Mayonaise

This is a story about how we often don't know what an impact we make, or how far our influence goes. This is a story of Mayonaise, but it applies to our witness for Christ as well. Last week, I heard about Mayonaise.

Madam Claude is the wife of Met Claude the coordinator of HAFF's Project Healthy Family. She was also in the 3rd year class of the Godly Woman Christian homemaking class. When Mme Claude was in the Godly Woman class, I taught the women to make Mayonaise using a recipe modified from the More With Less cookbook's Cooked Mayonaise recipe. The people of the Plateau like mayonaise for salads and it is a luxury item for them. I thought the ladies would use it in their homes and maybe in their churches and it would save them some money.

But, in the Godly Woman class, we have always encouraged the ladies to pass on what they have learned. Mme Claude took that to heart and her husband's contacts with groups in other areas gave her the perfect way to share her knowledge.

Last week Mme Claude came to ask me to give her the mayonaise recipe again. She had lost it. The reason she wanted it now is that she had been asked to share the recipe with a group of 30 women in a World Vision supported group near Hinche! She had taught the women how to make mayonaise once already, but they didn't quite feel like they got it, so they asked her to come and repeat the training. While we were talking about the up coming class, she also mentioned that she had previously taught 30 women in the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) group in Mombin Crochu how to make the mayonaise. They had so taken to the recipe that the CHE group is making Mayonaise in larger quanities to sell!


Please pray for all our Godly Women and Young Leaders both past and present, that the things they learn in their classes would be a blessing to them and to the surrounding communities. Please pray also that the Gospel would spread at the same time and in the same way.

Teams and Veterinary Agents

From February 8 till March 15, there were only 6 days when HAFF did not have visitors. In that time, HAFF has hosted 5 teams and a few individuals or a total of 34 guests coming and going within days of each other. It has been rather hectic, but the teams have accomplished a great deal, learned much about HAFF, blessed the Haitians in the community and encouraged the Haitian and American staff at HAFF.

The last team to arrive was the Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) Canada team. They hailed from multiple countries but were all connected in one way or another with the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island. This is the team I spent the most time with.

My American colleagues and I translated everyday for them as they did a spay and neuter clinic (since there were local veterinary agents observing),

2 vaccination clinics

and 2 days of training local veterinary agents. I, of course was in my element -- having wanted to be a veterinarian at one point in my life.

Please pray for the veterinary agents who were trained this past week that they would remember and put into practice the things they learned and that they would continue to be blessed by the time with the folks from Canada and with each other.

Vet Agents at Eye Clinic

This morning Becky and I got to the Eye Clinc and found that 4 of the 6 people signed up for today were veterinary agents from the seminars last week! They came almost all at once, were relatively easy to fit with glasses and had a grand old time visiting with each other and with us! The 5th of the 6 people signed up was one of the agent's neighbor and the 6th person didn't come. But we saw 2 walk-ins, since we had the time. So, today we saw 2 people from LaVictoire (90 minute walk), 2 people from Savanette (2 hours by bicycle), one person from Pignon (90 minute walk), one person from Grand Latanier (45 to 1 hour minute walk) and one person from Bohoc. Thankfully we were able to help everyone except the one lady walk-in, who came for medicine we did not have.

Christmas 2007

My Uncle Richard and I met in Memphis TN for Christmas this year. It is equal driving distance for him from Texas and for me from where I land in Florida.

We had a good Christmas with all the trimmings except snow!

We also spent some time in downtown Memphis including Beale Street

and we had dinner on board the Memphis Queen III.

Then, in January, instead of heading right back to Haiti, I took the Auto Train to north to go to Pennsylvania. Our dear family friend Marie McGhee had died in December and I went to attend her burial and memorial service. It was a sad occasion, but it enabled me to see some extended family and to see some snow.

Bumper crop of citrus

When I got back to Haiti in later January, it was to find that all the rain we had in the fall had resulted in a huge crop of citrus fruit in the area. I have never seen so many grapefruit, oranges and red limes in my entire 22 years in Haiti. The photos are of the trees after several weeks of picking -- and they are still laden! Ely, the HAFF farm manager told the story the other day about being hungry one day. His wife hadn't cooked that day, but he remembered he had a roasted sweet potato. So he ate that and a grapefruit and it chased the hunger completely away! Thank the Lord with us that at least one crop did well this year.

Eye glass Clinic

I am back to work at the eye glass clinic Wednesday mornings.

Becky Wilson works with me and we see 6 people each time.

Thanks to an Iowa eye surgeon we have the means to check distance vision and to easily change lenses to see what strength glasses some one needs.

We use the Creole "Here is the Path God has Traced for you to get to Heaven" tract as the reading material, then the person may also keep the tract. Then the people can choose from a variety of styles in their prescription.

Teams of visitors (these ladies are from Grand Rapids, Michigan) have been helping us as well cleaning some of the donated glasses and praying with the people once they get their glasses. Please pray for me and Becky as we minister to this physical need, that the love of Christ would be made mainfest and would draw folks to Himself!

Long Time Gone

I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything to the blog! The summer was hectic -- I stayed in 27 homes in 10 weeks, if I am counting correctly. And the fall back in Haiti was hectic too. Just a quick view of some of what has been occupying my time ---
I spent a good part of the early fall working with Mme Gesson (second from right in back row) testing and choosing the Godly Woman classes for the year. I also helped with the first few classes.

Here are the adult (non-student) women yesterday wearing the aprons they made (they were making Christmas Cookies) and the hats they were just given as a gift.

Here are the young ladies (from our school) today wearing their aprons and hats. Both groups are very enthusiastic and a great encouragement. Pray for them as they study the rest of this year how to have a home set apart for the Lord.
It was a very wet fall. We got too much rain. It not only made the roads almost impassable, but it ruined many crops for the people as well. It is going to be a hungry winter.

This is National Route 3 coming out of the Caiman ravine on the Bohoc side October 18. The sides of the road were literally running rivers.

We had a mission study team from Chattanooga TN arrive October 18. The truck got stuck in the ravine on the way back to the HAFF campus and the men on the team worked hard with the Haitians to pull the truck out -- a very wet and muddy welcome to Haiti, but a real glimpse of the constraints under which we often work.


This is Derold Mompremier working with the new class of Young Leaders. Yes, he is back from University -- the Lord made it clear to him that now was not the time! I spent some time helping him communicate with Barb Van Schoyck (who was still in the US) so they could plan the new class.

Since then, my time has been spent working with Barb and Greg Van Schoyck and the Wilsons and our Haitian staff to put together the information to fill out a very extensive report. Each year the Non-Governmental Organizations in Haiti must submit this report to the Haitian government. Today the report is finally finished! Tomorrow I will have our school headmaster proof-read the French and then I will print the report. Lord willing, Colin and I will fly to Port-au-Prince and back Monday to submit the report. Please pray for us and our travel arrangements.

Then, next Thursday Dec 13th, I leave Haiti for 3 weeks to go to the US for Christmas. This year my Uncle and I are meeting in Memphis TN for the holiday! No special reason, just that it is the same amount of driving time for us both to get there.

I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Thank you all for your interest, your prayers and your support.

Miniature Donkeys at the Addison County (Vermont) Fair.
Sailing with friends on Lake Champlain (again from Vermont).

The Vermont Marble Museum in Proctor, VT.

The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia Pennsylvania.
Analisa Hope Boshart.

All fun things I have done and seen in the last couple of weeks of my summer travels. I am now just a bit more than 7 weeks into my time in the States and a bit more than 2 weeks from returning to Haiti. The Wilsons will be leaving Haiti this coming week, just 2 weeks before I go back. Pray for them as they prepare for their time in the States. And pray for me as I wrap things up at the house in Pennsylvania and start my travels south to get ready to go back to Haiti September 6.

My Summer Vacation

I am now 4 weeks into my 10 weeks in the US. It has been a busy time traveling around the North East visiting family and friends and supporters and reporting to churches. I have been blessed to catch up with many people, including some former HAFF staff members. And I have been enjoying some cooler temperatures!
I was also able to participate in a new activity. I was visiting a farm while they were "processing chickens". They have an interesting low tech automated way to deal with the most distasteful and time consuming parts of the job.

I was able to help with the final cleaning of the chickens and with packaging them. And while we were working, there was time to talk about HAFF and Haiti and how things are going with the ministry.

Please pray for the rest of my time in the US. Pray for safety on the road and that my time with people would be productive and fruitful for the Kingdom and for the work in Haiti.