Tuesday, November 25, 2008

It's About Time!

Ok, do I start with an apology or not? Well I feel like I do owe you one, not that I really could have done much to avoid the fact that I haven't updated the blog for over a month now. I can tell you why in three words...BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!! I've even been too busy to make up and have the Bible studies with the kids, so you know it's been crazy around here, because that's not something I'll give up easily.

Here's some idea of what's been going on, and what's ahead for us...
  • Shortly after having Micah brought to the HOH, we received another newborn baby named Max. He came to the HOH after his mother died giving birth to him. He was only 1/2 day old when we got him, the youngest baby we've ever received. We agreed to keep Max for a couple of months for his dad who didn't know how to care for a newborn baby. Max is HIV positive, but since his mom was receiving treatment already he has a good chance of being negative once we can do a more specific test for him. That can only be done when he is a month and a half old, so we are waiting to do that. In the meantime, we have our hands full keeping up with two small babies, Max and Micah, pictured together in the crib here...
  • Micah was really doing great for most of the past month, then suddenly last week he took a turn for the worse. He was treated for malaria, but is still having trouble getting over it. he had put on about 4 pounds, but now has lost a couple of those. Finally today we were able to take out his IV's and hopefully we are heading in the right direction with him.

  • The family that is adopting Micah has decided to adopt a second little boy as well. Max Travis is from the same general area as Micah, and also recently lost his mom. Max Travis (pictured here together with Micah) is almost 10 months old, and is slowly getting adjusted to life at the HOH. Their adopting mom is coming this coming week to meet them and also to start the paperwork for their adoption to be processed. We pray with them that this process will happen quickly, and that they will be able to take their boys home with them soon.
  • Earlier in November I made a quick day trip to Port-au-Prince to pick up my sister Beth and a friend Heather Patterson. They came down for 2 weeks to help out at the HOH. What a blessing they were to have here, I can't imagine how busy we would have been had they not been here, seeing as I was so busy in spite of all their help. One day during their time here we were able to take a day trip on a sailboat to the island of La Tortue and spend the day at the beach (see picture). We were thankful for the friend who set this day up, and also for a chance to just have some fun together. About 10 kids from the HOH went along as well, so it was a lot of fun for everyone.
  • Also during the first part of November, we received an intern here at the HOH. Britney Mabel, from Lancaster, PA has come to help us out, and to spend time experiencing missions first hand. She will be staying with us until the end of March. She has already been a big help with the babies and in other ways as well. We are happy to have her here to help us out, and hope she has a great time here with us. She's already made friends with a number of the kids here, and they have begun exchanging language lessons, English for Kreyol! We'll see who learns more during the next couple of months!
  • Mid November we received John Berger and Walt Baker here for a visit. Even though it was just for a morning, it was great to have them both here. Walt was the one who first brought me to Haiti back in 1992, so it was so great to have him here at the HOH, and see the work God has allowed me to be part of since returning to Haiti. We had a really good and encouraging visit.
  • I returned to PAP in mid-November to take Beth and Heather back to PAP, and also to attend the going away party for John Berger who left Haiti to take up the position of Vice President of CrossWorld. It was nice to get together with almost all the other CrossWorld missionaries in Haiti, and also some former missionaries who had come back to Haiti and were here at this particular moment (like Darcy Dickerson, and Beth & Duane Browne).
  • That same weekend, I was also able to visit with the Boucher family as well. Then Dr. Boucher, myself and several of our older boys drove back up to La Pointe in a new vehicle we had purchased for the missionaries here. It's been many years since I'd driven up from PAP, and it was quite the 9 hours, especially since all the flooding that has happened in the parts of Haiti we drove through. We couldn't believe it was the same place, it felt like we were driving through a totally different country. It's amazing what flood water can do to totally rearrange a landscape. I regret that I didn't have a camera along to take pictures, especially of the area just north of Gonaives, called Doubedou, it was just unbelievable.
  • Last week we enjoyed a visit from our International Director from CrossWorld, Dwight Lehman. It was great to catch up with him, and news from our home office, as well as have a chance to talk over different ministry issues here.

  • We did manage to continue our Saturday afternoon "Boy's Character Club" several times during the past month. We are now receiving up to 50 boys each Saturday afternoon. Thanks to a special gift from some friends, we are occasionally able to make a meal or a snack to feed them when they come, as many of them come to us hungry, not having anything to eat at their homes. They seem to enjoy coming, and participating in the various activities we've put together. Here's a picture of some of them working on a project.
  • Last weekend we had 3 birthdays here at the HOH. One of them was for Nani. Remember the 1 1/2 pound little baby we received just 2 years ago, not thinking she'd live? Well she's 2 years old now, and as much of a live wire as ever. I call her our own personal hurricane, because wherever she goes, you know she's been there, and she seems to be able to be everywhere at once. She's such a joy to us, and absolutely adores her big "sister" Lala. They are pictured here together the night of the big birthday party (Nani is in front).
  • This coming Friday I'll be heading back to PAP to pick up my older sister Emmy and her husband, as well as my mom who are all coming down to visit the HOH for the first time. We are all very excited to have them coming as they've all been such a big part of the ministry of the HOH since I started working here, and to have them actually come and see everyone is a big deal for us. All week the kids have been painting the house, wanting to make it as fresh and nice as possible. They hoped to get it decorated for Christmas as well, but it looks like our visitors might get to help us do that.
  • Lord willing I'll be heading to PAP the next weekend to visit with the other people who were at the WorldView Center with me this past summer. We hope to meet together and encourage each other in putting into practice the things we've learned. I will also be taking Max and Micah together with their mom, to get a Psychological evaluation done in PAP. I should come back to the HOH on the 9th, and arrive just in time to receive a team from the Fellowship of Frisco in Frisco, TX on the 10th of Dec.
Well, I think I better wrap this up and send it on out to you all. Thank you so much for your patience in hearing from us. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. Thank the Lord for us for His faithfulness over the past month, and for providing for all of our needs. We continue to receive extremely malnourished children quite regularly, and our numbers have gone back up into the 90's after dipping down to the low 80's for a bit. Thankfully we started receiving food rations from World Vision last month, and they've promised it to us for the next couple of months. We don't know how long we'll receive them, but we are so thankful to have the help to be able to feed all of our kids. Please continue to pray for God's provision, and for wisdom for Linda and I as we seem to face new situations almost every day. We desire to be a light and a witness for Christ to the community around us, as well as bring His love and hope to the needy children He brings into our home. Thank you for your prayers and support that enable us to do that.