First Aid Class

A few weeks ago, David and I went to Cayes to teach a medical emergency first aid class to the MEBSH Construction group.  (Ok, David's the teacher....I was just the model for practice :) )  

This group takes long trips out into very remote areas of Haiti to build roofs for schools and churches.  In the event of an emergency, they have to figure out how to treat the injury, stabilize the patient, figure out what medical treatment facility options are available, and get the person there.  We went to refresh them on the basics of how to take care of a person who becomes sick or injured on a team.  We talked about heat emergencies, wound care, fractures, diabetic emergencies, allergic reactions....all sorts of stuff.  We did some hands-on practice too, teaching backboarding, blood pressures, how to use the AED, etc.  It was really fun for us to spend a few hours back in the emergency medicine mode....miss it so much!

David demonstrating the use of a c-collar and backboard with Brent.

We enjoyed spending the day with the construction group.  It was really fun!  

Agape Flights

Agape Flights is an organization that delivers mail and packages to missionaries in the Caribbean.  It's a super blessing for us to be able to receive mail and order things from the states that we need (or sometimes things that just remind us of home :) ).  We were really blessed to receive a turkey and a box of "fixin's" for Thanksgiving...donated by Agape!  I'm writing this post to say thanks to Agape for all they do for us, to those of you who have sent us letters in the mail already, and to make sure our address is out there in time for Christmas cards :)

Our address is:

C/O Agape Flights CAY 27783

100 Airport Ave

Venice, FL 34285

Normal mail is just a regular stamp, since it goes to Florida, and then we pay a flat fee to Agape no matter how much mail we get...so might as well use it ;)  Packages over 1 pound cost $4/pound to fly from Florida to Haiti, so we tend to think twice about what we send over.

We're looking forward to getting Christmas pics of you all, to remind us of friends and family back home.  We probably won't be sending out a normal Christmas pic this year...since it's a little more complicated to get it back the other direction....And with a new baby coming in January, Lordwilling, maybe we'll just email and post a Happy New Year pic later on!

Welcome

Last week we had the blessing of welcoming a new family to our Bonne Fin family!  We are so excited to have Kurt and Joan Platter and their children, Reggie, Toby, Hadley, and Brenna come join us in our work!  Orrin took to the kids right away, and they were running around the yard and rolling down the hills together :)  We had them over one evening for snacks, and enjoyed our time together.  We wish their family much grace and many blessings as they adjust to life here.  So thankful for God's working in their lives!

Another welcome blessing in our lives here was the experience of a REAL rainy season!!  Haiti has been in a severe drought, after having gone through several rainy seasons with virtually no rain.  But last week it started raining, and pretty much hasn't stopped :)  Even church was cancelled on Sunday because of the torrential downpour...we got 3 inches by 8am, and it rained hard all day.  (Think blizzard conditions for a comparison :) ).  So we put on our coats, raise our umbrellas, wish for boots, dry our laundry inside, and praise God!

“God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.” -Job 37:5-6

Language Lessons

David and I started language lessons with a Haitian man named Falens, who speaks very good English and is a great teacher.  We each have an hour lesson in the mornings M-F.  It has been nice that we know a little already, and aren't starting out knowing nothing, but we have a long ways to go!!!  The first week or two was kind of frustrating, for two reasons.  1 - I can't understand the difference in how they pronounce e, e (with accent), and en.  Or a, a accent, and an.  All sounds the same to me :(  And 2 - I have not known nor cared what a predicate or pronoun was since 8th grade English!!  David says he never did know what they were :)  So, after I got over my bad attitude of having to be back in school again, things seem to be going better.  It's really fun to see progress and have more words to use when talking to the people who come to my door, or who we see when we are out walking.  Makes it feel more like the lessons are working...and that's our main goal...to speak Creole!

Transition

Having been back in Haiti for about two weeks, we're getting settled back in.  The first few days were exhausting....hot, humid, tired from the trip, unpacking, and starting language lessons.  On Friday morning (three days after we got back), our sea container arrived, full of supplies for the hospital, and stuff for the families here.  We had lots of boxes, and unpacking and trying to organize took lots of time.

Then Saturday, we had a work team arrive from Rockville, CT.  David wasn't totally involved with this team, but still worked with them some.

Sunday we went back to Haitian church.  Orrin sat on my lap most of the whole time, mesmerized by the loud music and singing, the standing and sitting, the creole language, the Haitian people.  He made it partway through when I took him home for his nap.  We left right after church to go to Cayes to have an English AC church service with the people in Cayes.

We settled into more of a routine the next week....language lessons in the morning (more on that later), then David working in the afternoons.  I went to town grocery shopping on Friday, and Orrin stayed with Jami and kids while I was gone.  It was an arrangement enjoyed by both of us :)  I got to "get away" a little, and Orrin couldn't stop talking about how he "swim" at "Jami's house" and played in the "dirt" with the "dump truck".

Being back in our own house has given us the opportunity to do a little more disciplining (aka letting Orrin cry some things out a little).  He was very attached to his bottle and was very opinionated about it and what was in it.  So we made the rule that now it is only for night-night and he has to use a sippy cup for during the day.  A few time outs in his bedroom, followed by a little talk and praying together, and he seemed to get the message.  At first he would say "bottle" when I went to get him a drink, but he wouldn't fuss when I'd give him the cup.  And now, it seems to be a forgotten problem.  The same pattern seems to work when he's getting upset or not obeying.  He cries for a few minutes in his room, and when I go back there, immediately he takes my hand and says, "Pray."  Maybe he'd rather have the prayer than have to look me in the eye and listen to my lecture ;)

David has been working again on electrical problems...down to the hydro, installing a new generator, looking at wiring that has some problems....  We're trying to study, but sometimes it happens only in the mornings before our lessons, when we're trying to cram! :(

After living at someone else's house all summer and not having to cook much :-D I was afraid I was going to have to re-learn to cook again.  But I guess you don't forget totally, and we've been eating anyway.  We still have Madam Ino come cook us three lunches a week, and we eat the leftover rice and beans the next day for lunch too.  It's really nice :)

We brought lots of food with us, and so I've got a good selection of "american" food to work with for now, which makes things easier.  One night I pulled out a bag of blueberries from the freezer that we had brought with us.  Orrin saw it and was repeating "blueberries" over and over and over.  It's about all he would eat for supper.  Soon he had blueberry smeared all over his face, hands and chest.  David was trying to take a picture of him, when the kitchen timer went off.  David caught the look on Orrin's face at that instant.  It was priceless.

You mean that was the last blueberry!?

Yesterday, Orrin seemed to be totally used to Haitian church again.  He immediately wanted his toys and candy, and ignored most of what was going on around him.  After lunch, we went to the beach for a little relaxing, swimming and good lobster for supper.  Orrin really enjoyed the beach this time.  The waves were not huge, so he wasn't scared, and he had a new swim vest from his birthday that he used and was able to swim all by himself!!!

The transition seems to be going good overall.  I feel like I'm getting back into the routine, catching up on some sleep, and getting more energy back.  That's good, cuz now we have hills to climb again on our mountain in Bonne Fin!

Highlights of our Summer Home

A few of our fun times we had this summer....fyi the pics are mostly of Orrin...it's more fun to take pictures of him than of us I guess :)

Orrin loved getting "airplane" rides in the laundry basket :)

Eating out at the Piggy Bank restraunt in Oakville with Gpa and Gma Gerst.

Ok, eating out in general was fun :)

Labor Day Weekend camping with Dad and Mom Z and family.  Sadly, it was just a little too wet sometimes.....

SPOILED!  Orrin eating Oreos...I mean the filling of the Oreo.....

Homecoming Parade in Wapello.  Can't believe the kids who are the King and Queen candidates are the same ones that I helped out with in their Second Grade Class when I was in High School! Getting old......

Orrin and I were in Forrest at our old house one afternoon when the ice cream truck came with it's jangly tune playing.  Couldn't resist one of those good old fashioned American experiences!!

Orrin took part in a few library programs this summer!  What fun!  And he got showered with prizes from the Morning Sun Library!

Orrin and Carter eating together one evening when we were at Troy and Leann's.

Grandpa giving Orrin a ride on the skid steer.

Building a house out of couch cushions!

So much corn on the cob!!!

Stopped in at Superior Ambulance and MedForce to say hi one day.  Someone got to sit in the helicopter and thought it was pretty neat!

Time with the cousins....I thought this was a priceless pic :)  Will, Orrin and Drew did not get along so great all the time....Orrin was kind of a bully and liked to push.  I even heard him whispering it early one morning.  "Push....baby....Drew..."

Orrin pushing a kid-sized cart at a store in Morris, while we were visiting Great Gma Luthi.

Orrin's first combine ride!  We rode with U Wayne and then in the tractor with Tory.  Now Orrin knows exactly what equipment he needs to "farm" with his toy tractors.  And it even has made for some meltdowns when he didn't have a wagon to go with his tractor and combine.....

Orrin got to go to Bass Pro Shop this summer with Gpa and Gma Z while dad and mom were on vacation.  Such fun for him!

Mesi Anpil

With just under 2 weeks til flying back to Haiti, we want to say "Thank you very much!" or "Mesi Anpil" to all our friends and family.  This summer was a huge blessing to our family to be able to come home and spend time with all of you!

Thanks to all of you (Troy and April, Troy and Leann, Clint and LeAnne, Reuben and Krystle, Joe and Rhonda, Glen and Holly, Elmer Lanz, Colin and Lynelle, William and Melissa....and forgive me if I missed any!) who had us over for supper or the evening.  We loved the time to fellowship and share time together.

Thanks to my friends who helped pack things up at our house (and haul everything!) before David got home!  It was a huge help and made the job a lot more fun!

Thanks for all your words of encouragement and support.  In our whole time through this journey, we have not had ONE negative comment from anyone.  What a blessing to us!!

Thanks to our parents who let us stay with them for weeks and weeks!  We are very fortunate to have family that let us stay with them!  And thanks so much for all the meals you made and hours you watched Orrin!  He will not know what to do when he climbs out of bed in the morning and can't find Grandpa or Mama!

Thanks to everyone who supported us financially through Forrest ACWR this past year.  I know God is able to provide, and I think of the missionaries who would fly to a foreign country with a whopping $60 in their pocket and no place to live.  They had a lot of faith!  We were able to go knowing that God was providing through our church family!  It was a huge help to be able to come home and be able to focus on packing up, selling things, going to training, spending time with family and friends, and finishing out our interview process.  Ok, so David did work for his dad and my parents, but it sure took a lot of pressure off!

Thanks for all your prayers in the past and we ask for them again as we transition back to Haiti.  We don't know what is in store for us there any more than we do here in the States, but we feel the need as we make the move back to keep us focused on what God wants from us!