The Creole lessons are very challenging for us. We're picking up a few more words to add to our vocabile. Our teacher Stanley is very patient but does pray that we can learn quicker.
Philip's brother Thomas came down for 10 days. What a blessing! He helped with the block laying and making sure it was kept straight. Philip had to leave for supplies and he couldn't keep track of everything. Charisier the architect is still doing a good job. He couldn't understand the metal stud walls , Philip wanted to put in, in some parts of the downstairs. That was quite an extended conversation for quite a while throughout the day. Philip thought he finally understood! :) Then we arrived one day and the blocks were being laid up where Philip had showed them it would be metal stud walls. Such is Life! The Cam team stopped in one day and we enjoyed some familiar faces.
We enjoyed a church conference at Bric over Haiti's Mardi Gras. One of our church friends, Simeon & Melanie Shanksters are on the staff at Bric. They invited one of our ministers from IN down to help with the preaching. Also a Bric board member, who is a minister came down to and helped with the preaching. Very good messages were preached. The interpreter Bootler is so fast he about takes the words right out of the minsters mouths.
Our little garden is really struggling. The collard were about ready and the next day they all disappeared / maybe chickens????? We enjoyed one cucumber, the rest are staying the same size and turning yellow. Wrong kind for here ???? Lots of blooms on things and lots of insects eating the plants..
Philip & I grated a fresh coconut sprinkled it with powdered sugar then toasted the coconut. Yum! Great on granola and just good to eat. Enjoying fresh orange, grapefruit and passion fruit juice.
The neighbor girl, Wiztgard has been cooking a lot for us at noon. One day she grabbed the soda bottle of oil and poured it the pan, here it was the gasoline to start the fire. OOPS! It just went up in a vapor. Thankful it wasn't a huge fire, she would've went up in flames. Her eyes got huge, she quickly looked out to see if her Mom was watching! :) We've had some good laughs over this, she is so fun. She is 20 years old and going to nursing school. One uniform that gets washed every night.
We got our water tested and it is very safe to drink and very good too. There wasn't many Haitians getting water at first, but now the pump is very busy, the word is out its good water. The neighbors thought we should charge a goud a 5 gallon bucket. That's about 2 1/2 cents. Madam has been collecting the money, she's outside a lot and can see who comes and goes. She has to settle some water debates once in while. I'm glad its her, I don't think they would respect me for charging. Was glad it was all the neighbors idea. Some were getting paid for hauling water to a building site is one reason they thought we should charge. Also the pumps do break and the money is for the repair work.
The thieves tried to break in Oolies house one night. They pried their back door open, which is their bedroom and started shooting. We don't know if they thought Oolies had money or a key to our container. Needless to say it was a sleepless night for the family. Wiquens the 11 year old was crying the next morning so Philip prayed with him. He spent the night with us that night. Philip welded more fasteners on their metal door.
Madam Oolie grabbed a big aloe leave one day, slit it opened and started giving it to her baby chicks. She would pick up the chicks and hold them and put a little aloe gel in their beaks. She said it was so they didn't go to sleep, meaning die. She also got a chicken feather, washed it and dried it. then she started to twirl it in her ear ? cleaning it or itching a tickle ???? I learn new things all the time.
Enjoyed Stan Boyd, Jim Boyd & Calvin Wolf for a big weekend. We had a communion service at CAM and they came for that. Jim has cancer and this is something he wanted to do. They helped Philip and just lifted our spirits up. Thank you again for your encouragement!
One day we walked out of Creole class and there stood our daughter Ashley. Our mouths dropped open and we couldn't believe it. WHAT A SPECIAL SURPRISE!!! Jared, our son was to be there too, but had had an accident the week before. So Sorry! He was on a crane job and a 2000lb beam fell on his left foot. I think it will be ok but the surgeon, did have to amputate the 2nd and 3rd toe ( next to the big toe) to the first joint. The big toe was so crushed they couldn't pin it. Hoping to save all of them. He has to be careful for 6 weeks. Back to Ashley we enjoyed her for 5 days and she helped me get organized for several families that were arriving in a few days to help Philip. I still can't believe she was here, it was very special. Thank all of you and especially Daddy Jack for taking care of the children. We decided to take off Creole lessons for a week. So busy couldn't even study.
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| tieing the rebar on top floor |
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| the jacks and boards on the bottom floor |
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| A Cement Bucket Brigade |
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| On top Jason & Ethan troweling |
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| Cement Buckets the workers brought to the job !!! |
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| The lunch being prepared |
