Hi there,
Not a lot of news on this end. Just praising God that the storm didn't hit us as a hurricane and we only got some minor showers out of it. It sure looked like we were going to get tromped with it, though. And the weather services kept warning us, too, along with the US Embassy. I guess God knew this area of the country could not survive being hit with a hurricane. Over the years, we have come close, but have not had a direct hit. God is good. I think a lot of that has to do with the way the people here pray. When something like that is on the way, the churches open their doors and you can come and pray 24 hours a day. One storm a long while ago, came across the northern coast of the island. It was huge. The people filled the churches and prayed together for it to turn. And, it DID. It hit the Haitian border and made a ninety degree turn to the north and we had only some mild wind and some rain from it. Weathermen and the US military could not believe it did that. But we serve an awesome God and HE can do ANYTHING He chooses.
We are anxiously waiting word on the container that was supposed to dock this last week. At this point, no word at all. Our broker is keeping a close eye on things for us. We've done the preliminary work and gotten the papers we need. So, it's another anxious time, waiting on the container. Keep that in prayer. Not only that it arrives soon, but that the cost will be more reasonable. Well, more reasonable for Haiti, anyway.
I took some photos of Abbie yesterday in her Sunday best. One of them is my favorite. Of course I redid some of it, but not Abbie herself. She is a joy. Yesterday we watched, via Internet some clips from past Olympics. So, now she is out there, doing her bends, flips and all sorts of things I'm sure are NOT in the Olympics. She is a hoot to watch.
Think I'd better cut this off and do some work here. It never seems to actually be finished. Always something else comes up. Until next time, keep smiling and give God the Glory for all things.
Hello again,
Well, it's been a different week. We've had some fun and some work, both. On Monday we helped Kathy and Alice from the EBAC orphanage take about 120 people to the beach. Yes, there were a LOT of people. All of the people from the orphanage went, plus the workers, and then the families of some of the school kids were invited. We took a bus, the Eagle, and a car. All were packed tight. We went to a place called B&B Resort. It's an enclosed area on the ocean front not a long way from us. Eventually it will be a real resort, but for now, it's a place we can take teams and kids for a great day of fun. And we DID have fun. Don took the day and simply rested, which he needed. I went in the ocean with Kathy and Alice and the whole group. Trying to teach a child to float in high waves is not easy. Two of the kids did learn, somewhat. But the following photos show a bit of what it was like. The first two are two of the vehicles, before everyone was loaded.
This one is Don relaxing and reading. The whole day wasn't all this easy. Getting to and from the beach is a real experience. The road is pretty bad. We had rain the night before, so we were not sure we could make it out there. But we went through the huge puddles and did make it. It's a real stress factor driving when things are so muddy.
Here is a shot of the water fun. The smallest kids had their own "pool", which kept them safe and out of harms way. Everyone enjoyed their beach time.
This is most of the group. Some are not in the photo. It was nice there. We arrived at about 9 AM and left at 4 PM. Had a break at 11 for a sandwich and drink, then again at 2 for another sandwich and drink. Don brought inner tubes and they sure enjoyed them.
It was an enjoyable time and something the kids will remember for a long time. We used to take the kids to the beach at least once a year, but haven't for the last few years. You can see it's a huge undertaking. And everyone was exhausted by the time we got home. Some were sunburned, but not bad. We did take sunblock along. And yes, the Haitians do burn, just like anyone else. (Abbie is in the front row in the purple outfit. She LOVED the beach. And she loved being with all the kids, too. She is very social and loves school, so this was a real treat for her.
Tuesday took us to the airport again. It wasn't a long day, but airport days are tiring for us. They start long before we leave home and end long after we get back. We spent Wednesday trying to catch up on some work around here. Got some done and felt we accomplished a lot. There never seems to be a lull in things to do.
The situation with food and prices is still so bad. We have more and more people coming to the house. Many we have never seen before, but word gets out and they come here. Add to that the school costs have risen, and people are searching for ways to put their kids in school this year. Don has been overwhelmed with requests for help with schooling. And the medical needs continue to rise also. It's a never ending story here. The pain these people endure is something else. I don't think Americans could deal with the whole thing.
But God is good. Through all their troubles, they can smile and praise God and thank Him for what He does provide. Oh, that we were all that way.
Well, it's back to work again. Just wanted to do a quick "catch-up" and let you know what's happening here in HOT, HUMID Haiti. Our temps got DOWN to 80 degrees last night and we were so thankful for the break in the heat.
Keep smiling, keep praying and keep following the Lord!!!!
Hello again,
Well, I was right, we prayed for rain, and boy did it ever come!!! The funny thing was, it came while we had a university soccer team from Pennsylvania here to teach soccer. They were really good sports, though. They not only taught in the rain, they played some awesome games in the rain.
You can see from the above photo, it started out nice, with some blue skies, even. The girls did help and played with the kids, but the "real" games only had two of our guys in them. It was progress, though. The whole team did an excellent job!!
The team brought down uniforms, shoes, socks, balls, and even goal nets. (Now if that isn't the right phrasing, it's my fault...I don't know soccer terms). The team they played on was thrilled with the equipment.
You can see not only the rain, but the victory shouts (maybe you can't HEAR them, but you sure can see them). There was so much rain, they ended up having to cross two rivers to return to the truck. The team carried the girls and the head male coach across the rivers. Oh, the score was 4-0.
We've been busy since our return from the US. After the celebration on the 4th, we got down to some real work. We had a lot to catch up on, and I think we finally have made a dent. I ended up going back to Fort Pierce. I thought it was a short trip...Tuesday out and Thursday back in. I lost 2 fillings and had a dental appointment on that Wednesday. Well, problems don't seem to be only in Haiti. After sitting in the office for a while, then finally getting into the dental chair...I sat for 45 minutes before anyone came to see me. Then I spent another hour trying to convince them I had been there before (they misplaced my records), and having x-rays (they couldn't SEE the missing fillings???), and then to have the dentist say, I can't do this today, they overbooked me three times. I had to make an appointment to return on Friday. That appointment took me 20 minutes... and that included 2 fillings. The up side to this was that my brother and sister-in-law were at MFI helping out, and I got to spend the time with them, until I returned the following Tuesday. So, God did work out some neat things even with the frustration.
I came back in on Tuesday and our team came on Thursday. Me, being me, I ended up with a pinched sciatic nerve and was almost useless with the team. They were a great team and did wonderful, which shows me maybe I wasn't needed. But we did enjoy them.
The one game they played was not only in the rain, but in the thunder and lightening. But being wise university students, they stood under the tallest tree. Humm....??? Well, actually, it was the ONLY place to get out of the rain. They still ended up drenched, since they had to ride in the back of the Eagle. No cover there. But their spirit, and that of the team they played with was awesome.
We have a container on the way... prayerfully should be here by the 15th of August. Please keep that in prayer. We have started the paperwork on it and are praying BIG TIME that it will be cleared quickly and not cost as much as before.
We have been so thankful for the Eagle. The truck is a huge blessing to so many. But we just found out that we still owe $3000 on it. Pray with us that the Lord will help provide the money to pay back the interest free loan. Our God is able, and we know that, but we are asking for your help in praying for this need to be met.
You can see here how much this blessing is used. And this is only part of the team and the players and the fans.
Another prayer request, or actually a continuous prayer request is for our son and daughter-in-law. The adoption is still not moving and they are so VERY frustrated. Please pray with us that the Lord will start the papers moving and that this will come to a closure soon. They need to get him home with them soon.
It's time to get back to work. Don hauled sand and gravel today and is very tired, so have to get him some supper and send him off to bed. Abbie is already asleep...school wears her out. And her mama just headed to Port au Prince for some work related training.
Keep smiling, keep praying, and let God take control of all your situations. Our love to you all.
Still hot and humid....
We are not supposed to get this heat/humidity until late August or early September. But it's here. Just another sign of how the weather is changing.
We've had a busy week. We had two days at the airport that were long for us. Keep MFI in your prayers. It's the little glitches that cost the big bucks with planes. And yet, they keep flying and serving so many. I believe they serve over 800 missionaries now and we all depend on them so much. Pray with us that God will keep His Hands on them and see them through the unexpected. They really are a life line for so many.
Aside from those two LONG days at the airport, we've been getting a lot accomplished. Most of you know Don. We are turning the Dove (the old truck) over to the new orphanage, IDADEE. He sold it to them for a lot less than others had offered. All he needed was to be able to get bigger tires for the Eagle, and put just a bit in an account for the unexpected. But, Don being Don, decided to do some "little" things to make sure it was in good order for them. (They will have a LOT to do on it, to use it for their purposes, but the price was something they figured in.) So, Don decided to change the oil, check the brakes, tighten bolts (and found some missing), and a whole lot of other things. One of our missionary friends, Ray, said, "Don, you just don't want to let go of the Dove, do you?" It's not that, really, but he wants to do the best for those who are getting it, and since they will use it for the Lord's work, he wants to do the best he can for them.
Don has so many people waiting for him to haul sand, gravel, and other things. And he has made some needed water deliveries lately. He has already given out the food he had on hand. So MANY needs, and they are all overwhelming. The prices keep rising, as I am sure they are all over the world. But they are so far out of sight here. In a year and a half, the price of rice alone has tripled. And people had a hard time getting it before. Our gas prices did not go up to $9 as it was supposed to, but it is over $7 (US) a gallon now. So your prices are looking good to us here. Diesel is lower than gas, but I'm not sure of the cost of that right now. Haiti was poor before, but it's in dire straights now. And yet, through it all, we have seen stronger Christians than we see in the US. These people really are living on the only hope they have, the Lord Jesus Christ. How would I, or you for that matter, react if we were in the same place as these people? One meal every three days, if that often. No money for doctors or hospitals. Watching your children cry from the pain of an empty stomach. And I keep thinking..."There, but for the Grace of God, go I". That statement has been around for a LONG time, but it's been brought to our front door, daily now. How can we NOT show God's love to them, with a bit of food?
I know I'm rambling on and on, but the situation here has gotten so much worse for the people. My heart breaks for them. We don't have a lot, but in comparison to them, we are rich.
The other statement that comes to mind is the Indian saying, "Walk a mile in my shoes, then make your decisions." I simply do not know if I COULD walk a mile in the shoes of these humble people. The whole situation is so overwhelming from our point of view, and we are not living their lives.
On to some brighter things... Abbie, of course, is one of them. Where this child gets her energy, I don't know. She is three going on thirty. She will start school on Monday. She goes from 8 to 1. Keep her teacher in your prayers. Kathy and Alice, our missionary friends across the road, normally don't accept children until they are 5. Abbie went there while we were in the states. I guess she was helping teach English. And Kathy and Alice said they would let her start. Since they are stateside for November and December and part of January, they have school through the summer. Abbie will definitely keep things interesting.
We had a great time for the 4th of July. Had some friends over. Ray and Bonnie and their kids are a blessing for us. And of course, Kathy and Alice are. And Belle is an added blessing. We had Abbie's pool up and we had the grill going. And just the fellowship was super great. We had enough food to have another day on Sunday. So, we celebrated the 4th, twice. Special friends and special days make for a wonderful time.
Keep our son and daughter-in-law in your prayers, also. The adoption process (and lack of movement on it) has become such a heart breaking thing for them. Pray that the Lord will open hearts and put that paperwork through.
Well, have to close and get some things done here. It's supper time, and for some reason, it just doesn't make itself.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, and keep us and this whole country in prayer. Till next time, or till the Lord comes... keep smiling and sharing Jesus!!!
Greetings from hot and humid Haiti...
I know I have said it before, but it's still true. It's a sunny, beautiful day and we pray God's word went out and ears and eyes were opened today, all over Haiti, but also in the rest of the world.I'm going to share a few pictures again today. Some of the work and joys of being back. (Guess I should get some pictures from the airport to put here, too, since that is a part of our "work".) But we'll see... for now... enjoy!!
The following two pictures are of some of the food Don has gotten for another project he has started. We are so thrilled with the food from "Feed My Starving Children", but with the containers causing us some problems, Don needed something to help out with while we pray and wait on containers. We know one will be loaded and sent within the next week or so, but then it's waiting for it to get here and go through customs. So, God laid it on Don's heart to help in this way. He is using money donated for this purpose, to purchase rice, beans, corn meal, spaghetti, oil, and tomato paste. We then divide the larger portions into family sizes and put them in 5 gallon buckets. Don can then distribute them to families without the hassle of others seeing what is being given, and the families have more protection from thieves. It is a lot of work to do this, but it is worth every effort put into the project.
Now the next pictures are part of the "fun". While we were in Washington State, a good friend purchased a Tea Set for Abbie. So, now Grandma and Abbie have to have their "Tea Time". She is such a joy. She sits down, prays, and then very calmly asks, "And how was your day grandma?" And carries on very adult conversations. Then when the tea time is over, she has to help wash dishes. She LOVES to help, and she is so careful with her new glass dishes, it's surprising. She just turned 3 in May, but she seems so much older.
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And with mommy working, she has her up and down days. Some days, she says, "Mommy, have a good day." Other times, it's "No, Mommy, don't go to work, stay home." She sure loves her mommy.
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And then there is Dorothy Lynn (Lynn for short). Now, Vero, (Abbie's mom), and Majorie and Daniel (Lynn's parents), and Leonise (Laura's mom), were all part of our puppet team. So all of these cute kiddos are our "grand babies". We may be just a bit prejudiced, but that's allowed. Lynn is a real charmer. She loves to MOVE and it's hard to get her picture. But she is such a happy little tyke.
Laura is another mover. I finally had to ask mommy to hold her to get a picture. She wanted to be down on the floor playing with Abbie. She has started walking and she wants her freedom to move about. .jpg)
I have finally put my new computer up and am able to work on it now. Praise the Lord!! (Thanks to our home team). We had decided to set it up on Friday, so I'd have time to work out any bugs in setting it up, before we had to do MFI work again. Good thing we did. I ended up having to call our satellite server to help me get through some of the problems I had. Praise the Lord for having people we can call and walk us through these things. It took me three tries, after getting it working, to get the printer installed. And each one was one hour of downloading from the internet. BUT, I figured that problem out, FINALLY...so have it all working. (Those of us who are not very computer literate need to work much harder than those who are). There are still a few glitches to work on, but I'll get there, one at a time. We have had a lot of teams scheduling for the next months, and the computer work needed to be brought up to date. So, now it's back to routine and getting things organized.
We had a few days of real concern. Word was out (through many sources) that our gasoline, diesel and kerosene prices were going to all go to $9.00 US a gallon. I guess someone stepped in and it didn't happen, but the prices did rise. I think they said the price of gas is now at $6.28 US a gallon. Doesn't make yours look quite as bad, does it? Praise God for the small and big things!!!
It is time to get ready for church. Just wanted to put an update on for those of you who check on us. Keep your eyes up, and keep the prayers coming. We will need them in the near future. May God go with you in all you do!!
Greetings!!
Don & I are in the US for a visit. It was supposed to be a surprise for our family, thus we didn't tell anyone of our plans. We have two grandkids graduating and wanted to be there for these wonderful occasions.
I will post a few pictures in our next blog spot. For today, I just wanted to update you all on things. I left Haiti on April 29th, and spent a week in Florida and got to have some adjustments done on my back. What a relief to feel so much better. Don came out a week later and we headed to Wisconsin the next day. We were able to see some of the family and a lot of friends there. Then the following Tuesday flew out here to Camano Island, Washington. Believe me, it's a lot cooler here than Haiti. But we have had a great time. We are staying with some wonderful friends on the Puget Sound. We look out the window and even thought we saw a whale the second day we were here. I will send a picture of the awesome sunsets we've seen.
We even had a Harley Ride. Not a long one, but we were on a full dresser. Don was thrilled to be on a Harley again. (Even in the cold!!)
Then we spent Sunday and Monday in Canada. We saw the Butchart Gardens. Even in the cold, the flowers were in awesome bloom. It is breathtaking seeing this display of God's beauty. We visited China town and even road a tiny "taxi" boat that we dubbed the Haitian taptap of Canada. All of these pictures, in another blog.
The next few days we will be seeing a lot of different people who were on teams before. We are excited about that. And Sunday we will be in service with a Haitian pastor we have worked with.... all the way up here in Washington.
We'll be in touch again soon... and try to post some pictures for you then. Till then, have a super great God blessed day. And keep your eyes on Him!!!
Think I'd better cut this off and do some work here. It never seems to actually be finished. Always something else comes up. Until next time, keep smiling and give God the Glory for all things.
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