Village of Hope Updates

2011-07-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dear friends of VOH:
Greetings from dusty and windy PAP. It is quite a contrast to the Artibonite Valley from where I just returned after an overnight visit with Wilner. They have had rain practically everyday for the last two weeks...needless to say there is not dust flying around there. Our backyard looks like a garden of Eden as the plants are thriving with all of the rain. It shows off all of Wilner's hard work keeping it going the rest of the year.

We are having a bit of "down time" as we are having a bit of a break between teams....the Enrichment team is due the 17th of July. Mind you this does not mean we are sitting twiddling our thumbs. Bert and our yard man are at the moment cleaning up the work area at the end of the guest rooms......sorting through a myriad of bits and pieces of electrical/plumbing/carpentry materials. Roberta is out checking for our mail at Agape and I am doing office work.

School as you are aware closed on June 30. The Grade 6's and 9's have finished their National Exams and the Rheto (grade 12) students go for their exams on Monday to Wed this coming week. We/they will get their results sometime near the end of August.

The Health Center continues to rise. It is so heartwarming to see that the blocks are now going in and the walls for the various rooms are beginning to appear. Everyone is pleased with the quality of work and thus far it looks rock solid! That was particularly on everyone's minds as we had a tremor that was easily felt last a week ago Friday. I was sitting in the same spot as I was during the earthquake and I have to say my heart was beating a little faster and harder during those few seconds. No damage occurred from the tremor,but some people were hurt as they rushed out of buildings. It was not felt as far away as the school, so there were no incidences there.

Our down note of the week was getting a call from the School Director informing us that the newly installed water pump was not working. Jean and Bert dropped what they were doing and headed to the school to investigate. The saga continues as we now figure out what went wrong and await a well driller to come and clean out the well. The positive side of it is that at least school is out so the need for having camions of water delivered every couple of days is not a worry. However the men at the work site are back to hauling water up by bucket full from the canal to make their cement.

On the political front, the negotiations and manoeuverings for the Prime Ministerial position still go on. Martelly has formed a special commission to meet with the two house leaders and has put forward three other candidates as well as resubmitting that of Daniel Rouzier. Many figure that after all of the back door negotiations are completed that Rouzier will in the long run been named Prime Minister. Time will tell!

As I close this message to you, I will also bid you adieu for a period of time. As many of you are aware I will begin an extended leave of absence from my duties here in Haiti, in order to return to Canada to attend to my mother, who has end stage cancer. As of Monday July 4 Bert and Roberta Anderson will be responsible for the Haiti Operations and they will begin to provide you with the updates from Haiti. I know that you will show them the same support and concern that you have provided me over the past months and that you will join me in prayers for their work as they continue to guide and advance the work here in Haiti.

I leave with both feelings of joy and sadness....happy to be returning to family and friends in Canada, sad at leaving leaving family, friends and my work here in Haiti. The sadness is lightened somewhat knowing that I will continue on a part time basis for the Village of Hope Lazarus Project helping with some administrative work and also assisting with the fund raising effort. Thus I look forward to continued contact with many of you. I will be maintaining my same email address: dlberquist@gmail.com (note the "l" between the d and b) and would love to hear from you. Thank you SO MUCH for all of the support, care, concern and many prayers that you have extended to me and to my family (especially my mom) over the past months. I have indeed been Blessed!

May God be with each and everyone of you and may he keep you in his loving care each and every day.

A bientot,
Debbie

2011-06-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

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 !

2011-06-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Good Morning ..and a fine one it is! The plants and shrubs are glistening in the morning sunshine from last night's rainfall...what a beautiful site to greet us as we gathered at the picnic table for breakfast this AM.

Yesterday afternoon our Internet problem was fixed..what a great relief it is, despite the pain it caused to the pocketbook. It is amazing how fast one quickly acclimatizes to the instant news and messaging and "feels" the inconvenience when it is not available. I kept reminding myself that in my early days in Haiti, I was thrilled to have mail delivery once a week!!

On another positive note, Jean and crew were finally able to fish the motor out of the well. The fellows deserve a medal as far as I am concerned, for their ingenuity in rigging up the "fishing pole" and their persistance it resolving the problem. The down side is that we have discovered the problem and it means we have to order a new pump and motor in order to get the well up and running again. So it looks like we will be having a few more tanks of water delivered to the school in the meantime. ......at least we have that option so we feel fortunate for that.

Jean has been returning to Hope House late each day as a result of the work he has been doing. One evening he joined us for a few minutes after dinner and graced us by playing the guitar and singing several songs in French and Creole and then a few Christian songs in English. It was a special moment for the team members.

Today is flag day, a National Day in Haiti as we salute their flag, which was first made in Archaie, a town about an hour north of Port au Prince. This will be one of the new President's first official engagements as he attends mass at the St Pierre Catholic Church in Archaie and then joins the Mayor in saying a few words to the public afterwards. If tradition holds they will also enjoy watching a number of youth groups performing their precision marching and chanting. Yesterday was hot dog day at school in recongnition of the special holiday. The visiting team members who were at the school painting the rafters in the chapel, enjoyed seeing the kids march out of the school waving their flags and singing with much gusto and enthusiasm.

Saturday past, was the inauguration of President Martelly. I was able to watch a bit of the ceremony on TV in between my various chores and activities. Two great stands had been built on the grounds in front of the ruined palace for the Presidential contigent and all of the honoured guests and special invitees. It was quite a site and it hit home once again the amount of work that still needs to be done and the many challenges the new President is facing. Many people on the street interviews seem to indicate that in general they are pretty hopeful that Martelly will be able to bring about positive change for them. Please continue to pray that it will be thus.

and that my friends is it for this time around. Wishing you all a great day. .....Debbie

Catching you up to date with a few photos.......

The Joyful Spirit team enjoying Jean's evening serenade

The "Rock n Block" team leader, or in his words (definately not mine) "The Blockhead".....getting a little road repair accomplished

Flag Day celebrations getting underway at the school.

Health Center retaining wall....as Bert puts it "a real work of art"..and much greater endeavor than we imagined.

2011-05-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

Good morning:
It is a refreshing morning after another night of rain. It has been falling regularly in the evening the last three nights. At the same time we are also discovering more work for the current and future teams as we have felt rain drops falling on our heads....inside instead of outside. Poor Bert and Roberta even had to get out of their comfy bed last night to get out of the way of the drips and I know where not to stand in the kitchen if I want to stay dry. There is always something to attend to. Water seems to be our issue this month. We are still dealing with the problem of the well pump at the school. Yesterday the technicians came to pull the pump so we could look to see what the problem and horror of horrors as they were pulling it out one of the couplings came loose and sepated the pump and down it fell into the well. This definately was not good news! .....and we thought we had problems with our leaky roofs. Today they will try and fish out the pump with some sort of device that Jean and the technicians will be concocting.

The construction side of the Joyful Spirit team have been hard at it constructing the small incinerator and putting the roof over the latrines at the back of the school. They now really know the meaning of "hot" having been laboring away under the Haitian sun. It doesn't take them long to get through the 5 gallons of water we send out and the last two days we have doubled that and more to make sure they don't "dry" out in the course of their day.

The other half of the group has been attending to things at Little Children of Jesus. The kids are enjoying their company.

Construction carries on with the health center. Wouldn't you know it though,, they are at a point where they need a lot of water to be preparing the concrete to pour the footings. Definately not a timely moment for the well pump to go on the fritz. Such are the vagaries of life though and our engineer is used to dealing with such challenges. So he is going to start digging the foundation for the latrines and will use that excavation as a reservoir for water and he will have a tanker or two delivered to hold the water so they can attend to the other part of the project. .....as the saying goes.."if their is a will, there is a way!"

2011-05-05T14:46:00.001-07:00

Hi folks.....It's May 5 today as I type away at this note. We awoke to clear and fresh skies, after a night of rain...good for the farmers and keeping the dust at bay but still a challenge for those living under less than ideal conditions.
We have had a quiet couple of weeks, as you have probably gathered from the dirth of updates on the blog. It's just been taking care of daily business. The construction at the health center continues..more holes are dug and one of the retaining walls is even on its way up. We are quite pleased with the progress and are on schedule according to our engineer....even better!
It just stands to reason that since everything was going along so smoothly that something was bound to come along to upset the apple cart..and so it is thus. The last several days we have been dealing with a water problem at the school since the pump in the well gave up the ghost. Bert and Jean have earned their keep tracking down well drillers who can pull the pump, purchasing a new pump, organizing a delivery of water to the school and purchasing a new holding tank for said water. All I have had to do is hand over the money......well we did have several pow-wows together over the situation so I wasn't completely out of the picture. At any rate I was thankful that the two gents took on the problem which left me free to do banking, budget and university student disbursement duties. Clovis as well has had his hand in helping to sort out the situation...especially keeping and eye on the reserve of water. So keep us in your prayers with the hope that everything can be changed over on the weekend as planned.
Now we are gearing up for the May/June teams, one of which arrives this Saturday. They arrive just in time to greet the new President Martelly as the inauguration takes place on Saturday. I haven't heard too many of the details but I know there is a big ceremony planned. It will be interesting to follow his course of action over the months to come.
The last time I wrote I had trouble uploading pictures to the report but today I am having more luck so here are several to get you up to date.
1. The blushing bride is one of our grade 4 teachers. She was beautiful...just as all brides are.
2. Two of our "Wedding March" team as they braved the watery streets on our way back from the wedding.
3. Our kindergarten teachers presenting the eggs they decorated with the kids for their Easter baskets
4. Progress on the work site...chipping away at the hard rock. Just imagine doing it under the hot noontime sun!
In Haiti, Mother's Day is celebrated the last Sunday in May, but back home it is this Sunday coming up. So as I say goodbye for this time around, I leave you with this little Jewish proverb.
God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.- Jewish proverb
Wishing you a Sunday filled with the loving warmth of motherhood, happy gatherings with your Mother's and for those unable to be with their mother for whatever the reason, may cherished memories fill your cup.....mine runneth over!

Happy Mother's Day Mom....Debbie

2011-04-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all: Another week has gone by and with it a few more experiences to add to the coffers of "life in Haiti". The most recent was yesterday afternoon. We had the pleasure of sharing some Haitian culture with our visting team from New York State / Ohio as we attended the church ceremony of the marriage of one of our primary school teachers. In order that our VOH chauffeur would not be home too late, our nearby friend, Marie, agreed to let us use her vehicle and chauffeur as they are so nearby. We arrived at the church just in time as just after we were seated the bridesmaid's started dancing their way down the aisle. It is always to beautiful to see how they sway and move to the music as they make their way to the alter. The bride was beautiful (aren't all brides) and the groom handsome in his dark suit, maroon coloured shirt (to match the colour of the bridesmaid's dresses) and his white gloves. We enjoyed hearing the hooting and hollering of the congregation as the happy couple gave each other a chaste little kiss on each other's cheek after they were presented as a couple.

We snuck out before the end of the service to start our way back home. Heading up to the service, we had a little car problem when smoke and a very toxic smell started coming from the front of the truck. After a short stop and investigation the driver assured us it was just some oil burning off (burning off what???...I don't know ) and all was okay. So back in we hopped and off to the church we arrived without further incident. Due to this little incident we headed back hoping it would go well. We got about halfway back, when trouble began as the vehicle kept stalling out.....this in the middle of rush hour traffic. You can imagine the vehicles behind us were not too happy to be stuck behind a stalled vehicle. After about 3 or 4 times of this halting action, the one fellow who accompanied me came to the back to tell me he thought we were out of gas. What next I wondered! So I told him to head to a gas station. Two stall later we arrived at a pump and gave the car a "drink". Then thinking our problem was resolved we headed off once again.....then horror of horrors we stalled again. By this time we were very close to a major intersection that was now totally gridlocked due to the going home traffice and now worsened with the pouring rain that began to fall. I was fortunate to be sitting in the back with folks that had a good sense of humor because before too long we were totally soaked to the skin. Meanwhile I am thinking of what to do because by this time the battery had totally died on the car and the drive couldn't even get it to turn over ...even one little whine. Luckily we were not too far from Jean Dimanche who agreed to don his rain coat and come up to get us. Knowing that the route he would have to take would also be backed up, I told the gang it would be best for us to get down, cross the road between all of the stalled vehicles and then start walking down the road to meet up with Jean and some further point. ...and yet another adventure awaited. We got to the corner and ended up in water rushing past us, up to our knees as we slogged our way across the intersection and started our march down the road. Although we all looked a bit like drowned rats...especially those of us who had been in the back, we were lucky in that it had stopped raining as we were walking along. It was interesting hearing the comments of the Haitian folks as they saw this little line of "blancs" making their way through the water and down the road. ....what fellow said....."this is Haiti for you" and another asked Bert "what are you doing out in this".. Not too far down the road I heard this voice saying Mme Debbie here I am . Soon we were all piled in Jean's vehicle ...all 9 of us. Yes, we were crammed in but we were so thankful to be thus.! I did feel badly leaving the two fellows in a middle of the mess to take care of the car situation, but I was happy to be having the team on its way back to Hope House.
I learned this AM that their was a problem with the fuel pump and the fellows got back to Marie's around 10:30......Althought it was late I was relieved that they got home never the less.

Once back at Hope House, we all disinfected ourselves and our shoes with chlorinated water......it was dark so we didn't see the water through which we slogged but we could just imagine all of the garbage and other materials that would be floating around in it.

As we sat down to a warm bowl of soup we had reason to give thanks for it, the dry clothes we had on and that we were safe and sound at Hope House. These blessings were especially appreciated as we know so many others around the city were not so fortunate.

Another highlight of the week was helping out at the Easter lunch provided to the kids.....chicken and juice being added to the usual rice and bean menu. The team were also ambassadors for a church school in Florida as they handed out home made Easter cards to the pre school classes.
The Kindergarden teachers had been busy decorating eggs for their kids to take home along with other Easter decorations and goodies in their paper Easter baskets.

While we enjoyed these activities we could hear the jackhammer in the background as the fellows on the work site chipped away at the hard rock they have encountered as they prepared the holes and trenches for the footings and retaining wall. I give them credit as they go about their bone jarring work under the hot noon time sun.

Port au Prince remains calm after the announcement of the election results for the President but according to the news this AM it is not the same in some of the smaller areas around the country as they announce the results of elections for the senators and deputies, who are the departmental (state) representatives in the legislature.

So I leave you today, it is with thoughts of spring and rebirth and the beauty that it brings to us all....wishing you many Easter Blessings as we celebrate this Easter weekend.

Debbie

2011-04-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone: Yes we are alive and kicking here in Port au Prince. I just returned from a 16 day trip in the US and Canada while Bert and Roberta held the fort in Haiti. Five days were spent in the Washington/Virginia area, 5 days in Boca Raton/Kissimmee area and the rest in Hamilton with my mom.

The Washington/Florida legs were to attend Regional meetings for supporters of Village of Hope ..new and old. I was able to greet many former Mission team members and got to know some new faces as well. It was such a pleasure to be able to give everyone an update regarding our activities in Haiti and to also say our "thanks" in person for all of the support and efforts that so many go to which ensure that we can keep things "ticking in Haiti" .

Beside the pleasures of the Regional Meetings and being spoiled by my hosts/hostesses, I was able to finally see the infamous Cherry Blossoms in Washington as the Cherry Blossome festival began the weekend I was there.

Another highlight was the time I spent with the school children at Trinity Lutheran church in Kissimmee. Their questions about Haiti and the Village of Hope sure kept me on my toes and it was amazing to hear the breadth and depth of them.

While I was flitting about Bert and Roberta kept things going in Haiti.....taking care of everyday business, overseeing the construction work and welcoming and working with the team from Prince of Peace.

Finally the work of moving the earth around for the clinic has been completed and today when I was at the school a number of young men were beginning to dig trenches and holes for the footings.

a..a..a..h...the beautiful Washington Cherry blossoms

Presentation by Grade 8 kids at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kissimmee..with a promise to have the box filled and more, with school and medical supplies to be sent for the new School year.

Pastor Andy Hagen giving a Board update to the participants at the Advent LC Regional meeting in Boca Raton.

Enjoying special church music presented by the Haitian church band and singers that worship in the Friendship Hall at Advent church each week.

These fellows deserve medals as they chip away at the hard rocky earth, under the hot haiti sunshine, to prepare the ground for the footings.

Many say that rocks grow in Haiti and you may now believe it too as you see the pile of rocks that have been saved to be reused for the retaining walls.......we are glad our engineer has a "waste not want not attitude to his work"

2011-03-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

Hi folks: Not a whole lot to report on today. In PAP it is business as usual since Sunday. Some other areas of the country are not so and in one area of the Artibonite two of the parties have been exchanging gunfire and I heard just now on the radio that 14 arrests had been made by the PNH. But that is the rare case. On the whole everyone is quite pleased with how this round of voting went and many compliments are being given to the PNH (nat'l police ) and the MINUSTAH troops who were charged with keeping order.

The preliminary results are to be announced no later than March 31 and the final results on March 16. The CEP has been pretty insistent that news folks and others do not publish any preliminary results, not wanting to incite any rumors and actions on the part of the various partisans of the candidates. However rumors still go around that Martelly is ahead although in the North Mme Manigat had a stronger showing. We'll see how it all unravels.

I really just wanted to share a couple of photos taken of the work site for the Clinic at the school. Already the sky line is changing and it is quite remarkable to see how much ground they have dug up already. ......it was pretty exciting to me to see this when we drove up the roadway today.

Maybe you will feel that way too!.....a pita! Debbie

2011-03-20T15:55:00.001-07:00

Sunday March 20......Election Day once again in Haiti!

I have been listening to the radio on and off today and on the whole it appears that the elections are coming off in a much better fashion than the first time around. Mind you that doesn't mean there haven't been incidences here and there around the country. One of the stories running about is Wyclef Jean showing up a the polling station with a gunshot wound to his hand. I haven't heard enough details to give you further information. The polling stations in PAP proper are being kept open until 7 PM tonight, a three hour extension accorded by the CEP due to many polling stations starting late this AM. They were supposed to be ready and open from 6:00 AM but at 8:30 I was hearing reports that some of them did not even have the materials on hand to conduct the elections.

Several of the voting offices have started to send back preliminary results and what I have heard thus far has Martelly being ahead by a mile......we'll see how that changes or not as the other offices report in and the official results are announced in April.

Schools were scheduled closed on Friday and again on Monday. One reason being that many schools are used as polling stations. The other reason they were closed on Friday because no one wa sure what may happen as Arisitide returned to Haiti from his exile in South Africa. Even Wilner was on the road by 6:30 to head back to the Artibonite, not wanting to take a chance that he would get stuck in Port. Happily his return came without incident and it does not seem to have affected the election process today.

It has been a quiet weekend with Bert and Roberta at Hope House. Yesterday Bert did odd jobs while Roberta and I worked on organizing the medical supplies we have in the depot and moving some items from my office to the depot. My back was complaining by the end of the day but it was with a feeling of satisfaction that I was moaning and groaning! It was just a gorgeous Saturday morning...cool with a balmy breeze, so before getting down to work, Roberta and I enjoyed a morning coffee at the picnic table while playing a game of Scrabble.......what better way could one start the day!! This afternoon we had another match and Bert joined us for this one. Opie always wanting to be right in the "thick of things" also got into the spirit of the game.

That's it for this time around. I will leave you with the weekly reflection taken from the FFTP Lenten Calendar ........." Take time to truly listen to God. Allow his WORD to guide you and strenghten you.

May the week ahead be a good one for you.

2011-03-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi folks: the pictures may be a bit out of order from my latest writings but one has to take advantage of the fact that the Internet is now working and willing to upload my pictures. So here is a little selection for your from the last week or so.

Monday saw the engineers at the school, doing some last minute surveying on the health center site, before they started digging Tues. Mr Maxi Charles, the former Mayor of Ganthier who worked so closely with Carole Herget as she got her school up and running stopped by to share in the special moment as we started work on the clinic. . He supported Carole's dream of providing Health Care and is delighted as we are that at long last we are beginning the construction. Here is introduced to the engineers, who plan to use as many local resources as possible throughout the construction of the clinic.

Last minute surveying

What do you get when you mix Haitian children with soccer balls.....utter enthuiasm with little order ...the well laid plans of the team members were for naught once the kids saw the soccer balls. At one point I think they all threw their arms up in the air.....but not with despair...instead they just joined in the free for all with the kids and EVERYONE had a great time.

Odney did double duty as a translator and here he is with Bob leading the kids in a little warm up exercise before kicking the ball about.

The "New Beginnings" team from Bethany Lutheran Church, Alexandria VA with one adopted member from Hamilton, Ontario

Who can ever resist capturing such beauty....a few of the reasons for our existance.

and finally.....all the chatter is about the election on Sunday.....here is a sample of the many billboards around the country encouraging people to vote on Sunday. It is going to be a tight race I think. On top of it all, added to the talk is news of Aristide's immiment return...at one point rumored to be tomorrow but some latest news has him arriving Sunday the day of the election.... more interesting times for Haiti.

2011-03-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings: the last day I wrote the Bethany team was just arriving and today as I write to you again they have bade us farewell and are at this time safe and sound at home again with their families. I think it is safe to stay that it was a very touching and life alterating visit for each of these first time visitors. What a pleasure it was to introduce them to the delights and challenges of Haiti.

Today is a BANNER DAY for the Village of Hope....WHY you ask? The much dreamed of and long awaited Heath Center is finally underway! YAHOO!. The engineers have been at the site the last two days and today the bulldozer started moving the earth around to clear and level the land for the building. Bert was out their recording this momentous occassion while Roberta and I attended to affairs in town. I still felt a big THRILL even though I was not here to witness this special moment myself! The builders estimate 7 months for the project so please keep your prayers coming that elections run smoothly, the hurricane season passes over us without big distruption etc. to keep us on schedule.

March 16 ECSA begins excavating the ground for the Village of Hope Health Center.

that's it for today folks..I had hoped to get more pictures posted but it is a no go....will try again next time.

Cheers,

Debbie

2011-03-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

The team from Bethany church arrived safe and sound and are adapting quickly to their many new experiences. All are first time visitors to Village of Hope and Haiti. Yesterday was a day of work around Hope House..some painting, others building benches while others cleaned and re-organized the "red door depot". I told everyone when it was done I just wanted to take a chair inside the room and sit there and admire how it looked...there is even space to spare now.

Today the team is out and about with Roberta to visit Food for the Poor and Little Children of Jesus. Bert and I stayed behind to meet with the Eng for the Health Center. What excitement as they will begin working at the site on Monday....yahoo!

Pictures to follow as right now they refuse to be uploaded.

Have a good day............Debbie

2011-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hello folks: In my last report I mentioned that I couldn't believe how the week with the medical team had whizzed by.....now I am really scratching my head when I look and see that it has been three weeks since I last touched base with all of you. In the meantime we have had another team, I have spent a week in Canada, our Board met in Haiti and a photo team took pictures of all of the school kids. I think in order to catch up, I will "say it with photos" as I am sure you will find them more interesting than a long written diatribe.

Coming from Texas, Minnesota and Virginia the team led by Greer Putnam from St John's Lutheran Church in Alexandria worked as if they had known each other for years. Here they are getting supplies ready to repair a depot wall that was damaged during the earthquake.

Board members that were able to come to Haiti for the meetings, standing outside the Administration window at the school in Ganthier.
Fr Row: Pastor Ron (blue shirt) and Pastor Andy

Back Row (Lto R) : Tom (photo team member) , Dr Randy, Pastor Cheryl, Mme Marni, Darrell and special guest Rick.

Pastor's Andy and Ron, sharing a moment with Mr Robert Acra long time supporter and friend of Village of Hope. He is also President of the Haiti based board for the school. He worked closely with the School founders Carole and Jim Herget in the early days of the Project.

A thrilling moment as the dream starts to become a reality.....Engineer Delva signing the constrution contract for the Health Center with Pastor Ron while Pastor Andy and Engineer Moise look on. We expect to be digging up the ground within 2 weeks or so.

Lively discussion and debate took place as the Board members deliberated over the various agenda items. The Village of Hope is Blessed to have a group with such heart for the work they have volunteered to do. All enjoyed meeting outdoors....that is until dusk rolled around and the mosquitoes came out looking for dinner.......and what a smorgasboard they had!

What a photo team!....all of the kids at school that day (600+) had their photo taken before 2:00. They went home feeling a great sense of accomplishment....and a well deserved one too.

Visitors are always greeted by a very enthusiasitc group of student's and it was no different for Board members Pastor Cheryl and Pastor Andy.

Now Bert, Roberta and I enjoy several "quiet" days to catch up on various and sundry chores. Today and tomorrow many businesses are closed as Mardi Gras celebrations take place in various towns across the country. The festivities have caused a lot of chatter on the radio talk shows as people debated the pros and cons of continuing with the celebrations when so many are still living in temporary shelters and recovering from the Cholera epidemic. The powers that be have decided " the show must go on" and so the actities have begun. Normally the biggest celebrations have been in Jacmel and downtown PAP but this year they are trying to de-centralize them a bit more so other towns are also engaged.

Churches will be filled on Wednesday as the faithful attend Ash Wednesday services and then it will be back to "business as usual"....even for us as we prepare to greet a group from Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

The two Presidential candidates Mme Manigat and Michel Martelly continue on the campaign trail. M Martelly visited the DR to meet with their President with the thought of improving the relations between the two countries if he is elected President. Mme Manigat reportedly travelled ot the US and Canada to attend fund raising activities for her campaign. Many Haitians "lot bo dlo" (across the ocean) are still very interested and active in Haitian politics and carry a loud voice.

Last week I made a quick trip to the Artibonite Valley to be with Wilner as he buried his father, who passed on unexpectedly. It was most interesting to see the changes taking place along the routes as we made the trip their and back. More and more temporary houses are popping up here and there and several new schools and training centers are underway...one of them just outside of St Marc in the Artibonite Valley. It is encouranging to see that in the future kids will have the chance to study in their home department (state) without everyone having to come to PAP for further education.

In the weeks and months ahead you may look forward to receiving news regarding changes being made as we implement decisions taken during the Board meetings. It is an exciting time for us as we look forward to our growth as an organization.

We thank you, our faithful supporters, new and old to the Village of Hope - Lazarus project for your prayers and generous contributions (that come in many different forms) to our success.

Until next time.....peace be with you.

2011-02-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

The week has whizzed by...its amazing to me how the time flies. We have said a fond farewell to the "Happy Hearts" team from Sarasota and are now preparing for the arrival of a group from St John's LC in Alexandria Va. We are so thankful for the calm days we are having that permit these groups to travel as planned. The medical team saw over 400 people in the few days that they were here. Thanks to Dr Chris and his "have dental chair will travel", 78 people recieved care for their dental woes. The week was quite varied as we had clinics at the school, one for the Ganthier community, another for a small community in Croix des Bouquets and then we passed by Little Children of Jesus and Marie's to attend to folks there.....even Marie had her turn in the dental chair. I was pleased with the clinic Croix des Bouquets...Cotard 54 to be exact as I was not so certain that the health commity had done all it could to be prepared for us. It was a slow start but word quickly got out and before too long there was a good size line of folks waiting for the Dr and Nurse Practitioner. One of the highlights of the week was seeing some of the gals on the team singing "Jesus Loves Me" to a little baby upon whom Dr Steve performed a small surgical procedure. Being cradled by one of the staff members and hearing their singing settled her cries and soon she was sleeping away.

It rained a couple of evenings this past week and one night several of us decided to take advantage of the grand gush of water coming from the down spout to wash our hair. Even though it had rained for a bit of time before we undertook this activity and there had been plenty of time for the debris to be washed off the roof, just as we went to rinse our hair it was like a plug was pulled above us and the next thing you know we were covered in bits of leaves, sticks etc.. Each of us had to go to our rooms to have another shower to get all of the gunk off of us.....so much for our refreshing shower thanks to mother nature......at least our hair felt soft from the rain water!

Valentine's day took place during the team's visit. I took advantage of the team's presence to deliver some valentine cards that had been made by a preschool church class in Florida. They graced us with a song or two before we left them to their celebration of a little chocolate milk and goodies.

The election campaign for the second round of elections kicked off officially this week. It of course has caused a lot of chatter, especially as related to the planning for the elections to correct the imperfections of the round last November. Both candidates Mme Manigat, and Michel Martelly are very confident in their chances and are in the process of preparing list of names for the gov't officials they will put in place upon their "win" as president.

Wishing you all a pleasant weekend.

Debbie

2011-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday Evening:

The end of a busy and productive week. Thankfully things have stayed quiet enough that the Medical team from Sarasota area was able to come as planned last Thurs. They have hit the ground running and thus far have had two very good clinic days out at the school. This time around we have a dentist on the team and he has had a good work out pulling teeth. He trained three team members and they then went around giving the kids from Grade 1 to 6 a flouride treatment (thanks to Dr Laura). We fashioned this clinic after the one done by the Georgia group and it went so well, I even had time to do re file student charts and start the statitistical work before the clinic was even finished for the day. There are three more clinic days lined up for the week but each day will see us at a different location. We are keeping them on their toes!

Today Bert and I met with the Engineers for the Health Center and we are so thrilled that the end is in site as far as the planning goes and that we will be able to start digging in the very near future....yahoo!!

Of course as usual it doesn't rain but it pours....so just as we were getting ready for a busy week with this team, we got a call that a long awaited container of donated items had finally been delivered and could we pick it up as soon as possible because the folks recieving the goods for us had very little depot space. Bert handled that while Roberta and I were at the school. It took 2 days and three trips each day with two pick up trucks but he got it all delivered. Much of it is now under tarps in our yard until the next team arrives when we can start delivering some of it to the school. Thanks to the folks from Pennsylvania for making the donation possible. Everything arrived in pretty good shape...which is a miracle in itself.

I know it has been a bit of a "dry" spell without any photos, so here are one or two for your interest.

Dr Chris - Fluoride treatment for the grade 1 class

Dr Jouberth Helias (Clovis's niece) assisting at the clinic.

Mary and Lexie...our pharmacy technicians.

Beaux-arts at the Hope House compound. We call it "furniture under blue tarp"

2011-02-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Feb 7, 2011....the day President Preval was to step down as President but didn't. It seems his plan to stay until May 15 to see a new elected President take his place, may come to pass. There were demonstrations in downtown PAP, Cap Haitian and in the Artibonite Valley (between St Marc and Gonaives) but that didn't amount to as much as some people had hoped. Comments on the radio queried where were all the political leaders who had been calling for the annulation of the election and for Preval to leave today......their absence and lack of comment today was very apparent today. Some said they seem to have lost steam since the final election results were announced.....even though less than half of the CEP officers have agreed to sign off on the results. So things are still a little cloudy and will continue to curry our interest over the weeks to come, before March 20. Now the next big question is how to organize the next round of elections, to correct the faults of the first round and to ensure a more honest and correct election on the 20th.

The VOH school functioned today as normal but a number of schools in the city were closed as many were being cautious not knowing how big and/or unruly the demonstrations would be and not wanting to take any chances on student's being caught in the middle of things. It is amazing that the kids learn anything what with all of the disruptions to their school year and the stressful situations and challenges, that face each day.

We will see how things open tomorrow but it seems hopeful that we will be able to welcome, as planned, the medical team scheduled to arrive on Thurs. They are as anxious to come as we are to have them here with us for the week.

Keep your prayers coming for peace and calm to reign over Haiti and for safe travels for those who are planning to join us this week.

until next time.....Peace be with you.

2011-02-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Good Evening: Like many Haitians I stayed up late last night waiting to hear the final results of the Nov elections as the CEP was to make the announcement some time before midnight. Well that time came and went as did 1:30 AM without any news...that is when I said that was enough and headed to bed. Finally the results came at 7:30 AM. As many of you are probably aware the two candidates or the March 20 run off are Mme Manigat and Michelle Martelely (Sweet Mickey). Preval's favoured candidate from his party, Jude Celestin is no longer in the picture. Silence reigns from him, but both Mme Manigat and Martely gave press conferences today.

Thus far the reaction has been quiet with no demonstrations. In Aux Cayes where there was major violence in Nov, was a town celebrating today as Martely won the second place. Hopefully this is a good sign and the calls for maintaining order will be heeded by the various partisans.
Even though there have been no demonstrations there is great concern in the city as a number of police officers have been wounded or killed in actions carried out by unknown attackers over the past week or so. Despite their collective concern they have been out patroling and manning various strategic areas around town. Please keep the officers and their families in your prayers.

We are hoping that the calm we saw today bodes well for next week as well. I am starting to get a LITTLE hopeful that the medical team scheduled for next week will be able to come as scheduled. We will just have ot wait and see what happens on Feb 7 when President Preval is to step down as President. Monday will be an interesting day as well.

The Anderson's and I have taken advantage of the open days we had (since the Jan team did not come) to do other chores. For all of you construction types that will be coming on future Mission trips, you will be so pleasantly surprised at the order in which you will find the "hardware" section of the depot. Bert and Roberta did a GREAT job of sorting and organizing everything in that corner. You will want to give them a good pat on the back when you are here. I on the other hand have spent most of the time in front of my computer writing reports, doing payroll and various other admin type tasks.

We are also pleased as discussions with the construction firm and engineers are going well thus far and we are hoping that by end of Feb. we will actually be able to start clearing the ground to start the work. Clovis, the school director met with us last week and we sorted out a few issues to ensure security of the site and that kids are not having to cross the site to attend classes. We will move the card making class to the secondary building.

and there you have if for this day..the 2 of February.

Peace be with you............Debbie

2011-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers: Yes.....I am still alive and kicking! I know it has been some days since I have written but it has been more or less the status quo since I last wrote. Still lots of chatter about Duvalier's return and of course the elections results, involvement of the International community, the OAS results and Aristide's desire to return to Haiti are also right up there. The FINAL election results are to be announced somewhere between Jan 29 and Feb 2...I am guessing closer to the 2nd...it's a bet I have with myself. Rumor also has it that Celestin has withdrawn which clears the way for Martelly. But there has been no publice announcement of that by Celestin himself nor has the Electoral Committe recieved any official declaration. ..so the beat goes on!

The one big change since last writing is that I am no longer alone at Hope House. The Andersons, Bert and Roberta have joined me to help with the operations. They were a very good birthday gift as they arrived the day I was celebrating "my day". What a welcome addition they are and having three years full time experience in Haiti under their belt is definately a bonus! See the website for a bit more information about them if you are interested. It has only been a little over a week since they have been here but they are picking up things so quickly that it seems like they have been here much longer. I know they look forward to meeting many of you who are planning trips to Haiti and Hope House this year.

Everyone else at Hope House is fine....Jean is back from an extended visit to his family and he is busy now getting our vehicles into top running order...they are showing their age and appreciate his "tender loving care" of them.....me too as without those vehicles I really would be stymied.

I finally made it out to the Artibonite Valley to visit Wilner this past weekend. It has been awhile and it was interesting to see various building projects going on along the road going North. It was a much smoother ride too as even more of the highway has been repaved..that is definately a sign of things improving!

With that I bid you fond farewell....until next time..peace be with you......Debbie
Click here to read about the ANDERSONS!

2011-01-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Good Evening:

The news of the day has definately been the return of Jean Claude Duvalier and his wife to Haiti after his years of exile in France. What a surprise (to say the least) to see the news reel last night about his arrival at the airport. Even the French ambassador to Haiti was taken unaware. What is all means, is anyone's guess! His return has deplaced for the moment all of the other conversations about where we are with the election results and what the next steps are to be, as there has been no official announcement to indicate what direction we are headed in. The report of the OAS (org'n of American States) indicated that the two leading parties were those of Mme Manigat and Michelle Martelly (Sweet Mickey) and that Jude Celestin (Preval's party) was not in second place as had been formally declared. Everyone is just taking things a day at a time and grateful for each day that we can go about our normal routines instead of being hampered due to demonstrations and office closures.

School re-opened Jan 10 and the staff handed out report cards this past weekend to the parents. The kids are back at it as they have a lot to catch up with due to the extra days that the school was closed at the end of the year.

that's it for today......until next time....take care and Peace be with you.
Debbie

2011-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

JANUARY 12....Who ever will forget this date?! Not the people of Hait that is for sure. It is a National Memorial Day today and people turned out in droves at churches all over the country and at special ceremonies at the PAP Cathedral and the in Champs Mars..near to the Palace. It was not only a day for remembering those lost in the earthquake and those still suffering the ill effects of the fateful day but also a day of celebrating life and one of Hope for a brighter and modern Haiti for the future.

I am sure many of you have even participated in memorial events or witnessed them on the TV news. I have heard reports from Haitian press people in Paris, Montreal, Florida and New York of the activities being carried out in these cities.

At Hope House we are hosting a TV journalist and his photographer from my hometown. They are the same two fellows who were with me shortly after the earthquake last year. They are encourage by some of the progress they have witnessed but also a saddened to see so much still to be done. We just hope and pray that in the weeks/months progress will come more quickly with improved collaboration and coordination between the gov't and private sectors and all of the NGO's working in Haiti.

My thoughts took many different directions today as I thought of Jan 12, 2010 and the months that followed. It was a very eventuful year. One of the things I recalled were the messages of support and concern that I recieved from so many of you during the hours, days, weeks and even months after the 12th. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to send those notes and prayers of care for me, the folks we work with, the children we care for and for Haiti and its people in general....you will never now they encouraged me to keep putting one step in front of the other.

Throughout my years here I have continually said "there is always Hope for Haiti". As I close today I leave you with this quote from Ian Rawson at Hopital Albert Schweitzer......."Haiti is poor in material terms, but Haitians are rich in their spirit and their courage. In the past year alone, they have endured a horrendous earthquake, floods in our region and a deadly cholera epidemic. Despite this, they never give up. Therefore never can we. We draw strength from their forbearance and resilience. Every day we learn again about the reservoirs of strength which come from hope."

Amen......Debbie

2011-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope all of you rang in the New Year in a suitable fashion and that 2011 will be a fruitfull one and that good health and happiness fill your days.

School remains closed until Monday. We were supposed to be providing a dry food distribution for the families at the school this week but the organization that provides the food stuffs changed the dates on us at the last minute so it is not to be. However it gives the staff a chance to catch up with the report cards and other planning.

Things are quiet at the moment for the most part in PAP. There have been several demonstrations (Jan 1 and Jan 6) thankfully, not violent. Final election results are supposed to be announced any day now, possibly even this evening. Depending on what is announced we could be in for more demonstrations and upset around the country. How things will unravel after that, up to and including the inauguration period (Feb 7) is anyone's guess. President Preval is to step down no matter what on Feb 7 but rumor has it that is plans to hang on to May. This would be in defiance of the constitution which calls for a provisional President to be put in place if there is no elected President to move into that spot. What is rumor and what is truth will only be made clear on Feb 7th.

The second round of elections is set for Jan 16 but now many doubt that will happen since there is so little time to put everything in place to ensure a corruption free election.

Next week will mark the one year anniversary of the earthquake. I am told the 12th is going to be a National Holiday...a memorial day for all. Sat and Sun this weekend, Billy Graham's son, Franklin will be leading two large revival sessions...Sat is for children and Sun afternoon and evening for adults. People are expected to come from various points in the country and it will be held in the soccer stadium. Other activities are supposedly being planned but I haven't got any clear indication as to what they are.

I've been told that the Cholera is beginning to wane in a number of areas but others are still being quite affected. I haven't been back long enough to get any more news than that.

Until next time, I will leave you with this little prayer for New Year's that I came across.

A New Year’s Prayer
May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,But by showing you when people and their causes need you most, and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.

Peace be with you....Debbie

2010-12-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hello again: I tried to send this messge below last night but for some reason or other I couldn't upload..so here it is today for your reading pleasure (!?). Debbie

Christmas greetings one and all.....what a day it was as we enjoyed Christmas festivities at the school today. The celebration was down scaled a bit due to the fact school was closed for nearly a week due to the hoopla after the election results, but never the less the kids did a fine job of their poetry recitals and songs they sang. I just wish there could have been more of an audience beside myself, Clovis and the teachers. But alas, such was the case, but I don't think it made us enjoy it any less.

As per tradition the kids were served chicken with their rice and beans and a glass of juice and then each recieved a Christmas package with
various goodies inside.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I got through each class and not missing anyone..that was my worse fear...especially since I was organizing all of this on my own.....instead of dreaming of sugar plums, I was dreaming of Christmas packages.

I smiled to myself when I heard several of the teachers telling the kids not to open their packages in the chapel and also when I saw the older kids quickly checking out what was in their package as soon as they got outside the chapel...just like kids anywhere else in the world!

I am just so thankful that the week was quiet which permitted me to get all of the supplies we needed for the party and just as important getting the banking done so Christmas bonuses and Dec pay could also be distributed today as per tradition. Tomorrow morning, I play Mrs Claus to some of the neighbourhood kids and families then I will be ready to enjoy the weekend with Wilner.

Monday is the day that the final election results will be announced. There is a lot of speculation and question about exactly what will follow as none of the issues from the Nov 28 vote have really been resolved. All I know is there are lots of various sundry groups of people...politicians, religious leaders, International supporters and others meeting trying to come up with a solution that the majority will find acceptable. Everyone is just hoping and praying that we will not see the same sort of violent reaction as we did after the 28th. I heard a report on the radio yesterday of a British journal article stating that after Somalia, Haiti was the most politically unstable country in the world. I don't know on what they based their point of view but it was an interesting revelation to me.

In the meantime folks, enjoy the peace and calm to go about their daily business. However as if all of the other goings on were not enough, today news is going around that the gas stations do not have any gasoline! Finally there is calm to go out and about and now no gas for the tap-taps..you can imagine everyone's frustrations! Hopefully the news of a tanker arriving in a day or two is true.

So that is the state of affiairs this side of the ocean. Wishing you a joyful 4th Advent weekend.

2010-12-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings.one and all:
Sunday Dec 11 finds things pretty calm and a bit of normal life on the streets as people went to church or went out and about doing other chores. Yesterday the streets were busy and line ups formed in the grocery stores and gas stations as people took advantage of the calm to stock shelves, Christmas shop and fill up the vehicles. I had no real reason to go out so stayed at Hope House although I do have a little bit of "house fever" having been holed up here all week. No one knows what to expect tomorrow, but I won't be surprised if we have more demonstrations although I pray that the calm we have had over the past several days continues. Everyone seems to be taking a break from the to do of last week...even the radio stations ...as I have been hearing more music than news throughout the day.

Unfortunately the Christmas elves will be not be to make their planned trip to Haiti to help with the Christmas gifts, so I took advantage of the quiet to get all of them organized and to make sure there were enough for each group of students. It worked out just right and now again I pray for calm so that we can hand them out at the end of the week as scheduled. Joel has been a good right hand man lugging the big boxes here and there for me.

I called Marie to check in with her and all was going well with her. While chatting we arranged for her to come with her driver to pick up the Christmas gifts for her kids and a few other items assigned to her .....one of them was some cans of span and Vienna sausage. She was so amazed and was remarking how the Lord provides at just the right time. She gave her last can of meet to a neighbour this AM, whom she invited to her house for an egg as he was feeling weak from hunger and Marie offered to feed him. She gave that last can of meet to him to take home and he was so grateful that he would have something to be able to feed his whole family....to him it was like a feast she was providing him. It once again just gives one pause to say THANKS for the bounty in our lives and I say thanks to those of you who continue to suppor the Lazarus Project through gifts of funds, gifts in kind and your gifts of time....we would not be able to help those we do withour your continued support.

Hope you are enjoying this Advent Sunday.....Debbie

2010-12-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all: Here I am holed up at Hope House due to the "hot climate" in town today (and elsewhere in Haiti) as a result of the announcements made regarding the election results. Tires are burning, roads blocked and in some towns buildings ransacked and burned. Other areas where partisans are more or less satisfied with the results in there neck of the woods, remain relatively calm.

Below is a note I recieved from a friend for those who are interested in a bit more detail regarding the elections.

....................As if an earthquake, a hurricane, and Cholera were not enough, now we're in the throes of major upheaval over the preliminary results of the 28 November presidential elections that were announced last evening. I can't say we haven't been anticipating this, but when it comes it is always uncomfortable. Most people are remaining in their homes while the turmoil boils.
Below is an article that gives a good overview of what the protests are about. I'm sure there was a large dose of disorganization and inadequate planning in the electoral process, but they do not account for all of these irregularities.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/04/v-fullstory/1958005/count-every-ballot-or-else-haiti.html
One of the main objections is that the results announced last night do not match what the National Election Observation Council had reported a couple days ago. Their observers polled voters at 15% of the voting centers on election day; and when asked who they voted for, 30% cited Mme Mannigat, 25% Mr Martelly (aka, Sweet Micky), and 20% Jude Célestin (the 'dauphin', heir apparent of Président Préval). Last night's preliminary official results gave Mme Mannigat 31.37%, Jude Célestin at 22.48%, and Michel Martelly at 21.84%---a mere 6,845 of the over 1million votes separate Martelly from Célestin. The next closest candidate, Jean-Henry Céant, received 8.18% of the vote.
The question is how much of the vote for Jude Célestin is real vs rigged? The 18 candidates (one declined to run for election the week before) have the right to protest the results within the next 3 days. Final results are due 20 December. Only two of the multitude of legislative seats were decided, so the rest will again be up for vote in the 2nd phase 16 January 2011.
Among the likely decisions the CEP (Haitian Electoral Council overseeing the elections) could make at this point, which one will it make:
Activate its option and place a third candidate on the ballot (Martelly)?Hold its line and keep only Mme Mannigat and M Célestin on the docket for January 2011? Boy, will Haïti be hot for a long time if they choose this one!
Suddenly find during the final verification process that Martelly did indeed receive more legitimate votes than Célestin and the revote becomes Mannigat vs Martelly instead? That, too, will cause a political furor.
Scrap the whole election and start over (not likely!)
I've lived through many of the elections the last 23 years here, but this, of all of them, may be the most crucial. Much of what will happen in rebuilding, which in itself will create a forward motion we've not seen for a long time, hinges on the election of a good and true leader for Haïti. All the previous elections have been troubled and many patently corrupt; but the 2005 election stood out as the best run and most representative and fair. If somehow the CEP could return to the 2005 process in the second round, it would have a much better chance for success.
Prayer requests...
Personal safety for the Haitian people. A few will spark a great deal of turmoil and innocent bystanders can get caught in the middle.That calm will restore quickly. Haitian people cannot afford this disruption, it causes enormous economic upheaval for persons who already have extremely marginal resources.
Our staff that are on the road and caught in the midst of the manifestations. Our SCMS staff and our sister work, LMS, are out delivering the US Government's donated Cholera supplies that we just received and have been caught amidst the demonstrations in different outlying towns. Most areas of the country already do have supplies, however, these are more for backup.Wise choices by the CEP.
That the candidates truly favored by the Haitian people will have an opportunity to be fairly voted upon and the most favored fairly selected. It is critical for the future of Haïti. And one more...
Continued decrease and eventual containment of the Cholera outbreak. Thankfully, although all areas of the country are affected, the number of persons falling sick seems to be stable and the number of deaths is decreasing.

Hope you found it to be interesting and informative reading.....until next time......
Debbie

2010-12-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Good Sunday afternoon: Another week has gone by..it is hard to believe that only four remain before we close out 2010 and welcome 2011. Many in Haiti are more than happy to say goodbye to this year, with hope that next year has only got to be better! ....let's pray that it may be so!!! My bank tellar was one of the ones expressing such sentiments.

We saw off the three team members of the "Braveheart team" from Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon. They enjoyed a morning of "life in Haiti" as we attended the Christmas Bazaar at Quisqueya School ( a private Christian school at Delmas 75), visited a local grocery store for purchases of last minute items for their suitcases, lunch at Epi Dor a fast food restaurant and just enjoying the street life as we rolled along to the airport. We all managed to drop a few gourdes at the Bazaar, which was really getting lively when we left.

Nativity Scene at Quisqueya School for the Christmas Bazaar

Fran,Nany Joy and Phillipa...the "Braveheart team"

The day before, Friday, was another outstanding day for them (their words) as we visited the school and Little Children of Jesus. After the general assembly the kindegarten children has a special probram of singing and dancing and what an enjoyable time it was watching their antics.

From there we joined Gladys and her staff for their annual Christmas party and "fete" day to honour International Day of the Handicapped. We go to help Gladys set up the buffet table...(and what a spread it was of Haitian treats) and before we ate, we were able to help the staff to feed some of the children needing assistance with their meal. The staff put on a skit about Cholera, a men's group sang several songs and other activities took place to liven up the day. It was so touching/heartwarming to see how much the staff and especially the residents enjoyed all that was going on..it was simple and basic but oh what fun they had! One of the members of the team pointed out to me again the specialness of Haiti...that a people so burdened with hardships and tragedy one after the other, still take time to celebrate the affirmative things in their lives.

Gladys (in purple pants) and staff singing a song..."down with Cholera"

The daughter of one of Glady's staff enjoys her "crown" and the Christmas festivities.

Today was supposed to be the preliminary announcements of the election results but I have been told it has now been put off to Tuesday. Friday and today there were announced demonstrations but I have not had any word as to what occurred. One good sign was that the university students arrived without problem for their monthly meeting with me this afternoon.

Public opinion is high for Mme Manigat or Michelle Martelly, a singer otherwise known as Sweet Micky for president. Some others are still calling for the election to be annulled but that cry seems to be waning a bit....we will just have to wait and see what the next days hold.

This morning Roberta, who is staying til Tues, and I attended church service at Marie's new church. We sat behind a lot of the girls and I was thinking how nice they all looked and what care that Oxane, their house mother and the older girls take with the little ones....each and everyone of them had ribbons in their hair colour coordinated with their dresses. The attendance was not as numerous as I have seen on other Sundays but the singing was no less exuberant...it surely does lift you up!

The girls have moved from their temporary lodgings into their new room..which is gaily painted with a variety of pastel colours. ....pictures of that next time as I had left my camera back at the house.

..and that my friends brings you a bit up to day...more or less.

Have a good week ...Debbie

2010-11-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

The election is over but things are very far from clear as to what will happen next. About 3% of the polling stations were compromised in one way or another and many people are complaining they did not find their names on the electoral lists.....not surprising after so many homes etc lost after the earthquake. Since the election a group of the presidential candidates supposedly got together and agreed to ask collectively for the election to be annulled due to the irregularities. The next day several of the group held press conferences and denied they were in the "group of 12" . This has caused a great consersternation among them which stirs up the pot some more.

The coming days are going to be "interesting" to say the least. Thus far things are pretty calm in PAP but several other towns have experienced demonstrations over the last two days.

I have heard that the Cholera has reached the Ganthier area but haven't heard that any of our students have been affected. The health center in Ganthier has been set up as a treatment center so the folks do have some quick access to care if needed...... that is if the promised materials are delivered to the Center.

Today, I will be greeting a small team from Pennsylvania who will be acting as Christmas Elfs, helping me to start to prepare for the gift distribution which another team will conduct in the middle of the month.

Please keep Haiti and the Village of Hope school in your prayers as we continue to meet the variety of challenges that Haiti presents.

Debbie

2010-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hello and good Sunday afternoon: There is never a dull moment around here as was witnessed this afternoon when Joel came in and told me the hydro pole outside our gate with some of our electrical attachments for Hope House electricity connected to it. You could actually see flames coming out of the top of it. There were gray skies overhead and I was praying that the rain would come and help us out. But no luck!

Not long after a wire burned through and one of the elements detached from its place but we still had electricity. I will not tell you what happened over the next hour but before EDH who was supposedly called by a neighbour, could do anything, the whole wire fell, there was a loud exploding sound and now for sure we had no electricity.

We finally got the fire out as "fireman" Joel went up the extension ladder with your hose and hallelujah.....the water pressure and the stretch of his arm was enough to just get the water to the top of the pole. Then one of the neighbours who was helping out came with a long pole which we tied the hose to and that really did the trick. Joel was able to direct the nozzle of the hose right into the middle of the pole. That was a relief!

Now I know that a trip to the EDH office's is added to my list of chores for tomorrow. Luckily it is quite nearby. I just hope it won't take too long to get things back in order. I have heard we have an employee of EDH (in the upper levels) who lives further down our road so maybe that will help. We have been very fortunate to have a lot of electricity lately so we are getting "spoiled".

...and I wondered what I would write about to you today.

Other than that life goes on. Probably most of you are more up to date than I on the Cholera situation as you watch the nightly news. My mom called today and told me the airport was closed....I didn't even get that news here. I was out and about on Saturday and everything was business as usual...or at least in the area I travelled through.

The elections are Sunday and not surprisingly things are getting a little stirred up as the different parties and their supporters make their last ditch efforts for support and to make their points known. Of course the Cholera epidemic for sure has been added to the mix and needless to say the UN is dealing with what I think would be a public relations nightmare, since a group of their troops is being blamed for the outbreak in the Artibonite Valley.

Wilner tells me it is waning a bit in his neck of the woods but I know it will be sometime before it finishes making its rounds in the country and things are "back to normal".

I leave you with a picture or two of Joel putting out the fire.

2010-11-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

Good Morning all: A beautiful tropical morning greeted us this AM...much different than last weekend. I have had a team of construction crew here since Wed and they have worked like beavers completing renovations on the small apt. and doing some odd repair chores for me. One of the fellows was even brave enough to go and "attack" cleaning up the "hardware" section of the depot. Everything looks great.

The visit with my brother and sister in law sped by but it was nice to be together if even for the brief time we were. We managed a quick visit to Deschapelles to see Wilner and then spent a few hours by the ocean, even if it was a bit overcast. The one beach that we usually go to was flooded so we went a little further down the road to another one.

Other areas of the country did not fare as well and are now dealing with the results of the flooding and winds destroying farm areas and fishing villages.

Of course the cholera is still a great preoccupation for many. It is now spreading to several different areas of the country including PAP as we are not getting reports of sporadic cases being reported from various sites. The information campaign continues as the MSPP and NGO's try to organize observation and treatment centers for those too ill to be taken care of at home.

People are very afraid and I heard on the radio yesterday that some folks in a provincial town could not get to the clinic for treatment as the motorcycle and tap tap drivers were too afraid to carry anyone sick on/in their vehicles. Education and prevention is certainly the key to keeping the epidemic under control.

Now, I wish you a good weekend and please continue to pray for VOH and the people of Haiti.

Debbie

2010-11-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sat 1:00 PM: Hi all....welll Tomas has come and gone and now everyone works to dry out. At Hope House we did not fair too badly. The winds and rain were not too too strong and we did not suffer any damage. I just got back from errands over on Delmas. We went through a few big "lakes" of water at several intersections this AM but by time we headed back there were pretty much dried up. All of the tent camps seems to be intact but now folks look forward to the sunshine to start drying out their clothes and the muddy ground.

I have only heard of 7 deaths as a result of the storms and they occurred in the southern region which was hit worse off than PAP. You will probably have seen more on the news than I.

Its a short note I know but I figured some folks would be anxious to hear how we faired.

Family is visiting so I am off to enjoy a few hours with them.

Debbie

2010-11-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hello folks: What next for Haiti? That is a question many are asking as we all prepare and hunker down as best we can for the arrival of Hurricane Tomas. We awoke to grey and cloudy skies today and a lot of wind. The Ministry of Education closed schools for today and tomorrow. As I type it is just starting to rain a bit.

However it did not stop me from doing some errands and taking my brother and sister-in-law who are visiting, to the Metal workers area to do some shopping. The civic protection has done a great job of keeping the people informed and sending out warnings and instructions over the radio. In different areas around the city there are a number of sites being prepared with temporary housing. The picture below isn't the best but it will give you and idea of the type of temporary housing that is being put up. Hopefully some of them will be habitable for folks to take refuge from the storm.

The public health dept and civic protection at the same time preparing for the hurricane are also still working hard on public awareness to prevent the spread of the cholera. They have been handing out soap, potable water and other such necessities.

So keep up your prayers for Haiti and its people.

Debbbie

2010-10-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

Finally I am able to get a few photos to you from the last several weeks. Sadly I missed some opportunities due to the fact I kept forgetting new batteries for my camera.

Jim: checking out the weights at the School clinics. The reception and screening area was held in the "little green house" at the entranceway.

Barb and her interpretor Elvid, getting the intake info from the mother

"Pharmacists" Nancy and Lois setting up their shop at Little Children of Jesus for the staff clinic.

More patient screeing with Diane, Barb and Hilda at LCJ

The "SLICK" team

Back Row L-R: Barb, Betty, Barry, Diane, Dr Randy (team leader) , Sandy, Nancy, Lin (co-team leader) , Hilda

Front Row L-R: Jim, Richard, Susan, Lois

The " Hometown Flirts" team

Back Row: Barb, Hilda, Jim, Donna (team leader)

Front Row: Sarah, Chrisitna, Annette, Jordyn

In case you recognize three of the faces, Barb, Hilda and Jim all stayed on a second week in order to be with the Hometown crew. Hilda, Barb and I worked together at a Burlington Hospital ICU, many moons ago. Donna and the four girls are all students studying social work and for Jordyn, psychology.

2010-10-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Good Evening all: The team is all tucked away in their rooms, reading and relaxing so I am taking this opportunity to send out a quick note.

Cholera is on everyone's minds and the topic of conversation for all. The "blame" for the infection is being pointed at a troop of Nepalese UN troops who supposedly were emptying their latrines into the Artibonite River in the area of Mirebelais. This is totally unsubstantiated at this point, but it is the story go around. Wilner tells me that new cases continue to show up at the hospital but that the rate of their arrival is decreasing a bit. The newcomers equal the amount being discharged. He continues to be out and about delivering health and prevention messages to various communities the hospital serves. So far he is staying well...I keep telling him to make sure he is following the advice he is giving everyone else. As for our area there are a few reported cases, but I don't have very accurate information about the real situation in PAP area. The health meeting on Monday focused on prevention messages to be spread about and setting up observation and treatment centers. The various NGO's in our area are organizing oral rehydration salts, clean water and other treatment modalities, in the case we get a lot of cases like the Artibonite. We continue to hope that it will be contained as much as possible. I was at Food for the Poor today and one of the staff told me that all of their hand sanitizer has been handed out left, right and center as so many folks have requested it.

I posted the health messages at the school and we have distributed a quantity of soap for each of the classrooms. On Friday we will give goodie bags to all of the students and one of the items in the bag is a bar of soap.

The Hamilton team, now nicknamed the "Hometown Flirts" have been hard at it as we moved a lot of boxes from the depot to the school and then from the little apt to the new depot at Hope House. I had to get it cleared out for the team coming to finish renovations in the apt.

We have delivered medicines to a private clinic nearby and to Food for the Poor Clinic today. The team thoroughly enjoyed the time to serve up food to the families arriving at the FFTP kitchen for their daily rations. All of the them were remarking, as many others do, how tiring it was to scoop out the portions of rice. They were all wishing for a bit of Ben-Gay this evening.

From there we went to Little Children of Jesus, arriving in time to help the staff feed lunch to the children. It was quite a meaningful visit for all of the gals (and one guy). Hilda's husband Jim is lapping in the luxury of being on a team with 7 women.

The rain came pouring down just as the desks that had been painted were starting to dry out a bit. Hopefully we got the tarps over them to prevent any ill effect.

I finally remembered to change the batteries in my camera, but now the satellite does not wish to upload my pictures so they will come at another time.

Thats it for this evening......all the best, Debbie

2010-10-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi folks: I am sure everyone is anxious about the situation in Haiti as news of the Cholera outbreak spreads. Of course it is of great concern for all of us, and we are all praying that the major thrust of it can be contained in the Artibonite. I read on one of the sites today that there are two suspected cases in Croix des Bouquets that are being investigated. We are taking precautions as necessary and I have given some health lessons to the staff as well as a some chlorox for them to have at home and I also told them how to make the homemade oral rehydrations salts.

Wilner has been a very busy fellow as Hopital Albert Schweitzer is right in the middle of the Valley and it as well as all of the other hospitals in the area have been inundated with patients arriving for care. Wilner has been out and about in the small communities delivering health messages and treatment care etc. He and his colleague were even on the local radio station to help spread the word. I just got off the phone with him and he says although folks are still coming to the hospital the numbers of folks coming seems to be declining somewhat.

The Health Dept in our area is having an information and planning meeting on Monday. I will be othewise occupied but I am sending someone to represent me at the meeting and to take notes.

So please keep your prayers coming Haiti's way......oh so many are saying "what next can happen"?!

Today I saw the "Slick" team off (Dr Randy's medical team from Statesboro Georgia and Hamilton, Ontario). They were so named for the well oiled fashion in which they conducted the medical clinis. We did three days at the School for students and community members and then we worked in one of the smaller tent site areas. The last day we saw staff at Little Children of Jesus and several of the girls at Marie's. ...all added up we saw about 675 people. Several of the highlights were seeing the overnight improvement of a little girl who came in with a fever of 104+. She was given a shot of antibiotics and then other treatment to take at home. The next day she returned for follow up and to Maria's delight, she was a different little girl. Dr Randy saw a young student from the school who has yet to return to school due to a huge abscess he had under his jaw. After a 24 hour period of antibiotic treatment with little change, Dr Randy, ended up draining the abscess and he went home with a variety of medications. I will be seeing him on Tuesday to see how he is coming along.

We were fortunate to have great Haitian staff working with us to help the clinics go so well. They included a health agent, interpretors and 2 different Haitian physicians. The community at the camp site had a health committee and they did a great job of keeping the folks in order and they waited very patiently to be seen.

One day coming home we had quite the experience as we were traveling through Croix des Bouquets just as the political rally for the inauguration of Jude Celestin's campaign for president was coming to an end. The traffic was HORRENDOUS. It was so bad that many folks gave up on the tap taps and just started walking to their destination. Odney and I had the pleasure of going through it twice as the bus carrying half the team broke down and after dropping the one set of folks off at Hope House we turned right around to go and get the others who were still at the Metal workers area. By time we got there a young very talented kid had the vehicle fixed and then we headed back together. If anything the traffic had gotten worse, so we ended up taking a very convoluted route throught the back streets of CdB to get ahead of the traffic. One of the fellows from the metal workers neighbourhood acted as our guide. It was a bumpy road but it was much better than sitting in the traffic for over an hour.

I will continue this story at another time..it is time to go and get dinner together for the team that arrived this afternoon....yes the beds hardly got cooled down before they were being filled up again. I am pretty proud of this team as they are all from my hometown of Hamilton...the first full team of Canadians to be at Village of Hope.

Have a good evening and I'll be back in the not too distant future.

Debbie

2010-10-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

Good Morning all:
I have a few minutes to spare before heading out to the school to join the kids for the church service, so thought I would spend it adding a few lines to this blog. There is not really a whole lot to tell as we have been just carrying out the daily chores of running the school. This week my big accomplishment was getting the housekeeping staff equiped and an inventory prepared of the materials each of them have. Next week, it will be the gardeners and following that the kitchen staff. Each of the groups has a list a mile long of what they "need". Finding out why the item is "needed" has been an interesting process.

Yesterday I visited a new store like Eko Depot. It is called MSC trading. I wanted to check it out and I also had a list of items that Christophe needed for some repairs at the school. Who ever thought I would be excited about being in a hardware store. It was a bit like Home Depot and the prices were a bit better than at Eko Depot. I don't know if it will be one stop shopping but they do have a big selection on hand.

From there I went to pick up the mail and then to the grocery store....the traffic was bumper to bumper going both ways, so it was not a speedy trip. On the way home I stopped at a Haitian Arts Festival. I wish you could have had the opportunity to attend to see some of the fine crafts produced here. Naturally there were a number of the metal workers there. As well there were folks selling jewellry, purses, embroidery, paintings, shoes, home made jellies, stone carvings and on and on. It may not be surprising to some to know that I managed to leave a few gourdes behind.

This afternoon I will be picking up the medical team coming from Statesboro Georgia. They are being joined by 3 folks from Canada....the first time we have had Canadians on a Mission trip. It is pretty exciting for me to be introducing them to the Lazarus Projects in Haiti. It will be a busy week, I know that for sure, but a very satisfying one too.

Time has marched on, so I must leave you now to head out to church. Sunday blessings to one and all.

Debbie

2010-10-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon:
It's been awhile I know since I have posted any news. It has been busy for sure but most of it has been the routine day to day work. After the Prince of Peace team left we had one more push to get the rest of the school furniture moved. I kept a crew of 5 guys going most of the day. I know I was pooped at the end of it so I am sure they were exhausted. The classrooms looked great though and I know some will be happy with the results....even if no else is, I sure am and that made it all worthwhile no matter what! Speaking of results we learned that all of the grade 13 (Philo) students passed, 36 out of 38 grade 6 passed, 8 grade 12 passed and 7 had the chance to rewrite and we await their results. Twenty nine passed the grade 9 exam. Three had marks high enough to rewrite but due to lack of time the Mof Ed did not give them that option this year, thus they are considered as having failed. We are pretty pleased with the results, although Clovis does aim for perfection.

School started off well on Monday. As usual the full complement of students have yet to appear and they will slowly trickle in this week. Some of the parents are most likely still trying to get uniforms and other paraphenalia ready for them to return to class. I really give credit to the K1 teachers.....at one point I was thinking I should be giving each of them a bottle of tylenol. They had the music blaring away to keep a light mood for the new children but amongst all of that music, I heard a lot of crying. I think it is the usual routine for them and they seem to take it all in their stride.

Election campaigning has begun and there are banners, flyers, posters everywhere with various candidates pictures, slogans etc printed on them. Thus far it seems to be staying pretty calm....we hope it will continue as such.

Pictures will not be forth coming for awhile..I am having computer challenges since I lost part of the power cord to my own computer. Luckily I have a caring brother who is working to try and help me resolve that problem.

until next time....here is a little Shaker saying for you to ponder: Begin today! No matter how feeble the light, let it shine as best it may. The world may need just that quality of light which you have.

Debbie

2010-09-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Good Morning to all:

Its a cloudy overcast day that greets the team as they get ready to head to the airport. I think they are all praying that the rain drops will hold off until they are at least at the airport. They have had enough experiences getting wet in the back of the truck. It seems the rain in Haiti is getting some press in the US as I have had a number of emails with prayers for our safety. I haven't heard the news of what's going on in the rest of Haiti, but accept for the big storm end of last week, the rains are more or less what comes with the rainy season. But normal or not it still is not ideal conditions for all of those living in temporary shelters. The prayers and concerns are appreciated. Not all is negative though as some of the team members took advantage of the rain off of the roof to "soften" their hair with rain water.

Attendance at church was quite limited on Sunday but the few kids that were there thoroughly enjoyed the singing of our group and readily joined in for a second rendition..hand movements and all. The team repeated their performance at Little Children of Jesus yesterday and it was heartwarming to see some of those kids attempting to do the hand motions. The big smiles on their faces seen as the team sang away, though were more than enough. This was the team's reward for all of the choir practices they had before going to church

Many chores were got attended to this week as the team split up into various groups. A new carpet was put down on the stage in the chapel, two classrooms painted and touched up after repairs were completed and another one refreshed and best of all (for me at least) was getting all of the classrooms organized. We got new tables and chairs in place and were able to dispose of a number of broken/warn our desks. All of the senior grades are pretty much set and next step will be to take care of the junior grads (grade 7 and down).

As the "Moving Drip Dry Team," thus named for all of the furniture shuffling they did and their several baptisms of rain, heads back home, I will be heading to the school to deliver the staff pay and continue with my contract work.

Brooke, Brenda, Nelson, Melinda, Mike, Judy, Liz

Pana, Elizabeth, Tom, Joe, Kim, Rose Marie, Jessica

tira for now...time to cook up some breakfast.

Debbie

2010-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone: howdy from VERY wet Haiti.....we had a rain storm, dare I say a bit of cyclone this afternoon as we were driving home from the school. I think maybe I have seen it rain that hard once or twice before...but I have never had to drive in it myself. Odney was in the big truck with 3/4 of the Prince of Peace team.....they got drenched to say the least. We in the pick up truck behind them were okay until we had to face that music once we arrived at Hope House.
The road was like a river and our yard a lovely wading pool. I can only imagine how the folks in the tent camps were faring.

The team arrived yesterday and as usual jumped right in with work. Today we were busy organizing furniture (new tables and chairs) in the classrooms and trying to make the classes a bit more organized. We got 4 of them done and tomorrow will continue on. I think they look pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

Previous to their arrival, I spent several days with two visitors from Boca Raton who came to meet with the contractors for the Health Center Project. All is moving along fine..we are set to sign the contract in 2 weeks and then will be full steam ahead by mid Oct. All in all very encouraging for us.

We have results from two other classes and we are quite pleased. All of the kids in the philo (grade 13) class passed their national exams. Eight out of 15 in the rheto (grade 12) passed and the other 7 are able to write make up exams...which is a good thing for them. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin to prepare for round 2. We still await the results for the grade 9 class.

On that positive note I will say tira for now...time to go and tend to dinner for the hard working crew.....pumpkin soup....a perfect thing for this rainy evening.

a pita...Debbie

2010-09-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all: Back safe and sound at Hope House, mind you a day late. Due to airplane mechanical problems and rain storms in Miami we missed our connecting flight by 10 minutes.....that was disappointing. But such are the vagaries of travel. AA gave us a hotel room and food vouchers so we headed off to the hotel to settle in for the night. It turned out I was traveling on the same flight as Patty Meyer and friend Jeanine who were headed to Marie's. So at least I had company along the way.

The event in Fond du Lac was a big success as Perry managed to keep that bike going for the 24 hours...he did 401 laps or approx 269 miles in the 24 hours. He now awaits confirmation that he dotted the i's and crossed the t's correctly for the Guiness World Record Book and to await the final tally for the funds donated to the cause. The turnout was a bit disappointing probably due in part to the rain and clouds that plagued us Saturday. Luckily the rain stopped just as Perry was to begin but it did not enhance the track conditions AT ALL....what a mess. The dirt was like clay and stuck like crazy. I managed to loose my shoes, lost my balance and fell in it, as I was heading up to the starting point to wish Perry well....that sure made a site!

But away he went at any rate. He had a great support staff and after each hour they would get out the power washer and hose off all of the mud. Perry said it felt like it added an extra 100 lbs or so to the weight of the bike (photos below).

While Perry was riding there were various other activities going on...DJ played for several hours, then a band..there was a silent auction and stunt performances by some fellows on their bikes. Everyone worked hard helping to ensure the success of the event.

I was pleased to be able to attend the church service at Ascension Lutheran Church and to bring greetings to the congregation from Haiti.

As soon as the event ended on Sunday I was on the road again to Naperville to attend a meeting with Pastor Scott and other church members at Wheatland Salem Church. My google map directions did not let me down and I arrived just in time to a warm welcome from the group.

Monday I enjoyed the sites and delights of downtown Chicago and Oak Park with good friends.

All seems to be well back here in Haiti.....nothing outstanding to report thus far. Will head out to the school tomorrow to catch up with Clovis and continue our planning for the school opening on the 4th of Oct.

Pictures for your enjoyment (hopefully)

Perry at the starting point...within seconds of taking off

The bike before and after a pit stop

Not the best of pictures, but at least is shows Perry in action on one of his 401 laps on Saturday morning...the sun finally came out around 4 which brightened everyone's spirits

The folks (at least some of them) who cheered him on and were there with him through thick and thin...wife Melissa stands beside him in the blue jacket

Perry and I at the finish line...a much nicer end than beginning with the sunshine brightly and no muck to clog him down.

so there you have it.....24 Hours for Haiti......if you wish to see the Fox news blurb about the event check out their website: 24hoursforhaiti.com

until next time...take care....Debbie

2010-09-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all: Another short note for you. The office work has continued on the past couple of days with a few excursion here and there to meet with the teachers, fill the vehicles with gas, visit the Labor Board etc. Tomorrow I head off to the Fund Raising event in Fond du Lacs - http://www.24hoursforhaiti.com/. I will also be visiting Wheatland Salem Church and friends in Chicago..an extra bonus to the trip.

I did drop by to visit Marie today...she is traveling about so I missed her but I did stop by the school/church/orphanage to check out the progress on the new building. I understand from Fedner that even though it is still in a very rustic condition that they have already had several services in the Chapel area of the new building.

The first picture shows the windows to the girl's side of the building. Picture 2 looking at the front with the entrance to the Chapel on the left. Last photo inside the Chapel...fellows putting the finishing touches on the walls and ceiling.

That's it for now......

2010-09-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Hope House:

It is a quiet Saturday, early evening. I was out for most of the day, getting my mail, grocery shopping, purchasing some Haitian articles for a silent auction and then stopped to visit some friends....just a normal Saturday like y'all have at back home. The week was also fillled with other routine business...payroll, paper work and the like. My ear was buring after the two hour teleconference I joined in with the Board members. I think it is such a miracle everytime I can do that....when I think back to my first days in Haiti, we would have to drive sometimes 1-2 hours to get to a phone if we needed to make a call and we only had HAM radio contact once a day with our PAP office......it seems like it was the "dark ages"...amazing what can change in only a few short years!

We got the exam results for the kids at the school and I am happy to report that we had a 95% pass rate overall. We still await the results for the Grade 6,9, Philo and Rheto (grades 12&13) classes all of whom wrote their state exams in mid August. Hopefully they will prove to do as well as the rest of the classes.

The kids in the Grade 6,9,Philo and Rheto classes were rewarded with a day at the beach and by all reports from Clovis it was a day most enjoyed and appreciated by all. Unfortunately I was home on vacation when they went so I have no pictures to share of the kids frolicking about.

In a few short days I will be heading to the US for a brief trip to attend a fund raising event in Fond du Lac Wisconsin. Perry Prichard a Mission trip alumni is going to try to set a Guiness Book of World Record for the most times around a motor cross raceway in 24 hours. All proceeds will come to the Lazarus Project. If you are interested in learning more check out http://www.24hoursforhaiti.com/. I am going to "cheer him on".

It's short I know but that about sums up the week. I tried to post the picture below last time around but it was a no go then. This is just a glimpse at the tropical paradise Wilner and I 'suffered" with during our free days in the Dominican Republic....it was a taste of heaven!

Until next time, peace be with you.....Debbie

2010-08-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all: A quick entry to let you know that I am "back in the saddle" once again having enjoyed my two weeks vacation to the utmost. I was spoiled by family and friends in Hamilton for a week and then came back to join Wilner for your trip to the DR for a week. I am thrilled to report he had his Cdn Visa renewed for 5 years (yahoo), all of which occurred on Monday so we had the rest of the week to just rest and relax..and that we did!

I have just been going through my email messages, doing laundry and the usual end of vacation activities...tomorrow I will head out to the school and check on things there. Otherwise, I gather all is the status quo in Haiti...still lots of talk about the election and the selection of the candidates. ..many disgruntled because Wycliffe was disqualified while others who did not meet all of the requirements either, were allowed to let their names stand.

Hope this finds everyone doing okay as well. More news to come as the week progresses.

Cheerio,
Debbie

2010-08-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all: My oh my..hasn't the time just flown by, since my last time with you.

Let me back track a bit. Friday I bade farewell to the Iowa team...AKA "the Prestige-ous" team. It was an earlier start than usual as "they"...whoever "they" are of political persuasion were calling for a national transport strike and threatening damage to banks,, gas stations and other publice services that would remain open. Not knowing how the streets would be we left earlier than necessary and had extra eyes in the back of the truck with us.....Populaire with his trusty baton......Luckily all was calm, no road blocks, no burning tires, banks and gas stations functioning as usual so the team got to the airport in plenty of time. I don't think they minded too much being glad to have everyone checked in and settled before it got really busy.

Here is a picture of that Prestigous group and please note the handywork of Buzz who worked all day Thursday getting that little canopy ready....it is a perfect deterent to that hot sun.....at least for those who don't with to do their tannying time while sitting in the back of the truck.

Front row: Abby, Liza, Bob, Darryl, Dave, Dave aka Buzz

Back Row: Judy, Mary Anne, Katie and Pastor Keith

Once back at Hope House, I got busy straightening up my room or at least a part of it and hauled out the suitcases to see if all of my iron work will fit...it won't so I will now be wrapping a few pieces in cardboard....sound familiar to anyone?!

Saturday Wilner came with Bob and Thia and Mimim came from across town...it was family weekend at Hope House. Bob is home for vacation from his medical studies in Santiago and it was my only chance to see him as well as Mimim too. We enjoyed the afternoon by the pool at the Visa Lodge as well as the buffet lunch. It was a real treat for all. In the evening with "pizza buns" made we squished into our room (Joel included) and watched the muscial Mama Mia. I never tire of that music and enjoyed it as ever. The "kids" liked it too. Sunday mid morning saw everyone heading home. I admit to having a little siesta once everyone was gone, before I sat down at the computer. Below is a picture to introduce you to Thia, Bob and Mimim

The last couple of days have been taking care of various and sundry bits of business. I won't bore you with those details. One story though that may interest you. My last chore before heading home yesterday was to pick up some cheque books at the bank. I was about the 20th or so in line outside, just standing there watching the sites while I waited to get in. There was lots of traffic and one of the vehicles that passed by was a huge steam roller rumbling along. It has just passed by the bank when the next thing you know, everyone came fleeing out of the bank. In my mind, I was thinking there must be a bank hold up and I was waiting to start hearing gun fire or some such thing related to a hold up. Within a very short period of time, we realized that in actuality it was everyone panicking at the trembling inside the bank ,caused by the steam roller as it passed by. Earthquakes and its impact are still very much in the psyche of a lot of people. Many of the folks outside who saw the steam roller were laughing and joking at the reaction of the othes and yet they were very understanding of them as well.

The school is pretty quiet these days, now that most of the kids and staff are on vacation. The kids in rheto and philo finish their state exams this week. The admin staff will take a few days vacation at the end of the month and then all to soon we will be preparing for the new school year...set to begin Oct 4.

I too will take a little time away so please do not be surprised not to find anything on this site over the next two weeks.

Until next time...enjoy the summer, stay safe and Peace be with you!

Debbie

2010-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Hope House! The gang is still hard at work trying to get in their last bit of work before "calling it a day". We have finished with the depot...it is in such good shape now...I am THRILLED!!! see the picture below...isnt' that a grand site!!

Now they are whipping together some more school desks. Carpenter Bob has a lot of pieces cut, so they have quite a little assembly line going. What a Blessing they are.....as are all of the teams that visit Hope House! There are now words to truly convey my appreciation for all of the work that is done and the spirit in which they work together.

Katie (with the drill) and Mary Anne even get their hand in at the desks.

Before donning our sweat rags, we did take time out this AM to absorb a little Haiti culture as we drove to downt0wn and visited a cooperative Haitian craft store. The streets were humming with life...people everywhere attending to various and sundry tasks.

Yesterday was also a full day. The morning was spent at the school, painting the bathrooms. What an improvement! It has been a chore I have been wanting to see done for a long time. Bob got the termite eaten door jamb fixed in the kitchen..another plus! On the way back to Santo 3 we passed by the Metal workers and most of the gang came away with at least one article in hand..me included (as usual).

Judy and Darryl..putting on the finishing touches...the team got 7 out of 10....I kidded them that they lost marks due to the amt of paint droppings on the floors!...they said that was the style in Bettendorf...I found that a little hard to believe so the score did not change!

I will say tira for now so that I can attend to dinner and to make a final "inspection" of all of the work done.

Cheerio,
Debbie

2010-08-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all: I last left you as the team arrived in the pouring rain. Since then it has rained another couple of nights but the days have been sunny and warm...to say the least. Many things have been accomplished since Friday evening, one of which has been eradicating tarantula spiders and other creepy crawlers. Some folks don't appreciate the gifts of Mother Nature quite like some others.

The team has enjoyed the Sunday church service with the kids but the real highlight was attending the closing recital presented by the three kindergarden classes. What a delight it was.....I can honestly say that attending these events always brings a tear to my eye. It brings home to me how important our Mission is, in providing these kids the opportunity of an education. Monday was definately "kids" day. We proceeded from the school to Little Children of Jesus, arriving in time to help feed some of the children. Gladys was preparing for a staff meeting (before she heads out on holidays next week) so we didn't stay too long after meal time was over. We did take advantage of the visit to deliver more of the donated goods we had for her. The day ended with our visit to Marie's kids....also taking advantage of the visit there to delivery yet more donated goods....this time it was school binders to be given to the kids when school opens. Marie "escaped" for several days of R&R, so we didn't get to see her. However Gina and Fresnel took good care of the visitors.

Today was our visit to Food for the Poor. The traffic getting there was unbelievable!! We got in a traffic jam like I have never seen before. Finally some police officers with support of UN security took charge of straightening out the mess. After about 20 minutes we were finally able to make our turn up the road where we were headed. It sure was an eye opener for my guests.

In between time we have been organizing and moving boxes around in the various depots. Bob and his helper got cutting wood for desks and even better, shelving for the depot! What a blessing that is going to be. We opened up space for the shelves with our shuffling of boxes, plus another delivery of chairs, desks etc to Gladys helped out a lot.

Its time to go and join the other folks for their devotional period. I will leave you with a couple of pictures to enjoy.

Choir Practice -preparing to sing at the Sunday church service

Opening the Kindergarden recital. The K3 graduates led the way....they will move up to Primary school when school opens in Oct.
Chief carpenter Bob (with the hat), and his asst. Darryl measuring up wood to be cut for shelves and desks.

Darryl and Pastor Keith, putting the finishing touches on the depot shelves....aren't they great! (the shelves that is...and yes the two guys are great too)

2010-07-31T04:27:00.000-07:00

Good Morning: another fine day has commenced. The gang from Bettendorf are still snoozing away....a bit "jet lagged" from their 2:45 AM departure from their church yesterday. There "adventure" began as soon as they arrived. As I awaited them the skies got blacker blacker. I had hoped we would make it back to HH in time but it was not to be. As soon as the truck was loaded and pulling out of the parking lot, the skies opened up, bolts of lightening lit up the clouds and claps of thunder rattled overhead. Those of us in the car behind felt fortunate to be inside. Some put on their rain capes but others just soaked up the rain. We were just around the corner from the house when I saw Odney pulling over, only to look and see that there was a flat tire on the truck. Not a pleasant thing at the best of times but when it is dark and in the pouring rain that is a whole other matter. We squished another person in the car with a few more bags and we headed to the house. Those guys worked fast as once we arrived at the house, I called Odney to see if I should come back for any reason and he was already heading down our road to the gate. It just goes to prove the Haiti proverb...anpil men, chay pa lou......(many hands make light work).

Soon everyone was dried off and we then enjoyed dinner and good fellowship time together before everyone turned in.

a la prochaine......Debbie

2010-07-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hi folks: This will be a quick report as it is payroll time and I have to go and sign a few more cheques before I call it a day. It has been a full one. I started by doing paper work, then a quick trip to the school to drop off ice for the juice the kids were having today (along with chicken). Tomorrow is the last official day of school for them. I have a staff meeting so we decided to have the treat for lunch today. Only the kids writing their official exams will come to school over the next week or so until they write the exams. The teachers are there to coach them and give them practice questions.

After that I headed to Food for the Poor for the distribution that I was told to get this week, only to learn when I got there that they decided to do an inventory of the depot and everything was closed up. .....rats! But not to waste the entire trip I dropped in at Eko Depot to look for a small metal plate to shore up some desk legs. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but I did manage to get paint, varnish and paint thinner so I am all set for the team coming tomorrow.

Then it was back to Hope House and more computer and paper work. Late in the afternoon I went and did some work in the depots.....had to get outside to see the light of day for a bit. Then it was into the kitchen to bake a couple of cakes, lemon square and heat up dinner for Joel and myself......and Jean as he worked late getting the big truck tuned up. After dinner I was doing several other chores in the kitchen when all of a sudden it started to rain....a nice tropical down pour. I just couldn't resist the call of the that wonderful cool water, so I quickly got my beach wrapper on, grabbed a towel and headed outside to the big water spout and ducked my head in...............ah..ah...ah what a heavenly treat....so cool and invigorating. I am sure some will think I am crazy when I have a nice shower inside.....but never the less it was a wonderful little break.

Once dried off I finished the items in the kitchen, got the cakes in the freezer and now here I am.

The news of the day in town is that Wycliffe Jean is supposed to be jumping into the political arean in Haiti by running for President. Jean told me there was a talk show today on the subject and people from all over the country were giving him their support. Whether it is true or not is another thing time will tell.

there I will leave you for the day.....cheerio
Debbie

2010-07-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Good morning one and all: A new week begins. It will be filled with routine paper / computer work, bank affairs, payroll etc until I go to the airport Friday to pick up the group coming from Bettendorf, Iowa. Before all of that though I must put last week to a close.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to get the Enrichment team off to the airport at 6:00 AM....or just shortly thereafter. It was rather an overcast morning and I had a few goose bumps as we breezed along to the airport. I could have used a jacket that is for sure. Everyone else found it to be quite refreshing after the heat they had been experiencing.

As Marni said they came as two groups but left as one. It was such a pleasure seeing how the gang all melded together. There was never a lack of conversation and that is how they got their nickname of the "Mme Sarah Magpies plus two". The plus two is for Tom and Patrick who were the "bookends" to all of the gals on the trip. The ladies who sell goods at the local markets are nicknamed Mme Sarah's, after a bird in Haiti called Mme Sarah ( a yellow and black weaver type bird). The characteristic of these birds is that they are always chittering and chatting away. I had just told them I was nicknaming them the Magpies plus two, when I went to help Joel with something in the kitchen. He quietly asked me if I knew what Mme Sarah's were. Immediately I knew what he was intimating and said "yes, I do, why.....do you think this group are like the Mme Sarah's". He chuckled and said yes. I definately got a big kick out of this and knew for sure they had been nicknamed appropriately but I did adjust the name to the "Mme Sarah" Magpies......thanks to Joel's astute observation as well. They too got a chuckle out of the story when I shared his comments with them. Mind you Tom and Patrick were not wallflowers and kept up their bit to add to the conversations.

The kids were very proud to take their crafts home on Friday. Many of them were already wearing the various pieces of jewellry they had made. Several of the girls had their paper mache bowls pinned to their heads, acting as a little cap.

Marie, Patty and Renee (accompanying Patty) dropped by Thursday evening for a little visit. It is a small world indeed as several of the team members from Bollingbrook/Naperville area, realized they only live several blocks away from Renee and Patty.

Although tiring, I have to say that the last two weeks with VBS and Enrichment week have been very rewarding. The kids really enjoy having the opportunity to experience both events, which do enrich their lives in many different ways. They are already talking about what they will do next year.!

..and now folks, I will leave to get and get my first cup of coffee for the day and enjoy a few sips in peace and solitude.

Have a good week
Debbie

PS. Hopie is recuperating very well from her operation. Her little girl Peanut (the Felon) kept tugging at the strings to get the protective hood Hopie had to wear off of her. Yesterday I gave up the "fight" of keeping it on as long as I didn't see Hopie irritating her operative sites. Luckily she seems to be healed up well enough and she didn't do anything against the doctors advice. I know I sure would't have wanted to be walking around with a big plastic bottle tied to my neck either. As much as the energetic Peanut has tested my patience this past week, I will be a little sorry to see her go to Fleury's home today, as she was promised to him. I know he wants her to have puppies for him, so maybe we'll have one of them in the future.

2010-07-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone: What a week it has been....lots of activity that is for sure. I saw the "Energizer" team off last Friday evening and then quickly got ready for the arrival of the Enrichment team on Saturday afternoon. The group arrived on two different flights but the first arrivees agreed to wait for the second group which gave us a little more "breathing" space.

The team has jumped right in there and beside getting their craft and first aid classess ready, they have been helping sort clothes, and all the items from the container that arrived. Today we got more boxes from FFTP and they ended up counting school report card booklets before they got placed on the truck for school delivery tomorrow.

Yesterday was shopping day at the Metal workers and today they enjoyed a mini tour of Delmas road and a "tourist" visit to the grocery store to pick up some Haitian coffee, peanut butter and the likes.

Other "excitement" yesterday was helping the Vets who were operating on Hopie. They had set up outside and lo and behold before the procedure was done it started raining. I quickly got three umbrellas and we held them over the docs and Hopie while they completed the operation. Hopie had a growth that had to be removed..neither Vet had seen anything like it. Now she is on a powerful antibiotic and has this huge collor hood type of get up on her neck to prevent her from getting at the stitches on her belly. I am happy to report that she is thus far recovery nicely and ate her food right up tonight.

Kelly and Kevin operating while Lori and Lennie hold the flashlights and others hold the umbrellas. Hopie out like a light did not realize a thing that was going on around her.

The Enrichment week goes well and the kids are enjoying their lessons in jewellry making, music, painting, weaving and various others. Unfortunately the paper mache group has had unexpected challenges...seems the hot humid weather is not condusive to drying glue too quickly.

The boys show off the broaches they have made while another group learns how to braid bracelets from Cynde.

I talked to Wilner last night and got good news in that he got his passport renewed and it is in his hands..or at least in Mimi's (his daughter's hands). It was quite a process and a few dollars exchanged hand in order for him to get it. He knows some poor fellow who has been waiting over 4 months for an "urgent" passport and he too coughed over the gourdes for the "valet" service to speed things up Man, I am saying many thanks for our good fortune. Now we can apply to get his Cdn visa renewed. I actualkly believe we may get away for our holidays as planned.

He also told me that they had had LOTS of rain and as a result the LesForges ravine flooded and caused a lot of damage to houses, gardens etc not too far from HAS. This happened several years ago. It is amazing to see how fast that water can flow and how high up it gets in a short period of time. Fortunately no one lost their life. ...the challenges just never seem to end. ....but the folks "just keep on truckin".........!!

On that note, I will bid you fond farwell until next time,

Debbie

2010-07-15T18:54:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone: I am POOPED! what a couple of days we have had...out of the house at 6:30 to get to the school for VBS and then once back at Hope House we have unloaded and moved 4 camions full of donated goods...... Between these two activities the team has also visited the Metal workers boutiques in Croix des Bouquets and made a visit to Food for the Poor and the hardware store. Because the truck was busy with getting the goods from FFTP...we have had a convoy of 3 vehicles going to the school and out and about the last two days. Greg one of the volunteers drove my car, I drove one of our and had a cousin of Jean's driving the third. Jean stayed back at the house to take care of our electrical problem......the invertor kept going out.

Today he thinks he solved the problem....hallelujah.....the other nigth I was up every 15-20 minutes resetting the darn thing...I did allow myself two hours of sleep and said to heck with the fridge and freezer for that bit of time.

The saying goes..it doesn't rain but it pours and that has been true this week. Not only did the container shipment arrive, but a donation of clothes collected by a friend arrived and then another donation of goods collected by Advent church arrived......am I ever glad of that new depot...it is packed and so is every other depot and the little apt house.

Several ladies of next week's team were worried they wouldn't have enough work to do......that is sure not the case. I think I have enough to keep the next several teams going....as we have to sort out, organize, count and deliver the goods to various places or arrange to have them picked up.

I have very much appreciated the efforts of this VBS team which I am going to nick name the Energizer team as they just kept on going like the Engergizer Bunny.

The "delivery" truck....one uses the resources at hand.....the dump truck part of it was great for emptying all of the 2 x 4's out of it. The driver just hoisted the back end and they all slipped out of the truck to the ground. You can see one of the wheelbarrows being off loaded.. They were put to immediate use hauling boxes of goods to the depots.

Speaking of which,here is Becky delivering some goods herself...lots of school binders for the kids to go back to school with.

what can I say......it's "men's work...stacking the lumber

Just to show you that I don't just wave the baton around as the conductor.....geez..I didn't know the top of my head was so white!!

Let me introduce you to the "Engergizer Team"

First row LtoR: Steve, Lisa, Greg, Janis
Second row LtoR: Christa, Pastor Rich, Matt, Martina, Becky, Cassie
Top row LtR: Mark, Barrett, Drew, Pastor Veronica

they are standing in front of the stacks of rice at Food for the Poor..all will be delivered within a month to 6 weeks!

Now I bid you good night..until next time. ..Debbie

2010-07-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Hot and steamy Port au Prince...the little rain we had this afternoon didn't do much to help cool things done. Everyone is spread about doing various and sundry activities. I was sorting a new shipment of donations we recieved from Food for the Poor yesterday. Some folks are rinsing out the tie-dye t-shirts they are making with the kids....(all 150 of them). Others are organizing photos of the kids. Matt and Jean got the wiring at the school changed over from the solar panels, so hopefully they won't have any more "blackouts".

The Hope House Chinese laundry...first step to tie-dying......is prepping the shirts so the colours last longer and appear "brighter"..even I am learning something this week.

My next big challenge is organizing the vehicles and people so that we can go and get the container of donations that have also finally cleared customs....I just knew it would happen this week or next when we were so occupied.....naturally it couldn't have come out last week when I had vehicles and people to spare. However always looking at the silver lining, the team is free in the afternoon and will be a big help putting it all in the depot and getting it organized.

Meanwhile they were busy today with their bible story skits....the highs seas adventure of Paul imprisoned on a boat heading to Rome for his trial. Matt and Barrett are making the waves of the ocean with their blue cloth. The kids were quite enthralled and followed along very well. They especially liked it when they felt the raindrops falling on their heads (water being squirted by Pastors Rich and Veronica)

While the grade 3 and 4 classes enjoy VBS the grade 6 class is preparing for the final state exams. Today they had a preporatory exam to help the teachers identify their weak areas. Space for writing the exams (to discourage cheating) is limited so some of the kids were spread out on the chapel benches. Here is one of the girls writing her exams......can you imagine a scene like this at home!?

This photo takes us back to Sunday but I wanted you to get an idea of the scene that was repeated all over the country as folks were glued to their radios and TV sets following the final game between Spain and Holland.

until next time.....take care.

Debbie

2010-07-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday greeetings to one and all: A fine day has been had thus far by myself and the VBS (vacation bible school) team. We had an early start to get to the school as we were hauling all of the VBS supplies to the school and they wanted to check out the rooms and organization for the classes which are to begin tomorrow. As well, they met with their interpretors and getting acquainted with them and showing them what type of things they will be doing.

I must give the team credit as I forgot to mention their singing duties at chapel this AM, but they came out very well..not only doing 1 song but Jorel even coaxed two more out of them.

Then it was on to the Visa Lodge where we enjoyed the buffet lunch. The place, as I suspected it would be, was packed with folks who came for lunch and to watch the final match of the World Cup. I wore my orange blouse in support of Holland but it was for naught as they lost 1-0 in the second overtime period. We managed to catch the overtime periods....how was that possible? We made record time getting back to Hope House from our circuit tour...why...because there was absolutely NO traffic....everyone was inside watching the game. Now that the series is over..life will go back to "normal". I am wondering when we will see the EDH electricity for the next time......the company squeezed a lot of extra hours in order that more people could watch the games.

Yesterday I met a friend a the Visa Lodge for breakfast before heading to the airport to pick up the gang. It was a pleasant interlude. I was really glad I did that too, because Odney and the big truck got caught in a huge traffic jam and the team exited the airport before Odney even got there. Normally I would have been driving right along behind him.....things always seem to happen for a reason. Being from Florida, waiting around in the hot sun, didn't bother them too much. Fortunately Odney got their about 15 minutes after and soon we were bumping our way back to Hope House.

That brings you up to date at this end of things. We are looking forward to a great week and we wish you a good one too!

Debbie

2010-07-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all: I missed my promise of being in touch yesterday....I got carried away I guess with the afternoon that I took "off" and let it extend into the evening...well I did answer a few emails, but decided to give all of the other stuff a rest. A friend of mine from Germany, who spent the past 2 weeks in Leogane and I got together yesterday afternoon for lunch, a little shopping and viewing of the soccer match between Germany and Spain. I told her if felt decadent to be sitting relaxing on a mid week afternoon and that I didn't feel TOO guilty about it. I know I shouldn't have felt any guilt at all,....but what can I say.....my parents raised me with a good work ethic. It was a lovely little interlude and it was so good to catch up on each other's news.

Other than that, I have been revising contracts and job descriptions and getting ready for the Vacation Bible School team (July 10-16) and the Enrichment (arts and crafts) team that will be here from July 17-24.

Sorry it is not too exciting of a report but for me it is good......no crisis to attend to.

have a good evening,
Debbie

2010-07-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Howdy: Tuesday today and the day breezes by. I am keeping it short because my computer is acting up and the cursor keeps jumping around willy nilly which means I am making corrections every few words..very frustrating. First off thanks to Marni for getting the graphis to appear in Judith's report..that will be a new lesson for me when she is here in two weeks. Second find the promised pictures

Joel's 18th Birthday celebration.

Jean, Wilner, Joel

My Dutch friends are celebrating Holland's advancement to the World Cup after their 3-2 defeat over Uruguay today.

That's if for today folks...this computer glitch is just too frustrating to type with. I'll be back in touch tomorrow and hopefully the probelm will have passed...as it has done in the past.

cheerio,

Debbie

2010-07-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to all of my friends and acquaintances. Hope you had an enjoyable day and that the firworks were superb. While the US citizenry celebrate this special day,the folks in Haiti are in mourning. It is with utmost disbelief that they saw both Brazil and Argentina eliminated from the world cup. Argentinan fans were really "giving it" to the Brazil fans Friday after Brazil lost. Then yesterday all of the Brazilian fans were gung ho for Germany and there were many dancing on the streets (literally) when Argentina lost 4-0 against Germany. Wilner and I watched a replay of the game last evening and even before the game was over, the stations were starting to play funeral dirges. On the screen they had a fake airplane going across the field...the name of the plane...."Air Bye Bye". I was leaving Agape mail service just as the match finished and the radio announcers were all making like they were crying over the waves. It really was something to behold with these soccer fanatics!

So now with Uraguay being the only non European team in the semi finals, Wilner is switching allegencies. He does support Holland at times as our good friend Els is from Holland but now his loyalties lay with the "Americas".

After Wilner left to head back to Deschapelles today, I had a very domestic day at Hope House.....making up some baked goods for the upcoming teams, cleaning out the fridges, cleaning out more donated items and I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Last night we enjoyed a BBQ steak dinner along with Joel and Jean......I made a special dinner as we were celebrating Joel's 18th birthday which is today. Jean was working on his vehicle and I asked if he would like to stay and have dinner with us...which he did. Joel was pretty pleased and also enjoyed the special breakfast I cooked up for us this morning. Once I got back from dropping Wilner off he went and spent the day with his friends and I enjoyed the peace and quiet while I did "my thing".

Other than that not much has happened since I last wrote....just took care of the usual business at hand and things in the city are as ever.

Below is the latest report from my friend Judith which I think you will find interesting. Several graphs she included did not copy/paste. If anyone is interested in seeing them let me know and I will forward her report to you directly.

Haïti continues pretty much as it has been the last few months. The camps are even fuller than before as people are either returning to PAP or choosing the camps over their homes because of some perceived benefits they might receive. Here are a few details...

Tent camps…There are presently 1.6 million displaced persons scattered in 1,342 camp sites in the earthquake affected areas of Haïti. In Port-au-Prince, there are about 1,000 of the sites. Fifty-four of the 1,342 sites have more than 1,000 households and these account for 29% of the displaced people. Two of those are in Pétion Ville, the town nearest to me. The commune (like a county) of Delmas, which is very close to the heart of downtown, has the highest concentration of displaced persons. There are 200 camps, 11 of which accommodate more than 1,000 families; and there is a total of 315,500 homeless persons (19% of all displaced persons) in the camps. The map below gives you an idea of the immensity of the problem. The darkest red is the commune of Delmas near the downtown:

Water and hygiene facilities…The WASH teams have been working overtime to help meet these needs; and despite less than required levels of water and hygiene facilities in the camps, no waterborne infections have been reported--truly God’s grace and a testimony to how carefully the Haitian people work at managing these scarce resources. But the teams believe that they should be able to add enough latrines to provide 1 for every 100 persons by October, a very decent figure. Nonetheless, the teams caution that although the WASH surveillance may be able to be suspended in a few months in the rural areas, it will need to continue for another year or two within PAP because of the scarcity of resources.

Insecurity and personal safety….One of the most unpleasant part of the camps has been the insecurity. A couple weeks ago the National Police teamed up with the UN troops (called MINUSTAH here) in an early morning raid on one of the large camps in the commune of Delmas. About 30 persons believed to be thieves were apprehended, some were escaped prisoners from the national penitentiary whose walls were damaged in the earthquake. Another part of the insecurity relates to teens and young women who are being forced into sexual relationships. With many family members either dead or dispersed, these young people are particularly vulnerable. Security has increased in the camps, but it is still a concern. Pregnancy and STIs…Along with the concern about personal safety is a very sharp rise in the number of pregnancies. This has not yet been measured to my knowledge, but we have all noticed the large number of young women walking about in the earlier stages of pregnancy. Of course, if one is vulnerable to pregnancy, there is also a significant risk for sexually transmitted infection, like HIV. In fact, health providers in some of the camps have noted a higher than national average prevalence among the camp dwellers--though it is uncertain whether this is a cluster effect (a higher number of infected persons who just happen to be living in the same camp) or a real increase in prevalence.

Population growth….Along with these concerns, the US Census Bureau released its population projections for Haïti this week. It estimates that the Haitian population is currently 9.6 million (last census in 2003 showed 7.9 million)—and that’s taking into account the loss of about 230,000 persons to the earthquake. The Bureau predicts that the persons killed in the earthquake will be replaced within 2 years; and that the population will continue to grow at a rate of 1% per year, reaching 13.4 million by 2050. Yikes! It’s hard to feed everyone as it is! Temporary homes…Some of the tents and tarps have been damaged by the large and frequent rains we’ve been having and will need replaced. As I mentioned in the last update, people are starting to add more permanent fixtures to their very temporary shelters, like tin doors, wood framing, and the like. Roughly about 2,500 temporary homes (more like a regular home and built to last at least 3 years) have been constructed; but these are mostly in the more rural areas. The picture below shows the situation at hand:

Debris…The Shelter Cluster estimates that all in all there is about 19 million m3 of debris to remove—1 m3 is basically the size of a pallet, so that much debris would fill 19,000 warehouses like ours, and we’ve one of the largest in Haïti! All in all, about 125,000 temporary homes are expected to be constructed by this time next year, the huge majority in the metropolitan PAP area.

Home Structural Assessments….Houses are still being evaluated in order to help persons resettle in their own homes. About 130,000 of the estimated 188,000 damaged homes have been assessed and a good portion are ‘green’, meaning that they can be lived in without first undergoing repairs. Roughly half of the homes that have been assessed as ‘green’ are being inhabited. The engineers have been reminding families that the homes evaluated as yellow will need some relatively minor repairs to be able to be inhabited; AND that not all those that have been assessed as ‘red’ will have to be torn down. A good number may still be able to be salvaged with the right kind of earthquake resistant technology applied. Now that’s good news! As of right now, 46% have been assessed as ‘green’, another 30% as ‘yellow’, and the rest as ‘red’. The engineers estimate that about 500,000 persons will be able to return to properly repaired homes.

Food…Although food rations are no longer being distributed, there is good news on the horizon! The spring harvest looks like it will be rather productive, which will both increase the availability of food staples as well as decrease the price. The maps below give an idea of the projections concerning the availability of food for the next few months (yes, green is good!). This is very heartening because prices continue to be well above pre-earthquake level—roughly 25% more.

MAY 2010 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
Jobs…Another brighter star on the horizon. The food for work programs are not only helping to clear the rubble, clean out canals to avoid lowland flooding and repair rural roads, these over 100,000 people are receiving a reasonable wage with which to help support their families. The need for this kind of work will be there for quite some time in the future—along with labor for reconstruction; and these should significantly help to re-establish families. But the financial losses have been great here. One thing that helps Haitian people to get by on such limited income is that they do not need to pay great sums for living quarters. But modest sized homes that used to cost perhaps $2,500 per year to rent are now going for $500/month--that is more than the average middle class Haitian person earns in a month! Housing relief, and not just the temporary shelters, must be made a major priority in order to be able to stabilize the country.

Non-profit organizations…Again a reminder, the Government of Haïti is asking all 1,000+ NGOs operating within the country to register. The registration must be renewed every 6 months. If you would like more information on any Government-related business in Haïti, I’d encourage you to either become a member of the NGO Coordination Support at http://www.oneresponse.info/ or contact them directly for at ngocoordinationsupport@gmail.com
Some more subjects of prayer:
For everyone’s personal safety, especially for the young and the vulnerable
That food and housing will indeed begin to be affordable and at levels to meet everyone’s need
That reconstruction can proceed well:
Settling of the land ownership issues
No longer be hindered by such high prices—some materials are up about 50% over pre-earthquake prices, even though there is no shortage
Driving:That the rains and floods will not do any more damage That the road damage will be promptly prepared so that it does not take forever and at risk of life and limb to travel to and from normal activities. Video games have nothing on the ‘real deal’ take-your-life-in-your-hands events that regularly occur on the roads here!
That the Lord will give us grace to deal with those few but significant numbers of persons who do not believe that laws were meant for the well-being of everyone. It adds greatly to the stress to share narrow, broken down roads with others who ignore the danger they put themselves as well as the rest of us in.

...and there you have if for this Sunday July 4th......didn't Walter Cronkite used to close with a statement something like that?!

Have a good week...Debbie
PS birthday pictures will come tomorrow...for somer reason they will not upload this evening.

2010-06-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hello again: Since I last "spoke" two classrooms were painted at the school, several chores at Hope House accomplished, the team participated in the Monday morning assembly before heading to the airport and since their departure I have had 2 mornings at the school attending to paper work, meetings and some sick kids.

The painting took place Sunday after church and our lunch at the picnic table under the big almond tree behind the chapel. The classrooms were 2 of the smaller ones so the job was accompished in two hours or so....AMAZING. While they painted I did accounting work for the University program and as luck would have it I finished that just as the team finished painting.

They were more enthusiastic about their painting than they were about singing at chapel service.....it was a very reluctant "choir" that stood before the kids to sing. Luckily Jorel, who had been delayed arrived in the nick of time and his accordian music to accompany them gave them a little more courage to their singing. Plus Julienna and Devin had great voices and did an excellant job of leading the rest of us on. In the end Jorel even coaxed a second song out of them. It was a rather lively one and the kids were even clapping and singing along.

The team were quite taken with Hopie's little "girl" and she sure got a lot of loving attention during the week and was given the name "Peanut" which seems to have stuck...although I call her little "dezod" (mischief) as she eats the cats food, drags the dish outside even, chews my shoes and other items in site etc . She like her mom has taken to keeping me company in the office while I work away.

On the news front President Preval had a news conference today regarding the upcoming presidential elections, now set for Nov 28. I didn't hear his speech but what I gather is that a lot was related to the CEP (conseille electoral provisionale) which has had problems with corruption ...not a good thing when they are to assure that the elections are run honestly, with integrity etc. New members are being selected as far as I can understand.

and there you have it for now. Hope the week is going well for you.
cheerio,
Debbie

2010-06-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Good evening ..is everyone enjoying a nice weekend. The team took a "day off" of work today and for the most part it was spent in the back of the truck as we toured about PAP a bit, seeing the sites, hearing the sounds and watching the hustle and bustle etc of a normal Saturday in the city....even the traffic jams. We had stops at the grocery store, Agape mail service, an upscale Artisanat shop, lunch at an outdoor restaurant all topped off with a trip to the metal workers.

The trip to Agape was like Christmas for me as a surprise goodie package arrived for me from my mom and also two packages with books in them from my friend in Holland. One of the surprisingly has the title "The Lazarus Project"....isn't that incredible. I can't wait to get my nose into it to see what it is all about. (Thanks Mom and Els!)

It may seem funny but I think everyone was more exhausted from this type of day than one filled with various odd jobs. Probably sitting in the sun has something to do with that. Even I came home and flopped on my bed for 20 minutes.

The last two days were filled with preparing for the food distribution (Thurs) and distributing it Friday. Thurs we loaded a 110 boxes of rice meals ONTO the truck and then OFF of the truck once we got to the school. That was a job in and of itself.

Visits to Little Children of Jesus and Marie's girls topped off Friday afternoon for us.

Since they say a picture says a thousand words, I will finish with a few photos for you.

The "chain gang" loading up the rice meals.....only 109 more to go.

The team known as the "Count off 1-2-3 Team" may not have been so good at counting to keep track of things but they sure could work and assembly line.

Kurt, Kathy, Devin, Perry, Jennifer, Beth, Trisha, Brittan and Julienna ...happy campers now that the bags are filled with Sardines, rice meals, spaghetti, beans and vienna sausage.

All 650 bags filled and waiting to be handed out...I finally figured out why my shoulders and back of my neck were sore....it was from lugging all of the those bags from the back room to the front room.....supposedly for invetory control but it still didn't come out right....oh well we had what we needed to hand out!

The Kindergarden 1 girls singing their thanks with glee!

Handing out of sun glasses, funny noses and other such items was met with many squeals of delight at LCJ...Stevenson and Manou "showing off"

Marie's girls enjoyed playing with the bubbles...this little sweetie kept at it until all of the bubble liquid was done.

While some played, others slept....you could only sleep with your best friend while their foot was in your face. ...ah to be at such peace! With that I wish you a good night and a peaceful and spirit filled Sunday. I am off to my own place of slumber to enjoy going through my mail and maybe getting my nose into the magazines my mom sent.

good night ....Debbie

2010-06-23T19:02:00.001-07:00

Hi there: where does the time go? ...yesterday it was Saturday wasn't it?...how can today already be Wednesday....but Wednesday it is so I must fill you in on the past few days. Monday was an office day catching up on a myriad of items. I met with Clovis for a short period before he headed off to a meeting at the Ministry of Ed'n. After that one of the items I got under my belt was a revised job description and contracts for the teachers....yes those discussions will soon be upon me. I felt like I got something accomplished getting those done...now I just have all of the others depts/sections to do but they will be easier. Tuesday was a run around day..changing money, grocery shopping and getting food stuffs to hand out to the kids at the end of this week. This is part of the project from the church in Juno Beach that I have written of severa times. As a result on top of the rice and beans we will be giving, each child will recieve a package of spaghetti, a can of fish in tomato sauce and some vienna sausage. It won't go very far for a family but I also know for some it will seem like manna from heaven!!

Jumping ahead a bit, I picked up a team coming from Fond du Lac, WI this afternoon and they are the lucky ones that get to bag all of the items and then distribute it to the students on Friday.

I am glad as I will be emptying the depot of the rice meals from Stop Hunger Now just in time to make place for more coming from Feed My Starving Children. It is a lot of work hauling those boxes back and forth but it is more than worth the effort knowing what those rice meals mean to so many that are on the recieving end.

Yesterday as we were driving around, I was able to get my hands on the latest edition of "le Nouveliste" a local newspaper. I hadn't seen one in a long time so it was a treat to get my hands on it. Interestingly enough there was a large issue in it about Ganthier....although not on the positive side as it was talking about a big land dispute going on and demonstrations in the town in front of the police station. It seems to be a very "hot" subject ...in more ways than one as sadly the protesters burned several tractors. It seems a large landowner is trying to sell off his land to some gov't officials and in doing so long term squatters would have to move.....you can imagine how that went over! Anyways it was interesting to read, because if I had not seen it in the paper one would never know that just a short distance from the school such issues were taking place. It is not surprising to me as the results of disputes over land issues are a major cause of seeing people in the hospital!

Four or five pages were taken up with a tribute to Marc Bazin who was buried last Friday after loosing a long time battle with cancer. Mr Bazin was a very well known top level political figure in Haiti for many years, holding a variety of offices and duties. He was even a presidential candidate at one time.

Today was a nice cool day as it was overcast and rainy most of the day......when we have days like this it many times indicates that there is a tropical storm going on somewhere in the Caribbean area.

The World Cup Soccer is still very much on everyone's minds. As we drove down Delmas street yesterday we came across one block that was totally decorated in green and yellow (Brazil's team colours) and then right beside it another section blue and white (for Argentina).....those are the two teams that the majority of Haitians support over and above their own team.. Odney told me that on Sunday after Brazil won its match, the whole block on Delmas was packed with people and not a car could get through.

So there you have it from Port au Prince on this Wed June 23......two days after the official beginning of summer......for those of you not having perpetual summer I hope it is a good one for you.

cheerio,
Debbie

2010-06-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday afternoon to all: I have just arisen from a nice Saturda afternoon siesta...my reward after having folded and put away five loads of sheets and towels and a few other chores under my belt. Wilner is ensconsed in our room happily watching the soccer match between Denmark and Cameroon. I thought I would take advantage of this time and get you caught up.

Thursday, we split up to accomplish our final activities and chores. Half the team stayed at Little Children of Jesus painting, enjoying music hour with Jorel and Lisa did some physiotherapy for some of the kids. The other half (with the muscle) came to my apt and got the rest of the boxes and furniture and took it back to Hope House where we unpacked and found storage space for them. The items are spread far and wide from the new apt. to the kitchen, my room and the small store room. I just have to go back one more time for the plants and a couple of odds and sods and to hand over the keys.

We then collected up the group at LCJ and enjoyed lunch before heading back to HH to do last minute chores, pack bags and get ready for the 10 guests joining us for dinner.

Patty Myer and her team of ladies (9) arrived on Wed to spend time with Marie. Since aAll of them are from the same area (Naperville, Ill) and most go to the same church we thought it would be nice to get together.

Cathy treated us all to brawursts which we barbecued or should I say "grilled" as I have learned is the American way to say BBQ. You can see Jay here "grilling" up the brats, cooked the special Naperville way, with his supervisors carefully watching his work.

It was a fine evening, topped off with a singsone led by Dan and his guitar.

Yesterday, I got the gang off safe and sound to the airport and coming back home did a few chores. The gals at HH busily cleaned rooms and made up 5 beds for the guests that arrived at noon time to spend the night. They were friends of mine who were heading back home today after passing two weeks in a mountain village above Hopital Albert Schweitzer. We spent a good evening getting caught up. They were most interested to learn about the Lazarus Project too.

Just as they arrived yesterday I was in the midst of dealing with a team of EDH repairmen who showed up to fix the wire that had been vandalized the night before outside our house and across the road at our neighbour's place. I was completely amazed they showed up so quickly and it makes me wonder who has "pull ' that lives in our area (I didn't mention it earlier but our street also got graded this week to level out some of the potholes). Somehow or other though I was supposed to go and buy new wire and give it to them to fix our problem as well as change a hook up to our transformer that was not done correctly (or so they say). Knowing the Haitian system, I think they were looking to grease their palms and again knowing the system, I did!..but heh last night when the EDH gave power, we had lights at our place. They were happy with the "ti kob" (little money) I gave them and their bags of rice and beans so it was a win win situation, as they say!

On that positive note, I bid you farewell for the weekend. Hope it's a good one no matter which way you are spending it.

Cheers,

Debbie

2010-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Worker bees have been humming around me all afternoon since our return from Food for the Poor and having enjoyed Haitian "fritay" for lunch. Fritay is a variety of fried snack foods that many enjoy. We had banane pesee (plantain), akra (tarot root grated with spices) and Roselene's famous meat pates.

At one time I looked around and everyone was working away at something: Roselene and Carline cooking up a storm, Jeff, Odney, Fleury and others hauling rock to fill in the pothole at the end of the road, Jean and Christophe unloading cement block; Cathy and Lisa sorting clothes and bagging dried beans. Various others were painting desks and doors and the rest building the new desks designed for the school. They are easier for the kids to get under for protection in case of another earthquake and they are also a little sturdier to withstand things falling on them. Mark made the new design (with input from Clovis and I) and they managed to get 10 of them made this week. ..aren't you exhausted just reading this. Just think how they feel!!

Above: L.Jason and Greg adding legs to the desk

R. Dan brave enough to paint with red!

Below: L. Jeff and Blane haul rock to fill the pothole. Two police officers even stopped to give them the thumbs up for their work.

R. Krista putting on the first coat of paint on the new desks and benches.

Our visit to Food for the Poor was as interesting and touching as usual. The staff at FFTP was pleased as they are in the midst of recieving a new shipment of rice. The last time I was there they were all out. Now there are STACKS of it. The gang helped dish out the food at the Canteen while I went to hunt down a box that was shipped for VOH and to check in about a house that is to be built for a staff member. Unfortunately although FFTP is building houses in the rural areas, they still have not recieved the go ahead for the PAP area....thus we are now in a holding pattern until the Ministry of Public Works gives the high sign. This is related to ensuring the buildings are earthquake "proof".

The Shop til you Drop team did not let me down today and lived up to their name when we went to the local market to pick up "souvenirs" to take home.such as spicey peanut butter, Haitian coffee and other such items.

We closed the day with a heartwarming sing song led by our two guitar players, Dan and Christa. It was delightful! Christa is heading off to Uganda for a year's Mission and I know the folks their will benefit from her guitar playing and her lovely voice on top of it.

Good night...until next time take care

Debbie

2010-06-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Tues June 15 and all is well here at Hope House. We have just finished our little devotional time which included a brief history of VOH and Lazarus Project and a very thought provoking reading from Lisa. It has been a long day...we were up and at em by 5-5:30 and folks are now ready for a nice cool shower and a restful night's sleep. By far this team has done the most to stimulate the economy in Croix des Bouquets at the Metal Workers artisan shops and thus they have earned their nickname as the "Shop til you Drop" team. I can ensure you that they earned their shopping time after a hard morning's work at the school. Bathroom doors were readjusted, the dining room was painted and the lovely cross created several summers ago by Marni and the enrichment class got moved to a more prominent spot, so that we can enjoy the beauty and sentiment of the artwork as we have our various services and activities in the chapel. Oh yes and several bags of garbage were collected along the entrance road and main gate...I still gotta work on those students in regards to protecting the environment and waste disposal. It is an up hill battle but one worth fighting for.

Below is a picture of the team .....notice them all beaming....they knew that shopping time was coming! ....only kidding!!!...they were happy for the work they accomplished in the AM and the chance to have been able to interact with the kids at the school. ...sorry picture will come tomorrow..having problems uploading this evening.

a demain,

Debbie

as promised here is the Wheatland Salem Methodist Church team photo

Front row Lto R: Jeff, Shawn, Alex, Greg, Dan

Back row LtoR: Jason, Krista, Mike, Lisa, Mark, Larry, Jay, Blane, Odney (our chauffeur), Cathy and Christina

2010-06-12T18:33:00.001-07:00

Good Saturday evening to everyone: Are you all glued to your radios or TV sets as the Haitian folks are, following the start of the World Cup Soccer games. Yesterday as I drove around I tried to find news/music on a number of my usual radio stations but all of them were announcing the game that was being played. That is soccer for you in Haiti- POPULAR!

I now have a team with me from Naperville, Ill and they have jumped right in there. Last night even after a long day of travel they got right to work unloading their suitcases, wanting to be organized so they could get to the tasks at hand first thing in the AM....which they did. My office is now clean and dust free, the door in the dining room doesn't stick, Joel doesn' t have to fight with his door to open and close it, beans are bagged, items moved to the depot, supplies purchased.....and on and on...all in all a great day, at least from my perspective. Cathy's mother, in lieu of birthday and mother's day gifts provided funds for a pizza/cup cake party for Marie's girls. Hosting that party was the finale of the day for the team.

While waiting for the girls to wash and dress for their party, many of us sat watching the activities as the workmen poured the cement for the floor of the new orphanage...what back breaking work that is..hauling buckets of sand, rock, water and sacks of cement. I thought I was exhausted Thursday, after a day spent in and out of the car and traffic, while doing errands from sun up to sun down but that fatigue was nothing compared to what those workers will be experiencing this evening.

One of the errands I spoke of was going to see Mme Nazaire at the school of nursing. It was heartening to see that classroom tents were now set up on the grounds and the student nurses back in class. UNICEF provided a lot of start up materials so Mme Nazaire could get the girls back to class. Some of her staff were going through piles of items that had been recuperated from the rubble, cleaning and dusting them off for future use. Mme Nazaire and the Minister of Health have just signed an agreement with a French firm that will build prefab classrooms as a temporary school while the Swiss Red Cross prepares to do stage one of the permanent school.

Items still awaiting dusting and cleaning at the school of nursing...not a chore I would look forward to.

One of the items that struck both Cathy and I as we visited with Mme Nazaire was the sign posted on the all of the office, amid all of the refuse and constant reminder of their terrible loss. The translation may not be 100 % exact but the gist of it is...." every occassion carries a difficulty but each difficulty carries an opportunity. To me it is another reminder of the faith and hope that so many Haitian people still continue to have "despite it all".

Until next time....Debbie

2010-06-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Howdy: How can it be Wed. already? Monday and Tuesday were good days...filled with a myriad of tasks: picking up friends at the airport; emergency trip to VOH to deliver much needed chalk (of all things); introduding friends to Lazarus project in Haiti; clearing the big rocks from in front of Jean;s car repair ramp; picking up Cathy Jones and two of Marie's visitors in the pouring rain at the airport; visit to the bank and then Food for the Poor and on and on...just regular business days. Today I visited the school again and met with Clovis.

He was quite pleased with how the registration went Sat and Sun. His observation is that he has more students seemingly prepared to come to school. He thinks the reorganization allowed for a more relaxed and restfull atmosphere for the kids (and parents) and due to less stress performed better. We discussed a number of issues and then I went to check out the construction site to check on the clearing of the shrubs and bushes by the gardening crew. Their machete's were already falling apart so that had to be attended to, but despite it all they were making good progress.

When I got back Cathy was busy baking up goodies for the team coming and then she attacked my file drawers for me, putting things in order (yahoo!!).

And now the day has drawn to a close (or just about) and its time to go and think about what' s for dinner.

Tomorrow is another day to look forward to..wishing you all a restfull night

Debbie

2010-06-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Hello and Sunday blessings one and all: The weekend as usual has zoomed by. Joel was a school yesterday morning, preparing for exams so Wilner and I hung out until he got back. After breakfast Wilner had a little siesta and I worked on organizing the little depot...it was getting nearly impossible to move inside of it. I am happy with the progress made and now a team will be able to help me finish the rest. Once Joel returned we headed to the apt and got things more or less set to move. Wilner swept away cobwebs and dust ++++ while I finished organizing and packing some boxes. I hope to only make one more trip and then I will be ready to move out. The fellow who was supposed to come and disconnect our invertor and put the EDH wiring back together didn't show up so that is why I have another trip to make. However that is not so bad as I can pick up a few more boxes. I'm glad our new depot is done at Hope House as I imagine a few of my items will go into it.

We treated ourselves to dinner at our usual Haitian restaurant and once again they did not fail us. When we got back (with take out for Joel in hand) we unpacked my car and then relaxed for the evening. We saw a bit of a performance from Champs Mars that was being televised....it was a musical concert put on to bring awareness to everyone about the hurricane season and precautions to be taken.....a good public awareness campaign that was for sure...the square was packed with people. I keep hearing we are in for a heavy hurricane season this year.....so far lots of heavy rains but nothing worse as yet.....keep those prayers going for the well being of Haiti.

Today, I have been doing some work (correspondence, accounting and more depot work) but have also been taking time to sit and read. I have my nose in Dan Brown's newest book about Washington and the Mason's.....Wilner being a Mason has been piqued by the little I have told him about what I have read. I'll have to try and get him a French copy of the book.

Hopie is recuperating well from her operation and her "daughter" has recuperated from her vaccinations. Attached is a picture of the two of them resting up in my office while I worked away.

And with that I will bid you a fond farwell for now. May the week ahead be a good one for you!

Debbie

2010-06-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings: The day started early with a quick trip to the school to deliver cold drinks for the staff who will be doing the registration over the next two days. When I rolled in at 7:15 or so there were already parents lined up with their kids all "dolled up" waiting for the interview process to start (at 8:00 PM). The staff will see about 60 students each day. Once the interviews is done then the weaning process begins so that we get down to 20 boys and 20 girls for the new school year.

I also left some instructions with the gardeners to start clearing some bush away at the site of the health center. We, I am happy to say, have selected a Construction co. and the engineer will make a site visit tomorrow to set boundaries for the building so that the fellows know the limit of where they are to clear the bushes. Once that is done the eng. will come back to do a survey of the land as it will have to be levelled somewhat before the building begins. It is exciting to know we are starting the initial steps to get moving ahead with this great project.

Upon return to Hope House it was time for odd jobs (laundry being one of them) and await the arrival of the vet team from Christian Veterinary Mission who were going to tend to Hopie and our neighbour's dog so they would not have any more puppies. They brought two Haitian vets with them whom they are mentoring. They are the ones who did the actual surgery....on a table in the shade of the big Nime tree in the middle of the yard. Once they were done, I was happily able to provide lunch for the gang before they took off for Fond Parisien (near the DR border) to attend to some horses. It was interesting watching the proceedings.....just like humans they got there pre-op sedative, anaesthesia, pain medication and antibiotics. Hopie is now resting comfortable while the medications wear off. The remaining puppy also got her first vaccinations. She will go to Fleury's house once her vaccinations are done. Three others are already in their new homes. I am sorry to say though that the fifth one passed away unexpectedly. We suspect he ate something he shouldn't have. What a shock it was to find him "gone"..we thought he had somehow got to the school yard next door.

Other than that it was another ordinary day.....Jean is working on fixing the big truck (transmission problems) and the girls were getting the guest rooms ready for visitors on Monday and for the team arriving at the end of the week and Joel tackled rewinding the tangle of barbed wire we have from the walls.

Hope you all enjoye a nice weekend. I will leave you with a few pictures of the Vets at work.

Hopie getting her pre-op meds

Kelly and staff preparing their materials off the back of Kelly's pick up truck...have vet office will travel.!

The 2 Haitain vets preparing their patient Meanwhile othes help Joel with the barbed wire

tangle.

2010-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers: To those of you who have written and mentioend you missed my posts. I am complimented that so many of you continue to check the site on a regular basis...even as the earthquake drama wains.......thank you for your support, encouragement and continuing interest in VOH. I will try to make sure I am a little more diligent with my writing even if it is just a quick update.

Yesterday was an office day,catching up following my quick Stateside trip. I have to say though my week is so mixed up having started back on Tuesday. Tomorrow is a State Holidy (Fete Dieu) and the schools are also taking Friday off. I however have several items planned for each day.

Today after completing a few errands at Hope House, I headed to the school for a quick meeting and to finalize plans for the teacher's seminar tomorrow. It was also the second day of pre-registration for parents wishing to enroll their children in Kindergarden for 2010/11 school year. The way it was organized this year, the staff did not need to be out of their beds at 4:00 AM to get to the school to start the work. Things went pretty well, thanks to in part to the presence of a police officer we arranged to come for the day.

All the parents/guardians had to present their papers to Helene and then they were provided with a ticket to return either Friday or Saturday for the interview and testing by the preschool teachers.

Below I will also paste another short report from my friend Judith for your interest.

Have a good eveing one and all.

Debbie

Hello Everyone!

I found a good set of photos that accurately portray life as it is right now in Port-au-Prince:http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/29/world/0529HAITI.html

For those of you who have not yet been to Haïti, the rubble is new but not a lot of the living conditions---viz., the lady selling wares out of her tent. That is common, common, only generally outside of a house or on the street somewhere. Same with the wares on a downtown street, that is usual life.

Odelin and I walked up to the lookout not far from my house today. It was clear from just a couple weeks ago that there has been a thinning of the camps with more installations across PAP, especially at the piedmont of the mountains that surround the city (like the one I live on). It seemed as if we could start to see more temporary homes as well--Odelin pointed out whole zones with what looked like tole roofs.

The story is sad, yes, and frustrating; but at the same time life goes on and progress is being made. Please do continue to pray with us, especially about the following:

Disgruntlement with Président Préval...There are almost daily demonstrations against his government. The Haitian people feel that he has not adequately taken the reins; yet the alternative is much less good--another provisional government, which, if it should be at all like the last one (2004-2006), will mean high prices, political instability, and very possibly more crime.

Rising crime...This is not unusual for us; but after a few months of respite none of us wants to return to the thefts, kidnappings, and other violent crime that seem to plague us here. Please pray that the Lord's strong hand will contain this horrible evil. Many of the escaped prisoners are still on the loose, and there is news that gangs from some of the big slum areas are reforming. So far we can still circulate in relative ease; but we really do not need this to grow again!

High cost of living...Prices remain about 25% over what they were before the earthquake and the US Dollar has dropped 10% over what it had been against the Haitian Gourde at the close of 2009. Building materials are also climbing, so rebuilding will be difficult without at least some financial underwriting.

The heavy, heavy rains...These cause very wet conditions for the tent dwellers, retard cleanup, and ruin the possessions that are caught under the rubble. They also render structures that have not fallen even more unstable. As you may remember, two schools collapsed in late 2008 from heavy rains. This kind of phenomenon could easily continue; and it's anticipated that this will be a very heavy rainy season. The US Weather Service predicts a 70% probability of 14-23 named storms, 8-14 hurricanes, and 3-7 major hurricanes.

2010-06-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all: Yes, I am still alive and kicking. I know I have been out of contact for some days. There just didn't seem to be a whole lot to report on as I took care of day to day business. As well I took a quick trip to Boca Raton (Friday to Monday) to meet with Pastor Andy and participate in a conferance call with additional members of the Health Center task force. From the airport we drove directly to Food for the Poor where we met up with Darrell. He toured us about the facility and introduced us to a number of folks before we sat for our mini financial meeting.

The evening was spent at Andy (left back row, black shirt) and Susan's (front row, black and white blouse) place with a group of church members from Juno Beach Holy Spirit LC. Part of our discussions centered around preparations for Pastor Frank's (middle back row /white shirt)bicycle ride from his church to Lord of Life in Fairfax,Virginia. He is doing this as a fund raising event for the health center. It was also nice to be able to thank everyone for all their hard work putting the Buckets of Hope together and the goodies for the children.

Saturday I had the pleasure of particpating in a portion of the planning meeting that the Vacation Bible School team was holding. the team is made up of members from both the Advent and Holy Spirit LC. I was very impressed with their efforts, especially that each team member gave a little report on some aspect of Haiti (history, arts, religion, geography etc). I know what I do to prepare for a team's arrival and it was enlightening to see some of the work that goes on as a team prepares to travel to Haiti. I look forward to welcoming them in July.

Sunday gave me the opportunity to give greetings to the church members of Advent Lutheran Church at their different services. It was nice to see some familiar faces and I also had the opportunity to chat with several other members before and after the services.

I was spoiled and treated royally and thank Pastor Andy and Susan and Pastor Richard and Avis for the warm hospitality and for taking such good care of me.

Yesterday I got out fo the PAP just as a torrential rain began to pour down. Jean and I made it to the car just in time. Then we spent the next 1 1/2 hours in various traffic jams before we got back to Hope House. I was kidding Jean because it took me just about 2 hours to fly from Ft Lauderdale and here I spent nearly the same amount of time trying to get from the airport to home.

And there you have it folks..the latest from Santo 3.

2010-05-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hello from cloudy PAP
Here I am back from my quick trip to the Artibonite Valley. Saturday was an EXHAUSTING day which started at 5:00 AM and kept going until 8 or so when we finally sat down to eat dinner. Wilner arrived around 9 or so and after a quick breakfast we were out the door to go to Agape to check for mail and to pick up some groceries in expectation of guests coming to stay at HH for a couple of days at the start of the new week. That was a 4 hour excursion by time we got through traffic and all. We gulped down a quick bite at the apt and then got to work moving some of the furniture and packing a few more items awaiting Odney's arrival at 3 to load up the truck. I don't know what I would have done if we had planned to move everything to Deschapelles as the truck was loaded with the little we were taking. The move is beginning to seem a bit like the "Never Ending Story" with the piece meal fashion in which I am moving out of their. I hope another couple of hours of packing and another truck load will see me finally moved from Santo 25 to Santo 3. It is nice in a way not having deadline so I can take my time but it also means it goes on an on as I have already said. Sunday AM bright and early we were on the road to Moreau des Iles (where our house is). Once we got there it was another big load of work as we cleaned and moved items around to make room for the items coming off of the truck. By mid afternoon I had had it and flopped on the bed to read and immediately fell asleep for a couple of hours. Wilner's aunt and cousin are staying with him for a while as his cousin recuperates from injuries suffered during the earthquake. His cousin was unearthed from some neighbourhood fellows after 6 hours of their tunneling down to her. She suffered a rather bad break to her lower leg and also required some skin grafting. She had a return visit to the Hospital today to hopefully get the cast taken off. At any rate her aunt took care of all of us yesterday by cooking up a great meal of rice, bean sauce and a meat dish. What a relief it was not to have to cook! Wilner was off by 6:00 this AM as he headed out with a team to get a new project going at one of the areas HAS is working at. Odney and I were back on the road by 8:30 heading back to PAP. The trip was pretty uneventful and once we were back, I hit the office where I have been ever since.

Since I don't have much other exciting news to report I am pasting below the latest news from my friend Judith which has some more post earthquake updates for you. Have a good evening one and all.

Yes, I know these updates are getting more and more infrequent, but that is a tribute to the stability that is beginning to occur. It is gratifying to see. Health…Medical services are still to remain free through July, although some institutions have begun to charge again. There has been one case of Diphtheria reported at one of the camps, so immunization efforts have again intensified. To date more than 800,000 persons have benefited from vaccination. Great strides in water and sanitation have been made at the camps. There are much more facilities available in just the last month; and the NGOs believe that full quotas may be reached in about 3 months. This is very good considering the heavy concentration of people in water-poor areas.

Housing…The Shelter Cluster delivered 104% of its goal of protective tarps and/or tents to over 300,000 families (1.5 million displaced persons). Recent satellite studies of the country showed that out of the over 236,000 buildings surveyed in Port-au-Prince, about 20% was either severely damaged or destroyed. Folks have begun to be relocated from the camps, especially those where people are at risk for flooding. Any camp areas at risk were coded as ‘red’, and these 1,800 families were moved to the two areas outside of Port-au-Prince. Soon those in ‘yellow’ areas will be relocated as well: families on school or small business properties that need to reopen. As I mentioned last time, evaluation teams from the Haitian Government are assessing houses in Port-au-Prince: green ones mean that they are safe to return to; yellow ones will need a little work but can be lived in again; and red ones will be torn down for rebuilding. Despite the fact that 42% of the houses (and in some areas even more) are “green”, folks are still hesitant to return, preferring to sleep outside on their property despite our now heavy rains or under tarp or tent in one of the camps. The camps are somewhat popular because of the food, tarps/tents, and other supplies that had been distributed. It has not been uncommon for some to be camp dwellers during the day and home dwellers (at least outside their home) at night. No one wants to be too far away from his belongings, much of which are still under rubble; and some saw the camp like a Christmas present. The Christmas present phenomenon would be part of any project that gave out free anything; but here in Haïti it’s a little more so. There is a long history of free just about everything, and it’s led to a real problem with dependency. And dependency robs people of their self respect. Now that the international support for the Haitian people is starting a new phase, from acute aid to re-establishment of agriculture and small business, this turn away from handouts will be very important--but also very difficult. There have already been demonstrations against the reduction in the acute aid; but it is a necessary step. It needs to occur as respectfully as possible, but also in a decisive manner. Keeping this kind of help going indefinitely will hamper the natural Haitian spirit of innovation and solidarity. We have all marveled at how well the Haitian people have arisen to help each other and find creative ways to make do. This is the key moment to promote just that.Temporary Shelters have begun to be built. A total of about 130,000 are planned. Folks have been taking advantage of the tarps and some supplies they were able to recoup from the rubble to pretty much do their own, though.

There are the little fancier models being given out, like the new Quonset hut style homes at one of the relocation sites in the Croix des Bouquets area (suburb of Port-au-Prince): Then there are the ones from Habitat for Humanity International, ones made from treated wood—and even the Danish are getting involved, one was built right on the site of a destroyed home: Speaking of reconstruction, as some of you may remember I’ve felt impressed to be able to help persons, particularly ones I know, that have damaged or destroyed homes to rebuild. I’m calling the project Rebati Kay-la (Rebuild the House) and it will join my other project, the Bourse. My first project, Bourse, is set up as a revolving loan. But since the cost to rebuild will be far greater than a family could repay, I’ve set up this second fund to be able to give a gift of building materials and building expertise to go with them.One of the reasons for my recent trip to the US was to see about starting my own NGO for this project so that the benefactors could receive tax credit and I would not be charged tax so as to reduce the principal that could be used. While speaking to a small group, one lady, Lynne Cumming, felt impressed to offer to put Rebati Kay-la as a project under her NGO, Leaves for the Nations. Tony and I went to visit with Lynne and the NGO administrator and his wife, John and Henrietta Reed, a few days later; and we all felt that this was the Lord’s direction. So now Rebat Kay-la has a home with Leaves for the Nation (pun partially intended…)!If you or someone you know would be interested in helping to rebuild through the project, you can make out your check to Leaves for the Nations and send it to:
Leaves for the NationsRebati Kay-laPO Box 41952Sacramento, CA 95841

John will see that you receive a receipt for the donation at the end of the year that you can then apply come April 15---Tony’s birthday, by the way…

Schools…Most schools in the earthquake stricken areas outside of Port-au-Prince have reopened, and about 700 have within the city. This is still very few, but it is a good start. Some are under tarps, others in makeshift buildings, but the essential is that the children are back in school and learning!

Food and Agriculture…The food distributions are nearly completed as cash-for-work projects are taking their place. Much seed continues to be distributed and tuber plants will also be distributed in July. A successful harvest this year will greatly help!

Government and Economics…Food prices are up between 25 and 35%, which has put a strain on all of us. Government services are sparse because it lost a third of its 60,000 employees in the earthquake (almost all government buildings were destroyed). A recent World Bank study suggests that the money transfers from Haitians living abroad (Diaspora) will increase by 20% this year to add another $306 million in income. They believe that this is due to the folks who have found temporary (18 months) asylum in the USA and who will be sending back money to their family and friends. The paper also commented on how the World Bank considers help from individuals to other individuals as potentially a mainstay to reconstruction. I believe this as well. It will be best done one to one; though there is still a role for larger institutions to offer a helping hand.The World Bank also proposed that the Haitian Government offer bonds to the Diaspora (who also may soon be able to hold dual citizenship, if the law passes—meaning that they could both vote and hold an elected position in the government). Following the model already set up in countries like India and Israel, these bonds would be administered by a respected organization and used for development work within the country. They would offer about 5% return on investment, and would permit persons to reinvest at a comfortable rate in their birthplace.

Customs continue to be a difficult hurdle to jump, even for those of us who are residents. The border between the Dominican Republic and Haïti is now particularly difficult, and about 150 trucks loaded with cargo are being held up by customs procedures. The NGO Coordination group that is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), has developed guidelines to help NGOs through this complex maze. If you would like more information, let me know and I will forward you their FAQs email. It would be very helpful for any of you working in a relatively new NGO in Haïti.As distributions wind down the focus is shifting to investments in jobs. Some of these will focus on support to local markets; local procurement; cash-for-work and food-for-work programs that will increase both jobs and agricultural production. Also, different private investors are financing international business concerns to expand the apparel industry in order to take advantage of free trade zones and favorable markets in the USA. Another interesting public-private partnership will be with our antiquated landline system, TELECO, that is planned to significantly increase access to telephone service and high speed Internet. This will be through Viettel, Vietnam’s largest mobile phone system, and the agreement is the largest since the earthquake, roughly $100million.
Security…Generally speaking, things have been relatively quiet here; but it does not mean totally peaceful nonetheless. Monday night some good friends of mine had their home broken into near the Baptiste Mission in Fermathe while they slept. Fortunately they were able to escape because the thieves were armed. They are now staying with me while their home is reinforced with ironwork to help prevent further burglaries. Please remember them, this is very traumatic, as you can imagine.

2010-05-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to all: I have had a very quiet day today, sitting at the picnic table for the most part, enjoying the great outdoors while I did a pile of book keeping. It's nothing much to report upon but I sure do feel good for what I accomplished today. I also caught up with correspondence and a number of other little items.

My search for canned fish let us to various food distributors in an industrial type storeage compound not too far from downtown PAP. That was an interesting experience...watching all of the vendors coming to purchase their supplies. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes lined up to pick up the purchases. This time around was an exploratory visit for us, but next time we will be in there like a "dirty shirt" bidding for attention to get our order made and paid for.

Downtown looks pretty much the same..or at least the parts I saw. A few more buildings have been demolished but tents are still up around the Champ Mars area and elsewhere.

News/radio commentaries I have heard in the last day or two pertain mainly to preparation for elections (to be held in Nov?), police action taken in Cite Soleil and elsewhere resulting in the arrest of 27 escaped prisoners, the functioning of the main gov't hospital in downtown - return to some of the buildings for care, services available, free services continue and other.

Tomorrow Wilner comes for a visit and to help pack up some items from the apt we will take to 'Deschapelles on Sunday. Slowly but slowly the place is being emptied out.

That is about it for this evenings update. Have a good weekend one and all.

Debbie

2010-05-19T18:04:00.003-07:00

As promised here are the pictures from last night's report and then some....

The "Diri Brigade" so named for all of the boxes of rice they moved, sorted through and packaged for distribution.

Freshening up the dining hall with a new coat of paint.

For all of those anxiously awaiting...FINALLY some pictures of Hopie's pups.

Christophe (in the blue shirt) hard at work at Marie's as they start to rebuild the church, with a much more solid footing.

The birthday boy, Greer with his special birthday hat created by Paul. This was the creme de la creme of all the balloon hats Paul and Julie created during the week. His creations were a big hit with all of the kids.

David at Little Children of Jesus was happy with his simpler version.

And thus ends another special visit in the life of Village of Hope/Hope House.

Tomorrow as they say is another day.......number one on the agenda...searching out deals for canned fish in tomato sauce.

2010-05-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Good Evening: Another fine day is quickly drawing to a close. A good down pour just as we finished dinner cleared the air and brought a nice cool breeze along behind it. The gang are getting their bags together for their 6:00 AM departure for the airport. Julie and Jenn leave at 6 PM so they are going to do some errands with me tomorrow.

We had another early start to the day as the folks were so anxious to get to the school to start their painting project. Before leaving thought we packed 12 boxes of rice meals, some beans and canned goods into Simone's pick up. Simone worked as our translator last week. She and her neighbours have started a feeding center to provide neighbourhood children, newly orphaned or with drastically altered family structure with a hot meal each day. Each of the neighbours provides shelter for one of the kids. I was happy we were able to help her out with some of the rice meals and we will probably do it again.

The eager beavers got right to work and by noon we were on the road back toward town. I profited from the time to do some statistical work and to clean up the office and storage area. I felt good for having got that done. We made a quick stop at the apt. to water the plants and the fellows helped to dissassemble the beds. Slowly but surely the apt is getting packed up. Each time I go I bring a box or two back to Hope House.....its a bit of a hodge podge way to move, but the job is getting done never the less.

After lunch which was enjoyed at the Epi Dor Mac Epi restaurant, we passed an hour with Marie's girls. Paul's balloon animals were a big hit. The place was pretty busy as renovation work has begun on the new chapel. Christophe is over seeing the project and as today was a National holiday he was there slugging away. Greer and two others made a visit to the Blanc's at Santo 2 and the others who live in the compound.

Coming back we made a quick stop at the Bon Pain restaurant to by ice cream to go with the Birthday cake I had purchased for Greer as today was his birthday.....!

Last item on the agenda today was meeting with Robenson as he was needing some funds to pay the next allotment of tuition for his course. It goes well for him although he says they are not at full capacity as yet.

Well folks once again I will have to send photos after the fact. I have now had two batches rejected and it took me 20 minutes to get that far. So I will go and make better use of my time..by putting my head to my pillow and will hope for better results tomorrow.

cheers,
Debbie

2010-05-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hi one and all: Another blog lesson under my belt allowed me to just post the last several days of reports which I just learned had not got to the site. I do feel better knowing that all of my time was not lost.

I mentioned in one of my reports how my office was covered in platic bags awaiting the distribution.....voila....here is the proof of what I reported.

Today was a very BUSY and productive day. I don't know about the rest of the team but I for one am more than ready for my bed tonight. We got more than our share of exercise as we made numerous trips back and forth delivering the goodie bags to the different classrooms. The team members were treated to a variety of songs as the kids sang a song to thank them for the gifts. It was a great way to add to their Flag Day celebrations.

May 17 is Teacher appreciation day in Haiti and I was happy to be able to pass onto the teachers a pay supplement we had prepared for them to help them as they faced various challenges post earthquake. This special celebration would not have been possible without the generous support of so many who contributed to the Earthquake Relief Fund. On behalf of all of the staff at VOH school and Santo 3, I send a great big THANK YOU. We also presented each of the teachers with a special bucket that had been prepared by members of the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of Juno Beach Florida.

After our lunch of rice and beans and fish sauce, we completed the distribution to the teachers and then were treated to the kid's parading with their flags and singing a special flag day song.

Clovis, the school principal was the leader of the pack.

that's it for this time around.....Debbie

Picture Day

2010-05-15T18:20:00.001-07:00

Picture Day : As promised...pictures of the "handy men and women"

Rene and Ray fixing the freezer Tom and Greer installing the new hasp

While others are hard at work sorting out the goodies carted to Haiti in their suitcases.

And since a picture says a 1,000 words I offer a few others of today's (Saturday) activities.

Bright and early Sat. AM...by 7:00 AM the truck was loaded with 80 boxes of rice meals for packing into bags for the students.

The Stop Hunger rice meals now stocked up at the school. Other team members get the toothpaste, activity books, crayons, coloured pencils ready to go in the bags as well.

The gang worked like real demons and by 11:30 the work was all done and now my office and the storage area is strewn with piles of bags, organized by class around the rooms. Several of the University students will come to give a hand with the distribution on Monday......the day before Haiti Flag day and also Teacher Appreciation Day in Haiti.

2010-05-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to all: It was a quick turn around for us this week as we said goodbye to the Step in Faith team on Wed and today greeted the gang that hails from Alexandria Va.

Yesterday the break day was filled with personnel issues, banking activites, grocery shopping and a few other errands along the way. I was quite pleased as things went well at the bank and my new set of cheques arrived...just in time for May payroll..yahoo!! It was amazing too as there was no line up when I arrived and I just walked right into the bank..that was a first.

This morning Odney (our new chauffeur) and I headed out to the school to deliver propane gas and to do a couple of other things and then we headed to the airport to pick up Julie and Jennifer who arrived two hours before the others. We had an enjoyable time sitting at the back of the camion under the shade of a lovely tree with a nice breeze blowing. Where we parked market ladies cook food for the passerby and for folks working at the airport..such as the police officers. While we sat, several officers started talking with us as they were surprised I spoke Creole so well. Before too long the gals were engaged in the conversation and before you know it the one officer was wanting to get hooked up with Julie. We did have fund kidding back and forth and it sure helped to pass the time.

After a quick lunch and orientation the team got quickly too work unpacking their suitcases and sorting out other items for me. My little depot is quickly filling up. Happily the new cement depot will soon be ready to use and I will be able to transfer all of the suitcases to store them there for a start.

Greer and Tom used their skills to fix my office door....I had to break into it the other night as I had left my keys at my office at the school. They did a fine job of putting in a hasp...a new and improved one at that!

I didn't mention this last week but team members are handy folks to have around. Last week Rene and Ray helped me get the kitchen freezer working again..it had been clogged up with ice.

It is amazing all of the free lessons I am getting...and all very much appreciated.

No pictures tonight..those I will post tomorrow..the service is very slow tonight and it is getting past my bedtime.

Here is a little thought for you to mull over as you close the day: "The beauty of the world about us is only according to what we ourselves bring to it" - A Shaker saying.

Debbie

2010-05-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all: It has been several days since I last wrote...more than I realized. I will have to get myself back on track with more regular reports. We have been going non stop ..or so it seems to me since I last wrote.

Sunday we joined the kids at church as per usual. The highlight of the day was handing out the Hats collected at Leita and Bob's Hats Off to Haiti fund raiser for VOH. Rene and Richard were kind enough to cart them along in their suitcases. Maybe some of you will recognize the hats you see sitting so jauntily on the heads of the happy recipients. We were missing a few hats for the boys so gave them the extra girl's ones to take home to their mothers, sisters or aunts. It gave all of us a chuckle to see several of the boys walking out with those hats on their heads.

Monday we were up and on the road by 6:30 or just a few minutes thereafter. The group wanted to participate in the morning assembly. Then it was time to see the Community members who had waited so patiently for our start up. Rene and I did some of the consultations while we waited for the Drs to arrive. By the end of the day we had seen just over 100 patients. I had given out 95 tickets....but we know the odd one or two slipped in......isn't that always the way! Coming back we ran into another huge traffic jam in Croix des Bouquets so we took the scenic route home via the back road of Croix des Bouquets and into Bon Repos. We were back at Hope House in 30' a much better option than sitting in an idling vehicle for over an hour. It was a long day and the group really enjoyed putting their feet up and relaxing in the deck chairs....some of us a bit more than others.......HONESTLY, I didn't work them that hard!....must be the heat!!!!

Monday evening Ron and three of his group were invited out to dinner with a Haitian fellow with whom Ronald had studied at university in Florida. It was quite the adventure for them. They got to see what traffic and the streets are like after a tropical downpour. One of them said they spent more time in the traffic jam than they did in the restaurant.

Tues was another early day as we were running only a half day clinic for the school kids. The team was a well oiled machine by then and we managed to see nearly 130 students and staff, during the morning hours. Sorry to say my camera was frosted up from my cold drinking water and the pictures I took turned out foggy. After lunch the gang efficiently put everything back in its place and left my office in pretty good order. On the way home we made a visit to Little Children of Jesus and as usual Gladys and her staff gave us a gracious welcome. She was busy with some technicians who were there to get several solar panels installed for her water pump.

Today I can reveal to you that I have nicknamed this group the "Step in Faith Team" . In taking that step, I was not disappointed in anyway and everything and everyone came together very nicely. As a result we were able to provide health care to nearly 450 all together. It was very special to have been able to work with the Haitian doctors, nurses and translators. It made the week all that much more special.

Step in Faith team:

Left to right: Eric, Matt, Tina, Rene, Janet, Ronald, Carol, Richard, Ray and Sara better known as Priya.

Thanks for a great week!

2010-05-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!...what a FULL day it has been....to say the least. The University Lutheran team who joined us last evening hit the ground running. I don't know if they have had a chance to catch a breath. We are up and at em at 5:30 this AM for our 6:30 departure for the school. There was some last minute set up and organization to perform before we started seeing the patients. There a couple of minor hiccoughs (the doctors arrived late for one) but on the whole it was a very good day. We saw approx. 130 adults and children combined. Unfortunately there was a mix up with the message about the vaccinations so that part did not happen.

I forgot the fans, so the poor group in the pharmacy area felt the heat. I give them credit though as they managed to "keep their cool" no matter the temperature. We were blessed with understanding clients who waited patiently for several hours to see the doctor and to finally be on their way with drugs in hand. Dr Laurent and Dr JeCroix are doing an excellant job and are a real pleasure to work with. The University students helping us out have also been a big help. I was too busy running up and down the hill and pouring drugs to take pictures but will make sure I do my homework on Monday.

On the way home, the gang still had enough energy to make a stop at the metal workers shops in

Croix des Bouquets...I think everyone came away with a wrapped parcel or two in hand....including me!

Since I haven't written everyday, I will back track a bit to yesterday and share several pictures for you of our activites. While Rene and Richard went out to lunch and shopped for art..to celebarte Rene's joining "the medicaid group" birthday and official retirement age I took Matt, Eric and Tina over to Food for the Poor. While going through the depot I learned that 2 pallets came for us and I even spotted one of them. It is full of special buckets sent by a church in Florida for the staff. We will pick them up next week. The 3 visitors happily joined the FFTP in handing out the food for the clients in the feeding program. Later that evening Matt who is a bar tender did the honours and popped the cork on the champagne we shared to toast Rene for her special day.

Above
Tina and Eric hard at work under the watchful eye of the staff and the recipients.

Below
Matt pouring the bubbly for Rene's birthday and getting ready to blow out the candles. Rene's comment was that she was happy I hadn't put all of the candles on her cake that would have represented her 65 years.

Good night.....until next time

Debbie

2010-05-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Good May 5 to all:

We had a fine day today..the team was very happy with our accomplishments at the camp today with our little medical clinic. We picked up Dr Laurent and Dr JeCroix at Dr Laurent's clinic on Santo 9 and then headed in a convoy out to the camp at Santo 17. We were under a little tent made with tarping and woven banana leaf walls. Despite the breeze blowing once we had a lot of warm bodies in the area the temperature seemed to increase 10 fold. Total patients seen...106. The people were happy with our services and the manager of the camp who is from the DR came to thank us for holding the medical clinic there.

The work was non stop from 9 until we packed up and headed out just after 2:00 PM. Once back we had lunch and then the others went through the drug boxes again to get them a bit more organized for our time at Little Children of Jesus tomorrow, when we will hold a clinic for the staff.

I took care of some other business. Jean has made progress with the pick up and at least it starts now, but he has one more item to take care of before it is road ready. Things are also coming along for the big truck and by Thursday..just when I need it, it should be ready to roll.

I have sad news to share with those of you who know Carline..one of our cooks/cleaners. Sadly her father passed away unexpectedly last night. She came first thing to give me the news and that she would be going to Archaie to attend to things with her siblings. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they grieve his loss.

Below are some of the pictures from todays activities.

Patients lined up outside the clinic "building" Rene screening one of our clients

The "Pharmacists" hard at work

Eric with the help of Jn Juniord, one of our University students and Odely another university student , explaining how to take their medications.
Tina surrounded by folks patiently waiting for their pills.

Matt acted as the stock manager

Richard also got into the act, counting out the drugs

The Inrepid team....Dr Laurent in the middle and Dr JeCroix on the right. One of the camp committee members is kneeling in front.

and with that I bid you a good evening...

time to go fire up the stove.

cheers,

Debbie

2010-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Good Evening:
All is well at Hope House this evening and a little livelier now that Eric, Tina and Matthew have joined Rene and Richard who arrived last night. The former three transferred over from Marie's this AM first thing. Rene and Richard's arrival last evening went smoothly. I got to the airport early enough that I got a prime location parking spot, right close to the exit..what a bonus! I had about 2 hours to kill though before I expected to see them, so I sat in a local park under the shade of a big tree enjoying the breeze, a cold coke and the passing scene. It didn't take too long for 3 young men to start up a conversation with me. Their chit chat was quite amusing and it helped consume some of the time. They couldn't believe I had been in Haiti, nearly as long as they had been alive...they were 2 yrs old when I came to the country. When I thought it was time to go stand at the exit gate, there I found a former colleague of mine from HAS awaiting the chauffeur so we had a nice chat until I saw tags saying flight 803 on the suitcases of people exiting. Then it was time to move to the next step closer to the fence to make it easier for them to spot me and vice versa.

Today we packed up two vehicles (mine and the Isuzu) and headed to the school. The pick up truck is still under repair. Jean is trying to piece together the items to fix the starter in order to save us a huge bill for the purchase of a new one..for that I am willing to be patient. Tomorrow two body shop guys are to come and make the repairs to the big truck so we can get it back on the road...just in time for another possible fuel shortage. It is not a definite thing, but folks have been warning me to stock up.......which I do to the best of my ability. I hope it does not come to pass, but time will tell.

Apparently there was another tremor yesterday that a lot of people felt. I am either getting immune to them or am just in a different spot when they are going by as I have not felt the last couple of tremors that people have reported or I have heard about on the news.

Today Clovis and I met with the parents committee at the school as they are concerend about their children's safety......a natural concern to my way of thinking. They wanted to know if we could/would consider the use of tents. We had a good discussion, Clovis and I explained all that we had done to help reassure the children and to prepare for this new reality that we are dealing with. I am happy to say they seemed satisfied with the information we shared and felt more comfortable with things as they are. It was nice too to be able to point out that the Ministry of Public works had given our buildings the greens sign which meant they are safe to use, in their estimation.

My step out in faith that I took about getting this week of Mission trip and medical clinic put together is paying off. I have two young bright Haitian doctors that are willing to work with us and several of the university students are set to help and I have one woman who has translated for us before working with us. Tomorrow we are helping Dr Laurent with his work in the Santo area and we will be working in one of the camps....actually the one set up at Santo 17 of which I have sent several pictures. It is going to be a new experience for all of us and I appreciate the team's sense of adventure as they delve into the unknown with me.

On that note I will bid everyone fond farewell for this evening.

Debbie

2010-05-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Good Sunday evening to all:

Another week comes to a close and a busy one (what else is new) about to begin. I will have folks with me from May 3 to 12 all coming at different days and directions. It was a step in faith getting this week together, but I am happy to stay it is all coming together. I've found Haitian doctors and nurses to work with us and thus we will be doing various clinics during the week. Those details will come as the week goes by.

I am happy to say that no one from the various groups arriving this week was deterred from continuing their travel plans to Haiti, despite the news they recieved from me about two thieves entering the HH grounds on Thursday evening. I was on my way home from a funeral and called Joel to let him know I would be later than I expected having gotten caught up in some traffic. When he answered the phone he let me know about what had just occurred at the house. God was once again looking after us as Joel was not injured badly...he was hit and punched a few times and thanks to his yelling, Hopie's barking and a friend happening along who helped out, the thieves were scared off and ran away without taking anything. It is difficult to predict what if anything else will happen. We know nothing is sure in this life and with Haiti as it is these days, one never knows. As I said, I have already notified the groups coming in the next weeks/month and will be contacting other groups that are planning to come in July and beyond with the hope too that they will not be deterred from coming. I don't think it is necessary to call off travel to Hope House but I want everyone to make their own informed decision about what he/she wishes to do. I have two extra men here at night for the time being to keep an eye on things and I will be tracking the situation as we go along. If anyone who is planning to come to Hope House has any questions please do not hesitate to be in touch.

I did talk to the police that evening but as I expected nothing was going to be done. They told me to go to the police station in CdB the next day to report the incident. I did that after circling around the town a couple of times trying to find the station....it was like I couldn't see the tree for the forest as the current building is just inside these huge walls being built for a new prison and headquarters. For the PNH, things were pretty efficient but I did chuckle to myself when I had to take the hand written report to the nearest photocopy place to make a copy and to take back ot the station to get the original and the copy stamped and signed. It must be frustrating for the young officers who wish to do a good job and they don't have the tools necessary to do it. The female officer taking care of me didn't even have a ruler to use, she had to pull out an old identity type credit card to use for a ruler. So another new experience for me.

The week contained two others for me too as I had my first lesson with Joseph in driving the big truck. Lesson number 2 will be backing it up....not my strong suit that is for sure! The second new thing was changing a light switch on my own after a few hints and instructions from Jim Meyer. He and his crew were taking advantage of our power to finish cutting and preparing some wood they were using to make Marie new pews for her church. ..a definite example of one good turn deserves another.

It was pay day this week and then went okay. We gave out some more rice packets to the teachers and will do a distribution for the students on Tuesday.

Progress is slow on getting various temporary camp sites ready but it is being made never the less. More of the downtown has been cleared up and Jim reported to me that work on the Palace has begun.

Hopie is doing well with her babies....I know I still have to get a picture of them..

time is marching on my friends, so I will say tira for now and head out to the kitchen to do a little cooking.

Have a good week!
Debbie

2010-04-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

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