New Life for Haiti-Joline's May 2008 Journal

I know, it's been awhile since I have done an entry. I'm sorry! I was in Seattle, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho for 4 weeks, no excuse, but it sure is busy in the states. Lots of people to see, wedding plans to work on and kids to visit and talk to! How fun huh? I had a great time, time went so quickly, it was amazing. I missed Steve and Haiti like crazy, but really enjoyed doing wedding plans with my daughter Robin and her fiancé, Rhodel, as well as seeing one of my son's, Cory and his wife, Shanda. Got to talk to my other son and family as well as Steve's mom and sister, it was really great to be able to do all of that. Had a wonderful time with friends in Idaho, ate a lot of good food, enjoyed the fellowship of being at home for church and doing some of the church activities. Was able to work a "Walk with Christ" and was renewed spiritually. So, even though I missed Steve tons, it was a nice time at home!

So much happened while I was gone and some things didn't happen while I was gone, ha! The truck is still not fixed. Poor Steve, it is very frustrating! He finally was able to analyze the problem, with the help of several Master mechanics via e-mails. A good friend from Michigan kept in contact with Steve and got him connected with the mechanics, they discovered together after a ton of eliminating, that the injector pump went out. God provided a Master mechanic in the town next to us, whose sister goes to our church, and he was able to order the pump at his wholesale cost, amazing! Even then, it was about $1,100.00 plus a core fee, which we hope to get when we bring the old part back. Ouch! However, Bill (our friend in Michigan) is going to see if his church there can do a fundraiser for the part. Now, getting the part here...that is another story. I couldn’t take it on the plane, so had to Fed Ex it from Idaho to Florida to our Agape flights mail office. They in turn, put it on a pallet (on a plane) and sent it to Port, where it went into customs with the pallet. Talked to the Port people today and he said it should be out by Sat., or Monday. Steve is going to try to go to Port on Wednesday and pick it up along with doing some paperwork that he has to do. THEN.....when he comes back he just has to put it in! whew! Didn't know fixing a truck could be so difficult did you! ha! It will be a little over 2 months since the truck stopped...by the time he gets it fixed! Please pray that getting the pump in will be all there is to it and it will start right up! We have a work team coming in on May 27th...need to have the truck up and running by then.

Now for some exciting news! You should see the house! Wow! They have been working really hard on it. Steve had bought a lot of supplies before the prices went up, so they were able to keep working. As you can see in the pictures, they have the walls done on most of the walls and will have them totally done by the end of this week. They will be forming the posts that go on the front porch and 1 that has to go in the center of the grand room (living room/dining room). Then, they will poor the floors (rough at least). That will be really exciting. I was able to walk through the house on Sunday after church, it was so great. The sleeping rooms aren't huge, but the living area where teams will be spending most of their time will be really, really nice. I'll send more pictures next week, so you can see the progress.

Our cat, KC, had kittens. We don't know how many she had though because she took them and put them in the underlining of the twin bed we have in the spare bedroom. I can't even reach where they are from where the hole is, I have no idea how she got them back in there! It feels like there are from 4 to 6....so who knows. However, KC is really sick. She had developed some tumors on the outside of her body, under her skin. The Haitian vet said to wait until her kittens were bigger and he would remove them....but they are huge and yesterday she started not eating and would only lay around and feed her kittens. We had some penicillin in shot form and started giving her that. Tonight she drank some milk and ate a tiny bit! I'm not sure how she will do the next few days, without a vet clinic here or an American vet, she doesn't have much of a chance! It's hard to have animals in Haiti, not a lot of medical help for them.

Okay, enough for one entry! Enjoy the pictures of the house, I'll get back to being more faithful in writing! I love talking to all of you. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as well as the Haitian people as they struggle with the high prices of food and supplies. It is getting even more difficult for them than it was before. Pray that prices will go down so that their lives can be easier! Thanks for all that you do for us and for all of your prayers and support.

Happy Belated Mother's Day,

It isn't mother's day in Haiti, so it seems really strange to not really be celebrating it today. I did get e-mails from all 3 of my kids and a call from my daughter, Robin, so I am a happy Mother! We managed to get an e-card and and e-mail to Steve's mom as well, so know she at least got our greeting. Haitian Mother's Day is some time in May, I think, or June. I can never remember exactly when it is. It isn't a huge deal, but usually the churches have a special service on that Sunday to honor Mother's which is nice. So I guess technically I get to celebrate it twice! Nice huh?

The house is getting more and more exciting every week. Boss Tom, the head mason says that he will be done with the beams that go over all the doors and window on Monday and then they will start working on the floors! I didn't get a chance to go to Marfranc this week to see what was going on, but the pictures look great. It is exciting to see the rooms and walk through them and imagine what they will be like when done. Now that the front room/dining room area has the window space in, it looks so nice. One of the pictures I'm sending is of the front of the house so you can see the grand room windows. They will be all screen, so a lot of air will flow through the house. You won't see the posts for the front porch that runs all along the front yet. After they put the floors in the posts will go up and then you will be able to see the wrap around porch! It is very exciting. We have been talking to Fran about getting an electrician here to help Steve do that and our friend, Rob Bennett from Lewiston will be coming with his wife, in June, to help Steve weld window and the porch. It's getting there.

We have a work team that will be coming in a few weeks. They will be working on moving a lot of dirt around to fill in where too much dirt was moved, plus one of the guys is a landscape architect so hopefully he can help me with knowing where to put some trees, plants, planters etc. and with the front of the house. Two of the guys are electricians and Steve says they can put the boxes on the walls and switch boxes etc. We will also be doing some fun things at Asile (the retirement center) with some singing and games. Erin (the only woman on this trip) has done some things for the school at Marfranc for the classes. She made some Kreyol ABC flip cards with pictures and also laminated some maps and a solar system chart for the walls. I am so excited about doing this with the kids and the teachers. The Sunday they are here there is a concert after church, so we will be going to it as well and Velix (Pastor Plaisir's son) wants to show the movie "David" that I brought back with me on Friday afternoon and have a little evangelistic service, so it should be fun to participate in that. I think a few of us will also paint the outside wall that is in front of the school and church, it hasn't been painted before. So, lots to do to keep busy and get to know the community and people better.

I'm including a couple of other pictures as well, one of the new kittens. It isn't very good, so will probably do a better one in a week or more. KC had 4 kittens, they are tiny, but sooo cute! The other picture is of the foundation on the second school building. They will start putting the posts and walls up this week, but wanted you to see what it looked like before they start. The work has been stopped on it for awhile due to cost of supplies and materials. Steve went ahead and bought some rebar (metal) and cement so they could continue working on it this next week.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I really enjoy writing this every week, it really helps me see how much is going on with the work here. Steve has also been helping our friend Dave with supervising some of the work that is being done on his jobsites as well. Dave had to go back to the states for awhile and isn't sure when he will be back. He sends us money and Steve makes sure that the work gets done. It's nice to be able to help out others while we are here too! We pray for all of you at home, that all is well and that things are going well for you. Steve will be going into Port on Wednesday and Thursday, please keep him in your prayers for safety in Port and also for me here alone in Jeremie! I have Sejan, so guess I'm not really alone! ha! Pray that Steve will be able to get the part for the truck and the deposit check for the customs when the truck was there last September, NLH can use the money! We send you much love and thanks for all that you do for us!

Ke Bon Dieu beni ou,

We have had a nice quiet weekend, hope you had a good one as well. Today is Flag Day in Haiti (May 18th). It is the day that they first celebrated the Haitian flag. I'm not sure if I have this exactly right, but when they gained their independence and created their own country, they needed to have a flag and they decided to take the French Flag and take the white out of it and keep the red and blue strips. They added the seal in the middle of it later, so originally it was red and blue. Every year on Flag Day, they recreate taking out the white from the French Flag. It's a day that Steve and I usually stay off the roads. When we lived up north in Pierre Payen, there were a lot of people on the roads that were partying and drinking and it was very dangerous to be on the highway. Here in Jeremie there were several parades, one huge parade with schools and churches and bands and everyone following it from the wharf up to a huge soccer field on the hill. They did this at noon and at 4:00 we could still hear cheers, speeches and music. Quite the celebration. There isn't any school tomorrow..so it's really a big holiday! We didn't have any trouble going to Marfranc and back to church, just saw several church groups marching on the road, nice and quiet.

I don't have any new pictures of the house for this week! Steve said it was hard to see what they did, so he didn't take any pictures. I can tell you though that they got a lot done. They poured the concrete posts that are on the front porch that wraps around the entire front of the house. They have to pour the beams that connect them before they can pour the roof on the entire house. They decided to pour the rough coat on the floors before they do the roof. They had already filled in the foundation with dirt, then a layer of gravel, then a layer of broken rocks and bricks. On top of that, they put a wire (rebar) meshing to help give it strength and hold the cement, then they pour a rough couple of inches of cement on top of the grid work. After the roof is on, they will finish the walls and also put a better layer of cement on the floors, tile would go on top of that layer. Steve said they got the rough floor done on the porch and in our room and would get the rest of it done this week, and maybe the beams on the front porch. That means that when the work team is here they may get to see what it will look like to have the roof poured. It won't get poured then, it takes quite awhile and a lot of work to frame and put the metal beams in the ceiling before it is actually poured. I'll try to have Steve take pictures as they go so you can see how it is done. It is really fascinating.

I did however take a great picture last week when I was there. I stood in the middle of the dining room and took a picture out what will be the front window of the grand room. It has a beautiful view of the river. One of the workers was working in front of it, so you get to see him too, ha! But you can at least see how pretty the view will be from inside the house.

They are starting to work on the second school building again after waiting awhile to get more supplies. They needed metal rebar to do the posts for the walls and with the rising costs....they had to wait awhile. Steve bought materials and they will get there tomorrow, so the mason there can start the work tomorrow. One of the projects we hope this next team will be doing is painting the front concrete wall that runs across the front of the school and church. It has never been painted and it will make everything look a ton better if it's painted to match the school and church. It's amazing how much a little paint will do! I'll make sure you see what it looks like as well. We are excited about having a team here again, it's been awhile!

KC is doing a lot better! We almost lost her because of that abscess that she had. We gave her some penicillin shots and it actually opened up and drained on its own. She has started eating more again and is much perkier! Finally. I'm including a new picture of the kittens. It still isn't a very good picture, they just won't hold still. I can't seem to get all 4 to look at the camera. The picture you are looking at is one of about 6 that we took and it's actually the best and you still can't see all of their faces. They are so tiny....I think they are about 4 weeks old, but they are dinky. I was really hoping I would have them given away before the team comes in 9 days....now it doesn’t look like it, they are too tiny to be on their own! Rats! Oh well, hope people enjoy kittens!

OH...almost forgot some great news. Steve went to Port last week and got the injector pump for the truck. He is going to start taking the old stuff out tomorrow and hopes to have the new one in by Friday. I'm praying that in the next news letter you hear a huge whoopee and praises that the truck is running again! It has been forever and ever!!!! We love you all and are so thankful for all of your prayers and support. I'm working on a newsletter, should have it done in a week or so, we'll see how far I get. Thank you so much for all you do for us, your support and love is overwhelming!

God bless you all.....Ke Bon Dieu Beni ou.

I can't believe I almost forgot to write an entry for this week. I've had a stomach ache for 2 days plus we have a team of 7 arriving tomorrow, so I guess in all of the activity (or lack of it for 1 day) I almost forgot to talk to all of you. I really enjoying writing this once a week and would miss filling everyone in on what is going on. However, I must admit, it is strange writing something that I'm not sure anyone is reading, ha! I write like I'm someone is going to answer back and that isn't true, so it is a very strange feeling. I enjoy putting into words what we have been doing, so it's fun no matter how many people read along with me.

I have to tell you about the 4 kittens. They are so tiny, but getting so much bigger. They have graduated out of the box with a hole in it, I realized they weren't walking around enough, not enough room. So, I had Steve cut a board about 10" high and wide enough to fit tightly into the opening of my closet door. There isn't a door on it and it's concrete, so the board will wedge in just fine. I cut the opening to the bottom of the box and put the box on the closet floor. KC thought it was okay and didn't move them and they are having so much fun. I put some toys in there that KC had when we first got her and you can hear them playing. There are 2 boys and 2 girls (at least I think that is what they are, very hard to tell). They are used to us touching them and don’t hiss anymore and they are great fun to watch. I'll include a few pictures so you can see what colors they are. The black and white one and the yellow (beige) and white one are boys (I think?) and the other two are girls. The black and white one has a black spot under it's chin and in Kreyol the word for beard is bob.....so I started calling him Bob! Don't have names for the others yet! ha!

Steve has had a frustrating week with the truck! There are so many things I can help him with, but this is NOT one of them. We got the injector pump a week ago, he got the old one out and the new one in and Friday morning I went with him and helped him bleed the air out of the pump and lines. He's getting fuel all the way through the system.....but it won't start. It sounds like it is just about to..........then doesn't. When he shoots some ether into the intake it fires...sounds like it is starting...then quits. Very frustrating. At first we weren't sure what to do next. There is no Dodge dealer here, or even in Port. There are no specialty diesel mechanics in Jeremie or anywhere else that we know of. There isn't a garage that has the diagnostic equipment to help figure out what the problem is. Plus, the truck isn't even sitting in our driveway, it is 2 miles away, up on a huge hill...in the sun, on the rocky dirt. Not ideal conditions for fixing it. We have a friend at our church in Idaho named Toni. She has a brother who is a Master mechanic that lives near her, his name is Lloyd. Lloyd was a huge blessing to us when we needed the injector pump. He bought the pump for us with his business discount and got it for cost. So I wondered if he could help Steve. With a little work, we got his phone number. We forgot that today was Memorial Day and that no one would be working. Lloyd said that a guy he works with is a Master mechanic with these Turbo diesel engines and if Steve calls tomorrow at the shop they can talk. He is sure this guy will be able to help him with it. We are just praying that this is the person we have been waiting for and he will be able to help Steve diagnose the problem, so it can be fixed! Keep praying!

Kay Bo Rivye!!!! It is actually looking like a house! This weeks picture is of the front porch with its pillars. I think the front porch and the great room (living room) will be my favorite spots! This week they are pouring the beams that go across those pillars and the 2 beams that go across the great room inside. All of the floors have their rough coat of cement. When they are done with the concrete beams, they will start to put the scaffolding up for doing the roof, which will be all concrete and metal rebar beams. With the cost of rebar going up, this will be the most expensive part of the house! I have no idea how many sacks of cement it will take to do the entire roof, but a bunch, plus all of the metal in it! I'll try to get pictures as they go, so you can see the process. There is no way I can describe how they pour a roof in Haiti. No cement mixers, even little ones, so all of the cement is mixed by hand (as you have seen in the pictures before), plus, they have a bucket brigade that gets it up to the roof. What you have is several guys mixing the cement on the ground, lots of buckets, a ladder going up to the roof and guys standing on every other rung of the ladder handing up the buckets that are full of cement to the guys on top that dump the cement and then put the empty buckets on a rope to go back to the ground. Imagine doing this all day, in the hot sun! It is an amazing thing to watch. I'll try to get some pictures, but it won't show you what it is like in action!