Friday, June 24, 2011







Hi Folks: I am going to give you this next update with pictures:


Kindergarten 3 boys.....boys wil be boys everywhere.....notice how all heads are going in different directions





Kindergarten 1 class performing for the Recital





The walls at the heath center start to go up....it looks good and sturdy, which pleases us all.




Last week I had the pleasure to attend anniversary celebrations as FFTP-Haiti celebrated its 25th year of operation in Haiti. The day started off with a mass, then speeches and distribution of service awards to staff followed with a buffet. The parking lot usually filled with containers was miraculously cleared and turned into a reception area.

Little "Angels of Hope" led the procession for the Mass



The Monseigneur who let the mass, also serves as a member of the FFTP Board















The team from Bethel LC, Green Bay WI out and about in PAP





The singing at church was extra lively due to the talents of Pastor Amy on the guitar













The week ended with the year end Kindergarten recital enjoyed by the student's parents as well as the team members.

The closing piece danced with much vigor and enthusiasm by the star performers






Even the school Director got into the act, showing off his style!









Everyone looks forward to the slower days of summer and be able to recharge in preparation for the new year. Thank you to everyone for your continued interest and support of the Lazarus Project. It is through your good works that we were able to finalize another successful year at VOH school.


Other news of the day: As I typed this, I felt a little shaking for a brief few seconds and realized it was another little "shaking" we were having. Out at the school they felt nothing, so their was no disruption but on Delmas and some other areas, people scurried outside as fast as they could. You can imagine how many people had their hearts in their throats after that....I was one of them!
The majority vote in the cabinet was to refuse the candidacy of Gerald Rouzier as the Prime Minister and asked Martelly to select another candidate. So back to the drawing Board !

Friday, June 17, 2011

Good evening...one and all....hope you are doing well! After a year of planning and emailing back and forth what a pleasure it was to greet Pastor Amy and her group from Green Bay, WI, when they rolled into Hope House this AM. Depsite their early wake up call they were bright eyed and bushy tailed and it didn't take long for them to get down to work. While I type away I hear the electrical saw going as they work to put two picnic tables together, for the school.

Since last writing we have had a visit from the Fonds du Lac team. Despite their limited stay they still managed to pack a lot into the 5 days they were here. They made real headway in getting some garden beds ready for planting which the summer enrichment classes will do. Their team leader Perry, gifted us with posters announcing his Guiness Book of Records feat accomplished last September and he is preparing for another "24 hrs for Haiti" event to take place in Sept of this year.

Other good news is that the new pump and motor arrived and after a couple of days of testing, getting the technicians together etc., the new equipment was installed and once again we have a good water supply at the school.......it is indeed like liquid gold!! The project engineer and his staff are also excited to have a more constant source of water....now they will have to make less trips to the canal to haul buckets of water up to the cement mixer. .....ah the little things we take for granted...where is the big cement truck when you need it?!

School is coming to a close for this year. The grade 6 students write their National exams next Tues and Wed, the grade 9 students the week after and the grade 12 /rheto students the first week in July. The remaining classes will finish on June 30. This year, our school, Village of Hope is to be used for a exam center so next Tues it will be closed for our purposes and will instead be full of grade 6 students from various and sundry schools and localities as they gather to write their exams. Clovis and his staff are working diligently to prepare the students for their various exams, National or othewise. Please keep them and the others in your prayers as they sit for these important sets of exams.

The heavy rains seem to have caused a resurgence of cholera and many centers are once again facing a deluge of parents. Wilner was to come and visit this weekend but instead will be visiting several mountain villages providing education and prevention messages and distributing soap, chlorox and other water purification tablets.

Beside this topic, two of the other "hot" topics on the radio talk shows are the ratification of the Prime Ministeral candidate. According to rumor some of his papers were supposedly not in order but the last I heard that seems to have been cleared up and he is now to appear in front of the selection committee to present his plans and announce the cabinet ministers he will work with. The other topic is in regards to the $1.50 tax now being charged to all wire transfers coming into the country, which will be put towards Martelly's plans to provide free education for all. From the little I've heard on the radio, the reaction by those in the US sending the money has been pretty positive. It will be interesting to see how things progress as the months go by.

Now time has come to go and set the table for breakfast and get ready for a new day to come.

Until next time...have a good weekend and Peace be with you!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Greetings one and all:

The month of June is upon us and with it comes the Vacation Bible School team. It is a bit of a misnomer this year as vacation has not started just yet for the VOH kids. Never the less they are enjoying the week with the team which is featuring the story of the Good Samaritan. Day 1 was with Grade 1 &2, Day 2 with Grade 3&4. Today the Grade 5 & 6 classes were scheduled but a phone call from Clovis this AM at 5:45 to let me know school was closed for the day....it has been our "snow" day but instead of the white stuff we have the big fat rain drops falling.

We were not really prepared for a "day off" for the team and thus I have felt a bit like a mom trying to keep "the kids" amused when they have an unexpected day off of school. They are an adventursome crew and didn't let a little rain stop them from going out and about. So draped in various types of rain gear they headed downtown to visit an Artisan shop and then to the grocery store for Haitian goodies". They also got to see the various sites along the way. Unfortunately the Artisan shop was closed but they enjoyed the outing. According to some accounts, it seems the "crazy blancs" traveling in the back of an open truck on a rainy day, provided some amusement for our our Haitian friends.

Now they are doing a few other odd chores...bagging rice, counting toothbrushes, dusting......to while away the couple of hours remaining before dinner time.

The kids at the school are preparing for their exams and the teachers working hard at review with them to ensure they do well...especially those writing their National exams. Clovis has been kept busy completing all of the necessary details to get them registered. The Grade 6 write June 22, Grade 9 the 28th or so and the Philo kids at the beginning of July. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for these important exams.

We are still awaiting the arrival of the new pump and motor for the well. In the meantime we have the big water truck making deliveries of water to the school. It is not convenient that is for sure, but I am so grateful that we have this alternative...many others would not be so fortunate....we are Blessed!

So until next time from a rainy and overcast Haiti, I wish a good evening..

Debbie