Here's some links to 2 photo albums I added to FB. It's more pics from my trip...

Haiti 2010 

Haiti 2010 (2)

Here's a video clip of some of my pics...

A little gift from Dalton...

For those of you that were wondering...Dalton is my camera.

Sorry!

So sorry for the lack of postings, but the Internet is not really working for me. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm alive and well, but it may be a bit longer before I have a strong enough connection to blog about anything in depth or to post pics.

Just a quick tidbit...I've been to a couple English classes lately and I find that they are some of my favorite parts of the week. I really enjoy learning techniques for teaching and observing the various learning styles in action in a culture different from my own. It's given me a greater desire to start working on my TESOL training.
Also, while in these classes I've been challenged afresh to learn more of Kreole. The two American girls that I'm rooming with are really excited about learning the language too, so we're trying to quiz each other and go over and over everything we know constantly. It's been fun and I feel like I'm starting to really get some of it. It's def. not as smooth or fast as a Haitian, but I'm understanding sooo much more and my Kreole vocab is growing daily. I'm excited about it!

Hopefully I'll be back on to post more soon. Until then, take care and God bless.

More pics and a brief update...

Well, time for another update...I'm mostly just trying to post pics tonight, but I would like to let you know a few things that have been happening around here. First, an update on the baby. Sadly, it did not make it. We were finally able to bring it home, and April worked very hard to do all that could be done, but it was just too late for the late guy. So Heaven just got a sweet little Haitian baby to care for...thank you to those that were praying. Continue to pray for April and the Hess family as they face this sort of thing in their ministry.

Another little tidbit is that we have a new houseguest. His name is Dr. Kaufman. Apparently around here he's known as the miracle doctor, because ppl were praying fervently that a doctor would come after the earthquake, April was one of those ppl. She had so many serious medical needs here and only so much she herself could do (although from everything I've heard she did a wonderful job throughout that whole time and really came through for a lot of ppl). Meanwhile, Dr. Kaufman had felt like he should do something to help, so two days after the earthquake happened he flew into the Dominican and got a ride to the border. There, by chance some might say (by God's grace they all say), he met up w/Grant. Now Grant is a fellow missionary and he lives basically across the street from the clinic. So Dr. Kaufman asked if he could hitch a ride into Port Au Prince w/Grant. At some point during this ride, Grant told the doctor that he knew someone who could really use him. Seeing that the doctor had no further plans than to get to Port Au Prince and start helping as he could, he jumped at the offer. So Grant was able to take him directly to the clinic. April says she was just starting to try to close up an abdominal wound on a 4 yr. old that they'd been cold packing since he got there. He was so badly in need, and she wasn't completely sure if she could help him, so they'd been praying for a doctor for him specifically. They realized the couldn't wait any longer, so she was just started the process when the good doctor was brought right to her door step. God is so good isn't He? His timing is always so perfect. Anyway, Dr. Kaufman is now back to stay for 3 wks as a trial period. He's considering becoming a permant fixture in these parts if I understood correctly. What a blessing that would be!

Another wonderful thing happened here on Sunday. A man that April's been trying to get to go to church for the past three yrs. finally went this past Sunday. He had a stroke about a yr. ago and has been tender ever since. April checks in on him and helps make sure he's excercising like he should, but his mobility it fairly limited. Well, this Sunday we were blessed w/his decision and April and Joel were able to help him get to church. Afterward he committed his life to Christ. This is a man that was into voodoo at one point, along w/who knows what else. He's lived a rough life, but he's a very happy new Christian.

Lastly, this week we received a box. Not just any box...no, this was a box from the states, one from Kayla and Harold (the TLC team leaders). When we opened the box it felt like Christmas! There were so many goodies inside, it was so hard not to just giggle like a child and feel giddy. They sent us Hershy's chocolate, double stuff oreos and AMERICAN MILK! (...Haitian powdered milk is just NOT the same. Especially since you can't keep the ants out for anything, so you just learn to pick out the worst of them and drink/eat the rest.) Strawberries, steaks, powdered sugar, and my two personal favorites, popcicles and Dr. Pepper! I requested the Dr. Pepper if it were possible, but the popcicles were such a pleasant surprise I almost cried *tears of joy of course*. (If you knew how much I love these things and how much I miss the states right now...!) Anyway, there were many other goodies in there, but needless to say we were all so excited it was hilarous. April was so childlike while opening it. Her enthusiasm was wonderful! We didn't know what to eat first. The Haitians don't have strawberries, so we started w/those and shared w/several of the workers that live on the compound. Jeemps LOVED them, it was so funny...he couldn't get enough. April wanted him to know what fondue tasted like, so she melted one of the chocolate bars and we ate it like that too! We had so much fun w/that box. I can't wait to try the steaks later, and I'm saving my first popcicle wrapper to go in my memory book from this trip. =D 

Well, I guess that's about it for now, I'm going to try to explain a bit about the pics this time, but nothing too detailed.

This is a pic of the TLC team and myself at an orphanage.

This is the 3 pd baby that died.

These are the staff at the clinic. The lady in the middle just got her visa to move to the states and join her husband so they were having a going away party.

This is one of the cakes I made for the party. I mostly posted this pic for my sister, Letha...she was wanting to see it.

This is April and Joel's youngest. His name is Michael. They adopted him shortly after taking him into their home to take care of him. His mother went blind and couldn't care for a baby. (FYI: he was wearing his sister's hat...no, he doesn't normally dress like a girl.)

This is April and Joel's oldest, Emma. She's a fiesty little booger! =D

This little girl is one of the pastor's daughter's I believe. She came and sat on my lap for a bit in church. I love how they put long ribbons in the little girls hair here. It's cute.

This is Joel with the man that gave his life to Christ.

This little boy lives not far from our compound and he's kind of stolen my heart. I can't say much to him, but he always smiles at me when I'm out and about and he sometimes tries to follow me a little ways.

This is Dodo...he's a little stinker and I think he's the younger brother to the boy above.

Another neighborhood child...

This little guy made my heart hurt...he was playing w/his toy car which is basically a plastic bottle w/a string and wheels. What really got to me though was seeing his little tummy stick out so far and seeing his ribs so visibly.

Here he is again w/his friend. They were excited about letting me take their picture.

The missions sign...

This is for my family...I was telling them about buying mattresses...you simply drive along until you see them on the street and then you barter for them.

Ok, this is something you see everywhere in Haiti. They put up walls around their property b/f they even build houses here, and at the top of those walls the put barbwire, or more often glass. Broken bottles seems to be the most consistently used. They're very serious about keeping ppl off their property...

A little roadside fruit anyone? Mmm! That was sure some good pineapple!

Thanks for all your comments by the way! I don't always have time or internet access to respond, but I really do enjoy getting them!

A little catching up...

Sorry my blogging has been so sparce. The internet tends to be so slow it wear's out my patience. I've been emailing my family faithfully each night, but most of the time that's about all the patience I seem to muster. To reward you all for waiting oh so kindly, I have pictures! They're kind of random though, since I haven't been able to post any yet it's just a mix a various places I've been and things I've done so far. I miss everyone terribly, and I very much miss my dear Cincy, but I am adjusting and doing alright.

Yesterday was interesting in the fact that I was sick. Thankfully it was the first time since I've been here, but it seems that something was/is going around. Emma, April and Joel's oldest at 3 yrs. old I believe, was sick along with me, so we kind of kept each other company. We both crashed on her parents bed since the downstairs is being worked on.

They're having all the electric put into the walls, instead of it being run outside of them. This is a much bigger undertaking than it sounds. It requires men chipping away the cement behind each section of electric, putting it in, chipping away all the old "floating" on the walls, and then sanding everything down, refinishing the cement, and then painting. I think I got it all in there...anyway, it's much more involved than that, but to sum things up, they're doing this throughout two whole rooms downstairs, and parts of some others, which means that the entire lower level is now covered in layers of dust and dirt. It's working it's way upstairs too, but we're trying to fight it off. I, personally, can't wait to be able to clean it up...it's driving me crazy, as it is April. She's worked as a house keeper/babysitter before, and since that's what I do currently (minus the babysitting) we have an understanding about the clean up thing. In fact, we're hoping we can get started on it tomorrow.

Anyway, at this point in my stay I am offically the only house guest. The TLC team left Tues. I cried, but I'm doing alright now. And yes...that's kind of how I handle change...I'm just so great with it.

Today was fairly relaxed, but April and I did get to go out and visit a few families. She was excited about seeing one family in particular because she had great news for them. In a few weeks there's a family coming, from Cincy actually, that will be building this Haitian family a new home. This family is very poor, and when we went to see them today I realized how badly they need this blessing. They are currently living in a small, one room building that is made from stick and mud mostly. It has a patched together metal roof, but as far as the walls go, I could see through large holes in various places on them. They are in need, and were so excited to hear this good news.

Another thing that I was able to do today was to help take care of a malnurished infant. April's been trying to do all she can to see that this little boy lives, and he's still not in the clear. He's a twin, but his brother died due to birthing complications. His mother doesn't seem to be completely stable and April's worried about how she's caring for him, so she's requiring her to bring him to the clinic every day so they can help feed him and check up on him. He's only 3 pds, and they've had no luck getting him over that weight. I believe April told me he's about two months old, but I could be wrong on that. I'll try to double check. Anyway, the clinic isn't open on Fridays so April had the mother come to the compound today and I was in charge of feeding him. He was a hungry little bugger, so it didn't take me long to get him to eat the alotted amount. After I fed him, he was fast asleep and there was no waking him back up. If you think about it, remember to pray for this little guy, he's going to need all the help he can get.

Well, I'm going to call it a night. Take care, and leave me comments!