Progress...

I haven't been writing about the school situation because there wasn't very much to say.
We still have not been able to find a backhoe that is able to knock down the existing school structure. Even after the building is removed from the site, the yard is not big enough for a new temporary school structure to be set up.
Therefore we need to set up a temporary school location elsewhere. I didn't realize how difficult it would be turn out to be. We have decided not to do anything permanent at this time, as we are waiting to hear more about the long-term plan for Port-au-Prince. Today I read an article that stated their will be an committee set up in Haiti that will design a master plan for the reconstruction of PAP, all schools, hospitals, etc. must consult this committee to make sure they fit in with the master plan.
This being said, we are making some progress in regards to the temporary location. One of the pastors that we were working with before has agreed to let us use the property he purchased to build his house. He hadn't started building yet, but he did put in a huge hole for the foundation of his house, a hole that we now have to fill back in!! We have had several builders and an architect from Canada stop by the site to give us some advice about how to set up temporary shelter(s) and how to lay out the site. Today we have a team coming in to start the building of the first shelter. We feel so blessed to be able to start this process and ask you to pray for the team and the work that they will be doing.
Below are pictures of a group of volunteers who helped prepare the section where the first shelter will be built.

Port-au-Prince, two months post quake

A day in the life of Randy....

Only in Haiti would one wake up early for the exciting opportunity of going to.... wait for it... a hardware store!! That's right, I woke up at 5:30 this morning in order to tag along to the new hardware store in town. Traffic has been crazy lately in PaP, due to all the extra NGOs, the international armies, and extra UN personnel, and the new hardware store is on the opposite side of town. So we left early to beat traffic, and were so successful that we were 20 minutes early. Thankfully there was a nice 'garden centre' near by and I was able to buy some new plants. Let me explain about the hardware store, first of all, 90% of my time is spent with guys these days and 80% of their time is spent talking about tools:) so therefore I've heard a lot about this store, it was described to me as a replica of Home Depot, and who doesn't like Home Depot??? (okay, well I did boycott for a bit, but that is a story for another day) Now, don't tell any of the guys I know in Haiti, but I was a bit disappointed by the store, it's more of a man's store, it has all the serious stuff (cement, large pieces of wood) and none of the fun stuff (things that are functional but also pretty).
Now going anywhere with Randy is always a bit of an adventure. One errand always turns into many more and we often run into people that he knows and MUST talk to. We left at 7am and didn't finish until almost 4pm with a short pit stop in there.
However, we did have a successful day. We managed to buy a fair amount of stuff, we met up with a team that is working with Ben Hopp, we had a meeting regarding our new temporary location of the school, we got a ton of great pictures and we even managed to squeeze in a visit to Epid'or (Haiti's version of Subway and McDonald's) Overall a good day. Tomorrow I think I'll sit at my desk all day and work on paperwork, too much excitement for me:)

Day Trip

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to tag along with some CRWRC disaster relief staff. They were going to a small village near Leogone, the epicentre of the earthquake. They have decided to work in the villages nearby Leogone and were beginning by asking each family or household to complete a questionaire in order to access the needs. I thought it would be a neat opportunity to get out of PaP and see a bit of the rest of the country.
Many people in this village lived in mud or tin houses so there were very few casualties, however, most people were still living in tents or under tarps.
At first we were able to walk around from house to house, then people started to get nervous that we wouldn't visit their house and started to surround us and share their stories with us all at once in an attempt to have us visit their house next. We let the village leaders take care of it and quickly disappeared.

Toni and I were given the gift of a coconut. We did our best to finish them but had to share with some adorable girls sitting watching us.


There was an orphanage/school in the village. We walked by and they were sitting idly so I asked the pastor in charge if I could play a game with them. I started to teach them "7 up" but they already knew it so all my instructions and acting were purely entertainment for them:)
I did a few surveys but every question I asked was repeated by everyone around just in case my creole wasn't understood. It started to drive me crazy so eventually I asked the 'crowd' to disperse so I could speak only to the person I was interviewing.
This was a pretty sweet tarp structure that a family had built. They even had carpet inside. I asked if I could stay with them and they agreed, however, when I discovered how hot it was inside and that they didn't have any fans I said I prefered my place:)
I couldn't resist holding this adorable baby, he didn't even cry, however, when he started to spit up I quickly passed him back to his mother.
It was a very interesting day, I enjoyed getting out of the city for a day. As you can see I forgot to put on sunscreen so I got quite the burn, thank goodness for aloe vera. I learned a few new cultural things, for example, if you didn''t eat rice or corn meal on a given day you didn't actually eat that day (bread, spaghetti and fruit do not count as eating). I also learned that some people think that the earthquake released harmful gases into the earth and it can no longer be used for planting vegetables. Overall it was a very interesting day and I'm glad I was able to tag along and see a different part of Haiti.

Food and Filter Distribution

We always start the distribution with a time of worship. Randy, Max and Yder led the singing.
We had a great turnout this week.

Pastor Karl shared the gospel and Samuel translated for him.
Convoy of Hope provided us with a water filter for each of our families. Here Karl is explaining how they work.
Water filter hard at work.
Samuel and I were quite the team! Our job was to keep track of which families receive food each week.
Each family went home with a box of food and a filter this week. What a blessing!

A little bit of fun...

Believe it or not, this is Randy and Tarek making hamburgers, even more unbelievable is how good they tasted.John and Cadeau helped me make brownies. Talk about teamwork!

Healing and moving forward

Despite having a beautiful and sunny week, this weekend has been cold and rainy so far. I slept with a duvet last night!!! and today I'm wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt, unbelievable. I've been busy the last few days with more administrative tasks. We are going to continue to distribute food to the families of our students for the time being so I will continue to assist with this whenever possible. We are also trying to take this time as on organization to reflect on our past work and evaluate it. We want to move forward with much prayer, relying on the Lord to lead and guide us in the way we should go.
Last night a bunch of us were able to get together for a BBQ. It was great to fellowship together and enjoy some laughs. We still talk a lot about the quake, where we were when it happened and what we saw and experienced. Everytime I see someone for the first time since the quake, we share our stories and then discuss what we're up to these days. I find myself often dividing time into "before the quake" and "after the quake". I've been reading some articles about the effects of post traumatic stress. When I was back in Canada I had the opportunity to meet with a Christian counsellor to debrief and share my personal experience. Most Haitians don't have that luxery. I often hear people say that Haitians are strong and therefore they'll be fine. I do agree that Haitians are strong, very strong, but I also rejoice that they have access to the ultimate cousellor, the God who provides healing and restoration. He has not forgotten His people and He never will. I find much comfort in this promise.

Food Distribution

This week I was able to witness (and help a bit) a food distribution. It is quite time consuming. On Monday we purchased the necessary food, on Tuesday we separated the food, on Wednesday we went to the school to distribute the food. Because the team here has done this several times already the entire process went quite smoothly.

Randy gave a short message about the healing power of God.
Cadeau is actually smiling in this picture!!!
The school has fallen even more since I saw it last.

Myself talking to my dear friend, Manman Manise.
The highlight of the week for me, was seeing so many students and teachers. It was so good to see their faces and have a chance to chat with them. They appear to be in good spirits.

Life goes on...

Well I can't say I've found a routine quiet yet, much to my dismay... however, it still feels good to be back. Yesterday and today I tagged along with Randy, hoping to get a small glimpse of the "new Haiti". We have visited several different food depots (warehouses/factories) to get food for the next distribution. We will put all the boxes together today and then tomorrow we'll hopefully distribute the food, if all goes as planned.
We haven't had any significant tremors since I've returned and I feel quite safe. Jenny and I are enjoying nights by solar light/headlamp/kerosene lamp. We read for a bit and then end up going to bed early. Life goes on in Haiti and we're trying to do the same.
I am in the process of creating an "office" of sorts for myself at Randy and Karen's place so that I can start to focus on administrative tasks. It's coming together slowly.
I wish I had more to say at this point but I'm still trying to process it all myself. More later, I promise.

It's good to be back!!

I've arrived safely in Haiti. It was an adventure as usual. We didn't end up taking any of the flights we originally booked. First the NY airport was basically closed so we were rerouted through DC to FL. We were promised a free shuttle from FL to Miami but when we arrived we really had to do some talking to convince them to give us the free shuttle. We tried about 10 different hotels but all were booked solid. So we spent some time in the Miami airport trying to sleep but were unsuccessful. When we arrived at the Air France counter the next morning we were informed that we didn't have reservations. We went back to American Airlines, not hoping for much but we were put on their next flight out. So we arrived in Haiti at about 12 noon on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday morning we drove out to Cabaret for church, it was nice to see some of the church members from our church who relocated to the church there.

It has been really interesting driving around. Some parts of PAP look the same as before, the markets are open, some shops are open and people are walking everywhere. If you don't look too closely you can almost forget what happened. But there are tent cities everywhere and there are still many buildings that have not been cleaned up.

Tomorrow the work begins. I'll try to update when possible. There is no internet at my place (no electricity either) and the internet at Randy's is SLOW!!! I'm at another friend's house right now who has fast internet so I'm taking advantage.

And I'm off....

I finally have a return ticket to Haiti! Praise the Lord. I know it's not going to be easy but still I am very eager to return. I leave Friday afternoon from Buffalo and arrive in PAP on Saturday morning. My parents are in Florida right now so they'll pick us up from the airport, we'll stay in their RV and then fly out the next morning. I will be flying back with Randy who's been here for two weeks spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately Karen and Maia are not coming with us... I will miss them SO MUCH but completely understand there need to remain in Canada for now.

Soon and very soon...

"It is easier to do the work of God than it is to imitate His character. Sometimes when God calls us we are too busy to hear Him." These words were spoken from the pulpit this morning and they really hit home. I hope to be returning to Haiti soon and I pray that when I arrive I won't be so busy doing God's work that I forget to imitate His character.
I'm hesitant to state exactly when I will be returning until the airline ticket has been purchased but American Airlines is once again flying into Port-au-Prince which makes returning much simpler.
My time here in Canada has been restful and relaxing. I know that I'm not prepared for life in Haiti post quake, but I don't think I'll ever be prepared. I've shed a lot of tears and dealt with a lot of emotions but the end is not over yet. I know that when I see loved ones for the first time since the quake I will cry with joy at seeing them and relief that they aren't injured or dead. I have a strong desire to see the land that I have grown to love. I need to finish the last part of the grieving process and I can't do that from here. I need to grieve the life that I knew and the people and places that were becoming so dear to me.
Everyone's been asking two things: 1) what will I do when I return? and 2) will I be safe?
Both questions are difficult to answer. I will mostly be doing administration when I first return. Finances, regular updates, communication with the board and sponsors, all of these things need to be done as we strongly desire to be accountable for the money we have received. Will I be safe? No guarantees, but then there are no guarantees here either. I will promise to be as safe as I possibly can.
Please pray the following:
-wisdom as we go forward
-patience for the frustrations that are all too common in Haiti
-that we will truly glorify God in our words and deeds
When I am back I promise as many updates and photos as internet access will allow.

Ready to go...and it's not just because of the snow

Monday, February 8th, was the day I was originally scheulded to return to Haiti. My dad's birthday has been celebrated and my dear friends Heidi and James have "tied the knot". Now that the reasons for my visit home have come and gone I am quite eager to return to Haiti.
During my time home, I've been able to visit with many friends and family and speak at a variety of schools about the work we were doing in Haiti before the earthquake. This has been a blessing and part of the healing process, but I am ready to go home, and by home I mean Haiti. I miss my friends, my co-workers, my life. But that's the tricky part, my friends and co-workers are scattered and life as I knew it is no more. I have no idea what I'm returning to, yet I am still eager to go.
If I'm completely honest, I'm torn. Part of me is very eager to return to get on the ground and start helping, the other part of me is terrified of what I will see, hear and experience when I return. I know that it will be difficult but I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
Right now, the hardest part for me is not having a plan. I'm a planner and not having a specific, detailed plan doesn't work well with my personality. Last night I was reading a devotional by Charles Spurgeon and it really hit home for me. The story is told of David inquring of the Lord when in battle with the Philistines. Sprugeon states that "If you want to be able to steer your ship through the darkest, highest waves, place the control of the rudder into the hands of the Almighty. Many a crushing rock might be escaped if we would only let our Father take the helm, and many a shoal or sandbar might be avoided if we would surrender ourselves to His sovereign will to choose and to command." In Psalms it says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go." (32:8) and in Proverbs, "many are the plans in a man's (woman's) heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." (19:21)
These words are very encouraging at this time and I cling to God's promises to lead and direct me in the way I must go.

Little piece of Haiti

While we were waiting to be interviewed on 100 Huntley Street, Karen and I were able to meet a Haitian pastor who works with churches in Haiti and Toronto. We asked him for information about where and when his church meets in Toronto and told him we'd like to come visit in the near future. On Sunday we decided to go and check it out. I was quite sure that the service would start late in typcial Haitian fashion, however, although we arrived early the service was already in full swing. We tried to sneak in and find a seat at the back, but we were quickly noticed and invited to sit at the front, which we politely declined. They were singing a song in Creole when we arrived and it felt great to join in singing. After several songs, the pastor introduced us and invited us to come to the front and share a few words. I should be used to this by now but each time I attend a new Haitian church I am always taken by surprise by this invitation. We shared a brief account of the earthquake and how it effected us personally. They were thrilled that we spoke Creole and warmly welcomed us to their church. Although we spoke to them in Creole, I don't think they were thoroughly convinced that we understand it, because the pastor translated his entire sermon into English for us. I am thankful that we were able to connect with this pastor and fellowship with Haitians on a cold, wintery day in Toronto. It's not as wonderful as returning to Haiti, but it was a little piece of Haiti not too far from home and I'll take what I can get for now!

Praises in the midst of Pain

Please forgive me for my silence, I had much to process and sift through in my mind and heart.
The media is slowly growing tired of Haiti as the streets are being cleared of dead bodies and the remaining survivers have been saved. But for Haitians the aftermath of the earthquake is just beginning. They are slowly recovering from their shock and the reality of their future is becoming more apparent each day. Here in Canada I feel so far removed from what is happening in Haiti. I feel so safe, so clean, so well fed. I am thankful that my days are filled with visits with family and friends, public speaking events and slowly responding to the many e-mails I have received.
Before the earthquake happened I had planned on coming home this week for my dad's 60th birthday party as well as a friend's wedding. As these events approach I find myself thankful that I am alive and well and able to share in these happy moments. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh". I have weeped much for Haiti and now I will rejoice with my loved ones for a time. I know when I return to Haiti I will weep again, for all that was lost, but will also rejoice with those who are alive and well and serving Him.
As for my return to Haiti... I am eager to return but not sure exactly when that will happen. I am trying my best to wait patiently for God's perfect timing.

Regular reports from my co-worker Randy continue to come in. He and our Haitian co-workers continue to remain busy. Praise the Lord, they have gained access to a water purification system and as long as they have a source of water they are able to provide clean water. From time to time they also receive food from other Aid Organizations and they are able to distribute this food to the communities where "our" families come from.

Here are some pictures of them hard at work.

They continue to have prayer services each night with their neighbours. This has proven to be a time of fellowship and worship.

Still Processing...

The events of the past week have not completely registered in my brain. One verse keeps running through my head, over and over again: "In his heart a man plans his course; but the Lord determines his step. " Proverbs 16:9. The days leading up to the earthquake were spent in meetings with our board representatives. We spent time praising and thanking God for all the blessing He had given us. We also spent time planning the future goals of Adoration Christian School. The day following the earthquake was to be the launch of our after school tutouring program and our first ever health seminar for our sponsored female secondary students. Now we're wondering which of our students are still alive and how we can possibly help them survive from day to day.
As difficult as it was to leave, I feel much peace about where I am. I feel that God wants me to reserve my energy for now, and emotionally deal with the events from the past week. When the relief teams have provided some stability to Haiti they will leave and that's when my work will begin once again. I don't know what work that will be, but I am willing to do whatever the Lord puts before me to do.
I am so thankful that my co-worker, Randy, is still in Haiti and that we have regular communication with him via e-mail and phone. He is deeply shaken but staying strong. He is focussing on ministering to those in his neighbourhood. Every night they hold prayer services on the street in front of his house, he and our Haitian co-workers are praying with others and showing the love of God through this dificult time. They are experiencing a variety of emotions at this time but are drawing strength from our Lord and Saviour. Their hearts are heavy with the grief they see all around them but they find hope in the fact that God has spared their lives and will direct their steps in the days to come.
We praise the Lord each time we hear of another staff or student who has survived. Many who survived are heading out of the city to stay with family whose houses were not destoryed and food is easier to find.
I am deeply moved by all those who called, e-mailed or "facebooked" me in the last few days. I'm sorry I haven't responded but I did appreciate your notes and especially your promises for prayer. Please continue to pray for Randy and our Haitian co-workers. Pray for their continued safety and on-going strength and wisdom. Pray that in the midst of all the pain and destruction they can be the Light of Christ to the lost and broken.

Home

It's so surreal to be sitting in my parents living room surrounded by family and friends. Wednesday morning we woke up and tried to make a game plan. Our most urgent desire was to find as many students and teachers as we could. On our way down to the school area we stopped by the Canadian Embassy to let them know that we were okay. At the school many people were stopping by to get information about loved ones and share what information they had. It was my first time seeing the school since the earthquake. It was a mess, I couldn't believe it. It was confirmed that one our teachers was dead but we couldn't get any news about Guerdson, our gatekeeper. Randy, Cadeau and Samuel went downtown to try and find him. I walked back to Randy and Karen's home with Jim and John (the two board members who were visiting). People were walking in mass droves down the main road. They were carrying bags full of their worldly possessions. It was strangly quiet. People were in shock, not sure what to do next. I went back to my house for some clothes and any food I could find. I unplugged my fridge to reserve my batteries in case we needed them later. When I returned I heard that there was a flight out of Haiti and Karen and Maia were going to try their best to get on the flight. I said that I wanted to stay but agreed to go to the Canadian Embassy to see what they were recommending. When we arrived at the Embassy they strongly urged us to leave. Upon further discussion I was convinced that I should leave with Karen and Maia. We had limited water and food and by leaving I would free up more resouces for others, as well there was nothing I could do in Haiti. I'm not medically trained and have no training on search and rescue measures. As the situation became more desperate it would also become more violent and our lives may be in danger. The embassy reluctantly allowed us to return home to pack a few essentials for the flight. It was so hard to not be able to say goodbye to our loved ones, as we pulled out of the embassy in the SUVs we saw them through the tinted windows but unfortunately they couldn't see us. We left PAP that night and headed for Santo Domingo. We were put up in a resort for the night. The next day we left for Montreal. The Canadian Army flew us out and took really good care of us. The Canadian Embassy's in Haiti and the Dominican Republic took really good care of us. We were travelling with Maia (Randy and Karen's baby) so we got special attention everywhere we went. Today Karen was able to speak to Randy on the phone. They received news on a few more of our loved ones. They are okay, and have enough food and water for a while. Please keep them in their prayers. I'm exhausted and not thinking too clearly right now. I'll write more tomorrow when my mind is a bit clearer.

Earthquake

Late yesterday afternoon I was in my kitchen preparing some food when the entire house started to shake like crazy. I ran around in shock for a bit and then decided to go outside in case the entire house collapsed. I stood on the street until the ground stopped shaking. I went inside and started cleaning like a mad woman, I saw water all over the place and realized that one of my toilets had broken in two and was leaking all over the place. I turned off the water flow and then my phone started ringing. I heard that the school had collapsed and that as far as anyone knew everyone got out okay. There was a lot of people there because we had a basketball tournament going on. I walked over to my friends house down the road and we sat around waiting to hear more news. Every time there was an aftershock we ran outside to the road. Randy and Karen finally returned home with some of the guys who work with us. We still haven't heard from one of our staff members and none of the teachers or students.
The streets were chaos, people running around trying to find loved ones. Others were sitting in small groups praying and singing. Last night was spent sitting around in shock, not sure what to do next. We all slept at Randy and Karen's house, right by the door so we could run out on the street if necessary. After a while we all moved outside and slept on mattresses in their yard. We slept little and now it's morning once again. We're buying food and water and trying to decide what to do next. Please pray for wisdom and strength.

Flamingos

Ever since I heard that there was a lake in Haiti with flamingos I have wanted to see them. On Saturday Randy and Karen organized a trip with the guys from school and I was able to make it back to PAP in time to join them. We were taken out in these old boats that leaked like crazy so one person had to constantly bail out water. The lake is quite shallow so the boats are pushed forward by a long pole that reached the bottom of the lake.

We basically followed the birds around the lake. When we got too close they took off above us. It was pretty magnificant to see.

Adventures in Belladare... vegetarians beware!

I was invited to join my friends Lesley and her husband Diego on a visit to Belladare, where Diego is from. We planned on taking my car which was still in the shop so Monday morning I stopped by the garage to see if I could persuade them to hurry up. By 12 noon I was once again in possession of my car and by 1pm we were on the road. We were not quite half way when we started to hear a grinding sound whenever we descended the mountain. We became nervous that the brakes were not working so we decided that we had to return home as the rest of the road was quite rough and isolated. Tuesday morning early we started out once again, this time with Lesley's truck. The ride was pleasant although for the last hour the road was quite rough and rocky.
While in Belladare we spent quite a bit of time visiting with Lesley and Diego's friends. I was also able to meet up with one of our teachers (pictured below) who is also from this area.I have always secretly wished to see how a chicken is killed and prepared from scratch and I was granted this wish while in Belladare. I even helped a bit by helping take off some feathers.

Most of our time was spent enjoying time with Diego's family at the house, playing dominoes and talking.

We were able to explore the area a bit. Below is a lake that is stocked with fish.

Here we are on our way to a river that is popular for swimming and/or bathing. I did not partake as it was quite chilly in Belladare the entire time we were there.

I especially enjoyed spending time with Diego's little brother. I found out that he did not do well on his last report card, so I switched to Teacher mode and taught him a math lesson. It sounds mean but I think he actually enjoyed the attention. We'll see how he does on his next report card:)

Overall we had a great time. I was hoping to inprove my Creole but only learned a few new words. I was however reminded that I need to keep learning as there are many words/phrases that I don't yet know. I was able to experience a Haitian New Year's Eve which involves going to church for HOURS (we only went for one hour) and then we tried to introduce some Canadian traditions such as counting down from 10, drinking champagne and shouting "Happy New Year". January 1st is a big deal here in Haiti as it is the date that marks their independence from France. They always have pumpkin soup because the French Slave owners used to drink it a lot but never allowed their slaves to drink it. We visited several homes and drank a lot of pumpkin soup. It was nice to get out of Port-au-Prince for a short while. Our trip home was uneventful and I feel rested and ready to go back to work tomorrow.