Friday, December 19, 2008

Oh Haiti

Well, may I say that at this point I could really deal with some time off. In fact, I took some already- yesterday. Went to the beach and sat. Looked at the beach and thought about the beach and listened to the beach and read a book by the beach. It was a wonderfully simple day.

I'm having hard time gathering my thoughts, probably because I ran out of time to sort them like a week ago, so you'll have to forgive me for these few random details on a lifestyle too eccentric to be anything other than mine. Whatever God was thinking, He sure had no trouble giving me a taste of the irony of life in America and my early travels, but He's taking it to another level now- from irony to cruel irony, or something resembling it.

We just got a donation of a large bag of animal crackers, so I finally know what our Christmas family treat will be.

We have flees in the internet room...again.

Only one of six baby chicks has survived the first few weeks of life. I have no idea how to rpotect them.

I have to clean everything. Somehow it all got dirty while I was preoccupied with...um, everything else.

I learned how to drive in Port au Prince today. Thought I had or was going to die several times, but somehow those trucks missed me by a few divine centimeters.

School is out for Christmas, which means that kids will stop spelling my name wrong when they write it with discarded chalk on my front door.

We have a new sewing machine, so there's one more thing I don't know how to do that I'll learn by causing various physical injuries and trying it different next time.

One of our goats finally gave birth. I didn't know baby goats were so cute. He's a little guy with fluffy white fur. Closest thing I'll have to a snowball this winter, so I'm resisting the urge to throw him.

Love.

-C

Friday, December 5, 2008

The Nonsense of Haiti

Yesterday, right here in our province of Archaia, something completely useless and desperately tragic happened. We all know how important food is to these people, who have to search and scrape for every morsel. To parents it's even more of a life-and-death endeavor to feed their kids.

In a school about a 20 minutes' drive from Carries, a woman had two sons whose food she gave them was being taken and eaten every day by a group of other boys, who by the way didn't have any food for themselves. Instead of getting angry when she learned of it, the woman just got evil. She didn't speak with the school directors or teachers or simply bring it to their attention even once. Rather, she saved up a few bucks and bought some poison, put it in the food and sent it with her boys to school. And by the end of the school day yesterday, five boys were dead. Five boys. They not in trouble or apologizing. They're gone. The school was not told until afterward what had been happening.

These are the kind of hopeless things that happen every day in this place. It seems so often that people don't think, they just react. They don't consider consequences. Their actions are almost always simply selfish and self-serving.

Now, of course, there are splendid exceptions to that. There are people with hope in this country. But in the shadow of a towering wave of enemy attacks in the form of deceit and selfishness, hope seems like only a ripple.

Then again, that IS how God does his business, isn't it? He makes ripples into waves- earth-crushing, overcoming, immovable waves. And it's our prayer and expectation that He does just that.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Busy Days in Haiti

Can I be honest and say that I'd rather be Haiti busy than in-the-States-for-Christmas busy. I have no problem with spending my Christmas here without the shopping (I hate shopping), and the cold (I hate being cold) and the ice (I hate falling in the ice).

Last year I lost count of how many times I fell in the snow or ice. The funniest of them was worthy of a Funniest Videos prize (let's be honest- it doesn't take much to be on Funniest Videos). I was walking to the car when my brother picked me up from work and right about the time I was passing the side view mirror, CRASH! Yep, that's me. My brother said he heard the squeak of my fingers trying to grip the hood as I went down. I was there one moment, gone the next. No fun. And I don't miss it.

I wouldn't mind being around for the birth of my first niece, though, which is happening a week from today. My big family isn't too thrilled about me missing it either. It WILL be a bit different, but wouldn't give this up.

Besides, I kind of like the idea of taking a walk along the beach on Christmas day. Better than losing feeling in my digits when I walk out to the car.

More soon.

-C

P.S. I finally realized that it was nearing Christmas the other day when the sun set and it got so cool that I almost and to put on a long sleeve shirt! Whew, that was close.

Monday, November 24, 2008

My Bananas Are Thirsty

It's funny all the random things I'm learning to do here. I have waded through a book on raising goats, because I had to figure out how to remove their horns. They really do get nasty with each other with those darned horns.

Not only that, but we also have this yard full of baby banana trees, which, by the way, need water by the bucket-load. . . lots of water. This means that rain is a splendid thing for those poor bananas. But since the hurricanes ceased, there hasn't been a whole lot of that. Now, everyone else is pretty thankful for this. The people who lost their stuff and/or families and/or homes and/or livelihood in the flooding in September- they fight tears and trembling fear when they see or feel a drop of rain. And at that thought, I could care less about the friggin' bananas.

The only creature indifferent to the rain, or any other circumstance for that matter, is the rat. And Haiti has more than its share of those. I am now the household pro at catching little mice. . . and quite large ones (the kind that eat poor little cats for breakfast. . .yes, quite large). One day we cleaned out a depo and there were so many, I had to give up all of my humane methods and get the machette. I told you this tool is a catch-all for Haitian work, and indeed it is. I killed ten rats that day. Wow.

And then it was back to the paperwork. The truest thing about this work is that it never, ever, ever runs out. And all the little things, like rats or goats or any of the other random things that have to be attended to, are at times a hindrance to getting the "real" work done, such as time with the kids or getting the paperwork done or contacting other churches and schools. It's truly beyond me how any of it gets done at all- petty tasks or real ones. I've never known a more perfect example of living a life that "rolls with the punches."

Random or not, I do love it. Actually, I think the random factor is what I love the most about it. The rule for my entire life has been this: I'm not great at anything, but I can do a satisfactory job at a lot of random things. Jack of all trades and expert at none. Yep, that's me.

Love.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Joy of Giving

One of the things I love most about this place and this work is the joy of giving things to people I would in no other circumstances have the ability to give. Such as . . .

The only guy who knows how to play the guitar in this joint came and tuned my guitar for me, because I still can't. I gave him, as a "thanks dude," a bottle of Tampico and some mosquito coils.

A woman came from the mountains with a genuine request. She can't afford school. Her husband left her and their boys because he was afraid of the spirit in their village (lots of people were committing suicide), she was sick and her boys needed to go to school. "Can you please help me?" she asked. Well, sure we can darlin'. Her boys are both in 2nd grade. They come every day. They take good notes. They are very well behaved. So we provide them with all that they need. And their mother smiles a little more often now.

A kid came with 3 lips. His bottom one was made into two when he fell from a coconut tree. We gave him stitches.

A young woman came to my door repeating something over and over, but I couldn't understand. I told her to sit and speak slower, but to no avail. She just kept talking. I gave her a smile, a nod, a coke and a few confusing minutes of my time. When she left, I also gave her an apology. "Sorry, lady. I still got nothin'."

TO BE CONTINUED

Sunday, November 9, 2008

For Tammy

Tammy Wood, it was wonderful to speak with you. I can't wait to laugh with you like that in person. What a joy. Sorry about the blog. I do apprecate your persistence, though.

Hope you enjoy the following story. My next one is much more heart-warimng. Promise.

Much love.

Rabid Dogs and Late Apologies

Second story of the random, yet oddly familiar life in Haiti:

A few weeks ago, another patient limped inside the gate with a dirty shirt wrapped around his leg and blood dripping down from the brim of it. I still didn't speak a great deal of Kreyol at the time, so I was still very ignorant of the reason for his wound.

The guy was maybe 50 years old and quite the trooper, I realized, when I took off the shirt and saw the reason he'd walked so far to get some help. He came in with a stick as his crutch and talking as if he'd just read an interesting story in the newspaper- nothing to freak out about was his motto, I guess.

He told a story I didn't "really" hear until after he'd left, but it went like this...

A rabid dog had been infected and gone about the village biting both children and adults, clearly putting everyone in danger of rabies and all the complications it comes with in a place like this. In the early morning of the day he'd come, the man was on his way to work in a field with his machete (the standard tool for any Haitian project) when the dog had wandered his direction. It lunged at a child within the man's reach and, being the hero that he knew he always was, ripped the dog by he neck from its grip and began a nasty battle.

He told us that he swung and missed several times until finally he hit the dog in the right spot to still him and finish him off. Only afterward did the guy realize that the side of his left leg had been chopped in the process.

So there was a 3-inch wound and a visible bone in front of Monique and me, waiting to be stitched up and good as new. Pretty soon it was just so.

We haven't had such a hero in our midst since then. I have to say, he's probably one of the coolest guys I know now- being the type to fight a rabid dog on a little girl's behalf and go about his normal day after a round of stitches.

And now, I must apologize for the way I've neglected my blog readers...or more like checkers (with nothing new to read). I apologize for not providing you with more entertaining stories or at least a little info.

Thank you for not giving up on me. Much love.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I'm gonna need some bigger tweezers!

I had been here for maybe a week. Things were going well and nothing catastrophic had happened, so I was fairly comfortable in my daily activities.

And then one morning I was in my skirt ready to go clean my would-be office and Monique stopped me with an intersting look on her face. She said somethingI didn't understand in Kreyol and pointed to a girl with blood on her face.

"Bwa," she said. That means "wood". I thought she got cut by a branch or something, so I took a closer look.

On my way over I told her it was okay in Kreyol and that it was only a splinter in English, then I saw it. This piece of wood was about 3/8 of an inch in diameter, sticking straight out of this little girl's temple, only a little stub as far as we could see.

My reply in English was, "I'm gonna need some bigger tweezers."

And they brought some big tweezers! Me and Monique had to take turns trying to pry the little sucker out of there. All I could hope for was that the other end of the bwa didn't have gray matter on it.

Half an hour later, after pulling, cutting, pulling and cutting, squinting and wondering what in the world we were doing, there came a "splinter" between 2 and 3 inches long.

We gave her a few stitches and I was finally able to get around to eating breakfast.

Then the day began.

And that was just the beginning. Wait until next week, it only gets crazier.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

My Apologies

I hope that few, if any have been waiting for me to update this thing. In all the first times I could get on the internet when I moved here, I had so little time, I could only e-mail.

Well, I hope to get back into this and share a few more specific stories than those I do in my e-mails. Hopefully they're a good supplement to the updates you get already. I also want people to get a little more of the humor of this life in Haiti than what I can describe in a short and very important update.

Love you all so much and hope that you enjoy the following stories. They're a window into the strictly random nature of this country and her people. As random a my life was even in the States, I actually feel very at home.

More soon...

-C

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Home Sweet Haiti

I am finally here.

Thank you.

We are working hard at many things, me on learning Kreyol and organizing my thoughts and resources for school. Things are s l o w sometimes and then get really fast, but I am enjoying everything from the beans and rice to the bucket baths to the makeshift conversations with my new neighbors in my broken Kreyol.

I love it. I love it all. (except the mosquitos)

Chris

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Down to the Wire

Well, Family, I'm moving in a week. There are still a lot of details, a lot of little things I need to take, a lot of planning ahead to do so that I take everything I need.

I've been able to spend some time with Dee these last few days she's been in town. That's been good and reassuring. It is a comfort to be given some insight into daily issues by her. Up to this point I have just been a little intimidated by the idea of going at it alone. It's not so bad now. And she's a quality friend to have around anyway...

Most of my goodbye's have been said. Friends have moved or gone on vacation before I leave, so we've parted a bit early. It's funny how normal the goodbye's are now. I have left the country so many times that now it's just a "yeah, see you later." No tears. No mushy last moments. Just see-you-laters. I like it that way. That's evidence of kinship in the Spirit.

I'll let you know how things are going in the next couple of days.

Love you all.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Illinois Tour 2008

I got a late start yesterday because of some very complicated problems. I'm having a rough time. I believe it's because Satan is working harder to make this impossible. I'll tell you what, I'm not having fun right now, but you can bet that I have no intention to quit or slow down or give up, as painful as this has been. Hey Satan, we've already won and you don't have a chance!

God is teaching me a lot about perseverence and provision. Not to mention prayer!

I'm in Decatur today after passing through and meeting with churches in Jacksonville and Springfield. I'll be here for the day and in Paris tomorrow and heading to Moline on Friday. Pray for fruit!

Love you!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Change of Plans

Well, as can be expected, I have been given a new set of plans to go by on my move to Haiti. Dee and Wilkly are having a baby around the beginning of next year and she plans to remain in theU.S. until that little baby comes.

This effects me because I am now going to Haiti to adapt to new modes of language learning, since I depended on Dee and 9-year-old Ashley for that in the past. I will be starting and doing school with a much more independent status as well, since this was Dee's area and is now my own.

Praise God for His timing, though. You know, His provision here is impossibly ignored. As Dee is occupied with Lonia and now Little Baby Dorce, God has provided another worker to help pick up the slack. By no means will I fill anyone's shoes, but I'll certainly give it my best shot.

God is not only blessing this ministry, but He's building it. It's a privilege to be a part of it.

Love you all! Pray like crazy!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Driving

I've been driving like crazy these last few days. I'm in Carthage, MO right now after a 3 hour drive from Pomona, MO where I am speaking at a camp. It took a 5.5 hour overnight drive to get there on time Monday morning.

The contacts I'm making are quality. I've been making so many phone calls and sending so many e-mails that I am glad to be able to finally meet a few of these people in person. Fnds are still slow coming, unlike the blessings in general. I have so many reasons to smile, but I have to be honest in saying that I've been tempted to buy a few hats and have myself a pity party. This is taking a lot of perseverence, and it's going to tae a lot more of it.

So keep praying, as I'm sure you have been. I can feel it. The houses still need to sell, still need to find funds from somewhere, still need to arrange quite a few things for next months move.

Love you all.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Oh Dear

I am learning so many new things lately. I'm getting lessons in finances, automobiles, persistence, time management, etc., etc., etc.

It's more difficult than I have anticipated, but I am finally seeing a bit of success. More contact with more churches. The more I bug them the more willing they are to speak with me, which is necessary to meeting them and gaining their support. I am so thankful for Kingdom-minded believers. My brothers and sisters have been good to me.

Thank you for standing with me in all this. I don't think I could ever fully describe how much it means to me. Keep praying for Lonia and for these burdens of real estate to go away. I await the day when raising annual support is all I have to worry about.

Love to all.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Little Miss Lonia

Lonia is about 10 months old. She was born with a major digestive problem and wasn't expected to live past 1 year. She was brought to our attention in March up in the mountains of Haiti in a little village called Cupois.

Dee Dorce brought her to the States at the end of June after finding a hospital and doctor in California that are taking care of all the costs.

Lonia had her first surgery and is doing well. She had a few complications after the first surgery and was in ICU on Monday, but she's back to stable condition and doing fine. We're not sure when she'll be ready for her next surgery, but she and Dee, as well as Dee's youngest daughter Kelsey, are staying with the doctor and his family, so she is well taken care of in the meantime.

You'll be hearing a lot more about this little girl in due time.

Until then...

Another First

I am finding a lot of new ways to get things done nowadays.

I've never been in a situation like this before. Moving to a different country, doing 2 things at once: 1) working hour upon hour to raise money 2) trying to keep my head above water to complete all other resonsibilities while trying to raise money.

God has been doing some tweaking in my daily lifestyle in an attempt to show me better ways of doing things. As Hebrews 12 says, "God's discipline is always right and good..." I'm thanking him for that today, otherwise I'd be in quite a mess. And thanks to him, things are moving along well. I'm gaining a lot of prayer cover for the ministry to Haiti in contacting all of these churches. Money is harder to come by. The best things in life are free, right!? Prayer is most certainly on the list.

Love you guys.

Thanks for praying.