Five years ago today, right at the mid-point of my first visit to HATS Mission, a two week work trip, Haiti shook with devastating results. The world news seemed to concentrate only on Haiti for the first while then their attention moved on to more current news. For the people of Haiti the memories are still fresh and the recovery continues. There is progress but never at the pace one would like to see. Please continue to pray for the country of Haiti and it’s people and continue to support those who are doing good work in creating a positive future for this country.

Last evening we enjoyed a time of singing and worship with the children and house moms in the girls home. Always an enjoyable time…Jim

Evening devotions at the children’s home

I now turn you over to Sandra for the rest of today’s news. A hot humid day and lots of hard work makes for sweaty and tired people, it does for me at least!

We took a lovely cool walk along the canal at 6:00 AM. Three of the bigger boys took their bikes and us old folk and three of the older girls walked.  It is such a wonderful way to start our day. The girls jumped over holes, climbed trees and the boys rode as fast and far as they could.  We met a lot of interesting people along the way as they are going to work or to look for work, to do laundry, to water their cows, tether their goats etc.

Sometimes we walk others we play

HATS three gorgeous monkeys in the tree

Sandra about to follow Josie

HATS biggest girl, Sandra, following the other big girls

After a lively time of devotions we each went our own ways.  Karen and I with JJ and Moise headed to the school to clean the office and library before school starts again on Wednesday.  Dickie and Jim headed to the kitchen at the school to fix water pipes. Then I started on the food distribution, Jim and Dickie fixed another door to the devotion room and then the boys painted it, they changed locks on doors and then started on Karen’s bathroom. Termites have been eating her cupboard for years and today was the day they disappeared.  Dickie took a crowbar, saw and hammer and demolished it all and the boys helped carry it all out and away from the house.

Morning devotions

Cupboard in Karen’s bathroom looked okay, but she lived with the problem too long

David’s February team will be continuing with the work in Karen’s bathroom

Dickie removing termite eaten wood

Proof that Karen really was living with termites

The rat saga continues with Eugene and Vladimy preparing what will hopefully be the rats last meal. It was a delicious looking concoction that was prepared then distributed around the compound where the rats were known to frequent and the children weren’t.

Meal being prepared for rats, note the fine paring knife being used to slice ripe tomatoes

Marta helped me measure out 28 bags of 9 mamit of beans and 28 bags of 6 mamit of cornmeal.  Tomorrow I will do 28 bags of 18 mamit of rice and then we will be ready to start distribution and I will making more as we go along.  This is a blessing to the many hungry families around and is in response to the many generous people who donated to this as Christmas presents for them.

getting ready to bag all those mamit

Karen, Dickie (driver), Paulto ( inverter man), Richard (security) have gone to Saint Marc to look for a new inverter.  HATS has been operating off a borrowed one for a couple of months now and today it had to be returned.  While the boss is away Jim and I decided to play.  He went to read a book on his iPad but as soon as the kids saw him they wanted to draw etc that he has been showing them to do and listening to his Creole Bible he has downloaded.

Jim enjoying his break

I decided to wash my hair and chased around to four sinks before I found one I could use and then washed my hair 3 times…not because it was that dirty BUT because without my glasses on I couldn’t tell what was shampoo and what was conditioner and got the shampoo 3 times before I got the conditioner!  Then I checked Facebook and had a good laugh at what Jim had posted of us watching TV.  The kids were treated to a video so all was quiet for a while.

The crew returned with the equipment needed and Paulto got everything connected by 6:45 and now we are going to enjoy our supper and a quiet evening.

Supper is now over and it has been raining hard for over an hour, so as I post this I must go and see if I can find a dry place to sleep tonight…

~Jim