Wednesday, December 10, 2014

My laptop and wifi is finally working.   I have to try to remember how to add photos.  Guerlinde saw her doctor from Boston last week and Dr Julia said it is time to get her to the states to see a pediatric gastrointestinal specialist.  Please pray about all of this.  That means I have to find a physician and hospital willing to see her and do testing at no charge.

Today I found out her Mother has no birth certificate or Haiti ID which we need to get her passport. I do have Guerlinde's birth certificate which is good but lack of papers will delay her passport.   We will get it all done, it will just take longer and cost more.

The kids are fine.  We are all praying for funding to be able to move to our new land and build an orphanage.  that is all very exciting!!

I hope this year was the last time I have to pay rent and that we can move in next year.

Blessings to all of you and have a Christ filled Christmas. I will stay in touch more with photos.

Monday, July 7, 2014

I have been home in Michigan and it has been a great summer so far.  I spoke in Texas at our biggest sponsors work camp which was so fun to meet everyone and show them the power point of the mission.

Emacile our head nanny calls me usually every week and I talk to the kids and get an update on everything.  Things are going well but there is an epidemic called Chikungunya.  It is a virus and causes joint pain with fever. The symptoms usually last a week.  A few kids, our young man Evens in the paraplegic and our cook have gotten it but are better now.

Our landlord from New Jersey informed me a few weeks ago that we have to move out of his house by the end of the year. When my husband Mark and I were there we looked at these two gutted out perfect buildings right net to each other on the ocean. There are two owners and one is willing to sell and I have been trying to get ahold of the other owner. Please pray about this. Mark agrees it would be a perfect place to own and have a bigger orphanage with much more room and yard.  A dream come true and prayer answered.

 Ruth and Roberto Rivera, their three children and her mother arrive in Haiti July 10th.  I can't wait to join them.  They headed the mission group from Moody last March and wanted to return to help out at the orphanage.  This is a huge huge blessing.  I leave for Haiti July 23rd to try to find the other owner, look for another place to rent (if need be), find our little Guerlindes father to get his saliva for DNA testing to find out what rare genetic disease she has, to bring the two sets of teeth down that were made, etc etc.  It will be incredibly hot as is our summer there!!!!

I will have a lot of news while i am there so will be in contact. Please pray for all of us and the mission to grow and prosper.

Blessings, Annie

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Prime Minister of Haiti and myself
So much has happened lately and all of a sudden it is time for my husband and I to leave. He has been here over a month and has fixed screens, changed oil in truck and generator, fixed so many things, painted, fixed our pipes to bathroom and kitchen, fixed toilets, fixed ceiling fans and light fixtures, cleaned up yard and depot, and the list goes on. the kids love him and so do the nannies. It will be sad to leave that's for sure but yet also nice to get out of this heat and see our family back in the states.

Mark and I stayed one night in a very rich part of Haiti called Petionville. We attended our friends book signing party and I got my photo taken with the Prime Minister of Haiti. (will enclose soon). We met some really nice people and had a great time. It was fun to get away.

Our biggest sponsor and his friend came to visit. That was the Spiritual, powerful, exciting weekend ever!!  Mark my husband was here so that made it even more special. We have great plans for the mission and that includes building a new orphanage so we can get more handicapped children.

We already have people coming next fall and winter and so many exciting plans.

Please pray we find the right land. I have now changed direction and am looking for land on the ocean where we will almost always have a breeze and it will be much more tolerable.  Swimming is great therapy for our kids especially the handicapped. 

Our goal right now is to raise $20,000 to $25,000 for solar power to run fans alnight, my one air conditioner and our refrigerator. It would be so amazing to have some cool air and not to buy ice all the time for the cooler. things we so take for granted in the states.

We have a new orphan Valadamy age 17. He has no family at all and had to drop out of school because he had no money. Often he went without eating. He is a huge help around here and such a blessing and is so grateful to be back in school and have a home. I took care of him years ago in my old orphanage and cared for his mother until she died. He looks so much like her and is such a sweet boy. A good mentor for the rest of the children. He loves to teach the two cerebral palsy kids and my friend Kandice a physical therapist gave him lessons to do with the two boys. Valadmy does them and even more!! What a huge blessing!!

More later....Because of Christ, Ann

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Life in Haiti

Well, it keeps getting hotter and muggier here. OH MY STARS!! I hope my husband and I don't melt before we get home.  He arrived over a week ago from Antarctica and what a change of weather for him. The kids and I met him at the airport with a big sign that read WELCOME BACK MARK!! So far he has done more than any other person that has been here. Fixing sinks, toilets, kitchen drain, lights, fans, hanging a curtain, working on my truck, cleaning the yard and roofs with the kids, cleaning our garbage pit, rocking the two kids asleep that are upstairs with us, helping me deicide on major and minor decisions, fixing the stair rails, cleaning out the depot and getting rid of junk and honestly the list goes on. Thank YOU Jesus for sending me Mark to my rescue.

Kesmy was here for two weeks with 11 others from Moody Bible Institute. That was a wonderful group with a married couple who were the leaders. It was so refreshing to see the young college students serve JESUS and be so close to HIM.  They made a difference and sure spread the word with Vacation Bible School for kids with puppets, skits, crafts and even fed them. AMAZING!!

I only have three more weeks here and need to accomplish so much so please pray about that. Will try to blog sooner.

A physical therapist and her niece came for a four day weekend last weekend and wow that was great. she worked with our cerebral palsy boys and made and impact. Her niece Shelby hung out with the kids the whole time and has already emailed me about returning.

Sometimes it is really tough here and I want to give up. I get discouraged and the older kids drive me absolutely crazy.

But God has a great way of making things better and if we stay closer to HIM and spend more time with Him then we won't have time for satan to attack us.

talk to you soon,  ANN (full of grace)  so true, glad my Mother named me that.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

The two  photos I posted tonight are of our neighbors who are cutting wood in the field next to us right outside my balcony where I sleep. Two men cut wood and the wife and two little kids sit by them while she makes rice and beans. One day we took the men two big bottles of ice cold water. such hard work and looks like the early 1800's.  So much of Haiti is that way.

Kesmy arrived with a group of 11 people from Moody Bible Institute who are staying at Kesmy's village for 7 nights then my house for 5 nights. I helped them buy food and water to take then I drove some of them and all the supplies in my truck and Zagalo who works for us also took the rest of the group and all their luggage in the big truck.

I found a girl for a couple that was adopting and gave $38,000 to the organization that became corrupt.  It is such a blessing that we found her and the biological  mom still wants to give her up. She is a single mom living in a thatch hut with 5 kids. It is hard to comprehend why these woman continue to have babies that they cannot take care of . Now we will look for the boy in a different town and pray we can find him for this couple who have hired an attorney to complete the adoption if it is still possible.

It is often a struggle to live here and take care of the kids and be without my family.  It is a very different world here and hard to understand unless you have been here. Please pray for the kids and our workers.

thanks for your prayers and financial support, Annie


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Often I see this very poor man walking along the road in his bare feet with clothes that appear to have not been washed in a month. He always carries a bunch of sticks on his back to Montrouis which is how I think he makes a living.  He is always hunched over and looks so very sad. This is the second time I have picked him up, bought him food and drink and took him to his destination. The first time he was very apprehensive and didn't want to accept a ride but today he knew me and got right in my truck.  I  gave him a coke, Gatorade, chicken and rice. He always thanks me when he gets out.

I have the best news. Our little five year old Guerlinde who weighs only 20# got accepted into The Manton Genetic Research Center at Boston Children's Hospital. A physician from Harvard is here and she will be taking her blood back to Boston on Monday with the paperwork I need to fill out as her legal guardian. Plus the miracle is we found her father who needs to submit a saliva sample along with the mother for the research.  This is all free of charge and the genetic counselor I am working with is extremely nice.

We still may need to go to Boston but will wait and see if they can find out what rare genetic disease she has.

I have four groups coming in March and first part of April. So thankful my husband will be here to help.

The attorney still hasnt' met with me about the land to purchase for a new orphanage but he promises this week. I have a lot going on.  God had blessed me with American women staying here almost constantly since October. It has been a big help and companionship for me.

Talk to you soon. thanks for your prayers.  Annie

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Yesterday I went to Port au Prince to visit two attorneys.  A woman and her organization did adoptions but many of us were betrayed beyond belief.  Couples have lost thousands and thousands of dollars and many will never be able to adopt.  The nightmare is like something you read about or see in a movie or watch on the news. It could never really happen to you.  Well it did, it affected my three boys being adopted and also my license which was done totally wrong and turned into IBESR the social service Haitian government. Her partner a Haitian turned it in when I was in Michigan so I never got to review it first.

So now I am trying to help parents either find their children whom are missing or help them finish their adoptions. These past few months have been very stressful.  We still aren't sure our three boys Marc, Wesley and Xavior can ever be adopted but now all the facts and paperwork are in the hands of two attorneys who will find out and if still possible do it right.  My license book which I was charged $2,000 and refused to pay the balance of another $2,000 must be almost redone and I don't know of anyone that can help me. Now IBESR is waiting until September to come out with a new law on how to get your orphanage licensed.

Wesley's father showed up last week. He has only one arm and is in a wheelchair from the earthquake.  I gave him $550 to pay his yearly rent. He lives about three or four hours from here. His wife left him recently, they have four other children.

Sometimes the mission money goes to help other people not just this orphanage. A man showed up at the gate with a paper from a hospital and his son had a ruptured appendix.  He needed $100 for the hospital bill. I gave it to him.  That is a lot of money for a Haitian family to come up with.

Jennifer Hurst an 18 year old very mature young woman has been staying with me for one month. She has been a huge help and I will miss her terribly.Today we noticed the same man walking down the street  with a huge load full of sticks on his back all hunched over in his bare feet.   Often I see him and always feel so so sorry for him.  We approached him and offered him a ride which he accepted. We bought him water, Gatorade, chicken and rice and then drove him to his destination.  We should all make it a point to help someone everyday of our lives no matter what part of the world we are in. That's what I call working for Jesus. :-)

talk to you next time. Oh I am getting excited, my husband is almost done working in Antarctica and will arrive here around March 12th.

In Christ our solid rock. Annie

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

I just loaded two photos but not sure how to print on the same page. I am still learning.

the other night at 11 pm it was pouring rain and I heard  like a loud waterfall in the hallway so I turned on the light and water was pouring out of the light switch. The photo is not even as hard as it was but we were too busy sweeping the water out the back door and down the steps to take it earlier. We have a flat roof and some of the pipes on the roof are broken. I plugged the hole with sealant today do I hope that plugged the hole.

An electrician John from Indiana came to my house and fixed my generator, battery charger and generator. What a huge, huge blessing!! He taught me so much and now I can check the oil, look for loose or disconnected wires etc.  He said when I build our new place he will help wire it.

The other photo is of Laurens and Robertini the two handicapped boys that cant speak. Today I taught Robertini to make sounds like mmmmm and aaaaaaaaaaa.  We gave him hugs and kisses. they are the only two that can't attend school so we work with them here. They are best friends and now Lorens isn't alone all day and they can compete and learn together. We are trying to teach Lorens to keep his hands down when he walks instead of being so spastic and flapping them all over. These boys need a lot of attention.  I wish they had the therapy that they need.

The attorney from the Episcopal Church called me and said they will be ready to discuss the new land, size and price next month.  I am very excited about that so please pray God up doors for funding and teams to start building.

It is easy to get discouraged in this country and sometimes I just want to pack up and go back home in my peace, comfort and cozy house. Some of the kids are teens now so you can imagine the challenges of having seven of them. I often feel so alone but then once I focus on Christ and and why I am here it makes it much easier.  I still get lonely for home!!

Donna, from Indiana has been here for years and knows perfect Creole so she went with me yesterday to Port Au Prince. I had to take a lady to the hospital. When we left the hospital  the road was blocked with people so we pulled into an alley and ducked down. Haiti has a lot of riots or just demonstrations because it is their only way they have to express their needs.  It is so sad. Anyway, this time it was college students needing professors. We pulled back out onto the road when we thought it was clear and the crowd was heading towards us.  You never know when violence will break out so it can be a bit scary. All of a sudden Haitian police showed up in this huge black vehicle that resembled an army tank.  They were so impressive as they fired tear gas into the crowd. The road cleared and they directed us to take a different road and we were on our way home. Our Haitian police seem more professional and so quickly on the scene.

I am blessed to have so many friends and God always sends new ones like John right when I need them. Thank to all of you for praying or supporting this mission! 


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Today was a beautiful day!!! It was windy, overcast and in the high 70's which is cool for Haiti.  I have to admit I love it when the sun doesn't shine.

Yesterday I had to go to Port au Prince to take two girls to the airport and run a few errands. It is about a 1 1/2 hour drive.  Jennifer from Pennsylvania is here with  me for one month so I took her for the experience. she has been a tremendous help to me and also is working everyday with our two mentally challenged mute boys.  Actually Lorens can make sounds but cant pronounce anything. He now can say mmmmmmmmm.  He is a smart boy with cerebral palsy.  Our other 8 year old boy Robertini has only been with us for one week and we don't have a diagnosis on him. He may also have a different type of cerebral palsy. He makes no sounds except for screeching occasionally.

A wound specialist was here and Rosettes foot is so much better and no more packing it. She was a huge blessing. Then an American stopped by to borrow some tools and he knows all about generators and inverters. Another blessing!!! He fixed our inverter that wasn't working at all and he found out that our generator was only working on half the power and that is why  it kept getting overloaded and would turn out the lights. He will be back tomorrow when he has more time to work on it. God is so good and I always have so much grace and blessings from HIM!

Six of our children failed the last marking period. We were very surprised. Not fun and games for them for awhile. We were shocked and are working with the teachers and school director.

We have four boys attending the American school. Wesley in kindergarten has an excellent report card and the other three made the honor roll. Three more boys at another school get their cards this Friday.

These children are challenging and  a lot of work.  With 18 children and some handicapped there is always a problem or a situation that needs attention. Thank God I have excellent help and a great cook to keep us running

Am working on our adoptions and there have been many challenges to make it very very difficult. I meet with a director  and our social services on Monday in Port au Prince. Please pray our three boys adoptions will still be able to happen and God opens doors.

Bless you all and thanks for reading.  :)

Saturday, January 18, 2014

I think I just learned how to add photos to my blog. This is Erika, Kalley, me and Kristi. we are at the airport saying goodbye. It was hard for us all to say goodbye after a wonderful 8 days. They were a tremendous help, so much fun to be with, such Godly young woman, and so good with the kids.  We had water balloon fights, silly foam fights, bubbles that got up to three long and every kid got their own wand.

Rosette is healing well after her surgery but everyday the gauze (iodoform) has to be removed from the wound and new gauze packed in. Thank God it is healing fast and we should be able to stop doing that in a few days.

Jennifer an eighteen year old is here from Pennsylvania for a month so she is a huge help and adores the kids. Her main job is to work the two mentally challenged boys we have that cannot go to school. Also Judy from Canada is back here with me . She is an RN and works at two hospitals nearby. She is also great company and a big help.

I am closing now to see if I  did this right and if I did will send more photos.  We only have electricity three to four hours a day now because our inverter quit working.

Monday, January 13, 2014

After my flight being cancelled twice due to the storms I finally made it back to Haiti. the thing I miss the most is the cloudy, snowy, cold days.  So much heat and sun here.

I have a team of four here and yesterday we took all of the kids plus 8 adults to a park in Port au Prince. It is in Petionville which is a very wealthy area in Haiti. they have grocery stores like ours with even my almond milk.  The kids got to shop there for their first time and were all amazed. We bought two bags of MICHIGAN apples, cookies, pop, ham, cheese, turkey, fruit snacks and potato chips. Jeanie Hodges from Oregon donated money to take the kids for an outing.  It was really fun.

Yes, I drove 25 people in my truck that day. Also a wheelchair because Evens our paraplegic also came along.

Rosette our 11 year old got an infection in here foot a few days ago when she was at her Mothers for Christmas vacation. She got admitted to the hospital tonight as it went up her leg and into her groin and she developed a fever. She never even complained to me about the pain and went to school today.

Erica who is part of the team staying here volunteered to stay at the hospital with her and care for her.  I will be there in the morning before her surgery. My good friend Naomi Shields an orthopedic surgeon is here for a week and will be doing her surgery. Another blessing for us. 

It is very late so I will close for now but more news tomorrow.

I hope to be able to figure out how to put photos on here. I would like you to see how we fit all of us in my truck.