Thursday, 25 January, half the team went with Dr Cheryl and “Almost Dr” Nate to hold a clinic in the remote area of Guacimal, north and west of HAFF. It took about an hour and a half to get there and they saw 65 patients between 10:30 and 3:00! The rest of the team did many things at the HAFF campus including packing up oatmeal to be distributed to needy folks in the area (Peggy Hausler, Barb Van Schoyck and Louise Wolf-Novak)

and assembling the chalkboards that had been painted the day before (Colin Wilson, Rhonda Mebus and Paul Matzen).

At supper that evening, the team hosted Met Telius Berson, who works in HAFF's office. He is also a deacon at the local church. He talked to the team about the church in Haiti and about voodoo.

Friday, 26 January, I got lots of digital photos! Doctor Cheryl and Nate and a rotating staff of other team members saw close to 90 patients – 60 scheduled and about 30 BTI student walk-ins. 

Various ones helped take temperatures and blood pressures (Regina here with Wood-ky Cadet translating)

while Dr Cheryl (with Mme Telius Berson and her brother Derold Mompremier translating)

and Nate saw patients (with Rhonda Mebus and Geroge Cadet, 2nd from left, translating).

Paul graciously reviewed the steps for examining blood smears with Mme Telius and Mme Emmanuel, HAFF's clinic nurses. 

Colin Wilson and Ken Bronkhorst installed the completed basketball backboard.

Louise Wolf-Novak and Regina Arthur packed cornmeal for distribution.

Peggy Hausler and Amy Nicholson taught Rubens Jean and Bill Docteur, 2 of HAFF's Math teachers, to do sudoku.

It is a game they can introduce to their classes to help the students with math, problem solving and logic. In the afternoon, the non-clinic part of the team did home visitation to pray for people. 

Today, Saturday 27 January, several BTI students and their friends came to use the new basketball backboard.

Then, after breakfast, the team heard about the role of women in Haitian society and learned to make peanut butter. At left, the 9 step process is illustrated. Sort the peanuts, roast them, remove the skins, winnow the skins away, grind the peanuts once and then again, add some heated vegetable oil, mix well and taste!

Mme Destorel, the Van Schoycks' cook was the teacher.

Then the team headed off to make a medical house call and to visit the Pignon market. They had lunch in town at a snack bar and will continue with various projects this afternoon.  

Iowa Team Activities -- Day 2 & 3

Yesterday, 5 members of the team went to Campeche -- a remote rural area south and west of HAFF -- to hold a clinic in a church. The rest of the team built and painted a basket ball backboard, started making and painting chalkboards, helped in the Godly Woman class and helped me with computer problems.

This is part of the group of people that were waiting at Campeche.
At Campeche, Barb Van Schoyck (left) helped out in many ways where she was needed. Rhonda Mebus (right) took blood pressures and temperatures.
Carla Wilson helped where she was needed as well. The team took turns helping people find reading glasses.
Former BTI students Jean Robert Joseph (left) and George Cadet (right) were the Haitian translators. Jean Robert and George are both home on winter break from their first year as university students in the north of Haiti. We are blessed to have their help. 

George translated for 4th year medical student Nate Curl. George and Jean Robert gave him the nickname "almost Doctor Thin"!
Jean Robert translated for Dr Cheryl Johnson. All together they saw over 60 patients -- that they had counted. There were many parents who would bring a sick child to be seen at the same time as they were seen!
This morning, Met Justin (3rd from left) came for breakfast with the team. With me translating, he spoke to the group about the problems in education in Haiti and about his program training primary school teachers and administrators. 

Iowa Team Inaugurates Newly Expanded Dorm Porch

This is the team from Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa. This is lunch yesterday, Monday 22 January 2007. It was the first meal prepared, served and cleaned up in the newly expanded dorm porch and kitchen and on the new round table and with the new lazy susan! The team arrived in the morning and will be at HAFF till Tuesday morning 30 January 2007.
Here are the ladies after supper last night in the new extension of the dorm kitchen. They are doing dishes in the new sinks!
Here is Mme Destorel sweeping up after supper last night. You can see the rest of the kitchen and the new stove! The ladies are thrilled with their new work space. Thanks all who helped make it a reality!!! 

New Math Teacher

The death of BTI Math teacher Vernio Joseph in December made it necessary to find a new Math teacher. We have done so. His name is Rubens Jean and he is also a former BTI student. This photo was taken in 2001 when Rubens (circled in red) was still a student here. That 2001-2002 school year he participated in the non-formal program we had then, The Young Teachers for God. That year he and the other students learned teaching techniques and how to integrate the gospel into their work.
For those of you who have been to HAFF, Rubens' mother is Mme Raisius who takes care of the dorm. In May of 2002, Rubens graduated from the Young Teachers for God program. We are pleased to have him as part of our teaching staff. And we know that what he learned in the Young Teachers class will help him each day at BTI. Please pray for this young man as he starts his teaching job in sad circumstances. 

Back in Haiti

Well, my time estimate was pretty good. After an uneventful flight, I was in my house, back and front doors open and boxes in the house by 3:20 this afternoon. What a blessing to be able to fly right into Pignon and have only a half hour drive home!
Morgan only took about 15 minutes to figure out I was home. And then he was not satisfied till he was on my lap asleep. So I am home safely and ready to get to work tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers. 

Return to Haiti

Tomorrow morning I will board this Missionary Flights International DC-3 to fly back to Haiti. This is N200MF, the turbo-prop DC-3. It should get me to Haiti in 3 1/2 hours rather than the 4 hours that the DC-3's with the radial engines take.
Tomorrow morning at 7:00, Lord willing, we will take off from Saint Lucie County Airport on our way to Haiti. We will land first in Cap Haitien where we will go through immigration to check into the country. Then I will get back on the plane and (for the first time for me on MFI) fly to Pignon!!! That will save me a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive the 40 some miles up the mountain on terrible roads.
So, hopefully about 12:30 or so, this will be me getting off MFI in Pignon. Lord willing I'll be home at my house in Bohoc by 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. Please pray for my safe travel and for MFI's safe return to Florida.