HELP

We are finding a great need for sturdy trucks for our little children and the boys at the orphanage. We need puzzles, blocks, legos, dolls…toys that young children like to play with. Toys can be obtained at garage sales, resale shops and from children and grandchildren. Please do not send McDonalds toys. We need sturdy trucks, cars, pull toys, peg board toys, puzzles. You may send them to the following address.

Gary Walker #15298 PAP 100 Airport Ave. Venice, FL 34285

If you can, send 3.00 per pound to the ministry to cover the charges we receive from our air carrier and from customs. It would help our general fund a great deal. Thank you for responding to this very urgent need.

 

YIKES!

As you know we moved the little ones out of the building we use for school to a new building. It's great but we are having a hard time getting organized so that we are flowing. It is still crazy! First of all we don't have the right chairs and are using adult chairs which is taking up more room than necessary and creating a lot of distraction. Secondly, the set up isn't right yet. Thirdly, I can't be there all the time and have to keep running back and forth between both buildings and the house, getting supplies, etc.

And then there is the pressure one puts on oneself. Am I such a controller that this happens or is it a desire to see things run smoothly as I know they can. I'm talking about naptime. The little children need to take a nap. Experience has been that unless I do it and set the example, it won't get done. So, example time has started. On Tuesday, I set the beds down (we have five, we need six more, anyone want to buy them?) told the staff that as soon as the little ones finished eating, they were to come and lay down. Some did and some wouldn't, so there I was, patting, holding, frowning, etc., until the criers succumbed to sleep. On Wednesday, the child that went right to sleep the first day, was having no part of it. He screamed, fought, and struggled against me for more than twenty minutes. I don't think he ever had to do anything one time in his short life. I won but was exhausted when I got home at the end of the school day. By next week, nap time will be routine. My staff think I'm strange but that part of me that says we will do what I know is right to do will not allow me to give into the lackadaisical approach to life. The thinking here is that little children cannot be taught but must be allowed to do what they want to do, then when they are six or seven, they are beaten for disobedience. How can we change that thinking?

We had a new little girl yesterday that cried and threw up and cried and cried. Now, I had compassion on her because she was totally petrified at having had to leave her mother. She's two, soon to be three. Another little girl pooped on the ground instead of the toilet. (Common because that's what they've always done and have to be taught to go on the toilet).

In spite of it all, we got through the day. The little ones got up from their nap happy as could be and now we get to do it all over again today.

I don't know if blogger got the picture deal fixed so I can place them on the blog or not, typing this in Word and can't apply pictures here. So, if I can get them on, I will and if I can't click the icon that says Facebook and you'll see all our pictures.

I got up early, have spent time with the Lord and ready to go again today. In my attempt to tell you about the day, I hope I've not made you think I'm complaining. There is no where else I'd rather be than here doing what we are doing.

Blessings!

Carolyn

THE WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE HOT AND DRY

This has been an interesting "rainy" season. It's not raining. The mountains are getting rain but not the valley. St Marc had a flood downtown the other night, no rain fell. The water from rain on the mountain, rushed down overflowing the river and main street, Grande Rue, was under water again. We heard thunder and saw lightening last night, all ran to the porch as God turned on the air conditioning, but no rain and soon our cool air died down to become a very hot night. This morning I went out to the porch in the dark, and nearly sat on Nancy, who had chosen to sleep there rather than in her room.

I'm reading a book by Mrs. C. Nuzum, The Life of Faith. She was a missionary to Mexico and the reason I bought the little book (from Billie Brim Ministries). I thought I would read about a woman's exploits in Mexico, but she doesn't really share that. This book is about faith and how to acquire it. One of her questions: Are you redeemed? Well, yes, of course. Then she asks about the curse, and her question becomes, do you have a problem with sickness, poverty, sin, etc? If so you are living under the curse. Pretty interesting and very soul searching as she carries you through all those scriptures which declare wholeness if we but walk in them. And of course, how easily we slip into those things such as murmuring, backbiting, complaining……..all of which keep us from walking in full redemption! God help us to see where we are, cry out for where we want to be. Forgive us and fix us Oh God!

We looked at a mini bus yesterday. It is a 1994, Ford, runs well, would be a great addition as we struggle getting kids home from school and getting teams from the airport. They are asking $6000, which is negotiable. Gary is going to get someone to look at it underneath. It has 170,000 miles on it, came from FL. Perhaps the Lord will provide the funds if it is truly the vehicle we should buy. More on that later as things develop. And, please pray with us about this.

Looking to have a wonderful Monday. All the kids will have books, and we should be in full swing, since our curriculum came. What an answer to prayer!!! We all agreed the curriculum would be there on Saturday and released from customs. When Gary got to Port, the mail people called him and said his stuff was being released from customs and how would he like to go to the airport and pick it up from there (which helped the Agape people to not have to lug it all the way up Delmas to our little post office). He ended up having to wait 2 and a half hours, but he got it all. The company made a very minor mistake and it won't affect our getting into full swing today.

May we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understand, in all our ways, may we acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths today. A righteous man's steps are ordered by the Lord. Isn't that comforting. Every step I take, every move I make is ordered by HIM. Certainly leaves no room for anxiety does it? If I follow those thoughts on anxiety I would fill the page with the Word that tells us to stay away. Right now I don't have that time, but if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about being anxious, look up peace and read what the Lord has to say. And walk this day without a care because He is truly in charge of our lives!

Blessings!

Carolyn

Quiet Sunday Morning

I got up at 4:30 to sit on the porch where it's cool and I can watch daybreak. Isn't God amazing to continue to allow day and night, seedtime and harvest, winter and summer? His plans are mind boggling especially considering Genesis and the beginning. So, here we have the beginning of a new day, one set aside for Him, the Sabbath. I wish we could use today as a day of rest and I hope the Lord will forgive us for working.

Yesterday, Gary went to Port and our curriculum was released from customs so we will be organizing it today (a team effort) so that Monday won't be a zoo when the kids arrive. Nancy Hibbard was also with Gary when he came back from Port. We spent the evening reacquainting ourselves as well as introducing Nancy to Carol. The morning allows me a chance to reflect and to look forward. Reflect on the fellowship and the work Carol and I did yesterday in the office here at the house. Why is it we need two offices? One at school and one here. Why is it we need all these storage rooms? Which will be the other job we do today (organize the storage room here). Either we have too much stuff or rooms are too small. Hummm….I'll have to meditate on that and see which is true. We should be able to move the kindergarten kids on Monday because the house will be ready. I will try to post some of those pictures.

Carol and I walked at 6:30 yesterday morning. We are getting quite good ascending the mountain, but it's almost harder to come down. Rocks roll under our feet and falling is easy. Ask Carol. I've learned how to grip the ground so to speak, but I've had my share of falls. Sort of like being on roller skates, your feet are out from under you before thinking about it.

We had a wonderful chapel time on Friday. My theme this year is: Rules for Living a Good Life. I had the older children, Carol taught the elementary group about David and Goliath and not without a lot of demonstration. I can't teach and take pictures so missed the fun.

I will try to post some pictures if the internet will cooperate. Have a wonderful Sunday. Remember this is the Sabbath and it is HOLY. God is a glorious, wonderful Father and my heart is filled with thanksgiving toward Him. Day has broken, the Caribbean is still in place. I always think of a hymn I learned years ago, When morning guilds the skies, my heart awakening cries, may Jesus Christ be praised!

Carolyn

INTERESTING EVENING

I don't know about you, but I find living in a foreign country most interesting. Sometimes I imagine myself in a movie which may seem silly, but don't you often picture yourself in the movie you are watching if it's portraying mystery especially in a country unfamiliar to you. The market place, the narrow streets, masses of people, different types of transportation, etc. all become very exciting in different scenes and when you experience it all first hand, you tend to feel that it's not really happening although you know it is. (I wish I had pictures to explain all this, hopefully, my words will paint a picture). I'm in a hurry, not going to check this for typo's or grammer………..

Did you ever wonder what people (missionaries particularly) do when they need some medical help in a country where there is very little. With all the discussions, arguments and protests over the medical care in the US, what would people do if it was like the medical care in Haiti. Well, let me give you a peek into what happens here. Our friend Barbara Macleod, has been suffering with intense itching and skin eruptions on her chest for over a week and a half. We all know that we tolerate such discomforts for a couple of days, but when it goes on and on, we reach a point where we say "I've had enough, I need help." Some of us find faith at that point and are healed, others of us find we must see a Dr. Here is a chronicle of the events the last two days.

On Wednesday night we took Barb some things we thought would bring her relief. It didn't. Last night, she called to ask if we knew of any Doctor (imagine having that problem in the States). I immediately thought of our American friend who has a family here who always becomes friends with the Cuban Dr's. (Cuban Doctors come here on a rotation basis so they aren't always the same ones and I knew there were new ones in town. This all occurred at about 7PM. John answered my call, said he'd get back with us in an hour and take us to the Cuban doctors' house. Barbara lives five miles away so I called her and asked if she'd mind getting a taxi (motor cycle) up to our place. It was already dark and riding a taxi at that time of day would not be fun, but she was desperate. After she got here, John called to say he'd pick us up and when he did, he wound his way around to the Cuban residence. Because they know he and his wife, they opened the gate. After introductions, we were invited inside.

The house is large and rented from a business man in town. I don't know how many on the medical team from Cuba but there were many different faces coming and going as we sat in front of the TV that had a Cuban station on. On the wall was a black iron replica of Castro, with beard and hat alongside the Cuban flag. Now I find that interesting because here we Americans sat in Haiti, in a communist home waiting to see the Dr. He came in, quite young (everyone is young to me these days) and quite friendly, speaking Creole with a Spanish accent. He looked at Barb, deduced that she had a very bad case of scabies which had been inflamed from scratching and using all the wrong medicines. He gave her a prescription of several meds and after some talking, we said goodnight. Now we had to find the meds.

We went to St Nicholas hospital first (which has been taken over by Dr Farmer ) and the pharmacy was still open. We walked up to the freestanding, small one room building, and shoved the prescription through the window. They had one of the meds on the list, but we needed our own bottle. Claudette, John's wife disappeared and came back shaking water out of a juice bottle. She bought the juice, let someone drink it and found water to rinse it out in. They promptly filled the bottle with the liquid medicine that is to kill scabies after the inflammation in the skin goes done. Barb and I stood there looking around. While we waited for them to fill the bottle, a friend of Claudette's came by and Claudette disappeared with her friend for a while. There was a group standing outside the emergency room (another freestanding building) and we found out later that a taxi had wrecked with a pregnant woman on it and she was being worked on in the emergency room, for all to see. The large glass doors allows you to see in quite easily and of course, the conversation of the onlookers was that of disdain for taxi drivers and their dangerous driving.

Once we had the medicine in our juice bottle, we worked our way through the crowd to get back to the truck. There was a complete blackout last night downtown, (the hospital had a generator)so the streets were pitch. When we got to what John thought was a pharmacy, dimly lit by a kerosene lamp, we went in and found two more medicines………tiny dimly lit store but voila! He had the right stuff and the price wasn't sky high. Now we were on our way home to our house, so Gary and I could transport Barb back to her house. My movie experience ended with a cold shower and a jump in bed. It was nearly 10PM, way past my bedtime! One added thought/question, why do people complain about sitting in an emergency room for over an hour in the United States?

What A Day!

We went to school to register kids and register we did. 26 all together. New kids and mostly little ones. I've mentioned Carol Horrigan, I think. She's here to help until December, with her grandson (adopted son) Spencer, age 14. Yesterday, Carol decided that things needed to be more clean (and they did) so she organized a crew and before it was over, they had the school shinning. A few pictures tell the story. Children don't start school until tomorrow, so we have another day to organize and fix things up. Structural things need done to handle the increase.
Is not God the God of increase? We are seeing things explode here and wondering how to keep up. Please remember to pray for us, because without it, we are sunk! In a hurry, more later, want to get the pictures up.

We’ve Arrived!

Back in Haiti and back to work. I guess most people are saying the same now that schools have started. Ours starts Monday.

We had a good flight in and an easy trip to St Marc, now that most of the highway is a highway. It's nice to see Haiti getting something done that is progressive! The Dominicans landed the contract and are doing a fine job. Without a rainy, rainy season, they've been able to continue working which makes it very nice for all the returning missionaries.

We had a staff meeting today, and it was good to see all our people with whom we work. They are all a bit skinny after our three month absence. Not that they didn't get paid through the summer but the lack of planning how to spend the money causes a shortage in food. Also, the lack of refrigeration and storage capability, the money gets spent and then there is no food money. If you lived in one or two rooms, and a kitchen outside, where would you store food? How can you keep a weeks or months supply? It is next to impossible. So, thin they are and eat they did. We had Rose cook a grand meal and after the meeting, as Richard sat down to his plate, he just kept saying "ummm.' They are truly happy to be back to work and to have those good meals four times a week.

Carol Horrigan and her son Spencer are here with us. It's wonderful having them and we look forward to a great time in ministry and teaching together. Spencer is a Freshman in high school, so he will be integrating El Shaddai. I tried explaining that to Petty Tom today, he didn't quite get it. One of our teachers, Pastor Samuel, will leave us to work for another mission. We knew this day was coming when we hired him. It makes room for another person to have a job and the work he is doing with Dr. Kim in getting a clinic built (along with a church) is a great work.

Dan Joshu is joining us in October and Nancy Hibbard will be here for two months on the 17^th. We will have quite a house full.

We have 28 new students registered, and I'm not sure we are finished yet. You can pray for us as to finding room for all of them. It would be so wonderful if we could build on the land the Lord graciously gave us about four years ago. But, until such time, we will make do with what we have and thank God for it. We did rent another building at the end of the school year, which will come in quite handy as we try placing students.

I forgot my camera today and regret it. But the next time I blog, there will be pictures.

May I say that we froze all summer and now we are melting, almost literally. The humidity is high, the sun is hot and there is no rain anywhere. I have been up since 2AM because sleeping is a chore not a pleasure. Yet, in spite of it all we are truly happy to be back at our Haiti home……….home is what it is!

God Bless you all.