The Drydens in Haiti

Life Lessons

2011-11-18T18:28:00.001-06:00

Several weeks ago, Micah's goat had a baby kid. It was quite cute. The kids named him Quigley. (We're going through the alphabet with pet names and had arrived at "Q".) Alas, one night after only a week or so, we heard the dogs barking and the little kids baa-a-a-a-ing frantically. Upon investigation, Benji found that that little goat, which was in a small shed-turned-barn, had somehow gotten out of a very small hole. The dogs, being the hounds that they are, got a little too friendly and, unfortunately, the little goat didn't make it through the night. The kids were obviously disappointed. This was another one of those opportunities for us, as parents, to turn it into a learning time. That little goat that had a safe place to stay with it's mother, had everything it needed, but instead chose to wander away. It cost it it's life. We can be that way, too, you know. Benji explained to them that God has given them everything they need right now: a safe place to live, parents who love them and take care of them. Even though things in the world may look inviting to them, it's not worth the risk to try to squeeze out and possibly get into trouble or worse. They really seemed to understand what we were trying to teach them. I'm thankful that God has given us children to raise for Him and I pray that we can live up to the responsibility. We are relying on His strength and wisdom each day.

CHOCOLATE

2011-10-21T17:31:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago someone mentioned to me that maybe some of the things that we find "common" for us here in Haiti, would be interesting to others. Sometimes I forget that the way it is here is not the way it is everywhere. One thing that is grown near here in the mountains is the cocoa bean. There is a lady that would regularly come by our gate and bring the chocolate for us to buy. She brings it wrapped in banana leaves. But for some reason she hasn't been by in awhile. So we bought the chocolate pictured here from another lady. This chocolate is pounded and formed into sticks and then wrapped in newpaper and then in another kind of paper. Of course, this is just the natural chocolate (no sugar or anything). I boil it down in a little water, strain off the little pieces of hull that's left, add milk and some other yummy ingredients and enjoy hot chocolate. ****Aunt Caroline, this is for you. :-) ****

Guest Post

2011-09-26T04:26:00.000-05:00

This week I was invited to guest post on a friend's blog. Angela Vance is doing an excellent job of providing encouraging, spiritually uplifting and very practical material for wives/mothers/homeschoolers, etc. Check out her blog at http://searching4hiddentreasures.blogspot.com/

KNOWIN' WHERE I'M GOIN'

2011-09-25T17:32:00.000-05:00

I just got home from the funeral of a dear elderly lady in our church. She passed away at the age of 73. The church was overflowing with friends and family. God-honoring songs were sung, and a clear presentation of the Gospel was given. As is the custom here in Haiti, there was a lot of wailing and crying. I know that some of the wailing was because it is "the thing to do" according to custom. But unfortunately, some of it was really real. There were those there today that don't have the assurance in their heart of their eternal destiny, like I do. I am so glad that because of a decision I made on March 10, 1981, as an 8 year-old child, a decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior, that I KNOW that when I leave this earth I'll be in Heaven. As I was walking home from the funeral service, I said a prayer that those who heard the gospel message today, will be forever affected and choose to accept Christ into their lives, and KNOW that they, too, will see Sister Anne Nazilia Frederick Lully again in Heaven because of the same decision she made in her life, too.

I John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Back to School

2011-08-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

Grace Baptist Bible School started their fall semester two weeks ago, so Benji has been busy getting everything organized and back into the teaching/grading routine.

As for my kids' school, we'll probably be starting in October. With our seven month furlough last fall and then me being sick for a couple months, we are still tying up loose ends to finish our school year.

I'm staying busy with all the everyday household duties. Looks like my next project is making guava jelly as our guava tree is producing abundantly right now.

Salt and Light

2011-08-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

Micah and Ethan are part of a group of boys in our church that call themselves "Salt and Light." They are led by one of our faithful church members. They meet once a week, have a lesson or devotional, practice special songs, and go out to pass out gospel tracts in the community. It's been great to see the boys excited about being a part of this group.

Recently, the group planned an outing. The first plan had to be postponed due to the cholera outbreak. Last week they were finally able to have their "day out."

They had a lesson time with a devotional by Pastor Benji and they went out in the countryside and handed out tracts.

Of course, you can't have a day out without a good meal. The leader's wife and another young lady from church went along to prepare lunch. Beans and rice, fried chicken, fried plantain, beets and carrots.

The day wouldn't be complete without a soccer game (along with some other games, too.)

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

2011-08-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I had to spend some time in the States (away from my family) recently for medical reasons. I am now, thankfully, back HOME in Haiti with my family. Some may say, "How can Haiti be your home?" I can truly say that as sure as God called us to live and minister here in Haiti, He has also placed in my heart a love for these people and this country. So, what to others may seem like a poor, dispicable place, to me, Haiti is where my heart is. Each time I'm away, I realize it more and more.

On the family front, Micah had the opportunity to go out visiting/passing out tracts with a group of young boys from church today. They walked quite a long ways and were able to put tracts into many hands. It was thrilling to see him so excited when he got home about going out. He was sharing about all the different responses they got from people. I pray that he will continue to want to be about spreading God's Word.

Next Phase

2011-04-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

This is the first step in the next phase of getting our house done. This truck container is to become a storage shed. We will be able to use it to empty out the second part of the house, so that we can redo the side of the house that will become the kids' bedrooms, schoolroom, and water cistern.

Back Home in Haiti

2011-03-12T20:03:00.000-06:00

Well, we have finally made it back home to Haiti. And we are finally all here. We had a very frustrating first few days trying to get Benji and Micah here to Port de Paix. Ethan, Katie and I were able to get the only 3 seats left on the plane, but after waiting 3 more days, and with still no hope in sight, other plans were made. Benji found someone to take them part way and Benji's dad picked them and brought them home.

Now we are ready to be back into our daily life here. Benji has been going a lot this week and is gone this weekend, too, preaching for a first-fruits conference. He'll return home Sunday afternoon and preach at our church Sunday evening.

The kids and I are getting back into our school routine and have much catching up to do.

As we continue to get things lined out, I'll post some pictures. Hopefully, I'll do better at keeping this up to date . . . but don't hold our breath.

Till next time,

Math Practice

2010-11-01T19:11:00.000-05:00

Micah, our oldest, is always in need of practicing his multiplication facts. He also loves football. So, I thought I'd come up with a story problem that might peak his interest. Here is what I asked him: If the Jacksonville Jaguars got three touchdowns and made the extra point each time, how many points would they have? Micah paused for a minute, thinking, and then replied matter-of-factly: "Who were they playing?"

Furlough

2010-09-27T07:19:00.000-05:00

We've been on furlough since July 20, but I have not been able to find the time to sit down and update our blog. We've travelled quite a bit and enjoyed visiting some of our supporting churches, seeing old friends, and making new ones. We will continue to be travelling and visiting until Mar 1, Lord willing, when we will return to Haiti. Pray for us as we travel and spend time in the States.

A Special Wedding

2010-07-13T09:22:00.000-05:00

On June 24, 2010 a young man from our church (who is also a Bible school graduate and works along side us in the Junior church ministry) got married. This was a special wedding because both he and his fiance chose to keep themselves for each other until married. Unfortunately this is so rare here. Benji was honored to be asked to be the best man and I had the privilege of playing the music. There was much to do to prepare for the wedding, but it was a joy.

This is Bro. Denirat at the Bible school graduation with our boys.

We offered our oven for the bride-to-be to bake her wedding cake.

Here's the finished product . . . .

The bridal party. . . .

My kids were excited about getting to go to the wedding, especially Katie. Here they are all dressed up and ready to go . . .

Katie 7

2010-07-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

On June 3 our Katie turned 7. Here are some updated pictures of her. She's sure growing up quickly.

She had her friend, Wildjina, spend her birthday with her.

Weekend Trip

2010-05-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Benji was invited to preach the Sunday morning service at a church in an area of Haiti that we hadn't been to before. The pastor invited our whole family to come the night before and the spend the evening with them as well. Here is some of the scenery we saw on our trip. Very mountainous, very dry, but very beautiful.

Here is the church building.

They have a professional school . . .

And an elementary school.

Katie enjoyed the playground.

Of course, no trip goes as planned. We PLANNED to come home Sunday afternoon. After church Sunday we had a low tire on the truck. When Benji took the tire off to plug it, he found that there were several holes and we couldn't use that tire anymore. After getting the spare out, we found that it was completely flat as well. The Lord worked it out and there was a young man nearby that was able to fix the spare. Because it was already late in the afternoon, we were hesitant to head home and be travelling part way in the dark. So the pastor graciously offered for us to stay there another night.

When we realized that we wouldn't be going home that afternoon, we wanted to let Benji's parents know. In order to make a call on the cell phone we were led up the mountain to a certain rock where we might find a signal.

Then, when you find the signal, don't move - you might lose the signal.

While on the mountain making the phone call, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

All in all, we had a very nice weekend.

Family Update

2010-05-07T16:37:00.002-05:00

It's always a blessing when God works out even the little things in our lives. Micah had a baby tooth (a molar) that was turning pink, and I didn't know why. He has an appointment when we're in the States in Sept but didn't know if it would be okay until then. I contacted a medical compound not far from here and wouldn't you know it, there was a dentist there this week. They said we could see him when he got back from treating men at the prison on Wednesday. So we were there a little before 5. He had the tooth out and we were on our way at 5:15. Such a blessing that it was so easy. God is good . . . all the time!!

Benji and I and the kids will be leaving at noon tomorrow (Sat) to go out into the countryside. Benji was invited to preach in the Sunday morning service there, and they invited us all to come Saturday and spend the night. Another opportunity for me to see a different part of the country I haven't seen yet.

Micah's Birthday

2010-04-27T11:48:00.005-05:00

Micah, our firstborn, turned 12 on the 22nd of April!! That's really hard to believe. We gave him gifts on the 22nd and then on Saturday the 24th he invited 6 friends over to have pizza and fun. None of these 6 boys had ever eaten pizza so that was fun. They played soccer and practiced a song to sing in Junior church. Then after eating pizza and cake, we taught them how to play Uno. They had a blast.

Everyday Life

2010-04-14T14:19:00.008-05:00

One Monday afternoon a couple weeks ago, we heard and saw a dump truck on the road on the other side of our wall. That was not necessarily out of the ordinary. But as Benji's mom and I got to looking closer, we realized that the dump truck had fallen into the ditch right on the other side of the wall. They worked well into the night and finally got the truck out. Here's what we found the next morning. Needless to say, we had to fix that section of wall.

But the Lord can always bring good out of situations like this. Benji was able to witness to the man that was responsible for hiring the truck to dump rocks on the road. Also, Benji found out that this man had some family members living with him that had been affected by the earthquake on Jan 12. We were able to help them with clothes and money that people had so generously donated to help victims.

Just Chillin'

2010-04-14T14:07:00.002-05:00

The other day I found the boys chilling out on the porch with their cat buddies during their break from school. Thought it was cute!!

Earthquake update

2010-01-18T12:30:00.002-06:00

I thought I'd better write something after the earthquake. The kids and I were in the kitchen when I began to feel the house shake. I said, "Hey, kids, it's an earthquake." The boys and I had just finished studying earthquakes in school. We have had a few small tremors here in the past and I assumed this was another. As the shaking continued and got stronger, I began to realize this was something bigger.

Benji had been in the old part of the house, upstairs, looking for something and was just heading down the ladder. He came to check on us and we stepped outside (we didn't go outside - Mommy didn't think fast enough ) and could hear all the people talking and yelling about what had happened.

Because there isn't television here, when we went to church shortly after people had no idea it was as bad as it was. We had already heard some things on the internet and saw that it was centered near Port au Prince. We knew that it had to be bad there if we felt it that strongly here.

As time went by, more and more reports began filtering in. People in our church began to hear news of their loved ones. Some have found out that their loved ones were killed and others have opened their homes to those relatives who can get up here. Some people are travelling here with broken bones to be able to get close to family and find medical care.

We are now going to focus on what we can do to help those who are here in our neighborhood.

We have heard that many people have contacted my parents in the States and we are so touched that so many are concerned. Thanks to all who have thought of us and are lifting us along with the Haitian people to God in prayer.

Church Christmas Program

2010-01-08T20:45:00.015-06:00

I'm a little late in this, but I'm still learning to use our new camera. I'm going to start with the Church Christmas Program which took place on Christmas Eve. Here are some of the children that got there early to watch. I think you can pick our kids out. :-)

The ladies put on a program based on Luke Chapter 1. They worked hard and did a very nice job.

HAPPY NEW YEAR (A few days late)

2010-01-04T18:05:00.002-06:00

Another year has come and gone and now we're entering a new one. I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous year.

We had our normal Thursday evening church service on New Year's Eve with several people giving testimony as to what the Lord has done for them this year. On New Year's Day we, along with Benji's parents, shared the traditional Haitian New Year's meal of pumpkin soup at the home of the assistant pastor.

Benji and I were supposed to leave today to go off for a couple days for my birthday, but alas, the Lord had other plans. We got A LOT of rain last night and today and we did not want to venture out in it. The roads are treacherous enough on a good day. We're going to try again to go next week.

We stayed inside and did school today, even though it was hard to be motivated. On days like today the kids get a little cabin-feverish. They'd love to go out and play in the water (there's a couple feet of water in some places where it's the lowest.) It's hard for them to watch it from the window.

My parents graciously bought us a new camera for Christmas (THANK YOU), so I'll be working on putting more pictures on now.

ETHAN'S BIRTHDAY

2009-12-08T06:02:00.002-06:00

Today is Ethan's 9th birthday. We have informed him that this is the last one he'll have. No double digits for him. :-) Oh, how they grow so quickly!

We're planning a nice day for him with homemade pizza and birthday cake. He's already playing with the silly string that Grandma sent. He gets the day off of school and no chores. He's happy about that one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T13:13:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday. We're still enjoying all the good fixin's. We had a very enjoyable time with friends and fellow missionaries. Unfortunately, Micah had a stomach bug and wasn't able to partake with us, but he's up and going today just fine. Sure am glad these kids jump back so quickly.

I'll take this time to say how THANKFUL I am for all the blessings God has bestowed upon me. I wouldn't have enough space to write it all. Just suffice it to say that God has blessed me way more than I deserve in so many ways. Most of all, I'm thankful that God has provided a way of salvation by sending his Son to die for us. What a great love He has for us. Now that's something to be thankful for!!

Where Have We Been?

2009-11-06T13:51:00.002-06:00

That's probably what many of you are asking. We are still here plugging away in Port-de-Paix, Haiti. It's has been pretty much routine here. Our days are filled with school and household duties.

I'm having issues with my camera and can't get the computer to recognize it. I think the poor camera is just getting old and cranky and plain wore out. It's been a great tool for us for 8 years, so I guess it's time to retire it. I guess until we're in the States next year, we'll not be able to post any pictures.

The new school building on the church property has the roof on now and a portion of the floor is finished.

Benji did the marketing yesterday and was able to buy a fresh grouper and a red snapper. They weighed about 3 pounds each. We hadn't had fish like that in a while. You'd think living right next to the ocean it would be a common staple, but most of the bigger fish that are caught are sold to the hotels. So we were excited that he found these. Today we ate the heads only in a Haitian sauce. Delicious. The rest is in the freezer for a meal next week.

We are in our week of Hope Conference. The speaker is a Haitian pastor from Port-au-Prince. Benji was able to talk to a young man after the service Tuesday night and led him to the Lord. The meeting runs through Sunday night.

Ancient Egypt

2009-09-05T06:33:00.007-05:00

This year I am teaching the boys together for school. Right now we are studying Ancient Egypt. In order for them to better grasp the information we try to do some "hands on" stuff.

Here's the model of the Nile River they made. It's hard to see but they've planted grass on the banks of the Nile and we cause it to flood now and then to water the grass.

After learning about the Nile River, it's annual flooding, and how the Egyptians would use the banks to grow grains, the boys made some barley cakes and enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

Update on Church construction

2009-09-04T17:25:00.005-05:00

Here's some updated pictures of the progress on the church construction.

Church Construction

2009-08-29T15:31:00.008-05:00

About a month ago, our church here in Haiti began construction on a new building that will be used for Sunday school space (there are 3 adult classes currently meeting in the auditorium at the same time) and also for the elementary school. Here are some pictures of the beginning week of construction. These are all men from the church that are working on this project.

After that week of work, very hot week of work I might add, they were so tired . . .

And needed some recreation time. So they organized a soccer game for Saturday.

On a family note, here's our kids with some of their friends enjoying some popcorn and juice after playing for the afternoon. I'm so glad they've begun to find some friends.

Family Day

2009-07-07T19:53:00.007-05:00

And what a day we had. We have been trying to plan a much-needed family day since the Bible school was finished for the year after graduation on June 13. Well, after a couple setbacks (including a broken down truck) we were finally able to venture off today.

We wanted to go somewhere away, but where to go in Haiti? Well, we heard of an area on the northern coast of Haiti that is being developed with the future goal of a very modern community/city (of over 11,000 acres). Anyway we heard that there was the possibility of there being a beach we could enjoy and possibly a meal, too.

So we packed some picnic items (just in case) and headed out. Below you will see the picture of the gates that you pass through to enter the property.

We had a nice visit with one of the men involved in the developing of this area and then we headed for the beach.
We all had a wonderful time playing in the water and just relaxing. We were even able to order some food at the motel there and enjoyed a delicious Haitian meal.

Katie's birthday

2009-07-06T22:22:00.004-05:00

I know this is way old news, but I couldn't not post something about it.
Our Katie turned 6 on June 3. It's amazing how fast the time has gone by.
It seems like yesterday that we were moving to Haiti with little 3 month old Katie in her car seat. Now she's getting close to entering 1st grade. WOW!

We celebrated her birthday with a nice pizza party with PawPaw and MawMaw.
Katie had a wonderful time with all her beautiful gifts.

I have more posts soon to follow (I hope). Just don't hold your breath. :)

April Part 4

2009-05-18T06:15:00.003-05:00

The most important thing that happened in April was that our daughter, Katie, accepted Christ as her personal Savior.

This all came about after attending a Bible club for children hosted by a young lady in our church.

This Bible club is taught in Creole. Micah understands most everything he hears in Creole and Ethan is really progressing, too. But Katie really didn't understand much of what was said that day. When they got home, Micah was recounting the Bible story they had been taught. It was about the rich young man that didn't want to give up his riches to follow Christ. Katie began asking questions about salvation and baptism. I was in the room, but because this was a conversation between her and her brothers, I didn't say anything. I wanted to let them explain it to her. Ethan was quick to tell her that she shouldn't wait. Soon, she turned to me and asked more questions. Before long, she was praying to accept Christ. Praise the Lord all of our children are in the fold. The Lord is good! All the time!

April Part 3

2009-05-09T16:20:00.002-05:00

Ethan and Katie are both part of a singing group for children. This group was started three years ago by a teenage girl in our church. She has a burden for the children. It actually started as a group for young girls, but as time went on, young boys began asking to join and she now has a good number of young children that participate in their weekly practices and also singing in church once a month and also for special meetings and conferences.

These are pictures are from their 3rd anniversary party. They spent two hours together, sang several songs and had a meal together.

Ethan and Katie each also sang a special by themselves (in French).

April, Part 2

2009-05-06T05:03:00.003-05:00

The 22nd of April was Micah's 11th birthday. I can't believe we have one that old already. Makes me feel old.

We had a special birthday lunch for Micah. We enjoyed being able to stop and enjoy some "family time."

Pizza is such a rare treat here, that when we have it, Benji always takes a picture of it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICAH!!

(You can see in the background that we don't have the kitchen cabinets up yet. I'll update on that in a later post.)

April Part 1

2009-05-01T10:31:00.006-05:00

The month of April was a full month for us. In order for me to be able to find the time to post all the news and pictures, I'll have to do it in parts.

Early in the month (the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday), Benji was invited to preach Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, and Sunday morning at a church way up on the mountain. The first night I thought I'd be adventurous and make the climb with him. We left the kids with PawPaw and MawMaw. After that Ethan decided to go the next night and he went Saturday and Sunday, too. Actually Sunday morning we all went. We weren't sure how Katie would do because it was a very strenuous climb up. But I think she did better than the rest of us. She didn't even seem out of breath.

This church is pastored by the Haitian man that helps teach in our Bible school. Praise the Lord there were 21 souls saved throughout the conference that week.

I have put some of the pictures we took of the climb.

This was going back down.

We were trying to point out to Ethan where our house was so he could look through the binoculars. Our house is towards the left of this picture. This overlooks the area where we live.

Katie always makes little friends wherever she goes.

Here are some more shots overlooking where we live.

This is the church building. They sustained a lot of damage in the hurricanes last year. They lost half of the roof and also the hurricane destroyed their little building off to the left (you can't see it too well in this picture) that they used for the children (Sunday school and junior church).

In Transition

2009-03-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

I don't have pictures to post now, but wanted to give a quick update anyway. We are getting moved into our house now and things are slowly coming along. Each day we try to accomplish one thing on the house.

We finished our Stewardship Conference yesterday and had many visitors throughout the week. There was a contest to see who could bring the most visitors. The winner for the week brought 168. There were 7 people in the contest and the 7th place brought 30 some, so as you can tell there were many visitors throughout the week. Thursday was the high attendance night with 294.

I will try to post pictures of our house soon.

One Step Closer

2009-02-28T07:33:00.003-06:00

This week saw the installation of the iron doors and bars on the windows.

Next comes the painting of the inside.

I had envisioned painting one wall of our bedroom a certain shade of olive green to match with the bedding we have. I wasn't sure if this was going to be a possibility, seeing that we would just have to go with what's available. And since it's not a common color like white or off-white, I just wasn't sure. Praise the Lord for blessing even in the little things. Benji stopped at a shop to check on white paint, and there sits one bucket of the exact color green I was wanting. They had just that one bucket, just the amount we need to do the one wall. I'm thankful God delights in blessing us, even in the little things like paint color.

Rainy Days and Progress

2009-02-11T18:18:00.010-06:00

Here's the view from our new front porch.

In spite of the rainy weather we've been having, work on the inside of our house is progressing. This week and last they have been laying the tile. Here are some pictures of the almost finished work. (Most rooms still need the grout put in.)

Here's the steps leading up to what will be the upstairs.

The kitchen / dining room area.

Shower

Our bedroom with the grout finished.

Today was day #8 of rainy weather. The kids are about to go crazy having to stay inside most of the time. Today there were more breaks in the weather so what do they do? Go dig in the mud!!

Finally

2009-02-03T16:47:00.006-06:00

That heading reminds me of my first car. How's that, you say? Glad you asked. I didn't get my first car until I was a senior in college. I remember saying that if I ever got a car, I'd put "finally" on the license plate. So I did. "FINALY 4". (That was the first number available.)

Now, I'm FINALLY writing. It seems that the days fly by busily, and every night I realize that another day has flown by and no blogging. Then I'm too tired to even begin. The one time I sat down to blog, the internet was running really slow and I wasn't patient enough to wait.

We are staying busy. Last week we got the final layer of the concrete floor poured.

Yesterday they began putting down the tile. As of today the kitchen/dining room is done and some of the office and bathroom are done. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures of the tile soon.

Of course, we always try to take time for some down-time with the kids. Thought you'd enjoy this picture. (Especially the Grandmas!!)

We are enjoying fresh green beans and butter beans from the garden. To those of you in the snow-laden areas, we'll eat some for you.

Christmas Program

2008-12-22T18:38:00.011-06:00

Yesterday afternoon was our church Christmas program. Several ladies worked most of the day Saturday making the church look very festive for the occasion.

Several different groups offered special music. We worked with our junior church kids and put together a little program. We translated the story "The Three Trees" and the kids acted it out. We also inserted some songs in the story, too. They did an excellent job and I think they all had a good time.

We had a record-breaking number of kids that came to junior church yesterday -- 114. It was great to see those benches fill up. We noticed at the program, too, that the kids filled almost all of the middle section of the church.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

2008-12-09T06:53:00.003-06:00

Our Ethan turned 8 on the 8th. We had a special day. Ethan was given the day off school, so he spent the day doing things with Daddy. They got out the Christmas tree and decorations so we could put it up. Ethan shares a birthday with a Haitian girl that is a friend to our family. So we made her a cake, too. She turned 9. Ethan and Daddy delivered her cake to her and while they were gone, Micah, Katie and I took the opportunity to decorate for Ethan's birthday to surprise him when he got home. He was pleasantly surprised. Ethan is such a joy to our family, and we are thankful each day that the Lord gave him to us. He has such a tender spirit and we pray that he stays that way. We love you, Ethan!

After the birthday celebration, we put up our Christmas tree and by that time the kids were all pretty tired from the exciting day, so off to bed they went.

House Work

2008-11-30T05:09:00.005-06:00

This week Benji was able to begin working on putting in a couple windows in our house.

He will hopefully be able to work on putting more in this week. He just used the couple of free mornings he had. He was busy this week with Bible School final exams and orientation for new students. Also, he drove for a funeral on Friday afternoon and a wedding on Saturday afternoon.

The boys enjoyed getting the opportunity to help with work at the church yesterday. Micah helped dig out the ditch in front of the church. Then men would haul it in to fill in our church yard. Ethan enjoyed playing with the son of one of the ladies who were fixing food for the men to eat. He helped where he could.

We were able to share our Thanksgiving meal with five other missionaries/friends. We all enjoyed the fellowship.

Hope Conference

2008-11-12T14:13:00.005-06:00

Our Conference of Hope ended Sunday morning and the end result was 15 souls saved throughout the week. There were a total of 11 that responded at the services and the other 4 were won on visitation. Thank you to those who prayed.

Saturday was hamburger making day, which is a job that Katie always enjoys helping Daddy with.

This last week also, Ethan was so excited to get to help Daddy clean/straighten up the generator house. He was so happy with their work he took a picture.

This Monday afternoon we took a little drive into town. We had heard that the boat had come in that brings things for the store, so we wanted to go see what was new. We were a little disappointed to find out he didn't bring much in the way of food items this time. Last time the boat owner had so much trouble with customs, (they wouldn't let him unload for quite some time), that he had to throw away a lot of spoiled food. So this time he brought in things like hair products that don't spoil and mainly just hauled things in for other people. Oh well, we enjoyed getting out a little bit anyway.

2008-10-31T12:49:00.002-05:00

It's about time, huh? Since the last blog, things have been pretty routine. Last week we were able to have a Haitian family over for an afternoon. They have 5 children, the oldest being near Micah's age, and the youngest 18 months old. The kids all enjoyed playing together. Katie liked having other girls to play dolls with.

Tuesday last week, the boys were playing on the rock pile with their GIJoe men. They were playing avalance and unfortunately, Ethan's hand was in the way. He got his first and middle finger on his right hand smashed under a rock. (These are the rocks used in building the house.) The middle finger now has a purple fingernail. We were a little concerned about his first finger possible being broken because it swelled and turned purple quickly. Benji splinted it for that day and took him the next morning to have someone look at it. Turns out it was just smashed really good. This week it looks much better, (still has the purple nail), and it's tender if he hits it just right. Those of you who know Ethan know that he's always the one getting hurt. We've just come to expect it.

Next week is the Conference of Hope at church. This coming Monday and Tuesday is the holiday where they celebrate death. Our church always has a conference at this time to give people a reason to have hope.

Today is the third day of rain we've had. And looking at the forcast it looks like we may have almost another week worth of rainy days. The kids always get stir crazy when they can't go outside. Right at this moment I hear them outside the window throwing things into the water. I guess the rain has stopped at the moment and they are taking advantage. I better go check on them.

Haircuts

2008-10-16T21:38:00.005-05:00

Well, our planned family day last Monday, was unfortunately put on hold, because Micah woke up that morning with a stomach bug. By Tuesday morning he was feeling better, so it was just a 24 hour bug I guess.

This Monday it was haircutting day and the boys decided they wanted to try their hand at it and cut each other's hair. It was pretty funny to watch. Micah was pretty methodical about it, but Ethan took a swipe here and there.

Other than that, things have been pretty routine here. Benji is staying really busy with minstry responsibilities. The Bible school students have now passed the mid-term mark of the trimester. It's hard to believe we're half way through October already.

Weekly News

2008-10-05T17:43:00.010-05:00

We finished our 2nd week of work on our house. The inside of the house is almost completely plastered. We will take some time off from that work now, but when we begin again we will have them finish the inside and begin plastering the outside. It is looking very nice.

We are not only building our house, we are also trying to build people. Here is Benji having devotions with the men before they begin work. Several of them admit to not being saved, and a few others have made a profession of faith, but their lives do not show it. Hopefully, too, these devotional times will help strengthen those that are saved.

Benji is exhausted from keeping that work going along with ministry work as well. So tomorrow we will take a half day off of school and have some much-needed family time. Maybe I'll get some good pictures of the kids for the blog. :-)

We had an enjoyable service this morning at the church Benji's dad started many years ago in a place called Aubert. This is the church Benji spent most of his growing up years. In fact Benji and the man pastoring the church were in youth group together. Benji had the privilege of baptizing two new believers this morning. We arrived at the church and sang a song. Then we headed out to walk to the river.

We arrive at the river, sing a couple of hymns while Benji and Bro Nader are getting a good footing in the river. Then the first believer enters the river to be baptized.

After that the 2nd believer is baptized.

Then we wait outside the dressing room (the bushes/trees on the left) for everyone to change and get ready to go back to the church.

Then we headed back to the church where Benji preached and we had the Lord's supper.

Gardening

2008-09-26T17:54:00.005-05:00

We (especially Katie and I) have really enjoyed getting a small garden going. We have just a few things planted to start with. It looks like, right now, the lima beans, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash and okra are doing really well. This week we've had nice showers to keep it watered. Before that it was Katie's job to water it. As long as someone pulled the hose over for her, she did a nice job going down the rows and watering them.

CATCHING UP

2008-09-25T21:38:00.012-05:00

Many things have happened since I last blogged, so here's one for catching up.

On Monday, we were able to start working on our house. We have 14 workers here this week to start plastering the inside walls. As of today, they have almost finished the kitchen/dining/pantry rooms. They will finish that in the morning and begin on Benji's office and the master bathroom.

Drawing water

Sifting sand

Mixing the plaster

Also, on Monday, the starter on our generator went out. We have a new one coming from the States next week. By being VERY careful, we made our battery power stretch until Wednesday morning. In the mean time, Tuesday, Benji had taken apart the starter and found what he thought was the problem. Someone told Benji that he knew of a guy that might could help fix it, and he would call him. Well, he didn't show up on Tuesday. But first thing Wednesday morning he was at our gate ready to look at it. He saw the problem, and needed to take the piece to un-solder and re-solder something inside. Benji wanted to see how he did it, so he offered to drive him to his place. Keep in mind, we know nothing of this man. Benji said the neighborhood he lived in was one that didn't look like a place you'd want to get stuck in. And the further in he drove, the eerier it felt. As Benji sat on the porch of the unfinished house where this man worked, he noticed right next door was a witch doctor's house. Across the street on either side of where this man lived, were buildings that had very disturbing pictures painted on them. He said we'd not want to even imagine what does on there. God will allow us opportunties to witness for Him, if we'll look for them and are willing. Benji said on their drive to his house, he questioned the man's spiritual condition, and he admitted to not being saved. So, Benji took the opportunity to share the gospel with him. We are continuing to pray for him, his wife (who is expecting), and their 2 year old daughter. We are praying for another opportunity to cross paths with him and again share the gospel. It's heartbreaking to think of that young family living right in the middle of all that wickedness.

After trying a couple of things, he pinpointed the problem in the starter. Benji came on home and this young man did some running around and located a used part to replace the bad part. They put it back on around 5 pm Wednesday and it worked!!

Being without it for 2 days makes us appreciate it even more. I was sharing with the children, though, that even without the generator (and in turn, lights, running water, cd player, etc.) we still have much more than many Haitian people around us. We can always be thankful and need to always be content.

Gardening and Schooling

2008-09-16T05:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a day dedicated to "around the house". Benji spent most of the day researching and looking at the yard/grass situation. Our grass is getting very tall because our lawn mower and weed eater both are not working. He did have some workers cut some by hand last week, but that is such a slow process. I think he finally came to the conclusion that he may be able to fix the weed eater after all. He found somewhere on the internet that he may be able to order parts that he needs.

Yesterday, too, Ethan started 2nd grade. Of course, being the first day, it wasn't too hard, just a lot of review. He enjoyed it and will probably breeze through his work for awhile.

And yesterday evening, after it cooled off a bit, we planted a few things in our garden. With food prices soaring, as they are everywhere, I know, we are praying for a good harvest. Especially now that we have two growing boys who, at times, can really put away the food.

Sorry I don't have pictures this time. We have loaned out our camera to another missionary family, so they could take pictures of their church that was damaged by hurricane Ike. When I can I'll add more pictures.

Young People's Conference

2008-09-09T11:05:00.002-05:00

Last night was the first night of our young people's conference at church. There were only 16 in attendance because it was lightning and thundering all around and raining off and on. Praise the Lord, it didn't rain a lot. But it did cause a lot of people to not get out. They were still afraid from the day before (Ike). Today is a beautiful, clear day and we are praying the Lord will hold off anymore rain to interfere with our conference that lasts through Sunday night. Pray that many spiritual decisions will be made among the young people and others as well.

Bird on a Wire

2008-09-07T17:19:00.003-05:00

Hurricane Ike has now passed us by, for the most part. It is still showering off and on. We had no damage, just a lot of wind and rain. Many parts here in north Haiti were hit hard. We heard a few reports on the radio, but I'm sure we haven't even begun to hear the worst of it.

In the midst of the rough weather, the Lord gave us a good laugh. After 6 hours of severe wind and rain, there was a lull in the storm at about 10 am this morning. Benji decided it would be a good time to go start the generator since our battery power was starting to get low. He looked around outside a little bit and then turned on the generator. About 30 minutes later we were all in the living room and the generator just shut off. We looked at each other and said "what could it be?" He said it had fuel and oil. "What if it broke a fan belt?" Benji wondered. A few minutes later he went to the window to see if he could see anything and broke out in laughter. This is what he saw:

We have a wire run from our porch to the generator house, so that at night we don't have to go out to the generator house to turn it off, but rather just go out to the porch and pull the wire which in turn switches the toggle switch to off. I guess that last bird was just one too many.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-06T06:14:00.003-05:00

It is very still and muggy here this morning. It looks like we are under a tropical storm warning here on the northern coast of Haiti. I think we'll start feeling the effects tonight or tomorrow the way it looks.

Our mail bag (with Ethan's school DVDs and materials) came up on the airplane late last evening and is sitting at our airport. Benji had Bible school at 5pm so we couldn't go to pick it up. After choir practice this morning we are going to drive in and get it. Since our airport is prone to flooding when we get heavy rains, I'm a little leary of leaving it very long with this storm on its way. Sure would hate to lose all the school material. The kids and I are planning to ride along just to get out and about a little bit.

We'll keep you updated on how we do through this storm, as long as we keep internet connection. Please pray that if we get a lot of rain, it will come as it did with Hanna, slow and steady and able to run off. Keep praying for those in Gonaives and other places where it flooded. They sure cannot handle more big rains. It's a very tragic situation.

Ike

2008-09-05T05:30:00.002-05:00

Many have asked about Hurricane Ike. It looks now that it will be going even a little farther north from here than originally forecast. Of course, only God knows for sure. It still may affect the weather here, we'll see. Thanks to all who have prayed for us. Continue to pray for the many Haitian families affected by these storms. Especially in the town of Gonaives. No one is able to get in to help them by bringing food and supplies.

Benji tried to get more diesel yesterday, but everyone is sold out. Because of the flooding, the road is washed out in many places. Which means the fuel trucks won't be able to come this way. Thankfully, he was able to get some Wednesday.

As Benji preached last night at Bible study, no matter what we go through, God's blessings far outweigh the bad. May that be an encouragement to each one of you today.

Hanna is Past

2008-09-03T12:03:00.002-05:00

Late last night it seemed to calm down, weatherwise, quite a bit, as Hanna had begun to move on eastward. We are fine and our neighborhood fared well, too. The rains came slow and steady, so it had time to run off. It was VERY windy. On the other side of town from us, the river overflowed its banks about a mile. The airport runway was flooded. But we have heard a couple planes fly today so the water has run back off.

There are some other parts of Haiti that were flooded very badly, so pray for those who have lost loved ones and belongings.

Benji went to town this morning and was able to get two 55-gal drums of diesel for our generator and also filled the truck tank. That was a relief, because it will be awhile before fuel trucks are able to come in. They come from the areas where it was flooded yesterday and now the roads are washed out and will be impassable indefinitely.

Thank you to all those who called to check on us. It means a lot to know that so many care.

Hurricane Hanna

2008-09-02T07:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday TS Hanna became Hurr Hanna and in the last 24 hours it has moved straight south right toward us on the northern coast of Haiti. Midmorning yesterday it started blowing and raining. Thankfully, the rain has been slow and steady. So far we haven't had any big downpours to cause flooding. If we have to have two or three days of rain, we can handle it better if it's not downpours. It is still very windy. One of the boys got up this morning, looked out the front door, and said "Wow, it looks like a hurricane." I had to laugh and tell them it was. Up until now they really hadn't paid much attention to it, other than the fact that they knew they couldn't go outside to play.

TS Hannah

2008-09-01T10:20:00.001-05:00

Well, it's a dreary day here in Port-de-Paix, Haiti. It sprinkles on and off and it's pretty windy. On the radar it looks like we are in the southern part of TS Hannah.

Sharing

2008-08-31T06:01:00.004-05:00

Someone from the States so graciously sent some food items (rice, beans, flour, oil, etc.) to be distributed to he needy families that we are in contact with. So yesterday the kids enjoyed helping separate it all out and get it ready.

So far this morning it looks like the weather is going to cooperate for us to have our church services today. Last week there was water and mud in the church building.

We are keeeping our eye on TS Hanna as it looks like we may could get some weather from it.

2008-08-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

Today was another typical day in Haiti. Benji spent the morning doing errands in town: picking up mail, buying groceries and supplies, going to the bank, etc. That is always a tiresome task. Then he spent this afternoon preparing for Bible School this evening. Got a call from a student in St. Louis (for those of you where that is) and they were getting a downpour and didn't know if the students from there would make it tonight. We only got a few sprinkles here, but it still looks like it could rain.

Katie officially started Kindergarten yesterday and she is loving it. She would work all day if I had enough for her to do. She has also become my shadow and is not happy unless she is helping me in the kitchen, with the laundry or other household things. We finish one thing and she says, "Now what can I do."

First Blog Ever

2008-08-28T18:58:00.000-05:00

Well, several people have suggested we start a blog. So, here goes. I'm new at this so bear with me. We have been back in Haiti for a little over 3 weeks now. Tropical storm Fay went by giving just a lot of wind. Hurricane Gustav brought us wind and a few sprinkles. But in between those two storms, we had a storm go through here that caused flooding in our neighborhood and much of Port-de-Paix. We were high and dry in Benji's parents' house. Our yard had quite a bit of water in it though. And church services couldn't be held Sunday morning.

We have not begun working on our house yet, as we are waiting to get cement to plaster the walls. It's a long story as to why we are waiting, but it has a lot to do with how they do business here. Frustrating, at times.

After the big rain, there were a lot of crabs out and about. Monday evening Benji and the kids went crabbing and caught bunches. The next day they gave them all away and many Haitian families were enjoying them for dinner.