PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.S. humanitarian group and Haitian health officials have announced plans for a $15 million teaching hospital north of the earthquake battered capital.
The Boston-based organization Partners in Health says the 320-bed facility to be built in the town of Mirebalais is intended to take pressure off the overburdened and underfinanced general hospital in Port-au-Prince. Few Haitians now have regular access to health care.
Partners in Health said Friday that the teaching hospital will serve an estimated 450 to 550 patients a day. It will include six operating rooms, have digital X-ray and be powered in part by solar panels.
Idaho Press-Tribune – Saturday, September 11, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Windows Down
Normally if we are in our car here in Haiti, our windows are up and our air conditioning is on as high as it can go. It is so hot most of the time, and since much of our driving time is spent sitting in traffic the exhaust from all of the other vehicles can be overwhelming.
Today, though, I was up in the cool mountains
Today, though, I was up in the cool mountains
near the place where Kyle and Megan are in day-camp. My window happened to be down as I started out, so I just left it….even opened the passenger window.
Driving with my windows down allowed me to experience a different dimension of life here.
The sights, smells and sounds that I normally pass without notice became so close when that single pane of glass was removed.
Timid smiles and waves, whiffs of pates frying in oil,
the rhythmic tap of the hammer as stones became gravel,
groups of children laughing as they walked home from school in their uniforms and ribbons (girls),
warm air and then cool air wafting in, two men involved in animated conversation, another man racing to keep up with his donkeys, the grass, the trees…… One old guy even stopped me to tell me how he had fixed a big pothole in the road that had been washed away in the rain. (I think) Anyway, the opportunities for interaction, even if just a quick smile, are limitless. Now as I sit here waiting for Kyle and Megan to finish for the day, I wish I had my camera. 
One man smoothes out fresh cement on a sidewalk with his trowel, another sits and watches while his friend clips grass with a hedge clipper (my attempt at a hidden camera), a guy who was previously mixing cement by hand now lounges against a wall....
I will probably continue to have my windows up when I drive in the city because of the reasons mentioned above plus the added security risks lowered windows can bring. But I think in the future I will look for more chances to enjoy life with the windows down!!
*Included are some pictures I took the next day.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Haiti Through the Eyes of a Local Doctor
Judith D'Amico is a medical doctor who has lived in Haiti for the past 15 years. Her field is public health and community development. The following is information she compiled for a letter she recently sent out.
Haïti continues pretty much as it has been the last few months. The camps are even fuller than before, as people are either returning to PAP or choosing the camps over their homes because of some perceived benefits they might receive. Here are a few details...
Tent camps
There are presently 1.6 million displaced persons scattered in 1,342 camp sites in the earthquake affected areas of Haïti. In Port-au-Prince, there are about 1,000 of the sites.
Fifty-four of the 1,342 sites have more than 1,000 households and these account for 29% of the displaced people. Two of those are in Pétion Ville, the town nearest to me. The commune (like a county) of Delmas, which is very close to the heart of downtown, has the highest concentration of displaced persons. There are 200 camps, 11 of which accommodate more than 1,000 families; and with a total of 315,500 homeless persons (19% of all displaced persons) in the camps. The map below gives you an idea of the immensity of the problem. The darkest red is the commune of Delmas near the downtown:
Water and hygiene facilities
The WASH teams have been working overtime to help meet these needs; and despite less than required levels of water and hygiene facilities in the camps, no waterborne infections have been reported--truly God’s grace and a testimony to how carefully the Haitian people work at managing these scarce resources. But the teams believe that they should be able to add enough latrines to provide 1 for every 100 persons by October, a very decent figure. Nonetheless, the teams caution that although the WASH surveillance may be able to be suspended in a few months in the rural areas, It will need to continue for another year or two within PAP, because of the scarcity of resources.
Insecurity and personal safety
One of the most unpleasant parts of the camps has been the insecurity. A couple weeks ago, the National Police teamed up with the UN troops (called MINUSTAH here) in an early morning raid on one of the large camps in the commune of Delmas. About 30 persons believed to be thieves were apprehended, some were escaped prisoners from the national penitentiary whose walls were damaged in the earthquake.
Another part of the insecurity relates to teens and young women who are being forced into sexual relationships. With many family members either dead or dispersed, these young people are particularly vulnerable. Security has increased in the camps, but it is still a concern.
Pregnancy and STIs
Along with the concern about personal safety is a very sharp rise in the number of pregnancies. This has not yet been measured to my knowledge, but we have all noticed the large number of young women walking about in the earlier stages of pregnancy. Of course, if one is vulnerable to pregnancy, there is also a significant risk for sexually transmitted infection, like HIV. In fact, health providers in some of the camps have noted a higher than national average prevalence among the camp dwellers--though it is uncertain whether this is a cluster effect (a higher number of infected persons who just happen to be living in the same camp) or a real increase in prevalence.
Population growth
Along with these concerns, the US Census Bureau released its population projections for Haïti this week. It estimates that the Haitian population is currently 9.6 million (last census in 2003 showed 7.9 million)—and that’s taking into account the loss of about 230,000 persons to the earthquake. The Bureau predicts that the persons killed in the earthquake will be replaced within 2 years; and that the population will continue to grow at a rate of 1% per year, reaching 13.4 million by 2050. Yikes! It’s hard to feed everyone as it is!
Temporary homes
Some of the tents and tarps have been damaged by the large and frequent rains we’ve been having and will need to be replaced. As I mentioned in the last update, people are starting to add more permanent fixtures to their very temporary shelters, like tin doors, wood framing, and the like. Roughly about 2,500 temporary homes (more like a regular home and built to last at least 3 years) have been constructed; but these are mostly in the more rural areas. The picture below shows the situation at hand:
Debris
Home Structural Assessments
Houses are still being evaluated in order to help persons resettle in their own homes. About 130,000 of the estimated 188,000 damaged homes have been assessed and a good portion are ‘green’, meaning that they can be lived in without first undergoing repairs. Roughly half of the homes that have been assessed as ‘green’ are being inhabited.
The engineers have been reminding families that the homes evaluated as yellow will need some relatively minor repairs to be able to be inhabited; AND that not all those that have been assessed as ‘red’ will have to be torn down! A good number may still be able to be salvaged with the right kind of earthquake resistant technology applied. Now that’s good news! As of right now, 46% have been assessed as ‘green’, another 30% as ‘yellow’, and the rest as ‘red’. The engineers estimate that about 500,000 persons will be able to return to properly repaired homes.
Food
Although food rations are no longer being distributed, there is good news on the horizon! The spring harvest looks like it will be rather productive, which will both increase the availability of food staples as well as decrease the price. The maps below give an idea of the projections concerning the availability of food for the next few months (yes, green is good!). This is very heartening because prices continue to be well above pre-earthquake level—roughly 25% more.
MAY 2010 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
Jobs
Another brighter star on the horizon. The food for work programs are not only helping to clear the rubble, clean out canals to avoid lowland flooding, and repair rural roads; these 100,000+ people are receiving a reasonable wage with which to help support their families. The need for this kind of work will be there for quite some time in the future, along with labor for
reconstruction; and this should significantly help to re-establish families.
But the financial losses have been great here. One thing that helps Haitian people to get by on such limited income is that they do not need to pay great sums for living quarters. But modest sized homes that used to cost perhaps $2,500 per year to rent are now going for $500/month; that is more than the average middle class Haitian person earns in a month! Housing relief, and not just the temporary shelters, must be made a major priority in order to be able to stabilize the country.
Non-profit organizations
Again a reminder: the Government of Haïti is asking all 1,000+ NGOs operating within the country to register. The registration must be renewed every 6 months. If you would like more information on any Government-related business in Haïti, I’d encourage you to either become a member of the NGO Coordination Support at www.oneresponse.info or contact them directly for at ngocoordinationsupport@gmail.com
Some more subjects of prayer:
For everyone’s personal safety, especially for the young and the vulnerable
That food and housing will indeed begin to be affordable, and at levels to meet everyone’s need
That reconstruction can proceed well:
Settling of the land ownership issues
No longer be hindered by such high prices—some materials are up about 50% over pre-earthquake prices, even though there is no shortage
Driving:
That the rains and floods will not do any more damage to roads
That the road damage will be promptly repaired so that it does not take forever, and at risk of life and limb, to travel to and from normal activities. Video games have nothing on the ‘real deal,’ take-your-life-in-your-hands events that regularly occur on the roads here!
That the Lord will give us grace to deal with those few but significant numbers of persons who do not believe that laws were meant for the well-being of everyone. It adds greatly to the stress to share narrow, broken down roads with others who ignore the danger they put themselves, as well as the rest of us, in.
Thanks…and blessings on you!
Judith d'Amico
Haïti continues pretty much as it has been the last few months. The camps are even fuller than before, as people are either returning to PAP or choosing the camps over their homes because of some perceived benefits they might receive. Here are a few details...
Tent camps
There are presently 1.6 million displaced persons scattered in 1,342 camp sites in the earthquake affected areas of Haïti. In Port-au-Prince, there are about 1,000 of the sites.
Fifty-four of the 1,342 sites have more than 1,000 households and these account for 29% of the displaced people. Two of those are in Pétion Ville, the town nearest to me. The commune (like a county) of Delmas, which is very close to the heart of downtown, has the highest concentration of displaced persons. There are 200 camps, 11 of which accommodate more than 1,000 families; and with a total of 315,500 homeless persons (19% of all displaced persons) in the camps. The map below gives you an idea of the immensity of the problem. The darkest red is the commune of Delmas near the downtown:
Water and hygiene facilities
The WASH teams have been working overtime to help meet these needs; and despite less than required levels of water and hygiene facilities in the camps, no waterborne infections have been reported--truly God’s grace and a testimony to how carefully the Haitian people work at managing these scarce resources. But the teams believe that they should be able to add enough latrines to provide 1 for every 100 persons by October, a very decent figure. Nonetheless, the teams caution that although the WASH surveillance may be able to be suspended in a few months in the rural areas, It will need to continue for another year or two within PAP, because of the scarcity of resources.
Insecurity and personal safety
One of the most unpleasant parts of the camps has been the insecurity. A couple weeks ago, the National Police teamed up with the UN troops (called MINUSTAH here) in an early morning raid on one of the large camps in the commune of Delmas. About 30 persons believed to be thieves were apprehended, some were escaped prisoners from the national penitentiary whose walls were damaged in the earthquake.Another part of the insecurity relates to teens and young women who are being forced into sexual relationships. With many family members either dead or dispersed, these young people are particularly vulnerable. Security has increased in the camps, but it is still a concern.
Pregnancy and STIs
Along with the concern about personal safety is a very sharp rise in the number of pregnancies. This has not yet been measured to my knowledge, but we have all noticed the large number of young women walking about in the earlier stages of pregnancy. Of course, if one is vulnerable to pregnancy, there is also a significant risk for sexually transmitted infection, like HIV. In fact, health providers in some of the camps have noted a higher than national average prevalence among the camp dwellers--though it is uncertain whether this is a cluster effect (a higher number of infected persons who just happen to be living in the same camp) or a real increase in prevalence.
Population growth
Along with these concerns, the US Census Bureau released its population projections for Haïti this week. It estimates that the Haitian population is currently 9.6 million (last census in 2003 showed 7.9 million)—and that’s taking into account the loss of about 230,000 persons to the earthquake. The Bureau predicts that the persons killed in the earthquake will be replaced within 2 years; and that the population will continue to grow at a rate of 1% per year, reaching 13.4 million by 2050. Yikes! It’s hard to feed everyone as it is!
Temporary homesSome of the tents and tarps have been damaged by the large and frequent rains we’ve been having and will need to be replaced. As I mentioned in the last update, people are starting to add more permanent fixtures to their very temporary shelters, like tin doors, wood framing, and the like. Roughly about 2,500 temporary homes (more like a regular home and built to last at least 3 years) have been constructed; but these are mostly in the more rural areas. The picture below shows the situation at hand:
Debris
The Shelter Cluster estimates that all in all there are about 19 million m3 of debris to remove—a m3 is basically the size of a pallet--so that much debris would fill 19,000 warehouses like ours, and we have one of the largest in Haïti! All in all, about 125,000 temporary homes are expected to have been constructed by this time next year, the huge majority of them in the metropolitan PAP area.
Home Structural Assessments
Houses are still being evaluated in order to help persons resettle in their own homes. About 130,000 of the estimated 188,000 damaged homes have been assessed and a good portion are ‘green’, meaning that they can be lived in without first undergoing repairs. Roughly half of the homes that have been assessed as ‘green’ are being inhabited.
The engineers have been reminding families that the homes evaluated as yellow will need some relatively minor repairs to be able to be inhabited; AND that not all those that have been assessed as ‘red’ will have to be torn down! A good number may still be able to be salvaged with the right kind of earthquake resistant technology applied. Now that’s good news! As of right now, 46% have been assessed as ‘green’, another 30% as ‘yellow’, and the rest as ‘red’. The engineers estimate that about 500,000 persons will be able to return to properly repaired homes.
Food
Although food rations are no longer being distributed, there is good news on the horizon! The spring harvest looks like it will be rather productive, which will both increase the availability of food staples as well as decrease the price. The maps below give an idea of the projections concerning the availability of food for the next few months (yes, green is good!). This is very heartening because prices continue to be well above pre-earthquake level—roughly 25% more.
MAY 2010 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
Jobs
Another brighter star on the horizon. The food for work programs are not only helping to clear the rubble, clean out canals to avoid lowland flooding, and repair rural roads; these 100,000+ people are receiving a reasonable wage with which to help support their families. The need for this kind of work will be there for quite some time in the future, along with labor for
reconstruction; and this should significantly help to re-establish families.But the financial losses have been great here. One thing that helps Haitian people to get by on such limited income is that they do not need to pay great sums for living quarters. But modest sized homes that used to cost perhaps $2,500 per year to rent are now going for $500/month; that is more than the average middle class Haitian person earns in a month! Housing relief, and not just the temporary shelters, must be made a major priority in order to be able to stabilize the country.
Non-profit organizations
Again a reminder: the Government of Haïti is asking all 1,000+ NGOs operating within the country to register. The registration must be renewed every 6 months. If you would like more information on any Government-related business in Haïti, I’d encourage you to either become a member of the NGO Coordination Support at www.oneresponse.info or contact them directly for at ngocoordinationsupport@gmail.comSome more subjects of prayer:
For everyone’s personal safety, especially for the young and the vulnerable
That food and housing will indeed begin to be affordable, and at levels to meet everyone’s need
That reconstruction can proceed well:
Settling of the land ownership issues
No longer be hindered by such high prices—some materials are up about 50% over pre-earthquake prices, even though there is no shortage
Driving:
That the rains and floods will not do any more damage to roads
That the road damage will be promptly repaired so that it does not take forever, and at risk of life and limb, to travel to and from normal activities. Video games have nothing on the ‘real deal,’ take-your-life-in-your-hands events that regularly occur on the roads here!
That the Lord will give us grace to deal with those few but significant numbers of persons who do not believe that laws were meant for the well-being of everyone. It adds greatly to the stress to share narrow, broken down roads with others who ignore the danger they put themselves, as well as the rest of us, in.
Thanks…and blessings on you!
Judith d'Amico
Saturday, July 3, 2010
May/June Family Update
Home Again!!!
Thursday morning (June 17) we hit the road at the crack of dawn. 
We drove from Orlando, FL where we had spent the past week with my brother and family down to Fort Lauderdale to catch our flight to Haiti. In spite of a delayed start and multiple things we needed to do along the way we arrived at the airport with an hour to spare. After a short hour-and-a-half flight we arrived in Port au Prince with all of our luggage….YAY!!!
The Same but Different
Dieseus, one of MAF’s newest employees, helped us get our luggage and brought a car for us to take home. Our eyes were glued to the windows as we drove toward home through the streets that we had not seen for five months. Memories came flooding back. Much has been cleared away and either repaired or rebuilt. A few tell-tale buildings still lean or lay in a heap, but a surprising amount of rubble is gone. 
What were once big open plazas and yards are now covered with tarp shanties and tents. We were so glad to get home and see our neighbors and find out about a few more people that we had not heard about. Natasha, my veggie lady, is alive and well, and the other day at the grocery store I met a guy who was one of the managers at our old grocery store….the one that collapsed.
It was kind of strange to come back and find our same car, our same house, our same neighbors…..so many 
things the same but with subtle changes. 
There are still ants and dust everywhere. Water, electricity, communications and fuel are still things that need to be carefully monitored and managed. Haiti mangoes are still amazing!!....and plentiful. Sugar is still sticky and cereal still soggy because of the humidity. Yet my plants are all healthy and big. The kids’ turtle has about doubled in size since we left in January and loves to swim. The MAF guys have found new routes to and from work. Our little church has gotten some new benches, and it is still one of my favorite places to go in this city. God is so faithful. He is constant but always relevant, even in the middle of big changes.
Then and Now
Besides the blessing of being back home, some of the highlights during the past couple 
months were the birth of my little nephew Paul David Kahle Jr., the kids finishing the school year with good grades, visiting Todd’s cousin and Yellowstone on the way out to ID with my parents, spending a week in Nampa, ID with friends and family, and then taking the kids to Disney before coming back here (got to see my sis Sarah and her daughter while in FL, too!!). We really appreciate all of the love and encouragement
we felt when we were both in TN and ID (and from other friends around the country).
Now Todd is back to work at the hangar, and the kids and I are busy getting reacquainted with friends again before school 
begins in the fall. It has been encouraging to see T-shirts and billboards with optimistic statements about rebuilding. Please pray for continued motivation toward that end as time passes.
*Pictures--#1 our road
#2-4 buildings and stores around town
#5 fun at the ID cabin with both sets of grandparents (my parents' first visit to ID)
#6 Todd with his new nephew
#7 Lorelei, Megan, Audrey and Kyle at Epcot
#8 sister in law Rose and me at a soccer tournament :)
To Fetch a Pail of Water
In the US I am a "drink water from the tap" kind of a girl, but in other countries I have always used filtered water in order to avoid unnecessary sickness. When we were in Pignon (Piyon) doing language school it was complicated to buy water, so we began using a clay filter which has always done great. 
Here in Port, our house water comes from rain water which is collected on our house's flat concrete roof 
(picture of our neighbor's roof which collects water). While Todd was in the States this last time, the drain got plugged with leaves and debris, so water pooled on the roof and began growing organic things. It smelled funny when it came out of the faucet, so we added chlorine. The clay filter is ineffective if the water to filter is chlorinated, so we began using another ceramic filter (pictured). Todd is planning to clean out the cistern today, but since we have a guest staying with us and I did not entirely trust the integrity of the water I decided to buy a couple 5 gallon jugs of water from the grocery store last night.
The store is just a few blocks away, but I had forgotten the process of buying water and why I love our filter so much. First of all, you have to take your own jugs. Unfortunately, ours were still in the kitchen. I thought I would save time by going inside the store to buy the few groceries I needed and at the same time purchase 2 water tickets that you hand to the guy outside dispensing the water jugs. The cashier said that was not possible if I did not have my jugs. So I paid for my things, drove home, got my jugs, and went back. I handed my jugs to the water dispenser guy, but unfortunately I had the wrong kind of jug.....Culligan instead of five other kinds that they had. Never knew anyone cared about that.... Fortunately I asked him where they sell Culligan, and he directed me to a pharmacy right across the street. I got their last two bottles!! :) Ahhhhh!!!
Here in Port, our house water comes from rain water which is collected on our house's flat concrete roof 
(picture of our neighbor's roof which collects water). While Todd was in the States this last time, the drain got plugged with leaves and debris, so water pooled on the roof and began growing organic things. It smelled funny when it came out of the faucet, so we added chlorine. The clay filter is ineffective if the water to filter is chlorinated, so we began using another ceramic filter (pictured). Todd is planning to clean out the cistern today, but since we have a guest staying with us and I did not entirely trust the integrity of the water I decided to buy a couple 5 gallon jugs of water from the grocery store last night.
The store is just a few blocks away, but I had forgotten the process of buying water and why I love our filter so much. First of all, you have to take your own jugs. Unfortunately, ours were still in the kitchen. I thought I would save time by going inside the store to buy the few groceries I needed and at the same time purchase 2 water tickets that you hand to the guy outside dispensing the water jugs. The cashier said that was not possible if I did not have my jugs. So I paid for my things, drove home, got my jugs, and went back. I handed my jugs to the water dispenser guy, but unfortunately I had the wrong kind of jug.....Culligan instead of five other kinds that they had. Never knew anyone cared about that.... Fortunately I asked him where they sell Culligan, and he directed me to a pharmacy right across the street. I got their last two bottles!! :) Ahhhhh!!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
GOOOOLLLLLL!!!!! The universal word for joy :)
World Cup has arrived!!! so streets, building
s and even people’s clothes are decorated with their favorite country’s team flag or at least colors. In front of the place where our street pops out onto the main drag, the divider in the middle of the road is even painted green and yellow for Brazil, one of the favorite soccer teams here in Haiti. Further down Delmas (that same main street) someone has strung hundreds of yellow and green soda bottles across the road as a canopy and added Brazil, 
Argentina and Haiti flags. Sunday afternoon we met with a couple of happy crowds celebrating Brazil’s victory. A couple guys on a motorcycle with Argentina jerseys even were joining in the joy.
s and even people’s clothes are decorated with their favorite country’s team flag or at least colors. In front of the place where our street pops out onto the main drag, the divider in the middle of the road is even painted green and yellow for Brazil, one of the favorite soccer teams here in Haiti. Further down Delmas (that same main street) someone has strung hundreds of yellow and green soda bottles across the road as a canopy and added Brazil, 
Argentina and Haiti flags. Sunday afternoon we met with a couple of happy crowds celebrating Brazil’s victory. A couple guys on a motorcycle with Argentina jerseys even were joining in the joy. 
During World Cup we have heard that we should get lots of city power….meaning about 15 hrs per day!! We have still been trying to conserve power and survive on energy generated by our solar panels, but we were really thankful to have city power (EDH) for washing our clothes from the trip and all of the kids’ clothes that had gotten so filthy during our months away.
Wednesday morning I saw four guys messing with our neighbor’s power pole. This made me a little nervous since last fall someone from the power company came and just took our power meter even though I
showed them the receipt saying that we had paid our bill. Maybe they had run out of meters and someone else more important wanted one??? Yet these guys seemed to be installing a meter, and one of them had a hard hat and looked official, so I did not ask any questions. Since our power went out right about that time, I suspected that those guys really had done something after all, but it was much more serious than cut wires. 
No sooner had they driven off in their EDH truck than George (Crismen’s husband who sweeps leaves for us) came and told Julie (our across the street neighbor) that a big truck had pulled the high voltage electricity wires, and that the road was blocked. The pole fell, but that was soon cleared out of the way. Now as we wait for power to be restored we are thankful for solar power which allows us to run fans and keep our refrigerator and MAF internet running.
(Just saw the guys working on several power poles!!!! Hopefully electricity will be back soon.)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Creole Service in Nashville
A couple months ago I found out that a Haitian congregation meets at Nashville First CON. It was just amazing to discover that although we are a thousand miles from home, brothers and sisters of the same "lang" (language) are meeting just an hour away. After several attempts to find out details about when and where services were being held, I spoke with a very nice church secretary a couple weeks ago who told me they have services on Sunday mornings at 9AM and Sunday evenings at 5PM.
By around 8:00 yesterday (Sunday) morning, the kids and I were on the road to Nashville. Knowing that in both Latin and Haitian churches (and probably many others) it is customary for guests to say a word to the congregation, the kids and I began thinking of maybe a chorus to sing in Creole. Memorized songs can actually be easier than impromptu greetings because you have all of the correct words memorized. :)
Sunday school actually started at 9:00, so the three of us joined the ladies' class....although since Kyle and Megan discovered that most of the kids speak English they might be tempted to the children's class next time. Of course it took a minute to remember some of the proper greetings.....Bon jou. Ki jan ou ye? Bondye bene ou..... The ladies were very kind, and pretty soon we found our Creole tongues again. :) The lesson was on Acts 1:1-14 and focused on our "Jerusalem"....ministering to the people who are around us...being content to wait in our Jerusalem even when the situation is difficult.
We moved on to church and ended up sitting next to one of the tambourine players. :) Of course the singing is one thing I miss most about our church in Haiti. This congregation projects the words of the songs they sing onto the wall, so we could sing along even though we did not have our Chants D' Esperance song book. The most meaningful thing was when four teen girls sang "Because He Lives" in English and Creole. That brought back memories of a sound byte Todd's cousin "accidentally" captured of displaced quake victims singing the same hymn on the Nazarene campus one night in February.
http://www.nazarenemedialibrary.org/MediaView.aspx?mediaId=3479e093-7de7-41af-af1c-6ea27362bcc9
The message was from John 5 about the crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda, especially focusing on Jesus' question, "Do you want to get well?"
What a special time of fellowship we had after the service, too. It was fun to see people sticking around to visit. Although the kids still do not know enough Creole to understand the whole service, people did take time to use a little English and talk to them about the things they do know.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with Todd's younger brother and family. We never seem to have pictures of those cousins playing together, and yesterday I figured out the reason!! They do not stand still long enough for us to get anything more than a blur. :) Megan has a great time dressing up with the youngest, Sally. Kyle, Brent and Zach are usually building forts out of blankets, chasing each other with plastic swords or chasing the squealy girls. Dale and Rose (the parents) are our all-time favorite game-playing friends (although the Whites in Haiti were becoming close rivals for that position before we left), and we can usually twist Samantha's arm to play with us. She is such a sweetie.....even though she officially became a teenager last year. Yikes! We are thankful for all of the family God has placed around us and allowed us to spend more time with recently.
By around 8:00 yesterday (Sunday) morning, the kids and I were on the road to Nashville. Knowing that in both Latin and Haitian churches (and probably many others) it is customary for guests to say a word to the congregation, the kids and I began thinking of maybe a chorus to sing in Creole. Memorized songs can actually be easier than impromptu greetings because you have all of the correct words memorized. :)
Sunday school actually started at 9:00, so the three of us joined the ladies' class....although since Kyle and Megan discovered that most of the kids speak English they might be tempted to the children's class next time. Of course it took a minute to remember some of the proper greetings.....Bon jou. Ki jan ou ye? Bondye bene ou..... The ladies were very kind, and pretty soon we found our Creole tongues again. :) The lesson was on Acts 1:1-14 and focused on our "Jerusalem"....ministering to the people who are around us...being content to wait in our Jerusalem even when the situation is difficult.
We moved on to church and ended up sitting next to one of the tambourine players. :) Of course the singing is one thing I miss most about our church in Haiti. This congregation projects the words of the songs they sing onto the wall, so we could sing along even though we did not have our Chants D' Esperance song book. The most meaningful thing was when four teen girls sang "Because He Lives" in English and Creole. That brought back memories of a sound byte Todd's cousin "accidentally" captured of displaced quake victims singing the same hymn on the Nazarene campus one night in February.
http://www.nazarenemedialibrary.org/MediaView.aspx?mediaId=3479e093-7de7-41af-af1c-6ea27362bcc9
The message was from John 5 about the crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda, especially focusing on Jesus' question, "Do you want to get well?"
What a special time of fellowship we had after the service, too. It was fun to see people sticking around to visit. Although the kids still do not know enough Creole to understand the whole service, people did take time to use a little English and talk to them about the things they do know.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with Todd's younger brother and family. We never seem to have pictures of those cousins playing together, and yesterday I figured out the reason!! They do not stand still long enough for us to get anything more than a blur. :) Megan has a great time dressing up with the youngest, Sally. Kyle, Brent and Zach are usually building forts out of blankets, chasing each other with plastic swords or chasing the squealy girls. Dale and Rose (the parents) are our all-time favorite game-playing friends (although the Whites in Haiti were becoming close rivals for that position before we left), and we can usually twist Samantha's arm to play with us. She is such a sweetie.....even though she officially became a teenager last year. Yikes! We are thankful for all of the family God has placed around us and allowed us to spend more time with recently.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Singing
I woke up this morning, my heart bursting with praise. Old hymns like "Such Love," "Constantly Abiding" and "He Lives" and choruses like, "God Will Make a Way" just came from nowhere! Does every day start so joyfully and optimistically? Not necessarily. But I am discovering that joy and contentment are more of a choice than I ever before realized. The hope and grace God offers us with each new day is amazing. I do feel sad f
or those, both Christians and not, who cannot see past rules and the failures of others to experience these blessings. What if our kids were like that....not able to see our great love for them because we do not let them play in the street or eat only chocolate for breakfast? Anyway, I'm thankful for His grace and strength when we are weary.
There are moments of weariness along the road Todd, the kids and I are traveling these days, but there are also times of needed renewal. I know that is true for everyone, regardless of whether you are being faithful at the daily grind or find yourself strangely displaced from "normal." This difficult separation from Todd has allowed us to spend more time with my family and has probably made us appreciate each other and time together even more than before. It has certainly given me a new level of respect for all of the wives and kids left behind when their husbands deploy for a year at a time with the military!
Thanks to everyone who continues to pray for the MAF guys in Haiti and of course all of those still left with scars from the earthquake (jobs, houses and/or loved ones lost, emotional and physical injuries, little or no shelter as the rains begin.....). The overall picture in Haiti seems to have improved significantly since the quake hit, but there are still many hurdles facing those involved in the rebuilding process. It seems that a longer-term plan is being created, stores and markets have re-opened, limited electricity has returned to much of the city, debris has been cleared in many areas... However, just yesterday there were long lines at the gas pumps due to rumors of expected fuel shortages for up to several weeks. It seems that for ever two steps forward there is a step backward. Please pray that government officials and others seeking quick wealth and power would not prohibit the relief efforts but that everyone would be able to find a way to help their neighbor rebuild the country. It will be a slow process, but we are grateful to so many who have given time or money to send relief supplies down. Continue to pray for God to use this bad situation for good.
or those, both Christians and not, who cannot see past rules and the failures of others to experience these blessings. What if our kids were like that....not able to see our great love for them because we do not let them play in the street or eat only chocolate for breakfast? Anyway, I'm thankful for His grace and strength when we are weary.There are moments of weariness along the road Todd, the kids and I are traveling these days, but there are also times of needed renewal. I know that is true for everyone, regardless of whether you are being faithful at the daily grind or find yourself strangely displaced from "normal." This difficult separation from Todd has allowed us to spend more time with my family and has probably made us appreciate each other and time together even more than before. It has certainly given me a new level of respect for all of the wives and kids left behind when their husbands deploy for a year at a time with the military!
Thanks to everyone who continues to pray for the MAF guys in Haiti and of course all of those still left with scars from the earthquake (jobs, houses and/or loved ones lost, emotional and physical injuries, little or no shelter as the rains begin.....). The overall picture in Haiti seems to have improved significantly since the quake hit, but there are still many hurdles facing those involved in the rebuilding process. It seems that a longer-term plan is being created, stores and markets have re-opened, limited electricity has returned to much of the city, debris has been cleared in many areas... However, just yesterday there were long lines at the gas pumps due to rumors of expected fuel shortages for up to several weeks. It seems that for ever two steps forward there is a step backward. Please pray that government officials and others seeking quick wealth and power would not prohibit the relief efforts but that everyone would be able to find a way to help their neighbor rebuild the country. It will be a slow process, but we are grateful to so many who have given time or money to send relief supplies down. Continue to pray for God to use this bad situation for good.
Korean/American Easter
When our neighbor had a sleepover for the kids in her Korean Sunday School class, 
she invited Kyle and Megan, too. They had a great time staying up nearly all night, meeting new friends. When we were all leaving the next morning, someone invited Kyle and Megan to participate in their Easter party/egg hunt in a few weeks.We went but got lost on the way and missed the actual egg hunt.
When we finally arrived some of the other kids shared what they had collected, and all was well. Lunch was a combination of American roasted hotdogs and hamburgers and a yummy Korean rice dish. 
Boy, can those ladies cook!! After lunch everyone roasted marshmallows on the grill. It was fun to hear how-to explanations for the first-timers in both languages. :) All of the kids played a very cooperative game of soccer with the young and old alike, and when we were leaving they invited us to a birthday party the next week. :) Very sweet group....Todd was with us for a gorgeous Easter Sunday and then flew back to Haiti the next day. We are looking forward to seeing him again in two more weeks!!
Nashville Cousins, Creeks & Bikes
One weekend Todd was here, he and the kids visited his brother Dale and family in Nashville while I worked on homework. They went to a park to ride bikes, and although Kyle had practically no experience riding without training wheels he quickly found his balance and had a great time. Bridges apparently made him nervous, and one time he and the bike tumbled into a shallow creek, but he was soon on his feet and back to riding. His cousin Zach let him bring the bike back here to Clarksville to practice. Kyle is now super-speedy and can even do some little tricks now. Due to her brother's encouragement and some healthy competition, Megan has learned to ride, too!!
Time Out
The 
Monday morning after our big family weekend, we took the kids to school and then Todd and I headed to Gatlinburg for a couple nights. Mom and dad were AWESOME!! They negotiated schedules to accommodate school bus pick-ups and drop-offs, helped with homework, and took very good care of the grandkids. :) 
That was a great time for Todd and me just to talk and spend some time together. There was so much that I found out about Todd and the MAF/Haiti situation and so many things that I had forgotten to mention to him, too. We also had time to talk about deeper concerns, joys, expectations, anticipations, plans.... all of the things that get pushed aside as you deal with daily life.
Tuesday we woke up late and drove through the mountains and trees on the winding Blue Ridge Parkway on back roads that I am almost certain we took one time on Todd's motorcycle when we lived in East TN. We hiked a while on some beautiful trails, saw waterfalls....
Wed. we woke up EARLY and drove to our former home in Elizabethton, something we had not planned to do until we saw that it was only about another hr. and a half from where we were. Of course we wished that we would have had more time, but we did see both of our former land-ladies and several other friends in the few hrs we were there and made it back before the kids' bedtime that night. :)
Monday morning after our big family weekend, we took the kids to school and then Todd and I headed to Gatlinburg for a couple nights. Mom and dad were AWESOME!! They negotiated schedules to accommodate school bus pick-ups and drop-offs, helped with homework, and took very good care of the grandkids. :) 
That was a great time for Todd and me just to talk and spend some time together. There was so much that I found out about Todd and the MAF/Haiti situation and so many things that I had forgotten to mention to him, too. We also had time to talk about deeper concerns, joys, expectations, anticipations, plans.... all of the things that get pushed aside as you deal with daily life.Tuesday we woke up late and drove through the mountains and trees on the winding Blue Ridge Parkway on back roads that I am almost certain we took one time on Todd's motorcycle when we lived in East TN. We hiked a while on some beautiful trails, saw waterfalls....
Wed. we woke up EARLY and drove to our former home in Elizabethton, something we had not planned to do until we saw that it was only about another hr. and a half from where we were. Of course we wished that we would have had more time, but we did see both of our former land-ladies and several other friends in the few hrs we were there and made it back before the kids' bedtime that night. :)
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