Good Evening: I thought after my break in the US time would not run by me so quickly but no such luck....the hours scurry by and before I know it is bedtime...and somehow have missed supper. I did have a nice weekend though as I took time off to visit with Wilner who came to be with me. We were to meet at a beach club but two items scuppered that idea....one there is a gas shortage so I didn't want to use my car and second..the theft that took place with his car was worse than he first told me...they not only took the radio and booster but also the NEW battery and the two brand NEW tires he had just put on the car......TOTALLY AMAZING that all of this took place in our yard. Wilner didn't hear a thing and his neighbours who did were too afraid to sound an alarm. Wilner was so shocked once he got over his first surprise at seeing the damage to the back door. He was totally awake when he first looked and didn't see the other items until a little later on. So he did not have wheels to get to the beach either. Our time together was nice and we went out for late lunch/early dinner to celebrate his birthday which is coming up on Thurs.

Other news of the day that I failed to report is that when I got back it was to learn that Hopie (who I thought was "fixed) delivered 5 puppies just before I got back. She and the neighbour dogs obviously took advantage of the downed walls to get into a bit of mischief. I haven't had a chance to take a picture yet, but I will post one in a day or two. I have already called the vet to see at what stage we can have Hopie taken care of so we don't have more puppies to tend to and find homes for.

Today Jean D. is scheduled back from his holidays and the machinery must sense this. Yesterday and today the Isuzu would not start...bad battery I think and today when I was out on an errand the Pick up wouldn't start. Fortunately a fellow came to my rescue and got it going again but told me to keep if running if I had other errands to do..there is a problem with the starter. Believe me I was praying all the way home that I would not stall the vehicle.

I dropped it off and picked up my car, which knock on wood, is still running fine. Then I headed out to a meeting ..only arriving an hour late!

The third thing awaiting Jean is the small generator. I started it up yesterday after running it over the weekend with no problem and for reason unknown it made a lot of smoke and "died".

Needless to say Jean is going to get a very warm welcome when he appears in the yard.

So as you can see the beat goes on....I keep waiting for a day when all will be running smoothly! Hah!

I don't plan to skip supper this evening so I will cut this short for tonight and go and tend to the stew heating on the oven.

A bientot.
Debbie

Hello all: Here I am back safe and sound in Haiti after a rewarding and restfull time in Sarasota, where we headed after leaving Pennsylvania. My first several days were spent in St Petersburgh with Rene Clark and Richard Davis who kindly opened their door to me and gave me the royal treatment ( as we found everywhere along the way). Friday evening I met a number of their neighbours, friends and fellow church members at an evening cocktail party that Rene and Richard arranged. Many of the attendees are loyal followers of VOH/Lazarus Project and it was a pleasure to meet them and to pass along news of VOH and our thanks for their efforts.

Saturday, it was on to Sarasota to the Regional meeting held at Faith Sarasota Lutheran Church. It was heartwarming to be able to greet so many familiar faces...it felt like I was having a family reunion. Sunday was a full day, with three church services, a church picnic and a concert put on by the Jacobites featuring good ole Scottish and Irish folk songs.

I don't know about anyone else, but my blood was sure stirred listening to the bagpipes....must be the Scottish in me!

The day ended up with another fund raiser "Hats off to Haiti" which had been organized by a friend of mine (Leita Kaldi Davis and husband Bob) . I met new friends and also greeted a number of others who came to give their support to this evening of music and chatter.

Beside Jorel on his accordian we had a young (very talented) Haitian trumpet player and we were graced by several hymns sung by a Haitian woman, the wife of the Pastor who heads up the Haitian congregation that uses the church that Leita and Bob attend. Another bonus was watching the graceful movements of Sue as she demonstrated her hula skills to the tune of How Great thou Art~! It was a BEAUTIFUL performance by both the musicians and the dancer! I know if my mother had been there she would have been blubbering..so to honour her, I shed a few tears in her honour.

Monday, I enjoyed lunch with a new friend of the Lazarus project, discussing our clinic project. Then, the hour arrived for some downtime and I enjoyed the evening and the next two days visiting with long time friends and celebrating the marriage of one of them. All in all a great trip and my "batteries" have been re-energized.

During my absence another tremor passed through Haiti (last Friday). I found evidence of this in my office where several ceiling tiles fell down....luckily nothing else happened. There was some panic at the school as the kids were in the classrooms at the time. However Clovis reports that the teachers did a good job of supporting the kids and fortunately their were no injuries or damages from kids panicking and running from the rooms. There was no damage to the school. However as a result the attendance is down to about 60% as parents are keeping the kids at home. Clovis did say that today was better than the beginning of the week when less than 1/2 the kids showed up. We will just have to keep working to reassure them and give them the support they need. Clovis is preparing a program to share with the kids regarding the geological basis for earthquakes. It is a DVD prepared for school children in Martinique following earthquakes they had there. We also intend to share it with the parents committee. The Ministry of Ed'n plans to send out inpsectors one more time and if all meets their standards they will give us a certificate to post for all to see that it has been approved for use. This will also help to reassure the parents and others involved. The team plans to come once the crisis of gas shortages is passed. Yes, another challenge everyone is facing over the past week or so. I did hear on the news this afternoon that another tanker has arrived and that gas is starting to be sold at some of the pumps. Luckily we had an idea this would happen and we have a little reserve here which will help us out over the next few days, until we can get it at the pumps.

Before closing let me once again say thanks to all of you who participated in the various events we attended during our travels. It was such a PLEASURE to be with you. Your support and encouragement keeps us all motivated and ready to put the next foot forward for the Lazarus Project and our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti. Bon Dye Beni Nou!

Debbie

Hello all: It has been a few days since my last posting. They have been busy but productive and pleasant days. Our Board meetings at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Fairfax Va. went well as did the Regional meeting hosted at the same churche. Saturday evening, over 100 people attended the potluck dinner put on by members of the church. After a short speech on my part and viewing of the new VOH video, everyone had their toes tapping and hands clapping to Jorel's charm and accordian music.

Sunday after making an appearance at three different church services we were off to Fleetwood/Dryville/Kutztown area of Pennsylvania with Dick and Sara Hafer and Toni Markey. We were loaded to the hilt. The truck was tied down as we couldn't shut it and I had Jorel's suitcase on my lap for the duration of the trip. We had a wonderful reunion with the "Earthquake Team", their families and friends. Linda and Bill Messersmith were our hosts and as everwhere else we were treated like Royalty.

Our first stop Monday was to the Topton Lutheran Assisted Living Center for a singsong with some of the residents. They certainly seemed to enjoy this interlude as many clapped along, nodded their heads or tapped their feet on the wheelchair peddles.

In the afternoon we visited the Fleetwood Middle School to thank the kids for the efforts in Fund raising to help the Village of Hope. Through their efforts 4 children (at least) will be supported during the school year. It is incredible to me when I learned the kids were in grades 5-8. Picture below are some members of the grade 5 class several of whom made up the steering committee that headed up their efforts. The next day we visited the high school attended by Aaron Messersmith (who was a part of the January team) and spoke with about 50 of his school mates.

The visit was topped off with a singsong at the farm home of a local Mennonite Family. That was the "payment" requested of Jorel for the use of their accordian. After Jorel played a number of tunes (as well as two of the Weaver children) we were treated to a chorus or two by the family members.....their harmonizing was something to hear!

I am enjoying the heat of Florida after the few chilly days we experienced in Pennsylavania. The warmth of our welcome there more than made up for the chilly temperatures we felt outside. One of the bonuses of the trip has been enjoying the beauty of all of the flowering trees and shrubs in both Virginia and Pa. A real treat for my eyes, that is for sure!!

Since Wed. evening I have been enjoying St Petersburgh staying at the friends of VOH and myself.

While I work away here, Rene is busy in the kitchen getting various goodies ready for the l "soiree" she and Richard are hosting this evening, for some of their friends and church members who have supported the Village of Hope. Tomorrow, we be attending the regional meeting at Faith Lutheran Church in Sarasota.

That is a nutshell is how we have spent our days since leaving Haiti on the 8th.
a la prochaine,
Debbie

Debbie and Jorel thanked the students in PA for all their help!
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=212336

Just a few photos from the 2010 DC Regional Gathering at Lord of Life Church in Fairfax, VA

Sorry for the poor video quality, but you will see how much fun we were having with Jorel!

Hi everyone: I am crazily running around trying to get everything done before heading out at 6AM tomorrow for my trip to the U.S. As it always goes I had several unexepected errands to do today, .picking up items at Food for the Poor that were sent for VOH and shopping for sardines, to make up for a short fall that we have in our stock from BND. For the most part Stock management is not a forte that many Haitian people have acquired...at least in my experience. Traffic today was horrendous coming back through Croix des Bouquets from the school. It took me over 1/2 hour to inch my way along 1/4 of a mile or so. Finally in frustration I turned the car around and took a very long bypass to get ahead..and that I did.....it took me less time doing that than the time I sat in line and would have continued for another good bit of time. Thus I made it to Food for the Poor as planned and picked up the items they had for me...construction supplies. Unfortunately some of the items were stolen from the back of the truck as I left Food for the Poor.....I felt sick about it for not have them secured well enough. My only consolation was the hope that someone was feeding their family or sending a child to school wiht the funds made from the sale of the "hot" goods.

I managed to get some tins of sardines......wiping the store out of their stock. I had hoped they may have had a few cases in their stock room, but I got what was on their shelf. At least it is a bit to fill the gap.

Now I will bid you fond goodnight and will go and take the laundry off the clothesline and pack some of it into my suitcase.

Debbie

Good afternoon. Not much to report to you today as I had an office day. I managed to just about finish the work I have been doing reviewing staff files...I only have 4 left to go when I get back. There is some work to do to get them all in order but at least now I have an invetory of the information I am needing. Early this afternoon I had an interesting meeting with an engineer and his assistant regarding the building of the health center. As per Haitian custom our meeting took place over an hour later than planned but I managed to fill that time with no problem whatsoever.

Since I don't have much to report, I will share with you an update I received from a friend of mine who is much better informed than I. I think you will find it interesting.

Donor's Conference 31 March 2010.
Nearly 140 countries participated in the donors' conference held in New York last week. The longer term plan, which had been put together by the Haitian Government with the help of numerous humanitarian organizations, was presented; and nearly $US 10 Billion was pledged to reconstruct Haïti! All in all, including the emergency aid that is presently being given, about $US 34 Billion will be needed; but this amount was more than twice what had been hoped for. We are all gratified and very grateful.
The monies will be placed in a multi-donor reconstruction fund and managed by the Interim Haïti Recovery Commission headed by UN Special Envoy to Haïti Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “Our goal is not to rebuild. It is to build back better... a Haiti where the majority of people no longer live in deep poverty, where they can go to school and enjoy better health, where they have better options than going without jobs or leaving the country altogether."
The actual reconstruction part of the plan is estimated to cost $US 11.5 Billion over the next 10 years; and the participating organizations will oversee that these monies are both well invested and well coordinated.
The plan recognizes the need to decentralize jobs and housing, that is, to move these to nearby towns. The Port-au-Prince that I knew in the late 1980's was quite crowded with a population of a mere 1 million. Now it is impossibly congested with over 3.5 million people living in one or two story dwellings in the same very small space.
Mr Ban Ki-moon went on to say that the Haitian Government and the UN are committed to a new 'social contract' with the Haitian people which would include: a fully democratic government; economic and social policies to address the extreme poverty and deep-rooted disparities of wealth; human rights for all that would be guaranteed by an independent judiciary and a vigilant civil society; and good governance, transparency and mutual accountability among the Haitian Government and the private/public sectors as well as investors. They proposed cash-for-work programs (investments that create jobs) and incentives for families to relocate outside of PAP.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commended the Haitian Government’s plan to provide the coordination and consultation needed to direct aid where it will be most needed, and she warned humanitarian organizations against the temptation to work around the Government rather than with it--as well as the tendency to scatter their efforts among an array of projects rather than to focus on deeper, more long-term solutions. She also cautioned about the tendency to resort to known but ineffective strategies. Indeed, Haïti is a graveyard of these kinds of aid!
President Préval noted, “...There is also a need for us to take stock and learn the lessons of this terrible disaster. This has shown us that generosity must be more disciplined... International aid must be coordinated upstream if it is to be effective.” He also remarked that Haïti needed investment in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, transport and telecommunication.
Prime Minister Bellerive, remarked that the plan would move from an immediate emergency response towards reconstruction after the first six months. The first 18 months of the reconstruction part of the plan will focus on rebuilding transport, communication, and other parts of Haïti's infrastructure along with job creation in the agriculture and textile industries.
The plan also focuses on providing basic housing for all, investing in youth, good health care, developing an agriculture infrastructure, and vocational training. Mr Bellerive said that he desires to see Haiti emerge over the next twenty years as a fair, unpretentious, strong, competitive, decentralized modern society, based on solidarity, an effective judicial process, and strong regional development.

A couple comments here...The Haitian Government and numerous humanitarian organizations have done an analysis of the present situation and responded with a good plan and a commitment to coordinate its implementation.
But the real 'how' of the plan has not yet been concluded--that is, HOW will they do the reconstruction? Will they bring in large organizations to perform the key reconstruction while the Haitian people stand by and observe; will they construct while asking the people to participate in some modest way; or will they leave the actual reconstruction to the Haitian people while experts guide and assure proper technique?
In essence, it goes back to the three types of works that the community developer from southern Haïti described in my presence so many years ago: Will it be a colonialistic type work by 'destroyers' who will do what they want? Will it be a 'builders' work who will take charge while giving the Haitian people small jobs and eventually turn over what the people perceive as 'the foreigners' project' to them? Or will it be a community based work supported by 'catalysts' who provide technical assistance and will help to responsibly funnel the resources needed?
The latter, of course, is the ideal; but I suspect it will not become the operative model. If that is the case, then the plan risks an overall lack of a sense of ownership by the Haitian people which will ultimately lead to strong favoritism and overt corruption. Without proper oversight (and this is not easily done by foreigners since they are generally not familiar enough with the culture), the resources will be funneled to friends of influential local persons, as will contracts for labor and supplies. The costs will be inflated yet for limited work both in terms of quantity and quality.

That's the siren song of Haïti; and despite many safeguards against these problems, they still do occur if the projects are not executed by the right persons. Good results are possible, but only if the projects are led with full community participation and transparency so that there is proper oversight and accountability. This is easily said but very difficultly done.

Camps and Relocation. Five suburban areas have been proposed by the Haitian government to relocate persons from the overcrowded camps; but to date only one area has been secured, about 25 acres near the airport. The camp cluster suggests the following approaches for the camps: encourage camp residents to return to their homes if they have been evaluated and are safe (about 40% of the population); help camp residents to resettle near their old neighborhoods once rubble is removed (about 20% of the population); assist residents to find lodging with host families (about 10% of the population); and support the remaining residents at the sites that will now be reasonably decongested. If none of these options is available, then they will help residents to relocate to areas that are more secure from flooding.
There seems to be a lack of communication about the plans to the camp dwellers, and the cluster is encouraging more information sharing by the Government. This is a real problem, especially since most people are reluctant to make yet another major life shift right now.
Transitional Shelters. It will be important that organizations confirm land titles before building transitional shelters. This has been less of an issue outside of PAP, since many have clear title to their land; thus shelters have already begun to be erected. But it will be a major factor for planning temporary housing in PAP since much of the population does not have clear title to the land upon which their homes had been constructed. Other important issues are the potential length of stay in the shelters and their ultimate ownership. Over 120,000 transitional shelters are being planned by 40 agencies participating in the shelter cluster.
Also, a national building code will be needed. There had been very few construction standards in force before the earthquake, and this will be a critical factor in rebuilding. The code should be sufficient for the needs but not overly rigorous, thus hindering reconstruction. This will be a tough balance to strike. Earthboxes. Cluster agencies are discussing the possibility of including 'earthboxes' with the transitional shelters--containers where small family gardens can be established. These are well suited to the post-earthquake phase since they require minimum space, do not need fertile ground, are transportable, and can be moved if a family resettles elsewhere. The boxes use 60% less water, 50% less fertilizer and 90% less labor than a traditional garden and produce high yields, even out of season. Here is a site if you are interested in learning more:http://www.earthbox.com/index.php

Conditions in PAP. People are becoming weary of the present living conditions and all the inconveniences. Not only are the camps crowded with insufficient toilets and showers, the traffic is horrible! A 25 minute trip can now take--regularly--up to two hours, and that's not counting when trucks break down, which is also a regular occurrence!
Because of the horrible road conditions (and less of them because of the rubble), there is a new game developing: how many cars can you pass in stalled traffic while zooming in the oncoming lane before you either crash or find someone you can bully to let you in? The Haitian people tend to put up with this kind of behavior for a long time; but when they've had it, they can react very violently. The Government must take some action before this touches off into violence. We are all short on patience these days.

The other problem is the cost of living. Food prices have increased by at least 30%, and it is making it very difficult for any of us to buy groceries. Also, home rentals have skyrocketed, some as much as 300%. I've heard of cases of people being put out of their lease so that the owner can rent their home to an organization that will pay an inflated market price. Since most offices are located in larger homes, you can imagine the premium being placed on them--especially now as more organizations are arriving daily to Haïti.

Well, that's the latest, and here are a few specific requests for prayer:
That the Haitian people remain calm and find what they need--dry shelter, enough food, and the right support
That they keep their resolve to wait out this hard trial
That the Government will work at better traffic control
That we all can find suitable new homes and business dwellings yet not displace anyone. We are presently working out of our warehouse, which is both far away and packed with people. My poor boss has lost his home and is actually living there!
And things to thank the Lord for:
AMAZING grace
Overall good support from the numerous organizations that have come to help
Relative safety though there are more episodes of theft recently
Friend helping friend--even stranger!

until tomorrow.....Debbie

School has opened......hurrah! How good it was to see the kids making their way up the road to the school as I drove in this morning!! It was a pleasure to see all of the blue pant/skirts, white shirts and plaid jumpers in various parts of the school yard, as the kids waited for the school bell to ring. There was lots of chatter as they got caught up on each other's news. Not everyone showed up today, which we anticipated but more than 1/2 were there. As is the usual Monday routine, we started with devotional time and announcements in the chapel. There were many cheers and clapping of hands as Clovis announced the program for the week. Who wouldn't be happy to know that classes would be intermingled with social time and little prizes being handed out along the way. He had a little panic when he had troubel getting the DVD machine going, but finally all was ready for the VOH cinema, in the chapel.





The soccer championship did not get started as the fellows did not bring their sports clothes. However that did not stop a few diehards who started their practicing today.

The day closed for the students with the distribution of some packages of the rice meals for them to take home. This, after they enjoyed their meal of rice and beans in the dining room. All in all a good day for the first day back!





Clovis was quite pleased and he was complimented for the fashion in which he organized everything!.

It did not appear to me that any of the children had problems with entering the classrooms and Clovis felt the same way as he went about checking up on things during the AM.

There was certainly lots of chatter on the radio today and various reports from different areas of PAP regarding the start up at other schools. Not surprisingly there is still lots of confusion and uncertainty as many schools were just not ready to begin again. Some parents kept their kids at home, wanting to see how things went before sending them off. It was rather distressing to hear that some schools were asking the parents to come with the school fees that covered the last three months. How they could to that is beyone me..especially when they are having a hard enough time as it is, getting things together to send them back now and take care of everything else at the same time. I am sure eventually everything will get sorted out..at least it is a start. To wait until every place was ready, for sure would have meant that the school year would have been lost.


As for the universities it seems they are still sorting out their programs. Two of our students who thought they would be returning this week have now learned that is not the case. Courses are being held but for kids in other years than they are. However, I think it is at least giving them hope that they too will start again some day.

bon nwit.....domi byen (good night and sleep well)

Debbie

I stopped in at Little Children of Jesus on my way home to deliver some medications to them and to let Gladys know my schedule for the next several weeks. She was busy trying to get school issues worked out for several of the kids that she has that can attend school. The rest of the work goes along as usual.

Howdy: Hope everyone is having a nice Easter weekend. I have been working away both yesterday and today but admit to going at a slower pace and today I took some personal time to visit with a friend who flew into Haiti this AM. She is on a medical team heading to Jeremie (southern peninsula) in the AM. Donna has been to Haiti a number of times and even lived here with her family while she and her husband worked at Hopital Albert Schweitzer in days gone by. I lucked out too as another Haitian friend of hers that I know quite well was also there, so I got to have a short visit with her as well.

When I got back to Hope House I unloaded a bunch of supplies I had purshased and then reloaded the vehicle with items to take to the school tomorrow in preparation for next week's opening. Thanks to a donation from someone who said "spend it how you wish" I even have a bunch of packaged cookies in the car as well. I plan to give them out to the kids after church tomorrow. I couldn't resist playing "Easter Bunny" even if I am the only one who knows about him. I called Marie to see if she would be interested in joining me for lunch after church tomorrow and she was most delighted. She is even going to come out to the school for the service., this after having a sunrise service with the girls at 5:00 AM.

The traffic was less hectic today..don't know if that had anything to do with the shortage of fuel at some of the stations or not but it was nice not to be sitting in traffic line ups along the way. However it got me through my business quicker than Ihad planned and thus had time to spare before I went to visit Donna. Thus I was "forced" to stop along the way and have a coke and a bite to eat. I managed to peruse through the Good Housekeeping magazine I had just recieved when I picked up my mail. It was a bit of luxury I haven't had in a while, so believe me I thoroughly enjoyed that hour of time....that was my Easter treat!!

until tomorrow.....may the joy of Easter bring gladness to your hearts.

Debbie

Good Evening once again. Sorry to have missed out yesterday....as I sat down to write I lost Internet connection and as it had been a long day, I thought it was a "sign" that I should close up shop and go and relax.....which I did.

For the most part today and yesterday (in the AM) have been office days. I feel good about the progress I made while taking care of smaller issues with staff and visitors in between times. Wed afternoon was spent doing bank business. I got there just after noon and left at 3:00 PM.....all that time to deposit three cheques. I've rapidly learned that this type of wait is par for the course so I went prepared with my book to read and thus the time didn't seem too endless. Half the time was outside and the other inside the air conditioned bank. That done, I did a few more errands on the way home and then got back to Hope House to finish organizing "prizes" for the kids at school next week. Clovis has the kids doing 2 hours of class work and then 2 hours of "fun" stuff...sports, quizzes, videos and other things to help ease the kids (and teachers) back into the school setting. The upper grades will also have a small soccer tournament, which I will miss for the most part due to my travel to the US as of Thursday. I sent a real variety of items out to the school this AM and I think the kids will be happy with their wee gifts. I just have to go and purchase a few bags of candy and then we'll be all set.

Today my day started out answering my phone at 7:00 AM.....shockinly, at least to me I was still sound asleep. My 15 minutes of dozing after I turned off the alarm at 6 somehow got away with me. Anyway it was Wilner calling to tell me that a thief had broken into the back of his car and stolen his radio and "booster system" (to give better sound) out of the car. Not a very nice way for him to start the day that's for sure. I can truly testify to that feeling having had the radio stolen out of my car within weeks of purchasing it. I told him to look on the bright side..at least they didn't steal the car or do a lot of other damage. Now we have something else for which to save our pennies!

I didn't get much news off the radio today. The biggest topic of conversation is the re-opening of school on Monday with many schools announcing meetings for the students and teachers. I am sure though in the next few days there will be lots of talk about the meetings going on in New York over the next few days regarding the rebuilding in Haiti. It will be interesting to hear the results.

On Tuesday I spoke of the lanterns that were part of the relief package going to the staff. These were made possible due to a Lenten project from a church in South Dakota that was stimulated by two church members who were vacationing in Florida and attended another church which also had a Lenten project for the Lazarus Project...it is amazing how the Spirit moves people to action and how far those ripples reach. I leave you today with a picture of two of the happy staff members recieving their lamps














I thought this little thought seemed appropros to go along with the gift of light to the staff.

A call to meditate for peace in every land ...

Lord, we each and everyone
See You shining as a sun.

Radiant bright You are our light
Keep us sheltered in Thy sight.

In every culture, language, clime
We feel Your presence in our time.

We look to You and in our way
Call out our need and daily pray.

With peace our present beck and call
Lord, keep us centered, one and all.

And as we try with all our might
Keep us striving toward the light.

May Your peace spread through all lands
So together we stand, hand in hand.

Easter Blessings,
Debbie