T-48 and counting

Here it is Wednesday evening before the next trip to Haiti.

Today we went to Menards and purchased a few last minute building supplies and then on to Costco to pick up a few "supplements"  (snacks) for the trip.

Looking at the supplies dropped off in the narthex and everything stacked in Pastor peter's office it appears we will be prepared for whatever comes our way.

Today Port-au-Prince reached 86; right now it is -4 in Eden Prairie. I think we will do just fine with a 90 degree improvement in the weather. 

The well in Pasquette reached 300 feet today and still no water. We are praying for water by 360 feet. Join us in those prayers.

Am I ready for this trip? Mentally I can't wait; physically I still need to pack; emotionally I am already stepping off the plane and looking for my friends, Joseph and Jorel; spiritually, I know we are in God's hands so we are safe.

Images from Haiti

Home safe and sound

The Haiti team is home. The Haiti team is transformed. The Haiti team has new friends worlds and miles away. Marguerite. Esther. Mckenzle. Alexis. Valentine. Pastor Holland. Jorell. Joseph. And many others whose names will come to me in the next days. Special thanks to you for your support - donations, money, prayers, love. Deep gratitude to Scott Goodwin and Bob Seitz for their passion, leadership, and care- filled guidance the entire week. Mission trips to Haiti are about building and nurturing relationships with the people of Pasquette. We are doing that. Our friendships will continue to grow. The next trip to Haiti is in late January, 2014. Are you called to go? Thanks be to God. Amen.

God is like a chicken mother...

Today was a long one, and for me the most difficult. We said good bye to many people - our gracious host at our hotel in Jacmel; our new friends in Pasquette; and perhaps the most difficult of all - we said good bye to Joseph - one of our translators. Joseph invited us to his home in a tent city in Port-Au-Prince. We gave each other big hugs, thanked Joseph profusely, and had a quiet ride to our lovely hotel. The contrasts in Haiti are drastic and we are all processing. This morning, Pastor Holland, of Redemption Lutheran Church in Pasquette, blessed our journey with these words: "God is like a chicken mother, keeping track of his flock.although there are different nationalities there are no foreigners. We are all brothers and sisters and we are always together even if you are far away from the ocean." Indeed. We are all brothers and sisters- people who live in huts in Pasquette, tents in Port-Au Prince, and homes in the USA. A world of contrasts - and a God of Love for all. See you tomorrow.

Mission Accomplished

Mission accomplished. 12 benches ready for sitting on - all of them were used today by the 80+ patients, their families and friends at the medical clinic. Kids Club is done and 160+ kids played and ate with your generous support. In two days time, nearly 200 people were given kind, compassionate medical care and much comfort was provided through conversations, generous and careful listening, antibiotics, vitamins, stomach medicine, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. Our team is filled up and eager to share our impressions and stories of this beautiful country with all of you. Tomorrow we say good bye to our friends in Pasquette before traveling over the mountains to Port - Au - Prince. We are scheduled to arrive in MPLS on Sunday night at 10:30. Peace. Out.

Lizards, Coconut Milk, Worms, and Pre-Trip Travel Clinic Visits

The past two days have been eventful in Jacmel and Pasquette. The bench project is going well - 3 are complete! We had our first day of clinic today and Dr. Ingrid and the medical team treated 96 people. So many of the little ones have worms and we miraculously had enough medicine for all of them. At the end of the day we were treated to fresh coconut milk and meat. The milk is tangy! The meat is rather bland. None of it even resembles what you find in a grocery store in a plastic bag. And, lizards are abundant and friendly! One final note - almost everyone on our team is grateful for our prescriptions from the travel clinic. Those of us who have used them are all on the mend. :) One more day in the clinic tomorrow. We are thankful for our team, to our Haitian friends- most especially, our wonderful translators - Jorelle, Alan, and Joseph - and our hotel staff is also the best- kind and gracious. Peace. Out.

If you're happy and you know it...

Today was our first full day in Pasquette and the people of that community worked with us all day. Together we cut wood for 12 benches, sang - told stories - played games - and colored with 140 kiddos. The women of Pasquette made lunch for all the kids, and we were all grateful for the church space. It kept the sun off of us and was the perfect space for all out activities. In the afternoon, we met with the church leaders to begin conversations about how to manage the well. Trust is abundant and we are moving forward together. My favorite part of the day was watching Charel, a man in school to become a teacher, sing If You're Happy and You Know It with 140 kids for at least 40 minutes. They love him and sang very enthusiastically for us all. A good day. Thunder has been threatening - would be great to experience a tropical thunderstorm. Peace. Out.