NOTE: This post is from May 2007 and was added to bridge the gap between the previous blogs.
Hello once again from the HATS-Haiti mission in the hot country. And believe us it is hot and humid all the time. Oh for a walk on a ‘cool’ day. On the April Update we mentioned that Mirlande’s eye was still healing and we included a photo of Mirlande, but failed to say that it was taken before the problem with her eye. The eye continues to heal and here she is again. These days, however, the injured eye is open again.
Our little Josie continues to charm us all. She is scurrying everywhere and saying a few words. She loves to mimic us at church and devotions by singing in her baby language and clapping her hands.
Alex continues to develop slowly and steadily. It is a joy to behold. He now hates to have to sit in a chair or his stroller as standing and trying to walk is so much more fun. Now, for a period every day, he sits on a low Haitian chair and when we are close to, and in front of him, he can stand by himself and tries to walk to us, but at this stage he is mostly falling into our arms. He laughs and takes great delight in doing this. We continue to wait for the day that he will walk by himself. Here’s Alex feeding himself!
For almost a month now we have again been blessed with electricity thanks to the donated generator we talked about on the last update. It is extremely heavy, much more so than our other one. Getting it unto the hired truck, to transport it to the mission from P-a-P, was interesting and amusing to say the least. I must admit to a lot of internal laughter as I watched 12 men trying to do so. Often all of them were talking at the same time and each one with their own idea of how best to manage it. In order to enable us to head back home faster that day Luckner was doing something else important in P-a-P while the generator was being loaded. I know that if he had been there it would have gone smoother and faster as he would have seen how best to do so and with authority have organized it. Me, however, being a woman in Haiti knew it best to stay out of it and just enjoy watching. I assure you it was better than any TV show. Thanks to having the generator we have been again having a steady supply of water. We are happy and thankful to have this generator. We, however, have been using it a great deal less than we were using a generator in the past because of the gas expense. Today a difficult decision had to be made to curtail usage completely for now. We are all hoping that we will be given some Haitian electricity that we will be billed for later. But that is something one can never depend on here. We, however, need electricity!!
If you write us and do not receive a response for some time do not be alarmed. It will mean only that we are without electricity and thus have no computer time.
Oh happy day – after eight months without it – the Montero is now running beautifully. It is once again being extremely useful to the mission. The timing was good as shortly after the Montero was back in action we had a motor problem with the truck, but not a serious one like the Montero had. The truck motor is presently in P-a-P to be repaired when possible.
This school year will soon be winding down. Sometimes we can’t believe that it was not even a year ago (early last June) that we, Luckner and I, decided we should take a step of faith and let people know we needed a construct a school to open in September. Thank you once again to all of you who sent funds for the construction, worked hard on raising funds, came down and worked hard on the construction, and to all of you who have made it possible for students to attend school by sponsoring one or more.
We need sponsors for more students for September. Please pass the word along to family, friends and people in your church. The yearly fee for an elementary student is $175 and for a high school student $350. We apologize to the sponsors that this year you have received a photo of your student but have not yet received a letter from them. This is due to the huge work load that Luckner and I have. The letters will come. Thank you for your patience. We are behind in some things and trying to get caught up. But will catch up ever happen?? We are doing our best. Feel free to drop us a note about, or for, your student (s).
I, Karen, thought I was going to lose my very trusty co-director on Monday for two weeks as Luckner was supposed to be going to the Holy Lands that day. He, like the rest of the tour group no doubt, was ready to go but received word on Friday that there was a glitch with one airline and they would not be leaving as scheduled. They may still leave this week. He is awaiting word. We are both thankful that I had not completed the arrangements to go to western Canada for a few weeks to see my two daughters and grandchildren. I will now wait and book after we have a date for Luckner’s leaving and return.
We have some projects that we would like to see done in HATS this year. We will list them as perhaps there might be a church group, other group, or individuals willing to try and raise funds for one of these projects. If so, please let us know.
#1 – We need to get the school property enclosed. It is partially done only. The grounds are being used as a toilet and as a dump. There is nothing that can be done about it besides finishing the block wall we have started. The estimate for this is approx. $9000.00 US. Too, we still need five doors and a large barrier (gate) for the school property.
#2 – We need to construct a storage depot. The estimate for this is $1500.00 US.
#3 – We need an inverter/battery system for electricity. We would then use the generator only to charge up the batteries and use that electricity to run things. This will save a lot of money in gas. This estimation is $4000 US.
These projects, of course, would need funds that would have to be raised separately from general funds.
Speaking of general funds, we are still trying to run the mission without sufficient coming in. This is not easy and many ‘needs’ are not being met. At this time we need funds for gas and oil for the generator and for the vehicle. And things like brake fluid, gas and oil filters. We need a printer ink cartridge and printer paper for the office. We need food for Karen’s house. She has not been able to send Martha to the market for a month now. (Thank you Lord, we have the basic food supplies stocked up again for the children). The children need clothes and shoes, and chalk is needed for the school, etc. Too, salary time is coming up again at the end of the month. We continue to put it in the hands of God and wait on him. Thank you for joining us in prayer for the necessary support to come in.
If you’ve been to Haiti, or know anything about the country, you realize that life here is not an easy one for the Haitian people. Many are willing to take big chances on small boats to try and reach the United States illegally. One such group of 253 (most of this group were families with children) tried it this past week. The boat went aground and many lives lost. They have found parts of 163 bodies that had been eaten by sharks. One body was a pregnant lady and the unborn child had been eaten. This is just so very sad and tragic for those who tried to escape and for those who are now mourning the lost. Too, there was another group of 138 who headed off in a boat recently and cannot be located anywhere.
People who feel desperate take desperate chances. They put their hope, and their lives, in the hands of a person they pay to try and get them to the US.
Hope, however, comes from the Lord and when we know Him we must wait on Him. He will take care of us.
Psalm 62:5 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”
Life is not always easy for Luckner and I who direct this mission either. We have taken a strong stand for rightousness and the enemy is not happy. Life in Haiti is different than most North Americans can comprehend. Life is not valued highly and killing someone seems to happen easily when one is angry. This area where we live is a volatile and dangerous one. Luckner and I have both had more than our share of threats but Luckner has born the brunt of most of it. This past week while here working he received a phone call from a private number. A man told him basically that due to changes at HATS, since he joined me, he deserved to die and he, the caller, would be waiting at the bridge over the canal to shoot him when he left work at 4:00 p.m. Some staff leave at 4:00 but Luckner seldom leaves before 5:00 or later. Luckner, however, left here at 3:45, drove home and left his car, and then took his bike and rode back to the bridge to see if the supposed killer would turn up. Some people had gotten word of what had happened and word travels fast. A massive number of people turned out in support of Luckner. Thank God nothing happened. Apparently the person who called Luckner did go there but took no action. Luckner figured out who had called him and called this person with a message but a different one than he had received.
Last night Luckner received warning to take extreme caution as someone had overheard some former HATS employees planning to kill him because they no longer work here. They don’t seem to understand that they were working here longer than I wanted as Luckner had asked me to give them another chance. They need to blame someone other than themselves and so again he is the scapegoat.
This is just a couple of many times someone has seriously threatened Luckner since he joined me at HATS. His life as a lawyer was a lot more calm than it is as a director of HATS-Haiti. If, however, we are God’s and He calls we must obey. That is what Luckner has done. He has basically laid his life on the line many times for this mission. We have a great deal of appreciation for him and his work.
For some time now I, Karen, too have been receiving phone calls, also from a private number, advising I use extreme caution due to what is being said outside the compound. This person who gives me the warnings does not want his name known, perhaps to keep himself safe. Thus, however, Luckner does not want me leaving the compound alone. He fully understands the danger around us. I can take a short run during the day as far as his place but that is all. Otherwise I need someone, usually Luckner or Odner (chief security) with me. If I go anywhere at night without Luckner Odner must be with me and armed. Do I like this type of life?? No. Must I put up with it?? Yes. Is it easy for me – a lady who has always been independent and stubborn?? No. Not at all. Sometimes Luckner has to get upset with me, for my own good, as he feels responsible for my safety. I do appreciate his concern even if, in my stubbornness, I don’t always show it immediately.
Please understand neither of us are living in fear at all. We are, however, using the good sense God gave us and are taking precaution.
Please keep us both in your prayers for protection, provision, and for production as we endeavour to run the mission without sufficent funds and in a manner pleasing to God.
Again, a huge thank you to all of you who support this mission, with prayer, encouragement and with finances. Your support is crucial to keeping HATS-Haiti going and being a ‘light in the darkness’ in this corner of the world.
~Karen
