washed away in the gardens. In essence, their livelihoods washed away with the rains.
I have checked out some sites on the Internet if you are interested in finding out more about what is happening here in Haiti.
www.missionaryflights.org
http://news.google.com/news?hi=en&ned=us&q=haiti&btnG=Search+News
I am sure if you go to your search engine and type in "Haiti+News" you will find even more. I have heard more about Haiti from other countries than I ever find in American news. But that doesn't surprise me too much.
Help has started pouring into Gonavies. The two plants who produce water through reverse osmosis are up and running. (This is the same as Culligan water in the US).
Water is being flown in by helicopter through MAF. There is a US Navy ship with 16 helicopters on it, plus the UN is helping a lot. Canada is there helping also. There are at least 2 large ships hauling food and materials in. The Red Cross was one of them, with 300,000 tons of food and medicines. MFI had been "Standing in the Gap" for many, not only in Haiti, but other islands, too. Check out their web site.
This is great and really needed, but...what about he other areas? Where is their help coming from? From individuals like you and me. Stepping in where needed. We don't have the big ships, the big organizations or any of that help coming to these people. They either have us, or they have nothing. Sad, sad, sad! But true. We need to step in and help where we can with what we can. We need to bring Jesus to them along with physical help. Can you be that help for us? We really are praying God will touch people to help us help those in need.
Thank you for listening and praying for us. God put us here for a purpose. This may only be a small part of that purpose, but helping the poor and needy is our constant mission.
In His Service, in a destitute land...
Don & Karen Davis
The ongoing struggle
Well, another day in a turbulent country. It looks like soon we will have to revert back to the days when we first came to Haiti. No electric, no fuel, food becoming rather scarce after a bit. It sounds depressing, but we have done it before and survived, so we will again. The ship that was supposed to bring fuel for the Cap Haitien area seems to be a dream now. We heard, and this could be rumor, but we've heard it from several sources...they have decided to sell the fuel to the government of Haiti, not to individuals. Well, the gas stations are individuals. And if it goes to the government, it will go to Port au Prince, where it cannot reach Cap Haitien. Somehow, someway, we are praying fuel, aside from black market, will become available. There are still some food supplies coming in. Not sure from where, or how they are getting in here, but we will not complain about it. The only problem now, is the cost. But somehow we will find a way. When God puts a burden on your heart, He will find a way to help you achieve what He wants.
I will be putting another entry on here today. Don wrote a prayer letter and it went out on the plane yesterday. I think most of you know, this was hard for him to do. Normally, he tells me what he'd like, and then has me write it. But this time, he spent a whole day, praying and writing.
We were asked what we put in care packages that we give out. Much of that depends on who and where it is going. But basically, Don puts a gallon zip lock bag of each rice, and corn meal and a quart of beans. Then he puts a container of oil, some spaghetti, and a can of tomato paste. This all goes in a 5 gallon pail, with a cover. These buckets, depending on the size of the family, will last close to a week in most situations. Now we are thinking of making another type (or adding to an existing) bucket. Many of the people have lost everything through these storms. We would like to add to those buckets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, washcloths, and maybe even some other personal hygiene products. This one is still in the process of working out. Food we can get, these other items may be pretty expensive here. But The Lord can work that out too. So, as you can tell, this is in the planning stages.
Yesterday MFI brought in the part we pray was hit by lightening on our generator. It is expensive, but we need the generator to keep up communications and do some of the important work that needs to be accomplished. Don is working on that this morning.
We are praising God for so many things right now. He has given Don and I a heart for the people, and we rejoice when we can help any of them. We are so thankful for the help we have received thus far in reaching out to those in need. The lines are so long, and the needs so great, but it's like the vision God gave Don a long time ago. He showed Don this long, beautiful beach with unlimited amount of sand. He said, this sand is like the people in Haiti...but I am giving you just a handful of sand (and people) to help. Each handful I give you, I will help you provide for. When looking out over the vast amount of sand, it's overwhelming, but when looking at that handful, and God's provision, it's a reachable goal. Now we are waiting on those God impresses to help meet those needs.
Another praise is Abbie. Each day she comes up with so many different things to lift our spirits. Oh, she has her times when we would like to just put her in a room until she gets her naughtiness out, but that is the smallest part of time. She is something else. I think the Lord put her and her mama with us so we can keep a perspective on the lighter side.
Well, as always lately, we are asking you to pray. Pray for Haiti, pray for the tough situation here, and pray for us to follow God's leading and direction.
Keep smiling, you never know when a camera is about. Makes you want to keep a smile on your face all the time!!!
I will be putting another entry on here today. Don wrote a prayer letter and it went out on the plane yesterday. I think most of you know, this was hard for him to do. Normally, he tells me what he'd like, and then has me write it. But this time, he spent a whole day, praying and writing.
We were asked what we put in care packages that we give out. Much of that depends on who and where it is going. But basically, Don puts a gallon zip lock bag of each rice, and corn meal and a quart of beans. Then he puts a container of oil, some spaghetti, and a can of tomato paste. This all goes in a 5 gallon pail, with a cover. These buckets, depending on the size of the family, will last close to a week in most situations. Now we are thinking of making another type (or adding to an existing) bucket. Many of the people have lost everything through these storms. We would like to add to those buckets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, washcloths, and maybe even some other personal hygiene products. This one is still in the process of working out. Food we can get, these other items may be pretty expensive here. But The Lord can work that out too. So, as you can tell, this is in the planning stages.
Yesterday MFI brought in the part we pray was hit by lightening on our generator. It is expensive, but we need the generator to keep up communications and do some of the important work that needs to be accomplished. Don is working on that this morning.
We are praising God for so many things right now. He has given Don and I a heart for the people, and we rejoice when we can help any of them. We are so thankful for the help we have received thus far in reaching out to those in need. The lines are so long, and the needs so great, but it's like the vision God gave Don a long time ago. He showed Don this long, beautiful beach with unlimited amount of sand. He said, this sand is like the people in Haiti...but I am giving you just a handful of sand (and people) to help. Each handful I give you, I will help you provide for. When looking out over the vast amount of sand, it's overwhelming, but when looking at that handful, and God's provision, it's a reachable goal. Now we are waiting on those God impresses to help meet those needs.
Another praise is Abbie. Each day she comes up with so many different things to lift our spirits. Oh, she has her times when we would like to just put her in a room until she gets her naughtiness out, but that is the smallest part of time. She is something else. I think the Lord put her and her mama with us so we can keep a perspective on the lighter side.
Well, as always lately, we are asking you to pray. Pray for Haiti, pray for the tough situation here, and pray for us to follow God's leading and direction.
Keep smiling, you never know when a camera is about. Makes you want to keep a smile on your face all the time!!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Need some prayers...
This will be really short... last night we got hit by lightening. Blew out our generator. This means we will MAYBE have power only a couple hours a day, if that. We don't know if it did any other damage yet. Don has been trying to find what exactly is wrong with the generator, so we haven't looked into other things. We thought the inverter was also gone, but thankfully, the surge tripped the circut breaker and shut it off. The power did come through the computer, where I was typing, but didn't touch or ruin the computer, but did connect with me. I had a big circle on my arm, just above the wrist. That hand was not touching the keyboard, either. The red went away, but still have pain from it. I'm sure that will be gone within a day. Don, Vero and Abbie were watching TV. Vero jumped so hard, she fell off the couch. Abbie came running in to me and kept saying, "BIG BOOM, BIG BOOM!!" and she laughed and laughed.
Pray that Don will find the problem, and that we can get a part for it that is not expensive.
Also, pray for the container...we just got word that it will be in Cap on Thursday. That does not mean we will GET it then, but we need prayers for the cost to be reduced and reasonable.
So, pray, pray, pray!!! And thanks for being there for us!!
Pray that Don will find the problem, and that we can get a part for it that is not expensive.
Also, pray for the container...we just got word that it will be in Cap on Thursday. That does not mean we will GET it then, but we need prayers for the cost to be reduced and reasonable.
So, pray, pray, pray!!! And thanks for being there for us!!
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