I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would bring you up to date. I often speak of my experiences here in Haiti. What I have failed to spend much time on is my family. I am blessed beyond anything that I deserve. I have an incredible wife, four great kids, a great father and two great sisters. You add to that by extended family, my wife's family and a guy couldn't ask for much more. I find myself asking why God has blessed me so richly.
My wife is an incredible woman and a wonderful mother. She has put up with way too much. She has had to listen to me complain about the professional side of this mission far too many times. I'm just kind of person who prefers not to earn my money the easy way. I came here to work. Unfortunately, I've came to the realization, finally, that my perception of "work" is different from what is really going on. I guess in some ways it is "work" to be away from home, in the heat every day and in a 3rd or 4th world country. I guess I just feel like we could accomplish a whole lot more here. But, I'm not in charge so I'm going to drop the subject.
My oldest son Brandon is 22. He is currently a Firefighter/EMT at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. He's only been there about a week but seems to be adjusting. My youngest son Brett is 20 and is a Junior at College of the Ozarks, www.cofo.edu, in Branson, MO. He is also the founder of Stay Positive, www.staypositive.me which is an uplifting and hugely successful blog. He has some very exciting things going on in his professional life. My daughter Kayla is 18. She currently works with the developmentally disabled near Springfield, MO. And last but not least is Tiffany. Tiffany is Brandon's girlfriend and is a full time nursing student. Again, I am definitely blessed. The rest of my immediate family includes my father, Bill and my sisters Debbie and Myra along with my brother-in-law Kevin who is a master cabinet maker and the guy who pretty much keeps everything running at home, including my house, cars, motorcycles, etc. Not sure what I would do without him.
So, things are moving along here in Haiti, though sometimes it seems as though it is at a snail's pace. November 13 will mark 3 months of service. I actually arrived in country on August 4 but did not receive my initial assignment until August 13. The 3 month mark is important because it means that we can ask for a transfer to a different assignment outside of our region. I personally have no intention of changing assignments again anytime soon but I know a lot of guys and gals who hope to do so. Some want to go to the regions, Jacmel, Jeremie, Cap Haiten, etc. I guess you could describe those areas as being "away from the flagpole."
For me, I'm confident that I stay here in Port-Au-Prince. It's costing me a small fortune to live here but it's really convenient. My accommodations are safe and secure, and most of all reliable. I have consistent electricity, air conditioning, access to food and water, a hot shower, television and internet. I also have a core group of friends, James, Russell, Debra, Neil, Shawn, Micah, Phil and so on. While I would love tosave more money, there are also some creature comforts that I'm not willing to give up without a fight. Some look at that as weakness, I look at it as smart. I'm confident that I can do the most good right where I'm at.
As I've said before, if I only had the mission to rely on, I would be in trouble. I thank God that he brought others into my life. I often speak of Greg & Michelle Roberts from Chadasha Foundation. Our friendship continues to grow. These are two amazing people, along with Chelsey and the rest of their group. While it often appears that there is very little happening here that actually benefits the Haitian people, I cannot say the same about Chadasha Foundation, www.chadasha.org and Rebuild Globally, www.rebuildglobally.org. And there is the www.apparentproject.org. Christmas is right around the corner. If you're looking for a truly unique gift, that also benefits someone other than your typical corporation, then I encourage you to check out sandals made by Rebuild Globally or jewelry, purses or metal art marketed by Apparent Project.
God definitely works in mysterious ways. He brought these people into my life when I was at one of my lowest points. Thru Michelle, we were able to help Ken Ken, a 9 or 10 month old little boy who is the size of a newborn. While he is very, very sick I know that we have made his life better, if only for a little while longer. I've also become fast friends with Michee, a 20 year old guy who lives in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp where I used to work. I love this kid.
I am currently assigned to an area near the ocean here in Haiti. While overall, conditions are better than Port-Au-Prince proper, it is still a depressed area. It seems as though you are either wealthy here in Haiti or you are living in abject poverty. There does not seem to be a middle class. 75% of the population is unemployed yet they are always in a hurry to go somewhere. It has definitely been an experience so far. We'll see what God has in store for the future.
I'm still focused on getting a wheelchair to the guy I talked about before. I just haven't had the opportunity to confront him while having someone with me to translate. I know that God will provide a way though.
In about 25 days I will take a few days off. We work 7 days per week here. I'm looking forward to the break. I'm not planning on going anywhere, just hanging out here and hopefully I'll finally make it to the Chadasha Foundation children's home. When I finish that short block of leave, I will return to work for 21 days and then go home for Christmas. I can hardly wait.
Well, that's about it for now. I hope that this posting finds each of you healthy and happy. Until next time, take care, stay safe and God Bless.
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