We have not had this much snow at Christmas in about 10 years.  Yesterday I got out my snow shoes.

Today Kwam my partner called and asked if I remembered the trips we made from Port au Prince to Pierre Payean after the earthquake. I would never forget the devastation and all the medical teams I worked with then. Every week a newmedical team would arrive on a private jet (no commercial planes could go in or out for weeks or months after the quake) and come to our Pierre Payean Hospital to do surgery on patients. Kwam and I would take his big box truck that he uses to sell ice and pick up a couple surgeons who would then travel with us to one of the hospitals in port to find patients to do surgery on.  That part was easy because thousands were all over at hospitals even in tents in the yard or just laying on the ground outside.

The doctors would read the charts if they had one and look at xrays to see which ones we could take on the three hours drive back with us for surgeries. They were laid on a thin mattress in the back of the truck usually given morphine for the pain and long bumpy hot ride. We allowed no more than two family members to come with us. One stop on the way back to buy them food and drinks.

Then after surgery and recovery we would drive them back to Port au Prince. Kwam and I made 37 trips in 3 1/2 months. It was pretty grueling and often the ride took a lot longer due to traffic and the country being such a disaster.  During this time I was at a hospital and heard a little boy crying and screaming. It was our Jovanee in his aunts arms with bandages on his head and one on his stump of the arm that was amputated because he was buried in the earthquake for four days and his brother died on his arm so he had no circulation and that is why they had to amputate. His mother also died.

He has been with us ever since that day I brought him home.  Jovanee and I made peanut butter cookies right before I left. I showed him how to hold the bowl in between his legs so he could stir with his one arm. We had so much fun and he liked his first taste of peanut butter cookies. It is good to special things with the kids on a one to one so they get that special attention that they need.

Well today couple showed up at my gate in Haiti looking for me. Kwam explained I was in the US so they asked if he could call me and he did and they thanked me.   It has been four years in January since the quake and these people drive to Montrouis to my house just to show their appreciation.  I got all choked up and could hardly speak. Then they asked me to pray with them so I did. They are coming back next month so they can see me.

Of course I immediately had to call my friends in Texas Ric and Wendy Bonnell who set up all the teams and the planes and organized everything. They are both doctors and have adopted 5 children from Haiti and have been working part time in Haiti for years. I told them what happened and reminded them what an impact we made and how many lives we touched thanks to Jesus who made it all possible!! Of course so many made an impact on us and touched our lives and we will never forget those times.

So Rick suggested we try to find out when they were there and what team was there at the time. When they come back next month I will  take photos and write an article to share with the ones who gave their time and talents to come to Haiti and help. It was amazing all the people from all over the United States that worked together and sacrificed to come. I still have many friends I am still in contact with and five or six times a year teams still come to the hospital with new people and some of the original ones. So many memories.

All the children went to their relatives for Christmas except for Wesley who has never been away from us since he was 18 months old. I took Sawrens home and oh my what a house where his sister lives. It is a bunch of box houses very short and small all piled together.  No running water or bathrooms. They must have one big outhouse. His sister told me that he is the only one to have a chance in life and to do something with his life. That brought tears to my eyes. I am so thankful he doesn't have to live there. His parents are both dead and it made me feel so good that we are helping him and getting him out of there.

Then I took Lorens home our 8 year old cerebral pasly boy who cannot speak. He has lovely parents but so poor and three other kids. They rent a little 2 room place that is clean but so very primitive. .Lorens does so much better at our house with a better life and so much more room for him to run around.  Another great feeling knowing we can take care of him and give him a better life.

My son in the army got his deployment cancelled so we quickly booked our tickets and came home to Michigan. All three of my boys are here and my four grandchildren. What a huge blessing! I  never knew I would be home for Christmas and it is so nice to be in snow and the cold air. I will go back to Haiti no later than January because the kids will come back then and school starts January 7th.  I drive most of them to school every morning, must work on adoptions and our license. There is always a lot to do to keep me busy.

They did come to survey the land  last Tuesday so we will discuss all the details in January. That will be very exciting!

May we all celebrate HIS birth and remember HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON and how blessed we are to know HIM and have a relationship with HIM.

Merry Christmas, Ann

One of your puppies is very sick. I am feeding her rehydration fluid left over from when I worked at the cholera clinic.  We have a vet that we will call in the morning. There is always something to do or someone to take care of. :-)  Our Laurens with cerebral palsy and cannot speak burned his hand and fingers so I am changing his bandages and debriding the old skin.  He is very good about it. then Guerlinde our 5 year old that weighs only 19# is finally drinking pediasure ($3) a bottle and eating "manba" the special peanut butter made for kids with malnutrition. Today was the best appetite she has had since we got her. I finally found good things for her to eat that she actually likes. Praise God for that.

With 17 kids and one paraplegic you sure can stay busy. We now have 5 teenage boys and one 16 year old girl. That is enough to drive anyone crazy and they are eating more and growing fast. Sometimes I wonder why God gave me this job. Probably to try to teach me patience.  :-)

We have people coming in January which will be a great help and they are bringing great things. Peanut butter, deodorant, clothes, toothpaste and so so much more. It is always fun to have visitors and some have been here before which makes it easier.  A group is coming to build  two new table for the tables which they really need to study and to eat on.

For you in cold weather I am sorry but I sure could use a cloudy day of under 85 and humidity less than 100%.  I  am sure it must be hard to think of being sick of the sunshine but come and live here for a few months and you will agree with me.  :-) 

That's all my news for now. All the kids are in bed now and it is quite peaceful and I look forward to sleeping outside on my balcony in my mosquito net. Good night, Merry Christmas and may we all be filled with the Holy Spirit and let our light shine for HIM!

I put' up our Christmas tree today. It is a three foot fake one out on my balcony where I sleep so people can see it lit up at night. It is not the usual tree like at home in Michigan and the weather sure isn't the same. It doesn't feel like Christmas when it is 8o to 90 degrees with 100% humidity. :)

I will be having Christmas with my family in Michigan as soon as my youngest  son returns from I Afghanistan  and my husband gets home from working in Antarctica. We are a kind of spread around the world family. No matter what month it is we will have our usual regular Christmas like we always have in the past with a tree cut from our own back yard of 15 acres and all the decorations and food. I am very anxious for us all to be together again.

Meanwhile I have this family here to take of which keeps me very busy. Tomorrow I take the ones that need their prosthetics fixed to a mission about an hour and fifteen minutes from here. I will drop the four of them off then go to a burn clinic near there because our little cerebral palsy boy burned his hand and fingers. I am taking proper care of it but don't have the sterile things I need to cut of all the blistered skin and will soon run out of bandages. It is a very nice mission where they only treat burns. Burns are so very common here due to the fact that they cook on open fires or outdoor propane stove like ours.

Our news letter comes out this week and I will try to copy and paste it in my next blog.

Merry Christmas as we celebrate Christ's birth.

Answered prayer

Habakkuk 2:2

Then the Lord answered me and said, " Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it.  Because it will surely come!!!!!

Believe and know God will answer your prayer.

I have been waiting for two years for some land.  It is on the other side of Kwam and Lisa's house.  (my partners)  I have been praying on this land and speaking that it is mine. Weeks ago I drew a picture of it just like I did five years ago of the house I rent now.  Five years ago after I drew God what I wanted, He sent me this house three days later and it was more than what I had even asked for.

Now again I drew my land and planned how I wanted to build on it and showed it to Kwam. Yesterday we met with the bishop and his attorney in Port au Prince (the Episcopal Church owns the land) and they They are sending surveyors out to see what section I want and how much they will allow me to have.  I am estatic and have been thanking Jesus over and over.

Where will the money come from ?  How can we afford it?  God already has that all planned out. He knows our needs and we just have to trust in Him. He has showed me that multiple times. I am learning to trust in Him.

Thank you to all of you who prayed with me. I am just so excited not to rent anymore. To plant bushes and flowers and plan the houses and everything.  It is very very exciting.