Reflections

The above photo was taken on a clear evening from a look-out near our home in Bonne Fin.  From this spot, we have a direct view of the ocean that is about 10 miles away as the crow flies.  Like most mountainous places, even though the ocean is only a few miles away, it takes an hour to drive to it.  From this vantage point, we can reflect and meditate on the beauty of God's creation and it is a favorite spot.


With the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to reflect a bit on the past year and how God has answered prayer and blessed our mission.  

In a post from from early last year, I related some concerns with the hospital staff being discontent as well as issues with some community members demanding electricity that the Hospital did not have to give them.  We asked for your prayers and for God's guidance in both situations.  In reflection, we can see how God worked in the hearts and minds of the staff, the Haitian community and the missionaries that serve here.  I think that I have related in several subsequent posts that the general atmosphere in the hospital is more positive and the staff is working together to make HL a better place.  As well, a plan has been developed to provide the community around the hospital with a generator that they will run and maintain to supply their own electricity.  Hopefully, the community will be able to work together and have a reliable source of power.  

In March, I wrote about the two ladies that work in our home and the serious illnesses that each were facing.  With prayer and the care provided at Hospital Lumiere, both Elina and Suzette are enjoying good health again.  

Many people have been praying for Jocelyn, the little boy who was brought to the hospital on the verge of death and abandoned by his family.   Even with a congenital heart defect, HIV and tuberculosis, he was able to gain strength.  Unfortunately, he is still at the hospital as an appropriate place for him to live has not been found.  The orphanages that have been contacted will not take him because of his multiple health problems.  The outlook for this little guy has looked bleak, but some recent developments have given a glimmer of hope.  

In December, a group of deacons and pastors wives from a few MEBSH churches was in the area on a mission trip.  They led the church service one Sunday in the Bonne Fin church and served the community all week with special services, preparing food for hospital patients and evangelizing. Before their trip to this area, one of the ladies had a dream that they would meet a child at the hospital in need of great assistance.  When she met Jocelyn, she knew this was the child that the Lord revealed to her.  She and the other ladies made a commitment to find him a home.  Please continue to pray for Jocelyn and for this group of ladies in their search for a home for him.  

Jocelyn asleep on a bench at the Hospital and Selah "helping" him open the Christmas gift that we took to him.

I have also asked for prayers for Yrytche, the young woman who appeared to have an evil spirit indwelling her and was having "fits" in church.  She has continued to come and read the Bible with me every week.  The "fits" have stopped and she is attending another church where she seems to be fed.  There are still many challenges with this girl, but she seems to be doing better and to have found some peace in her life. 

Prayers were requested for the Hartzler family as they left the mission field and returned to their home in Sardis, Ohio.  The kids and I had a Facetime call with them last week and they seem to be doing very well.  There are many adjustments, but Jami expressed that God has been faithful and they are thriving in their home environment again.  

Thank you!

Finally, a note of thanks for the many prayers for our family and the mission we serve at Hopital Lumiere.  We are seeing the fruits of the many prayers!!  In addition, we appreciate the emails, phone calls, cards and packages that are sent to us. Communication with family and friends at home is vital to our emotional and physical health in the field.    Our internet connection has improved significantly and Facetime calls as well as calls to our VoIP line are working well.  A phone call to us is as easy as calling our home number in Sabetha - it is set-up to ring in our home in Haiti via the internet.   If you are unsure of how to contact us or how to send mail, click on the Contact Information tab at the top of the page.  

Looking Ahead

At a recent meeting with the missionaries, we discussed how busy the next few weeks will be with several teams scheduled, the installation of the solar system and some medical professionals coming to serve on a short term basis.  We are thankful to have Rebecca Koch from Tremont, IL with us for about 5 weeks.  She is a sonography tech and will be working with and training some of the staff to more effectively use our sonography equipment.  Dr. Patricia Banwart from West Bend, IA will be joining us in February and plans to be here for about 3 months.  Dr. Banwart hopes to work with surgical nursing staff and establish some consistent procedures and teach them some new skills.  While this will be her focus, we know that all departments will benefit from her time with us.  
Moira Kellenberger, also from West Bend, IA will be here for a few weeks in February and will help with miscellaneous tasks around the hospital and campus.   

HarvestCall

Our mission organization has a new name:  Apostolic Christian HarvestCall.  Apostolic Christian World Relief and Apostolic Christian Mission Committee have been joined into a new integrated organization.  To learn more about HarvestCall, click on the video link or the website link below.  

http://www.harvestcall.org/landing   Video introducing HarvestCall

http://www.harvestcall.org/  Website for HarvestCall

Prayer Requests

We ask you to continue to pray for medical professionals to be led to fill long-term missionary positions.  HL is still in need of an RN to fill the position of Patient Care Manager and the search continues for a doctor to fill the Medical Director position.  If you or someone you know has an interest in these positions, you can get more information on the HarvestCall website and/or by contacting Bob Beebe.  

We ask you to pray for five burn victims that recently came to the hospital for care.   These five men have an interesting story.

On Christmas Day, Elina, who cleans in our home, went to nearby community to share the gospel.  She visited a home and wanted to share the gospel and talk with several men about Jesus.  They did not accept her and would not listen to the gospel message. A few days after her attempted visit, these men were burned in an explosion.  We are not sure how the explosion occurred, but the local people tell us they were practicing Voo Doo and there was an explosion.  Five men were brought to Hopital Lumiere for treatment.  Since they were admitted, Elina has gone and prayed with them and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The hospital chaplains have also been sharing the word of God with them.  I don't know that any of them have accepted Christ, but the message is being shared.  Please pray that these men will experience physical and spiritual healing.  

Spelunking

I will close this post with a few pictures from a recent visit to a cave in the area.  

The opening of the cave

Two explorers - this part of the cave was mostly dark and is being lit by flashlights

The main cavern in the cave has an opening in the top that is probably the inlet for water that formed the cave.  It was a cool illusion to see the sunlight streaming into the darkness.

Found this spider in one of the dark spots.  

To give perspective, he is about the size of my hand.

This is a picture of the ceiling in one part of the cave.  The round holes were quite deep and the homes of many, many bats

Woodley (on the left) was our guide to the cave and Son Son (on the right) is a member of the family that owns the land where the cave is located.  Son Son took us through the cave, pointed out some interesting parts and instructed me to take pictures on this ledge.  For those that know Jimmy who works in PT at the hospital, Woodley is his younger brother.

The kids and Woodley

Whirlwinds

whirlwind |ˈ(h)wərlˌwind|

noun

• a column of air moving rapidly around and around in a cylindrical or funnel shape.
• used in similes and metaphors to describe a very energetic or tumultuous person or process: a whirlwind of activity.
•  something that involves many quickly changing events, feelings, etc.

During the holiday season, we often hear people say that they are so busy that they feel like they are in a whirlwind.  Similarly, when I think about the past two months, the first word that came to mind was WHIRLWIND.  

As a young girl living in central and southern Kansas, I had many occasions to see the wind pick up a bit of dust and whirl it around in a small whirlwind.  I saw some huge whirlwinds in the form of tornadoes as well.  Contemplating the last few weeks made me consider and look up the literal meaning of whirlwind and think about whether using WHIRLWINDS as the title of this post would be appropriate.  In light of the definition of a whirlwind that is used to open this post, I believe it is an accurate description.  Enjoy the pictures and descriptions as we circle back into the whirlwind of the last few weeks.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

The Bonne Fin Geckoes (Missionary School Kids) were very busy during the month of October preparing to present a full-length musical.  They presented two performances, one in Bonne Fin on October 30th and one in Cayes on October 31st.  They did a great job and enjoyed the experience immensely.   The cast:

Charlie Brown:      Toby Plattner
Lucy:                    Mara Aberle
Linus:                   Chloe Klopfenstein
Sally:                    Brenna Plattner
Schroeder:            Hadley Plattner
Snoopy:                Krae Aberle
Lights & Sound:    Jared Klopfenstein, Reggie Plattner, Lee Klopfenstein
Stage Crew:         Leah Bertschi, Kirk Huber
Set Design:          Bekah (Klopfenstein) Witzig
Director:             Desma Klopfenstein

  

Mara as Lucy

Krae as Snoopy fighting off The Red Baron!

 

 

Lucy & Schroeder  (Mara & Hadley)

Quick Trip to the USA!

We had a few days to recover from the excitement of the musical and then we packed up and headed to the USA.  Typically, Rick travels to the USA alone in November for the annual Hospital Lumiere Benefit Auction and an HLGB meeting.  He is usually gone for about a week.  This year, however, he was planning to travel a week earlier to participate in the ACWR Information Meeting that was being planned for the weekend before the auction.  Since he would be gone for almost two weeks, we decided to make the trip with him.  Thanks to a generous donation covering the airline tickets for the kids and myself, we could go with him without having to dip into savings. We continue to be amazed at how God works in the hearts of His believers to provide for our family!!

We arrived in Sabetha, KS about 1:30 AM on November 6th.  The kids stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Aberle for the weekend while Rick and I traveled out to West Layfayette, IN.  It was a long haul for a weekend trip, but we enjoyed being a part of the weekend, sharing information about Hospital Lumiere and learning more about other mission initiatives.  We stayed with a newlywed couple (Troy & Alexa Fiechter) and realized just how old we are getting!  

Monday November 9th was LaVonne's (Rick's mom) 70th birthday and we had a dinner with some family in Topeka to celebrate.  Selah and her 1st cousin once removed, Kiah, enjoyed seeing one another.  Kiah is the first great grandchild and the daughter of our niece Maria and her husband Aaron Luthi.  Here are a few pics from the birthday celebration.  

Kiah & Selah

 

LaVonne being "honored" by sitting on a saddle for her 70th Birthday!

We had a couple of days in Kansas to shop and pack a few items to send to Haiti on a container.  We also used this time to pack a our big suitcases with food and supplies to take to Haiti.  After doing some pre-planning for our return trip to Haiti, we headed out to central Illinois.

While Rick was busy with meetings related to the hospital, the kids and I went to the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal.  It was a bit elementary for Mara, but Krae and Selah thought it was great.  Here are some fun pics.

 

Dr. Selah treating some patients

Putting a Pizza in a Brick Oven.

 

Climbing in the Exploration Nets

 

 Onstage!

A special benefit for our family of this trip was being able to attend the Hospital Lumiere Benefit Auction.  It was a special evening and we were thankful to be there and to see the outpouring of love and support for the mission we serve. 

 

The meal was enjoyed by many and provided some wonderful fellowship!

               

            Shopping the silent auction items                     The live auction begins

I don't think it's possible to capture the amount of people in this room nor the energy of the group, but this is my attempt in a picture.

Sam and Lydia (brother and sister to Leah Bertschi) set-up a computer to Facetime with the missionaries in Bonne Fin.  They were able to observe the entire auction.

This doll house was made by the Bonne Fin Geckoes and was sold at the auction.

These three guys showed up at the auction in almost identical outfits without any 

pre-planning on their part. For those that don't know them, Roger Aberle is in the center with his son, Scott, on the left and his other son, Rick, on the right.

BCFs Best Cousins Forever!

On Saturday, after the auction, we were able to attend an early Thanksgiving Dinner with some of our extended Aberle family.  Rick's cousin, Deb DesCarpentrie and her husband Grant, hosted the group in their home in Bloomington.  The meal was fabulous and we enjoyed seeing some family that we haven't seen for several years.

Father & Son (Steve & Nicholas Fouche) in a Ping Pong Battle

                                Deb & Abe                                John & Scott

The Food!!

On Sunday, we traveled back to Sabetha, did some laundry, repacked again and started the return trip to Haiti on Monday.   We returned to our home in Haiti feeling like we made the trip to the USA and back to Haiti within a whirlwind!  At the same time, we were so thankful to have made the trip and be a part of many activities.  

ACWR Missionary Support Weekend

We traveled back to Haiti with several members of the ACWR Caribbean Committee. In November, many of them travel to Haiti for a special retreat weekend with the missionaries.  This year we spent 2 nights and about 2 days at Coby Beach Resort near Cotes-de-Fer.  It was a nice weekend with some time to relax, some time for fellowship and some time for a spiritual study on healthy self-care and healthy relationships while serving in the mission field.  In addition to several members of the Caribbean Committee, Arlan Miller (ACCFS) came to present the topics to the adults, Amber Miller (ACCFS) presented to the teens and two single sisters, Lindsay Ploussard & Whitney Stickling, did VBS type activities with the children.  Also, Loretta Zimmerman provided childcare for the toddlers during the sessions.   The resort had clean rooms, a large pool and a nice beach. The pool was the high-light for the kids!

Our sessions were held in an open air pavilion beside the ocean. 

Kid's Activities

Krae relaxing after lunch one day

The kids spent most of the time in the pool.  

A Photo of the ACWR Missionaries serving in Haiti

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful day of Thanksgiving with our extended missionary family.  This is the third year we were part of this large gathering and I know that it is something we will miss someday after we return to USA.  We truly appreciate the love and support that this group has for one another, even though we work for different missions and come from different denominations.  There is a bond of Christian love regardless of our differences - something for which to be THANKFUL!

Hike to a 50 foot Waterfall

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Mara, Krae and I joined a group of missionaries for a hike up La Ravine (a river) to a 50 foot waterfall.  

It was a beautiful day, perfect for a hike.  Now, we called it hike, but it was on the banks of a river in Haiti.  This means were we climbing over large rocks and we crossed the river multiple (more than 20) times.  The area received some rain the day before so the current was strong and at times the river was up to my hips when crossing it.  At times, it seemed like more of a scramble over the rocks than a hike, but it was a great time.  

The waterfall was about 4 miles up the river from where we parked our vehicles so we started in the morning and reached the falls before noon.  

After enjoying the beauty of the waterfall, we hike upstream a bit more and had a picnic lunch in the area pictured below.  It had some deeper areas that were fun for swimming and some rocks for laying in the sun and relaxing.  

After our lunch and some time relaxing, it was time for the 4 mile return down the river to our vehicles.  It was easier going back with the current, but after an 8 mile rock scrambling, river crossing hike, this old lady was bone tired.  My muscles were sore for a couple of days, but it was a great experience for the kids and worth the effort.  I don't know that I would go again, but I think Mara and Krae would like it.  I was amazed by some Haitian women that were walking in and along the river with buckets and kivets (large bowls) on their heads.  It was challenging for me with just a small backpack, but these ladies were balancing things on their heads - Amazing!!

December

Thankfully, the events of life did slow down a bit for us in December.  Even with two teams here in December, our pace was not as frenetic as the past few weeks.  In addition, I have found I really enjoy being in Haiti in December.  It seems it is easier to focus on the birth of Christ without all the commercialization of Christmas that occurs in the states. We went Christmas Caroling twice; once at Hospital Lumiere here in Bonne Fin and then another time at Azile Dorcus (home for the aged) and the Citi Lumiere Clinic in Cayes. We had a small Christmas program with the missionary families in Bonne Fin.  Each family prepared a skit or song to present at the program.  So, we participated in some of the fun activities that we miss from home, but didn't quite have the high-level of hustle and bustle of the Christmas season in the USA.  

Our family celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Eve.  We had a special dinner together with our favorite appetizers and a small sugared glass of Grandma Farney's cranberry appetizer drink.  After our dinner, we opened a few gifts.  Here is a picture of the kids waiting for the gift-opening to start.

 It's the simple things that mean the most!

A "surprise" gift for Mom!

Mara and a new book!

Krae and a new Lego project!

A new ball glove for Dad!  

We spent Christmas Day with our missionary family here in Bonne Fin.  The Klopfenstein family hosted Christmas Dinner at their home.  

 

The day after Christmas, the Wray family invited all the missionaries in the Cayes area to Camp Manahaim for the day.  For those who haven't read a previous post about the camp, it is a summer camp for children from MEBSH churches.  They learn Bible lessons at the Camp and it has a plethora of activities including a beautiful gymnasium for volleyball, soccer fields, basketball courts, water slides, kayaks, bicycles, and lots more.  

 

VIC

Several of the missionary ladies have been singing with a ladies group at the Bonne Fin MEBSH church.  This is the Haitian church that we attend on Sunday mornings.  The name of the group is VIC, which stands for Vle Imite Christ.  When translated, the name is I want to imitate Christ.  Being part of this group has been a wonderful way to build relationships with some of the local ladies.  Most of them work at the hospital as well. Learning the songs can be challenging since they don't use any sheet music.  They will write down the words for us, but we just have to learn the melody by listening.  

VIC hosted a concert on December 27th.  The group sang 8 songs and three other local groups performed as well.  Here is a picture of the group members that were present for the concert.

Whew!  Are you ready to get off this whirlwind yet?  With all the activities from the whirlwind laid out in this post, it has gotten quite long.  Thanks for sticking with us - not only by reading our blog, but with your love, support and prayers.   I have some reflections about the past year and some plans to share about the coming year, but I will save that info for another post.  God Bless You in the coming year!!