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.

End of the Year

Another year of school and eye clinic are at an end. School is in the midst of final exams now and Becky Wilson and I had our last regular day of clinic Wednesday the 16th. I have gotten more comfortable using the Tono-pen and everyone is happy to have their intra-ocular pressure checked. Thankfully I haven't found too many people with high pressures.

Since October 2009, we have seen over 200 people in the clinic. Most people come for reading glasses, but some come with more complicated prescriptions. It is always a joy when we can find a pair of glasses that meets a need. Thankfully, we have been able to help most people who come.

We continue to meet with the Community Response Committee to get relief funds and food into the hands of the people who need them. Right now, the committee is encouraging road work with sacks of bulgur wheat (see the HAFF Details blog). The committee mounted a crew to work on the dangerous ravine on the main road between Bohoc and Pignon. Twenty seven people received bulgur for the first phase of that job.

Saturday, about 175 people received bulgur.

These folks have been working on their own since February to improve the road from the Bohoc market up into the mountains to the area of Cercady. The bulgur was given as an encouragement to the folks who gave of their own time and energy to do the work to serve their community.

I am getting ready to leave Haiti on Thursday the 24th. I will be spending most of the summer in State College, PA working on my house, but will do a bit of travelling as well. If you will be travelling through Central Pennsylvania between the first of July and the end of August, get in touch with me and we can get together. I'll be heading back to Haiti in early September. In the mean time, please keep the Plateau in prayer -- for good rains and for a good harvest. And keep in prayer Port-au-Prince and the other cities in the south that were hard hit by the earthquake. Many people are enduring the rains in "shelters" made of nothing but sheets and plastic bags sewn together.

Roads, Teams and Graduations

It has been a while since I have posted anything to either blog. That has partly been due to time constraints, but also to the fact that we have been having major problems with the internet. So, here are some highlights from 3 weeks at HAFF:

Saturday 15 May, was the Young Leaders for God class graduation. They were blessed to have the team from Chattanooga, TN and Huntington, NY here. The team baked the cakes for the graduation reception, Pastor Eric Mullinax presented the message and Pastor David Aldridge and Met Derold had a special song to share. It was a joyful day.

That Sunday, we split the team and Barb translated for Pastor David at one church while I translated for Pastor Eric at another. Pastor Eric spoke from Acts 20:17 - 38 about the marks or signs showing that a church is characterized by a vibrant ministry of the Holy Spirit.


The road leading through the Caïman ravine has gotten bad. HAFF driver Elizert has said that another couple big rains and Pignon can remain by itself and Bohoc and LaJeune can remain for themselves – we would be cut off from the north.

Thankfully, the Community Relief Committee (CRC) started a project June 25th to fix the road. Trucks from Pignon, Bohoc and LaJeune have committed to bringing rock and gravel from the river for the road

Crews of men and women have been hired to clear the brush growing around, over and in the drainage canals on either side of the road.

Finally, the CRC has purchased fuel for the local grader to grade and crown the road and fix the canals.

After the first couple of days of work, traffic was flowing so freely that the local Dignite bus, which does not have 4 wheel drive, was able to bring the local school children from Pignon all the way to Bohoc – a first in a very long time. It was entertaining to see the bus trying to turn around at the HAFF front gate!

24 May a group of visitors arrived at HAFF. The group included visitors from Florida, Wisconsin and Rwanda. Violette Nyirarukundo showed me how to wear a Rwandan skirt!

Violette also blessed 30 members of 5 local churches with training in Trauma Counseling. Gabi Van Schoyck had previously translated a 19 page set of notes that Violette had sent ahead and Barb and Gabi and I shared the translating for the 4 day seminar.

The training included practical break out sessions for sharing with one another and for role playing. Even before receiving their certificates of participation, the seminar participants were sharing and using the knowledge they were gaining to minister to others.

The Florida, Wisconsin, Rwanda team was still here for the Godly Woman class graduation on May 29th. The visitors baked the cakes for the reception and Pastor David Rogers presented the message. The women of the class had a wonderful day showing their craft items made during the class. Their parting song at the end of the graduation ceremony was enlivened by a round of hugs and kisses for each other, for Mme Gesson, Barb and me and for the visitors and some of the invited guests sitting nearby!

Sunday May 30th was Haitian Mother's Day. We took the team to a small, lively church on the other side of the Bohoc River from HAFF. The children of the church had a special song and procession to honor their mothers. During the song, each child carried a small package of crackers or cookies in a little dance to meet her mother, gave her the package and kissed her, before dancing back to join the rest of the girls singing.

I translated for Pastor David as he encouraged the people to look to Jesus when they are helpless. He taught from Luke 9:37 – 42. From this passage he showed how Jesus came for the helpless and how we are all helpless, like the disciples, the father and the demon possessed boy, because we try to solve our problems on our own and don't look to Jesus.

June 3rd, the Van Schoycks and I had the great joy of traveling to Limbe in the north of Haiti to attend the graduation of HAFF's first University scholarship student, Georges Cadet (shown here with his god-daughter). We traveled with other friends of Georges for 5 hours Thursday and spent the night in Cap Haitien. The graduation the next day was a wonderful celebration of hope for the future as the first class since the earthquake was able to complete their studies on time despite the horrendous toll that day in January took on all their lives. Even the 7 hour trip home, having to backtrack due to a high river blocking the shorter way home didn't dampen our joy from the day.

Rejoice with us in all these wonderful accomplishments and join us in keeping all the graduates in your prayers. Pray for Georges as he works now toward ordination and recognition by the government as a pastor with the legal right to marry, bury and register the birth of children. Pray for him also as he has already been functioning as the young pastor of a new church in the area. Pray for the Young Leaders and Godly Women who have just been graduated that the Lord would show them the ministries He has planned for them and their new training. And pray especially for the Trauma Counseling Seminar participants as they use that training in the mercy ministries they already have. Pray that God would bring people to them who are in need of their new understanding of how to listen to and help traumatized people.

I just wanted to post a note that, thankfully, I seem to be fully recovered from my illness. The allergies are still bad, but I seem to be able to better stay on top of them.

Here, like in the US, Spring has arrived. It is mostly noticable beacuse there have been some rains, so things are very green and there are more flowers blooming. It also means it is hot and humid. Please pray for the rains to start in earnest so people can get their gardens planted. And pray too for the rains to come in their proper time and quantity so people can realize a harvest.

It has been a busy time. I seem to be always saying that, but life here is busy. It was good to get back in the eye clinic again after 2 weeks away from it getting over whatever I had. I saw 7 people by my self since Becky and Colin were in the US. I could have seen 11 people, if the last 4 walk-ins had had their way! But I was out of time.

Mme Lenes came to the clinic Wednesday. She has been to see me several times for pain in her eye and for glasses. She was complaining of pain again this time, but she also said she couldn't see well with her new glasses anymore. I took them, cleaned them for her and gave them back. She could see quite fine with them now! That was just the confirmation I needed to remind me that I needed to be telling people how to best care for their glasses. It never occurred to me, since I can't stand it when my glasses are dusty or smeary, that others would need to be told they could wash their glasses! 24 years in Haiti and I am still figuring things out!

Another activity adding to the busy-ness was the distribution of most of the boxes with items shipped down from the people of Rome, Georgia (see the HAFF Details blog). I didn't do as much with that as I could have since I had things to do in the office in Colin's absence, but by the grace of God and the organizing skills of the Community Relief Commity, the distribution went quickly and smoothly.

Now, today my main activity has been planning for the first regular work study team we have had since the earthquake. Thursday people are coming from Chattanooga, Tennessee and Huntington, New York to spend a week ministering to the people in the community through construction, church leader training, women's Bible studies and home visitation. I have been creating a meal schedule and later today I will meet with 3 of the dorm cooks to make the market list to purchase the food.

Pray for us this week as it will be an intense week leading up to the work study team coming.

Back in with Both Feet then Down for a Week

Tuesday April 13 I flew back to Haiti on Missionary Flights International (MFI). It was not one of the days that MFI was flying into Pignon, so HAFF driver, Elizert met me at the Cap Haitien airport. Barb and Gabi Van Schoyck and Gabriel Mompremier had come to town as well to start the process of working a shipping container through customs. More on that later. Elizert and I met them in town, finshed up the errands and had a late lunch then drove the 44 miles back to Bohoc -- about a 3 1/2 hour trip -- arriving about 7 pm. We were all pretty tired.

The next few days were very busy. Wednesday morning I was in the eyeglass clinic by myself for most of the morning, since Becky was helping Barb with a milk baby weigh-in. That kept me busy till lunch. Right after lunch was the Wednesday afternoon staff prayer time. And then for the rest of the afternoon, I helped Barb with some budget calculations to help her get ready for the HAFF board meeting. That evening the American staff met for Bible Study.

The rest of the week centered around the shipping container in Cap Haitien. The kind folks in Rome, Georgia had put together a 40 foot container filled head high with donated items for people in the area. They sent clothing, shoes, toiletries, soup, snacks, water and other items for distribution. Colin and Elizert and Gabriel spent Wednesday and a good bit of Thursday finally getting the contents of the container released. They came home with the Mitsubishi Canter and Elizert's full size Ford dump truck full of about half the container load. They got in to Bohoc just after dark Thursday evening and we unloaded the trucks in about an hour or so.

The guys started out Friday before day to go back down to Cap Haitien for the rest of the load. The rest of the American staff started sorting what had already arrived and packed over 90 boxes to be distributed. Those boxes were moved to a second depot to make room for the second half of the load. I did not spend as much time sorting as the rest, since I spent the morning going to the bank and then getting payroll ready for the end of the week workers' pay. The men arrived again just after dark with trucks, if anything, even more heavily laden than Thursday. The boxes were unloaded, the depot secured and thanks returned for everyone's safe arrival.

Saturday Barb and Gabi spent some time working on the new boxes that had come in while I spent some time getting the dorm porch ready for the Pignon Area Missionary Ladies gathering at noon. There were about 25 women and children (plus Colin) at lunch on the porch. It was a good time of catching up with everyone and a chance to get to know a new Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) staffer who is spending time in Pignon learning Creole.

And that was the last productive time I had till now! By the late afternoon Saturday, I had a deep cough -- my allergies caught up with me. I did not sleep much Saturday night due to the coughing and woke Sunday with a headache. And I didn't leave the house again till last evening. The allergies tried to become pneumonia, I and Mme Telius, the HAFF nurse and Mme Niclaude, my cook fought tooth and nail with antibiotics and a local herbal tea, to stay ahead of the cough and the fever. Today, finally, I feel like I am on the mend and I finally slept well for a good part of last night -- the first time in a week.

In the mean time, Barb went to the States for today's board meeting and the rest of the staff went about their normal work and continued to sort the contents of the container. There are another 130 boxes packed in addition to the original 90. The boxes will be distributed starting Friday. There was also a meeting with community leaders about a cash for work project to fix the road -- another big rain or two and Bohoc/LaJeune and points south will be cut off from Pignon and points north. Hopefully I will be able to be back to my normal activities and participate in the community projects during the next week.

An Easter Monday gift

This morning I got an unexpected bonus of spending part of my break on the west coast of Florida.
It started as a red glow in the dark sky on the horizon. Soon we could see the bright orange, yellow glow rising through trees. The Space Shuttle Discovery was being launched from Kennedy Space Center and I was in North Fort Myers -- all the way across the state -- watching in the pre-dawn coolness with Martin and Bonnie Price. The following link takes you to photos (including the one posted at the left) from the Fox station in Tampa Bay, FL, north of Fort Myers. These are professional photos, taken from much closer, but still, the later photos give an idea of what we saw this morning.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/generic/photos/space-shuttle-discovery-sts-131-launch-photos-040510

R & R

I flew to Florida on Tuesday for 2 weeks break. I am in Fort Myers now and will be in Naples next week, then back to Haiti on the 13th. We have all been taking turns being out for a break and this is my turn. I have been sleeping a lot and will probably sleep more.

In the mean time, ministry in Haiti continues. Please keep the Wilsons and Jonathan Fischer in your prayers as they hold down the fort till Barb and Gabi get back on Saturday. Greg will be working on HAFF business in the US until after the board meeting at the end of April. Keep the Van Schoycks in your prayers as well as they launch back into ministry after their break.

And please keep the Haitian members of the Community Relief Committee in prayer as they minister tirelessly without the option of taking a break. They are enduring the persecution of people misunderstanding them and lying about what they are doing, but they are holding firm and doing the best they can to assure that the relief money and relief items are getting to the people who need them. We are very very pleased and proud to be working with these Godly men.