These ladies are going to the Bohoc Market on a Monday in October. This past Saturday, Barb and Greg and Zach Van Schoyck, Zach's buddy Fabnot Jean, Barb Howard and I went to market in Hinche. We had a nice day shopping and it only took us an hour or so to drive the 16 miles to Hinche! We had a nice lunch and another hour or so back home.
I thought it might be interesting to show you how shopping is done in Haiti. The market in Hinche is somewhat nicer than these photos, but the idea is the same! The October team from Chattanooga took this photo and the ones following. I thank them! Our internet has been giving us some trouble, so it took me several days to get all this posted. Don't let the dates confuse you! 

The Vendors sit on the ground in the open or under shelters selling their wares from basins, sheets or tables. Here is an assortment of laundry detergent, buillon cubes, long balogna like sausages, bags of who knows what, matches, cans of sweetened condensed milk and spaghetti, among other odds and ends. 

Various items for sale -- nails, bottles, lamps (made of baby food jars), injectable drugs or maybe just the bottles and voodoo packets (all the folded up papers). 

In Memoriam

Many of the teams who have visited HAFF in recent years will remember Fr Elmeus Valcourt, "the Little Evangelist". He was described in church this morning as an untiring evangelist. Late yesterday afternoon, his work finished, he went home to be with his Lord. His funeral will be this afternoon.
Fr Elmeus spent his time traveling from one town to the next singing songs of praise to God, reading Scripture and preaching. He had a special gift for praying for pastors and other servants of the Lord. He visited a different clinic or hospital each day and prayed for the sick. Most Saturdays, he rode into Pignon with Greg and Barb and preached and prayed at the market. He prayed for us as well.
It was asked this morning in church, "who will there be to replace him". I have been wondering the same. Please pray for his family -- he has a wife and several children. His wife is left to care for their mentally troubled daughter and their grandson. It will not be easy for her. She will need your prayers. 

School Opens for the Second Marking Period

Monday was supposed to be the first day of school for the second marking period at BTI. But, Sunday night, radio stations announced that due to the general strike planned for Monday, everyone should stay in their houses and out of the streets and roads. Our students obeyed the announcements as did many of our teachers. So, school started Tuesday. We still did not have full classes, but more came today. Hopefully by the end of the week, we'll be back at full numbers. 

Our students are working hard this year. This group of 12th grade (Rheto class) students spends many afternoons in the gazebo studying for their classes. They are preparing for the national exam at the end of the year. That exam will determine if they can go on to the Philo, and final, year of secondary school. 

Klas Bon Fanm Tout Bon Starts Again

The Ladies Christian Homemaking class got started yesterday after a break for Christmas and New Years. It was a busy day as Barb and Madame Gesson and I taught the first 4 of 12 lessons on Biblical Peace Making. Barb taught that conflict is a slippery slope. Madame Gesson taught that conflict starts in the heart and that choices have consequences. I taught them that wise choices are better than selfish choices.

The ladies then finished making their small egg baskets. This is Madame Gesson (left) helping Se Enive Methelus over a rough spot in her basket. It is Madame Gesson's husband who taught the ladies to make the baskets.  

This is Fr Gesson, the man you have prayed for. He is Madame Gesson's husband and a basket maker. He taught the ladies to make baskets this year. He still has pain in his eye that was kicked by the mule. He has no trouble making the baskets, but with the insecurity in the country, there have been fewer tourists and it is harder to get to Cap to sell his baskets. And with the pain in his eye, it is hard for him to do the heavier work in the garden. He is thinking of going to Port-au-Prince to look for work. Please pray for him still. Port is not a quiet easy place to be right now.  

The ladies also had their second day of learning embroidery. This is Madame Bibit, the lady who, in my opinion, does the most perfect embroidery on the Plateau. She is showing Se Rosette Orelus how to do a new embroidery stitch. 

Lauriana helping Se Judelene Lucien with a new stitch. Lauriana is in 12th grade at BTI and is a Bon Jen Fanm Tout Bon graduate from a couple of years ago.