We've had some exciting happenings the last few weeks and I will share a few of them.
On March 14th, the children of the Bonne Fin Missionary School gave presentations on different countries around the world. Each child selected a country from different continents and gave a presentation appropriate to their grade level in school. The presentations included a written report, a display with a common food from their country, and an oral presentation. Here are pictures of the displays that Mara and Krae put together.
Mara selected Cambodia from the continent of Asia. Of course, my dad was Cambodian so it was fun for Mara to learn more about the country where her Papa was born. I was a little sad that all of the books and artifacts I have on Cambodia are packed away in storage in the US, but we found some great pictures and made some tasty Spring Rolls.
Krae chose Egypt from the African continent for his country. He was very into this project and insisted on putting the display together himself. He did a great job! He also made a Pyramid and a Sphinx from Legos. They are hard to see in this picture, but are sitting in the bottom corners of his display box. We made pita bread and hummus for the native food and he added tasting the food to his oral presentation. He really hammed it up! I wish I could add video to this blog, but I have not been able to do so with our slow internet speeds. Both kids did a great job with their oral presentations.
Unfortunately, Rick was gone and missed the presentation night. He traveled back to the US that week for an HL Board Meeting. We miss him when he is gone for these trips, but it is always fun to have him come back with things, treats and a cooler of good meat from home. After we emptied Rick's big suitcase of all the goodies, Selah thought it was the perfect bed for herself and her baby doll. She pretended to take a nap in it!
Also, in mid-March, we celebrated David Zimmerman's birthday. David and Janella and their son Orrin joined out team at HL in January. David is serving as a Facilities Intern for about one year. We had a little party for David at their home - formerly known as the Couple's Cottage. That evening, several Haitian children joined the missionary kids as they were playing outside. Here are some fun pictures:
Also, in mid-March, we celebrated David Zimmerman's birthday. David and Janella and their son Orrin joined out team at HL in January. David is serving as a Facilities Intern for about one year. We had a little party for David at their home - formerly known as the Couple's Cottage. That evening, several Haitian children joined the missionary kids as they were playing outside. Here are some fun pictures:
Krae is playing soccer with some of the little boys and the children on the hill are rolling down. They all had so much fun!
The end of March and beginning of April brought a couple of medical teams to HL. We were blessed to host two doctors that lived in Bonne Fin and worked at HL in the 1980s and 1990s when World Team had management of the hospital. It was so interesting to hear their stories, memories and to gain some thoughtful insight from their suggestions and recommendations for the hospital. Also, Daryl and Norma Luginbuhl's son, Adam was part of one of the teams. He is a young surgeon specializing in Ear, Nose & Throat operations. With several surgeons here, the hospital was able to offer surgeries to many patients (at least 15 that I know of) while other members of the medical teams performed Cervical Cancer Screenings in remote clinics and at the HL clinic.
The remote clinics have been well attended and offer a very valuable service to Haitian women. They are typically done in a Community Health building in a nearby village or community. While it can be challenging to haul equipment and work in environments that are not especially sanitary, the medical teams that have performed these clinics have done a tremendous job. We are very thankful for their efforts!! We are also thankful for the work and planning done by Eric Hartzler and Dr. Lee to set-up the clinics prior to the arrival of a team. So far, in 2014, around 1000 Haitain women have received a Cervical Cancer Screening by the efforts of our medical teams.
I helped take lunch out to one of the teams at a remote clinic in Marc, which is about 5 miles and a 20 minute gator ride from HL. Here are a few pictures:
One of two "makeshift" exam rooms at the Community Health Building at Marc
Some ladies waiting for exams with our translator Frantzou (standing)
The front of the Community Health Building at Marc
To show some other progress at the hospital, I will post some pictures of the pediatric ward. A construction team that came in February did painting and electrical work in the peds ward. The work was quite tedious as they were preserving and restoring the murals that were painted back in 1986.
In addition, a new mural was added. The drawing was done by Kristi Furrer and the painting was done by Mary Gasser and Judy Reimschisel.
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| The translation of the writing is: Jesus loves all the children in the world. |
Yesterday, Rick's brother Scott arrived with his family and a construction team that will be working on renovations to the Chapel area of the hospital. This is a very large area and will be converted into two areas. A Chapel will still be part of this area and a reception and admin area will be added. With the new area, patients will have easier access to admittance and the cashiers for the hospital. This will be the first phase of streamlining patient care within and between the clinic and hospital. The team will be doing electrical work and painting.
We are very excited to have Scott and Dorine's family here. Our kids are enjoying some wonderful cousin time. We are especially thankful to have some extra kids here since the Hartzler family is on furlough this month.
Today we had a neat experience at a local church. Normally, we attend the MEBSH church in Bonne Fin; however, thi week was the annual MEBSH convention and the pastor and many of the members of the church attended the convention in Cayes.
Because of this, we did not have services in the Bonne Fin church today. This gave us the opportunity to visit another nearby church.
We went to a small church about two miles from Bonne Fin that several of the hospital employees attend. The structure has been built within the last two years and is a classic Haitian church with block walls, a tin roof and a dirt floor. They did not have enough benches for the missionaries and the team, so we took our own chairs with us.
During the time that visitors are introduced, the pastor introduced a man that had been brought in by his daughter. He was an older, blind man and the pastor explained that he was a new convert. His daughter also stood and expressed heartfelt thanks that her father had turned his life to Jesus. She mentioned that he had been involved with
Voodoo for many years and she was overjoyed that he had chosen to become a Christian. At the end of the service, the pastor asked for the man to be brought forward and about 5 of the male church members stood around him in a circle and prayed for him. It was done in a typical Haitian way - each man saying his own prayer aloud all at the same time, so it was very different from what we are used to doing and seeing. It was different, but I was very touched by the care and concern for this new convert and was comforted to see the men of the church surround him and cover him with prayer. From what I have seen so far, Voodoo is very real and brings evil spirits to the surface. I am fairly certain that this man will come under attack as many do when they turn away from Satan and follow Jesus. Satan does not give up without a fight, but he does not have the power to overcome. I was so very pleased to see the people of this church surrounding this man with prayer and the Holy Spirit!
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
