The New Year Starts out with a Bang

I arrived back in Bohoc, Haiti Tuesday evening Jan 11th. We had a staff meeting that occupied most of Wednesday morning. Unpacking, catching up on email and receiving the market lady for the incoming team occupied a lot of the rest of Wednesday and Thursday.
Thursday the 13th a group representing 2 churches arrived from northern New York. The team included two pastors, a worship leader, a physician's assistant and an art teacher!

Friday the 14th I went with some of the team to a rural church to hold a medical clinic. The pastor of the church had everything well organized before we arrived.

After coming to me so I could write their names, ages and problems on a sheet of paper, they went to Jody and Patsy to have temperatures and blood pressures taken.

Then they went to see either Physicians Assistant Kate or HAFF nurse Mme Telius for their diagnosis.

Finally they went to receive their medications and prayer. 53 people were seen by 3:30 in the afternoon. Saturday the 15th the pastor stopped by to say how much the people in the area appreciated the care and service given the day before by the team. There were more clinics the next week -- two at HAFF and one in another rural area.
While we were at clinic, Carla and Amber were teaching art to some young artists in the area. The art class continued Saturday the 15th and continued the next week as well. The pastors held a training session Friday the 14th and preached in two different churches Sunday the 16th.
Friday the 14th Mark got a speaker for the Jesus Film ministry working again and he and the pastors worked on other projects through the week in addition to doing more ministry in the Young Leaders for God class.

And while we worked with this team, we were already preparing for to host visitors for the Brethren Disaster Ministries. That group arrived four days after the first group left! Please pray that the Haitians saw Christ as the two groups ministered in the area.

Happy New Year!

How wonderful to be back in Pennsylvania and my childhood home for Christmas. My uncle and I decked the house with three generations of Christmas decorations -- my grandparents', my parents' and aunt's and mine! It was also a joy to be able to invite people over for a meal or just to visit.

I did not get my white Christmas. But we did get about half an inch Christmas night. Just enough to make it look like winter. We missed the big storm that hit the north east. But we did get to see some of the aftermath between Christmas and New Years.

The Monday after Christmas, we left for the eastern part of the state. Visiting family and friends, we made our way by slow stages from Bloomsburg and Orangeville through the Shamokin area to Lancaster and the Philadelphia area. We saw no snow till the Philly area, but then we saw quite a bit. Thankfully, the roads were clear and dry the whole way.

When I get back to Haiti on January 11, things will get busy right away. A team comes in the 13th and we will start working right away on the transition I mentioned in the last post. You can check out the HAFF Details blog (there is a link in the sidebar of this blog) for more information on that transition. Please pray for safety traveling for Barb and Greg Van Schoyck and Teresa Nesman as they make their way back to Haiti this week. And for me as I head south this week preparing for my return to Haiti next week. Please pray also for the transition, that God's will would be done and His name be glorified in all we do. And finally pray for Haiti as her people struggle to over come the adversity of a difficult 2010. Please pray that 2011 would be a year of recovery and renewal.

Meetings, Reports and Trainings

It has been a busy time since the last post. School has been in session and I have taught my one hour of National Exam Preparation class each week. I have also helped out in the office. But much of my time has been spent in community meetings and other one on one meetings concerning a transition at HAFF. There will be more about that soon, but for now, just please help us pray that God's will will be done and His Name glorified in the transition.

The last couple of weeks I have been busy mostly with working on the big report for the Haitian government that is due each year at this time. Many of the Haitian and American staff have been helping supply me with information, but with Barb and Greg in the States for the board meeting and Christmas, I have had Teresa Nesman helping me with the actual filling out of the government forms. Teresa is at HAFF for a year to help out. And she has been a wonderful help in many ways so far.

I have also spent my two to three hours a week in the eyeglass clinic. It has been almost miraculous how Becky and Teresa and I have been able to find glasses for the people who come in each week. Even most of those with odd prescriptions have found something that helps them see, even if they are not the most stylish glasses! Very few have been turned away disappointed because we didn't have their prescription or glasses they liked. Becky and I have made a point of giving each person who receives glasses a Haitian Creole tract explaining how to find Jesus as their Savior. Many of the people who come to the clinic are pastors or church leaders or other Christians, but they still get a tract which they can pass on to someone else.

This past Monday I had the fun and privilege of speaking to 67 women at a conference in Monac -- about 5 miles south west of HAFF. I was asked to speak about cholera, so I gave them information about what it is, how it is transmitted, how to treat it and, most importantly, how to prevent it.
But, I also used the opportunity to share Matthew 24:42-45 which talks about how if the home owner had known the thief was coming in the night, he would have been ready for him. I reminded the ladies that in the same way, life is uncertain. It is even more uncertain when severe, untreated cholera can kill within 2 or 3 hours of the onset of symptoms. Therefore there is a need to be sure they have a right relationship with God and to make sure others do as well.

Finally, on Tuesday I had the pleasure of sharing devotions with the ladies of the Godly Woman class. We looked at the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus and how all the accounts we have of her life are written to shine light on the life and work of Jesus. I challenged the ladies and myself to make sure our lives shine a light on Jesus and to give our lives completely to Christ so that our lives show Christ.

I will be leaving Haiti Thursday Dec 16, Lord willing and the airports stay open and the MFI planes remain in good repair! I take the Auto Train to State College the 17th to spend my first Christmas in State College in 4 years. My uncle from Texas will be joining me and between Christmas and New Years, we will be visiting family and friends further east in Pennsylvania.

Veterinarians, Cholera and a Hurricane

I have long been fond of saying that Bohoc, Haiti, like State College, Pennsylvania, is equally inaccessible from all directions. With Interstate 99 coming through, that is changing somewhat for State College. And with the National Route 3 paving project getting closer to Hinche, it is on the verge of changing for Bohoc as well.
But thankfully, our inaccessibility to hurricanes will not change due to a paving project. The mountains that have protected this area from the ill effects of hurricanes for generations have done so again the last couple of days. By the grace of God Hurricane Tomas did not make landfall at all in Haiti, but passing Haiti closely, it did create flooding problems along the south coast. Here on the Central Plateau we just got several days of nice rain that we needed to keep the sugar cane, sweet potatoes, manioc, plantains, beans and peanuts growing. Thanks for your prayers for us and please pray for those who were hard hit by the hurricane.

The cholera epidemic has moved a bit closer. We have heard of cases in St Michel northwest of us and in Hinche to the south. So far there have been no cases here in the Pignon area, that I know of. Our personal water supply here at HAFF is a deep well on the HAFF property. We all either boil or filter our drinking water. The community has several wells as well as a couple of springs from which they can get their water. And, as of a couple weeks ago, 60 families in the area have the same water filter that HAFF uses at the dorm and that some of the HAFF staff use in their homes. Please pray that the epidemic would be stopped and no more people would die or be infected.

One of the best parts of the last two weeks or so was the Veterinary team from Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island. Three Veterinarians, three veterinary students and a vet agent came and spent 8 days at HAFF working with 12 local veterinary agents.

It was an intense 8 days.

There were two days of seminars where the Canadian team taught the Haitians about the anatomy and physiology of the digestive and respiratory systems in horses and cattle, how to tell the age of animals from their teeth, how to estimate the weight of animals and then how to calculate dosages of medication, and how to safely restrain and move animals. If you right click on the photo montage at the left (and any of the ones following), you can open it in a new window and better see the details.

There were also two days of clinics. In Bohoc and in the mountains of Cercady the combined team of Haitian and Canadian clinicians vaccinated and de-wormed 1028 animals – cattle, horses, donkeys, mules, pigs, goats, dogs, cats and a few chickens – for 173 farmers. Some of those animals also had illnesses treated or wounds dressed.A fifth morning was spent doing labs for the students at Bohoc Training Institute – HAFF's secondary school. The Haitian veterinary agents who had attended the seminars shared with the students about safe animal restraint, telling the age of animals from their teeth, estimating the weight of animals, the respiratory and digestive systems of cattle and horses and discussing humane treatment of animals.
A fifth morning was spent doing labs for the students at Bohoc Training Institute – HAFF's secondary school. The Haitian veterinary agents who had attended the seminars shared with the students about safe animal restraint, telling the age of animals from their teeth, estimating the weight of animals, the respiratory and digestive systems of cattle and horses and discussing humane treatment of animals.
The afternoon of the day of the labs was spent training a group of 50 young people and their parents about goat care. Young people from 5 communities were chosen by the Community Relief Committee to receive goats to raise. 5 goats were given to each community group of 10 youth. Each goat was given a collar and each group of young goat owners received a pair of hoof trimmers and a tape for estimating the weight of goats so the group could keep track of the condition and growth of their goats. The goats were vaccinated and de-wormed before they were taken to their new homes.
Saturday morning that the team was at HAFF was spent at the Pignon market. After lunch in town, the team helped assemble the above mentioned water filters before they were distributed to the families.

We are well. We are busy!

You may have heard about the 49 people who have died and the 450 people who are sick in the central part of Haiti. We have too. That appears to be mostly located south west of where we are on the Northern Central Plateau. So far, thankfully, nothing seems to be happening in our area that resembles the diarrhea others are suffering. Thank you for your prayers for the families affected and for our continued safety and health.
We are, however, very busy with a team of veterinarians and veterinary students from Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada. They arrived here at HAFF yesterday and will be here for 8 days. Today we had our first of 2 seminars for local veterinary agents. The seminars were on techniques for safely restraining the various animals the agents work with and estimating the age and the weight of the animals.

The exciting part is the sharing that happens at the seminars. For example, in the photo at left, Philemy from Pignon shows Kristen and Lloyd from Canada a new, and quicker method for tying a quick release knot. Quick release knots are essential for assuring the safety of animals tied up for any period of time. An animal tangled in a rope needs to be released as quickly as possible to prevent injury to the animal and to any people who may be around.

The week to come will include 2 veterinary clinics, a number of home visits, labs at HAFF's secondary school, a talk to the Godly Leaders class about leadership in good animal care and a training session for 50 young people who will be receiving goats from the local Community Relief Committee. Pray for us all for safety, wisdom and a clear exchange of knowledge.

An Adventure and an Encouragement

This is a photo from a few years ago showing the HAFF Land Cruiser taking its first outing to market in Pignon with Barb and Greg Van Schoyck and a team from Fort Myers, FL. Last evening, the vehicle was put to another use. It became first an ambulance and then a delivery room!

As the only North American on campus at the moment, I get all the calls to take people to the hospital. HAFF's driver, Elizert has been keeping the vehicle some nights to give me a break. Last night it was my turn. About 7:20, I was advised that a woman on the other side of the Bohoc River (maybe 2 miles from HAFF) was having trouble having her baby. So, head night guard Ezayi and I got in the Land Cruiser and went to pick her up. We didn't get back to HAFF for another 3 hours!

Imagine a pregnant woman laying on the bench in the back to the right in the above photo. Imagine the midwife sitting with her, her mother and several others sitting across from her. Imagine basins and buckets and a foam pad and a suitcase and a spare tire piled in between. The road is terribly rough right now. Each bump elicited an, "I'm falling!" or a "Don't go so fast!" from the pregnant woman. At one point the speedometer needle was registering 0 (even though we were moving) and she was asking me to go still slower!

About an hour after leaving HAFF we stopped in LaJeune (normally that trip would take about 30 minutes) to see if anyone was at the small hospital there. No one was there and the employee who lives nearby doesn't have a key. So, we headed on toward the Pignon Hospital singing and praying to take the woman's mind off her pains while she cried out at every dip and lurch of the vehicle.

Finally, about an hour after leaving LaJeune (which would have normally taken about 25 minutes) the baby was born just at the top of the hill going down to the bridge crossing over into Pignon. A beautiful, healthy baby girl was born by flash light and Land Cruiser dome light!

Mom felt much better now that the baby was born, so with the baby in Grandma's arms and the mom resting in a friend's lap, we turned around and headed back the way we came. The bumps and rocking of the Land Cruiser didn't bother the delivered mother anymore so we made better time. And an hour after the baby was born, the family was returned to their home (I got to hold the baby while they were unloading) and Ezayi and I were back at HAFF. Other than the time spent on the terrible roads, this is when providing ambulance service for the area is a joy.


This is HAFF's daytime gate guard, Paulers and his family in a photo taken a number of years ago. I spent some time this afternoon with Paulers (prounounced Paul-ess) asking him about the training HAFF sent him to this past Thursday and Friday. He was so excited about it that he came by while I was getting dressed this morning to tell me about it and to show me the packet of materials he had been given.

The Haitian government has decided that it would be good to establish a Disaster Preparation Plan in communities all over the country. To that end, Haitian meteorologists are training 2 people in various communities to install and gather data from government provided rain guages. HAFF was chosen as the location for one of these rain guages because of the fence and security the campus offers. Paulers was chosen, with a community leader, Lumanes, to be trained to gather the rainfall data.

The training was quite extensive and the candidates were tested on the material. Paulers was very proud that he had passed and that he would be involved in this endeavor. He is the one I deliver my weather reports to and he is the one who posts them at the front gate -- after thoroughly studying them first! He is very pleased to now be taking part in the data collection process.

Each month the data that he and Lumanes collect will be delivered to a local agriculturalist who will then pass it on to the government respresentative responsible for analyzing the data. And the data will serve as a basis for warnings of flood and landslides which will be routed back through the same channels.

I was very encouraged by this effort on the part of the Haitian government. I was also excited by Paulers' excitement. And pleased that, even though he does not have a full academic degree, he was accepted into the program and did well on his testing. When the project was originally presented to me, there seemed to be some doubt on the part of the presenter that Paulers had enough education to make use of the training. I was pleased to see Paulers shine! Keep him and the program in your prayers and pray for the Haitian government as they make the move toward being proactive in protecting their citizens.

Settling Back into the Routine

I walked into the house and called his name and was immediately answered with his always questioning meow. "It's about time you got back and what took you so long anyway?" My cat Morgan complains when I leave the house even to go to the outhouse, so he really hates it when I'm in the States for 10 weeks!

Yes, my travels back to Haiti went well and I am pretty well settled back in to the house in Bohoc. Life is getting back into a routine somewhat and I have even had my first 3 meetings this week!

Thankfully the rainy season was not a total disaster this year. Some folks aparently got their early corn crop and, while the second season corn didn't do so well, the rains are coming just right now for the beans and root crops and other crops for this next harvest. People have been cautiously optomistic this year.

But, sadly, I hear that Port-au-Prince is still a mess. People lament the fact that in the face of all that needs to be done, not much seems to be happening. But I have been told that many of the students who came to us after the earthquake have gone back to Port-au-Prince, though not all. It remains to be seen how many will return for this coming school year.

School starts the 4th of October. That is a little late this year. But I have already been meeting with Met Phanes, the head master, and others to make plans for the new year. Last year was the first we had World Vision sponsored students receiving scholarships to attend our school. Yesterday we went over some strategies for making sure we don't double up on scholarships by giving a World Vision sponsored student a work study job that another student could use!

Please pray for us this year for wisdom as we head into the new school year. Pray that we would be able to guide these young people into lives of faith and service. Pray for the students that they would be able to heal from their past trauma and would find strength in Christ and the steadfastness to ride out the waves of change this new Haiti will bring them.

Summer 2010

I have been back in the US for 5 of the 10 weeks I will be gone from Haiti. I left Haiti June 24. I was excited to be able to fly out of Pignon as it is much closer to the house (30 minutes rather than a 4 hour drive) and I arrive in Florida less tired. But this time, it was a bit nerve wracking. There was a huge rain storm gathering and the Missionary Flights International DC3 was late arriving from Port-au-Prince where it was held on the ground waiting out the rain there. Once they finally got to Pignon and we loaded and took off, it took 45 minutes, rather than the normal 20 minutes to get to Cap Haitien.
We had to fly around the storm taking us way to the west over Gonaives and Port-de-Paix rather than straight north over St Raphael. It was a little scary as the wind was buffeting us in the narrow passes between the mountains (though I knew I was in good hands with pilots Kenny and Brent). But it was exciting as well -- I saw some of Haiti I had never seen before, including a ruined French era fort perched on the prow of a mountain!
We arrived in Fort Pierce, Florida and unloaded the plane in the Missionary Flights International hangar around 11:00 that evening. (Thanks to MFI for these two photos)

After a weekend with friends in Florida, I got on the Auto Train the 28th to get to Pennsylvania as soon as possible, arriving at the house the evening of the 29th. The weather was wonderful -- perfectly pleasant (read cool and dry!) during the day and chilly at night! I helped my tenants prepare to move out of the house -- we labeled things that were to stay and things that could go on the truck.
They moved to Virginia July 1 and I had the joy of entertaining friends and supporters that same evening. I am going to try to not rent the house. I have found in the last few years that I need a nest – some place I can feel comfortable taking care of things in the US – preparing for visiting supporters, etc.
So I am slowly re-claiming the house. My cousin came 2 weeks after my tenants moved and spent a week painting the interior of the house (the photo was taken pre-painting -- thanks, Doug!). Now I am slowly getting settled back in – trying to figure out what I want where!

I head to Potsdam, NY this coming weekend for the 40th anniversary of the start of Koinonia Church (now called New Hope Community Church), the church I attended 30 years ago for the two years I was at Canton College.
Then, the weekend of August 14th I will be in Orangeville, PA for the Welsh family reunion -- my mother's mother's family. I have hopes of not being the only representative of my Grandmother Conner's family this year!

Finally, I get back on the Auto Train August 23rd and travel around Florida a bit before heading back to Haiti September 2nd. Please pray for the traveling and for my final 5 weeks in the US. Also that God would prepare me for being the only North American at HAFF for several weeks when I first get back in September. Please remember in prayer as well the people in Port-au-Prince who are still living without adequate shelter. And check out www.HAFFDetails.blogspot.com soon to see what has been going on at HAFF in Haiti for the last several months.