Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

yesterday had an interesting experience.  I drive the kids home after school...the smaller kids and some bigger kids and family/staff who live distances away from school.  Well, as we are making the rounds, the kids begin this chant thing.  Nancy Hibbard, another missionary working here this year had come with me for the ride (and the air conditioning)  and we were trying to figure out what they were doing.  after awhile we figured it out...they were clapping and cheering for each kid as we came to their stop and when they got out of the back of the truck.  It was just really amazing to hear and be around.   We have several small kids, 3 years old and in preschool.  They were just so happy to hear their names and that people were cheering for them.   We also have an older girl, about 10 I believe, who is mentally handicapped.  She is new this year and talks very little if at all, but she smiles and really enjoys being in the preschool and making pictures and the other activities, participating as she can.  When it came to her stop, she was just absolutely overjoyed, as I looked thru the back and thru the rear view mirror, the kids were cheering her name and clapping for her.  I will go out on a limb and state this is very likely the first time she has ever had anyone really do anything close to this for her, and she was so happy.   Her mother came out to get her from the bus and was overjoyed as well.   All the parents were smiling and happy to see their kids have that kind of support from the other kids. there were many smiles that afternoon on the ride home for the kids....and a few more after they were all dropped off.  It really touched my heart that they did this, and to see the reaction from the kids and parents, I think many hearts were touched.   Today I got a chance to go over to the preschool building to gather some information.   The handicapped girl, Kristi, was there and I just gave her a hug and told her that Jesus lover her, and she smiled and voiced a response.   Just one syllable, couldnt' understand it, but she responded.  For me, it was the high point of the day.  Gary was gone to Port to pick up a visitor so I didn't have the truck to take the kids home today again....we'll see on Monday if it becomes a habit to cheer for each other.  I hope it does.   For some kids here, there is little encouragement if any from family.  Life can be so hard that , well, parents just don't have it to give.   It is a pretty cool thing to hear them cheer for each other.   A good day in Haiti.   

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Friday, Oct 23, 2009

not been blogging any, fighting a sinus infection and generally just dont' have much to say now.  school is going actually pretty well, some of the kids who seem to be resistant and not inclined to work did so more this week, so it went well.   'Gary has gone to Port to pick up a visitor today .    Norm is a friend of theirs who is a psychologist from PA, and will be here for a week or 10 days.   it is cooler, the dreaded 100+ weather front just never seems to make it here, so we now are just hoping for a little rain.   It is getting late in the season and it is dry, gardens are finished and food will likely get more expensive as we go into the rainy season.    We have a new store in town, called DeliMart.   and it has ice cream!     of course we never go there.........well, on that note, it's time to end and try to find some more antibiotics.  

Bondye benis ou

Dan

round two, October 17, 2009

forgot to add, I am reading a very good book titled "Too Small to Ignore" by Wes Stafford.  He is the CEO of Compassion International, and in it he relates his upbringing in a village in the Ivory Coast of West Africa, and his view of children and how we bring them up and how we don't bring them up, and the mission call to value children right now, as they are, at any age.  He talks of how in the West we separate our children from our ongoing lives thru toy's, sitters, the hunt for money to support the lifestyle choices we make, and the damage it can do to our kids.  I am only thru a small part of it, so I cannot judge the whole book.  However, I wholeheartedly would recommend it to anyone who works with kids, has kids, is around kids or deals with them in any way....pretty much everyone.    It has opened my eyes to facet's of my own upbringing, and how I brought up, or didn't bring up, my son's.  If we would engage our kids in the way he recommends, not seek the worldly stuff beyond what is truly enough, not beyond it to what we "simply must have", our lives, our children's lives, and our communities would be changed, I am fairly sure.   The Bible calls us to talk of the issues of life as we walk, sit and spend time with our families, and this is what he is advocating.   Not just to talk about life, but to actually live our lives with our kids, getting them engaged in what we do and how we do it, and affirming them as important parts of our lives and our families as early as possible.  just wanted to give a shout out for a book that has showed me a lot in not many pages. 

October 17, 2009

first week fini!    not a bad first week.   I have a pretty good class.  Pony, Sophonie, James, Jeptha from last year.   Spencer, a missionary kid from the states here till Christmas, and Termitus, a Haitian from the states.  overall the school is organized better as far as class time and teacher's.  It is quieter and the students seem to get more done.  We have two new teen age girls, Tia and Christella, placed in a class that has been exclusively boys for 3 years now, and it is producing the expected results.   the boys keep doing things like breaking their pencil points so they can go to the sharpener and be close to the girls desk's and talk, etc.  But so far no major problems. 

Yesterday we had the chapel service and it went well, worship was good.  It still touches me to see people from outside on the street stop and listen and try to look in.  Hopefully it is a benefit for them. 

This morning I helped skin chicken for the after noon meal that Nancy is helping to prepare.   We will have chicken, rice and beans (!), fried plantains and picklies, a hot cabbage/slaw type of dish.   very tasty stuff. 

still hot here, but the bad expected heat keeps getting put back a few days at a time on the weather site.   However, we are within 2 days now and the forecast for Monday is still 106, so it appears the other shoe is about to drop.   Again the forecast for next week is for temps from 103-107 all week. 

October is one of the more rainy times of year and so far there has been little rain.  It apparently was a very dry summer, again in the rainy season, and instead of floods and storms Haiti may be facing the opposite now....drought.    The garden area of Pont Sunday where most of the area's vegetables are grown has already dried up, and food is being brought in from Port au Prince, which just drives up prices.  Another food spike people really can't afford.   Rose, our cook is very thin, I would guess 30 pounds under her weight last spring...and I am told she has gained weight since the start of September and Gary/Carolines return!   Summer was survived by all relatively well, but some of the staff are so thin.   Another season of eating is at hand for them, and they are happy about it, as you would expect. 

still waiting for shipment of the audiometer here.   When it arrives I hope to get to the hospital and talk with the admin there.   Apparently Dr. Paul Farmer has taken over the operation of the hospital here.  He is a pretty well known missionary docctor in Haiti who has been active in medical care here for years.   I hope I can set up some means to start testing by end of the year, and we'll see where it goes.  There are the legal things to do, get permits and stuff, but that shouldn't be too hard.  I am actually kind of excited about it.  I haven't done a hearing test now in over a year, and I think I would enjoy getting my hand back into it. 

All in all, pretty much what I expected, life goes on, it is good to see the other missionaries here and trade stories of travel and travails.   Also of the good things, like the mamba program expansion, the police investigation into the Rollings situation which has uncovered police corruption in the area and which has started a more complete investigation of the justice system around Pierre Payan.   Hopefully the locals will be able to get a better course of justice for themselves as a result.  The heartaches continue also, as another baby girl died this week in MacDonald.  Life in Haiti.   will write again soon.  

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Wednesday, October 14,2009

rain last night, very welcomed.  started around 8:30 or so,  continued for some time, cooled things off quite a bit, kept the dust down today.   It is amazing how the smallest things seem so much bigger when the distractions of western civ aren't there.   we all oohed and aahed at the wind and rain and just stayed in the breeze of it and enjoyed.  

another day at school, things going pretty well.  I have pictures to load, hopefully it will.

this is Ann Rose the school cook,  that woman can do things with rice!   In the background is Elna, another school worker. 

and these two are Rutney and Ashterline.  amazing how when the camera comes out, the girls show up!

so things are going pretty well, just hoping the weather will cool off some.  it sure seems cold in the  St. Louis area now.  don't know how you will all deal with the snow in a few months.  (sorry, but when it's 105, you get a little mean!)   everyone have a good day, hope to have a video soon. 

Bondye benis ou      Dan

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Well, the first two days of school have and gone.  We had a missionary meeting Sunday at Chris and Leslie Rollings place, they have built a place next to the other house that was originally on the property.   very nice place with open windows, shade tree's and such.  Shade tree's are highly prized in Haiti this week, with temp's set to reach and stay at about 105 or higher till at least next Wednesday.   By afternoon, neither the students or teachers can focus well or get much done.  I will testify to that.  I am drinking water as much as I can, but as I was returning from the trip to drop kids off from school, I got that cotton  mouth feeling. Last night I got up around 4 am, and after getting back to bed, felt like I was laying down in a pool of water just from my own sweat.   Ah, the missionary life is truly an adventure!  

Things are getting settled in for every one here, though changes keep coming up.  Just being flexible enough to "roll with the punches" seems to be the most useful attribute anyone can have here.  Kids refusing to obey, parents not helping with the process, people disappearing with money given to build chairs for the smaller kids, life just rolls on.   But it really isn't that bad, the heat just magnifies everything.   It is pretty much the topic of conversation most of each day, but we are trying to just get thru it, as it WILL cool down sometime.  It has to.   Right?            hope everyone is well,  bundle up in the midwest!

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sun Oct 11
High 100°     Low 78°

Mon Oct 12
High 102°  Low 76°

Tue Oct 13
High 104°  Low 77°

Wed Oct 14
High 105°  Low 77°

Thu Oct 15
High 104°  Low 77°

Fri Oct 16
High 106°  Low 77°

Sat Oct 17
High 104° Low79°

Sun Oct 18
High 105  Low 79°



This is the weather forecast for next week for St. Marc, Haiti.   Each day also includes about a 30-60% chance of showers so the humidity will be fairly high.    Even in Haiti, the people are saying it is as hot as they can remember it being.   I feel like I have lost about 5 pounds of sweat today, so I am trying to drink water as much as possible.   Tomorrow we will go out and get some more fans just to move the air around some,  At least we have, and can use, electricity fairly regularly.   I am afraid I will short out my computer because of the sweat on my hands!   Suddenly the cold, rainly weather of the St.Louis area doesn't sound quite so bad.   I will try and get some pic's, maybe some video tomorrow to post.   If anyone has any cooler weather prayers, now would be a good time to use them!      We will get thru it, you just don't do as much for as long and avoid the mid day heat as much as possible. 

Everyone bundle up at home!  

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Saturday, Oct 10, 2009

I'm here.   easy trip, flight was less than half full, few Haitians, mostly missionaries!    two large groups with the same t shirt's and all.   Got thru the airport in about 10 minutes....unbelievably easy.   Gary was right there, we went and got some stuff he needed and the ride back was wonderful up to about 5 miles from St. Marc, so overall it was not bad at all.    It is REALLY HOT, sweated all night, soaked this morning at 7:30.  I am already drinking stuff for dehydration, I really don't want to go there again.  

Haiti is still Haiti.   Barb called this morning and said a baby that a family in MacDonald had given her about 2 days ago to care for died in her sleep last night.   The baby was 9 months old and weighed almost 9 pounds.   She never had a chance.   Barb is going to the family to talk to them and let them know.  In such a sad way, it feels like the same place I left.   Not that it would change in a few months, or because of my perspective of it, but it does kind of slap you in the face some.    So, there is another unnamed family to pray for.  Tomorrow is missionary meeting so I will catch up with everyone.  take care everyone.

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Ok, Blogger is really starting to....upset me.  so I am experimenting with a new site.  for awhile, check out the blog at daninhaiti@wordpress.com.   we'll see if that site is any better.  

Dan

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

shipped out 6 boxes of stuff today, one more to go tomorrow.  getting things arranged for the trip.  had a great meeting this morning with Mike, my old friend (yes, we are getting OLD Mike).   we talked about life and where God has put us and where we are going; it is amazing how we influence each other in our walks by just being transparent before each other.  He has exciting things going on in his life and with his kids; problems and issues like we all have too.  I am getting more excited about......I feel odd saying this, but it feels like "going home".    God will work it out, I am sure.  I already miss my family, friends and especially my son's Luke and Aaron.   I have not gotten to spend nearly enough time with them this summer.  I hope some time as I get arranged they can come and visit in Haiti.   had a friend talk of a mission trip in the spring to Haiti, maybe we can arrange that.   It seems that it is all falling into place; Wayne has gotten me set up electronicaly, computorially (expanding the language base!), and movie wise.  He and Melissa spent gadzooks amount of money for food for the mission; we are all grateful for that.   it seems the door is there, now to walk thru it.    reminds me of the Stephen Curtis Chapman song of the Great Adventure, and of the song Dive.    haven't tested the water yet, but I am sure it is ok.   I am looking forward to rice and beans, sweating and power outages.  What more can you ask of in life?    :)    

Bondye benis ou

Dan

Monday, October 5m 2009

time flies by, decisions get made and life continues.  went shopping yesterday with Wayne and Melissa, and have oodles of stuff to send to Haiti.  Carolyn, don't get mad, but we have some junk food.  I promise I'll eat it all as soon as possible!    (sharing of course with those willing to partake in the removal of the junk food).  I am packing likely too many things, but I know enough now to be willing to leave what I bring this time.  at least a lot of it.  weather here is horrible....temps around 40's at night, 60's in day, it feels like Siberia.  the sun helps some, but Haiti is sounding better,, I can't wait to glisten.  :)      Church yesterday was great, good message on unity in the body, got to see many friends and say goodbye, and received many commitments to give childrens vitamins next week.   that is very encouraging, as the difference it can make in a malnourished kid is amazing. 

so I hope Haiti is ready for me.  I haven't changed much over the summer (with the notable exception of a few pounds)  I assume Haiti hasn't changed much either.  I am looking forward to the new road though.  Less bouncing is good for these old bones.  have to go tape and ship boxes now, dont' worry Gary, I'll be there before they arrive so I'll pay the shipping.  see everyone soon.    I am already missing my family, but the weather these crazy blans have here is driving me back.  :)

Bondye benis ou

Dan