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

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

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.

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

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

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

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