Never Ending Christmas

Has the Christmas season passed at your house?  Here, it lingers on and on, as we continue giving gifts to orphans and children being raised in poverty.  We have been giving out fruit trees, clothing, shoes, animals, toiletries and food.  This is one aspect of my “job” that can go on and on and never end and I will be thrilled about it!  Lex and I just LOVE it when the Lord uses us to bless someone else – especially when that someone else is obviously excited and grateful for what they receive.  Many of you are the reason these gifts are being given.  This is a TRIPLE blessing – the receiver, the giver in Haiti and you who have given from your homes.  It’s it wonderful?!!!

La Gonâve

It’s where Lex was born and raised.  La Gonâve is an island across the bay from Grand-Goâve, which is seen from the Be Like Brit orphanage, as well as the MOHI mission compound.  MOHI has a church in the main city of Anse-a-Galet, but we also like to visit a school and church in the village of Aux Parques.  This little fishing village is surrounded by mountains and the ocean, so it is pretty cut off from everywhere, except by boat.  Our missionary friend, Ed Locket, built a gathering place for them years ago.  From time to time (when the boat is running well) we visit them, bearing gifts.  My first trip there we had ice cold plastic bags of water.  I think those interested them even more than the Kids Against Hunger food we’d brought to them.  There is no electricity in the village, so it’s a major feat to get a sip of cold water.

This week Lex, A. Jay, Paul Fallon, Paul Beaulieu and our inventory controller, Renord brought school supplies, clothing, energy biscuits and lots of love to the school kids.  They were so grateful.

Construction Continues

This past week Paul Fallon started laying out the electrical system in the new school.  We also continued with finish plaster on the ground floor interior.  This is a very slow going process.  Wooden staging has to be constructed in each room for the masons to stand on so they can reach the ceiling and tops of the walls.  They “throw” the plaster on the wall, leaving a rough finish and then “throw” on another layer and smooth it over, with water.  Lines are run and sharp, straight lines are formed.  Then the staging is broken down and the lower sections are done.  (That’s an observer’s description – I have no real knowledge of what they are doing!)  Here’s what it’s looking like though:

Friends from Home

What a joy to see Rick & Sue Scott and Ted & Nan Bronson in Haiti after a decade of asking them to come!  They arrived just last night and we enjoyed a dinner by the ocean catching up on each others’ lives.  Today they joined us for church, toured the school construction in Thozin and visited various sites that the mission is involved in.  After lunch they got to see Grand-Goâve from the ocean and enjoy some of the natural beauty that remains in this country that has been tormented by poverty for centuries.  Now they are enjoying the English church service.

John Armour, who also arrived yesterday will be preaching tonight.  You remember John?  He set up the foundation for the new school building last year.  He also invented the water filtration system we were given after the earthquake.  It utilizes nanotechnology and is just amazing.  We drink better water here than you do!!!  John is here to install another system at the missionary compound, thanks to the generosity of the faithful at the Chapel (Akron, OH).  We have been transporting drinking water to the missionary since the earthquake.  This will be a HUGE relief for our vehicles and staff and a blessing to our guests.  Needless to say, we are thrilled to have John back here, too.

This week, our volunteers will be continuing the electrical installation in the school, working with our preschoolers, visiting people in villages and assisting Marcy in the gardens…at least for starters!

Medical Care

There are several organizations and individual medical personnel who bring medical care to the children and families at Mission of Hope International.  Angela Parayson, the medical missionary serving our schools and communities, helps about 60-80 people every week with advice and dispensing medicines that we often take for granted in well developed countries.  I’m always amazed at how the medicines are dispensed and yet the shelves in the pharmacy are constantly being restocked.  Churches, like the Evangelical Church (Fall River, MA) and House of Love Ministries (Orange, MA) have collected over the counter medicines (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, cough and cold medicine, antifungal cream, pepto bismol…) and shipped them to Haiti from Boston.  Each time a shipment arrives, it’s like Christmas in the pharmacy and Angela gets ALL excited!  She is making a difference in so many lives, utilizing her education, the wisdom God gives her and the tools He continues to provide.

The Difference a Shake Makes…

The Evangelical church sent us cases of nutrition shakes (Ensure and others).  I remember Pastor Carlos mentioning to me that they were coming and not knowing whether we would find them useful or not.  Well, yes, they have been VERY useful.

Just this morning, a young woman in our church passed out while singing.  Angela and Angie Sutton (from the Hands and Feet Project) were able to bring her into the clinic, assess her and begin treating her.  They discovered that she was suffering from an anorexic condition and hadn’t been eating or drinking.  Just one nutrition shake later, they could see her face return to life and they were able to spend some time with her and her family in counseling.

Recently we were holding a mobile medical clinic at our school in St. Etienne.  A young mother of a healthy 4 month old baby appeared to be at death’s door.  Although the baby was thriving, the mother was badly malnourished.  Again, the nutrition shakes gave the young woman the jump start she needed and the medical personnel were able to counsel the entire family.

A middle aged man recently suffered from food poisoning.  After receiving several liters of IV fluids, Angela gave him a nutrition shake to put some nutrients back into his body.  Yes, Pastor Carlos, the nutrition shakes were very useful.  We are down to about a half dozen of them now.  Would you be interested in running a “Nutrition Shake Drive” for the MOHI medical clinic?  Please contact us and we can give you a contact for shipping.

Let Everything that hath Breath Praise the Lord!

When I’m feeling healthy, I haven’t always remembered to be thankful for that health.  When I’ve been in pain or uncomfortable, I have often tried to remember what it was like before the problem arose.  Things like a stiff neck, a broken toe or a hang-nail on my little finger immediately remind me that I should have been thankful all along.

Here in Haiti I see so many people suffering from asthma and other breathing issues.  It is a very dusty place.  I’m not talking about dust that you wipe of your bedroom dresser every week when you clean house.  I’m talking about dirt from the dirt roads and the dirt yards that gets kicked up and breathed into our bodies.  Many people have a hard time breathing because of this dust (dirt) and the abundance of pollen from the trees and plants that grow year round.  I had never witnessed an asthma attack until just a couple of months ago.  I’ll tell you, it gives me a great appreciation for the breaths that I can breath.  The MOHI clinic has a couple nebulizers that we are able to use to give breathing treatments to people who are suffering from chronic asthma or sudden asthmatic attacks.  What a difference these machines are making in people’s lives!  

The Orphans

 

This morning I was in my office before church started.  Alexis came running in, “The orphans are here!  The orphans are here!”  She didn’t stick around long enough to see the look on my face, but she must have been expecting it.  “The orphans” have been here for almost 5 years – 3 of them living at MOHI!  Why in the world would she be bouncing off the walls over their presence?!!!  “The Be Like Brit orphans!”  Ahhhhhh, now I get excited, too!  Last time I wrote, BLB had their first orphan, Kervins or Chacha, as he now known.  Chacha joined our first year preschool class this past week.  I’m happy to say that Friday he went to his classroom an sat down with a smile on his face and no screaming.

Now Chacha has an additional six “brothers and sisters” living in his home, often referred to as Brit’s orphanage.  Jonathan, the program director for BLB here in Haiti, took a picture of the whole “family” this morning before church.  How beautiful are these kids?  Alexis spent some time with them last night and totally enjoyed them all.  THAT’s why she was so excited that they had arrived at church.  Each one of these children is so precious.  I was adopted at the age of four.  I still remember the day I arrived at my new home and some of the terror I felt.  No matter how good the move may be for these kids, it’s never easy.  Please support each of them and the BLB staff in prayer this week as the adjustments to change continue.  As you can see in Jonathan’s picture, they’re off to a great start!

A Full Tummy

Have you ever left church with a full tummy – spiritually, that is?  Today was one of those days that was as satisfying as a Thanksgiving feast.  Here are a few pictures I want to share with you:

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English Service

This evening’s English service was full, too. John Armour preached about the Holy Spirit and being led by Him.