It is Thursday morning – another day of sunshine. Dr. Kris is coming home today! Her parents and their friends came in on Tuesday, so we are all getting ready to celebrate her return. She was supposed to fly in to Cap Haitian at 7:30 this morning. As of 10 AM she was still on the ground at Port Au Prince, but ready to fly out in a few minutes.
Larry and Carol (Dr. Kris’ Parents) and Gene and Gerda , are all hard workers. They brought supplies with them and have a list of projects that they want to accomplish while they are here. Gene and Larry are both carpenters. Gerda is a wonderful cook, sews and is going to trim my hair. (I was really concerned about getting that done here). Carol is the organizer/grandma – who helps with all the projects. Eli and Anna are so happy to have everyone here – and are so very happy that mom is coming home today. Gerda and I are working together to make a banana cream pie in honor of Kris returning home.
Bill and Chris are working on the plumbing in the clinic and hospital. Up until now, they had to go to the well to draw water in buckets. The medical staff is very excited that they are helping them out.
Yesterday I took my camera down to the clinic to take a picture of the guys working. After I got down the hill by the church, I realized that I had never walked to the clinic alone, and I didn’t really know exactly where it was. I finally got Anna to help me. As she led me into the clinic she went through a door and expected me to follow. I said, “Anna, you’re leading me through a bathroom!” As we went out the door at the other end we found Bill and Chris. The room we walked through was a line of examination rooms, where patients meet with the doctors. They were very tiny cubicles with a narrow hallway beside them. Life is certainly different here.
In the afternoon 4 of us walked to the market by taking a path to the river and walking on the flood plain to Port Margot. It was a beautiful walk (my camera was home), but we really enjoyed the mountain views. We walked on rocky paths and had to wade across the river 2 times both ways. The first time we took off our shoes, but it was way too rocky for me to be happy. After that I just waded through - it was much easier - although my shoes are still wet.The market was just jammed with people. It's an amazing place where they were roasting goat, selling lots of little fish, and fresh chickens. I held my breath through some of it. it's fun to watch the people, that just gather around as Chris Sloan tries to dicker with the women over the price. The girls just laugh and laugh at him. I told him it's because he is a good looking young white man trying to speak Creole.
May God continue to be with the suffering, the hungry, and the giving people of Haiti.

Jan 23rd

Hello to you all,
It is Saturday afternoon, and another beautiful day. We’ve gone several days now without rain, and I am enjoying the sunshine. We’ve had a busy week with Bill mowing lots of grass. Mowing is a slow process here as the ground is covered with mahogany nuts that are about the size of a goose egg, and the roots of mango trees sticking up far enough to catch the blade of the lawn mower. He has also fixed the generator and drawn out the plans for the gazebo. This morning they staked out the base.
I’ve been continuing to get ready for the first team to come. I’ve been cleaning this house and helping Anna and Eli with their cleaning for grandma and grandpa to come. They are very excited. They not only get to spend a month with grandparents visiting, but they get to celebrate a late Christmas with them too.
We did have some good news today. Haiti has a good supply of gasoline and diesel, so we should not have a shortage. Cory told us that we can begin to run our refrigerator again during the day, and just turn it off at night. Electric refrigerators run down the batteries quickly.
Dr. Kris is safe and working at a hospital about ¼ mile from the palace. We don’t know when she will be returning home, but she is definitely being used.
Remember me telling you about Chris and Kathleen Sloan that live next door to us?
Chris’ father,Ron,is a medical doctor too, and has just arrived in Port Au Prince to volunteer for 10 days. He’s working in an Amway field hospital. Please keep both of them in your prayers.
Bill did have something interesting happen the other night. We have been having small rats on our kitchen counter, their droppings let you know. Just so you know, I do all of my food preparation at the dining room table!! We had set out traps 2 nights in a row and caught a rat both nights. This particular evening , about 8:30, Bill went out in the kitchen for some water. There was a huge spider on the wall at the end of the kitchen. Wolf spiders get to be about the size of your fist, like a tarantula. They really aren’t dangerous, but anything that big shouldn’t be running around in your house. Anyway, Bill grabbed the bug spray and sprayed it good. It ran very fast into our bottom cupboards, which do not have doors on them. He got closer and sprayed a direct shot at it. It just went crazy – zipping all over the place. Just as Bill was jumping back, not knowing where the spider would go next, a rat ran right past him on the cupboard and went down a hole in the wood. He was shook. He decided that we wouldn’t go into that kitchen for pills or water for brushing teeth that night. We went to bed shortly after that. In the morning the rat was dead beside the trap, and the spider had crawled out to the doorway of the kitchen, and was not quite dead yet. Bill took care of that!!! Now we look closely around the room before entering. The rats and the wolf spiders seem to be only in the kitchen, and the rats only come out at night. For those of you that know me well, you know why I don’t stay in the kitchen long. Cory is coming over this afternoon to try to plug some holes in a closet ceiling.
Everything else is quite peaceful here. Almost everyone has family or friends that have moved in with them from the PAP area. With the fuel supply available we are seeing trucks filled with people going back and forth on the road. The neighborhood is a lot noisier with the extra population, and there has been no school here since the earthquake. I’m not sure why.
Please pray for these people as they bravely go on with their lives and share their bread with others.Pray for those in the outlying areas where there is no help available yet. Pray that the believers in this country of Haiti will live their lives in such a way, that it will make people think bigger, better, grander thoughts of our Lord and Savior. Thank you Pastor Ben for those words.
Happy Birthday to our grandson Doug. We love you.

We are fine after the earhquake

It is another warm humid day in Fauche. The weather seems to have made a change – the cold is gone!! We are all washing clothes again. We wash every day that is sunny, not knowing when the next sunny day will come. I am getting ready for the first team to come on Monday. I’m basically doing spring cleaning of the house, washing bedding, and curtains.
Bill worked on the big generator yesterday. He remembered how to fix the starter, changed the oil and had it running great by afternoon. Since the generator is a very important part of keeping this compound in electricity, (homes, church, clinic etc.) everyone was happy with the successful day.
Sunday evening we were serenaded by about 8 young Haitian teenage girls. They sat on our low stone wall and sang beautiful harmonies for at least 2 hours. Then when it started raining, they moved to the school building and sang on and on. While they were close to us, we just sat by the window and enjoyed the music, waiting to make supper until they left.
It is Wednesday afternoon, and there was another earthquake in the night. Our bed shook for at least 30 seconds, but the roof did not shake. We just laid in bed and calmly waited for it to end. If the roof had started rattling, I don’t think I would have stayed calm! It was a 6.1 quake or aftershock. Dr. Kris is close to the epicenter. We just got word that she is alright, and the people on LaGonave are ok too. LaGonave is an island just out in the bay from Port Au Prince. There is a big Wesleyan compound there.
The pictures I put on the blog on Sunday, were the view from our house, and a front view of our house “ The House of Hope.” It used to be a place where mothers and preschool children came to learn. Today I will insert pictures of the inside of our home.
I’m going to send this out soon, so you all don’t worry about us. Pray for us as we pray for you.

Sunday in Fauche

It is Sunday afternoon; an absolutely beautiful day in Fauche, with sunshine and a slight breeze to cool us off. It’s hard to believe that a devastating earthquake has taken place 100 miles away.
We have started to realize the difference this quake has made in other ways though. Dr. Kris is still gone, working in a hospital helping with surgeries. She is a unique individual; who is not only a medical doctor, but speaks fluent English and Creole. Cory went out to buy diesel and gasoline yesterday and the gas stations are all closed. This will soon present a problem with our generators. Since we have the only electric refrigerator here, we have converted it into an icebox. We only turn on lights when absolutely necessary, and have only one low energy light on at a time. This morning, Cory got up in church and loosened the light bulb that was on. It was not needed at all, just using electricity. Electricity also pumps the water into our cistern at the top of the hill. We are being careful with that too. Fortunately they do have a small solar system set up, so if it is sunny our batteries will charge.
This is such a place of saving everything. Today when I took the tissue paper off a new roll of toilet paper, Bill said he didn’t know what we could use it for, but to save it anyway. Even the empty cereal bag from inside the box, is saved. Haitians don’t save food, since they have no refrigeration; therefore they don’t sell much for plastic containers or bags.
Fauche is an area of lots of houses on either side of the road, while Port Margot is 2 miles away. I don’t remember the population, but it has brick streets and cross streets. It’s a pretty nice city. Between Cap Haitian and Port Margot there are houses along the road most of the way, at little towns like Fauche the homes are a little closer together.
Thank you for your prayers. This next week will be important for us to see how the Lord will lead us.
Pray that the borders will be opened up to the aid waiting to get in. May God be with the grieving, and those who hunger and thirst.

Working together

We’ve had a busy few days. With Dr. Kris gone to help in Port Au Prince, we have had to take up the slack. She home schools Eli and Anna every day from 7 -3:30. The Sloan’s have taken on that job. We are helping each other out with the wash, since the humidity and rain keep the clothes from drying outside, and working to make meals for each other.
Yesterday I made a coconut cream pie. One of the Haitian men climbed up a tree and knocked down a coconut and got it ready to crack. The cooks shredded it up and I toasted it in the oven with some powdered sugar. It looks nothing like our coconut from the bag, but tasted good. I have one more crust made, and it seems like most of them want a banana cream pie. We will never look at bananas the same again. They are absolutely wonderful here.
Today Bill is mowing grass,(there are acres to mow) and I washed and hung out clothes early this morning. Then I helped the cook by washing the dishes on the counter and washing all of the cooking pans as she dirtied them. Every once in awhile she would show me how to chop some vegetables and then motion for me to take over and help. I really wish I could communicate better. I know that she has family that is lost in Port Au Prince – just like everyone else here. I would love to tell he how very sorry I am, and give her a hug. A man came over last night to say that his brother and sister-in-law have come from there with just the clothes on their back. Most of them will never know about their family members. They will either find their way home or they are not ever coming. Please keep them in your prayers. We need to pray and something needs to be done – or 100’s of thousands of people will starve. We are praying for guidance to know what our next step will be. Keep Dr. Kris in your prayers too. She is away from her family and will come home when she feels the time is right - and can get a ride.

Earthquake 7.0

First of all I will tell you that everyone in our compound is safe. We definitely felt the quake. Bill was sitting and felt it much more than I did. I was cooking supper at the time. He felt the floor shaking and his chair started moving. When I came out of the kitchen it sounded like scratching in the attic. I thought about 100 rats were tearing around up there. It is one of my fears. Then we could hear the tin roof just shaking and what sounded like a helicopter overhead. Bill got up and just yelled "get out!" Dr. Kris and her family were coming out of their house at about the same time and she was just yelling at all of us "Get out of the house!"
We had no apparent damage - and had many aftershocks. Some lasting 30 seconds, some quite violent after we went to bed. These were short spurts, so we didn't go out. We had our clothes laid out and a flashlight so we could run.
The Port Au Prince area is devastated. Please pray for the thousands of people that are trapped and homeless. Bill read that every building over 2 stories has been severely damaged. Cory took Dr. Kris to a town near here, where she will hitch a ride in toward Port Au Prince. She has that need to work to save people. We would gladly go to help, and will wait for them to tell us if we can do anything. The children are both scared with their mom gone, so the 4 of us are here trying to help them through the time. They don't know when she will be able to come home. Cory should be back sometime today. It continues to rain here. It rained 2 1/2 inches just last night. Please pray for Cap Haitian too. They didn't feel the earthquake but are flooding from so much rain. Normally we have much more rainfall, but with this storm system, Cap Haitian, which is east of us, got lots more rain. That is hard to believe.
The most important thing you can do is pray for the hurting, lost, hungry people of Haiti. That even though we can't see it or understand it, God's purposes will be accomplished through this devastation.We'll keep you updated by e-mail, since all cell phone service is out.

January 12

It's Tuesday afternoon and it has been raining almost steadily since Sunday evening. We are thankful to be dry and have plenty to eat. The Haitians seem to go to bed at dark. They can't waste the fuel to just sit around a campfire. All the charcoal is used for cooking. I'll try to put a picture on here of men sawing boards from a log just above our house on the hillside.
We had our second Creole lesson yesterday. We are feeling very inadequate in the "learning a new language" department. Maybe it will come with time. While it continues to rain, we have nothing but time.
We made soup with potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken bouillon cubes last night. I also made corn bread on the top of the stove. We really enjoyed it. Tonight we will have eggs, fried potatoes and toast. I'm running out of ideas, so we will have to sit down and figure out what we can make with our ingredients on hand. We are going to Limbe on Thursday to give away trees and possibly to market. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise." - and I mean that seriously!!
Keep us in your prayers and we pray for you. Our friends and family are very precious to us.

Jan 7th

Jan 7th
It's raining again in the rain forest, and we are praising God for all things. We just had lunch with the Thede's and Sloans. It brings us such joy to be able to fellowship and laugh together.
Yesterday morning beautiful singing drew me to the church on the compound, where a group of about 200 women were singing and praying. Haitian's sing beautifully. It always reminds me of how beautiful the singing will be in heaven. I walked in and was surrounded by their harmonies, and when they prayed you would have thought the roof was coming off the building. I was able to pray out loud too, knowing that my language difference would not bother them a bit.
After lunch we walked about 2 miles to the market with Chris and Kathleen. As we passed the bakery, the owner invited us in to see his operation. The oven is about 30ft long, 20 ft wide, and looked like a cement cave. Just as we walked in, they were removing many many loaves with a long poled tool. They brought out about 5 at a time. The baker gave us five loaves as a gift to take home. He is a friend of Chris and Kathleen.
Last night the voodoo people were chanting and playing drums almost all night. I was awake for most of the night. I was wishing to hear the dogs and roosters instead.Yesterday was a special day for them. Last year they kept up the drumming and all for 3 days. Please pray for the lost of Haiti.
Bill has been busy fixing up our house, before he begins his larger projects. Getting me water and a working drain in the kitchen is a priceless gift for me. Think of how many times you would have to walk back and forth from the bathroom if that was your only source of water and drain. I love that man!!

Jan 7th

It's raining again in the rain forest, and we are praising God for all things. We just had lunch with the Thede's and Sloans. It brings us such joy to be able to fellowship and laugh together.
Yesterday morning beautiful singing drew me to the church on the compound, where a group of about 200 women were singing and praying. Haitian's sing beautifully. It always reminds me of how beautiful the singing will be in heaven. I walked in and was surrounded by their harmonies, and when they prayed you would have thought the roof was coming off the building. I was able to pray out loud too, knowing that my language difference would not bother them a bit.
After lunch we walked about 2 miles to the market with Chris and Kathleen. As we passed the bakery, the owner invited us in to see his operation. The oven is about 30ft long, 20 ft wide, and looked like a cement cave. Just as we walked in, they were removing many many loaves with a long poled tool. They brought out about 5 at a time. The baker gave us five loaves as a gift to take home. He is a friend of Chris and Kathleen.
Last night the voodoo people were chanting and playing drums almost all night. I was awake for most of the night. I was wishing to hear the dogs and roosters instead.Yesterday was a special day for them. Last year they kept up the drumming and all for 3 days. Please pray for the lost of Haiti.
Bill has been busy fixing up our house, before he begins his larger projects. Getting me water and a working drain in the kitchen is a priceless gift for me. Think of how many times you would have to walk back and forth from the bathroom if that was your only source of water and drain. I love that man!!

January 2nd - market day

We went to the market for the first time today. Since it is actually still part of their Independence Day weekend, it was quieter than normal. Still there were many vendors sitting on the ground under blankets and tarps - or out in the open. They were selling many types of vegetables and fruits - also dried and fresh fish. They sell everything that a general store would sell - if you walk far enough. Cory took us and did the negotiating for price. I think he's a soft touch - and I mean that in a good way. He treats everyone with respect, and they appreciate that about him.
Bill has one more generator to work on. He's already given the clinic and the church a good amount of electricity to use when the government power goes off. Dr. Chris tells of being in the middle of stitching someone up, or delivering a baby, and suddenly they would be in the dark. They are thankful to have someone here that understands generators and electricity.
I have spent these few days learning how to help in the kitchen at the Thede's, cleaning the house, washing clothes - Thedes have a washing machine - and a clothesline outside our house,
and generally learning how to do things the Haiti way.
We'll have to see what next week brings. The teams won't start coming until January 22nd, and we are happy to have the time to get accustomed to life here before they arrive. I think I will offer to mow the lawn next week. It grows very slowly, but it is a big area.
Enough for today. Keep us in your prayers.