Wake Up Call

A few minutes before 5 AM this past Thursday, we were awakened by the sound of a falling tree.  Then, we heard metal breaking, a crash on our roof and finally the clank, clank, clank of metal rolling around.  When the sun came up, we were greeted with the sight of the above picture.  Notice the metal power pole that is bending over.  

The tree was a old, large and termite infested.  It fell on the power lines as well as our internet line.  The force was strong enough to also break the power pole that was mounted on our roof.  Here is a picture of it.

Linonce and his crew came up in the morning. They worked hard with three men chopping the tree with hand tools (axes and machetes), five men repairing the poles and the electrical line and one man restringing the internet line.  By the end of the day, all repairs were complete and we had power and internet again.  

It was quite a wake up call and maybe what I needed to get inspired enough to post on our blog again.  I do realize that it has been a long time since my last post and I apologize for not being a better communicator.  I could go through the list of reasons why I haven't been posting, but I think I will just share the news from the past couple of months instead.  I think about what I want to post all of the time, but I just haven't gotten it done.

Suzy

I will back up and show you some pictures that were taken of Suzy in December.  You may remember her story from an earlier post.   Suzy's mother wanted to put her in an orphanage because she could not walk at age 5.  With the help of Matthew Luginbuhl, she was fitted for leg braces and has been doing physical therapy with a walker.  I snapped the first picture one day during one of her strolls in the hospital.  The second was taken when a few of the MK girls gave her a blanket that they had tied with Norma Luginbuhl.  

Christmas

Also in December, the Bonne Fin Geckoes presented a Christmas program that featured the history and singing of some of our favorite Christmas Hymns.  In the pictures below, Krae is shown acting the part of a young Isaac Watts.  The skit told of how Isaac Watts was inspired to write "Joy to the World."  Mara is narrating a skit about the story of "O Little Town of Bethlehem."  

      

This year, we celebrated our first Christmas in Haiti.  Most of our Bonne Fin Missionary Family was here with us and we enjoyed singing Christmas Carols and giving out blankets to patients in the hospital on Christmas Eve.   On Christmas Day, we had a dinner at the Klopfenstein home.  One of Desma's many talents is decorating and she had their house very festive for the event.  Here are some pictures:

 

           The Dessert Cupboard                                    Christmas Buffet Table

The MKs decorated their classroom and used it for their dining room on Christmas Day!

It was different to celebrate Christmas in a tropical climate, but we also find that there is less emphasis on events, decorations, gift-giving and the commercialism of Christmas in Haiti.  We were able to spend more time singing Christmas Hymns and remembering Christ's birth. 

Thank you to each one that sent cards, notes, and packages for Christmas.  While we didn't receive most of them until about 2 1/2 weeks after Christmas, it was still a joy to hear from loved ones and our kids had so much fun with the packages.  

As most of you know, the staff compression (lay-offs) was completed in December.  While it was extremely difficult to make decisions on which staff positions to eliminate, the process went fairly smoothly.  The leadership team at the hospital felt the many prayers for Godly guidance and calm hearts during this time.  Thank you for serving with us by praying for the hospital and the staff.  

January

We were just getting back into the routine of school, work, hosting teams and life in Haiti, when it was time for our family to make a quick trip to Kansas for our nephew's wedding.  We were gone for about 10 days, with a week spent in Sabetha, and it was so nice to be at the wedding and see family and friends.  We were thankful for the generosity of people in our home church that made the trip financially possible.  Our family has been involved in much of Marcus' life as he grew from a boy into a man and it was special for us to be there for this milestone in his life.  

A few days after we returned from Kansas, the hospital had a visit from Ayiti Air Anbilans. (Ayiti is the Kreyol word for Haiti & Anbilans is the word for Ambulance.)  This is a newer mission organization in Port-Au-Prince that is providing air transport for medical emergencies.  It is a mission, so they will not refuse service to anyone based on the inability to pay; however, they do ask everyone to pay something.  The director came out with a medical flight crew to meet with the leadership team and do some training with hospital staff so that they are prepared in the event a patient is transported to or from Hopital Lumiere by their helicopter.   The helicopter landed on the soccer field near the campus and drew quite a crowd.  The crew was generous enough to spend a bit of time explaining the aircraft to Haitians through a translator and to the missionaries.  Here are a few pictures:

       

                   Helicopter coming in for Landing       Flight crew preparing to take-off

      

                 Crew explaining the helicopter          Geckoes posing for a picture

Other Fun Things...

With the addition of the Plattner family, evenings of Bluegrass Jam Sessions have become a common occurrence.  We are blessed with several missionaries that play string instruments and many good singers.  Typically, these sessions include guitars, a mandolin or two, a bango, a violin and singing.  

Selah received a pirate dress-up outfit from Aunt Lori for Christmas and she and Krae have lots of fun playing like they are Scurvy Pirates!

This little girl was making the rounds at church one Sunday.  She was interested in Selah's toys and became my friend very quickly.  

This is a picture of the flowers that have been blooming on my galri (front porch).  It is quite fun to have outdoor flowers blooming in January and February.  I didn't expect them to grow quite so tall, but that seems to be how plants grow here.  

 I will close this post with a request for continued prayer for Haiti and the mission work being done here.  We have noticed that in the early part of last year and this year, it seems like Satan's influence is stronger.  We can almost see the roaring lion walking about and seeking whom he may devour.  We are seeing increased discontent in the hospital staff, the community and the country.  It seems like no matter what is done to help the people, it is not enough for them and they demand more without thought to cost or consequence.  A mob mentality quickly develops and assumptions are made without the facts being known.  

This is the time of year that many in this country celebrate Carnival (Mardi Gras).  This is traditionally a Catholic Holiday, but in Haiti, Catholicism has become so interwoven with Voo-Doo that it is celebrated with zeal by those practicing Voo-Doo.   This year Carnival will be celebrated on February 17th.  As this date approaches, the Ra-Ra Bands practice and we hear an increase in drumming and loud revelry.  We have seen an increase in manifestations and demonstrations in Port-Au-Prince.  Some of these have become violent; however, we have not heard of any deaths.  We have also seen increased demands from the community for electricity and discontent from the staff. 

With all of these things happening, I have contemplated the correlation of Carnival and the influence of Satan gaining strength.  Satan does not want the missionaries in Haiti to succeed and make a positive difference in the name of Jesus Christ.  When he can influence more people, I can envision him dancing in the streets with the revelers of Carnival.  

We need your prayers!  Please pray that we can feel the almighty power of God and that He will strengthen and encourage us.  Please pray that hard hearts can be changed and that all honor and glory be given to Jesus.  Please pray for those who are lost or confused in Haiti.  Please pray for God's will to be done at Hopital Lumiere and in Haiti.  

This passage of scripture touched my heart today and is a beautiful example of the prayer we need right now.   

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  

Amen.

I Peter 5:6-11