3 Weeks Later

It has almost been three weeks since my last post. Let me try to recap those for you...

On March 7th our daughter, Skyla-pictured on the left, turned 14 years old. Man, I know you have all heard this before and many of you have said this yourselves, but here goes...It just seems like yesterday that she was just a baby. We are blessed to have her as part of our family. She is a joy (most of the time) and I praise the Lord for her (all the time). I also pray that, as her parent, I don't ruin her - such responsibility. Happy Birthday Skyla!

That first week, some of the missionaries we work with left the country on a, much needed, ten day break. That week was a challenge and a blessing for us. A 40 foot container, packed from wall to wall and ceiling to floor, with relief supplies that many of you donated, arrived. I believe it arrived on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 9th. We had until Friday to have it emptied and ready for pickup. That was fun. It was like a combination of Christmas and working at a Good Will Store. If you have ever helped clean out those drop boxes at a Good Will store or second hand store, you know what I mean by that. Unpacking and sorting was hard work, fun, and overwhelming. It was such a blessing to see how God, and the people He chose, provided for the earthquake relief. There were boxes and boxes of clothes, food, hygiene supplies, and medical supplies, as well as some generators and other machinery. We piled some in a trailer on our property and the rest in our shop. There were boxes everywhere.

The second week came and proved to be just as busy. The other missionaries returned to Haiti. We praise the Lord for that. Eight extra hands and four extra brains carry the load better. Thank you Haiti Global Team! Sorting the supplies, organizing distribution, and handing out newly arrived relief supplies was a joy. Excitement and hope shone way on the faces of those who came to pickup "Manna from Heaven."

This month has flown by. This week we have been working on getting our Visa paperwork done, obtaining our Haitian Id Cards and our Haitian Driver's Licenses. Yesterday, we went to the immigration office. I think there was around 200 Haitians standing outside the office. The front of the building was barricaded and manned by Haitian Police. There was pushing and shoving...more police called in...police batons pulled out...and angry people. Unfortunately, our white skin allowed us to get in. Don't get me wrong, it was a blessing to not have to wait in those long lines, but on the other hand we cut in front of so many. Now, it seemed that we needed a different office than they did, but just the same, I wondered if I would get stoned when I returned to the mob on the street. Praise the Lord, we didn't get stoned and, to my knowledge, I don't even remember getting dirty looks.

Clinic has been going well. Many of our patients from the earthquake have healed. We are seeing more sickness, wounds, and minor burns now. I pray we don't have any more serious burns for a while.

We are attempting to get our schools up and running by April 5th. There will be many hurdles to overcome, but pray that it is His will and we are able to open. The children are restless and beginning to cause trouble. Just the other day I did not have time to talk with a boy that was about 10 years old and I told him I would talk with him later. He proceeded to call me cheap in Creole and began yelling and fussing at our clinic door. They are bored, want everything, and don't have parental supervision. What a combination. Please lift them up in prayer as well as me (Susan). I found myself frustrated with him and not wanting to help him or even see him later in the day. I am to love others - I pray that it is Jesus that shines through me...not self.

Tomorrow is our second daughter, Kali's, thirteenth birthday. She is turning into such a wonderful young lady. As I mentioned before...It seems like yesterday she was just a baby. That's her picture on right, isn't she cute. Again, we will need many prayers to make it through these teen years and then on to adulthood. Such precious times and I have found that bringing them (the children) to Haiti has been a blessing for our mother-daughter relationship. I pray that the Lord blesses them for their obedience and cooperation, as well as strengthens their relationship with Him each and every day. Happy Birthday Kali!

Thank you Jesus!

Better Day

Josiah had a better day today. Actually, I would call it a great day, as far as school is concerned. Keep praying.

Yesterday we had a couple join us here on the Global Haiti compound. Linda and Glen Erickson joined us here from Colorado. They are here for three months. They are praying about joining us here as full time missionaries. Join them in praying for direction.

This week Kevin has been busy helping complete a new well in Ti Tanyen. They put the pump in today and fresh water was pumped out for those to enjoy. Also, we began to repair the wall at the school in Ti Tanyen. The back wall had fallen in the earthquake and now is on its way to being fixed.

A new well, here on our property, is being attempted. The men started drilling on Thursday. Pray that they hit an extra large source of water. This water will help maintain the extra need here at our facility now and allow for growth in the future.

Clinic has been steady. Two of our burn patients were blessed to get skin grafts last week. The mission down the road, Mission of Hope, had a plastic surgeon in. What a great opportunity. Andre, a 6 year old boy that got burned in October 2008, is now on the fast road to recovery. This does causes a bit more pain right now, but will help both patients to heal quicker and better in the long run. Praise the Lord!

Homeschooling

Josiah, bless his heart, decided that today he was going to quit school. He was tired of doing it, it was boring, and he wanted to go to town with his father and work on rebuilding a wall that had fallen in the earthquake. There were tears, locked bedroom doors, me (Susan) holding him tight, and discussion - lots of discussion.

We prayed, seeking guidance and understanding. We brainstormed trying to get a feel for where his frustration was coming from. We brainstormed on where to go from here. I explained that although he lived in Haiti, he was still a U.S. Citizen and as his parent, I was required to provide an education for him. As the discussion came to a close, he still had school to finish for the day.

Leigha, our children's temporary teacher, has been a trooper. She tries new avenues of encouragement and pressure. It usually works, but only for a few days. Then he is bored again. I explained to him that some things in life will be boring and expecting us to change things up every few days was asking a bit much.

Josiah is on the last stretch of his curriculum and he has had a crazy year...

• He and his family moved to Haiti on June 30, 2009
• Curriculum was late getting to us - we didn't start till September
• Earthquake hits Haiti in January 2010 and causes mass destruction
• The property that we live on has become an area of continual activity

He is ready for a break and so are the rest of us. Keep us in your prayers. We are planning a 6 week trip back to the U.S. That trip should begin on April 7th. I will try to keep everyone posted on the final dates.

We have been in Haiti 8 months. Most of those days have been great and we knew we were where we were suppose to be. There have been other days when we have asked the Lord if this was really where He wanted us. He keeps giving us conformation that Haiti is where He wants us to serve Him. I count that a blessing. I love being here and I love ministering the way He has me ministering. I don't believe that questioning our call to Haiti is a bad thing. God is completely able to confirm His call on our lives. He is also completely capable of giving us the strength when it is needed and comforting us when that is needed.

I say all that to say, God is in control. He desires to help us (and you) through each day. God wants to help us with Josiah's schooling and raising, just like He wants to carry us when we feel as though we can't go another step. He wants to love us and lead us. Pray that we can take hold of that concept.