This week . . .

Here I have a few random pictures.

Fatherless children. The youngest are triplets.
The children's mother had an accident. They were already very poor. How does a widow feed so many mouths?


Shea welding a door.
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Rebuilding Project

Eager workers filling sand buckets to dump in the cement mixer

Forming for the rebar reinforced concrete posts and band beams.

Hard working youth!



Joseph and Gesnert troweling a hard, colorful, slick finish on the concrete floors.

Sawing the logs into boards with a cross-cut saw.
As the lake rises, more and more trees die.


Joanna and Sheila having fun in the kitchen.


This evening, the church had an open air service at Sancois's house. Sancois and his wife are over 80 years old. They live in this tiny house (center) with thier grandson (bla) who is mentally handicapped.

Saturday, 19 Mar 2011

Cholera is increasing. Friday night we had 17 patients overnight. Saturday morning Dr. Bosse discharged 8 patients. By Saturday night it was up to 21 patients. 10 of these patients came from Pine Forest, about 2 1/2 hrs. drive up the mountain. 2 people related to these 10 patients already died up in Pine Forest.

Dr. Bosse in room #1.


Nurse Thelisma checking on patients in room #3.


Nurse Sheudia starts an IV.


Health agent Dieumet teaches patients and patients family the importance of hygiene and clean drinking water.

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Trip with the work team to visit Clint and Brenda in Soliette.


Loading up!


Daphka making juice at Clint's.


While some of the group hiked to the top of the mountain, Joanna and I took our boys to play in the creek just below a spring.


Nic using the trail for a sliding board.


Josiah talking to a boy on the trail. The bike tire is the boy's toy that he pushes with a stick.


Waiting by the river for the rest of the crew.


In the evening we had a birthday party for Shea. The girl's made this cake and some fried chicken.

Good bye Ray

I take this opportunity to thank Ray for his (almost) two years of voluntary service. Ray is loved very much by the Americans and Haitians alike. Ray added a lot of life to the staff here at IFM. Ray loved to drive on the Haitian roads, and spent many days in traffic jams. He bought most of the medicines for the clinic, food for the school, supplies, hardware, and building materials for here at the mission.

Sadly Ray had to return home a few months before schedule due to an accident. Ray had spent the week working on the rebuilding project with a work team that included some of his friends. Ray slept with the team on the flat concrete roof of the SLM house in Santo. They preferred sleeping on the roof because it was cooler up there. On Saturday night while they were sleeping it started to rain. There was no steps going up onto the roof, so they used the F450 as a steps. As Ray was sleepily getting off the roof in the middle of the night, he slipped and knocked his head on the concrete. We thought Ray was gone as he was bleeding profusely from his left ear. But God had not determined that it was Ray's time to go. He saved his life. After spending a month recovering here at the mission, Ray was strong enough to make the long trip back to Montana. Please pray for a speedy recovery for Ray. You are welcome to send Ray notes of encouragement at rainman_9@juno.com

Ray, thank you for being my friend. Thank you for the motorcycle. We are praying God's blessing on you. We are praying for your full recovery.

Staff picture on the morning Ray left. (L-R) Tiboutson, Wismith, Joanna holding Caleb, Gesnert, Mike holding Nicolas, Sheila, Ellen, Julia, Ray, Michelle, Daphka, Reynald, Shea, Josiah.

Single Staff Picture with Ray (L-R) Ellen, Tiboutson, Sheila, Michelle, Julia, Ray, Daphka, Reynald, Shea.

A recent picture of our family.