Chapel and the hospital

The day began like any other day except for the fact that Chloe was a little more excited today.  Today her class was going to participate in Chapel at school.  Her class was going to say their memory verse for the entire elementary school.  Mindy went to watch her at school.  The school theme for the year is living stones and this morning they learned about faith.  Chloe's memory verse was Genesis 1:3 "God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."  Each student was carrying a piece of paper with black on one side and yellow on the other.  As they recited their text they flipped the paper over to show the light.  I have heard that it was really cute.

Shortly after Mindy got home from seeing chapel she got a phone call from one of the teachers at school saying that Chloe had hurt her toe.  Mindy went to the school and was told that Chloe got her toe pinched in the metal teeter totter.  Together with a good friend, on the advice of the school nurse, they went up to see the doctor in Petionville.  The doctor took one look and said we better get her to the hospital.  So down they went, to the hospital.  After a quick x-ray which showed an open fracture, a small surgery and couple of stitches Chloe was bandaged up and cleared to head home.  She now has to take pain medication in addition to the antibiotics she was already on for an ear infection.  Pray for a good recovery, that she doesn't have too much pain and that it doesn't get infected. 

Joel, Chloe and Socks!

Here are some updated pictures of Joel.  Chloe as you can tell loves to be near her younger brother and takes special care of him.

We have just received an additon to our family.  We have named him Socks.  He has one blue eye and one brown eye.  He loves giving both Joel and Chloe kisses as often as he can.

A Day in the Life...

The sounds of roosters crowing and motorcycles roaring by.  The sounds of big, creaky dump trucks bouncing by on dirt roads.  The sounds of dogs barking and sweeping on the driveway.  These are the sounds I hear as I get ready to start a new day. 

It's hot, first thing in the morning, through the day, doesn't cool down much in the evening and its hot at night.  You do get used to being sweaty all the time, but there is much more appreciation for a shower sometime during the day. 

It takes time to learn to plan on doing things, not on when it works best in your schedule, but when electricity is on...doing laundry, taking a shower with water pressure, using the microwave...

I really appreciate our house here.  Even with all the work that comes with running a house...electrical surges, plumbing leaks, big heavy iron gates to open and close, 20 keys to get around and into different rooms...it is a good and safe house; and it is all too apparent that many do not have the luxuries we do in having a secure, dry place to live.  When we went to visit and pray with the families who had a new house built for them in the "Projet Logment/Housing Project," they were so happy with their 16x20 foot, 3 room house, with cement block walls and a tin roof.  They were so happy because it was a significant step up from where they had been living previously...in a makeshift tin/wood structure, under a tarp, in a pup tent...now they have solid walls and roof, an iron door that locks... However, for me, coming from my lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, playroom house, with a fenced in yard, I looked at those new houses and thought, "I would not want to live in a house like this. No running water, no electricity, no bathroom (most people will build an outhouse outside their home, no screens on the windows...it would be a hard life."   

"Tout moun pa gen menm fos/ Not all people have the same strength,"  Makson, my housekeeper said when I was explaining that the people were very thankful for their new homes, and were happy and proud to be living there, but I would not want to live in a house like that.  He was saying that not everyone has the ability to have a nice house like we do, but maybe you could take it another way too.  Not all people (people like myself) have the strength to live like these poor families, and be happy and content with that.  Ideas on housing here are definitely relative to what you had before. 

A knock at the gate.  One of the many "street kids" that come by for a drink of water, a cracker or granola bar, a kind word.  They are sweet children, they break my heart.  They will sometimes tell me at 4:00 in the afternoon, that they haven't had anything to eat since the morning of the day before...then they will put the granola bar I give them in their pocket so they can take it home to share with their brother and sister, who haven't eaten for a day and half too.  They take turns and they share, because they are used to not having things for themselves...they love to see Joel, the 3 month old who is as big as most 6-9 month old kids here...to see his smiles and feels his baby soft hair.  I love my children, and it is hard to see the difference between their lives and the lives of the many children living in poverty around us.

Love one another...for this is the fulfillment of the law. 

Thank you for who you are and what you gave!

We really appreciate the time that you three, Rebekah, Barb and Keith, spent with our family.  We enjoyed having you for supper, we enjoyed talking with you, playing some games with you, showing you our country, all  the sights and sounds.  We enjoyed having you in our home, spending time with our children, and doing devotions together.  The best high that we can think of was the time that you spent with our teachers and sharing with them your experiences and listening to them as they shared their experiences and questions.  What a blessing you have been!

Here are some pictures of them on your last days at the school and going to the pool and out for supper.

A picture blog of the last couple of days!

Haiti has beautiful flowers all over the place.

Alix and Ketia working in groups, discussing a topic during the Bible seminar.

Evenz and Roodveens working on a Math problem.

Working on Math problems.

Barb's notes and the 'prizes'

Building the tallest structure.

The winning group, the tallest structure.

Rebekah and Barb

Looking over Port au Prince

A view of the Siloh, a zone in Port au Prince



Barb standing infront of one of the homes that was just built.

Celebrating Pastor Octavius and his wife's anniversary.

The girls!

The work has begun...

The seminars have begun!  Each morning we will start with singing, prayer and a short devotion.


Randy and Cornelius are doing a devotion
on 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 22



1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 22

Randy welcomed the teachers from both countries to the seminars.  He explained that we are here to learn from each other.  We are all professionals and we have gifts in many different areas.  God has given us two different cultures but He has given a common background which is Him and His Word!  Together this week we can go forward and work together for Him.



Each teacher introduced another teacher.  It was
fun to get to know the different teachers.

The teachers designed a title page for the Haitian teachers.  They used Deuteronomy 32:2 as the main text of the week...

'Que mes instructions se répandent comme la pluie, que ma parole tombe comme la rosée, comme des ondées sur la verdure, comme des gouttes d'eau sur l'herbe.'

'Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.' 

Bible:
The Bible is not just a book of stories or rules.  It is the living message from our God about how He saves us.  It tells what He had done, what He is doing and what He is going to be doing!  Even if people forget Him, He does not forget His people.  God remembers His people and blesses them. 

Keith is doing the seminar on Bible.  During this week the
teachers will have the opportunity to share Bible stories
and find themes in different books.

Keith used the national flower of Haiti, hibiscus,
to show that God's Word is alive and flourishing.

Donated books for the teachers at Adoration to use for their Bible lessons.

Classroom management:
What is an effective teacher:
Love your God, love your students, learn to listen to the students, be prepared, be punctual, have a well decorated classroom, and know that a teacher can make mistakes as well are some of the answers that were given.

Rebekah is sharing ideas on classroom management.
The teachers will be acting out scenerios on how to
discipline and control the teaching in the classroom.

Math and Science:
Mathematics is a strong subject with the Haitians.  This week Barbara is sharing new ideas about how to understand the Math concepts in the classroom.  She is also introducing different types of Math games for the teachers to give to their students in class.  Math problems is a topic she will be spending some time on as well.  Later on this week she will be doing Science experiments with the teachers.  This looks to be very promising and exciting.

A sudoku for the teachers to work on.

The teachers participating in an activity