JUST MERCY
God’s Provision and the Blessing of Showers
10th Haiti Trip – Vol. I
Bill returned to Haiti on October 2nd. Three friends of ours were due to come in on the 9th to help for two weeks and he needed to get prepared. We had spent our time in the states contacting organizations trying to find someone to donate the cholera supplies needed to keep our clinics open as our main supplier could no longer help us. The Lord provided and in that first week, Bill was able to visit Samaritan’s Purse, Medical Teams International, and Americares.
Washing donated cholera cots
Samaritan’s Purse donated both cholera cots and cholera beds. We are taking the cots up the mountain on mules so the people in our clinics can get off the floor. The beds are going next door to the IFM clinic which was in great need of them. So once again, the Lord used us to connect other people and provide needed things. We love it when that happens. MTI and Americares both donated medical and hygeine cholera supplies and we are SO GRATEFUL! The cholera is picking up again so they were greatly needed.
Bill also visited offices in PAP about getting the truck back, visiting a new official in an old office. He was some encouraged. Possibilities exist that maybe we can get it back sometime soon. We are praying it is so. It was really difficult for Bill to get transportation to collect all the cholera supplies. He finally had to pay $130 to rent a large tap-tap (taxi) truck.
Slim, Cristin, & Nick, a great help!
On Oct. 9th, our friends, Jeromy Robbins, Nick Booker, and Cristin Senior arrived from CA to help. I will let them tell you in their own words about their experience the first week.
In our first week we have seen a broad swath of Haiti. From the depravity and poverty of the inner city to the even deeper poverty and generosity of the mountain people. It has been a lot to take in.
We have spent the most time with Yvrose and her 24 children getting their water hooked up and showers running. The kids were soon like our own.
Jolius with his parents. This “seventy year old couple” are our hosts in the mountains
Two days we spent in the mountains amongst locals who slowed down a bit so we could keep up. We spent a night under the hospitality of a seventy year old couple. The father who happily climbed a thirty foot avocado tree to shake down fruit for us who’s seed is as large as our avocado. He still makes the almost daily trip down the mountain to tend his lower bean field.
We have come in contact with death twice this week. The first was a taxi driver who had a head on with a truck. We are actually surprised it does not happen more often since the only real traffic law here is the law of aggression. The second was during our night on the mountain we were awakened about two in the morning by an unearthly wailing. Apparently a neighbor had died during the night.
We are encouraged by those who genuinely want change in Haiti. From a simple mountain pastor to a man almost finished with his 15 year quest to become a doctor to his poor mountain community. We have another trip into the mountains planned for this week where educating people about the truth behind clean water is priority. Thanks.
Cristin, Nick, & Jeromy.
I have to tell you that when I called Yvrose to ask her about the showers, she was practically walking on air about it! She said the first night after the guys got the showers hooked up, the children all jumped in with their clothes still on and danced and rejoiced at the blessing of running water!!! Yvrose said when she took her first shower she felt like she had been transported back to the US and the LUXURY that a COLD shower is!! The electricity is also run to the well so as long as the sporadic electrical supply is on, the people coming can just turn on a spigot instead of hand pumping the water. It is all such a blessing!! Thank you to all those who have helped make this dream be fulfilled for Yvrose and her family!
Another item on our agenda: Education. Oct. 2 marked the beginning of the Haitian school year. It was time to buy books for the kids and that was going to cost $10/student for the 190 students at our main mountain school plus the 140 students at Chapelle that some friends are going to keep open by paying the teachers. Last April, an 7 year old Joplin girl, Kamryn, decided she wanted to raise money for Haiti. She held an event called “Hats for Haiti” and raised nearly $3000 for ministries in Haiti! Then the Joplin tornado happened and the check was delayed due to damage at the school administration building. The day before Bill had to go buy books, a check arrived for $1400 from that one little girl’s efforts! I told her mother that that money would buy the books for 140 children!! We are so grateful for God’s provision on this matter.
We are also researching how to incorporate more lessons into the school curriculum on the gospel and building Christian character which is desperately needed in Haiti. If anyone has any suggestion, we would be glad to consider it. Whatever we use has to be simple and direct as everything will have to be translated into French or Creole. We want this to be taught daily in the schools that we support.
I was scheduled to fly into Haiti with Corina, Cristin’s wife, on the 17th but on Oct. 6th, I fell, severely spraining my ankle and receiving a wound in the process that has morphed into a serious hole in my foot so I am out of commission. Yesterday, the guys picked up Corina at the airport and they are looking forward to this week in Haiti.
One more thing to praise God for. Bill called a few moments ago. He had just met with President Martelly’s father-in-law. He did some research and has determined that the insurance truck papers are valid. (The custom’s office has been telling us they weren’t.) This is the best possibility yet that we might get the truck back this week. We pray there are no more glitches and that it happens!
Only by the Lord’s provision through his people with prayers and support are we able to continue to work in Haiti seeking to bring God’s love to the people there. Thank you for your prayers and your help