PICTURES..............

Bible School has 80 students now.

Certificates for completing one year!

Certainly a joy to hand them out.

I was asked why I had an ankle bracelet on. Had just removed it, but asked the class if I was any more holy now that it was removed. Seeing Jessica with the camera, I looked her way.

Gary getting ready to give his encouragement to the students.

Barbara teaches the incoming class.

Gary has the third year class.

Carolyn has the second year class (and the group that got their certificates for attending last year).

We had so many rotten eggs, Gary and Dan decided to test them to see if they would sink (good) or float (rotten).

Jessica teaching on character, Monday nights, at Yvesner's church. (Yvesner is interpreting).

Peanut butter anyone? Kevin (left) and Daniel delivering our peanut butter made by Kevin's mother-in-law.

Gladimir just blew out his candles and watching to see if Kesmy can blow out all his.

Gary and I with a church that just received supplies after the hurricane.

FINDING TIME..............

When I realize the number of days that pass before getting back to the blog, I'm amazed! There are so many pictures we want to put up for you to see, so many words to type and here it is time to go to school again. Ahh, but we have a day off tomorrow (Friday) for Dessalines Day. Kevin and I joke about this because it's not his birthday but his death day that is celebrated. Interesting to say the least. What did Dessalines do? I'll let you look that up, I don't have time but will enjoy the day off.

Our kids are doing great, Bible school is great as well. We have a lot for which to thank God daily. Dan, Jessica, Al and Bev are fine as well. Al comes to El Shaddai to help us a couple of days a week. It took him three taxi's to get here Monday. The first guy's motor scooter broke down, Al caught another; the second guy had an accident. He had no brakes and ran smack dab into the back of a truck, smashing his nose and bending the rim of the bike. Al simply got off and hailed another to get to school. Now you understand why I don't ride them!! He's young and brave. I won't say what I am.

We are rejoicing Omar went another direction and we are still working to come out from under the hurricane's effect. Nothing moves very fast here. Riding two miles is like riding ten slowing every effort to get to people.

My first graders are really smart and going very quickly in the reading program. Exciting since last year was so difficult. Our school is teaming with kids especially little ones! Jessica is leraning all about pre-schoolers. They are really comical and the neat part is she understands their Kreyol. They have a lot to say that I miss due to hearing problems. Yesterday, one of my first graders said in English as the band was practicing: That's a nice band you have there. It was so cute and bold for her to come up to me and say that. I couldn't laugh although I wanted to, so I leaned over and kissed her cheek. (By the way due to space, when the band plays we all have to listen).

I'll try to get the pictures up real soon but now school is calling. Have a blessed day and remember that the Lord's mercies are new today!

Carolyn

IT HAS BEEN A BUSY WEEK WITH LOTS OF RAIN

We had rain on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night. When we left for the Bible school on Saturday, we were amazed at what the rain did to an already bad condition. There had been a flash flood near the entrance of St Marc and beyond. The bridge where we pick up Barb, Al and Bev was showing stress of having had too much water. We drove past the police barricade through lots of mud. There were two trucks that had gotten caught in the flood and they were a mess. Hunks of asphalt was everywhere as the water lifted it up and placed it elsewhere. Young banana plants were on their side and not a few trees were uprooted. We hope we get no more rain of that magnitude.

The new bridge in Montrouis works quite well although, it will stand no big storms and the one that hit St Marc, did not hit there. They'd had rain but not a hard one.

School is going well, I think, or can I think at this point. We keep getting new kids, 46 total to date, several older ones who speak no English and that's impacting schedules and staff. We finally have a class for them to learn English. We had to pull Petit Homme from music to use him there but Praise the Lord, we hired another "maestro" to work with us this year and he seems able to handle the children just fine without Petit Homme.

Gary and I volunteered to drive one of our employees, Pastor Samuel, to the mountain to give out hurricane supplies for which he'd received funding. It was a pleasure to give our time, and fuel to go. We don't often get to other parts of the area and this was a chance to see somewhere we'd never been. Quite a steep ride and then the church was above the road. There were 27 families living in the church because their homes were gone. It was like Christmas for them with food supplies, clothing and the children got New Year's Eve noise makers (and they made noise, believe me!) We walked through the village and saw that the roof was all that was left on many homes. Gary had to back up for quite a ways before we found a spot to turn the truck around. It was interesting that all of Pastor Samuel's people chose to walk that distance rather than get in the back of the truck. I saw an interesting picture and to get it I had to stretch my arms over across Gary. Needless to say, his yell stopped me promptly because I was interfering with his ability to see to back up. Somehow the idea of picture taking moved me to be a bit impulsive. Need I tell you that I didn't get the picture??

Hurricane Relief projects of Touch Ministries: The man from Gonaives with the little boy who has a broken hip has returned to Gonaives with rent money and food. He found his wife so the family is now back together. The family with the tree over their house, now have the tree removed and we are in the process of rebuilding that part of the house. The family that was on the street are in a one room apartment, rent paid for a year, two children are in school and we are putting her into business by buying the things she needs to sell. So, in many ways all three families are better off than they were before the storm. A sad note: the man from Gonaives has AIDS. Because he was sick we had him get a physical and the blood test showed him positive. We are wondering about the mother and the boy. As soon as the boy gets his cast off he will be tested. Haiti reality always sets in right when you least expect it!

I think I have remembered everything. If not, more will come when I start putting the pictures on. Blessings to all! Love you, Carolyn

Continuing On

We welcome our new staff members, Jessica Maudlin and Dan Joshu. We welcome back Al and Bev Carpenter.
Jessica is a theology graduate of Hanover College and Dan is an Audiologist. Bev has an Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. Pretty impressive group wouldn't you say? We sure are thankful that the Lord brought them to us. More than that, think of the seeds they are sowing into children's lives.

Jessica is learning the challenge of pre-schoolers, eight of them! They are having a good time and so is Jessica. (I think). The other day during our opening exercises, little Garvens was with the older kids. He kept smiling at me every time I walked past him. Because I was busy I smiled back without thinking. It dawned on me when I saw his teacher coming into the room, he was not where he was supposed to be. Our first two weeks has been training them where they are supposed to be.

Dan continues to prod the high schoolers into work, work, work. He's so encouraged them that they work on school work during breaks! He also gives his time in the evening to Kesmy when there are difficult concepts to learn. Dan's the man!

Al and Bev are standing outside the front gate of the orphanage. Do you want to know how to get the gate open? You pick it up!! It's hilarious. Of course we will change that real soon. They are fitting into the Haitian neigborhood very well and the boys are loving them as parents.

They are letting their light so shine before men that their good works are seen and God is glorified!