Busy Dealing with Many Kinds of Problems

Wow, how time flies when one is busy dealing with a lot of different things, including electrical problems, with electrical problems comes internet problems, water problem, sick children, one child having had surgery, sick house mothers, keeping up administration at the school, at the main compound, and mothering the children – some of them sick. All in a days work!

Brad

Having the Reimers on board is good. They have been here almost a month and have quickly become an important part of the HATS family. Brad is here, there and everywhere doing what is necessary. We are starting already to share the airport pickups with Brad. Tomorrow the two directors are able to stay at HATS and do necessary work as Brad will go to the airport with Yawel and Daniel to pick up our wonderful Texas team. This is a win win situation as they get picked up in the same way as if we were going, and we get to keep up with the work at home.

We are being challenged with electrical problems, which we thought were caused by the main inverter. We took it to PAP for repairs only to be told there is nothing wrong with it. It is being picked up tomorrow and will return with the team. It appears that our problems stem from the generator not the inverter. HATS has grown since the purchase of the generator nine years ago. HATS purchased what was needed at that time and what we could afford. We reached a stage now where we have been overtaxing it – trying to have it run more than it is capable of. Lesson learned. Now we are trying to figure out what to cut out and when.

Sunday afternoon we had a fun birthday party for Leica and Lois. The children especially enjoyed roasting weiners and marshmallows.

February birthday girls – Leica and Lois

Birthday party time

We continue with our late afternoon walks as often as possible. It is good to leave the compound, get exercise, laugh and talk and enjoy time together.

We do love our walks

Recently the house mothers and children were blessed and happy to use their new kitchen. It is now in Kay Timbrmart where the girls sleep. It is bigger, much more airy, brighter and has lots of natural light. This was an important change for a few reasons – to reduce the noise level in the Reimers’ place; to enable the housemothers working in the kitchen to keep an eye on the children outside; and to enable those of us in charge to supervise the work. This was one of the less expensive and one of the most important little projects completed here.

New and improved kitchen, brighter, lighter and more air flow.

Our children are busy with school, homework, playing, bike riding, walking along the canal and devotions . A lot of children in the area have been suffering from high fevers that last 3-4 days. JJ, Moise, Judel, Jofky, Sandra, Jonathan and now Ti Luc. They keep us on our toes and also keep us amused.

Anne & Jofky lying on steps of Kid’s Home

Ti Luc hiding from Germaine on a school morning

Come on Mama, let’s go to Papa’s

Our Djemima had surgery at the local hospital awhile ago. She is back in school and improving daily. The other children are happy to carry her backpack, etc for her.