Art Project

 Lor's sister sent a puppet kit down for the school children to do.

They were real excited over it, and had a lot of fun putting them together. Here's a picture of them with their finished projects. Thank you, Rosie!

Update on the Cholera situation...

(excerpts from an email update...)

    It’s Sunday morning and to those of us in “cholera zone” it’s hard for us to even imagine a normal day… Only 3 days into it, and it’s amazing how fast you can acquire a “cholera brain”. It can feel like all we can think or talk about is cholera. Not that we fear it – there is just so many things to think about - ways to help. Our hearts are filled with concern for the ones that are sick, and we also are trying to educate those around us to prevent it from spreading…

I think my neighbors and acquaintances might soon be sick of me reminding them to treat their water, watch over their children, and wash their hands often! J It seems like that is a concept that is hard for them to grasp. Michael’s were telling me about a father that they reminded to watch over his children and not let them play in the dirt or stick fingers in their mouths. His nonchalant reply was, “Well God made them to do that, and they still grow up and get old!” The mere thought is enough to give you gray hair! That might be the case in scenarios where the children already have immunity against the germs, but the bad thing about cholera is that no one is immune to it, because it hasn’t been in Haiti for years!

It seems like some of the people take a hopeless and helpless approach to the whole thing. Yeye told me that one the ladies that works for me carrying water made the statement that nothing or no one, not even God can help them now… Oh how that grieved my heart to hear about it.  It just made me want to tell her that the God that made the universe, and yet wants to live in our hearts is so great that nothing is too hard for Him! How awful life would be without God!

Yesterday I was told that there were 250 patients at B. clinic. And still only one doctor. The Red Cross has been coming up once a day, and taking a load of people to another treatment center over 2 hours away. I haven’t heard how many deaths there’s been, but one of the nurses from A. who was there yesterday said that there were several dead bodies laying outside, and one man died right in front of them. People are very afraid of the cholera, and don’t want to take the dead bodies home to bury them.

The GTH clinic is working on getting a treatment center set up and they will be full before they know it. Please pray for the staff at A. They’ve been running full tilt trying to get their treatment center up and going. Over the last several days they’ve done several transports to the B clinic. Even the smallest necessities such as meals are nearly a forgotten thing!

All of this makes me so long to get in there and do something to help relieve the misery and suffering! But for the sake of protecting my children, we’re steering clear of the treatment centers and just trying to be a support in whatever way we can…

Please keep the whole situation in your prayers… This is only the beginning… Pray that God would continue to supply the staff and supplies needed for the treatment centers… Especially needed are doctors and nurses that are experienced with doing IV’s. We are 2 hours from any hospital, and that makes the need for good treatment centers even greater!

We are praising the Lord for the inch of rain that He blessed us with last night! That was an answer to prayer!

Thank you so much for your prayers!

God bless you!

Keep checking back. I hope to post pictures of the cholera treatment center that GTH is setting up later today.

Hitch-hiker?

Jared stuck a puppy in for a swing ride with Weston. Don't know what the puppy thought of his ride, I told Jared to take him out before he gets sick, but Weston sure got a charge out of it!!!!

Flag Day in Haiti

May 18 was Flag Day for Haiti. A school nearby celebrated with a parade.

 The school children are all in uniform,

 and many parents and other onlookers joined the procession.

The little ones met the parade at the top of a hill near the school waving their little flags and singing. 

Cholera

There's been a cholera outbreak in our general area of Les Palmes. The clinic not far from us is maxed out with 200 patients and only staffed with 1 doctor. They were turning people away. Please pray for the situation. That God would provide the medical staff needed to deal with the situation, and that He would supply the supplies to treat the cholera. Also please pray that God would protect the children from getting it. Children have a hard time understanding why they shouldn't put their fingers in their mouths, and why they always need to wash their hands. Though I must say that Cholera is no joke to my children and they're very concerned about it. I don't doubt that they will do their best to follow my precautionary instructions! :)

On a side note. Please pray that it would rain today, so that we would be able to have rain water instead of buying it. Our water goes through a UV light and we also filter our drinking water as an extra precaution, but it would be a real blessing if we would be able to have rain water instead of bringing it from the spring. Cholera in the area just underscores how badly we need wells back here. Please continue to pray that God would make that possible!

Cherlise is 5!

 She was so excited about her birthday, and the anticipation grew all day till she finally saw her cake in the evening.

Because it's hard to do gifts here, I like to make the cake special for them. 

 Cherlise wanted a rabbit cake, but I kept it a surprise for her till we brought it out. 

She was... "well-pleased" seems to be an understatement...

 The "icing on the cake" was being able to cut and serve the cake with everyone looking on. 

What it's like to be the youngest around here...

Weston was sleeping on the bed, and was totally thrilled to wake up and find his 2 older sisters beside him. He looked at them and gave them his biggest smile. 

 Janelle and Elaine might be only 2 years older, but they sure spoil him with attention!

 And doesn't it look like he just thrives on it? :)

Who wouldn't like to be big sister to such an adoring little brother? 

Helping Mommy...

. Somehow Weston seems to sleep so much better on Mommy's bed, and Cherlise was thrilled at the honor being able to keep her eye on him so he doesn't fall off when he wakes up.

And Rachel is an excellent dish-drier! She enjoys her work, does it well, and sticks at it! 

How to amuse yourself...

Climb up on the bars, and pretend the dogs are out to eat you...

Or...

... throw a couple bugs in the commode and gather your siblings around to watch them "swim".

The fun of learning how to drive...

... fortunately it's still only toys! :)

Weston keeps us well entertained by his play. He can get frustrated when his truck doesn't stay upright, but he keeps on trying anyway! Yesterday he started saying, "Uh-oh"! 

Sunshine on a cloudy day

Aren't such smiles enough to brighten your day?

Even when the sun isn't shining?

You can't see it so well, but I tried to capture the clouds rolling in behind the lines of laundry trying to dry.

Twins!

No... not human ones! :) Our one remaining goat had twins last week.

 Aren't they cute? It's a doe and a buck, but I don't remember which is which! 

 The black one is a lot bigger, but I'm thinking that she is the girl...

 Here's the watchful mama!

Karlee Jo...

For those of you that haven't been getting my emails since before March of 2010, Karlee might be a new face for you. She was born to one of my neighbors here in Terre Rouge. Her mother died and I took her temporarily. She is nearly 14 months old now, and I just got to see her again last week. She's a lovely little girl...

 So big. So smart. So cute, and such a whippersnapper!

 Can't you just tell she has a lot of character?! :)

This is Karlee when she was born. 

Home again...

For those of you who have been wondering where I've been... I was in Port last week... I took my camera along, but didn't take near as many pictures as I'd hoped to take... :(

 Here's some scenery pictures taken at the guest house where we stayed... A coconut palm...

 This mourning dove picked the top slat of the louvered window to build her nest. 

 The hummingbirds loved these flowers. One morning I was on the porch and a hummingbird flew up to check out the hammock. Soon I felt his little wings beating against my leg and his beak digging into my dress! Then he flew up and checked out my just washed hair before flying off. I thought that was pretty neat!

A beautiful sunset taken from the top of the roof... and yes, it was a flat roof! :)

Another Bwote...

 "Bwote-a" is where the friends of a couple carry all the bride's belongings to their new home the day before the wedding... This bride is nearly neighbors to us, so they went by our place on their way to their new home.

 First the mattress and boxspring... 

 ... then all the other household items...

 ... with the mules following on behind.

Baker's help???

 Whether he's a help or not, Weston is sure enjoying licking off the beaters!!! :)