Day 5, 6, 7-Art/Feeding Clinic/Driving Lessons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bonswa!” from Haiti!

Sorry it’s taken so long to write up another post. The internet is pretty slow and we are busy spending our days playing with kids, learning Creole, meeting other missionaries,  meeting Francois’ friends and trying to understand life in Haiti. We are having a great time. It’s hot, hot, hot, hot, hot outside! We are SO thankful for the solar power energy that allows us have fans blowing on us all night. What a difference electricity makes!

Now we understand why people start work so early and take such a long afternoon break. It is TOO hot to work in the heat of the day! We find ourselves trying to find any piece of shade possible!

 

We have been trying to go on walks around the town after breakfast every morning before it get’s too hot outside. Here is a picture of us leaving Francois’ compound. Although it was early in the morning we barely lasted more than 15 minutes before our shirts were drenched with sweat and the girls were wanting their water bottles poured on their heads! Us “Blan’s” are easy to spot so as soon as an English speaking Haitian see’s us walking they usually come up to us to ask questions, tell us something, sell us something, etc. This time we met a nice 20yr old boy/man who gave us a tour of a new “park” in town and told us that he works for an organization that raises money through sponsors to send Haitian kids to school. He was super helpful in answering our questions as we saw unique things happening through the town on our walk. Bella has her sunhat and a long sleeved shirt on because of all her mosquito bites… :-/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we got back we got out art supplies courtesy of Art for the Nations, and the kids had a blast. All the scraps they used from cutting the paper they used to make crowns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Jaquinta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miskalen showing me all the people cut outs she made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our night time routine consists of bandaging up the wounded Haitian kids and our kids. Here’s Bella using her flashlight to show me all her bites. We wrap them up at night to help her from not itching them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betsy heading down for dinner. She heard Madam was going to make special food for her! Check out the lizard in the background. We call it whatever family member or friend we are missing that day 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PANCAKES! The girls couldn’t believe pancakes existed in Haiti!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning we headed to Bill and Jennifer Campbell’s house(American missionaries) to help at their feeding clinic and play with their kids. Here’s Betsy and Bella riding in the FRONT SEAT with pastor Francois. They are still in awe they don’t need car seats here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a mom with her baby that Denny and my dad saw this past Spring while they were in Haiti. The baby had a cleft palate back in March…but now it’s almost all fixed!!!

(After)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Before)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Jennifer checking out a little girl to see whether or not shes malnourished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RENALD!!!!!!!! For those of you that don’t remember, Renald was VERY sick this past Spring with TB. Denny and my dad got to pray with him, annoint him with oil and take him to the hospital.  They didn’t think he’d make it but HE MADE IT! He is alive. Praise GOD! His sweet daughter is very ill and in the hopsital as we speak. PLEASE pray for a miraculous healing. We just saw Renald a few hours ago outside the hospital. His daugher has been there since Wednesday. She also has TB. Renald was so happy to see Denny and even remembered him.

(AFTER)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(BEFORE-March)-Renald unable to walk and very, very, ill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The widows also come to get fed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute little chubbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer took in this little baby, when Esther and Lynn were here, to live with her when she was a newborn. She is still tiny, but she is alive thanks to Jennifer. Please pray for her as she has problems spitting up and keeping down her food. She is almost 6 pds and is 2 months old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we got back they kids had another jump rope session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then a sweet boy and his friend came to tutor me in Creole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner we got invited to another missionary family’s house. We had only met them via Facebook so we were very excited to finally meet them in person. The live in Pignon with their kids every summer. As a fun surprise, they asked one of their friends to bring a donkey over for the girls to ride! They were in heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bella took charge. She was kicking the donkey, pulling it with all her strength and yelling at it and even kicking it. SO funny to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More donkey time! We had a great time getting to know this family and we hope to connect with them again before we leave, share ideas, brainstorm how we might be able to help each other’s ministries out, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day we took two of Francois’ oldest girls our for driving lessons. Teaching someone to drive in another language is one thing, but teaching someone how to dodge pot holes, donkeys, and people, is another! Needless to say, our driving lessons are ALWAYS comical. After just one week the girls are getting so much better and pastor thinks they may be ready to get their licenses by the time we leave! Having drivers to help run errands for Francois will lighten his load tremendously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone she couldn’t remember how to hit the brake so Denny manually reached down and hit it with his hand right before we would have hit this gate!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denny was very good at giving direction in Creole…”Adwat!” “Agosh!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being able to stay here for a month has proven to be very beneficial. We get to learn even more about how things “work” in Haiti and all it takes to run an sewing center, school, church and orphanage. We have been able to meet with people from all 4 different areas of this ministry and assess needs and hear what’s working, what’s not working, etc.

Denny was able to make the 2 hr. drive to a different city with Francois and two of his girls this week to see what the daily “grocery shopping” tasks entail.

I’ve been able to sit down and study creole and then more importantly…. practice it! Boy does it help to know the language 🙂

During the remainder of our stay in Haiti we are hoping to do a separate post/update about each of the four ministries: Sewing Center, School, Orphanage and Church.

We will also be getting a bid to drill a well and we will post that once we get it!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting this ministry. GREAT things are happening here and we are blessed to be able to witness it first hand!

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TODAY