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Gustav

It's still raining. ALOT! Gustav may have moved on but the aftermath has only just begun.

School has been cancelled for our kids again today. Port au Prince was not hit hard; I hear that it rarely is. BUT, we are hearing of massive flooding in Jacmel, Les Cayes and other outlying areas where they suffered the brunt of the storm.

I have never been in a hurricane before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I've watched the news from Florida and other states and what I experienced was nothing like what I thought I would.. We experienced surges of wind and rain, hitting every hour to hour and half. Between the surges it was eerily calm. Haiti is a country of sounds: people shouting to one another; singing; church bells ringing; tap-taps honking; diesel engines revving; roosters, pigs, donkeys and dogs all fighting to be heard; children playing; constant sound. Yesterday we heard none of that; just the sound of the wind and rain and then… silence.

Of course, we were 50-75 miles from the eye of the storm and so we did not get the worst of it. However, for Haiti it isn't necessary for the eye of the storm to pass over to cause problems, it's the "fringes" that do the most damage... the rain... the wind... the flooding... the cold. In a country that has stripped its mountains of vegetation, that has no sewer system, that does not have any sort of emergency preparation procedures in place, whose rivers are unable to handle the deluge of water, with people who have no access to television or the internet the results can be devastating. Denial is also a huge factor. I read reports of people saying there was no storm coming because it was sunny out! Haitian’s I talked to here seemed to dismiss the possible severity of the storm.

It saddens me to see the devastation that occurs that is so preventable. People have already died and most likely there will be more. People who are starving and need to get food will try to cross rivers that are not passable. Mudslides will occur; the land just can not hold this much water. Levies will break, villages will be swept away. All of which is preventable with time and effort. Unfortunately once the threat has passed, more pressing concerns will get in the way and replanting trees, fortifying the river banks, educating the people etc. will be put off once again. People will die, children will be left as orphans with no where to go since the orphanages are already filled to capacity.

It’s a cycle that has been going on for hundreds of years. I have no solution for the problem. But, I can do something… I can pray!!

I pray that the cycle can be broken; this country has enough heartache as it is.

Huricane Gustav

*****UPDATE #1 BELOW*******

*****UPDATE #2 BELOW****** (3:36 p.m.)


Hurricane Gustav is expected to hit Haiti sometime today. School was cancelled. Jody hasn't heard yet if he is going to work or not.


We do feel safe where we are. The eye of storm is expected to hit southwest of Port au Prince. We live about 10 miles southeast of downtown Port, in Peguyville, near Petionville. It rained off and on all night. The rain is getting heavy as I type. No wind yet but I'm sure we will feel it soon. We are running to the market now to get more food. If we have internet I'll post more later.

We made it to the market, it was not crowded at all. There weren't a lot of people on the streets though.

The winds have started. It blows continually with huge gusts that bend the trees in half. I wish I had my USB cord so I could post pictures. There was actually fog in Haiti today. Very unusual!! It is warmer today in San Francisco then it is here!!

The kids have prepared for the onslaught... they built a fort in the middle of the living room. Blankets, pillows, sheets, a bookshelf, even a mop!!! They are prepared.

We discovered that The Weather Channel (TWC) is only concerned with how this storm will affect Labor Day plans for the US, not when or where it will hit here in Haiti. Very sad!! We are relying on The National Hurricane Center for our updates... or looking out the window whichever is easier. I'm surprised we still have internet access, I'm sure we will lose it soon. I'll post updates as long as I can.

So far lots of rain and some wind. The storm hit just outside Jacmel. We are expected to get more rain over night. We haven't left the house so I have no idea how bad it is in the streets. I just heard from a friend that works by the Embassy and there was some serious flooding there. We have other friends that work closer to downtown PAP, I'll try to get info from them as soon as possible. We are praying for the people of Jacmel and the surrounding area.

A few more prayer requests...

****** NEW UPDATE POSTED BELOW*******

****** Update #2 BELOW*********

We got word that there is as demonstration planned for today at the National Palace. It is a "peaceful" demonstration but history shows that they often turn very violent here in Haiti. UN personnel and PNH are all on high alert. Please, pray for peacefulness to prevail today.

According to the Naitonal Hurricane Center-
"SATELLITE AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE LOW PRESSURE AREA LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN ABOUT 250 MILES SOUTH OF SANTO DOMINGO CONTINUES TO SHOW SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT...AND THE SYSTEM COULD BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AT ANY TIME TODAY OR TONIGHT. WATCHES AND/OR WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF HISPANIOLA LATER TODAY."

It is very calm right now.... almost too calm. Rain today would keep the violence at bay but too much rain will cause problems as well. I'm praying for just enough rain to keep people inside but not enough to cause additional flooding.

update (10:31 a.m.)- Tropical Depression 7-

It looks like we will be getting some serious rain in the next 24 hours. I'm praying the storm decreases in size or stays at the depression level and does not develop into anything more. I'll post more when I get home from work (4:30 p.m.) if we have internet. You can also check http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ for updates.

Update #2- 4:57 p.m.-

Tropical Storm Gustav is headed our way. The rain has already begun. It looks like the eye of the storm will hit southwest of Port au Prince sometime tomorrow. Please, continue to pray for those in the path of this storm. We feel we are safe where we are but most people in Haiti can not say that. Flooding is sure to happen and history shows that many often die in the aftermath of flooding. If we have internet I will continue to post updates if the situation changes.

Prayer requests

I'm going to try a start a weekly prayer request post. I say try because I am horrible at 1) remembering to post regularly and 2) I'm not good about sharing our needs with others.

So here goes...

Pray for wisdom with our finances. 4 of the kids started school last week and it is very expensive. We also need to find the money to have Carsen's car shipped to her ASAP. She has been borrowing a car from the Varner's and they need it back.

Health... I have a nasty head cold with body aches and fever. I feel all around pretty rotten.

Praises... I am now working at the kids school as the afternoon librarian. One of the benefits is a reduction in tuition so that is helping some. Pray that I can learn the job quickly and can be a positive role model to the students who use the library.

Pray for Isaiah's adoption, we are currently in MOI, we are hoping for a fast exit and to get through the US side of things quickly. We are praying that his adoption is done by the first of the year.

Also, for Carsen who left today. She is lonely and misses her family. School is starting soon for her and she is going to need to juggle a full load while working. She needs her car!

For Jody who goes back to work tomorrow. He has been on vacation and there have been several changes while he was gone. Pray that he is not affected by the many transfers that have been happening.

Pray for the kids as they adjust to their new school.

Thanks, friends!! When I am feeling better I'll fill you in with the details of my new job and the kids school, but for now... I'm going to bed.

p.s. Spell check isn't working and I feel to crummy to figure out what is wrong... so please excuse my horrible spelling :)

We've been busy!

Because the Livesay's do it so well, we're adopting the "bullet post."

- Shane, Dylan, Kynsley, and Landon all started school this week. They look so cute in their uniforms. You'll have to trust me because the cord to the camera is still missing.

- Mom got a new job. She'll tell you all about it later.

- We're going to the beach tomorrow. Yay!

- I got to go out to Dad's work and do an impromptu wound clinic in the nearby village.

- I helped out at Halo's last week. What an awesome team!

- Today I spent the day with the kids at TA's. Oh how they are growing up!

- Yesterday I spent the day at Heartline ministries and got to be a part of their prenatal class and learn more about their women's program. Again, what an amazing group of people.

- I leave on Sunday and am not ready!!!

- We took family pictures today thanks to Troy and Tara Livesay. We pretended to like each other long enough to get some good photos. ;)

- We need to make over our blog, but we're all lacking in the "blog design" department. Any suggestions?

I will post my photos when I get home because I also don't have my USB cord.

Just a quick post to let everyone know....

CARSEN IS HERE!!!!!

She arrived last night and we are all really excited to have her here for 12 days.

I need to start breakfast... I'll post more later.

Happenings...

We had an interesting week. Well... not really but it sounded good. Mostly, the same ol' stuff. But, the weekend was nice...

On Friday Jody got to go on a helicopter ride in a 20 year old Russian military helicopter, flown by a 4 man Ukrainian helicopter crew. Along for the ride was a US Army Lt. Colonel, 2 Brazilian military officers and one of Jody’s partners from El Salvador. It was a joint effort to locate possible smuggling routes between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It was a chance for them to see the border in places they can not access yet by car. They stopped for lunch at a Nepalese Military camp and were treated like kings. He got some great pictures (which are for now stuck in the camera, because when we moved we misplaced the cord to download to the computer).

On Saturday evening we went to a going away party for a few people leaving the mission. The party was at the PAE house (the staff for Jody's contractor, PAE, live and work there, the house is also open to families to use the pool, play games, use the international phone etc). The party was small (horrible rain storm kept most people away) but it was nice to get to know a few of the other officers and their families who are visiting for the summer. I volunteered to make Tuxedo Brownies for the party so I spent the day baking with help from the whole family. After the party, Jody and I went dancing for a little while. Unfortunately, on the way out, the heel of my high-heels got caught in a gap between the cobblestones and the top landing of the stairs and I most ungracefully fell on my “keester”. In the process of my tumbling, I twisted my ankle severely. However, the most important thing is I did not break my favorite shoes!!! Hurts pretty bad but I have not seen a doctor yet.

On Sunday I went to church with Shane, Dylan and Kynsley. It was a great service and God really revealed Himself to me. I am currently praying about some serious stuff and will share it once I have Godly confirmation to do so. We were planning on taking the kids swimming in the afternoon but the rains started up again and we were unable to go. So… we napped instead. There is nothing like a good Sunday afternoon nap when it’s raining. We made homemade pizza for dinner, read a few books to the kids and then watched pre-season football. It was a nice ending to a busy week-end.

Today, Shane went to Quisqueya Christian School to do pre-testing for the 9th grade. Landon will do his tomorrow. Unfortunately, we are not able to afford for Dylan and Kynsley to go so they will be home schooling, unless we are able to get some financial aide or I get hired by the UN (I applied for a position awhile ago and have not heard anything yet). I read the book of Ecclesiastes today twice, once in NIV and once in the Message. A fellow blogger put out a challenge to read it, so I did. I’m still processing what I read.

That about sums up the last few days. Not very interesting, but it’s our life!

Happy Birthday, Sutton!

Today Sutton turns 4. It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years... she was the "one" that started the journey to Haiti. Her sweet little picture and story that moved me to tears!

Happy birthday, Sutton!!

And for those of you who do not know her story, I thought I'd add a great rendition of it that Carsen wrote. I hope you enjoy it!

Sutton's Story by Carsen Gray

My name is Sutton Elizabeth and I would like to tell you my story. It is a story of heart-ache, struggle, and defeat. It is a story of strength, hope, and victory. Above all else, it is a story of love.

My first glimpse of life outside of the womb was the life most Haitian children come to know all too well. I was born on a dirt floor inside a shack that could teeter over at the first sign of the big, bad, wolf’s huffing and puffing. Everything was dark; my mother, my skin, the dirt that surrounded us and the calamity that loomed over my country. My mother offered her body, her breast, but could not force the life out of her. For eleven days, my mother fought with her body, trying to compel it to produce the milk that would subdue my hunger cries. She tried, but failed. Soon, the crying stopped and my mother believed I was dead. She humbly and shamefully wrapped my tiny, frail body into the nicest garbage bag she could find. As she gently placed me in the only affordable cemetery, God sent an angel to the dumpster. This angel immediately told my numbed mother to take my corpse to a place that she heard would help children. Maybe there, I could get a proper burial. And so began the journey to Three Angels Children’s Relief.
The building was five times the size of my desolate dwelling, it seemed like a fortress. One of the board of directors was visiting from the Land of Opportunity and took the garbage bag from my shocked mother. The director solemnly took my body and mentally prepared herself to arrange a burial. Just like the part in the Red Sea, Jesus parted the clouds and shone a new light on my face. The director discovered that my feeble lungs were still fighting for strength to breath and my heart was faintly beating. I was dropper-fed every hour. I was so weak physically that I could barely find the might to eat, but my spirit was much too strong to give up. Drops of life and love came and filled me until I slowly began to be revived. My revival was a miracle, but my mother still would have no way to take care of me. She did the hardest thing a mother would ever have to do: she agreed to place me for adoption. Those at the orphanage still weren’t sure if I was going to live. I was weighed at the orphanage, but didn’t even register on the scale. I finally reached five pounds after six weeks of life.
Meanwhile, God was working his intricate plan, weaving hearts together. My story was told to a family whom lived miles away. They had their own plans in their heart: they were going to adopt one child, a boy. Lucky for me, God is sovereign and omnipotent. This family began to pray for me and through the power of prayer, our hearts interlocked. My picture was sent to this family and when the mother of the family saw my face, she knew I was hers. The father was much stronger and resistant, for the heart of a man is penetrable in ways much different than a woman’s. The heart is the core of a woman, it controls her actions, guides her. The mother of the family rebelled against her mind and did what only her heart told her to do: She went against her husband and placed me on hold for adoption.
It took longer for the father to see God’s plan, but God continued to call him. A friend saw my picture and said “you have a beautiful daughter.” His heart then melted. Faster than anyone expected, the adoption was on its way. The family had an emotional discussion and asked my soon-to-be siblings if they were ok with adding me to the family. Paperwork was filled out and plans were made to visit me.
Then the day came when I met the people that I was already connected to through love. I had never seen a man so light before and he intrigued me. His hold was firm and strong and I knew he was my daddy. My mommy was gentle and warm and I molded into her arms as if I’d rested there all my life. Eleven months later, I was on my way to live with the people who had dwelled in my heart since that fateful day I emerged from the womb in a dirty Haitian shack.

Some heavy thoughts...

For several years I felt called to live in Haiti. In the beginning Jody did not feel that calling at all. After awhile he started feeling it as well. Several times we made plans to move only to have those plans changed by God. There was a point that I truly felt that I had heard wrong and resigned myself to not going. About that same time my work with Three Angels came to an end. That seemed to be just another sign that we weren’t meant to move. However, things were moving along for Jody to get hired on with the UN. We were confused to say the least. As the reality that we could move set in; we felt that God was opening doors in His perfect timing. I felt Him saying to me, “get out of the way, Gail, I can handle this!” The move wasn’t without its trials. Jody’s departure date changed, the house we moved into was not what it was portrayed to be, the Nanny we hired to watch the little kids so I could home school the older ones did not work out. We had no stove, no refrigerator, no car and very little money since we were trying to support 2 households on the same salary we had barely supported 1 on. All of this was putting a strain on our marriage.

We persevered… Jody was deployed, we bought a car and a refrigerator, the home owner finally bought the stove, and we found a new nanny (who is AWESOME). We still had very little money but at least we were all together. During all the transition time, I did not seek out to do “anything” except exist in Haiti. I did not want to seek out a ministry, a place to serve. I prayed for God to reveal it to me. And waited! And waited!! And 7 months later I’m still waiting. This is never easy for me. I’m a “doer”. I like to be involved; I like to feel “needed”. A few weeks ago I got the chance to participate in helping a family finish their adoption and get their kids home. I felt alive, at my best, it felt so good to be “involved” again. Adoptions have been my passion, my calling. It is what I do best. The joy that comes from watching a family come together after so many months of struggle is something I can not put into words. To see how God brought people together, in His grace, in His timing, in His perfect way is amazing. But, that was a one time thing, not an ongoing place to serve. So now what?

I’m beginning to question why I’m here. Why is it that God moved our family to a third world country, if He did not want us to serve Him here?? There are plenty of places I could just get involved in, good places, but I do not feel that’s what I’m meant to do. But, if not them…where?? And is it possible that there isn’t anywhere for me here?? Is being in Haiti not about us serving? It’s a strange feeling for me… to do nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I still have things to do… I do have 6 kids here… a house… responsibilities… but I would have all those things in the US but with 24 hour electricity, with a car that has AC, with the safety of living in the US. So why here?? Should we pack it in and go home? Were we wrong… are we meant to be here? And if not, then what?

I’m not sure what these ramblings are really about. I have no idea why I feel I need to put them out there for everyone to see… take the chance of being judged… of getting advice I do not want to hear. I don’t know why, yet I’m compelled to do just that. So I will. And in doing so, take a step towards trusting God to direct our paths further… whether or not we want to hear what He says.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

In case you were wondering, the traditional anniversary gift for the 21 year mark is brass or nickle. Get creative. No, Dad a nickle doesn't count.

Love you!

Happy Birthday, Carsen!

It's official she is no longer a teenager. My baby is 20!! It's so hard for me to believe that my little girl is already 2o. Where has the time gone??

(Sorry for the old picture, I have no new ones!!)

Carsen, we are so proud of you. You are an amazing young lady. You brighten the lives of everyone you come in contact with. We all miss you so much but know that you are exactly where God wants you. Happy Birthday, pooh bear!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

First things first.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANDON!!!!!! Today you turn five! It is an exciting time in your little life and we can not wait to see what God has in store for you!!

I know I promised more posts... once again I find myself apologizing for not following through on something I promised. SORRY!!

We have been really busy trying to find a house, entertaining house guests, celebrating the 4th of July and did I mention trying to find a house???

We finally did it... we found a beautiful house with a pool... the only problem is it wont be ready until Aug 15th and we must be out of this place by July 20th. It is really hard to find houses for rent here and even harder to find someone willing to rent for just one month. But, thankfully we found someone who will rent month to month. The house is small (and has really ugly furniture) but it's just for a month!!! We can handle anything for a month, right??? Even furniture that looks like it is straight out of a 19th century brothel??

We will be moving on Tuesday... and then again on Aug. 15th. The kids are really excited about the Aug 15th move, having a pool is a huge deal!!! And the house comes with satellite TV. They can watch cartoons again. YEAH! And Dad gets to watch football. I'm really not sure who is more excited.

It's time to go get ice cream for Landon's birthday. I'll post pictures of the new house soon.

I want a bird

I have an amazing story of the Lord’s goodness, but first I must share a little background. I have been reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. We often learn about the heart of God as a masculine heart. Captivating explores the heart of a woman and God’s characteristics that are specifically feminine. We are, after all, created in His image too. The book talks about lies that Satan has been speaking into the hearts of women for centuries and challenges the reader to figure out what lies are echoing in her heart and then to command them to leave. After much prayer, I have learned that the lies I hear are “You’re not worthy. You are not special. You are ordinary and therefore deserve nothing above ordinary.”
I am a giver. I love loving others. I’m like a moth to a light when it comes to someone in need. I don’t do it because I have to or because I want people to like me. I do it because I love giving. I love sharing with others and making people feel cared for. However, I have a very hard time accepting gifts or letting others take care of me. I find it incredibly hard to graciously accept gifts, compliments, and help. This goes the same for my relationship with Christ. I strive in my sinful nature to love God to the best of my ability, and he loves that. I’m learning that God is a romantic God who wants to be pursued (just like every woman) and repeatedly calls Christians to “follow, seek, ask, knock” (women, isn’t that what we want from others in our life?). And like any lover, the Lord loves to give in return. This is where I’ve been failing my Lover. I have not been letting Him in. I have not allowed Him to romance me because I’ve been believing the lies of the Enemy: that I’m not special or worth any extravagant love.
There is a story in Captivating where John goes down to the beach for some quiet time with the Lord. While on the beach he sees a magnificent whale up close and personal. He comes back to tell his wife, Stasi, of the gift God gave him. The next day Stasi is on the same beach enjoying her quiet time with the Lord. She prays for a whale. She wants to feel the wild love of God and his good gifts too. She is heart broken when no whale comes. As she heads back, she comes across a beautiful orange starfish. She smiles and thanks the Lord for His gift. As she rounded the corner, she was met by another surprise from her Savior. She tells the story: “There before me, behind me, surrounding me, were hundreds of starfish… There were purple ones and orange ones and blue ones, all sizes. I burst into joyful laughter, my heart exploding inside me. God didn’t just love me. He LOOOOOVED me! Intimately, personally, completely” (Captivating 117).
I have been wanting to ask the Lord for such an act of romance as this, but haven’t because I was allowing the lies and fear of disappointment to hold me back. This morning I went on a bike ride. The air smelled amazing and sent old memories soaring to the surface of my thoughts. The air smelled just like my fondest memories: pine, bark, and salty ocean air. It was as if the Lord sent the Northern California breeze just for me. I smiled and thanked him. As I was riding, I was reminded of the story I just shared. Without much thought I prayed, “I want a bird.” I pedaled for a few more seconds and saw a beautiful bird sitting in a small tree that sat just on the end of a corn field. “God, I want that bird. And I want it to fly with me.” My heart was pounding as approached the tree where the bird was perched. “Would he come through for me?” Right as I cycled past the tree, the bird whistled and swooped down next to me. He then flew next to me and in front of me. He even did a turn and some fancy acrobatics. The faster he flew, the faster I rode, though he was never more than a few feet away. He flew next to me until I reached the end of the road. Tears just started rolling down my cheeks and my heart was filled with giddy laughter. I am special! My God does love me enough to give me extravagant gifts! My heart has been romanced. I am in love and am loved in return!

Jody and Samuelos. Samuelos is a young man that makes a living shining shoes in Malpass, where Jody works. His parents left him in the village where he now lives and never returned for him. He is 12 years old and the villagers try to take him at different times so he has a place to sleep. He is posing here with Jody with his pant legs rolled up to show off his new shoes. We were told that these shoes are the first ones he has ever had that did not come out of the garbage. When Jody gave them to him, he took the shoes he was wearing (soles from a pair of man's dress shoes, tied to his feet with twine) and threw them in the garbage with tears in his eyes.

Bigger Pictures

A few more pictures...

Daddy and Kayden


Kayden

First pictures of Kayden...

They are really small since they were taken with a phone but here he is...

We are grandparents!!!!!

That's right....

Kayden Makoa Gray ( 7 lbs. 12 oz., 20 in. ) arrived at 1:08 a.m. on Wed. June 25, 2008. Both mom and son are doing good. We will post pictures as soon as we get them.

OH MY GOSH!!!!! WE ARE WAY TOO YOUNG!!!!!!!!

Messages in My Lunch Box

They were always the same. They always had one of my nicknames, an "I love you," some word of encouragement and a silly drawing: "Michi- Have a great day at school. I love you!" And they were always written on my napkin and neatly folded into my lunch box. I would show them off as if to say "my daddy loves me more!" or "look at how funny my dad is!" And then the awkward feelings of early adolescence made me sneak my note into my pocket and wait until no one was around to read it. Still, they made me smile and let me know I was loved.


The Lord is often called "father". Some people are turned off by this analogy because many were burned, ignored, or hurt by there fathers. I'm so blessed to be one that does not have a negative image about the father role. Of course, he's not perfect, but he's a pretty great dad. He has made me feel loved countless times. I have never once doubted that my father cared for me, even in our lowest moments. Thank you dad for everything!

For those of you with father wounds, the Lord wants to be your father. Only He can fill those holes and heal those hurts. He created all of us in His image, especially fathers. My dad left me notes in my lunch box, but how often does our Heavenly Father give us little "I love you" notes through out the day? I dare you to look for them this week. I bet he sends them more than you think!


Happy Fathers Day!


"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" Galatians 4:6

Wow... posts 2 days in a row. Hard to believe isn't it?

We found out yesterday that our lease for the house we are renting will not be renewed. Which means, we have to find a new place to live, come up with a first, last and security deposit, move a household of 14 and clean this house all by July 21st when our landlord will be in Haiti to turn the keys over to the new owner. And do all of that in a country that does not have moving companies or renters assistance programs. As far as I know there isn’t a property management company to call with multiple listings of housing in the area. Its word of mouth... who knows who... convincing people that just because we are Americans and work for the UN, we are not rich. We have a budget.

Needless to say, it's going to be a stressful few weeks. Please, pray!!!

a VERY LONG post

OK, confession time...

I have not felt like blogging for a really long time. I can't explain it but I just didn't want to do it. I know it is the only way most of our friends and family can keep abreast of what we are doing here in Haiti... I know I promised when we left the US to blog every few days... I KNOW!! So, it's time to get back in the swing of things, it's time to once again share our very ordinary life (that in my opinion should bore all of you to tears) on a more consistent basis. Jody is also going to start sharing about his work here.

We had a great weekend. Jody took some much needed time off. He has not a day off since he arrived (other then during the rioting). He works 7 days a week!! The way time off works for the civilian police is to work 21 days in a row then they can use earned time off. BUT, it doesn't matter if they take 1 day or 14 days, they can NOT take another day for 21 days. Very strange system but what can I say... it's the UN.

Friday night was game night in the Gray house. “Sorry” was the game of the night. Jody was the winner and we all laughed at him as he celebrated his victory. Then it was popcorn and a movie before bed. Jody had to work on Saturday so it was early to bed for all of us.

Our "vacation" started on Saturday afternoon. Jody got off early so the 2 of us went to the Ibolele t0 lay in the sun. While we were there we were invited to a party at a new club in PV. We decided... what the heck, let’s go!!! It was so much fun. We were the only Americans there. It was amazing to see so many people from so many different countries dancing and laughing together. The countries represented were Serbia, Morocco, Israel, Austria, Germany, Bavaria, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Italy, France, Philippines, Haiti, Africa and Brazil. I’m sure there were others as well. Jody and I are the only ones who have kids here so we got teased when we left the party at 10:30 p.m. We heard later that it went until 4 a.m.!!!!

Sunday morning we got up and went to church. Most Sunday’s I go by myself or with just a few of the kids. It was nice to be able to worship with my husband. We took Shane, Dylan, Kynsley and Isaiah. Jean Bernard and Angie (Makela’s daughter, who spent the night with Kynsley) also went. It was a great service and afterwards we got to see Kaitlyn and Sandy as well as Fiona (Alixson and Nancy were there too!). Port au Prince Fellowship is getting so popular that they are praying about what to do. Every Sunday there are people who must sit outside to hear the sermon. What a blessing it has been for us to have a place to worship God in the language we speak.

We brought the kids back to the house and once again headed up to the Ibolele (our home away from home). Jody and I have been blessed with some really great friends here, many that live at the Ibolele. When any of them go on leave, they leave their room keys with us and we are able to use the room. We took advantage of the opportunity and Jody and I planned a night away. We spent the evening with a few of our friends. Sam, the American police officer Jody was deployed with; Jamie, an Aussie who works for the UN; Christian, another UN employee from Bavaria; Dan, an American Coast Guard officer; Jody and I sat around the pool for hours just relaxing. Many stories were told and I realized that it doesn’t matter what country you grew up in, being a kid can be a lot of fun. Several of our favorite people were on leave (Rob, Jessica and Jim just to name a few) so it gave us the opportunity to get to know a few of the “less vocal” of our group. Jamie and I had a great talk about what being a Christian means to me. He is not a believer but I sensed a desire to know more.

On Monday we headed back down the hill for some time with the kids. We hung out for awhile, went shopping and then took everyone to pizza at JetSet, a popular UN “hangout”. We went early enough to avoid the crowds. While we waited for our pizza, the owner of JetSet (a woman from the DR) sat with us to chat. Again, we were blessed with hearing about another country and how much the human race is alike even when from such vastly different places. The kids behaved beautifully and Jody and Shane were even able to play a game of pool. The little kids had a blast rolling the pool balls across the pool table that wasn’t in use. The owner even provided free ice cream for the kids. We got back to the house just in time for the kids to go to bed. They needed to get some rest because we had a big day planned for Tuesday.

Tuesday morning we got up early and packed everyone, and I do mean everyone, into 2 cars and headed to the beach. There were 16 of us, Jody, Me, Shane, Dylan, Kynsley, Landon, Sutton, Isaiah, Jean Bernard, Kaitlyn (from 3A’s), Kesna, Clonise, Angie, Davlo (Clonise’s daughter), Judy (Clonise’s niece) and Ricard (one of the drivers we often use). It was quite an adventure. We had to stop several times on the way… to get ice… to get air in our tires… twice for people to pee… once to put water in the radiator. BUT, we still made it there by 10:30 a.m. The weather was amazing. We have been getting a lot of rain lately but God blessed us with no rain until the ride home. Everyone had a great time. No sunburns (except for Jody… who NEVER burns)… no bickering and no accidents. I do have pictures but Jody has the camera at work with him so they will have to wait until later. The kids got to go in a row boat, build sand castles, have a water gun fight and watch a guy show-off on a jet ski. Plenty of fun was had by all. By the time we got home everyone was exhausted and ready for bed.

Jody went back to work on Wednesday. He has already put in for a few more days off in July. The American military guys are putting on a big 4th of July bash and we can’t wait.

I’m sure the next few days will be exciting for us, several of the kids from 3A’s are heading home to be with their forever families. We of course will be very sad to say good-bye but also thrilled they are finally going home.

Isn’t God good?? I think so. I realize that I used "blessed" several times already but that is the only way to describe how I feel... BLESSED!

If you have made it this far… you are probably really bored or my mom! I can’t imagine anyone but Nana and maybe Sissy being interested in our wacky, crazy, but oh so fun life. Thanks for reading and may the God of everything bless you today!

Quick update...

the internet here is HORRIBLE!!! I have been trying to post for days. I'm lucky if I can even open my e-mail right now... can't access my bank accounts (NOT GOOD!!!)... can't book Shane's ticket to Redding (which I won't do until he finishes school, so Carson if you want him to come visit, you better get on him about it) and CAN NOT post pictures. It's very frustrating.

Enough complaining....

We got great news this week. Jody's leave has been extended. That's right, we do not have to move... we do not have to put Isaiah back in the orphanage... we do not have to make the hard decisions. God did it for us. Thank you, Jesus. I am beyond thankful. I feel humbled by it all. I was spending so much time pleading and begging with God that I forgot to sit back and listen to Him. He had it under control the entire time, I was once again worrying for NOTHING! When I got back from Michigan I made the decision to just trust Him, to let it all go. For the first time in weeks, I felt such a sense of peace... that everything was going to be fine. Not that God was going to do it my way, but that no matter what happen the Creator of us all, was going to take care of things. Whether I liked it or not!! Whether or not it was handled "My way".

So for now, we will remain in Haiti. As long as God wants us to be here. After that... only God knows where we will be, but that's OK because I choose to put my faith in Him!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:6-9

In case you were wondering...

Mom did make it safely back to Haiti. I was very blessed to have her here. I mustered up enough energy to go shopping with her one day for some fun mother/daughter time. By the time we got to Walmart for some last minute supplies I took a nap in the car while she shopped. ;) I got to show her my house, where I work, and my church all for the first time. It was great!



The "Tridge" in Midland, MI.

Ok, here she is....

Right after surgery

A few hours later, drinking a banana milkshake.

Trying to IM with Dad (and drooling in the process)

She is doing great

Yep... no excessive bleeding... no weird reaction to the medication. Carsen is sitting up, watching TV and surfing the net. PRAISE GOD!!!

The oral surgeon did find 2 cysts/tumors on her teeth that he removed and sent for a biopsy. He did not seem overly concerned about them so we aren't either. I do not have the cord to the camera with me so I can't show you the pictures but I will as soon as I can.

Surgery

Carsen's surgery is today at 7:45 a.m. (EST). Please, pray that everything goes smoothly, that she is able to stop bleeding without needing any additional medical intervention (Carsen has a bleeding disorder that causes her blood to clot much slower then normal) and that the recovery is quick.

I'll post some pictures later!

Made it

I'm here!! We finally got to Carsen's house at 3 a.m. I'll post more later.

Stuck...

...in Fort Lauderdale!

I am sitting in the airport where they recently had a lightening strike on the airport property. All flights are suspended at this time.

Weather forecast calls for quarter sized hail and winds up to 60 miles an hour. I'm praying it passes quickly and I can still get to Michigan tonight!!!

So last night we took Shane to Cascade Fusion, a French restaurant in Petionville, for his birthday. I forgot my camera, but a friend of ours who went with us took his so I'll post pictures as soon as he e-mails them to me.

Anyway... while at the restaurant we saw several "UN-looking" guys come in (yes, they do have a look about them) and head upstairs. Soon after we heard what was obviously a "band rehearsal". After dinner Jody had to go investigate (he heard DRUMS!!!). I was paying our bill and then headed upstairs. I come around the corner and there is my husband sitting at a snare drum and 2 cymbals ( I refuse to call it a drum kit... there just wasn't enough there to be considered a "kit"). I asked him what he was doing and he tells me... "playing drums!!". Well... DUH?!?!?!? I meant "WHY?!?!?". I come to find out that it is a small band made up of UN men from several countries. They have been "jamming" together for awhile and have been asked to play at a small club in town. The only problem they have is their drummer isn't really a drummer. He was trying but just wasn't getting "IT"! This guy is getting frustrated and wants to eat so Jody says to them, "if your drummer wants to eat, I'd be happy to sit in for him." They respond with... "he isn't a drummer!!!". Jody replies, "well, I am." You should have seen their faces light up... even the so-called drummer!!! He really did not want to play at all.

So, after an hour of practice, with guys he just met.... Jody is playing drums TONIGHT!!!! At a club!!! In Haiti!!!!

How cool is that?????

I'll post pictures as soon as I can!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHANE!!!

Back in October I started a series of posts introducing you to my children. When we found out Isaiah needed surgery I stopped those posts. I thought I’d get back to them now.

Shane Robert Gray was born May 22, 1994. Today he turns 14!!!

(Shane with Manthania at Three Angel's)

He was legally dead when he was born and had to be given CPR and have a tube inserted in his lungs in order to get him breathing. He also had a dislocated shoulder!! It was a pretty scary time. Despite his rocky start, he was truly one of the easiest going babies ever. As long as he had a full tummy and a clean diaper he was happy. Shane was (and still is) adored by just about everyone he meets!

(Shane "playing" with the big boys!! Thanks, Jordanian Military!)

It’s hard sometimes for me to believe that he is a teenager, it truly doesn’t feel that long ago that he was toddling around the house with his adorable bowl hair cut (sorry, all my pictures are in storage in the states), praying his sweet dinner prayers that lasted so long we often had to re-heat the food.

Shane has always been the first one in our family to reach out to someone or something in need. That hasn’t changed. Living in Haiti is difficult for him at times… we just CAN NOT help everyone who asks. Shane has grown so much and changed in so many ways since moving to Haiti but he is still the sweet, loving boy I’ve always known (even if he won’t kiss his mom anymore!!!).

(Shane, Mom and Dad in the Dominican Republic)

Shane,
You will always be my “little man”. I am very proud of the young man you are growing into. I can not wait to see what God has in store for you. I love you, son!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Love, Mom

Good News!

We have presidential approval and Isaiah's file is out of Parquet. We should be in MOI soon!!! Praise God!!!!!

My Mama

It was hard not being with her on Mother's Day. I'm really looking forward to seeing her soon!



Isn't she beautiful?

Loosing my Wisdom...

Teeth, that is.

The next two weeks are going to be pretty busy for me. I have finals and then I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed. Mom is coming on the 24th and I have surgery on the 27th. My surgery is a little bit complicated because I have a cyst in one cavity and a tumor in the other. Also, the roots of my bottom third molars are very close to the nerve along the jaw bone. The cyst and tumor are normal complications of wisdom teeth. This is how I understand it: when the wisdom tooth becomes impacted under the gums, the sac that surrounds the tooth can burst. This causes the areas to fill with fluid and create a cyst. If left untreated, the cyst can turn into a tumor. My doctor said that they will remove the tumor when they remove my teeth and if it is of concerning size, they will biopsy it.
I'm actually looking forward to my surgery because I've been having a lot of pain in my mouth, jaw, and inner ear. Plus, I get to look like this for a few days: :)

Photo's

Even with milk on his face, Isaiah is still a cutie!!!

At the Hotel Ibolele pool. The kids LOVE to swim!

School time! Dylan and Kynsley are both doing great with home schooling.

Yes, that is Shane doing the dishes, he is going to make a great husband someday.

Jody and I with Sam, another UN officer, at Magdoo's, one of my favorite resturants!

Shane and Dad at Magdoo's!

Jody at his new work station. The sign says "Police Station in Malpasse" or something like that!!!

The kids on our front porch.

Jean Bernard, Andy (Andrise's son) and Isaiah. The boys LOVE Jean Bernard!!!

Test Picture

If this works, I'll post more... one's other then food.

I love this picture. If you look closely in the background you will see 2 pictures of rice and beans I took in 2006 at the Jacmel public market. This picture says "Haiti" to me!

Let me know if you can see it!!!

Friends,

Please.... do not believe everything you read in the news!!!! We are fine... Jody is fine! The violence is in isolated area where we do not go. Not even Jody!! There are places that UN Military officers, unless sent with their entire unit on official business, should not go. Going into a crowded market in downtown PAP minutes after a presidential address... is just not a good idea.

It saddens me to think that the world is only seeing the people who are causing violence and chaos and that is what they assume all Haitian's are like. Which could not be further from the truth. The Haitian people by far are sweet, loving people who are trying to make the most of a bad situation. Most of then do not agree with the violence nor want it!!

We know that this is where God wants us for now. If we have to leave... Isaiah can not go with us. Please, continue to pray.

$2.65

These first few weeks of being on my own have been difficult. As you all know, we are in a recession right now and economically speaking, there are a lot of people struggling. Last week I was very humbled. There was a problem with my bank account in California and I had no money, literally. I’ve never known what that was like. I had no gas to get home from work and no money in the bank. I scrounged around in my car and found $2.65 in change. I dumped my change on the counter of the gas station and felt pretty embarrassed. Well, I got home, but how was I to get to work tomorrow morning? I had to swallow my pride and ask my roommate to borrow some money.
And then my mind drifts off to Haiti as it often does. I am blown away by the fact that I was able to find more money than the average Haitian earns in a days worth of work. And the cost of living is by no means cheaper in Haiti. Gas is $2 more per gallon right now. I felt what it was like to have no money, but I’ve never known poverty. I often open at work. I hate opening. I know a lot of people say it, but if you know me, you know that I’m not a morning person. I feel sick if I get up while it’s still dark. While I was at work, steaming about the fact that I’d been at work for 2 hours, it was still dark out, and we hadn’t had a single customer yet, the Lord spoke to me. Images of the hands of the people who sell charcoal and wash clothes all day flashed in my mind. I was reminded of the people who get up at 3 am, carry loads of goods on their heads down the mountain side, and then ride a crammed tap-tap for hours just to get to the market to sell before sunrise.
And then I thought about what it means to be desperate. Dictionary.com gives these definitions of “desperate:”
1. reckless or dangerous because of despair or urgency
2. having an urgent need, desire, etc.
3. leaving little or no hope; very serious or dangerous
4. extremely bad; intolerable or shocking:
5. extreme or excessive.
6. making a final, ultimate effort; giving all:
7. actuated by a feeling of hopelessness.
8. having no hope; giving in to despair
If I was truly feeling in a state of desperation, I live in a country that has endless government programs. I have family who can support me for a short amount of time while I get back on my feet. I was given enough education (I say given because it was free) that I could find a job that would give me enough to eat. By no means am I saying the US is perfect or that we don’t have people living in poverty. I’m just humbled by the gravity of how much I truly have.

Haiti is desperate. Many who had hope, have lost it. While one young boy was able to buy a chicken for his family last month, he can barely afford rice now. Those who were able to feed their children yesterday, hate today because it cannot provide and beg tomorrow to bring them solace. Desperation leads to extreme acts. In this situation, violence has erupted in Haiti. There are those who have faith in Jesus Christ and therefore have not lost hope, but they are still suffering. Let us all pray for those who are reckless and dangerous because of their despair. Let us pray for the leaders of the beautiful and tumultuous country of Haiti. Let us fervently pray and ask the Lord how we can help. Let us all be humbled.

Jimmy was able to get out today. Things have calmed down somewhat. The Caribbean market was not looted that he could see but remains closed. The only market that was open was a very small one up Route de Frere. They were already out of bread and ice. Several businesses and homes along Delmas Ave showed signs of vandalism. A few businesses were open but not many!

Things are still crazy downtown and in the Canape Vert area as well as in Petionville. Delmas and Route de Frere seem to be calm. If you haven’t already read it go to the Livesay’s blog http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/ Tara posted a short note from a friend that lives in Port au Prince. It really sums up the situation so well.

I talked to Jody a little while ago. He is fine and heading out to the DR border where his duty station is. There was little traffic and all seemed calm. I also spoke to a friend who is with the US Navy stationed here and he said things are still “hot” but overall calmer then yesterday.

Life in the Gray house is proceeding as normal. We were not able to do school today… but nothing to do with the riots. I woke up with a horrible sore throat and can barely talk AND our Nanny caught chicken pox from Isaiah and was unable to come in today. She is running a high fever and all around miserable. It’s a little hard to teach school with a 1 year old, 3 year old and 4 year old under foot AND not being able to talk above a whisper. I’m sure Dylan, Kynsley and Shane didn’t mind!

Jody took the camera with him today. If I can get it to work I’ll post any pictures he may have been able to get. I'll post more later if there are any updates!

day 3 of rioting

We are still safe, as are the children at the orphanage. Jody did not go to work yesterday, he is considered a civilian (non-military) and all civilians were ordered to remain in their homes. However, he did go today.

Things have calmed down considerably but there are areas that are still not safe. I have been told (have not confirmed first hand) that the Caribbean Market was looted yesterday. There were many businesses in the Petionville area there were also looted, burned or vandalized.

Internet is sporadic so these posts will be short. I will try to update my blog when possible.

Please continue to pray!!!!

Pray!!!!!!!

Please be in prayer for the country of Haiti. As some of you may have read in the news there are several protests happening right now. The protests began over the high cost of food here. Unfortunately, they have turned violent. I do not want anyone to panic. WE ARE SAFE!!! The violence is no where near where we live!!! The children at the orphanage are also safe.

The prices have risen drastically in the last few weeks. Rice, beans, cornmeal all have doubled in price. It is affecting items brought into the stores as well. A few weeks ago I was able to buy a carton of yogurt for around $0.50US, today I paid $2.00!! Gas went from $4.80US a gallon to $5.90.

People who could have fed their families a few weeks ago on their minimal salaries no longer can. Life in Haiti; already difficult beyond measure, has become even worse.


Please, pray for peace. Pray for the leaders to make wise decisions. Pray for the UN troops to think clearly. Pray for the Haitian people who are full of anger and do not see that violence is not the answer. Pray for us to remain calm. Pray that the violence ends without injury or death to anyone! Please pray!!!

More good news!

Jody just recieved his orders... he is assigned to Port au Prince!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! We do not have to move... we do not have to live in the region (countryside, no grocery stores, no electricity, no NOTHING!!!)...we do not have to live apart! We are really excited.

He does not know exactly what he will be doing but it sounds like he might be working with the SWAT team. He should know more by the end of the week when training is done.

We really do have an awesome God, don't we!!

He's Here!!!

Jody made it to Haiti. We did not get to see him until the UN was done with him for the day (around 4 p.m.). The kids were so excited to see him. They had to show him EVERYTHING at once!! Jody was so tired (over night flight, no sleep and then all day filling out paperwork etc.) and hungry but he was an amazing father (like always) and looked at everything and listened to every story.

Jody and I and Jody's partner, Sam went to dinner at Fabrizio's (my favorite Italian restaurant). I stayed with Jody at the hotel (he is required to stay there for 4 days in order to be close to the training center). As much as I have missed him, it was not the best idea. The bed was horrible, the pillows hard and my hot-blooded husband had the air-conditioner cranked as high as it would go. I was absolutely freezing!! We did have a nice breakfast this morning and he is back at the training center, doing whatever it is they do there.

The kids are doing great. Isaiah is finally sleeping again and seems to be on the tail end of the chicken pox. I'm praying I get to go to church in the morning but it is unlikely. He still has several pox that have not crusted over. It's been 2 weeks and I'm really missing worshipping with other believers but I can't risk exposing others to him.

My back is doing OK. Still hurts but not enough to force me back in bed. Jody was able to bring me some muscle relaxers so hopefully I won't have any further episodes.I'm hoping to get some pictures posted soon. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong but hopefully Shane and I can get it figured out soon.

Thanks for all the prayers!! They were certainly felt and appreciated.

Quick Update

Some of you may have noticed that the countdown til Jody's arrival has changed. We found out yesterday that he will be arriving Friday instead of Thursday. It's just 1 day so we are doing OK with it!

My back is still sore. But, feeling better. I was able to go to the Ibolele Hotel yesterday and swim and that seemed to help some. I still can't lift the baby but at least I've been able to get out of bed.

Isaiah has chicken pox... BAD! Poor guy is miserable. He is running a fever, itches all over and has not been able to sleep. Me not being able to lift him is hard, he justs wants to be held. We have worked out a system... he climbs onto my bed and then sits on my lap. If I'm laying down he likes to rest his head on my tummy... it's very cute!!

prayer needed

On Friday my back started hurting. By Saturday morning I was in bed barely able to move. I've had problems with my back for years, a couple of trips to the chiroprator and I'm usually back on my feet. There are no chiropractor's that I am aware of in Haiti. So, here I lay... not easy with 6 kids!!!

I'm looking for a miracle!!! I need 100% healing so I can get out of bed and get ready for Jody's arrival.

Please pray!!!!

DADDY'S ON HIS WAY!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!! Praise God for answered prayers!!!

Jody received an e-mail today that said, "The UN has confirmed your deployment date is officially set for March 27, 2008. You will be receiving your itinerary shortly." This is huge news, we had heard that they were postponing deployment for all the officers until May 12th!!! We have been praying fervently that Jody would deploy before then and God provided. There are only 2 officers coming at this time and both were requested by name. And Jody is one of them!!!! March 27, 2008!!!!!!!

9 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell we are just a little excited here (Kathy, we will expect the HWBD). It was quite a celebration when I circled his arrival date on the calendar in permanent RED ink!! The kids are working hard to get ahead on their school work so they can take a few extra days off when he gets here.

God is good… all the time!!!

Isaiah's adoption

No news to report about deployment so I thought I'd explain where we are in the process of getting Isaiah adopted.

Even though Isaiah is living with us, he is still not legally our son. If anything were to happen that forced us to leave Haiti, Isaiah would not be able to go with us. This concerns us greatly. We are blessed to be with him and would not change that for anything. But, we also pray that his adoption gets finished quickly so that if the unimaginable happens, he could remain in our family and leave Haiti with us.

We are currently waiting on Presidential approval in order to be declared his legal parents here in Haiti. Because Jody and I have biological children we do not fit the criteria set up in 1974 for adoptive families. This law has caused more problems with the adoption process then any other... in my opinion!! I would estimate that 90-95% of the family's that adopt from Haiti have bio kids. This law was set up when international adoption was fairly new and there were few children from Haiti available for adoption. It was designed to allow couple's unable to have children of their own to become parents. The process then was much faster and easier to do so parents could still bring home "a baby". Now, the process is so long and difficult, even if an adoption is started on a newborn, it is likely that child will be a toddler before ever joining their forever families in the US. Most "first-time" parents are not willing to wait. The law has not been enforced in the past but once again it is. We waited for Presidential approval for Landon and Sutton for months and never received it. They changed the enforcement in the middle of the process and it was no longer required.

After we receive approval the next step is to apply for a new birth certificate, then passports, then final US approval and finally a visa can be granted. This is several months, possibly even a year away. We know we are blessed to be able to live here in Haiti with Isaiah, however the thought of leaving him behind in order to protect the rest of the family if something were to happen is scary. Three Angel's is an exceptional orphanage, he would be loved and cared for if we needed to place him back there... BUT... it is still an orphanage and not a family. So... we wait... we pray... we pray some more... that his adoption is completed soon. We pray that we are not forced to make the decision that would take us away from him. And we hang on to the fact that God is bigger then any of this and He has the whole situation in the palm of His hands!!

From Carsen:

I've decided to delete my blog. I will post updates here on the Gray family blog. :D

A day in our life...

So... it's Friday March 14th. Tomorrow was the date we had heard over and over again for Jody to be here. However, he still does not have a set day for deployment. It actually is a good thing he wasn't scheduled to deploy tomorrow. He has a subpoena for a murder trial for Monday morning. If deployment had been tomorrow, he would have had to turn it down and wait for the next deployment date. Who knows when that will be!! So, there is a silver lining to all these delays.

Things are going as well as can be expected here. It's Haiti! What can go wrong, will go wrong!

Here's an example...

Here in Haiti there isn't "city water", all water comes from private wells, collecting rain water or water truck deliveries... or a combination of all three. We do not have a well so our source is rain or trucks. The reservoir to store the water in is under the house. It is very hard to get to; the only access is a 3ft X 3ft hole in the wall, 8 feet off the ground. In order to get to it you must get a ladder or stand on the concrete block that holds the water pump.

The water pump is used to pump the water from the reservoir into a 200 gallon tank on the roof. That way gravity takes over and the water can then be accessed through the faucets in the house. If there is no water in the tank... there is no water in the house!The water pump only works when we have electricity. Which in Haiti isn't often... usually in the middle of the night. So, either Shane or I have to get up every hour to check to see if we have electricity in order to turn on the pump. Most night we are lucky and it comes on around 10 p.m. We turn on the pump, fill up buckets in the house (we ALWAYS run out of water half way through the day because 200 gallons of water for 10 people just doesn't last very long!!) and then go to bed. Some nights we are not so lucky... a few nights ago, I got up at 11, 12, 1, 2:30 and finally at 4 we had power. I went out and tried the pump... nothing!! It would not turn on!!! At this point I am beyond tired and have no idea what to do. So... I simply go back to bed.

The next morning, I call Jimmy. I tell him what happened and he tells me there is no way for him to check it unless we have power. So we plan on him spending the night so when we get power he can work on it. That night, his birth mom calls him and she is very sick and needs to go to the hospital. He goes to get her and is gone all night.

So another day with no water. What this means is in order to wash clothes, wash dishes, wash bodies... we have to scoop water through that 3X3 opening with a medium size coffee can, put the water in a larger bucket and then carry it upstairs to the house. One 5 gallon bucket takes about 30 minutes to get. One 5 gallon bucket can usually wash one sink full of dishes or 2 children. Or maybe a half of a load of laundry. We usually have 4-5 sinks full of dishes, 7 children and 6 adults (the staff all bathe here which is customary in Haiti) and dozens of loads of laundry!!! That is not taking into consideration... floors to mop... bathrooms to clean... etc. Not having water is... just not fun!!

So... yesterday Jimmy rents a generator and comes over to fix the pump. He can't figure out what is wrong. Now what??? Our next door "neighbors" happen to be a Calvary Chapel Church ran by an American. Jim is a very nice man and has offered on several occasions to help if we need anything. I sent Shane over to get him. He brings a few guys with him and within a few minutes our water pump is repaired! Praise God!!! We use the generator to power the pump and fill the tank... we have water!!!!

Later that night, we get a water truck delivery. Shane goes down to pay for the water (costs around $50 US for 3000 gallons). The guys are obviously upset about something. Shane comes and gets Jean Bernard to translate. One of the guys slipped while getting the hose out of the reservoir and put his elbow right through the PVC pipe that runs from the reservoir to the water pump!!!! That's right, we get the water pump fixed and still can not use it.

So... for today we have a little water... not much but a little. Once the tank on the roof is empty... we are back to the coffee can!!!!We are the lucky ones really... at least we have access to water. The majority of people in this country do not!! They will walk for miles to a "public" area and fill up bottles, buckets, whatever they can carry. Then walk miles back… to do it all again the next day.

I really do not want people to think I'm complaining... not at all. I actually find it quite amusing. I know I am so blessed to have the ability to access water, it's just so outside of what we are used to in the states that I wanted to share how life in Haiti is. Even for the fortunate, the rich, the privileged.

Keep praying... we want Daddy here SOON!!!!

Still no news

We still have not heard from the UN about a date for deployment. Please, pray we hear soon. It is getting harder and harder to be separated and to maintain 2 households!

I will post as soon as we have news.

fun morning in paradise...

Ok, we have to leave for church in less then an hour. But, I had to share a true "Haiti" story!!

So, I got up with the roosters before the sun. Happens every morning, nothing new there. Kids also woke up, again nothing new. We ran out of water yesterday and could not get a water truck until today. So, no baths. Everyone smells... oh well, life goes on.

So, after getting the kids settled I realize I have to go to the bathroom, ok, so again nothing new, don't we all need to first thing in the morning. I have to be sure to shut both my bedroom door and bathroom door or someone will come in. No big deal except I really prefer to pee in private. I take care of business and realize we need to get moving or we may not make it to church on time. I turn the knob on the door to leave the bathroom and nothing happens. I assume the kids are on the other side playing a trick on mom. So, I ask them to let go... no response... so I ask them in a slightly louder, sterner voice to let go... and again no response. Well, by this time I'm not enjoying this game and raise my voice louder, only to hear Dylan come running from the other room, asking me, "Mom, are you calling me?". Yes, you did just hear an audible sigh!! I am locked in the bathroom!

Great, now what.I have Dylan go get me a knife and he slides it under the door. I try and try to pry the door open, with no luck. Ok, plan B... Dylan turns the knob at the same time I do. Again nothing. On to plan C. By this time all the kids are gathered in my room laughing and yelling, "Mom’s stuck in the bathroom", which at this point is sounding pretty good. Away from the noise!! Ok, plan C... go wake up Shane maybe he can help!?!?!?!?

So the kids run downstairs to wake up Shane... poor Shane... waited up until 1:30 a.m. to let Jean Bernard in. Jean Bernard went to the Dominic Republic to perform with his dance team. Anyway, it is only 6:30 or 7 at this point, Shane has only had a few hours of sleep and now 4 of his 8 siblings are all screaming at the same time at him about mom being stuck!He comes upstairs with 1 shoe on ready to slay the dragon for his mom. He figures he will just kick the door in. Typical male response. I remind him, that if we do that we must buy a new door. Reason prevails and we continue to work on the knob. After another 30 minutes or so, kicking the door in is sounding better and better to me. But, I really do not want to spend the money on a new one.

I finally get Shane to go get a small screw driver and bring it around to the window. I have to remove the knob in order to get out. BUT, whoever installed the door did not think clearly. The locking mechanism to release the knob is on the inside of the door. I can't get to it with the door shut!! So, now Shane sends paper clips flying under the door. I am finally able to get the handle part of the knob off in order to reach the screws. Once those are off, the entire thing falls in my hands EXCEPT the locking bolt which has broke off and is wedged in the door!!!! Great, now what?!?!?!? Well, Shane was able to get his fingers into the hole and push the piece out!!!! I was free at last!!!

My poor son, takes one look at me and says, "I'm going back to bed" and walks away.

Ah, the joys of living in Haiti!!!! Anyone want to come visit?????

GREAT NEWS!!!

Jody got word that deployment has been approved at the earliest possible convenience!!!!

They are currently working on travel arrangements for the group coming to Haiti... we should know soon the exact date!!!!! I told Jody that tomorrow sounds good to me! I could get the tickets for the group in 30 minutes if they would let me. But, alas I do not work for the government so it will probably take days... maybe even weeks... to cut through the red tape on something that can be done on the internet in a few minutes.

We also decided that should be my new ministry here. I will be the "official" travel arranger and greeter for the Police Officer's and Mililtary personal coming from the US. Unfortunately, there is no position with that job title available.

Gotta go get school started. Shane has a lit test and Kynsley and Dylan need to get caught up... we got a little behind last week.

Sleep would also be nice... I was up with babies most of the night... they weren't sick just wanted to play... at 3 AM!!! This Momma does not do 3 AM!! I think we will all be napping today!

Random thoughts

Things are going better here. I almost feel like myself again!! I haven't posted in awhile because I have not been able to get blogger to work.

The kids are doing great. We've had a few adjustment problems but for the most part the move has gone better then I expected. Sutton seems to be having the hardest time but that is normal.

I have pictures etc. to post but I can't seem to get it to work (ahh... internet in Haiti). I also have a cute video of Isaiah WALKING!!! That's right at 14 months old he is FINALLY trying to walk.

Jody is still not sure when he will be deployed. He did get an e-mail from PAE that said they had "heard" that a possible deployment date of March 15 is being considered. I also stopped an American police officer yesterday at the Caribbean Market (yes, I do talk to every cop I see!!!). He knew Jody's name from the deployment list that was sent to him. He had also heard mid-March. So we are hopeful that it will be soon!!!

Thank you all so much for your prayers the past few months. This move has been difficult but possible thanks to God's hand in all of it and your intercession on our behalf.

A post about...nothing

I have been sitting here with the computer in my lap for over an hour. I know I need to blog and update everyone on what is happening in our lives here in Haiti, but the honest truth is... I have nothing to say!

I feel the last few days I have lived in somewhat of a fog. I've gone through the motions, bought and prepared food, bathed children, home schooled, watched a few movies, went out to dinner with some new friends. Nothing exciting. I just feel somewhat numb to things. I'm sure it will pass but for now... no words of wisdom, no funny stories, no great pictures. Matbe tomorrow, maybe next week.... maybe....

Saying Good-bye

I finally have internet. I had hoped my first post would be a happy, fact filled one about our life in Haiti. But, that is not the case.

Last Saturday we recieved horrible news that Jody's father died in his sleep. It was very unexpected. Doug Wooten was the only man besides my own father that I have ever called "dad". He was not Jody's "real" father but the pain is not lessened by that fact.

We met Doug through his son and daughter in law, who happened to be our best friends. I was drawn to the Wooten's by their love for Christ and open hearts. They accepted as one of their own and after Jody made a comment about being an "orphan" since both of his parents had passed away, the Wooten's told him he was no longer an "orphan" because they would be his parents!

Dad's presence always filled a room and when you needed him, he was always there! If you were brave enough to ask him about his opinion about something you better be prepared for the truth, no matter how painful it might be to hear! He loved my children like they were his own flesh and blood and every one of my children loved Papa so very much.

Today, Jody will play drums at a memorial service in Dad's honor. A service that will celebrate his life not mourn his passing. Although, the pain is still there. We know without a doubt that Dad is in heaven, probably golfing with Jesus rgiht now! No pain, no suffering, only rejoicing!! And that we will see him again!

Please pray for the entire Wooten family, Jody's "brother" Aaron, his wife Sarah and children Riley, Aricin and Kael, Jody's "sister" Andrea and her husband, Josh Sanderson and children Ethan and Emma, Jody's "sister" Amy and for Diana, Jody's Mom. Their loss is tremendous and their pain at times unbearable.