End of School, Prayer Request

Sorry about it being two weeks since a blog has been posted. We are long overdue and hopefully we can pay up for it by blogging more often. Actually you might get doubly blessed this week as I think Seth is also doing a blog.

School is almost finished for this year and my children are glad. No one, however, can possibly be happier than I am about this. Tomorrow, Thursday, is the last day of exams. O happy day Friday! Tuesday the teachers will be preparing the report cards and on Thursday students and parents come to pick them up. O even happier day next Friday! I do enjoy being involved in the school but it is now time for a break from it. I look forward to catching up on more things in the office. Jessie has been a big help with the office work. Without her help I think I might have a lot less hair, and be a lot less sane, at this point.

Gr 7 & 8 Writing Exams

Mama and Son Resting

Now we are getting ready to start another construction project - building an office for our school. I will post photos of the work.

Jessie has recently been sending information to those in my address book to let you know that you can sign up to have the blogs download to your Inbox. People have been requesting this and we have found out it is possible. Follow instructions below.

If you go to the blog website hatshaiti.blogspot.com, you will find a blue section on the right hand column. Right above the pictures of the followers, there is a place that says "Receive new posts by e-mail." In the box below, type your e-mail address and the system will send you a confirmation e-mail containing a link. When you click on that link, you are signed up and the system will send you a copy of the blog to your e-mail address whenever a new blog is posted. This can take up to 24 hours, and is not under our control, but it will appear in your inbox. We, again, want to thank you for following along with the blog and for supporting us in so many ways! Hopefully, this will make it a little easier for everyone to stay connected with what goes on here at HATS.

Moize feeding little brother Ti Luc

Please pray for me. At this moment I am fighting discouragement. Jessie and Seth just prayed with me and that has helped. You all know about Ti Luc and the adoption process that has been going on for almost 2 1/2 years. I believed that the adoption would be completed in time for me to go to Canada mid July with Ti Luc. I purchased tickets for us to fly PAP - Montreal - Halifax, with a stopover there. We were to spend a couple of days with my friend Bev in Lower Sackville, then a week in Yarmouth. We were then to fly Halifax - Deer Lake for two weeks in Newfoundland and I would be attending the 'Come Home Year Reunion' for my home town. In August we were to fly Deer Lake - Halifax - Montreal - PAP, and return home to our family here. I truly believed it would happen. I have four weeks left and I have no doption paperwork in my hands. I need the adoption papers, then need to get a passport for Ti Luc and then need to apply for a visitor's visa. An hour ago I reached the lawyer in PAP working on this and hung up feeling very discouraged. I know from the way he spoke, from what he said, and what he did not say, that the chance of it happening is slimmer than slim. I have to now accept and prepare Ti Luc and myself that we will not be going. I will not go without Ti Luc this time as he is so very excited about going to Canada soon. I will not tell him he can't go but I am going.

Dieunel being comforted by Ti Luc

Don with Ti Luc

Ti Luc and Dora

We serve a mighty God and he can do a miracle. He can make a way where there seems to be no way. At this moment I see no way it can happen but I do ask for your prayer support for me to be able to accept whatever comes and be able to accept it graciously, and to help my precious little Ti Luc accept it also. Thank you for standing with me in this as you have stood with me through everything over my years in Haiti.

Ti Luc holding Baby Sandra

I appreciate your support in every way. God bless you all.

Karen

Thank you team.

There is a time to come and a time to go. They came. They worked, they drank, they laughed, they drank, they slept, they drank, they walked, they drank, they spent time with my kids, they drank, they played pranks, they drank. They consumed more liquid than I thought possible. It was needed. The temperature and the humidity were both high and they drank a lot of cold beverages to keep going.

I want to say thank you to each and every one of them - for coming, and for everything thing and everyone they touched while here.

Bob, thank you. Thanks for trying to pull off a huge surprise and almost managing it. Thanks for returning once again and for all your hard work as usual.

Bob

Fabian. Thanks for coming for the first time and for the worship music and singing. It was good for me.

Fabian

Gerry, thanks for everything. For all you did before you came, while here, and for all you will continue to do when you back home. A special thank you for holding my ladder in the dark!!

Gerry

Sue, Thank you, Sue, for coming and seeing for yourself what HATS is all about, and for doing so as part of a workteam. Thank you for working in the heat when it was obvious doing so was difficult for your health. Thanks for your support in many ways. Thanks for being you.

Sue

Linda, Thanks for the awesome surprise. I am glad you came. Am I totally forgiven for the night time shenanigans on Saturday? Still good friends, right? Thanks for working hard and especially for all the help with Ti Luc.

Linda

Jennifer, Thank you for deciding to come and see what it was I was doing in Haiti all these years. Now you and Jocelyn can share with my Deer Lake family. It was great to have you here. Thanks for being willing to do anything asked of you.

Jennifer

Jason, You worked hard, enjoyed time with the kids, and helped with another important thing. You have a great sense of humour. Thanks for accepting the shenanigans Saturday night and being so wonderful about it all.

Jason

Dora, I am glad you came. Thanks for your help with Ti Luc and the other children. I appreciate it greatly. Always nice to have Newfies come.

Dora

Judy, Thank you for coming, too, and for your work painting in that heat along with the others. Thanks for the time spent with the children and time spent sewing for me. Really appreciate having the pants on my body instead of the chair.

Judy

Cory En, Thanks for returning. It was nice to have you back. Again this time you worked hard, and in the sun when necessary, at whatever was needed at any given time. Thanks for trying, along with Cory De, to 'get me' but I am still ahead.

Cory En

Cory De, Thank you for returning, too. Like Cory En you came and worked at anything and everything when needed and like the others enjoyed time with my kids. You and Cory fell short in 'getting me back'. Good try, but despite the food in my bed, no ants or cockroaches were there.

Cory De

Amanda, I am glad you came back, too. You, like the rest of the group, are a lot of fun. I appreciated your late night e-mail after the Saturday night shenanigans. Really glad your mother did not get the frantic message. Thanks for all your work too.

Amanda

Jocelyn, I am glad you came too. Two of my Deer Lake family have now been here and that means a lot to me. Thanks for the work you did and the time spent with my kids.

Jocelyn

Again a huge thank you to the whole team. The administration building/my house went from 'ugly' to 'beautiful'. The comments from people are now very different than they were before when looking at this building. The men had hoped to remove the cement at top of the pillars but without some heavy duty equipment, not available here, it was impossible. They, however, worked diligently at other things and, removed or not, the building is now beautiful.

Now beautiful

I ask all of you to please remember to pray for the mission - orphanage and school - children and workers. Lots has been done but lots more needed. Hurricane season is officially started today and it is being predicted as possibly a bad one.

Cholera is on the rampage again since the rainy season started. The numbers of people ill with it, and dying from it, are rising rapidly. Haiti needs your prayers.

What we do here at HATS in every way, on every day - I S A L L A B O U T T H E C H I L D R E N

Blog for May 29, 2011 (Mother’s Day and Karen’s 66th birthday)

A wonderful day after Saturday Night Shenanigans. We’ll keep it brief about last evening, but suffice to say there were drums, some yelling and a lot of laughter up on the sleeping deck. Revenge was on the minds of several team members this morning as others wandered around trying to look innocent.

Newfie music time

So began our last day. It was a time of worship at church with our mission children, and others from the community. There were around 74 people at the service, including the 13 team members. What a joy to see the growth in that small church, and all the young, fresh faces playing tambourines and singing.

Children's church

Team in church

We were also treated to the children singing Mother’s Day songs, along with Happy Birthday for Karen. It’s amazing how fast a two-hour service can fly by.

Fabian providing music

Dieunel & Ti Luc at service

Special praise for the men on the team who made lunch today. Tuna melts (nothing like what Martha makes, but still.... Many exclaimed: “Best ever!” Oh, never mind....that was the cooks.)

Ti Luc and many team members also rode Haitian style in the back of Karen’s little white pickup truck this afternoon on a five-minute, wild ride to Luckner’s place. She claims to be a great driver. Others may question that – especially the ones who were riding out back.

Luckner is recovering from a fever so Karen showed us around the trade school and radio station that he is building for his community.

Many team members thought is was merely a funny joke when it was suggested there would be an extra passenger on the ride home. You guessed it: one of the prodigal goats. So there we were, crammed into the bed of the truck, goat and all hoping it wouldn’t aim in our direction if it had to go. Again, lots of laughing – for us, and the curious local Haitians who openly stared or waved as we passed.

Returning from Luckner's with the missing goat from Sat

Team and one goat - the two old goats sitting inside

Last days are bittersweet as we enjoy the last of our time with Karen, her children and each other as we prepare to leave early tomorrow morning. Tonight we’ll celebrate Karen’s birthday (again!) and savour the last Haitian supper that Martha kindly spent the afternoon preparing for us.

Happy Birthday & Happy Mother's Day Maman

Happy Mother's Day & Happy Birthday

The Last Working Day

It really goes so fast: it seems as if we just arrived and were planning what we would do here at HATS-Haiti and, just like that, our last working day is done.

Just a week ago many of us had never met one another and were seeing Haiti for the first time. Seven days later, we're a tight-knit team that has worked hard, shared a lot of laughs and tears, songs, prayers, and spent so much wonderful time together and with the children here. People often leave here feeling closer to God and longing to continue making a difference in the world around them. The children have given us so much that we wish to return.

We started the day finishing painting projects, cleaning up different work sites, organizing supplies and donations for the local hospital, and cleaning the boys' bath house. It has been a fulfilling week and we can see the fruits of our labour in the visual changes that continue here.

Gerry and Bob went on a mission of a different kind with Karen: our first livestock pick-up and delivery in Haiti. It was an adventure that we like to call The Great Goat Chase. We went to Luckner's house, where there were supposed to be six goats waiting for us. Instead, we wound up waiting. And waiting. Eventually, the young boy in charge of the goats arrived with four at his heels. Apparently two had made their escape. He tied up the other four, and ran back to look for the prodigal two. As it happened, he doesn't tie a great knot. Off went two more goats, tied together as they sped off to another man's property with Bob and Gerry pounding the earth in hot pursuit. The only way we got them back was because the running goats each tried to go in a different direction, knocking each other off balance. The young boy arrived back with one of the other goats. We're still waiting for word on the sixth.

See if blan yo can do a better job of tying goats

children visiting the goats

Two old goats with 5 young ones

Bob and Linda gave two of the goats to each of their sponsored children's families, and the other four will be gifts for the house mothers to take home for their families.

Bob & Linda's student receiving a goat

Bob & Linda giving their student a goat

After another hot day of work, it was time to relax a bit with the children. The little girls started braiding some of the women's hair and before long a makeshift salon had sprung up on the porch. Several of our team are now sporting corn row braids.

the hair salon

While all of this was going on, the boys decided it was time for a major soccer game. There was lots of yelling, cheering and screaming going on. We're not sure if there were any goals. But we did notice that one goal-tending Cory was crying a lot in net for one side, while the other Cory's lip seemed to quiver at times.....

Tonight we had a special event to honour our house mothers, and we'd like to say at this time that they have done an extraordinary job in the last year helping to raise these beautiful children and make a loving home for them here. They were honoured with a gift package, many hugs and kisses and something that every mother wishes for: a goat to call their own. In all seriousness, goats change lives here. They are a source of money, milk and food.

Two surprised and thankful housemothers

Baby Sandra smiling for her mama

Jennifer and Jocelyn - our Deer Lake Nfld girls

Linda with Ti Luc

Wanted Dead or Alive

Tomorrow we'll have church service and some time to relax and pack as we prepare for a very early departure Monday morning. Good night for now, dear family and friends.

Guess what we did today?

Dear family and friends,

Guess what we did today? WE PAINTED! AND PAINTED! AND PAINTED SOME MORE! IN FULL-SUN HEAT!!

Ugly to beautiful

But first, we spent a very special hour at the school for a Mothers Day celebration. The children sang songs devoted to their moms, there were poems, plus great excitement when the special gift for each mother was given to each child. Little baskets which the teachers and the ladies on our team had made up the day before contained biscuits and lollipops. Because it was a special day, school was let out early and the children left with the gifts which they carefully held and carried. Some of us also toured the mission house where Jessie and Seth are living. They shared with us how they've made this spacious, bright home their own for their year-long stay.

Mother's Day Devotions

Singing for mothers

Karen with gifts from her children from school

And now, a word about insects....
Haiti has them in abundance and they are often of unusual size. Some members of our team are especially hoping they don't see a full grown tarantula during their week here. However, the painters at the back of the house yelled today so that a young but rather large spider of the tarantula family could be photographed against a white wall. Eeek.

It also seems that we have a budding Newfoundlander in our midst, Ti Luc. Dora was playing some good old Newfoundland tunes today, including "I's the B'y" and some Great Big Sea when Ti Luc started to dance. He obviously has wonderful taste in music.

This was also a day of childhood revisited as the team was treated to a glorious downpour that brought our first relief from the 40 degree-plus heat. As the skies opened, we skipped with the children, had water fights, and generally soaked each other. What a time. And, oh yes....the house is nearly painted. It looks wonderful. Tomorrow is our last working day. We will finish the last of the painting and some other jobs during that time.

House almost finished

More news and photos to follow.

From your friends here in Deschappelles,
We wish you a good night.

A Rainy Day

Dear family and friends,

Every morning while we're here we try to do a time of devotion with staff members and the children. We usually sing songs in English and Creole, read scripture and spend some time wishing each other well before another busy day of work and projects in the searing heat. But today, a gentle rain inspired us to stay a bit longer to share our thoughts and prayers with each other, Canadians and Haitians alike. It became very emotional. People spoke from their hearts. They talked of the poverty they've seen here, the dignity of the people of Haiti and their love for each other and for God. Visits to this very special place have a way of unlocking true expressions of what we really feel. It is a blessing when that happens.

Ti Luc and Ti Fi in morning devotions

Jason with Sandra after devotions

We also spent some time praying for the sick and lame, with laying on of hands, including for a Haitian staff member who is coping with an illness. The ladies spent much time today making gift bags for the school children to take home for Mothers Day, which in Haiti will be celebrated this Sunday, Karen's birthday. What a wonderful coincidence.

ladies wrapping little gifts for students to give their mothers on Sunday

Working on gifts for students to give mothers

Teachers making little baskets for students' mothers

There were a number of plumbing issues to tackle, and two of our team repaired seven badly leaking toilets in the girls' and boys' houses. Other team members took down a cement stairway which is no longer needed. We've had the most excellent meals since we've been here. Haitian dishes of savoury rice, beans, chicken with a tomato-based gravy with onion and garlic, and also home-made sourdough bread tonight with beef stroganoff, courtesy of Seth and Jessie. We had an enormous amount of spaghetti last night...thank you Jason, it was delicious. We finished the pasta tonight. Our chocolate chip cookies didn't set tonight in this incredible humidity, but were delicious just the same.

Painting continues - slowed by rain today.

Play time with the children included singing with Fabian -- "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" -- and teaching the girls and boys how to skip two at a time with brand new skipping ropes. They loved it! Tomorrow night, double dutch.

Baby Sandra

Jofky with candy and zandolite

Ti Luc and Dora

Jason just came in and stated that today he and Seth cleaned the gutters, so all is now ready for the first big snowfall of the season. Tomorrow we plan to visit the school for an hour for a special Mothers Day event. More on this later.
Talk to you soon.