HaitiLady

Haiti Earthquake Survivor

2010-02-06T02:42:00.005-05:00

The following letter is an email that was fowarded to me by Peter Daniel. It is written by Miselet Saint-Louis, one of the high school students that Peter and I both knew, as well as Eddy, and grew to love while living in Bayonnais. He gave his own personal account of the events that happened to him the day before and the day of the Earthquake in Port Au Prince. I took a few liberties on correcting some of the punctuation but left the letter as it was written, by Miselet.

There were two other students from Bayonnais who did not survive. They were still in the school when it collapsed. Although Miselet does not mention this, I know that he is so grateful to not have gone through the same fate that they suffered.

I thank God that he is alive and well. Please read his story below:

On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 12:03 PM, miselet saint-louis wrote:

My dear friend Peter,

Eddy Saint-Louis and Miselet Saint-Louis (2007)

I didn’t know how much love and mercy God has for me. If I’m still alive now it’s the grace of God . It was an experience about death, I’m not finally afraid of death. One thing I’m working to find Jesus.

To explain you, Monday11th the test began, at 9 AM , I went out home at 7h 50 in order to take bus, I found blockade in the road, I arrived too late, the students have already started. They gave me the exam, I prayed God it was a French. I took a time to read, to finish it, I began doing in that which has more point and I have done it.

After, the Rector said to us, the second and 3th test will be done in new Local at Turgeau mountain. Since I have gone in Port au Prince I have heard talking from there. I have never gone there. There was available bus to us to go to Turgeau. My friend Eddy and I were in the same bus.

When we got in the campus, he and I walked around the campus, after we took a while time to talk about the buildings and see where people build near to gully, I said to Eddy, see where people build and there is a cliff near to the buildings of the faculty. And I Said again if there is an earthquake I see those people are going to die at 12 AM on Monday. I told Eddy that. We finished the two rest exams .

To go back home I said to Eddy again, the roads the bus passed with us, we can’t go along alone, we are following the road right we don’t do right or left, it’s 1 hour by feet because car traffic does not go there. We didn’t lose, when we arrived where we went to get our diploma 12th and 13th we saw where we are.

I live so far than Eddy, when we left Eddy said, Miselet, the fact that you live so far you have to get up early. On Tuesday, I had English, Biology, and Math. I spent the night Monday to study. I slept at midnight and awoke at 5 AM to keep studying. I have prepared well for the test and I left home at 7h 5 AM. I found blockade again. I arrived where I have to walk by feet to the faculty it was 8h20. I didn’t know what can I do to arrive on time. I call a taxi, he said, he can’t go there alone with me. I explained with wisdom he said no. I see another one, he said the fact that you’re alone you will pay double money, I say no problem. I always found blockade. I arrive at 9 h2. When I got in class I see all students composed in English, I took the exam, I did 15 minutes in it and I have done it, it seem Actionnel that prepared it. Eddy had only English to do this day, he say to me, he can’t wait for me, because I have biology and Maths again . He leave me. When he leaves, I felt so sad, because he only I know among the students he says good luck.

I went out home without eating. I have no clue to buy even water. I finished biology at 2h20 I feel very good in biology. During math all the students sleep, and the teacher said many students always have problem when they compose in Math. At 3h45 we finished Math. I go out of the class. I felt isolated because I was alone in the road. When I arrive where I have to take bus to go home, I have an idea to buy food. There is another which prevented me from buying it. I went to a food seller. She says she has Rice source beans and vegetables. I didn’t buy it, she said, In Haiti we live, you don’t buy the food you don’t know if not the last you eat. I leave even water I don’t drink.

I took bus. I live Delmas 33, when I’m in 32, I got a call from my friend in Bayonnais whose name is Mode at 4:30 after talking to her I got down the bus.

I saw I walked so high and houses, wall and others are coming in front of me, I fall down and get up that I see. After, for God delevers me, there is a wind takes me and lead me in a street when I arrive there I was indisposed I was lying down there. I was in front of someone when I lying down. He said , Oh I die, he got his hands into my pocket he saw my phone and my Identification card. There is someone passed around me with package Miracle water, the person passed the water in my face, he said you’re alive, I shake my head, he gave me arm I got up, he said if I can go I said yes, I didn’t know when I said yes, I lost the direction of my house I took another direction. The fact that God says, today is not the day of your death I rescue, delever you. God is my shiperd, he put his life in me in order to have life again. Please help me to say: How will I render to the Lord for his benefits, miracle through me? I have no words to explain how great God is.

Condition life in Haiti is very bad, everything is expensive.

Miselet

I pray that God will continue to watch over these two great young men who are the best of friends and have worked so hard, together and apart, to make better lives for themselves in order to help others.

In Memory of Madecene Alcius, one of the students who did not survive. Please take a look at Madecene's blog. http://mackendy.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/about/ He only had two postings but what he shared was very interesting and moving, especially now that he is gone. Madecene, may you rest in peace.

Peter Daniel and Madecene Alcius

Earthquake in Haiti Today

2010-01-12T21:39:00.006-05:00

Just received a couple of emails about the situation in Haiti. Actionnel, of OFCB posted a short note which I will post here for those who still check this one. Cannot believe how much suffering this country has had to endure.

From Actionnel:

Subject: We are all okay in Bayonnais, but.....how about Gonaives?

Everybody is fine in Bayonnais. Yet the whole school was a big mess at 4:54 today. But, we did make the students go back to their classes. But, Port-Au-Prince has been destroyed. Other Cities such as Petit-Gonoave, Saint-Marc, La Gonoave, have been badly affected. I still cannot have any idea for my home in Gonaives. No cell phones are working and no more information for the rest of the country. I will keep you informed, and share this with others, please!

Actionnel
***********************************************************************************
Will keep searching the net and watching the news for any updates or links to get more information. Many prayers are needed at this time for the many who are and will be suffering.

Link to latest update on CNN:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/12/haiti.earthquake/?imw=Y

Haiti Hit Hard and Still Suffering

2008-09-20T23:23:00.029-05:00

I have taken the liberty to include a few pictures from some of the websites that I will mention below. I hope you will still take the time to look at the links listed to view other photos and read the personal accounts of those who have been there. I believe that these accounts will stir your emotions and fill your heart with a sense of believing in the goodness of others and the power of God.

One after another they came in a short period of time. First there was Fay, then Tropical Storm Gustav, then Tropical Storm Hannah, and the last devastation by Hurricane Ike all in a matter of a month. The Haitians barely had time to regroup or recover from each surge of disaster. It is a very real possibility that they will be hit with more.

I have heard from Saint-Victor of MSMBH a couple of times by email and also had a chance to talk with Actionnel of OFCB a few days before Hurricane Ike arrived in Texas. The primary thing they could share was that people were sick, starving and dying everywhere, every single day, and the water just kept coming and coming. Both Pastors have taken several families into their homes and are relying on the help of God and others to bring some relief.

As of today, there is still no clean running water. The roads between Gonaives and Bayonnais have been washed out or covered in debris in many areas. Even the bridge in Bayonnais was significantly damaged by floodwaters. Most of the farming crops have been destroyed as well as the majority of the livestock.

There was, however, one amazing blessing that came to Bayonnais and that was literally delivered by helicopter with God's grace and the efforts of many to coordinate the huge task of trying to take food, water, and medical supplies to the thousands who were very ill and starving in the community of Bayonnais .

The following is a list of websites to read the heartwarming stories told by different missionaries and see the happy faces of those who were blessed to receive. The first is the OFCB website at http://www.ofcbministries.org/ Click the links on the left of the screen for the Newsletters and the Pictures. There are three great postings by David Nichols regarding the relief efforts. The next is the website of the Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC. Read about Rev. Kevin Wright and how he managed to coordinate the fantastic mission to get supplies to Bayonnais by clicking on this link:

http://i.b5z.net/i/u/696924/f/Cornerstones/2008Cornerstone09_24-all.pdf. After reading the front page of the article, scroll down to page three to read the rest of the story and see the picture of the helicopter. The actual website for Myers Park is http://www.mpumc.org/

The third is for the Doctors Without Borders and their efforts to bring help and relief to the suffering. Click on this link to the most recent news: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=3104&msource=ADN080901E01 which explains what they are doing in many areas of Haiti. The actual website is: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ These doctors are truly God's angels who go to Haiti and other countries to offer their services for a good cause.

There are many websites and other organizations that have their hearts in Haiti and have been helping for years. Of course, Bayonnais is closest to my heart but I have personally seen and experienced the dire living conditions in other towns and cities of Haiti and know that it is only so much worse now than before.

If anyone is interested in helping with the community of Bayonnais (and also with Gonaives where many lives are closely related to Bayonnais), then please check out the OFCB website for the information on how you can help. The South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. has set up a U.S. account for the OFCB ministries and will forward all funds to Pastor Actionnel. The Myers Park United Methodist Church is also raising funds for Flood Relief.
At this time I am unable to reach Pastor Saint-Victor and know that he does not have the ability to set up an account for MSMBH as of yet; muchless, get to a city where one can be opened. I can only pray that the blessings that are received in Bayonnais will be shared by all. Saint-Victor said that as far as he knew, my kids were okay but, as we know now, they are all suffering. Keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.

Here in Texas, the coast was slammed pretty hard by Hurricane Ike. The islands of Galveston and Bolivar were hit the hardest and the pictures are very similar to what we are seeing in Haiti. Here in the Houston and surrounding areas, there are many families without homes, power, food or water. I know that other states were affected as well as the huge storm moved up through the eastern part of Texas and on up through the northeastern areas of the U.S. Ike truly was a merciless Hurricane.

This photo is of the only house left standing on the Gulf Coast side of Gilchrist, TX, which is part of the Bolivar Peninsula across from Galveston Island.

There are millions of souls who have serious needs so please help whenever and wherever you can. God's Blessings to all.

It's Not Over Until God Says So

2008-08-10T14:29:00.014-05:00

From the day I left Haiti on December 10th of 2007 until now, I have spent many days and nights thinking, crying, and praying for the children I left behind and all the people who still live and suffer there. I know that God is much greater than I am and He has His own plans but he has also put it on my heart not to give up. Alone, I can do nothing; but with Him, I can do all things. Each day I have to keep believing in Him. Each time I feel my faith starting to fade, I have to talk to God out loud and ask Him to show me the way.

Of the three men that I worked with, only Saint-Victor remains and is doing all he can to continue the vision for the ministry. He has kept me posted on the happenings of the church, the school and especially the children. Since the American sponsors were no longer able to continue supporting the ministry, the name has been officially changed from Modene Murphy Ministries (MMM) to Mont Sinai Ministries of Bayonnais in Haiti (MSMBH). Saint-Victor took the steps to complete his courses and in May was officially ordained as a Pastor. He is still leading worship services and more people have come to accept Christ.

The school continued to operate for the full year and for the first time ever, the students were able to take their National Exams in Bayonnais at the campus of OFCB, rather than having to travel to Gonaives. For many years, the students had to endure the additional stress of finding a way to get to Gonaives, had to find lodging, and also be separated from their home and family for several days. This was a huge blessing for everyone!

Saint-Victor said that out of 50 students in the ninth grade who took the exams, ALL of them passed! Out of 12 students in the 6th grade, 9 of them passed. We have been praising God for their success. It was a joyful day for many. The school will open their doors again in September and the students are eager to start again.

As for the children...my dear children...they are living hard lives, as are most Haitians. Saint-Victor said he recently saw Angeline and her hair was red (which is a sign of malnutrition) and she had lost a lot of weight. He also saw Jeemy-Ska but said he seemed to be happy. He always was a happy soul. :)

Of the eleven children that were living in the orphanage, all will be returning to school this year. I will be sending the funds tomorrow to cover the costs of the new uniforms, their school supplies, their tuition, and other necessities like socks and underwear. A dear friend added $100.00 to the funds. (God Bless you, Rene!) I wish I could be there again for their first day back to school and take another picture of their beautiful smiles. This is how they looked last year. Angeline had a doctor's appt. that day which is why she was not in uniform.

For nearly eight months now I have continued to pray and ask God to please give me some direction and clarity as to what to do and how to do it. I wonder if it it is His will for me to continue working with this ministry or is it my own desire to make a difference? Can one woman in America and one Pastor in Haiti really do this? Prayer is my biggest strength and God has all the answers. I have been waiting for Him to reveal what I need to know.

Today I went to church asking all the questions. Today, I believe He spoke to my heart. The songs of praise and worship were awesome. The sermon was perfect. It was on the topic of WORRY! Just what all of us need to hear and be reminded of. So many wonderful things were said. We watched an incredible video of a family's struggle to deal with the critical illness of their son. Their courage to share their struggles and pain truly humbled me. The strength they showed when talking about their faith moved me to tears. The most amazing message I received from the entire experience was something I have heard all my life but today it really hit me like it was the first time. The message was that God really is a loving and powerful God. "Do not worry, I am here. With me, all things are possible." I want to hold on to what I experienced at that very moment. Thank you, God, for this day! Amen.

Farewell to Haiti...the final word

2008-04-26T12:10:00.033-05:00

It is with a very sad heart that I am posting this last blog. There had been some miscommunication regarding the status of the children and MMM as a whole. As of today, I have received word that the orphanage is officially closed and the children have been placed with other siblings or extended family members. Their living conditions are not good and their futures look grim.

From what I have been told, the twins, Cardina and Cadjina, have returned home with their mother. The family says they cry and call for me often. Aquel is with an aunt. Fenelson is with a cousin. Marc-Antoine is with a cousin. Alicia is with an Aunt. Noula is with a brother. Ismalene is with a brother and Angeline is with a sister. Smith is with an aunt and his brother, Jeemy-Ska, is being cared for by a grandmother. I am sad that the brothers have been separated and more sad that all the children are apart. I can only hope that they still get to see each other either in school or just passing by.

Due to the dissension among the three men, Saint-Victor Sejour, Lucner Saint-Louis and Valentin Silvestre; along with the lack of funding from the sponsors in the U.S., the ministry as we knew it, has disbanded. The church and school are still in operation under the direction of Saint-Victor. Lucner has started a business in Gonaives to support his family of four. Valentin is now holding Sunday services in a home near the orphanage. Julius, our beloved watchman, went to seek employment with OFCB. He will be a true blessing there. No mention was made of the cook or housekeeper.

I have no way of contacting any of the children and can only rely on the eyes and ears of those who may come across them or any information regarding them. I know that God has the master plan for each one of their souls and can only pray that He keep them safe and healthy. I will miss the children deeply as well as the community of Bayonnais. I will miss the scenic mountain view and the spoken language of Creole (Krayol). I still hope to one day be in a position to continue my mission for the children and to follow through with the plan to improve the road conditions. Farewell to Haiti; farewell to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I will forever remember you. My heart is with you in spirit.

This is how I want to remember my children. Beautiful and happy. I can still hear the joyous laughter of each child and that spirit will carry me through until we meet again.

It is my prayer that the three men find it in their hearts to make peace with each other as well as with the other founders, Actionnel, Dimilsaint, and Firmen, of OFCB.

I truly believe that it will take heartfelt apologies, sincere forgiveness, and unconditional love to heal the hurts and division among them all. I understand that this is very difficult in their culture. I know it will be a huge lesson in honesty, humility and faith for those who choose to do so. Only then, can they move forward in a loving and productive way. Only then, can the community truly come together as a whole. Only then, can they be living examples of what God has instructed us to do. Above all, I pray that Haiti, as a country, will one day soon be at peace. This is my prayer and I know that God has the final word. In His Name, Amen.

News Update - April 28th:

I received an email from Saint-Victor this morning to let me know that all of the children are still attending school and going to church on Sundays. That is wonderful news!!!! I am happy to know that they still get to see each other and spend time together. This will change over the summer but they will at least have contact and worship together on Sundays.

He also said that the Methodist church offered to help the children with their books and bags for next year, except for Aquel, because of his age. He did not mention tuition or uniforms so I am not certain about those.

If anyone is still interested in helping the children of Haiti, please contact me at VJPierce@gmail.com. I will get you in touch with the people in Haiti who can help. Thank you for viewing this blog and thank you for caring.

Love to all, Vicki Jean

The Last Few Days....

2008-02-08T02:07:00.001-05:00

After being in a routine of posting on an average of two to three times a week while in Haiti, I find it incredible that two months have passed since my last posting. So much has happened since my return but that's another story to come later. For now, I will try to recap the last few days as best as I can.
First of all, had it not been for the love and support of the missions team from the First Baptist Church of Huntersville (FBCH), Saint-Victor, Julius, Actionnel, the OFCB staff, and Peter Daniel, I would not have made it through the weekend as well as I did. I appreciated the moments that I was given to express the many emotions I was feeling and trying to sort. Your words of encouragement always came at the right times. Those who physically participated in getting things organized and distributed in regards to my departure helped to lessen the stress and kept me grounded. My sincerest thanks to all of you!
The kids and I made the most of our time together. We did a lot of laughing, singing, dancing and being as silly as we could. We watched our favorite movies, read our favorite books and did some art work. Throughout the days on Friday and Saturday, I made a point to have alone time with each one of the kids. It was really special for all of us.
The kids were excited about the many great and fun things that the FBCH missions group brought for them, as well as the numerous things I distributed out of my room. We had fun re-arranging their rooms to allow for the additional furniture, boxes of useful stuff and other decorations.
The girls were thrilled to have a long table with a mirror for their grooming supplies and my sewing kit, the boys were happy about the table and lamp, Aquel cried when I gave him my tools, Marc Antoine was so excited to have the harmonica, and the little ones enjoyed the small plastic bowls and spent a lot of their time making mud pies and grass stew.
There was so much I had to give away that some of the kids just stood by my door waiting to see what I would come out with and wondering who would be the next recipient. Even the cook and housekeeper stood there a few times but it was not in vain. They received a few bags of clothes for themselves and their families. It was hectic for me, but fun to see the smiles.
On Saturday morning, the folks from FBCH came to the house to spend some time with the kids and get the grand tour. Scott Phillips and his wife, Carrie had made special blankets for each one of the children and they were very excited to have them. They were just beautiful!
Sunday was as hard as I knew it would be. The kids were disappointed that I did not attend church but it was my last chance to get the final packing done and have everything ready to go by the time Actionnel planned to pick me up and head out to Port Au Prince.
When our church was over, Saint-Victor and the older boys helped me take my suitcases out to the front porch and then I started my goodbyes. Just as I imagined, the kids did not fully grasp the reality of it until they saw the suitcases. I first picked up Jeemy-Ska and hugged him tight, told him I loved him, and would miss him very much. I kissed his cheek and set him down. Then, I turned to Noula and she began to cry. That started the ball (or rather, the bawl) rolling. One by one, they were shedding tears, the tears turned to sobs, and the sobs became loud wails. It was so very heartbreaking.
I had said my goodbyes to each one of the kids but I could not find Fenelson. It turned out that he was hiding in the boys room, under some blankets, on Jeemy-Ska's bed. He thought that if I did not say goodbye to him, then I couldn't leave. He said, "Please don't go! I don't want to lose my mother again!" Oh, my heart! Such a sweet little boy! The rest of the boys had gathered in the room and we had a huge cry-fest. After a while, I had to compose myself and go back to the girls.
They had all retreated to their room as well and were crying even harder. I thought Alicia was going to pass out, she was in such pain and could not catch her breath. It was all I could do to keep hugging the six girls, going from one to the other, and reassuring them of my love. I was especially moved by Ismalene because she rarely let me hug her and usually did not hug back. But, on this day, she would not let go. I finally had a breakthrough with her but it was our last day together. Even though I felt a bit of joy for Ismalene, it was still bittersweet.
Finally, it was time to go. The bus from OFCB had passed by with the missions group and Actionnel was parked by the gate with the two Scotts (Scott Phillips and Scott Howerton). I stood on the porch with all the crying kids, Saint-Victor and Julius. I looked out to the truck and no one was getting out. I looked at the men on the porch and no one was moving. The kids were crying louder. It seemed like an eternity but I finally picked up one bag and said, "Well, this is great. Everyone wants to help." I went to the truck and told the guys it would take a while because I was going to get one at a time. Both Scotts immediately jumped out of the truck and went towards the house. I looked and saw that the men and the boys were starting to pick up the suitcases. Together they managed to bring them in one trip. As they loaded up my bags into the back of the truck, a crowd had gathered because the kids were crying so hard and so loud it sounded like someone had just died. (It is a common sound when someone passes away. A large crowd gathers at the house of the dying and then the entire community knows when they have died by the sudden loud burst of screams, crying all at once, and then the wailing goes on for a long while). It was such an eerie sound coming from the kids and I felt like I was moving in slow motion. I took one last look at their faces and then we left. My heart was in pieces because I knew it was final. I could only pray that God would bless them and give them comfort.
My time in Haiti was, at times, pretty difficult but overall, truly a wonderful experience. I hope that one day I can go back and spend some time there with the kids and all the other people that I came to know and love. It will take me a while to process everything that I have learned and experienced but I know, even now, that I am not who I was when I got there last April. For that, I am very grateful.
So.....here are some great pictures to enjoy from our last week and weekend together. I will have another posting after this one so please stay tuned.
Alicia (left) and Ismalene (right) are making peanut butter cookies while Jina, (far left) Jeemy-Ska (next to Alicia), Marc Antoine, and the new cook, Amelia, look on. Fenelson is holding cookie package.
Fenelson wanted to do an advertisement for the desserts that we were making. He is such a ham! We made a cake for Jeemy-Ska's birthday since I would not be there on Jan. 2nd. We also made the cookies and some brownies so we could have a nice big celebration and because......why not? It was yummy!!!
Jeemy-Ska had just learned that we were having a Birthday party in his honor and that the cake was for him. Does he look happy or what? Ha!
Jeemy-Ska (partial), sweet Noula, Dina (being shy), and Angeline (caught in mid-blink mode). Noula and Angeline were proudly wearing some medallions that I won in a sports event years ago.
The whole gang getting ready to celebrate Jeemy-Ska's birthday. Such a little guy for six years old. From left to right: Noula, Jina, Angeline, Aquel, Jeemy-Ska, Alicia, Dina, and Fenelson. Behind the chair: Smith, Ismalene, and Marc Antoine. We had a great party!

The First Baptist Church of Huntersville (FBCH) Missions Team for Haiti (from left to right):
Mark Wunder, David Mashburn, Scott Howerton, Rita Mashburn, Jim Smith (behind Rita), Scott Phillips, Aaron Price, Ron and Kelli Price, Jenny and Chris Thompson. Just a wonderful group of loving Christians. It was a pleasure to spend time with you in Haiti.

Saint-Victor Sejour welcomes our visitors from FBCH and tells them about MMM, how it started, and what the hopes are for the future of the children.

Saint-Victor Sejour and Scott Phillips smile for the cameras.

The FBCH missions team and other locals. Scott is getting ready to present the blankets to each child.

Presenting Ismalene's blanket. Hers had pink cats in each circle. She is behind the blanket so you can't see the joy on her face. Aquel is in center, holding his new absolutely favorite blanket. The colors are red, white and black (notice what he is wearing?) AND...it has soccer balls on it!!! His most favorite game. Marbles come in a close second. Alicia is so tickled by her blanket. Her favorite movie is Dunston, the Orangutan (that's not the right name of the movie, I know) but she and the other kids called it 'The Monkey Film'. Her blanket just happened to have cute little monkeys on it.

Scott holding up Jeemy-Ska's blanket. It had fire trucks, police cars, coast guard helicopters, and rescue boats. He was so happy!

Just look at that sweet precious face. That's my baby!
With all the blankets distributed, we decided it was time to take a group shot of all the kids with their new gift.

The kids proudly holding their special blankets. Scott and Carrie Phillips did a great job picking out the perfect fabrics to match each child's personality with both prints and colors. They did an equally great job by putting these blankets together in time for the trip. Beautifully designed and so wonderfully soft!
Scott Phillips on left and Saint-Victor Sejour on right. I even had my very own special blanket to display. It was intended as a Christmas blanket but little did Scott and Carrie know that red Cardinals hold a special place in my heart because of my Grandmama. It was perfect!
Our last family group shot together. My beautiful children! God Bless them all.

As a final note, I have added two new links to my blog page on the left side. The first is for Peter Daniel's website. He is currently staying at OFCB with Actionnel and has the most interesting stories as well as videos you can watch about the happenings in Bayonnais. He plans to stay for five more months. From his web page you can find other links for several sites that pertain to Haiti. It is certainly worth your time to take a look and also a great way to increase your vocabulary. He is an excellent and creative writer as well as an artist. Check it out.
The second link is for the FBCH team and their stories and photos of the time they spent in Haiti. You can read about what their goals were for OFCB and what they managed to accomplish in the short time that they were there. They are such a fun group.
For those of you who took the time to read my blog today, I thank you for staying interested. Please pass the word on to others whose emails I don't have. I have a few more postings to do but real life is happening and requires my attention now. I will write again in a few days, I hope. :)
My love and thanks to all!

Three Days to Go...

2007-12-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe but it really is coming to the end of my stay here in Bayonnais. For the past few days I have been scattered due to trying to figure out what to pack of the last of my possessions, what to give away, what to ignore and let them worry about, and still tending to the needs of the children. I was quite frustrated for a couple of days because it seemed that most everyone was more concerned about what I was going to be giving them rather then the fact that I am really leaving. It stung a little. I had some that were mad at me for giving one item to one child and not the other. Trying to get them to understand that I do not have eleven of everything I own did not seem to matter. I had some that scoffed at what I gave them and others who actually were very grateful and excited. I had visitors that came under the pretense to say goodbye only to inquire about some of my things in the very next breath. I even had a couple that demanded specific items. The number one requested item was my portable CD player that everyone has coveted since day one. I have decided it is going with me. Wouldn't want to be responsible for a civil war.
While working in my room I came across the very first group picture I ever saw of the kids. My heart jumped in my throat. I could not believe
the remarkable difference in these children in the near eight months I have been here. I wish Jeemy-Ska and Smith could have been in this photo but they were not there that day. Anyway, you can see for yourself how they looked back then. (Note: Aquel was hit in the head by a rock earlier in the day).

They really were a sad looking bunch back then. I am so grateful for every minute I spent here. It wasn't always fun or easy but it was definitely worth it.

I was anticipating the arrival of the group from Huntersville, North Carolina on Wednesday; which was delayed for another day and a half. They encountered problems with delayed planes in Charlotte, spent the night in Miami, and delayed luggage in Port Au Prince. Then, just when they were almost here in Bayonnais, the bus had a flat tire near my (not so) favorite spot. They arrived quite late last night.

I shared their frustration for different reasons. I was so ready for their company. Like them, I had hoped that we could have more quality time together, but as it was, everything was being rushed. I took time from my not-so-fun chore of packing to go to OFCB and say hello this afternoon. They were in the process of building new benches for the new school building. Wow! They were doing such a great job and the benches are fantastic! I know the kids will really appreciate the comfortable seats and the larger writing area. My praises to the builders. I should have taken more pictures but I was just so happy to see Rita, David, Scott and Jim again and we were all trying to catch up on each other. I was also very happy to meet the rest of the group. Having been isolated for a while, it was strange to hear English spoken the American way. Ha! I could have spent the day there but we all had obligations. They will be here tomorrow morning to bring wonderful things for the kids and the extra suitcases for me to pack with. Note to Carrie: the blankets are beautiful! Here are the few photos I had the presence of mind to take:

It may look like Scott and Jim are goofing off but I can assure you they were both pretty sweaty and grungy. They stopped long enough to take a quick break to say hello and then they were right back at it again. Those are some mighty fine benches, guys! Great job!

Right now the kids are happily watching the movie, Flicka, for the third time and it's almost over. Need to go and get them ready for bed. It's going to be a long and busy day tomorrow. I just hope my adrenaline slows down enough for a good night's sleep. Hope to post once more before leaving so stay tuned. My love to all!

The Hard Part is (almost) Over

2007-12-01T12:12:00.002-05:00

I was unable to share the news with the kids on the day I had planned due to the lack of having a translator. My oldest child, Aquel, had been angry with me for over a week because of a discipline issue and his attitude and behavior became worse when he overheard the rumors. We had always had a pretty good relationship so this distance between us was very hard for me; especially in light of the new situation. I sensed that he knew and I could not stand going one more day without talking. So, I decided to tell him first, one-on-one. We went up to the school where it was dark and quiet. In my limited Creole, I told him the news. He broke down and cried so hard that I had to cry with him. More than a week's worth of hurt and stress came flooding out for both of us. I tried to explain that the decision had been made and that I would not be back in January. I assured him that I was not mad at him and that I loved him very much. I added that I would still like to stay in touch by letters if he would write back. This gave him a bit of comfort and he calmed down. He said in his best English, "Yes, I will write you and you can help me with my English."
We both talked and cried for the next half hour and ended with a better understanding between each other. He accepted the news and agreed to keep silent until we could tell the rest of the children.
The next day my plans were changed again because no one was available to translate. So, with the other older kids still being distant and the younger ones oblivious, but still very loving, I needed a break to regroup. I took Aquel with me for some alone time and we walked up to the market. He needed some sandals so I bought him a pair. Then we just walked around for a short time off the main road and up in the hills. We took some photos and shared stories with each other. We came back feeling close again and better than before we left.
Yesterday afternoon I finally had the opportunity. I strongly felt that the older children were already told about my leaving or overheard it because they refused to talk to me, they avoided eye contact, and most of the rules were ignored. (Bayonnais is a small community and word gets around fast). I was getting very frustrated because I knew that if they knew something, and I had not told them, they were probably thinking that I did not want them to know. So finally Saint-Victor was available for us to schedule a meeting with the kids and staff. We met with the staff first.
The Watchmen were already in the loop but the women weren't and they cried. I was touched by the tears of the cook because she has only been here a month. Although her cooking has room for improvement, she is very sweet and the kids really like her. To me, that counts.
We talked about the importance of continuing to give the children the best care, to give their full support to leaders of MMM, and to work hard to make this ministry work. I told them that I would do what I could from Texas. One by one they expressed their gratitude for my presence and said they would miss me very much. They all said that they would work extra hard to take care of the children. I hugged each one of them, which was awkward for them, because they are not big huggers. I didn't care, I will miss them too.
I was very anxious and nervous about facing the kids. So, we gathered in the living room, everyone in their own chairs, seated in a circle. I broke the news while Saint-Victor translated line-by-line. They just sat there and stared at me and looked at each other. Some of the older ones were smiling at each other. I was confused. I told Saint-Victor, I don't think they understand what I am saying to them. So he asked if they understood that I was leaving and would not be back. Then one of the younger girls said, "Oh, I thought Saint-Victor said he was leaving!" Everybody started laughing. We realized that Saint-Victor was saying exactly what I said in the first person. So, we asked again, and they just smiled and said, "Yeah, we understand." It was then that I knew for sure that they had been already been told. I was a little sad that they did not hear it from me first, but relieved because I felt that indifference or acceptance was better than eleven crying children.
Then I asked if anyone had any questions. The first question was, "Do we get to keep the television and the DVD player?" The next question was, "Can we have everything in your room that you don't take to Texas?" Of course I answered "Yes" to both and could see their eyes light up. Thanks kids, I'll miss you, too. Ha!
I guess, since they had already been told, they had time to process it for a few days. I know they don't really grasp what this means and probably won't until I officially leave the house with bags in hand. I told them that we have one more week together and I would like to spend it having fun with them. Later in the afternoon and evening, three of the kids came to me at separate times and said they would cry when I left. I told them I would, too, and that it was okay. They seemed to accept that, we hugged and tried to smile.
We had movie night last night and I gave Aquel some lessons on how to use the remotes for the TV and DVD player. He felt special with his new responsibility. It was good for his confidence.
We had a great evening and today was wonderful as well. Everyone has been happy and loving. We played some games, I baked cookies with the older girls, then I finally took the time to teach them how to play Croquette; which they really enjoyed. Since there are only six mallets and balls, I had them partner up and it was so cute to watch them be supportive of each other. I let them believe that everyone who made it to the end was a winner and they all had a great time. We played up in the school because we needed the shade but it really was too small. It worked out well though for the learning process. Next time they plan to use the soccer field when it's not so hot. It was 80 degrees in the shade
with very little wind today.
Even though I was having fun, I was a little stressed because I know I have a room full of stuff that still needs to be sorted and packed. I can only take two suitcases and two carry-ons. A missions group will be coming on Wednesday and someone is trying to coordinate getting my stuff to North Carolina via the ten travelers and then shipped to Texas. If I can't get it together, then I have to walk away from most of my things. It was my plan to take things (that weren't supposed to come here) back a little at a time over the next year. I really can't see how to get this done and also spend some quality time with the kids. Decisions, decisions....! I keep saying to myself, "It's just stuff!" I'm sure I will figure it out.
Anyway, the good news is, the kids are fine today. December 9th will be a different story when I leave on Sunday afternoon with the missions team to go to Port Au Prince. Our plane leaves the next morning.
I want to thank all of you who have been sending words of support and encouragement. I also want to thank you for your prayers. We have all been functioning with a sense of peace. I still have six more opportunities to say, "I'll do that tomorrow." :) For now, I will just enjoy the kids.

What a great group of kids! I have been blessed. I will enjoy every precious moment while I can.

Heartbreak in Haiti

2007-11-27T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I have put this off for a couple of days because I wasn't sure how to write this blog. I will be leaving for Texas on December 10th on what was supposed to be my holiday break. Due to some unexpected and unfortunate circumstances, both here and back home in Texas, I will not be returning to Haiti. We received the final decision this past Sunday but it has taken me a couple of days to really process this new information. I am very, very sad and especially for the children. They have not been officially told by me but they were already upset about my leaving for the holidays. I plan to meet with them sometime tomorrow, so please keep them in your prayers. It is going to be extremely difficult for us all.
It was my plan to stay for two years, however, I was blessed to have almost eight months. The time passed very quickly, and it seems so short, but it is longer than most people stay. I am thankful that I had this opportunity and perhaps one day I will be able to return to Bayonnais. In my time here, I can see that my presence was useful and appreciated but more than that, I learned firsthand about the hardships of living here and have witnessed the faith and courage that the Haitians demonstrate each and every single day. It really is a hard life.
My sponsors will continue to seek ways to continue supporting the children and will try to find others who can assist MMM in providing the quality care that the children need.
I know that God has a reason and a better plan than I could ever come up with. If anyone would like to help in any way, please send me an email VJPierce@gmail.com and I can put you in touch with my sponsors. Thanks to everyone who stayed tuned and followed my adventures. This will not be my last posting as I intend to keep sharing until the end. My love to all.

Happy Thanksgiving From Haiti

2007-11-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hello my dear family and friends. Today is Thursday. It is Thanksgiving Day. It is the 22nd of November. It is also my son, Dylan's , 22nd Birthday. I have so much to be thankful for and I am.
I woke up feeling a little sad and homesick because I am missing Dylan's birthday for the first time and also not with any of my family members in the States. However, I still have my wonderful kids to share this day with.
My day was brightened first thing this morning when I received an email from Actionnel inviting me to have a non-traditional dinner with them at OFCB this evening. Peter also sent an email with an invitation and said I just need to bring the Cranberry Sauce and they are good to go. Right! I wish I had a can of sauce to surprise him with.
As for here, we are going to have a special lunch that the cook is preparing for us. I have purposely stayed out of the kitchen so I will be surprised. It already smells pretty good. I will need to enjoy just enough so I can save room for the dinner as well. One thing for sure, we won't be watching football on television. The kids will have to offer their own live version out in the yard. Since Haiti does not celebrate Thanksgiving, I am very fortunate to be able to celebrate twice! There's another blessing!
Today I would like to remind everyone to express your love and appreciation with the ones that you are sharing this special day with. Hugs are good if you go for that kind of thing. Be sure and count your blessings with every bite that you take and if you lose track, well then, just go for seconds and start again. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and a very special Happy Birthday to my amazing son! I love you, Dylan. Please send more pictures!!! :)
Here is a link to a cute video. Out of respect to my Mama and her friends, this video has closed caption for the hearing impaired. Gobble-gobble!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CndP1fYC0M

More Stuff to Look At......(and even more stuff, still)

2007-11-14T15:36:00.001-05:00

What a relief!! Last night I completed this posting and hit the button to publish when the generator ran out of gas again! I panicked but there was nothing I could do. When we were able to get more gas this morning, I checked my blog and my posting was GONE!!!! NOOOOO! I said, to myself. Then I logged in and found it was still there! Whew!
That would have been a lot of work lost. So, now my adrenaline is back to normal and my pulse has slowed down. Now I am very happy to share it with you. Please view it again to see the added pictures and read all the captions.
Today I had the great pleasure of walking to OFCB once again. Our replacement generator ran out of gas so that meant we were without the Internet. Apparently the generator is also leaking gas. Okay, God, we are ready for our miracle now. Thank you, in advance, for your blessings.
It was a fantastic and beautiful day to be out. Sun shining, cool breeze and smiling faces to greet. The only problem was that the road conditions are still pretty bad. I know I say that a lot but you have to see for yourself. Below are some pictures of just a small portion of what the path to OFCB and the road out of Bayonnais looks like after all these months of rain.

This is the road directly in front of our house. (House is on the right side) Notice the narrow path on the left? Even the donkeys have to walk on that. The mud is thick and deep.

This is down the road a bit, looking back towards the house. If you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a person at the far end of the photo. They are walking on the narrow path (now on the right) shown in the picture above.

A little bit further, heading towards OFCB. There is another dead sandal stuck in the mud. Hard to see; I know. (lower left corner, for those who really feel a need to see it) :)

More of the same. Someone tried to make a difference by putting some large rocks in the thickest part. Still have a ways to go.
Here is an example of the many piles of rocks stacked on the side of the road waiting to be purchased by anyone who wants to make improvements. They are carried on the tops of the heads, of mostly women and children, from the river. They are stacked, measured and sold by the cubic foot. Those are some pretty heavy rocks!
This is the area near the market by the river before the bridge. In the lower right hand corner you can see the beginning of a new path that was created by the pedestrians to avoid the road hazards. Hundreds of children have to take this path to get to the schools in our area. It is about a four foot drop back down to the road. A steep jump for the little ones.
A closer look at the same area. To the left of the road, near the center of the photo is a public water fountain. It runs continuously which only adds to the mess that the rains created. Just in front of that are some rocks that were once stacked, but now scattered around by an earlier flood.

Another area that also has a public water fountain. The canopy of trees shields the sun from drying the ground. In the near seven months I have been here, this little stretch has always been a mess.

This is Mapou. One of the oldest trees in Haiti. I posted a different picture of this tree in June. (Click here on A Wonderful Weekend to see the base of the tree. Click on the <-Back button to return here). Notice the size of the lowest limb.

Here is another view of the lowest limb from a distance. There is a nice clump of moss growing on the side.

This is what happen to Mapou after Hurricane Noel came through. I was so sad for him. (I have decided it is a male tree)

He really is old. Guess he just couldn't hold up any longer. The rest of him is still standing strong.

Some fancy braid work done by the little sister of our housekeeper. She is only 13, but very creative.

A couple of kids pounding some grain for their supper.

The job is almost finished.
Someone parked their pig while they went to visit a friend.

Four cute little girls heading to the river to wash some clothes.

Someone already finished with their laundry. I should note here that these clothes are hanging on a line of cactus that serves as a fence. I don't think I would want to hang my clothes there. They say it's the best place because the wind won't carry them away. Okay, so never mind all the holes in the apparel or the stickers that may be found later. Ouch!

A typical day at the market in Bayonnais. I'm always wondering who is doing the shopping if most of them are working? Many of the vendors sell the same thing. This is a place where it's good to have friends or a really large family. Another wonderful view to get lost in. :) I'm glad that I finally got this posting finished. I hope you enjoyed the tour. It was a nice trip for me as well. I appreciate those who took the time to visit. <this is a hug!>

Things you don't normally see...unless you live here.

2007-11-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's been a strange week and a busy week but a slow news week. Our generator died again. We had to borrow another (it also has some problems) and take ours to the shop. Personally, I think it's history. It will probably cost as much to repair as getting a new one. The problem seems to be that gas and oil are leaking everywhere. Any guesses as to why? Not around here. There is a saying here in Haiti: A man who can fix things is called Boss. Unfortunately, there aren't many to chose from. The other problem is finding an honest one. That's rare just about anywhere, even in the good old US of A. For now we just have to hope that our borrowed one holds up. This is the generator that died. It only holds three gallons of gas and one gallon will last two hours. The borrowed one will hold five but the oil leaks and has to be checked often. This is our source of power to have lights and use the Internet. It is our hope to one day have two generators so that the school/church can also have lights and electrical outlets. The best idea is to also have solar power, but that will be much later. This is our nifty Satellite dish that sits on the hill behind the house. Sorry, no Disney Channel here. This is for our Wireless and Cable Internet service. The large cable runs across the yard, through the rafters of the new school addition, across the pathway, into the top of the supply room, down the hall, around a ceiling beam and down into my room. It's lovely and we are happy to have it. (I know you've seen a satellite dish, but not this one) This is the view I have from my bed every morning. I hope to have a ceiling put in before the weather gets colder. A Haitian taxi headed for Gonaives. This photo was taken last June when these students were going to the city to take their National Exams. This is a common sight, several times a day, when the weather is good. Lining up at the pumps in Gonaives. Notice that it is mostly motorbikes. One man pumps the gas and takes the money from the customers. Most only buy one gallon at a time. Here is another station getting re-fueled. I was recently told that the current price for regular unleaded is about $3.11 US per gallon. However, I have just finished working on the books for the month and the receipts show that the price is now around $4.80 US per gallon. Talk about raising prices! That's outrageous! A funeral procession coming down our road and heading for the cemetery in the mountains. The hearse. Notice the sign says: Boss Boyd. While working in the OFCB office, a hummingbird would fly in from time to time. I finally caught him on camera. He is barely visible at the top right corner of the window. He had such beautiful colors that could only be appreciated in person. (or is it in birdson?)Here is the OFCB church/school. The room above the patio entrance is where the office is located and where I spent my wonderful days on the Internet. Photo taken from the OFCB website: http://www.ofcbministries.org/ They have a lot of things going on these days so take some time to look at their website. Peter Daniel has also added some videos to this site as well as his own at: http://www.peterbdaniel.wordpress.com/ A beautiful shot of the inside of the church at OFCB. I believe this was taken on their opening day celebration. Photo also taken from website. Many have been blessed and have accepted Christ in this wonderful place. During the week, this room serves as a classroom to a large number of students in several different grades.
Well, I had a few more pictures that I wanted to add but the blogger uploader is not functioning as it should. So, I guess I will save them for another time. By the way, for those who are wondering, Haiti does not recognize daylight savings time so we are now on Eastern Standard Time. We were on Central before.
I also wanted to point out that I added a link to Meet the Kids (on the left side of my blog page, near the top) for those of you who are just now reading my blog and would like to know more about them. Enjoy the weekend. One month from today I will be in Texas. Yeeha! My love to all.

Celebrating and Remembering

2007-11-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Smith's eleventh Birthday. It was the first time he ever celebrated his special day. He wasn't even sure how old he was. I baked a chocolate cake but we did not have any icing. The kids didn't care, it was cake !!! It was enough for everyone to have one slice and a couple of bites. I think next time I will have to make two. We only have one pan. Jeemy-Ska will be six in January (while I am in Texas) and in March, there will be seven of us having birthdays with five in the same week. Wow! Forget the cake pan, we're going to need another oven!! :)

Smith received a box of colored pencils and a Multiple use Art book that had drawing paper, construction paper, painting paper, writing paper, and stickers. He was so happy with his new gifts.

The birthday celebration was rather low key because it was a Monday and the first day back to school after being off for nine days. The kids were a little tired. So was I. Later in the evening, Angeline came to me and kept trying to tell me something. She seemed very concerned and I could not understand what she wanted. I took her to Lucner and asked him to translate. Angeline said, "Ms. Vicki Jean, you forgot to play the donkey game." Oh, bless her heart. She thought it was part of the plan. I told her I was sorry, I forgot. We would do it another time. That bothered me for a while. I guess I really need to pay more attention and plan ahead.

Today is my Grandmother's birthday. She would have been 90 or 91. I can't remember which. I do remember her, though. I miss her very much. When she died, so did a part of me. It took me a long time to get over the sadness of losing her. She was one of the most significant people in my life. She meant a lot to our entire family. Everyone loved her dearly. I would like to honor her with this link to a special song that she liked very much. I know she is happy in heaven and smiling down on us who will one day see her again. I love you Grandmother. Happy Birthday!

I was going to add a video but could not get it to upload properly. So, here is the link to the song by Mercy Me called I Can Only Imagine.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2FS5GYvg6uU

The music is beautiful, the words are powerful, and the concept is worth considering. It keeps me humble. (after viewing, click the <- Back button on your browser to return to Blog). Have a blessed day!

On A Mission

2007-11-01T15:27:00.000-05:00

First let me say that we survived Hurricane Noel without much damage here in Bayonnais. The majority of the disaster affected the Dominican Republic and the western part of Haiti which included Port Au Prince. The last time I checked the news, there were 81 reported deaths due to mudslides and heavy flood waters. There were also 14,000 people who had lost their homes. Some cities were still recovering from the floods in early October so the constant heavy rains only added to their grief. There are still many areas that cannot be reached at this time so the number of deaths may rise over the next few days. We were very blessed to get through the storm untouched. Our roads were even worse than before and the schools were closed, but other than that, all was well. If you would like to keep up with what is happening, just check with the website for the Haitian Times and get the local news updates. http://www.haitiantimes.com/
Okay, so here was the plan: I would get up earlier than usual and try to tackle the fun job of cleaning my room after the rodent fiasco. This is what one half of my room looked like before I started:

I decided it was best (and easiest) to start with the empty water bottles that spilled out of the plastic trash bag after I flung it across the room when I found my first surprise. As I neared the corner of the room I noticed that the spiders had started weaving another web so I went to get the broom. While looking for the broom which was being used by the housekeeper, I was side-tracked by Jina who needed to find her other sandal. We went on a hunt and finally found it outside on the step of the front porch. Jeemy-Ska was on his way to take a shower but his towel was still wet from the night before. I went to get him a fresh clean towel which was in a bag, under the bed, of the guest/office/supply room. Off to the showers he went. I found the broom and continued to work. Sweeping, dusting, sorting, organizing, lifting, sweating, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and more sweeping. Then it was time for breakfast.
After breakfast I did more of the same, with more distractions, (Smith fell and cut his lip, Marc had a stomach ache, Angeline had a fever, Aquel needed nail clippers, Ismalene needed the tweezers, Jeemy's button fell off, Noula wanted to read aloud from her book; all of which required my attention or assistance), with more determination, and continued to try and see my plan through. Then it was lunch time. I was not quite making the progress I had hoped for so I ate rather quickly and resumed again. I found things under the beds, behind other boxes, in the wrong boxes, trash mixed with toiletries and other misplaced items. Soiled clothes mixed with the clean clothes and clean clothes in the laundry box. I stripped all the sheets off, discovered that the slats on the bed were loose, then got my hammer and hunted for the nails. Finally found them and made the repairs. I saw that there were some things that would be better to hang on the wall so I hunted for the concrete nails (which was a job in itself) and proceeded to find a place for each one of them. More cleaning, organizing and so forth until I got the call for dinner. Again, I ate quickly, and tried to get back to my plan. I worked until I no longer had the energy to stand up. At the end of the day, this is how my room looked: Yep, not one thing changed. The kids, however were very happy. Their rooms were so clean and organized. They had a place for everything and now know where things should go. They were very happy to have fresh clean sheets on their beds. (It was a difficult task to get them all washed and dried with all the rain we've had but we finally had a day of enough sun to make it happen) They even kept walking in and out of their rooms just to look at it once more. Just so you know I was not making this up, here are a few pictures of their rooms: The girls room. They were so happy to have a place to hang their kilots (underwear) rather than the middle of the school yard where 500 other kids could see them. They also have a place for their backpacks and their own clothes bin.Uniforms in one place, church clothes in the wardrobe closet and scarves on the wall rack. Laundry buckets in the corner for wash day. Wonder how long that's going to last?

The boys room. Uniforms and bins in place. Beds neatly made. Each one has their own laundry bag so they are happy because they don't like their clothes to touch the other ones that are more soiled than theirs. Who would have guessed?

The boys really like their wardrobe closet. They had never seen anything like it and it makes them feel very important when they are retrieving their Sunday best for church.

I know, some of you may be wondering; where was the housekeeper? Well, because of all the rain (again, blame it on the rain) she was way behind on the laundry. It was more important for her to catch up then to assist me in my efforts.

So, this was not the mission I had planned, but it is just as well. The kids are the main (eleven) reasons why I came to Haiti. I also have a place in my heart for the many others I have met in the past six months. I can always try again tomorrow. If not, I'm sure there will be eleven more reasons why it didn't happen. I am very blessed today.

Today and tomorrow are school holidays. The kids have been out of school all week because of...yes, the rain. Here are the kids with the Watchman's wife and their children getting ready for movie night. Tonight's special feature is E.T. for the fifth time. Since the beginning, they have watched every movie, by choice, in English with English subtitles trying to learn the language. This time they have decided to watch and listen to it in French. Some of them are picking up some of the words and the movie is making more sense to them. It actually sounds almost normal to me. I still miss the popcorn. :-)

Haitian News Link

2007-10-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hi there! This posting will be short and sweet. Just wanted to let you know about a link I learned of today. It is an online Haitian Newpaper based in New York and it covers the local news as well as political and social. There are some very good articles in there right now that would give you a lot of information as to how this country is doing and what is going on over here. Also a few good pictures to view as well as some music videos of a Haitian concert held in New York. Definitely worth a look for those who are interested or just curious. I will write again later.
Link: www.haitiantimes.com God Bless!

Remember When.......?

2007-10-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

The kids were enjoying a friendly game of soccer when the rain came down once again. They decided, what the heck, let's just keep on playing.

Game On!!!
Everyone trying to stay on their feet.
Smith is really having a blast. His laughter is contagious.
The girl with the jug in her hand was just trying to carry some water home. The girl with the red rag on her head grabs her for support. Aquel hangs on to the back of the girl with the red rag. They all came tumbling down. It was hysterical! I was laughing too much to capture the moment.
Abela applies a mud mask.
Going for the goal...and.....he.....scores!!!!!!!

I can remember days like that when we were kids. Slipping and sliding in the mud and loving every minute of it. Our clothes and hair were covered in it but that's what made it fun. It was always the cleaning up part that was not so fun. First it was the cold water from the water hose to rinse off the majority of the mess. That is when the discovery of small scrapes and cuts would come to our attention. Then it was the removal of the gritty clothes and into the warm shower. Washing the matted hair took longer and so did combing it out. The final step was to clean up the mess of the clothes and the mud in the tub. But in the end, it was always worth it. Afterwards, I always felt refreshed. Maybe that 's why people pay the big bucks to have a mudbath at private spas? They should just save their money and go play out in the rain.

As for the kids here in Haiti, the clean up is not as involved. Just a trip to the outdoor water faucet. Rinse off, strip down, wash off the excess, and then run to the house for dry clothes. No need to be modest; it's Haiti!!!

Saga of the Rodents - Part II

2007-10-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

I could have written this story the next day after the last posting but I really needed to have a major attitude adjustment first. My quest to hunt scavengers began shortly after dinner. (I first had to decide if it was better to search on an empty stomach or eat first and risk losing my dinner over what I found. I decided it was better to be full in case I was unsuccessful. It's not like I could go to the refrigerator later on and just zap something in the microwave.) Anyway, once again, I will spare you the gory details.
My first discovery did not take long but the cleaning up took longer. Then there was another, and then another. It was getting later and I was getting tired. My fatigue turned to frustration. My frustration turned to anger. Then I found what I did not want to find and that was the nest. There was the Mama mouse with her four newborns at the bottom of a large box of my blankets and they were still moving. Aacckkk! Okay, no details but they were disposed of. Three hours later my anger was escalating. I could still smell an odor but could not find the source. My room, which was already a mess, became a chaotic pile of everything that I had to lift, move, drag or toss here and there, to get to what I needed to get to. Finally, I found the source and had to deal with that as well.
Four hours later and my anger became more intense. I was angry that no one listened when I told them a month ago that we needed to take care of the problem immediately. Angry that they did not take the multiplication factor seriously. Angry that they waited nearly three weeks to get the poison. Angry that I had to find and deal with a total of twelve rodents in a week's time and five of them were still alive. Angry that there are still one or two more that are invading the kitchen and living room area. Angry that I could not be resting peacefully in my bed and then thought of a hundred other things to be mad about. Yes, I admit it! I lost my happy thoughts! That made me mad, too! I finally finished at around 11:00 p.m. and climbed over the piles to get into in bed. Oh yeah, did I mention that the generator and lights were turned off at 9:30 p.m. and that the finding of the last rodent and the worst clean-up happened with a flashlight in one hand? Yeah, that was the best part! I have to say that I really did sleep well knowing that my room was rodent-free. I'm glad to say I did not lose my dinner. I wish I could say I'm glad it's over. We still need to catch the other two, or three, or.....???? I really don't want to do that again! I know I will be very busy for the next two weeks trying to get my room in some kind of order again. What a mess!!!!
Thanks for allowing me to get this off my chest and to update those who were actually interested in the drama. My next posting will be a little more focused on the real stuff that is going on. Got a little side-tracked.
I feel better now. :) Love to all!

Another One Bites the Dust...(or Tootsie Roll)

2007-10-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Well, when I first came to Haiti I was a bit squeamish about having an encounter with the foreign(er) creatures of nature. I was never fond of spiders and snakes and anything that moves quick, has too many legs, bites or is slimy.
My first run in was with a very large spider (as big as the palm of my hand) that found its way to rest on my arm while I was sleeping. I managed to jump to my feet from a horizontal position. Not an easy task since I have a pedestal bed. I also smashed him to smithereens for scaring me like that. It took another hour for my heart to calm down enough for me to get back to sleep.
My next surprise was accidentally stepping barefoot on a tiny tree frog that was in my shoe sending me across the room where I slammed my knee into my dresser. One day I came upon a large 4" grasshopper in my laundry basket that clung to my hand. I sent him flying into the next room (since we don't have ceilings yet) and traumatized a couple of the boys. Another time a large cricket jumped out of my backpack and onto my blouse. Well, it was only a cricket. I can handle those. After that, I became more cautious with my surroundings and suspicious of anything that resembled a creature.
Yesterday, as I was about to sit down to work on my computer, I just happen to notice something moving on the seat of my chair. A closer look revealed a very ugly looking walking stick!! Ewe! Where did that come from? He wasn't walking anymore. He didn't look much like a stick, either.
Now this brings me to my topic of the rodent situation. In my last posting I shared that we found one casualty. I rejoiced when I discovered a second one the next day. When a rodent dies, they have a very distinct odor. If you have ever had the experience, you know what I am talking about. Well, this odor caught my attention because it was in my room. I quickly found where he was resting (in peace?) and disposed of him. However, the odor continued to linger. Now, I was not sure if it was just lingering or actually another dead mouse. I looked several times in several places without success...until last night. OOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!! I finally found him! He was resting in pieces and had some other creatures that were enjoying the feast. It was not a pretty sight! I had to quickly remove the contents of the box while trying not to breathe and take it outside. After all the excitement died down, I returned to my room. Now, another full day has passed and the odor is still lingering. What that tells me is we have another situation. I know I need to find it immediately but I am not too thrilled about actually finding it. I'm still a bit queasy from last night.
I also know that we still have the Mama running lose because we keep finding her evidence in the living room. I already have a Tootsie Pop baited and waiting for nightfall. I just hope it does not end up in my room. I especially hope that it is only the odor and not actually a dead rat. I'm pretty sure it's not just an odor. Wwaahhh!! :( Stay tuned for the Saga of the Rodents....to be continued.

Potpourri News

2007-10-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

Hello once again! We have been busy as usual. So much has been going on at once so I decided to just touch on a few different topics and fill you

in on some of the news.

We are currently in the process of adding another classroom to our new addition to the school. The classrooms were just getting too crowded. It will still be a simple structure until we can get more funding to construct a solid building with the ability to add on a second story in the future. For now it will just be wooden posts and a tin roof.

Constructing the third classroom of the new addition outside of the original school building.
Here are a couple of shots of the plants in front of the house. From all the rains we had, they have grown quite a bit. A few have been trampled by the kids while playing soccer but seem to come right back over time. The kids are oblivious to the landscape during the heat of the game. Landscape in front of our home. If you look a little closer you can see a small peanut patch jutting out over the dirt in front of the landscape. (near the center of photo). Someone threw a few out in the yard and they grew. Not the best place but, they are there. We've only seen a couple of shells but the insects are taking over. There still is not any uniformity to the landscape but there is definitely lots of color. Only a nature lover can appreciate this shot. I'm sure the landscapers are shaking their heads. :)
Remember my posting of the scary adventure of coming into Bayonnais? Well, a lot of people had the same experience and it was said that one woman fell during the night. I was unclear as to whether she fell into a hole or off the cliff. Anyway, Actionnel organized a large group of people to go and try to make some repairs. Over two hundred showed up and they did the best they could with what they had to work with. The road is now again considered safe, however, I still have no desire to travel that route. I wish I had some before and after shots but this will give you an idea.Construction began at the base of the incline and continued on up and around the curve. Here are a few of the many who came to help. People at the top of the photo are looking at the higher part of the curve. Actionnel is right behind the arm of the man in the white cap on the lower right. Fortunately for them, the rain did not interfere with their efforts.
Filling in the deep crevices that made driving nearly impossible. A little further up is where we fell in. The cliff is on the left side. It's a long way down.
Chopping into the rocky side of the mountain in order to widen the road and level out the steep hill on the right.
I will have to check with David Nichols (who was visiting here from North Carolina) to see if he was able to get any photos of the completion. If so, I will share them with you.
Next we have a shot of the our bus stuck in the mud. The guys did the shopping and loaded the bus with a month's worth of groceries. It survived the roads from Gonaives to our house but just could not make it into the gate. We had to unload very quickly in the pouring rain and then leave it as it was overnight. (Quickly is an overstatement, considering the fact that it was dark, muddy and we had a number of large 50 pound bags of food as well as cases of water, cokes and other food). The next day it took about a half hour to get the bus out of the mud and back on the road. What a mess!
Below is the aftermath of where the bus made several attempts to get free. Notice the nice shade of green slime in the water? Something we see everywhere after the rain.
Several people have inquired as to how Angeline is doing these days after her accident with the motorcycle. I am very happy to say that her heel has healed! She lost about five of the seven layers of skin but it healed very quickly and she was up and around in about three weeks time. However, the other night we had another scare. She fell off the top bunk of the bed where she sleeps. I heard a loud thump (we have concrete floors)
followed by a very loud and long scream. Then she was calling for me. When I got into the room I found her on the floor holding her leg. I checked her out and determined that it was not broken. Put her back to bed and placed a large pillow next to her. The following morning, she had a very large lump on the outer side of her thigh. It was as hard as a rock. She was walking with a limp. Our watchman called another man who came with some home remedy to help her with her leg. What he actually had was a bar of plain soap. He dipped the soap in water and lathered his hands. He then massaged Angeline's leg starting from the thigh and slowly moved down to her knee, calf, ankle, foot and finally her toes. As I watched, I was thinking: I wish I could get a massage like that! Anyway, it took about ten minutes and he said she would be fine. After breakfast, I checked her leg and the lump was completely gone. Not only that but she was walking without any discomfort or limp. I was pretty impressed. So, here are a couple of pictures of our little darling, Angeline.
Angeline with her sweetest smile.
Here she is demonstrating her recovery by dancing.

Now to give an update on our rodent situation. It seems that my biggest concern has been realized. A couple of nights ago I awoke to a suspicious noise and discovered two baby mice enjoying a few Tootsie Rolls that they managed to steal from the bag in my room. They scampered away as soon as the light hit their eyes. I also discovered a half-eaten Tootsie-Pop that was on my dresser, which I was saving for an emergency craving. :) Since they did not go for the tomato laced with poison that the Haitians suggested, I decided to give them more of the same, (chocolate) only dusting them with rat poison. This morning we found one baby that has gone off to rodent heaven. I am not sure how many more are left but the twins saw one pass them by in the hallway. I've got more chocolate ready and waiting. Hopefully we will be rid of them in a few days. No photos for this story. I am sure you appreciate that.

I would like to end this posting with one of my favorite photos. It is a close up view of what I see every morning. This is one of the blessings of living here. I really love sitting on the porch in the cool mornings and getting lost in thought with this scenery. Enjoy! Hope to write again very soon.

Crime Happens Everywhere

2007-10-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

The days have been flying by! I can't believe that I have not posted anything since last Wednesday. I am constantly writing (in my head) but then something or someone that needs my attention, which is often, interrupts my thoughts. I have topics or occasions that I think of sharing or things that I feel passionate about but those times come when I am not sitting at the computer. Usually it's late at night when I am restless or fighting off the multitude of different insects that I can hear and feel but can't see. That, too, is a huge distraction from my thoughts. Last night was one of those nights so I am sitting here now, a little fatigued, trying to decide what I should write about….?

One topic has been heavy on my heart because it was close to home. Here in Bayonnais, three very sad circumstances affected our community in the past week. I struggled with how to process the information and whether or not to share it with my readers. My thoughts ranged from: It is just too sad and disturbing, all the way to: I want to keep it real, honest, and share what goes on around here. I am still torn but have decided to share it to a certain extent. If you have no interests in knowing about tragedies, then just skip this and wait for the next posting. I will understand. It is important to me to document the happenings here whether they are cheerful or depressing because they are all part of my experiences. As I write, I discover new ways of understanding a different culture and of human nature in general. Of course, there are times I don't understand at all, but even that is a process for acceptance.

I know that crime happens everywhere. I keep telling myself that. But, when it happens this close to home, it is very hard to be an observer and not feel the effects of the pain. We first learned that something was amiss more than a week ago. It seems that a Pastor of another church here in Bayonnais had been missing since Saturday night and failed to show up for the Sunday morning service. His wife called for help from the community to form a search party to find him. One person claimed to have "a vision" and saw him tied up and lying in a hole in another town. A large group of people set out on foot to walk the long distance to see if it was true. It was not. A farmer discovered him four days later, just off the side of the road in a cornfield, near the market, right down the street from us. He was definitely tied up, very badly beaten, and barely alive. They took him to a hospital in Gonaives where the doctors told them they were not equipped to help him. They suggested that he go to Port Au Prince. He died in route. Later, word spread that the killing was for personal reasons. He was married but had a mistress and was either coming or going to her house when he was ambushed. Another day later, six people were arrested in connection to his death. His funeral was held last Sunday and there were literally hundreds of people on the road following the hearse to the mountain gravesite. It took about a half hour for the entire procession to pass our house.

The next horror happened over this past weekend. Two 15-year-old girls got into an argument and then it escalated into a physical brawl. One of the girls actually bit off most of the tongue of the other! I could not even comprehend that! She was transported to Gonaives (with tongue in hand) and was told they could do nothing for her. I just shuddered at the thought of such a horrible thing to have to go through. The victim, as well as her mother, was devastated. The mother kept saying, "Why did she do this to my beautiful daughter? What's going to happen to her now?" I last heard that the young girl was not doing well and could possibly die from the injury that did not receive medical care. The lack of good medical care in Haiti is another tragedy in itself, especially when it comes to trauma cases.

The last sad event happened to one of our church members. For months, we watched her glowing with joy about her pregnancy. A week ago, Sunday, I spoke with her after church and learned that she was due anytime. She finally gave birth last Thursday afternoon. She had it at home with the help of a mid-wife, as most of them do. The baby was fine. The mother was fine. Both rested well during the night. The next morning, she awoke to find her newborn dead. They do not know why. No one had any answers. It was a baby boy. They had the funeral on Saturday with just a handful of people for a quiet ceremony. No hearse needed. One man carried the coffin under his arm like a stack of books. He was not being disrespectful. It's just the way they do things. The mother did not attend. I heard that she was still in shock and in a deep depression. It will be a while before we see her again. She has a daughter that is a toddler so I am hoping that the little girl can keep her grounded. It has been very quiet here in Bayonnais. Many are still reeling from the first event.

Yesterday, I read the story about the senseless killings in Wisconsin and my heart felt like it would burst. I cried for everybody. I could not help but think of my own son and all his wonderful high school and college friends. I love them all like my own and know that it would be unbearable to have to endure something like that. My heart is still so heavy. I can only imagine how those who were personally affected must be feeling. It is said that time heals all wounds, but for some, the healing never comes, especially where children are involved. I am praying that God will heal their pain and grant them the peace that surpasses all understanding. I ask that you also include all of these families in your prayers. There is strength in numbers and the power of prayer can make a difference. Amen.

Rain, Rain Go Away…or at least give us a break!

2007-10-03T09:58:00.001-05:00

Since my return from Texas on August 29th, we have had rain every single day. (It was also raining daily before I left) Not only have we had rain but some serious thunderstorms as well. The weather forecast predicts more of the same until next Monday. Although it helps to cool things down, it also keeps everything muddy and messy and the mosquitoes seem to have quadrupled in the past week. They are absolutely everywhere, including inside the house. The kids are all sleeping (and roasting) in their long-sleeved, long pant pajamas just to have a bit of protection. We are out of our repellent and there is a constant sound of slapping and whining going on throughout the day as well as the night. It doesn't help to know that there is a serious strain of Dengue fever going around in the Caribbean and that there have been reports of a few deaths in the Dominican Republic. From the mosquitoes that I have managed to squash after biting me, I have seen three different sizes. There is the normal size that I am accustomed to in Texas; there is a slightly larger version, and then there is the pesky little microscopic one that bites the hardest. I really get annoyed with them because you don't know they are there until they bite. The actual wound seems to be bigger than the others are. I also discovered an unusual looking bite on my thigh that appears to be from a spider. I am keeping a close eye on that one. So far, I feel fine.
The other creatures we have been dealing with are the mice that have found their way into the house. Although we have seen evidence of their presence every morning, we have yet to see the actual rodents. I suspect that they are camping in my room since I still have a large number of boxes from the donations and other supplies. Some of them have shredded paper in certain areas and I have seen their droppings in my room and even on my desk. Yuck!!!! One of the critters even munched on my candle. I'll just have to keep trying to get organized so I can find their nest. Not sure what I will do when I find them but at least I will know where they are. It is just too miserably hot to do it during the day and the early mornings and evenings are busy with the kids. The temperature is already in the mid eighties by 8:00 a.m.. I could always wait until winter (?) but by then we will have an epidemic. Our cook says that the market sells the poison so we plan to get some on Thursday.
Speaking of cooks, we have a now have a wonderful woman who started working for us last week. Her name is Madame Ginette and she is the sweetest lady. Very God-centered, loves the kids, and is a terrific cook. Everyone has been very happy to have her here. I will probably gain back all the weight I have lost. Ha!
Our current housekeeper (#4), however, did not work out. She tried but just could not follow directions and could not accomplish the tasks that needed to be done on a daily basis. (The spray bottles did not survive either). She said the work was too hard because she is an old lady. When I asked how old, she said she was fifty. I wanted to say, "Hey! Watch out with that "old" stuff!" I told her that I was also fifty but I don't think she believed me. She received her month's salary; we parted on good terms, so all is well with that.
Our new housekeeper, Madame Meladette, started today. I am hoping that she will be a real "keeper". She is the sister of the House Mother, Madame Rode; we met at the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage in Dessalines and says that she is very familiar with how an orphanage should be maintained. Meladette is a single mom with a seven-year-old daughter. She loves kids and was a teacher at one time. I loved her energy and she asked several important questions, which pertained to the job, so that was a good sign. We will know very soon.
I guess I should mention that the reason I have not posted in a few days is that our generator broke again last Thursday. We were without power until yesterday. I always feel like a true Haitian when that happens. It is not fun at all to be in the dark, especially for several nights in a row. I was grateful to have the Ecolight but it only lights up a small area. We placed it in the bathroom on top of the dividing wall so that the kids could use the facilities and take their showers. The Watchman uses the $5.00 wind-up generator light I bought more than a year ago during a power outage and little did I know it would become a valuable tool in Haiti. The only other light is a small handheld flashlight. I have to run all over the house with it just to keep up with the kids in separate rooms. The other six that I brought are either broken, missing or out of batteries. That includes the emergency road light that I used to keep in my car.
The kids were not happy about having to go to bed early on Friday and Saturday and especially unhappy about missing movie night. A couple of them cried. I felt like crying, too! Not so much about the movie, but about the real inconvenience for everyone. Even our neighbors count on us to have power so they can charge their cell phones or come over to study on our front porch. We share our electricity with the market across the road so when our lights are out, their livelihood is in the dark as well. It is a real shame that so many live each day without power. I know in the back of my mind that for me, this is only temporary. I will one day go back to my comfortable existence in the U.S. but the rest of the folks here don't have that choice or opportunity. I know that someday all of Haiti will be lit up like the rest of the States (if they are adopted as a State in 2009 as proposed) but it will take a quite a few more years.
Our blessing came in the form of a man name Tigarr. He has a physical defect, which causes him to walk with a serious limp, but he is an excellent mechanic. We were so happy that he knew what the problem was with the generator and repaired it in a matter of hours. (This included a trip to Gonaives to get the parts). I could have kissed him! I think I will try to buy him a pair of shoes instead. His looked pretty beat up. Anyway, we are all back to our (un) usual routine and it feels great.
Thanks for stopping by and checking on me. I want to mention again that I welcome any comments you would like to leave. I get jealous when I read other blogs and can see that they get anywhere from 10 to 20 comments on each of their postings. One or two comments would be nice from time to time. Anyone? Critique? Questions? Encouragement? It's Free!? :)
I will end this posting with some photos of the newest additions to our family. We met them this morning when they were swimming in our small garden pond. (It's really just a big hole that Lucner dug to catch the run-off water from the faucet. Our roads are muddy enough!)

Mama Duck taking the babies for a swim. There were 11 eggs but one did not hatch. In this photo, the tenth duckling fell off the edge of the property and into the muddy road. Someone was retrieving it for us while Mama watched and waited.
The "Ugly Duckling" trying to fit in. It still had a clump of mud on its beak and covered his not-so-pretty down.
Poor Baby, he is almost camouflaged! (center of photo) Looks like a strange porcupine.

The babies are moving in for the shade. The muddy duckling tries to find a way in.

Note to Mama: Still working on trying to upload the video. I can't even get it to work on YouTube. I'll keep trying.
Peace be with you and my love to all!

A "Brighter" Future for Bayonnais

2007-09-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

The following is a posting from the website of http://www.dissigno.com/
under the heading of Latest News:

On September 15th 2007 dissigno and Eco Systems will travel to Haiti for The Pedal Power Project, which will bring distributed electricity to Bayonnais, Haiti. Currently in Bayonnais, nearly 80,000 Haitians live without access to any form of electricity. The Pedal Power Project will launch a pilot using Eco System’s pedal technology for 50 families. Electricity is created through pedaling and stored in a 12-volt deep cycle battery. This in turn charges smaller 6-volt batteries called home units. The home units are then rented to members of the community with low wattage LED lights. In addition, the electricity will power electric drills and saws, charge cell phone, and power cold storage for food and medicine. The system has several advantages. The technology is less expensive, requires no fuel supply chain, and is safer and healthier. There is no fire, smoke inhalation, or burning risk. In addition, it reduces the need for wood fires, further limiting deforestation. This innovative service can scale and replicate easily with the addition of battery/LED units and generators.
dissigno and the local school OFCB will partner to operate as a “for profit” enterprise to maintain sustainability. It will provide distributed electrical power & lighting for community members, create employment opportunities, and stimulate ancillary enterprises. dissigno will install the technology, provide operation training, and enterprise support. It will also assist other community members in creating ancillary enterprises surrounding the initial product. Enterprise opportunity is the key towards poverty eradication.

I will now take an excerpt from the blog page of Peter Daniel who is here in Haiti and living at OFCB. He writes as follows:

Given that there is little to no electricity in Bayonnais outside of the small 2 acre compound where I live, this microenterprise project offers not only evening light to those dependent upon the sun, but it also creates jobs and encourages growth. An environmentally friendly substitute for kerosene lamps, they do not involve an increase in price to make the switch. (A friend of mine relayed an encounter with a Haitian student on a previous mission trip: the student was falling behind in school because his family needed him to help farm from the end of school until dusk; he asked my friend for a flashlight, saying that he would be okay if he could only study at night…or consider the increase in productivity of a seamstress who could work a while during the evening after returning from the marketplace.)

Peter Daniel is here to teach English and Art, among other subjects, and will be my American neighbor for the next eight months. He has a blogpage and will share his own insights as to what life is like here. He also has a larger vocabulary than I do. If you would like to keep up with his perspectives, check out his blog at:

http://peterbdaniel.wordpress.com/

As an added bonus to his page there is an Art link called Flickr Photos that is wonderful to look at. I spent quite a while viewing the amazing photography.

As for the Ecolights, Kent Shell brought one to our Community meeting and gave a demonstration. There was an immediate excited response and many lined up to add their name to a list for a future distribution. It will be a blessing to many to be able to have a means for doing tasks after dark and to have a way to power other equipment at a reasonable cost.

I have one for my own use and have already enjoyed the benefits of using it. One major blessing is being able to read after the generator has been turned off. The only drawback is contending with the bugs that are attracted to the light. It's annoying, but still a blessing. :)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye....

2007-09-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

We had a very long but productive week with our visitors, Kent Shell and Kay Dano. We also had a very special guest, Nadine Carcon, who volunteered her services to be our Creole interpreter. She is a native of Haiti, but has lived in Florida for the past 20 years. We were so blessed to have her with us. We spent each afternoon working on the different entities of our ministry (Church, School and Orphanage) to define all the positions, the job descriptions, and a workable budget. It was very helpful to have a clear idea of what we need and where we are heading. I am so thankful to Kent and Kay for being here and for their heartfelt support.

I am very happy to say that our Community meeting went well. We had a good turn out of parents, teachers and others who traveled a long distance to come and learn about our ministry. It was our hope to put an end to all the harsh rumors that were circulating because of the former cook but to our delight, the community was more concerned about what the ministry was doing and offering their support. It was great to know that they are just as excited about the future of Bayonnais as we are. I could actually feel a difference in the air after the meeting. We can now get back to our purpose and focus on what we need to do to help this community and building a strong ministry.

The Job Positions for Modene Murphy Ministries are outlined below:
Valentin Silvestre: Pastor of Church

Saint-Victor Sejour: Principal of Middle and High School

Enoch Saint-Louis: Principal of Primary School

Lucner Saint-Louis: Administrator of School

Vicki Jean Pierce: Director/Administrator/House Mother of Orphanage

They will one day have to find one to three people to fill my position when I leave the ministry in 2009.

We are all excited about the days to come and what we hope to accomplish in the next year. Our first priority is to finish the construction of the addition to the school building and to build more benches for the children. Everyday since the last week of August, we have had students enrolling to be a part of our school. Our classrooms are more than full and we need to expand our building. We currently have 300+ students for our Primary School and 200+ students for our Middle and High School. There are only 50 benches (one bench will seat about 6 to 8 kids, depending on size) and the older kids have to stand or sit on the ground.We are exploring different ways to raise the funds to get the materials for the benches, construct the walls for the new classroom, as well as build other classrooms and have a school office. Our longterm vision is to one day have a library, a computer lab, a shaded playground area with playground equipment and a place for the kids to play soccer.

Here are just a few pictures of the construction of the new classroom and the progress we have made so far.

Construction began by shoveling and hoeing into the side of the hill to remove the brush, rocks and dirt to make a place for our new addition. The neighbors along with our staff spent two days for preparation. The posts were set and here they are attaching the beams for the roof.

With the tin roof in place, the addition is near ready to serve as a classroom. Just a few last minute details such as clean up and mounting a chalkboard. The walls will have to wait.

One of our teachers, Gethro Isaac, with students in the new addition. They were on a break for morning recess. He teaches 5th grade in the mornings and Spanish for the Middle School in the afternoons.

It was necessary to attach two sheets to the west side of the building to keep out the hot sun and cool down the classroom. The afternoons are the worst.

Above and Below: The children gather wherever they can find shade. Others prefer to play soccer. It is their only active sport.

A happy group of elementary girls. The girl in the front center is one I had introduced in an earlier blog as my friend, Semamoon. It turns out her name is Mamode Chery but is called Ti Mamose, which means Little Mamose. Before leaving for Texas, I decided to be her sponsor and she is now enrolled in our school. She is very happy to be here. What a beautiful girl and a great smile!

There is so much to do with all three ministries and I am so glad that I can participate in helping it grow. It is a great challenge as well as an exciting adventure for us all.

Just an Update....

2007-09-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

As you know, we were expecting visitors from the States so it has already been a busy week. Our guests were supposed to arrive late Saturday afternoon but did not actually get here until 11:00 p.m. due to delays at the airport in Miami and in Port Au Prince. They were exhausted to say the least.
We had meetings nearly everyday with the exception of today because Kent fell ill with something and was running a high fever. He is back on track and we will resume our meetings again tomorrow.
There has been a lot of drama going on around here due to the firing of the cook but we hope to put an end to that tomorrow evening when we will hold a special open meeting with the community. I will fill you in on that later.
As for now, all is well. Still very happy with my Internet access. Would love to hear some news from anyone who is out there and has some time on their hands. My email is puny these days.
I was going to try out a new feature that Blogger has added to their site and attach a video clip but after three tries, I cannot seem to get it going. I am open to suggestions from anyone who knows how to do this. My video is on QuickTime Player. Maybe the file is too large? It's about five minutes long. I'll keep working on it. Until then, enjoy the day and check back when you can. Love and Blessings to all.
P.S.
I have just celebrated five months here in Haiti. Wow!

Bridge Under Troubled Waters

2007-09-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

It has been going on for a few months now. Rain every single day and in the past couple of weeks we have endured some serious flooding. The community around the bridge was hit the hardest. Many lost their crops, their livestock, their businesses at the market, and for some, their homes. The roads were a muddy mucky mess and the landscape in and around the river has been altered.

When I was finally able to travel to OFCB after my return from Texas, I was very sad to see all the hard work that was destroyed by the floods. I took some photos and will post some before and after shots so you can see the differences. I could not believe how much was lost. I know that efforts are being made to try and raise the funds to build again but this community could use much more help. The Engineers Without Borders are planning another visit soon but Bayonnais will still need to have more resources in order to complete the work and restore what was lost.

In the photo above, there are a number of neatly stacked rocks that lined up all the way to the bridge. They were intended to complete the ramps on both sides of the bridge and extend out a little further. Down below you can see that all the stacks have been swept out into the river and most of the rocks were pushed over to the other side.

Above: The beginning stages of the ramp on the OFCB side of the bridge.

Below: The newly planted rice field to the left and the entire ramp was completely under water. Not quite finished and already covered in mud.

Above: Some of you may remember this shot from an earlier posting. A favored spot for washing and bathing.
Below: This is how it looks today. The land just disappeared!
If you or anyone you know would like to get involved, this would be a great reason for a great cause. The river and the road are the main lifelines for this small community. Please feel free to email me at VJPierce@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with the right people. Together we can restore some lives. God Bless you for caring. My love to all!

The Harsh Realities of Haiti

2007-09-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

Because I am living here and dealing with people on a close personal level, I sometimes feel that I have to protect them by not revealing all that goes on here. On the other hand, I feel that it is important to tell the truth and to expose the realities of a different culture. One of the harsh realities that I contend with on a daily basis is the fact that in Haiti, common sense is not so common.
Upon my return, one of the first things I had to contend with was the firing of our cook who had been here since opening day in March. We had confronted her with many issues since the beginning, concerning the timeliness of her meal preparations, with missing kitchen supplies, food supplies, and her lack of participation in taking care of the children. On the day of the last straw, she took it upon herself to prepare a meal that contained sugar, which was saturated with gasoline. Somehow, while being transported from the market, gasoline had spilled onto the large bag of sugar. She was aware of this problem but chose to prepare a soy porridge type of cereal for dinner anyway. My first clue that something was amiss was the fact that she was serving dinner at 5:00 p.m. instead of the usual 6:00 p.m.. I questioned that fact and she pretended she was unaware of the time. Nevermind the clock on the kitchen wall and the watch on her wrist.
The kids had eaten about half their meal before I was informed of the situation. They were all talking at once, refusing to eat their food, saying it was bad. I sampled a few of their dishes trying to understand the problem. The food had a sharp bitter taste at first but then the sweetness and the cinnamon spice made it seem edible. Finally, the oldest child explained to me (with a mix of Creole and English) what the problem was. I looked at the cook and she smiled a wicked smile. She then led me to the supply room to have me smell the sugar. It was covered in gas. Even the bag was stained. I asked her why she cooked with it and she shrugged her shoulders. I was so furious with her! I immediately stopped the children from eating and had them throw their food away. I had the men burn the 50-pound bag of sugar in the back yard. It looked like a forest fire! The flames shot up about 20 feet in the air. We all had headaches and stomachaches for a couple of days. Her explanation was that she thought the gas would burn off during cooking. Since it was a soy porridge type of meal, there was nothing to “burn off”. There was no question that she needed to be fired. She has not been missed.
We had another woman step in the next day to take over the cooking duties. She worked for a week and then discovered she was pregnant. With another toddler on her hands, she thought it was best to stay home. Our Watchman, Julius, stepped up and prepared breakfast for everyone that first morning, which was great, by the way. After that, he and his wife have been sharing the responsibilities of meal preparations three times a day. This has been going on for over a week now. They are both exhausted, having three girls of their own, but have not complained or given up. We are still looking for another cook.
The next tragedy occurred a few days later when my firm rule of “No children will be transported by motorcycle taxi” was ignored for the third time at the expense of our dear Angeline. She had been very ill for several days and they finally decided to take her to the doctor. Julius was given the responsibility of taking her but my rule had not been shared with him. It is common (again, no sense) practice to transport children by motorcycle because it is more readily available than waiting for a “Tap-Tap”, a vehicle that serves as a taxi. My position was that the safety of the children is more important than convenience.
As an adult, I found it difficult to ride safely and hold on during the rough road conditions. On more than one occasion, my foot slipped and hit the spokes of the tire after hitting a hard bump in the road. That is what happened to Angeline on September 4th, the first day of school. It was fortunate that she was wearing tennis shoes because her fate would have been worse. Her little foot became wedged between the tire spokes and the bar coming down from the seat. It split her tennis shoe in half on both sides of her foot, shaved off the rubber of her sole near the ball of her foot, and crushed her heel. It looked like shredded wheat. Had she been wearing sandals, she would have lost her heel as well as a few toes. My heart broke for her. Julius was grief-stricken. Angeline was in shock for several days. The doctor was uncertain as to whether her foot was broken. (They did not take any x-rays). I am happy to say that she is back to her usual bouncy self and her heel is starting to look a little better. I have been cleaning and dressing it everyday. There is still some concern about tissue damage but we have to wait a few more days. As for her sickness, she was diagnosed with Malaria. After completing her medications, she is doing fine and is back in school. The No Motorcycle Rule is now clearly understood.
There are plenty of petty instances that occur on a daily basis, but the more serious issues leave me shaking my head. I hope I have not upset anyone by sharing these harsh realities but it is the way it is. I thank God that these senseless incidents turned out as well as they did.

Good News and Bad News

2007-09-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

The good news is: We just got our satellite internet system hooked up this morning. The bad news is: It is only set up for one user and the system is in my room. The good news is: We will later have a wireless internet which will allow a number of users. The bad news is: We don't know how long it will take for this to happen. The good news is: The system operates with the gasoline-powered generator. The bad news is: It only holds three gallons and one gallon will only last two hours. The good news is: I can stay at home and do my work on the computer instead of having to go to the other facility three times a week. The bad news is: I won't get my weekly aerobics with the long walks and bicycle rides three times a week. The good news is: We have some American visitors coming in this Saturday. The bad news is: All but one is leaving a few days later. The good news is: Peter Daniel from North Carolina will be staying here in Haiti (at OFCB) for eight months (with a break during the holidays). The bad news is: He is leaving in eight months. The good news is: We are very blessed today! The bad news is: I cannot think of a bad thing to say.:-)

Here are some pictures for you to view and enjoy. Hopefully I will be posting more often; depending on the gasoline supply. Stay tuned and keep us in your prayers.

Before leaving for Texas, we celebrated Fenelson's 12th and Alicia's 11th Birthdays. The cake turned out great and it was truly a party for our taste buds as well. Chocolate cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing. Yuuuummm!
The twins, Cardina and Cadjina, were seriously digging in.
(The spelling of their names have once again been changed by their mother. We are sticking with what is on the Birth Certificates)The kids insisted on playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey again. Lucner makes his attempt.
This is where the tails ended up. Ismalene was our "closest" winner.

One of the good things I managed to accomplish while in Houston was to meet up with my friend, Art Chandler, in order to pick up a very special package. His sister, Pat Chandler, had purchased a totebag full of wonderful surprises for all the kids. They thought it was Christmas! I appreciate all the time and trouble she went through to bring such joy to the kids. Thank you again, Pat. The kids are still enjoying their gifts everyday.

The timing was perfect for their first set of real pajamas. The temperature had dropped that night and the kids were so cozy in their new P.J.s.
Ismalene and Alicia show off their new Barbie-type dolls while Aquel beams over his new set of marbles.
The boys raced all over the porch and the house with their new little race cars. There were three to a set: red, blue and yellow. The older boys preferred the blue ones.
The girls could not wait to start braiding the long hair on their new dolls.
The results of their artistic hairstyling skills. (Note to Pat: the boys constructed a Tap-tap out of the ZomeTool kit that you sent)

In addition to all that is shown, the boys received bright colored T-Shirts, the older girls also got some pajamas (which they loved so much they wanted to wear them to church!), the kids loved their Tootsie Rolls and M&M's, and we still have lots of DVD's to view. Now that school is in session, it is reserved for the weekends. Many thanks to Pat from the kids.

The first day of school. They are all smiling proudly in their new uniforms. (Except for Angeline. This is the day of her doctor visit).

They were so happy and eager to go to their first class.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Will have more again soon. Love to all!

Back in Haiti...barely!

2007-09-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have finished my posting. If you read it yesterday, you need to read it again. It has been edited and there's more to this story, of course. Enjoy and thank you for your interest. I will have more pictures very soon. My love to all!

Hello my dear family and friends! This is my first day out to the Internet since I arrived home on the 29Th of August. We have had heavy rains and serious flooding for the past week which made the roads impassable on some days. In addition to that, I had a relapse with whatever bug I was fighting while on my two week vacation.
The Internet has been on and off again all day and I had over 50 emails to read and some to respond to immediately. I will do my best to post as much as I can today and then just add to it the next time I get a chance to do so.
My two week visit was not what I had hoped for but it ended on a good note. Just getting out of Haiti was a challenge in itself. The roads are really, really bad. I just cannot stress this enough. Actionnel had his bus driver, Moyiz, and his cousin, Dimilsaint, drive me to Port Au Prince. We left at 8:30 on Tuesday morning (the 14th) because they wanted to make a day trip out of it and be back in Bayonnais by nightfall. What that meant was I had to wait five hours at the airport for my plane. Make that six, because it was delayed for another hour. I was surrounded by a lot of very sick people. I tried to keep to myself as much as possible but finally started up a conversation with a young man, Jean Baptiste Victor, who gave me a Haiti Worship music CD while we were standing in line to check in. He was very good company and a real sweetheart. A native of Haiti that grew up in the states. He returned to Haiti for six years and was now on his way to Chicago to make another album. The CD is very good, by the way.
In the meantime, I had placed my camera battery in the charger and plugged it into the wall behind the water cooler. I kept checking on it constantly but it was still showing red instead of green. Eventually, I forgot about it and ended up leaving it in the wall when they called us to board the plane. I also managed to lose my UT Longhorns windbreaker and from what I can recall, it never made it through the scanner. I was really upset about the loss of both. No pictures and freezing on the plane with all the sick people.
I arrived in Miami and could not locate the hotel that I had booked. It was not on the list where the phones are. Had to call Houston and finally got the right place. "Just minutes away from the airport" meant a literal forty-five minutes away. No free shuttles for this one. Had to pay the Super Shuttle $26.00 to get there and a taxi $50.00 to get back a few hours later. Had I not been alone, I would have slept on a bench at the airport.
Made it to Houston Wednesday morning (the 15th) without much incident except that the car I had "reserved" and had a confirmation for was not available. (That's why it is so important to make your reservations! Ha!) I ended up with a P.T. Cruiser of which I could barely see over the dashboard while driving. I am only 5'3" and the seats were not adjustable. Before leaving I was asked to inspect the car to make sure I would not be charged for any damage that already existed. None that I could see. Next was to adjust the mirrors and find the important things like the ignition, gears, lights, wipers, radio and A/C. All was fine. I then drove to the check out booth to hand in my sheet and discovered right then that I could not locate any switch, lever or handle, on or near the door, to roll down the window! The lady was steadily tapping on my window and motioning for me to roll it down. It was driving me crazy! Finally, I just opened the door and took care of the paper work. It was a while later when I finally found the four switches in the middle of the dashboard; above the radio. Very funny, Chrysler! That was the least of my worries. It was the actual driving that made me nervous. I had no idea that four months of barely moving would cause such stress to get on the Beltway and drive 70 without slowing down. People were still whizzing past me driving much faster. By the time I made it around to where I needed to be, I finally felt comfortable enough behind the wheel. (With the exception of sitting on the edge of the seat).
I arrived at the home of my friends, Kent and Selia Shell, and met for the first time, Kay Dano, who was there waiting for me. Kay and her brother, Kent, are the ones who have invested their time, energy, and money into this ministry and are my sponsors for Haiti. Modene Murphy Ministries was named after Selia's mother who was also an orphan. Selia is one of my dearest friends and she and I have known each other since both of our sons were in diapers. I am very grateful to them for this wonderful blessing.
The next day, Thursday, I went to my doctor's appointment, with more sick people, got my two Hepatitis shots and had a check-up. The next day is when I became ill. It stayed that way for the rest of my time there. Fever, chills, sweating, sleeping, barely eating, coughing, and more chills. I missed out on seeing friends and family, I missed an Astros ballgame, I missed a few dinners and most disappointing of all was missing two Sunday services with my other mother and the second one would have included my son. I even went back to the doctor who thought I was over the worst of it. He said my blood work was fine and the chest and lungs sounded good. Not according to me.
I was not thrilled about having to go to the airport the Saturday before leaving to pick up my son but got over it pretty fast. He had grown so much and put on some bulk while working with the Oakland Raiders that I did not even recognize him. In fact, I passed him up and kept on looking until he called me on the cell. On the other hand, I had lost about 15 pounds myself and my hair was longer, so he did not recognize me either. We were both surprised. It was fantastic to see him again.
The next day was Sunday and I was still feeling pretty puny. Dylan and his father went to retrieve his truck and run some errands while I rested. I had two people suggest that my problem may be a sinus infection due to allergies. I thought, What could it hurt?, and took some Benadryl. I was amazed at how much better I felt. So much so, that I was able to travel to Austin the next day and help my son and his father move Dylan's things into his third floor apartment. I stayed in the kitchen and set up house while he and his father, Jimmie, his roommate, Doug, and their friend, Nick, unloaded both trucks. Then Dylan and his Dad had to go get all the things he had in storage. By the time they got back, the kitchen was complete and I somehow had the energy to go up and down three flights of stairs a number of times to get the rest of the stuff. Jimmie had the hardest time of all because his back was already hurting before we started. But, he was a real trooper up until the last box was carried in. The complex was still under construction so we had to deal with a lot of workmen as well. Nice place. I think he will do fine there. Our visit was much too short!!!
Made it back to Houston late evening and still had to pack everything. Left for Miami the next day after meeting with Kent, running errands and returning the car. Had a surprise visit from my friend, David, about an hour before I had to board. He works near the airport. We sat in the coffee shop, catching up on each other's news, and the time flew by. It was a great ending to my vacation.
Got to Miami and then to the hotel.(This one was only 1 mile away-Ha!) They cheerfully placed me in a double suite with a King-Sized bed and two bathrooms for the same price as what I had reserved. How nice of them. Yeah, right! It wasn't until I settled into bed around 11:00 that I heard, and also felt, the entire room vibrate with the booming sound of a bass coming from a jukebox. They had put me right above their nightclub! I was much too exhausted to deal with it so I pretended I liked the song and went to sleep. Somewhere around 1:45 a.m. the fire alarms sounded off in the entire building. I jumped up and checked the door. Did not see anything. Heard someone else open a door and waited. Nothing. Meanwhile, alarms are still blaring and lights are flashing. I finally opened the door and looked out. Nothing. The door to my right flew open and a half asleep young woman came running out and slammed into the wall just in front of her. She turned towards me, half-dazed, and said, "What's going on?" I just shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, trying to suppress a burst of laughter. Right then, the alarms stopped. The young woman returned to her room. I waited two more minutes and listened. Nothing. Went back in, cracked up laughing, and then crawled back into bed. Five-thirty came too soon.
Back to the Miami airport, hauling the luggage across the universe. That airport is huge and not really convenient. After breakfast I made my way over to the boarding gate where I saw a different time and flight number listed. I went to inquire. The young woman behind the counter gave me a very annoyed look and said in her lovely Latin accent, "I already say it on the speeker. Ju weren't lissenin'. The plane weel be late. Please, seet down over dare, and wait." All the while she was waving her arm back and forth across the desk as if she were showing a display on the Price is Right. I think people are so amusing.
Finally got to Haiti an hour later as promised and still had a long way to go. Hot, hot, hot, everywhere I went. The A/C was not functioning while we waited to get through immigration and it was pretty rough. Lots of sweaty people and no air. One little boy nearly passed out until I convinced his mother to take off his long sleeved jacket. Made it through all the rest just fine and got outside to find Moyiz, the driver and Vital, Actionnel's little brother. Made it to the truck, which is a challenge in itself, because the men who "try to help" just to make a buck, literally take your cart or luggage away from you and then want you to pay them for "helping" when you get it back. It's a joke, but not to them.
We had three other people riding with us back to Bayonnais. Four in the back, me on the passenger side, and Moyiz driving. Our trip was the usual rough four hour ride without any real concerns. As we got closer, we could see that a serious storm was brewing over the mountains. We were racing against time to get there before the skies opened up. It was very dark and eerie looking. We finally turned off the main road to head to Bayonnais. What I am about to tell you is the reason why I added the word "barely" to my title. This road is supposed to be a shortcut rather than driving into Gonaives and turning from there. I hope to never again be on this road.
A little less than halfway to our destination we came to the part of the road that always makes me nervous. It is a very steep uphill climb that makes a sharp turn to the right. There is a cliff to the left and rocky mountain on the curve to the right. At first sight we could see that the previous rains had done some extensive damage to the road. Moyiz came to a stop to get prepared and assess his situation. There was about three feet of earth on the left of the road near the edge. Just inside of that was a very deep crevice that ran the length of the curve where the water had washed away the soil. Next to that, was a patch of earth about two to three feet wide. Next to that, was another very deep crevice and near the curve, nothing but loose rock that was piled too high to drive on. The locals had made attempts to fix the road by adding lots of small boulders along the way but they were very slick with jagged edges. So, here we went, trying to get up this incline. There was a lot of banging and bumping and wheels spinning and truck shifting as we inched our way up the first few feet. Moyiz decided that it was best to take the outer edge and try to ride the middle patch. It was going fine until the truck started sliding downward into the left crevice but he continued to press on. We got a little further and starting tilting even more. He tried moving the wheels back and forth to get some traction, still moving forward, and then Wham! The center patch collapsed and we sunk down in a huge hole. The engine died and everything was silent. I said, "God, no, please don't let us be stuck here. Help us, please!" Moyiz took a deep breath and then started the engine again. He turned the wheels sharply to the right and tried to go forward. Didn't move. He tried reverse. Nope. He turned the wheels sharply to the left and tried reverse. It started moving. The back wheels caught and we were slowly coming out of the hole. It immediately occurred to me that our rear end was headed towards the cliff. Just as the truck leveled off enough, Moyiz hit the brakes. I took a quick look in the side view mirror and could not see the road behind us. Just open air. My heart started to pound. So much so that I think it caused the truck to start slipping backwards. I leaned forward as far as I could and said, "Oh, Jesus" over and over again. In one quick motion, before slipping any further, Moyiz shifted into first and floored it while turning the wheels to the right. Rocks started flying and the wheels were spinning out. We were now moving ahead only we were riding practically sideways, leaning to the left, on the rocky side of the road. We were being tossed around like rag dolls, hanging on to whatever we could. A lot of bumps, jerks and bounces and a tremendous volume of noise. We made it past the curve, which seemed like hours, and finally leveled off around the bend. Moyiz brought the truck to a stop and we all started breathing again. I praised God out loud and I thanked Moyiz for keeping us safe by patting him several times on the shoulder. I felt like crying tears of relief. Moyiz took out his handkerchief and wiped his face, (I think he had a tear or two), his brow, his arms, and his hands. He was soaking wet. I will always be grateful for him.
Finally made it home another hour later and saw my beautiful kids. They were so excited and looked so different. Most looked like they had lost weight and did not look very healthy but they were smiling and laughing just the same. We had just enough time to get the bags out of the car and into the house before the rains came pouring down. I was so happy to be home. Safe and at home. I thank God for hearing our prayers. Amen!

Only Four More Days.....

2007-08-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

I've had a very long day already (since 9:00 a.m. and it is now 2:00 p.m.) fighting with the Internet service, trying to check email, and just now was finally able to log on to my blog page. Wow! Most people would call it quits but it's a half-hour walk back home and the rain is still coming down. We've had more of the same kind of weather for the past week. Yesterday it was my turn to have laundry done and of course it poured after the new girl, Jeanette, hung them on the line. My clothes spent the night there and continue to hang there because we've had more rain. I may be taking my clothes in a Hefty bag if we can't get them dry by Monday evening. I still have another load that she did not get to wash. Okay, Weather Angels, we need some sunshine around here!
I only have four more days to get ready for my short trip to Houston. The kids have been restless and some have been acting up. I think they are thinking I may not come back or they really don't want me to leave. I have had a few mixed emotions myself. I can see how my presence here is really important to them but I also am looking so forward to a break and being with family and friends. It has been very lonely here at times.
When I am able to spend time on the Internet, I try to find other websites of Americans that are currently living here and learning more about what life is like for them and the ways of Haiti. The biggest difference that I can see between them and me is that most of them are here with a group. I am here on my own. They have each other for encouragement and support when the times get tough. They can work out a game plan for their mission and laugh at each other's ability to endure the Haitian lifestyle. Most of them are dealing with the general public and other outside institutions. I am living in a family situation and actively involve with the daily lives of those around me. There's no doubt that being in my shoes is not an easy task but at the same time, it isn't exactly horrible. There are plenty of people in this community who have it so much worse than I do. Some go for days without food. Many are sleeping (or not sleeping) in very poor and wet conditions for the most part. Many are very sick without the means for getting well. But, the saddest of all, are the many who face each day without hope. I know what that feels like and I was living in America under wonderful conditions. The chances for survival and a better life are slim without hope. If I can at least acknowledge a few lost souls each day, and make them smile for the smallest reason, I feel I have done something good. I want to at least let them know that someone knows they are here and that they matter.
I have been here now for nearly four months and even though the novelty has died down some, there are still many who run out (especially the children) to greet me when I am coming down the road. I can hear them calling my name even before I see their faces. Some just want to touch me. Others want to practice saying something in English. Some are getting the courage to ask my name or tell me theirs. I, too, have had to be a little more courageous and practice some of my Creole. I can understand how they feel when they are unsure of what they are saying. I have been laughed at, but take it lightly. I make it a point not to laugh at them. I don't want to discourage future attempts.
As for my leaving, I have fast-forwarded several times, trying to imagine what it will be like when I have to say my final goodbye. I already love these children as if they were mine and it's only been four months! I am hoping that this short trip will give me a little more insight and a better understanding of what God has planned for me.
On a good note, we will be celebrating two August birthdays this weekend since I will be gone on the official days. Alicia will be 11 and Fenelson will be 12. They are very excited but I have not told them which day yet because I still want to surprise them. I am praying that the propane will hold out long enough to bake the cake and also that the oven won't burn it. We've already had one casualty with an Angel Food cake. The kids didn't care. They ate the burnt part too!
I have finished four of the eleven drawstring backpacks that I am making for the kids. Each time I finish one, a child will come and ask if his or hers is next. When I get back from Houston, I will definitely have to pull out the sewing machine and hope that there will be enough gas for the generator before school starts. Ours is still broken so we are using a smaller one that is on loan from Lucner. It only last for a couple of hours which is what we are used to anyway. Cuts into my mealtime and bedtime routine but it's only temporary.
It is now 4:00 p.m. because we lost the connection again. I hope to get this posted right away. As I reviewed my writing, I found it interesting that I have a theme of "fours" for each story. I wonder what that's about? Oh well, may the "Fours" be with you. Ha!
I hope to have time to write while I am in Houston but if not, I'll be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are some things that you folks back in the States should be thankful for:
1. Air-Conditioning
2. Electricity
3. A Refrigerator
4. Hot Showers with the lights on.
5. A Television with lots of stations to watch and the ability to change them.
6. Eating whatever you please, whenever you please.
7. Ice Cream
8. Doing whatever you feel like after 9:00 p.m. (indoors or out)
9. Driving down the street in your own car.
10. Reading a newspaper.
11. Listening to your favorite music all day.
12. Picking up the phone to make a call and actually having a conversation without static or a time delay.
13. Going to the movies.
14. A fresh cold salad.
15. The sound of silence.
16. A clothes dryer. Ha! Wish I had one now!
18. Your neighborhood grocery store or shopping center.
19. A house with more than two rooms.
20. Living in the United States of America.
I am grateful to be here but will certainly take advantage of all the amenities while I am in Houston. Thanks for caring. Love to all!

Field Trip to Dessalines (Part II)

2007-08-06T13:56:00.000-05:00

This is Part II of our field trip to Dessalines and even though it has a beginning and an ending, you still need to see Part I. I made some additions and corrections to my last posting so you may want to take another look. This field trip has been the highlight of the summer so far. It was a very exciting and informative trip which gave us much to think and pray about. I would like to share the fact that as I walked on the grounds of the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage, I had the strongest sense of God's love surrounding us, and His presence being very real. I felt the true spirit of being in God's country. It was not like anything I ever experienced before. I could see it on the faces of the people I met and it was also expressed constantly by the staff members. My thoughts seemed more clear and focused. Even now, the feeling is strong and I am enjoying this new peace. Thank you again to Jacquelin and all the wonderful staff.
Our beautiful school bus! Getting ready to make our first trip as a group.

Julius' wife and three daughters joined us on our field trip. The man behind her is the relief bus driver/mechanic.Our cook, Marie-Rose also joined us with her daughter Rosenelsia, seated in front.

Smith, Cadjina and Lucner. Excited to be heading out! It was her first time ever on a bus.

Jeemy-Ska and Angeline checking out the scenery and holding on for dear life.

The wide open space of the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage. Lots of grazing goats. We were told by Sterson that these were not Haitian goats but he was not sure of the kind. He said these goats could give birth to as many as five babies and the meat had good flavor. More land to add future amenities.

One of the many planters built around the complex to grow grapevines so the kids can make fresh juice.

Storage room to keep logs dry for the wood burning stoves. A very real blessing for them.

Still have a lot of ground to cover. Gathering the group for the next round. This part of the compound is on the complete opposite side from the garden and field with the honeybees.

Home of the older girls. Most were out doing their chores. To left of that are the homes of the elementary age kids.

Home of the older boys, mostly in their 20's. One of them was playing an acoustic guitar out on the patio when we were passing by. Also visible is one of the goals for the full size soccer field.

Swing set constructed by the orphans in the Metal Shop class. Two boys volunteer to demonstrate how it works.

Flying high without fear! The kids had never seen this before and were amazed at how high he went. Some of them were scared but most of them were laughing. None, except for Aquel, dared to try it. I'm sure in hindsight, they wished they had.

After our grand tour, they lead us back to the main house where we were surprised with glasses of cold water and then treated to homemade oatmeal raisin cookies and punch. Since it was now nearly 2:00 p.m. and we missed lunch, the kids devoured their snacks. I have never been a fan of raisins but I ate every one of them! I was either really that hungry or they were really that good. In all honesty, I have to say that both are true.
The living room of the main house which featured an upright piano on the left side where the covered bench is. A photo of the Peaveys hangs above the bookcase.

Sterson with one of the orphans helping in the kitchen. Little Melissa standing to the left.
The bathroom had both a tub and a shower. The other view did not come out so well but the room was nicely done.

A group of young orphans came to sing a couple of songs for us. The first one was sung in English and one of my favorites, Lord I Lift Your Name On High. The harmonies were just perfect and the voices were beautiful! The second song was in Creole but on a more contemporary level. I recognized the tune but did not understand the words, of course. I had chills the whole time they sang.

Our kids reciprocated with two of their favorite hymns. Both were in English: This Is The Day and He Is The King of Kings. I did not teach them these songs so it was a surprise for me as well. They did a great job and the other kids clapped for them.
A bittersweet farewell to our new friend and tour guide, Sterson. He said to me, more than once during our time there, "Please don't forget me. I will be here as your friend." He and Aquel formed an instant friendship and enjoyed each other's company.

Leaving Dessalines and heading home on the road under construction. Dessalines is located roughly southeast of Bayonnais. Eight hours on the road with a three hour visit in between. The cook still had to make dinner upon our return at 7:00 and we ate around 8:00 p.m.. Everyone literally passed out in their beds and it took a couple of days for all of us to recover. I think about the many Haitians who make this kind of trip every single day just for the mere sake of survival. Do they ever get a chance to recover or are they just accustomed to it? Pray for Haiti and for the ones who have the power to change the conditions.

Field Trip to Dessalines (Part I)

2007-08-03T14:12:00.001-05:00

Okay, so when a Haitian says, "It's only a couple of hours away" he really means FOUR. Wow! What a looonnnnnggg trip but well worth it. The primary reason was definitely the road conditions and secondly for the few stops we had to make before heading out. The first hour was spent just getting out of Bayonnais into Gonaives. I was very grateful for our new bus but the ride was really physically enduring. We were bounced and tossed around like rag dolls for the most part. The little ones found it easier to stand up and hold on to the backs of the seats. They could not see a thing while seated and with each bump would come popping up off the seat at least a foot high. I did the same standing up a couple of times when my back or bottom needed a break.
I took at least 80 pictures so this will have to be done in a couple of postings. I plan to post more pictures on Monday. The downloading takes the longest time. Anyway, here's a mini-tour of our visit.
We were first greeted by Sterson (he prefers to be called) since Jacquelin was still teaching his computer class. Sterson was so cheerful and friendly and such a joy to be around. He was very proud and thorough in his tour and gave great information about many things.
The Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage in Dessalines was started around 40 years ago by Donald and Doris Peavey of Michigan. They are still currently alive and living in Michigan. All the orphans call them Mom and Dad. There are currently 60+ orphans living at the orphanage from infants to young adults in their 20's. Over three hundred children have been a part of the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage. One complete generation has come and gone from this home. In addition to regular school classes, the orphanage also teaches computers, homemaking, gardening, auto mechanics, metal works, carpentry, and masonry. They also have a clinic with a nurse on 24 hour call. (She was also raised in the orphanage). The entire property operates on solar power.
Dumas Sterson is 22 years old and was born and raised in the orphanage. He loves it there. He is now one of the valued staff members.
Madame Rode was the very first orphan to live at Dessalines. She is forever grateful to the Peaveys for her wonderful life. She told our kids that the most important thing for them to remember was to love God with all your heart and to be kind to each other.
Jacquelin Jean came to the orphanage 26 years ago at the age of four. Out of his starting group of 17 children, only three remain. The others left on their own or were evicted for not following the rules. Jacquelin now teaches computer classes, has a Christian Rock band and is also a Disc Jockey for a local Christian radio station. He is a remarkable man. He said he never had an English teacher but would learn and practice everytime the missionaries came to visit. He speaks and understands the language very well. When he finally showed up halfway through the tour, I felt like I was seeing an old friend again. I only met him once a couple of months ago but he was so open and honest that I liked him right away. I know in my heart that we will always stay in touch.
(Note: I just discovered this today: You can double click on any photo to get a larger image. It is a full screen view. Click on the back <- button to return to blog).

Our wonderful welcoming committee. Left to right: Dumas Sterson, tour guide and staff member, Madame Rode, head cook and House Mother of the Orphanage, one of the orphan toddlers, Jacquelin Jean, Counselor, Teacher and new dear friend, and me, of course.

The kids were so excited about taking the tour and seeing all the features. They especially enjoyed the animals.

This is the area where the homeless and the very poor come every single day to have lunch or to take food home to share with their families.

Front of the house where the infants and toddlers live and play. Mural is of Noah's Ark. Very beautiful!

Back View: House on left is the dining hall. It has a full service kitchen with wood burning stove (see chimney) to prepare the daily meals on the right side of the house. Another full service kitchen on left side, using solar energy for baking, and a large eating area with picnic tables. House on the right accomodates the infants and toddlers. Grazing goats all around.

The property extends beyond the walls as well as across the road and into the hills. Sterson said they are not using it at this time and some of the land is up for sale. (Any buyers out there?) It's hard to see but there are some wooden boxes near the center of the wall which contain honey bees for their supply of honey. (click to enlarge)

Acres and acres of corn crops surrounded by an electrical fence to keep the animals out.

The Mango Heaven (located in Children's garden) complete with picnic table to enjoy the favored fruit or to just get away and relax in the serene atmosphere. A fantastic cool breeze could be felt here.

The Children's garden, filled with passion fruit, coconut trees, melons and other seasonal vegetables.

Two windmills for pumping fresh drinking and cooking water. A SunOven for baking bread by solar power. There were about 40 loaves cooking when we observed. The aroma was mouth-watering wonderful!

There are actually three goats in a row. Looks strange from this angle. There were more goats that were out grazing in the fields. They also had sheep which were in their pen at the time. Sterson said they had another very large cow but, because it kept damaging the walls,(see photo-right side of cows), they had to eat it.

The fish basin. I forgot to ask what kind. Lots of chickens! Some are for meals and others to lay eggs. Some of the chickens can lay up to eight eggs per day.

The computer room and church office.

This is the sanctuary. The scripture on the wall: Jesus said, "Let all the children come unto me". Sterson told us that all the materials for the church, roof and pews were provided by the Americans. The young men of the orphange provided all the labor with love and gratitude.

The church stage was built high enough to store additional pews underneath.

Our tour guide, Sterson, was kind enough to take a group shot of us. I am the one wearing the sunglasses. Ha-ha! The house behind us is the Guest House that was built to accomodate the visiting missionaries. It is surrounded by Loquat trees. They also have another house located within the city for the larger groups that come in to visit. We were invited to come back and stay a while. I am considering this for a future time.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour. I will add more pictures on Monday when I return. Please check again and in the meantime, keep us in your prayers. God Bless!

Just for Funzies....

2007-08-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's hump day again in Haiti and I am sitting out yet another storm. Have been fighting with the Internet service trying to save my work. Thought I would share a few pictures with you since I do not have my story finished. Tomorrow we will be taking a field trip to Dessalines (about two hours away) to visit an Orphanage that has been around for around 40 years. In late May or early June, one of the counselors came to Bayonnais to visit a friend and stopped by on his way out. He heard there was a new orphanage in the area with an American and wanted to introduce himself and visit. His name is Jacquelin Jean (yes, I said, His) and he was raised in this orphanage from the age of four. He is now thirty and working as a teacher and counselor at the orphanage. A very nice and polite gentleman that spoke English very well. He invited me to come and visit their place so that is what we plan to do. Originally, it was going to be just Saint Victor and I, but the guys decided to include all the kids and also to take our bus out for the first time. It should be a very interesting trip. I will plan to take lots of pictures, of course. In the meantime, here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.
The Modene Murphy Ministries Staff: (l to r) Saint-Victor Sejour, President and Senior Pastor, Vicki Jean Pierce, Director, Lucner Saint-Louis, Administrator, and Valentine Silvestre, Pastor

Our cook, Marie-Rose, getting tickled over having her picture taken. Ismalene being silly with her "goofy" face.

Carjina braiding the yarn hair on the Dallas Cowboy doll.

San Villea, our night Watchman. Just kidding, this was an hour before his shift.

Julius, our day Watchman, with two newborn goats. Only a few hours old and not able to walk yet.

A fun way to pass the time while the ground dries.

One of the many faces of our darling, Angeline.

I will be back on Friday, if the weather allows it, and will share our field trip adventure with you. Love and hugs to all. Thank you for tuning in.

Random Thoughts....

2007-07-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. This past week has been rather challenging and I have watched my rash fluctuate in severity in keeping with my levels of stress and the rising temperatures. Today it seems to have calmed down a bit and is not as noticeable to me or others.
We have had more problems with our generator thus leaving us literally in the dark for five of the past seven days. First it was the spark plug which was at the end of its use. Lucner cleaned it up and it worked for a night. We spent another evening struggling with the kerosene lamps (two of them) which both have missing glass covers due to mishaps. One by a dancing child (it was not lit at the time) and the other by an accidental adult (also not lit at the time). But, in the time of need, the lamps failed to stay lit during the strong winds of the evening. So, we just settled for a partial moonlight while we passed the time on the front porch contending with the microscopic biting mosquitoes. I brought out my boom box and let the kids listen to a sermon on the Christian Radio station. They listened along with our watchman and sang the hymns when they knew the words. I was in the dark in more ways than one. No interpreters on this night.
I was grateful for 8:00 p.m. which is bedtime for the little ones. The routine goes as follows: Escort five little ones to the bathroom by flashlight so they can brush their teeth and use the facilities one at a time before retiring. Then its off to the girls room so they can change into night clothes (they don't have pajamas so they find the most comfortable shirts or just sleep in their underwear). I tuck them in, give them hugs and kisses, and move on to prepare Jeemy-Ska for the same. By the time all of this is done an hour has passed and its time to say goodnight to the older kids. Thank God they can manage themselves for the most part.
The next night the watchman tried the generator and the pull starter decided to stick. It would not come out more than an inch. Another night in the dark. We had a mechanic come out and he worked on it. He told us that the gas was leaking into the oil and the generator needed more work. He fixed the pull starter and we had lights for a couple of hours until the gas ran out. The next night we repeated the same dark scene and will continue to do so until it is fixed or replaced. Although we were without lights again last evening, I was grateful for a beautiful full moon. We could see the shadows of the mountains and the various campfires in the hills. It was a peaceful sight.
I feel like a true Haitian now with the exception of the language barrier. However, I am getting better with my Creole. Last night I managed to say two complete sentences to the watchman and had to laugh when he looked at me in surprise. I laughed even more when he responded with a paragraph of words expecting me to understand. The kids thought it was funny as well and teased him about it. He said, "Well, she spoke perfect Creole, I thought she could understand me!"
The other downside of not having lights is the fact that I cannot read or do any of my sewing. I was in the process of making backpacks by hand for the kids and had finished two of them. I still have nine more to go. After completing the two and looking at the calendar,(only two weeks before I leave), I thought it would be wise to get my sewing machine out and finish the others. Not possible at this point, so I will have to be more creative and work faster in the daylight.
Speaking of reading, I finished my book, Fried Green Tomatoes, before the blackout. I managed to read it over a period of six days when I had the time or needed a break. The author, Fannie Flagg, turned out to be the woman I was thinking of. In the back of the book was her picture and a write up about who she was. I did not know that she was a writer and producer for television. She is definitely a great writer.
As for the story, I got so much out of the book that it was hard to determine what the message was. It was definitely a page turner and I hated to part with it when I had to put it down for whatever reason. Ms. Flagg paints a wonderful picture of what life was like during the depression and her humor is so clever and uplifting. By the end of the book, I was wishing that I actually knew these characters. She even included some great southern recipes in the back of her book. I'll have to try them when I get back home to Texas. Yum!
What I mostly came away with was to make the most of every day and live it as if it were your last. It's an old cliche but it finally hit home. I also recognized the value of friends and family and making memories as you go. Because, when it comes near time to go, (if we are fortunate enough to live so long), memories are all you have. How sad would it be to look back on our lives and have nothing to show for our existence? To have lived and not served a purpose for God and demostrated His love in all that we do. Our hope is to be able to remember.
I would like to take this moment to share another blogsite with you. It was sent to me by the couple who are planning to adopt our twins and I found it to be very informative for those who are interested in adoption. I wrote to the author, Angela, and she said she was happy to share her link as long as the readers know that she is simply a loving Mom sharing her personal experiences. This site is called: http://www.haitiadoptionhelp.blogspot.com/ and from there you can click on to her other more personal site http://www.makefunofyourday.blogspot.com/ and a third website http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/ . The Make Fun Of Your Day site is Angela's personal story about her family and her adopted Haitian family and is beautifully written. The Livesay site is a group on a missions trip and covers a lot of the political and daily challenges of living in Haiti. There is a great article about an interview with a Voodoo priest that I found most interesting as well as some insight to the Haitian President. Worth a look when you have time.
As a final thought, I would like to share what I have mostly been focusing on this past week. I have read for the second time since my arrival the book called "It's Not About Me" by Max Lucado. I am sure that I will continue to read it until it becomes an active part of me. The main idea of this book is to acknowledge the fact that we are here to be a reflection of our loving God. Being a mere human, this is no easy task for me. I tend to get irritated with the little things I cannot control (such as the generator) and lose site of the joys that are right in front of me. It is during these times of distraction that I have to turn and talk to my friend who has been here with me since the beginning. His name is Jesus.

On a Mission for a Visa

2007-07-23T12:29:00.000-05:00

It was a strange trip to say the least but we did accomplish our goal. I had hoped that this trip would go as smoothly as the last but we kept encountering all kinds of strange setbacks. I was trying to stay focused on keeping the positive energy flowing but Actionnel kept saying, "This is not a good sign". I am not sure if I gave up on my focus, if his energy was stronger than mine, or if we were just out of sync with the universe. It was a challenge for everyone. I am sorry to report that my Shingles or my "rash" has returned. It is only on my arms and legs so far. I am still not sure what the problem is but I do know that this is not fun.

No sooner than we left Bayonnais and got out on the main road, we came upon an accident that had happened a few minutes before. The first thing I saw was large crowd milling in the street. I then saw an ambulance trying to make its way around us and through the crowd. Soon we saw a crumpled motorcycle on its side with a bloody helmet nearby. Then, several yards further, we saw two men on lying on the street, motionless, lifeless and dead. It was such an eerie sight. As we passed, I felt like we were moving in slow motion and everything was so quiet. I saw the many faces of shock, fear and grief. We all said our own prayers for the men. I prayed that their passing was quick and that they were safe in heaven. I also prayed for their loved ones. It was a very sad sight.

When we arrived in Port Au Prince, it was around noon, so we headed for the restaurant where Actionnel prefers to eat when he is in town. They were closed because the shopping center was under construction and getting a face lift. We made a quick stop to have my pictures made for the visa (two head shots-only took five minutes) and then went to find another restaurant. When we got inside, we learned that they had been without power for a couple of days but were still serving hot meals. We did not have lights or air-conditioning and the food was okay (it was edible and tasted like food).

Next we headed for the bank to get the cashier's check. We found a great parking spot and were in and out of the bank pretty quick. Then we headed for the Immigration office. Another good spot to park, no problem getting in the door, and up the stairs to the office. We turned in all the paperwork and it was just a matter of waiting...or so we thought. We were told that the check was incorrect and should have been made out to the Public Treasurer. (in French, of course) Then we were told that the office for the fingerprinting closed at 1:00 p.m. (it was now 2:00) and we would need to come back the next day. So, none of us were happy about that. Now, it was back to the bank to correct the check and then over to the Wall's guest house to stay the night.

I was happy to see that the woman from the Netherlands (I thought she was French) and her adopted Haitian son were still there. She still has another month to wait for his passport and visa to come through. We visited for a while and her son seemed so much happier than the last time I saw him. I also met another man, Bill Anderson, from Canada who had just adopted a daughter name Maclaire (not sure of the spelling but it is pronounced Maclairee) and was waiting for her visa to be approved. What should have been a week turned into 25 days of waiting for him. He was a very good hands-on Dad and I think the time spent at the Walls gave him a great opportunity to bond with his daughter. He and his wife have three beautiful children together and they had both committed to adopting Maclaire and her twin sister which were born prematurely. The twin did not survive the first year but they still took "Claire". (that is what they will call her) She was so precious and tiny for a near two-year-old. I was impressed by her level of intelligence and both her fine and gross motor skills. Claire's Dad had some great stories to share about his experiences here. Some of them were pretty funny! (Not for him at the time, though). The next day, their visa was approved and they were heading home. We were all happy for them! God Bless the Anderson family in Canada!

Bill said his wife could not believe he shaved his head. He said that even he was not used to it yet. This will be great for the family photo album! Finally got a half smile from Claire. What a cutie!

Before Actionnel and his wife, Yolonde, came down for breakfast, I was in the reading area of the guest house and looking at the collection of books on the 4 shelf bookcase. There was a great variety from romance, history, suspense, and religion. One paperback caught my eye. On the side it said Fannie Flagg in large letters. I remember thinking, "Didn't she used to be on a game show that we watched?" I picked up the book and saw that it was titled 'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe'. I had once seen the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, and enjoyed it very much. I picked up the book and started reading. I had read six chapters by the time breakfast was served. Before leaving, I asked the manager if I could borrow the book and have Actionnel bring it back on his next trip. He said that was fine. I will get back to this story in a bit........

We went back to the immigration and finalized all the paperwork and paid our fees. We were then told that I could pick up my visa next Friday or anytime after that. We were just about to turn and go when Actionnel noticed that my last name was spelled incorrectly on the official document. They spelled it Pierre. The woman said she would have it fixed right away. We left hoping that she did just that. We did some quick shopping and then headed back to Bayonnais. When we were close to Saint Marc, we decided to stop and eat lunch. It was a small, dark, long and narrow restaurant. They had a television mounted high in the corner just left of the entrance door. The sound was up a bit but not too obnoxious. We sat midway in the restaurant and I had my back to the screen. I could hear shooting and yelling and other commotion coming from the television. Actionnel commented that he did not like movies like that. A little later I noticed that the sounds had calmed down and a new movie was beginning. I sat there eating my lunch and listened to the dialogue. It sounded so familiar! I almost knew the next line. I had to turn around and look at the screen only to see that they were showing....Yes, Fried Green Tomatoes! I was covered in goose bumps. I still don't know what this is supposed to mean or how in the world I came across this story twice...in Haiti!!!! Anyone have any clues?

So, after lunch we continued on with our journey. As we neared the mountains of Bayonnais, we could see the sky getting darker and darker. Just as we turned off the main road to head home, the clouds broke, the lightning and thunder roared and we were hit hard with a storm. The road turned into a river in a matter of minutes. Because our drive is uphill, the rust colored water was rushing down towards us so fast and the wheels were slipping and sliding around. We came across many people who were braving the weather. Actionnel picked up a few passengers along the way as he always does. It was amazing, but just after five very rough and hectic miles, as we were nearing our destination, the rain stopped and I saw the most beautiful rainbow spanning across the sky and over the mountain tops. I said a very sincere silent thank you to God for getting us there and back safely.

Since Friday evening, I have been enjoying my book and keeping my eyes open for a possible message or inspiration. I am more than halfway through the story and looking forward to finishing the rest. I thank you for taking the time to check my blog and for keeping up with the adventures. Love to all!

Angeline's Birthday!!!

2007-07-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

Wide-eyed and ready to taste! Happy 6th Birthday, Angeline!

Just bubbling with excitement and getting ready for the big "blow out"!

Angeline opens her gift of a small stuffed green teddy bear. She was so surprised and let out a huge laugh when she revealed the feet first. I also made her a beaded bracelet which spelled out her name. (see below-can't actually read it, but at least you can get the idea)

Had to put my art skills to work and draw the donkey for the "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" game. It was really more of a "Tape the Tail to the Wall" game. The kids were laughing hysterically while I was trying to demonstrate how the game worked. Once they caught on, they had a blast! Wish I had some shots of that but I was working alone with all eleven kids. Hard to handle a camera and a group of overly excited kids at the same time.

The kids decided to put their own tails on. Each tail had the child's name on it.

Do these look like the same kids from April? We all had so much fun! After the game, the kids danced for an hour to some music while I found the nearest chair and took a break. We will celebrate Fenelson's and Alicia's birthday next month before I leave for Houston. They talk about it everyday. A big thank you to Mrs. Wylmetta Harman for sending the complete birthday-in-a-box kit for us. The Funfetti cake was delicious and the kids wore their hats and blew their horns for the rest of the week. We managed to save the tablecloth. Will write about my trip to PAP on the next posting. Love to all!

Special Note: My son, Dylan, left today for California to start his internship with the Oakland Raiders. Please keep him in your prayers.

Three Months and Counting...

2007-07-18T16:00:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe another month has past but it really is true! Where have I been? Ah, yes, in Haiti.

I was unable to be here last Monday because we had so much going on at the Orphanage; finishing some construction in the house, trying to get ready for upcoming vacations and the new school year. We are also starting the annual (probably the first ever for some) check-ups for each child before going back to school. Jeemy-Ska was the first to go. Lucner took him to Gonaives and let him spend the night at his house. Lucner has two small children, a son, Lukemane who is not quite two, and a baby daughter, Luck D'Anna, who is only a few months old. I know he is having a great time there. They will be back late this afternoon. We all missed him very much. His absence was very noticeable.

I had really hoped to post the pictures of the birthday party for you but time did not allow for that today. I was busy writing the necessary letters and retrieving the necessary documents by email to prepare for my day trip back to Port Au Prince tomorrow. I hope things will go smoothly to request my Visa to stay here in Haiti. From what I understand, I am only supposed to be here for 90 days and then need to have permission. (Actually, I should have had this by now).Pray that all goes well and that I won't be arrested when I go home in August. :) ! I am looking forward to making the trip with Actionnel and his wife. It will be the first chance I have had to spend some real time with her.

I will go ahead and post the one picture I would love for you to see. It is when Angeline saw her cake for the first time. I think she thought the whole thing was hers. Ha! She is a real joy! I will post the rest the next chance I get. My Love to All and a special hello to my cousin Mark Alan who just sent me an email for the first time today! Thank you! I will be back online on Friday...if all goes well.

The Children's Profiles

2007-07-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

I have finally completed the profiles for the kids and posted their pictures. Please take the time to click on the link under the Blog Archive to "Meet the Family", or just scroll down until you find it. I would love for everyone to know who these kids are and what they are like. I did my best to condense the information but there was so much I wanted to say about them. I hope you will indulge me by reading all about each one of them.
I plan to have the pictures of Angeline's birthday celebration ready to post on Monday. The kids had so much fun and most of them ate cake for the very first time.
It has been a very long day and I am ready to head back home for some dinner and relaxation. Enjoy the profiles. Love to all!

Wednesday's Update

2007-07-11T16:12:00.001-05:00

I am only halfway through putting together the profiles for my kids at the orphanage. It has been a slow process gathering the information and downloading the pictures. I hope to have it finished by Friday.
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that things are still going well here. We endured quite a bit of rain for the past month and today the ground is getting close to dry. The wind is blowing quite strong and the sun is in full heat. Our thermostat showed that it was 84 degrees on our front porch at 6:30 this morning. It was hotter inside the house.

This was a typical view from our porch every afternoon and most mornings.

Our front yard (the soccer field) being washed out to the road. The smaller door on the gate was later blown off the hinges for the second time.

The good news is that I finally found my portable fan after two months of looking. The bad news is that the batteries (eight "D" size) did not last long. The good news is that I bought 16 more. The bad news is that the first set lasted four days and the second set is at the end of its energy. The good news is that I will get some more on Saturday. The bad news is that I will probably go broke trying to stay cool this summer or will just have to endure some sleepless nights. Oh the joys of Haiti!

I had the pleasure of sampling one of the first melons that Evaniel grew in his garden. It was not one of the best I ever tasted but it was nice to taste one again. This particular variety has very little meat, a ton of seeds and the fruit inside is a light pink.

On our way back from Port Au Prince last week, we stopped and bought some watermelons. They looked like the one I am holding except that the outside was a dark green and the fruit was a bright red. I brought them home and put them in the ice chest overnight. The kids had never had this kind and they had NEVER tasted a cold watermelon! They were so excited and devoured them in a matter of minutes. I could not cut them fast enough. They really were delicious. Next time I go, perhaps next week, I intend to buy the other kind of watermelon that look like the ones from Texas. Yum! I can't wait!
We have a new housekeeper that is helping out just for the summer and she is also putting in our landscape. I would have liked to have helped her with it since I come from a family of nurserymen and landscapers but she is considered "one of the best" in the area and I did not want to impose on her territory. It seems that her landscape design is suppose to look like a natural habitat or rather, there was not really a "design" or any kind of plan as far as I could tell. I'm sure it will turn out fine. What do I know? I ain't from 'round here.

Just getting started with the layout. Not a very good shot. I will take more pictures when the project is complete. It really is coming along nicely.

On a more personal note, I received an email from my son and he informed me that he has been offered a one month internship as an athletic trainer-trainee for the Oakland Raiders professional football team. He will be in California from July 22nd to August 25th and I will only have one or two days to spend with him when I make my trip home during that time. I am so excited about his new adventure and also very proud of him. God Bless you, Dylan! Be careful and have a great time!

My time here is up and my escort has arrived. The other good news is that today was the first chance I have had to ride my bike since it was returned to me. It works just fine but the rains kept the road too muddy to make the trip. Sure was a joy to be riding again! Hope to have my family blog ready to post on Friday. In the meantime, enjoy the news and enjoy the day! Love to all!

Meet the Family......

2007-07-11T14:03:00.001-05:00

Aquel Saint-Louis Remelus - Age 17 - Born May 17th, 1990
Aquel is a young boy still making the transition into manhood. He behaves according to what is going on around him. Although we celebrated his 18th birthday when I first came to Haiti, it turns out that he is only 17. I sometimes think that he is still younger than that. His mother is uncertain as to his real birth date. Aquel is the third child of four. He has two older brothers; the oldest is blind. He also has a younger sister that lives with his mother. His father died a few years ago. Aquel is very competitive in most games or sports. He thrives on soccer and marbles. He also tends to cheat while laughing about his attempts. He knows he won't get away with it. Aquel likes to learn about most things and especially English. He learns quickly and applies what he learns as often as he can. It bothers him that he started school late (age 13) but he is doing his best to succeed. Aquel will be in the Fifth Grade.

Ismalene Bernard - Age 10 - Born March 22, 1997

Ismalene is a beautiful but nervous girl. We are working on her habit of nail biting. She has constant mood swings that make it hard to determine how to approach her at times. She is basically good natured and is a big sister and mother to the other girls. She helps them get dressed and takes turns with Alicia to fix the hair of the younger girls. Ismalene has an interest in fashion design and is always trying new looks. She loves to wash clothes because it keeps her hands busy and she enjoys playing in the water. She is also very intelligent and finished the second grade in first place. She has five brothers and two sisters but is uncertain about where she fits in. Her mother is living and father is deceased. Ismalene will be in the Third Grade.

Fenelson Donacian - Age 11 - Born August 20, 1996

Fenelson is a boy of many words and speaks them in rapid fire. He used to say he was going to be a pastor until he discovered the joys of building and drawing. He now says he will be an engineer but calls himself an artist. He is constantly writing down vocabulary words and is always trying to learn English. He likes to debate and is quick to express his opinions. Fenelson is very conscious of his appearance and always dresses his best. He is also an excellent dancer with great rhythm. Fenelson is the oldest of four and had a hard time adjusting to the separation from his family. His mother is alive and father is deceased. Although he is very smart, he did not do well in school. Fenelson will repeat the Third Grade.

Smith Maxius - Age 11 - Born November 5, 1996

Smith is the big brother of Jeemy Ska. He is quiet for the most part but has an intelligent sense of humor that is like a breath of fresh air. He does very well in school and loves to play soccer. Smith is truly a big brother to Jeemy Ska and is always looking after his needs. Their mother died when he was eight and Jeemy was three. Their father is in very poor health and living conditions. They have an older brother and sister in their teens that live with others in the community. Smith wants to be an architect or engineer when he grows up; he has not decided. Smith will be in the First Grade.

Alicia Chery - Age 10 - Born August 28, 1997

Alicia is a pretty quiet child who can also get loud when someone invades her space. Her anger is usually justified. She is mostly a joy to be around. She loves to help with chores and is very serious about her studies. She is the baby of eight children but the only one who ever attended school. Both of her parents are living but her father has been out of the picture for years. Her mother and siblings live in horrible conditions. She is also a cousin to the twins. Alicia is a fast learner and enjoys working on her English. She also has a fun and silly side which is so wonderful to see. She usually catches me by surprise with her antics. Alicia will be in the First Grade.

Marc Antoine Sentile - age 10 - Born March 24, 1997

Marc Antoine is a little shy and sometimes timid. He is a follower and shows signs of being dyslexic. He claims to have eleven brothers and six sisters but they come from different mothers or fathers. He is not sure where he fits into the order. Both parents are living but do not have room in their lives to care for him. He was living with his Grandmother before coming to MMM. It is understandable that he is a confused child. He is active but not as coordinated as his peers in sports. He usually has the others laughing at his unintentional mistakes but keeps the laughter going by making them laugh on purpose. The kids think he is a comedian. He is also a very loving child. He has a beautiful smile and a great laugh when something strikes him as funny. Marc Antoine will be in the First Grade.

Angeline Louis-Marc - Age 6 - Born July 12, 2002

Angeline is our zany child and a bundle of energy. She is also a very affectionate child. She is constantly moving and singing. Rarely will you see her still except for when she sleeps. She loves to dance, run, spin, do half one-legged handstands and partial cartwheels. She will jump for the joy of jumping. She loves language and will repeat a sentence she has learned, over and over, until she thinks of something else to say. She loves the color red and loves looking at books. She will call your name and make a silly face to get a laugh. She celebrated her sixth birthday yesterday and she loved her birthday party. (Pictures and story to follow soon). She is the oldest of three girls and her two year old sisters are twins. Both parents are living but the father is not involved with the family. The mother's living conditions are very bad. Angeline will be in Preschool.
Cardina "Dina" Chery - Age 5 - Born March 11, 2002

Cardina is usually smiling but is the more serious twin. She approaches things with caution and usually studies something before attempting to try it. She loves the color blue and enjoys playing with stuffed animals or anything that looks like a doll. She and her sister are identical twins except for the silver dollar sized birthmark on her sister's back. We still have trouble telling them apart without checking. Hope to get some earrings soon. Cardina will be in Preschool.
Cadjina "Jina" Chery - Age 5 - Born March 11, 2002

Cadjina is the more active twin. She does not mean to cause trouble, she just has a lot of ideas that are not exactly practical. She is a leader and has motherly instincts when it comes to her twin or her peers. She also mothers anything that looks like a baby. You will usually see her braiding the yarn hair of the Dallas Cowboy football player doll that someone donated or rocking her stuffed teddy bear wrapped in a towel. She loves the color pink and dreads having her own hair done everyday. She is usually smiling but can cry crocodile tears for longer than necessary. Cadjina will be in Preschool.

Cardina and Cadjina have a half-sister that is almost one year old. Their father died suddenly two years ago and their mother remarried. They have mutually decided to not keep the twins.

Noula Fils-Aime-Donacian - Age 5 - Born April 5, 2002

Noula is a very sweet and quiet child. The only time she gets loud is when someone bullies or disturbs her and then she SPEAKS! She is very self-conscious about smiling because her baby teeth are in very poor condition. Noula is a bright child and learns quickly. She spends most of her time writing the alphabets or looking at books. She also enjoys pretend play with the twins. We do not have all the information for Noula's family at this time.Noula will be in Preschool.

Jeemy-Ska Maxius - Age 5 - Born Jan. 2, 2002

Jeemy-Ska, little brother of Smith, loves to play with the small cars and building blocks. His favorite color is orange. Favorite thing to do: Eat! He has learned how to say, "Ms. Vicki Jean, I am hungry!" in English, and usually says it just before meal time. He is hoping I will speed things up. Although he can consume quite a bit, he is underweight for his age. His head weighs about as much as his body. Jeemy-Ska is very intelligent and makes great observations about what goes on around him. Most adults like spending time with him. He is a very happy and loving child and almost never has to be disciplined. Jeemy-Ska will be in Preschool.

I hope you enjoyed meeting my beautiful Haitian family. They have been a daily blessing and a joy for me. If anyone would like to be a sponsor for any of the kids, please feel free to email me VJPierce@gmail.com and let me know. I can also be reached on this blogsite. Thank you for your interest in my kids and for all your prayers. God Bless.

It's Only the Beginning....

2007-07-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

I have been quite busy for the past week working on several different projects and trying to stay focused on my purpose here. The two main concerns were trying to see about getting help for our roads and learning more about the laws regarding adoption in this country.
I took a two day trip to Port Au Prince and back this week with Actionnel and three students. I needed to go to the Haitian Immigration to see about getting my Visa and they were there to visit. Divine intervention made it possible for us to find the perfect place to park (close and in a shady spot) and to get in and out of the Immigration office in a matter of minutes without any problems at all. That is not too common in any large city of millions. The woman that assisted us was very pleasant and helpful. Also not so common. She gave us a printout for the list of requirements and explained each one to us. But, as one woman said, "You only really need it when you are leaving the country". So, since I am planning a short trip to Texas in mid August, I need to take care of it soon.
I described the road conditions to Gonaives in my earlier blog and I am sad to say that the road to Port Au Prince is twice as bad. It is the same road that I originally came in on but it has sustained more damage as well. Since we have had so much rain in the past few weeks, it is a huge challenge to make the trip in a vehicle and especially on foot. Some of the holes are three to four feet deep and twice as wide. Full of water and very soft earth. It is also necessary to cross the river two or three times when leaving or coming into Bayonnais. Again, when it rains, it is extremely dangerous. I was constantly thanking God for the fact that we were in a Toyota truck that sits high on the ground and also has four wheel drive. I just don't see how people do it everyday. When we got out on the "good road" we still had to use a lot of caution with the sudden dips and loose gravel. We drove on whatever side of the road that was driveable and also had to watch for other vehicles. There was so much dust it looked like a snowstorm. All the trees were covered in it. I was very grateful for the fact that the truck had air-conditioning (something I have not experienced in over two months) so we were able to stay cool and keep the windows rolled up. It was actually a very nice trip there and back in spite of the bruises and whiplash.
We stayed at a wonderful place called the Walls International Guests House and I felt so at home and comfortable there. The place was very clean and the staff was helpful and polite. It had a small swimming pool, which we did not use, and also had a couple of conference rooms. The property was surrounded by a tall concrete wall and had a large solid iron security gate. They also had 24 hour guard protection. We were provided with dinner and breakfast the next morning and everything was really delicious. I especially enjoyed the french toast. My room had an A/C unit as well as an oscillating fan. I felt so spoiled but I was loving every minute of it.
While we were there, I met a woman from Canada that had just adopted a little 19 month old Haitian girl and they were waiting for the girl's passport to come through so she could go home. I asked her a lot of questions because we currently have a couple that are interested in adopting the twins, Cardina and Carjina. One of the men that came to visit last month expressed an interest while he was here and we have been staying in touch. So, I am doing what I can to get some information to them. Thanks to God, I was able to meet this woman from Canada. She said it took her almost eighteen months for the process from start to finish. I hope to see this through before I leave.
During breakfast the next morning, we met a gentleman from Indiana that talked about a new concept for repairing the roads in Haiti. I was very interested and fascinated by his ideas and with the work he has done to reach the right people. I told him we would be willing to be his guinea pigs in Bayonnais if he wanted to start experimenting somewhere. He gave us his card so I hope to continue to stay in touch with him.
I have had enough "coincidences" in my life to know that there is no such thing. I was right where I needed to be and I thank God for his divine guidance. I was able to move a little further on the two most important concerns. It is only the beginning.
When I returned home from PAP, the kids were so excited to see me. You would have thought I had been away for a month. It will be tough when I leave in August for two weeks and even harder when I take a month in December. By then, we will be much closer then we are now. The only thing that makes it okay for them is knowing that I will come back and I will also be bringing some great gifts, specifically the DVD's for them to watch.
Yesterday, Lucner spent most of his day working on the files for our children and having the kids measured for their school uniforms. Since the orphanage opened in March, a few of our kids did not have a uniform. This year, they will all look so sharp. Lucner also went to visit all of the family members of our orphans. Even though they have one parent that is still living, their living conditions are so bad that they are unable to care for their children. All of the parents said that they have put their children in our hands and they hope that we will be able to find homes for them. The fact that our budget only allows us to take in eleven children and our house is set up to accommodate only 12 at this time, we are very limited in being able to help the hundreds and hundreds of other children here in Bayonnais who have the same needs. Nearly all of our orphans have siblings and the parents are begging us to take the others. It is very heartbreaking to know their circumstances and to have to say no and walk away.

And now for my public service announcement:
With the new school year just around the corner and eleven souls to take care of, we truly need your help. If you would like to sponsor a child, we are asking for $30.00 per month to help with their needs. The children are fed three hot meals a day and we have four staff members in addition to Lucner, Saint-Victor and myself (volunteer) to watch over and care for them.We also have about 150 other students that attend school on our property and many of them cannot afford their tuition. The children in Haiti are required to pay to go to school, otherwise, they do not get an education. The tuition covers the salaries of the teachers and the replenishing of supplies .We also will need to add on to our current school building and build more benches to accomodate the additional children that will be joining us this year. We could have as many as 200+ when school starts. We still have many that cannot afford their uniforms, their books and other school supplies. We are not set up as of yet to serve lunch during the school day for our students. For most of them, this is the only meal they get. If we are not set up for it, then most of our students will go hungry day after day. We hope that by having sponsors or more funding, we can enlarge our kitchen and add more staff to make it possible.
If you are seriously considering adoption, I would like to be able to help you accomplish that dream. Every state has its own rules so research would be necessary in order to have the proper information and speed up the process. It would truly be a blessing for these children to have a place to call home and to be cared for by a loving family.
If you have a place in your heart for children or have been led by God to do your part in helping, please contact me at VJPierce@gmail.com. We will be happy to give you all the information about the child and keep you posted on a regular basis about their needs, their health and their progress. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and Bayonnais is the poorest region in Haiti. Please do what you are lead to do to help. We will be forever grateful and especially the children whose lives will be changed for the better.

Many of you who have been keeping up with my blog know most of my kids and the faces that go with them. Next week, I plan to post their pictures along with some information on each child so that you can know them a little better. They are all really good kids and I have come to love them very much in the eleven weeks that I have been here. I hope that you will come to love them as well. Thank you for caring and for your continued prayers. God Bless!

Health update: For those who are wondering, all visible signs of my Shingles rash have disappeared but I am still experiencing the strange prickly feeling on my skin in all parts of my body. Whether it was the Amoxicillin or the Haitian antibiotic cream, I don't know for sure? I am just happy to be rid of the itching and the painful rash. I have an appointment scheduled with my doctor in August and hopefully all will be better by then.

Road Update

2007-06-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

After posting my last story about "Between here and There", I spoke with Actionnel to see if he had any new information about the upcoming construction. He said it was a missions team with the U.N. that he met and spoke with. Their last report to him was to let him know that they have decided that the road conditions are so bad (Yes, that was the reason for needing it fixed) that they do not feel they can get their equipment in here to fix it. Bottom line, they have no further plans for improving the road. I was very sad to hear that and those who have already heard the news are very disappointed.
If there is anyone out there who would love to take on the challenge and show the U.N. that miracles can happen, we welcome your support and your help.Keep the prayers going .............................. Amen.

Between Here.../\..../\../\..and.../\./\..../\.../\...There!

2007-06-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

The small upside down "V's' and the in-between dots are suppose to represent the humps and dips in the approximate twenty miles of road to Gonaives. (I am sort of limited with illustrations on the keyboard). I just recently took my second trip into the city since my arrival in April and was amazed to see that in the short time I have been here, the road conditions have managed to become increasingly worse.
I rode into town on the back of a motorcycle which was quite pleasant, although a little rough, and made the trip back in a tap-tap (Haitian taxi) which was much, much worse. Even for the physically fit, (not me, of course), it can be a painful ride. Old injuries in my neck and back were feeling the impact of every shift, bump and sudden dip. I was exhausted by the time I arrived back home. Although I had the honor of riding inside the truck on the passenger side, I kept one hand on the door frame to steady myself or hang on so I would not end up in the driver's lap. I was very surprised to see that my hand and arm were the thickly covered in road dust. I can only imagine what the people in the back looked like when they got home. Going to Gonaives on the motorcycle took about 35 minutes and coming back took more than an hour. There really are some terrible deep holes that a small pick-up truck cannot maneuver around with a bed loaded down with people and supplies. Some holes are so wide and deep, that even after a number of days without rain, the water is still standing and full of green slime and mosquitoes. A health hazard as well. For the areas where the water does recede, there are multiple deep muddy ruts where many have attempted different ways to cross to avoid becoming stuck. In the cases where the driver's attempts have failed, the Haitians are familiar enough with the routine of having to jump out of the vehicle to lighten the load and assist in the rescue. It's all part of the journey and they are happy to have a way to get there.
Although I had the camera with me and took a few shots, the vehicle was not steady enough to take a clear enough picture to publish. Therefore, they have been deleted. The best way to capture the experience would be to videotape the actual ride. However, some viewers would probably experience virtual motion sickness. It really is sad to know that this is the only way in or out of Bayonnais and it is very hard on people, animals, and the many vehicles that travel on this road, but they do it every single day.
On the trip to Gonaives, I saw some men and women wearing T-Shirts that said USAids and they were working on digging ditches for the drip irrigation system along both sides of the road. Other than that, I did not see any other construction taking place.
I know that Actionnel met with some people in Port Au Prince a couple of weeks ago to discuss the road conditions between here and Gonaives and for the completion of the bridge. He said they made a trip out here to see for themselves and have agreed to start working on it. However, I have not seen anything yet. I also know that the Engineers Without Borders are still actively involved with Bayonnais and that plans are in the works to make some improvements very soon. It will be a blessing to all when the changes take place. Getting from Point A to Point B won't be such a chore and progress can happen much faster in this community. Bringing in supplies for home improvements, adding on to a church or school building, or perhaps even building a small store, will be so much more feasible.

Of course, during the improvements, they will have to contend with delays due to the construction equipment and a road that is mostly one lane. You know, the morning and evening traffic...a.k.a. rush hour. It is a sacrifice that I'm sure all are willing to make. They are excited about the possibility of having an actual paved road to walk, ride and drive on. It will take some getting used to for the locals and the driver/pedestrian rules will need to change. I can imagine that the donkeys and other animals will be a little confused as well.
I pray that God sends help soon and that the road completion will happen during my time here. I would love to be a witness to it and to share the joy on my Blog. For all you prayer warriors out there, please add this to your list of things to pray for. It is only one of many much-needed prayers to be answered but it will be the key to "paving the way" to finding the answers. God Bless!

School is Out....Summer Break is Here!

2007-06-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

Just like most kids anywhere in the world, my kids are so happy to be out of school. It is apparent in their faces and in the noise level in the mornings. The kids are sleeping in later (until 6:00 a.m. instead of 5:30) and they are more cheerful and friendly. It's funny but I can usually find them in the living room practicing the spelling of their names in their handwriting tablets or writing some vocabulary words on the dry erase board - in English. The younger ones go for the books or building blocks.

This past week and a half, I have introduced a few more "things" for the children to play with and learn about. They are so happy and excited to have new and interesting activities. The first big hit was the construction set called the ZomeTool Structural set that someone donated in our last shipment. A big thank you to the person that sent it. It has become the favorite and is a great way for them to do something calm and relaxing. It has also been helpful with teaching them about geometric shapes. Three of my boys now say they want to be Engineers or Architects. Here are some examples of their creative works:

From left to right: Marc Antoine, Aquel, Fenelson, and Ismalene.

Jeemy-Ska and his new "chapo" hat. Note: The kids were also very excited when I added my table and lamp to the living room. They had never seen a lamp before.

Smith (Jeemy-Ska's big brother) designs his own trombone.

Having finally located my jar of marbles, I was so happy to give them to the kids. I thought they were going to squeeze me to death. This is one game that they know very well and were thrilled to have so many great marbles to play with. Even the "Big" kids (adults) were just as excited and one could not resist participating in the first match.

Trying to decide which amazing marbles to pick.

Getting set up for the game.

Fenelson takes aim on his target.

Evaniel, the "Big" kid and husband of our cook Marie-Rose, takes his shot.

Aquel, watch out for the ricochet!

Then there was Tether-Ball. I have not seen one since elementary school. We first had to erect our "pole" (small tree) into the ground with rocks, dirt and water. We secured the rope and ball to the pole and then waited for the pole to set. (Not very long). Teaching them to play was just as comical as watching them. Everyone had a blast. It has been a daily activity as well.

Christmas in June? Jeemy-Ska seems to think so. Can you tell he likes hats?

Smith puts some height and speed on the ball. Making the winning point.

I should add that the girls also participated in the games but not while the camera was available. There is still so much more for them to learn and experience but I am pacing myself and allowing them some time to enjoy one thing before going to the next. The kids are so happy to have such wonderful things to do for their long hot summer days. Thanks to everyone who brought them some joy! God Bless you for your gifts and your thoughtfulness.

Then, of course, there's the down side...

2007-06-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

Note to my dear Readers: Today is Tuesday, the 19th of June and I am presently in Gonaives at the Internet Office. It seems that the box that connects the cables for the Internet service at OFCB is in need of repair. It has been out of commission since last Friday and hopefully will be restored by tomorrow. Until then, I hope I haven't caused concern for anyone and that this posting will do for today. It is a long letter so please get comfortable. I have had plenty of time to write the past few days. I will have more fun pictures to share with you the next time. Need to get them organized. As always, thank you for your interest and your prayers. My Love to All!

Today, on the 18th of June, marks the end of the second month of my living in Haiti. I have already seen and experienced quite a bit but still have so much more to learn about and explore. Some things I have found fascinating and others leave me shaking my head in confusion. Of course, everybody would love to have a glorious time no matter where they are or what they do but the truth is, life is not designed that way. There are some very real issues that can be upsetting and change the way you think or feel. I heard a saying in my twenties that I have always liked: Life is what’s so, but it’s also, so what! The whole key is attitude and how you view life.
This brings us to the next topic: Stress. It seems that the human body finds a way to deal with stress in any way that it can and it usually results in an illness of some sort. Sometimes it can take up to a year before an illness or an accident occurs because of stress. My body decided it was time to display the results of all the stress I have been through in the past few months. What I thought was a simple heat rash seems to have manifested into something a little more annoying and potentially serious. My previous personal experience tells me that I now have a real case of Shingles. I experienced it in my thirties but only on the tops of both of my thighs. My doctor explained that Shingles are simply ruptured nerve endings, which can happen when one is under constant stress. Once you have had it, you can be susceptible to having it again. Looking back over the past few weeks, I can now understand and recognize the strange tingling and random numbness I was feeling in my arms and legs prior to the physical outbreak. Currently, the only part of my body that has not been affected yet is my face and the bottom of my hands and feet. I have known people who had it in their eyes and inside their mouth. I am hoping that it won’t go that far. Of course, the heat only aggravates it and seems to stimulate the skin eruptions. Fortunately, I have a ten-day supply of Amoxicillin that was prescribed for me in April after some dental work, but I kept it “just in case”, which I have decided is now! I am hoping that this will help to minimize (too late) the severity of the rash. Aveeno, Benadryl Gel, and Calamine have not been effective. (If anyone has any suggestions or advice, I am open to them). The most difficult part of having Shingles is that it is painful to have anything touching your skin. To give you an idea of what it feels like, I can only compare it to the sensation of how your skin feels when it is covered in fiberglass. It is the very same sensation, only constant. There is also the frustration of resisting the urge to scratch when every part of you has an itch. Scratching is very painful and disturbs the clear tiny blisters that tend to multiply. The ice cold showers offer relief but only while I am in it. If I were an African-American, I would gladly shed my clothes, submerge myself in the cool river, and blend in for the day. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
For my next not- so- good-news, I am still uncertain as to how I should feel about this. I was very upset and angry at first but now I guess I am just somewhat numb. Last week while I was working at OFCB, someone, or several some ones, took it upon themselves to use my bicycle for their own use. I noticed a couple of times that my bike had been moved and the gears were changed. When I came to work last Friday, I asked one of the staff members where I could purchase a lock for my bike. He offered to get one in Gonaives for me over the weekend. Later in the afternoon, I had that “feeling”. I went to check on my bike and saw that it had been moved. I went downstairs to move it back to the place where it was parked. That is when I discovered that the right hand gear shifter was broken. The entire mechanism was separated from the round plastic housing on the handle bar and the cable had been stretched out. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the front reflector was missing and the hardware that held it was twisted and bent to the side. I noticed the mud on it and on the brake handle. There were also a couple of dark patches of rubber on the rear tire where the tread used to be. It became obvious that the bike had been wrecked as well. Now I was seething with anger. I had so many thoughts rushing through my mind. How can someone just take my bike without my permission? How can people just damage someone’s property and put it back without saying a word to the owner? What makes them think that they are entitled to use my bike? What gives them the right to do such a thing? I felt like I did when my apartment had been broken into and my possessions were stolen. So violated! It shattered my trust. Then there was the other side….Well, I knew it was a problem. I saw that the bike had been moved before, that’s why I mentioned the lock. It’s too late to worry about it now! Then the thoughts went back and forth. It’s only a bike. Yeah, but it’s MY bike! I was really enjoying the times I was riding it. Well… I kept saying I was giving everything away. Yeah, but in GOOD condition… not damaged! Well, I did make the decision to not be attached to my possessions. Maybe God was saying, “Okay, let’s see if you are serious. I’ll make it easier for you”. Suddenly I noticed that I was holding my breath so I let out a deep sigh and just shook my head. It’s just stuff! Outwardly, I appeared very calm so no one seemed too concerned. When I showed the damage to a couple of people, they just shrugged their shoulders and smiled. Others thought it was very amusing. I heard my name along with Creole chatter, giggles and laughter, more than I care to count. I had a real sense of being a stranger in a strange land. I finally found Actionnel, who found the guilty party (a ninth grade student), and then confronted him. They spoke for several minutes and then the student walked away. He did not even attempt to apologize to me. The only apologies I received were from Actionnel and the brother of the amateur bicycle rider. Actionnel said he would take the bike to Gonaives to see if he could have it repaired. I looked at my bike thinking that it would never again be the same. I doubted that they could find the right parts to fix it if they could fix it at all. (Hey Bubba, all we need is wire and some duck tape….an inside Redneck joke). I told Actionnel that if it was not possible to repair it, I would be willing accept his Toyota truck as a replacement. He had a very good laugh over that statement. So did I. Ah yes, another lovely day in Haiti. The anger is gone but I am still a little sad. I know when I leave here, the bike will remain in Haiti along with the rest of my possessions, so this is just part of the “letting go” process.
It is unfortunate that this had to happen but it happens everywhere. I cannot judge a country or it’s people by the behavior of one. However, in the short time I have been here, I have observed some attitudes and behaviors that are labeled by the Haitians themselves as “the Haitian way”. A lack of apologizing is one of them. I actually know someone here who is in the habit of saying, “I did that, but it’s not my fault!” In this small community of Bayonnais, there seems to be a general lack of respect for personal possessions because most of what they have is not worth having. They are not accustomed to “taking care” of something valuable. They are familiar with the fact that Americans are usually the ones who bring “the good stuff” from the U.S. and some feel that they are entitled to it. Whatever they desire to have, they expect you to give. Quite a few are under the assumption that because I am from America, I must be rich. I have had to use caution in my dealings with some of the local residents. I have already been confronted by a few who have demanded that I give them money or something I possess and they are not shy about being aggressive. They do not have a problem with “getting in my face” or grabbing my arm or the object that they want. I just have to stand firm and let them know with my body language, facial expressions, and in some cases, their own language, that they will not get what they are asking for. Again, it happens everywhere. It is particularly disheartening when faced with the reality of the situation. I just need to ignore the few bad seeds and keep my eyes on God and my purpose for being here.
Now I would like to give you the down side of actually living here. I have been asked more than once, “How do you like living in Haiti? What’s it like?”Well…if I don’t pay any attention to the heat, the dust, the constant rains, the mud, the mosquitoes, the greasy food, the hot beverages, the dripping perspiration, the body odors, the other odors, the variety of continuous noises (made by animals and humans) and the lack of privacy, it’s not bad at all. I have yet to meet another American who knows what it is like to “live” here in Haiti and call it home, but I would love to have the opportunity. The ones I have met were just “visiting” for a short time and were treated as visitors. They also had electricity 24-7 (when it was working) and fans! Oh, the luxury!
The fact that we are living as a family in a home with young children, makes my situation a little different. I am playing the roll of mother, father, teacher, friend, and disciplinarian. I am using my skills and experiences as a homemaker, educator, spiritual guide, nurse, nutritionist, carpenter, and mechanic. I am limited with the tools and supplies that I currently have for my use. I have eleven children that both love and resent my presence. I have staff members that feel the same way. It is the desire of the founders of MMM for me to teach everyone who lives here or is involved here how to speak English. They also want me to teach them proper etiquette, personal hygiene, care of self and their environment. Again, when you are dealing with a group of people who have never seen a real toilet, much less used one, or a house with a real floor, separate rooms, actual beds, furniture and electricity, it’s hard for them to understand what or how they are suppose to care for it. They love that I am there to show them the way but they resent when I have to correct them or confront them. They love the attention and devotion but resent the discipline and the fact that things need to be done daily and sometimes according to schedule. We have fun but we also have our differences just as any family does. The children are actually more accepting and easier to deal with than the adults that are set in their ways. It is very common. You know, old dogs, new tricks. It has been a challenge and sometimes very frustrating. Especially when dealing with the same important issues repeatedly. I hear myself saying, “I did not come here for this!” when in fact, I did. I just don’t like what goes along with it. I have had to change the way I approach things. I have had to exercise more patience for the fact that they are not aware of many concepts and never had to be. Some examples would be to use the eating utensils and not their hands to eat. The way to hold a knife and fork and how to cut the meat (not very common, but it happened once). Only a small amount of liquid soap (not the entire bottle) is needed to take a bath. The same goes for the toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, laundry soap, dish washing liquid and household cleansers. The cardboard dustpan (that I introduced because they used their hands to gather the trash and dust) does not hold up in water. The trash goes in the trashcan, not on the ground just outside the door. The dishtowel is for drying “clean” dishes only. The potholders are not for grabbing hot coals of charcoal to return to the stove. Because the radio knob goes up to level 10 does not mean you have to set it there. It is not okay to spit inside the house or cough in someone’s face. The fact that the boxers look like shorts does not make them shorts. The book is not for squashing spiders. Words like “please, excuse me, thank you, and I’m sorry” need to be a part of your everyday vocabulary. I am happy to say that I am starting to see results among the children with the concept of manners.
Because I am dealing with a wide range of ages and personalities, my job is continuous and I am constantly moving from one situation to the next and from one person to another. Sometimes several will have a need that requires my immediate attention and my name is constantly called. I have exhausted myself on occasion. Mishaps or disagreements tend to happen when I am in another room. (Gee, I wonder why?) On the days that I am at OFCB, I have to remind myself to take the attitude of “So what!” My absence gives everyone a break and allows him or her to discipline themselves or each other. It allows me the time to regroup and catch my second wind for when I return. It is a slow process, but as a teacher, I am well aware of the stages of the process and the joy of the positive results. Therefore, at the end of the day, when I am saying goodnight to eleven precious souls or kissing the forehead of a five-year-old that is wrapped in my arms, sleeping in my lap, it makes it all worth it. I love being here. I thank God for this moment in time.
Great News!!!
My bike has been repaired and was returned to me this afternoon. The original parts are still there and all looks very well. Yippee! Thank you, Actionnel, for your help in getting it done so quickly.

Blogger Blackout or so I thought....

2007-06-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

Howdy friends and family. This past Monday, I spent several hours getting my story together and ready to post. Right about the time I was about to save my work and do my final editing, we lost our internet connection. I left here thinking that I would have to wait until Wednesday to complete my work. When I checked the blog this morning I was surprised to see that it had been posted. It was unfinished, so if you happened to read it in the past two days, please take the time to read it again, as I have made some changes and additions. I am still working on my other stories but do not have all the necessary information as of yet.

Below are a few pictures I'd like to share with you . Enjoy and God Bless!

I have always had a fascination with trees and "Mapou" is one that impresses me. Here are a couple of shots of the interesting branches. The bark of the tree resembles the skin of an elephant.

When Jim Smith of the First Baptist Church Huntersville saw these branches, he commented that he would love to tie a swing to the tree. I said it would need to be a porch swing. How fun would that be?
Wash day at the river. Bathtime for some. The clothes on the ground are drying as well as the ones scattered on the bushes across the river.

A typical food storage hut. The tin funnels are designed to keep small animals from climbing up the posts.

A mother hen finds a safe place to hatch her unborn chicks.

My love and blessings to all. Please keep us in your prayers.

A Wonderful Weekend

2007-06-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

Last week I really struggled to come up with topics to write about on the blog and this week I have four stories to share but did not know which one to start with. I finally decided to tell you about this past weekend because I had such a wonderful time and was very happy to have American visitors.

A group of five people came in last Wednesday from North Carolina and they were on a Missions trip for the First Baptist Church Huntersville - FBCH. There was a married couple and three other men traveling together.

Cheerfully posing in front of "Mapou", one of the oldest and largest trees in Haiti. You can guesstimate the width of the trunk by comparing it to the people in front. Does not measure up to a Redwood tree but still as interesting. (From left to right) David Mashburn and his lovely wife Rita, Robert Wallace, Scott Phillips, and Jim Smith.

It is my understanding that Actionnel was in North Carolina about twelve years ago and went to visit FBCH to speak at the church and talk about Haiti and his vision for OFCB. The church was very interested in helping and being a part of a growing ministry so they began raising funds to help build the church. Since that time, they have been financially and spiritually supportive for the past twelve years. David and his wife, Rita met Actionnel during his visit but had not seen him for all these years. This was the first visit for everyone that arrived here in Haiti. Everyone expressed how much more of an impact it was to physically be here and see things first hand. It was so much more real for them to meet the children and take in all the sights of Haiti.

Actionnel invited me to have dinner and spend the night on Friday at the OFCB compound so I could meet the folks and learn about their mission here. I was so happy to accept. They were all very kind and interesting to talk to. We had a delicious dinner and then took a short walk back behind the OFCB compound. We were actually visiting the better neighborhoods of Bayonnais. We walked up the path leading to the river, we stopped by the house where Actionnel was born and his parents still live, and then back around to OFCB. Took a few pictures, but not as many as I wanted to because it was getting dark.

The Reverend Actionnel Fleurisma - my dear friend and brother in Christ. A man with a huge vision for the people of Haiti and a loving heart to match.

Actionnel's mother and the house where Actionnel was born about 43 years ago. Originally it was a two-room mud hut and had a thatched roof similar to the one that was remodeled in my last posting. Over the years the house was expanded and upgraded to be more comfortable. Actionnel was the second born of eleven children but not all of his siblings are alive. Nearly half of them have died. The house in front of the home (on stilts) is where they store their food to keep them safe from animals and other creatures.

We headed back to OFCB and everyone settled in for the night. I found it incredible but not surprising that I had a hard time sleeping. I was sharing a room with Actionnel's newly adopted 18 yr.old daughter,Marie-Ange, sleeping on a comfortable bunk bed with two oscillating fans and could not fall asleep until around two in the morning. The next morning when Actionnel asked why I did not sleep well, I told him it was because it was too quiet. Ha! I could not hear a thing except the hum of the fan. (Made up for it with a one hour afternoon nap).

After breakfast, Rita started our day off right with a morning devotional. It gave us much to think about and plenty to be grateful for. My thanks again to Rita.

The group wanted to go for a walk and explore so I invited them to walk down to the orphanage and meet the kids. When we arrived, I found it strange that I could not see my kids anywhere. When we walked into the house, there they were, all nicely dressed and seated in the living room, ready to greet the guests. I was so very proud of them. They all even made their own beds. It was great!

Because it was Saturday morning, the English class was in session with David taking the class alone in my absence. The group went to observe and take some pictures. They met and talked with some of the students as well.

Note to Robert: The kids are still talking about the "animals in your mouth". Ha! Note to Readers: Robert did several impressions of different animals, making the sounds that they make, and had the children both amazed and laughing.

We headed back to OFCB and had a nice lunch. Well, it was nice for some of us. David Mashburn did not enjoy it as much. Seems they were serving the goats that the group went to purchase at the market the day after they arrived. David made the mistake of naming his goat, George, and then made a further mistake by witnessing the goats being prepared for the meal. Robert took some graphic pictures but it did not deter him from his meal. David sort of lost his appetite. I chose not to be a witness so my lunch was very tasty. Everyone rested for a while and then each just did their own thing until it was time for the evening events.

After battling the path up the side of the mountain on an early morning hike to the Fort of Bayonnais and back (about four hours round trip) , taking a walk to Modene Murphy and back (another hour and a half), Scott lays down for a much needed power-rest.

Actionnel had planned a meeting and a dinner to honor the teachers and the cooks for all their hard work and dedication throughout the school year. I really enjoyed what he had to say to them and about them. I was moved to tears at one point when he was talking about the sacrifices that they all made and the dedication they had for the ministry. It was very moving. As a lovely gesture, he had the teachers serve the cooks for a change. We had a great dinner, a wonderful time visiting each other and playing with the children. I was sad to have to leave and head back to my house but I also missed my kids very much. It was good to be home.

David, Robert and Jim shaking hands with my happy children at Modene Murphy Ministries.

David participates in the English class and points out the importance of capitalizing the name of the country. He also helped with pronunciations during the lesson.

Actionnel explaining the purpose for the evening. Robert is seated next to Wilson, the principal of OFCB.

Everyone joins in to sing Amazing Grace in their own language.
A beautiful presentation for the banquet.

After a long day of working on the Sponsorship program with Jim (far left) and Robert (in yellow shirt), Mislet (in blue shirt) is ready for a feast. Actionnel helps with handing out plates. Mislet will be a big part of my life this summer as my Creole teacher and also to help me set up a sponsorship program for the Modene Murphy Ministries. It will be a joy to work with him.
Rita and some of her new friends.
Scott is happily surrounded by all the excited children.
A couple of poses before I had to leave. David smiles from behind with his Haitian sunburned cheeks.
So many to love and not enough arms to hug them all.

I was home and in bed by 9:00 p.m. on Saturday evening and I missed the group already. They left the next day and stopped by the house on their way out just long enough to drop off some bottled water for me and to say a quick goodbye. I was very happy to meet them and hope that we can always stay in touch. God Bless!

Count Your Blessings....

2007-06-06T15:01:00.001-05:00

We have some neighbors across the road who decided it was time to do something about their roof after contending with all the recent rainstorms we've had in the past few weeks. The man said that during and after the rain, there is not one dry spot in the house to lay down on. I asked for their permission to take a few photos of the before and after and they were happy to allow me to do so. They were also fascinated to see themselves in the picture review of the camera.

It is quite humbling to see how some people really live here in Haiti and how they do their best to make the most of it.

This is the house located next to the one that is being upgraded. It has the same type of thatched roof that was removed from the home. (No, that is not poor photography on my part; the house really is leaning that way).

This is the house just after all the roof had been pulled off. The smoke in the back is from the fire of the discarded material. The man in the white hat is using a machete to trim the wood down to the right size to make the rafters.

Checking the results of his work and stopping long enough to pose for the photo.

One side on and one to go.

Making great progress on Day Two of construction.

(Front of Home) Putting the finishing touches on the roof. If you cannot see the furniture inside, it is because they do not have any, except for the one folding wood chair in the room on the left.

(Back of Home) Notice how the top of the walls are crumbling all around the base of the roof.

The family members were very happy to have the new roof and it was completed in time to receive the next round of severe rain. The roof survived the high winds and they slept in the comfort (?) of their dry home. It will be a while before they can raise the funds to upgrade the roofs on both the house next door and the one behind them. They also have a mud hut that is about to collapse. I am not sure if someone lives there or if it is where they store their food. There are so many homes in our area that are very sad to see. Some of them are just tin walls made from scrap with palm leaves for their roof. Some of these homes are as small as a single bedroom in an average American home and they house as many as six to eight people. Most of them have dirt floors. I wish I could help them and I pray that God has a bigger plan.

My thanks go out to the many people who have a place in their heart for Haiti and do what they can to contribute or get involved to make it a better place to be. Love to all.

Haitian Ways and Haitian Nights

2007-05-30T13:51:00.001-05:00

When I knew that I was moving to Haiti, I did some research to learn about the people, the culture and the environment. One of the things that stood out was the fact that most Haitians like to be greeted. If you greet them, they consider you a friend, if you ignore them, they will not speak to you later, and will consider you a stranger. I could see how that played out when I first arrived. The fact that I am white (a "Blanc") makes it impossible to not notice me. Whomever was in eyesight, was either greeting me or I was greeting them and each returning the greetings. This can become pretty overwhelming when you cross paths with at least 80 to 100 people on a half-hour walk. I remember thinking several times that I could not recall ever saying good morning to that many people in one day in all my life. Also, to do that twice a day, three times a week, is a lot of people, many of them having already been greeted earlier.

So, here I was again, being escorted to OFCB by Julius and Bernard (who came along for the walk) and pondering this custom. I was a little tired and was not really up to being so friendly. I kept on with the greetings,

alternating between, "Bonjou", "Noula, Noula"(which is an informal Krayol phrase meaning, hello, we are here) and "Good Morning". At one point I even considered counting to see how many times I actually said it. My thoughts were interrupted by Bernard who said, "Uh, Mees, I want to tell you that not everybodee can say Good Morning." I said, "Yes, I am aware of that but if they are younger, (such as a student), then I usually greet them in English." Benard said, "No, I am not talking about the English. I am saying that not everybodee can say it to you. Do you understand what I am talking?" I paused and thought and then said, "No, not really." He said, "I am saying that some people don't want to talk and you don't need to say anything to them because they will not say it back." I stopped in my tracks and just burst out laughing. I said, "Okay, that's fine with me. I feel the same way." I went on to explain what I read and then Bernard started laughing. He said, "Maybe somewhere else, but here, it is not important unless it is your friend or someone in your family. The rest you can let go." Thank you, Bernard, for enlightening me and allowing me the good laugh at myself.

One night last week Saint-Victor brought a DVD over for some of us to watch. It was not appropriate for the younger kids so we viewed it after they went to bed. The movie was made by a famous Haitian comedian and was supposed to be a romantic comedy. It was definitely very low budget and had a greenish-pinkish-purplish hue on the screen as well as the cover of the case. The subject matter was a little risque and the dialogue was cheesy but the actor himself was entertaining with his slapstick comedy, his outrageous wardrobe and his overdone expressions. Lucner tried to translate as much as he could when he was not laughing. I was a little bothered by the fact that we had a ten year old girl in the room but her mother was with her so I couldn't say much. I enjoyed the show because it was nice to be watching television for the first time in more than a month. (I was also glad to know that the electronics survived the bus ride and were still in good working condition). Even though the dialogue was in Krayol, the storyline was very predictable and it was easy to guess what was going to happen next. There were even some words that I actually understood which was exciting for me. It was nice to be entertained for a couple of hours. One thing I missed was having some popcorn.

Last night a few of us were sitting on the porch at the end of a very long day. I was trying to start a new book that I found in one of the donated boxes but there were too many interruptions and distractions. A couple of the older guys were listening to the radio (at the normal volume: LOUD) trying to get some current news on the happenings in Gonaives. (There were some political gang wars over the past weekend). Three of the boys were playing with a toy car and two girls were braiding their hair. I was listening to all of the commotion and fighting the many bugs that like to hang out around the porch lights. Some of them bite! Right about the time I could concentrate, the lights started flickering, which was an indication that the generator was running out of fuel. Julius made a quick dash for the generator and I went to get the big flashlight. I came back out to the porch just as the lights went out and picked up Jeemy-Ska to put in my lap. A few minutes later, we heard the generator start up and the lights came back on. Jeemy-Ska remarked in Krayol, "Wow, San Vilier (our other watchman) doesn't know what to do with the generator but Julius is good!" Then in English he said, "Good job, Julius!" He started clapping and looked at me with the biggest grin. Everyone started laughing and David explained to me what was said. I was so tickled by him. What a precious little guy!

Little Jeemy-Ska with his famous grin.

A couple of shots of me working in Actionnel's office. (Note to whom this applies: You can sit there and point out all my flaws or just be happy to see my face.) This helps to keep me humble. Ha!

Many thanks to those who visit my site. I'll be back on Friday. Much love to all!

Sorry So Short....

2007-05-28T15:54:00.001-05:00

I will apologize to anyone who was expecting one of my novel postings but I came unprepared this morning. I spent a lot of my time over the weekend trying to sort and organize the donated items. Still a lot to do and so much to be thankful for. The kids are having a great time.

Some good news to share:

Just before getting off line last week, I received the nicest email from a gentleman by the name of Ian Smith. He wrote to say that he had viewed my blog and nearly jumped out of his chair when he saw the pictures of the bridge. He just happens to be with the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Bridge Team that came to Haiti to plan and fund the construction of the bridge. They were the first pictures he had seen in a year and he was very happy to see the progress. He also said that they were planning a meeting to see about funding for the completion of the bridge. I was both surprised and excited to receive his email. It was very nice of him to write.

I spoke with Actionnel this morning and he said that they will have a meeting at the U.N. office next Monday to discuss the funding and the equipment needed to finish the project. This morning I saw a few people back at work and they were very happy. I'll be posting some more photos soon. At this point, I would like to say another big THANK YOU to Actionnel for making it possible for me to use the Internet and giving me the opportunity and the joy of sharing my experiences here. Thanks again for your generosity.

We have had quite a bit of rain for the past couple of days so Julius and I made the trip over to OFCB on foot this morning due to the muddy conditions. The walk was pleasant because it was nice and cool. Everything looks very green today and the farmers are starting to see some of the new growth sprouting in their gardens. I am looking forward to reaping some of the benefits of the crops that have been planted by Saint-Victor's brother across the road from the house. Evaniel (his brother) gave me a quick tour of his garden last Saturday and showed me the different varieties that he has planted. There will be a lot of corn, a type of greens (like spinach), some okra and some melons. Another exciting thing to look forward to.

For those of you who enjoy reading blogs, I would like to let you know that my new friend, Morgan, who spent three months here in Haiti and left five days after I arrived, now has a new blogsite.
It is http://www.trans-iberia.blogspot.com/ . He is currently in Spain and plans to explore Morocco. He was only home for a short six days before taking off for another adventure. He has two postings on his website so take a look when you get a chance. For those of you who did not read his other blogsite: http://www.haitianhills.blogspot.com/ , that is also definitely worth a look. He is an amazing writer and a wonderful soul.

Here is a photo for your viewing pleasure. I did a little extreme makeover for Madam Denise's (the mother of our cook, Marie-Rose) market stand on our property. It used to have only one shade structure (an old sheet) over the table so I added some more posts (tree limbs) and two plastic tarps. One covers her table of goods and the other shades the box that holds her ice and bottled beverages. She was very happy with the new look.

No, that is not Madam Denise. That is my little Noula enjoying the shade while playing with her new-found collection of bottle caps.

I hope to have more exciting news for you on Wednesday. God Bless and keep us in your prayers.

Oh, the JOY!!!

2007-05-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

There is so much joy to share today since I have not been on the Internet for more than a week! Last Thursday was Aquel’s 17th Birthday so I took him to the local market as planned and our friend, David (my English assistant), went along with us. I was so glad because he understands the Haitian currency and knows how to haggle for a good price. Aquel came away with a new pair of soccer shorts, a bandana, and a “sweat rag”. (A colorful washcloth that you keep wet to wipe off your face when it gets too hot. Stays wet longer than a regular washcloth. Not sure why? Really very useful. Have enjoyed mine!) He also purchased two pairs of ankle socks (one says U.S.A.), and a pair of second hand tennis shoes. (Nike and in good shape). He was very happy. I enjoyed seeing the market and how they operate. (I have no problem becoming a vegetarian after observing the meat sitting in the sun and knowing it will be there for several hours). I also got my very first Haitian sunburn. Did not feel the burn while it was happening and still did not feel it until after my shower. Ouch! We stopped for a quick photo op with Saint-Victor's mother who is a vendor and his brother, Richmond. A few more candid shots and then we returned home. A couple of hours later, our school bus arrived! What a beautiful sight!

We had plenty of help getting the bus unloaded and then we had this incredible pile of wonderful donated blessings. There were many bags of clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, sheets, food, medical supplies, school supplies, and a great assortment of sports equipment for the children. All of the things that we received are to be shared between the two ministries: Modene Murphy Ministries and OFCB Ministries along with the members of both churches and the families in Bayonnais. We would like to send a very big thank you out to all the people who spent their time, energy, and money to make all of this possible.

After we got everything unloaded, we took a short break and then moved on to have Aquel's Birthday celebration. Because of all the commotion with getting the bus, Lucner and Saint-Victor were unable to get a cake but we had just enough strawberry filled cookies for everyone to have one each and honor his day. The children played a couple of games and then we had a very nice dinner. Aquel was so happy and said "Thank you, my mother" so many times. (The kids started saying that on the evening of Mother's Day). He said it was his first party and the best birthday he has ever had. I was very moved by his joy.

Because of the arrival of the bus and all of its contents, I did not go on the field trip. Aquel was the only one who chose to go. It was important to him to be a part of Flag Day. I stayed with the rest of the kids and spent my day sorting the supplies and taking an occasional break to have fun. The children of MMM were so very happy and excited about everything they saw. Each time I gave them something to wear, use or play with, they would say, “Thank you, my mother!” with giggles and the biggest smile. They have so enjoyed all of the art and school supplies as well. They were thrilled with the stacks of books and even a couple of ninth graders (in their 20's) were fascinated with the pictures and the vocabulary. We have had some lessons with Hula-hoops, a Frisbee, and how to throw an American football. Last night some of the kids practiced writing out the Alphabets on their lettering tablets. I am going to save the bubbles for a special surprise this weekend.

I was so looking forward to writing in my Blog this past Monday (the 21st) but the Internet was out of service. It was not repaired until late Wesnesday so I made a special trip on Thursday (yesterday). I was having computer withdrawals and very anxious to check my email. The Internet was still having some problems and we kept losing our connection. It is now Friday (the 25th) and I was finally able to read my mail and complete my Blog. Thank you to those who sent a personal email and a special thank you to Helen for leaving a comment on my Blog. I, too, hope that we will one day meet here in Haiti. It is so exciting for me when I see that someone has left a note. Makes me feel less isolated knowing that someone is back in the homeland keeping up with my adventures. Thanks to all who are doing the same.

I cannot end this writing without telling you about my most recent personal joy. Thursday, I finally had the great pleasure of riding my bicycle to OFCB. What a great feeling to be riding again! It made the trip go so much faster and the wind was refreshing. I had to laugh at myself a few times when I was struggling to get up the rocky hills and finding the strength to pedal harder for the uphill climb. I would get an occasional break when it was necessary to get off the bike and guide it up a steeper path. (I was able to walk off the cramps that formed in my forgotten muscles). Coming back was just as exciting. Earlier in the afternoon it had rained just enough to get the dirt nice and slick. We were moving at a pretty good rate of speed going downhill most of the way. There was no need to pedal, really. I just kept my hands on the brakes to be ready for the sudden obstacles and tried to maintain control when the bike would fishtail. At one point, I was moving at a pretty good rate of speed and watching my surroundings whiz past me. I haven't moved that fast in ages. Right then I wanted to let out a loud and long Texas "Yeeeeee-Haaaaaa!" all the way down but I decided to keep it to myself. Didn't want to startle the natives. The bike ride was quite a rush for the most part but pretty scary when I would encounter a large maze of rocks and boulders and had to make split-second decisions on which way to steer. I had a great time! This morning, my body was not so thrilled. It only took a few minutes to work out the kinks and then I was back to the challenge of the uphill ride. I am now looking forward to the trip back home. Until next week, God Bless and Love to all!!

Flag Day in Haiti, May 18th

2007-05-16T13:36:00.001-05:00

On Friday, May 18th, Haiti will be celebrating Flag Day. (It will also be my 30th day of living in Haiti. At this rate, two years is not a long time). I have posted some information that I gathered from the www.EnchantedLearning.com website for those of you who have an interest in history. I have not seen the flag up close and in person but it is an attractive flag on screen. We will be going on a field trip this Friday to another city to join in the celebration. The schools will be closed for the holiday so I will be back online on Monday to fill you in on the weekend events.
Great and Wonderful News!!!!
I just received word that the school bus has arrived in Gonaives! Saint-Victor is trying to find someone who can go and get the bus today, or tomorrow for sure, since the Customs Office will be closed on Friday. We may not be able to use the bus for our trip but at least we know it is here and the supplies will be on the way very soon. Thank God for this fantastic blessing!

*************************************************************

The Flag of Haiti

The flag of the Republic of Haiti was adopted on May 18, 1803. Haiti had been a colony of France since 1697, but the people rebelled in 1803 and Haiti achieved independence on January 1, 1804.
The Haitian flag is a red and blue bicolor; for state occasions, the Arms of Haiti are added to the center of the flag on a white background. The colors red and blue were chosen from the French flag. The Haitian arms depict a royal palm in the center topped with a red and blue cap of liberty. There are also six blue and red flags, two smaller red banners on the sides, many weapons (rifles with bayonettes, two yellow cannons and many cannonballs), a drum, an anchor, green grass, and a white banner reading "L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE," meaning "Union is Strength."
Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea. Christopher Columbus sailed to Hispaniola in 1492. Haiti and the Dominican Republic constitute the island of Hispaniola, located east of Cuba; Haiti occupies the western third of the island. Haiti's capital city is Port-au-Prince.

*************************************************************

Also want to note that tomorrow, May 17th, is Aquel's 17th birthday! He is such a terrific and loving guy and deserves to be honored on his special day. I still have a few Haitian dollars left so I plan to take him to the market after lunch and let him pick out a gift for himself. I have not been to the local market yet so it will be fun for me as well. I am excited about having a birthday to celebrate. Hope to have a cake or some kind of treat for the kids but it all depends on what Lucner can find. If all else fails, we still have some strawberry cookies that they would enjoy. I'm sure I will have some pictures to share with you. Much love to all!

Mother's Day and so far away......

2007-05-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the great Moms, Mother's and Mama's in the U.S.A.!!! (and anyplace else that people celebrate)

Yesterday was Mother's Day in America and the first time in 21 years that I have celebrated without my son. There is no question that I missed him very much. I tried using my cell phone but could not get a signal. I'm even out of roaming range. I was comforted somewhat during the Sunday service when Saint Victor announced that it was Mother's Day for me. (Haitians will celebrate this day in two more weeks) He asked all the young adults and children to come forward to give me a kiss and a hug and wish me a Happy Mother's Day. It was very emotional for me when my kids came up to hug me. I think Saint-Victor likes to make me cry. Ha! Anyway, I did receive the most wonderful email from my son, Dylan, and it warmed my heart. Thank you, Son, for keeping it special. I love you the most!

I want to ask everyone once again to please post your comments on this blog. I would like to get some feedback from those of you who are keeping up with it. Let me know what topics you would like to know more about or pictures you would like to see. I also want to know who is actually reading this. For those of you who have received emails from me, please take the time to send more than just a quick note. I am eager to hear some news and to stay in touch. I do a lot of writing and would appreciate having something to read as well. Thanks to all who read this blogsite. God Bless.

A Haitian Wedding

2007-05-14T14:26:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday, the 12th of May, the Modene Murphy Ministries hosted their first wedding in the church. The lovely couple were united before God, family and friends. It was a very nice ceremony and the visiting pastor gave a wonderful sermon. There were definintely some differences in customs but overall it was a typical wedding. As you will see in the photos, the groom escorts the bride to the church with the wedding party close behind. The church is decorated with colorful sheets and curtains. The floor covering under the wedding party is actually a bedsheet with a twin-bed mattress pad in the center. The bride and groom sit facing each other while the best man and maid of honor sit by their sides. The witnesses are sitting behind the groom and best man. A special song is performed by the church choir. An original poem is recited by David. The bride receives a ring but the groom does not. The signing of the marriage certificate is done by all of the members of the wedding party during the ceremony. They are pronounced man and wife but they are not told to kiss. (Lucner said it was up to the discretion of the officiating pastor. Some Haitians get upset when they leave that part out. They start shouting that the couple should kiss). On a side note: The bride tried very hard not to smile during the wedding but I managed to catch her a couple of times. I still don't know how tall her husband is but she is also pretty tall herself and was wearing three inch heels. A really sweet couple. I wish them many years of love and happiness.

They are now officially Husband and Wife!

New video information added on Jan. 21, 2009:

Because of the interest this particular blog has generated, I have added some information about a YouTube video that my friend Peter Daniel recorded, while living in Bayonnais, and put it on his blog as well. It is a casual demonstration of part of a typical Haitian wedding dance. It is very nicely done.

Best wishes for all the newlyweds and soon-to-be marrieds. Please read the comments at the end of this posting to see what others have shared. Especially take time to read what Maggie had to say. She actually still lives in Haiti and had some thoughts to share with the brides-to-be. Thank you, Maggie!

Go to the YouTube website and do a search for the video. Just type in the words..........Bayonnais: Rosena and Wilgar dance

I am sure you will enjoy it! God's Blessings to all!

Over the River and Through the Mud....

2007-05-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a few candid shots of the walk over to OFCB. It is really a pleasant walk in the early mornings when it is cooler and there is a breeze. I was informed this morning that the funds for the bridge are running low and the project may have to be put on hold soon. That would be a real shame for all who have put their hard work into this and for the locals that are counting on having a better way to cross. If anyone is interested in making contributions to help with the completion, please send me an email or post your comments on this blog site and I will get you the information you need, to do so. I thank you in advance for your support and your prayers.

Organizing the rock piles for the completion of the bridge.

Young Haitians hanging out on the bridge. The one with the big smile asked me to take the shot.

The progression of a ramp on the OFCB side of the bridge.

Typical road conditions after a heavy rain. This is the path leading to the river which prompted the need to build the wonderful bridge. It is a lifeline for many students and teachers to get to their schools and for the locals to get to the market or travel to other cities.

Woman who filled her bucket from the water fountain on right and then posed for this picture.

Local Haitians that I see with each trip back and forth to OFCB.

My new "zanmi" (friend), Semamoun (pronounced: See my moon). She greets me every morning when I pass through. One of the many children that cannot afford to go to school.

Posing with Semamoun and her companions. Aquel wanted to take another shot since he only got her head in the first one. Should have seen the look on his face when he reviewed it.

Did someone say "Rocky Road"? Tough on the feet. Worse on the vehicles.

A Mango tree bearing lots of fruit.

One of the oldest trees in Haiti known as "Mapou". This photo diminishes the magnificence of its size and beauty. I will try to get some better shots.If you can see the man on the road in the red shirt (just going around the bend) then you can get an idea of how big this tree really is.