Roof Top Acommodation- OH! Canceled!!!!

Our Wonderful God Sent Team

Mahlon & Judith sleeping on top of the box truck, when the upstairs was too dirty with cement

Pouring the Bridge

Pouring the roof of the 2nd story

The cement got hauled from below -climbing the scaffolding and handing up buckets

We got the roof poured and Tropical Storm Chantal canceled out, so it didn't bother us either. We did have some very windy days setting the walls, the Haitian Bosses wasn't sure about those flimsy walls. Now that they are stuccoed  they are pretty impressed with them. The team from TN was very hard workers and we sure enjoyed them. They helped Philip pour a Bridge over the irrigation ditch- the first time the form collapsed and they had to put all the cement back in the cement mixer-oops- Got it all done again !!!  Took the team up to SoDo Falls .  Here it was a Festival of a Saint that died in the 1800's - people everywhere and parties.. Glad to get out before evening, not a good place to hang out... Brought a lot of fruit on the way - the girls couldn't get enough of the mangos -had to enjoy some of them on the way. I'm sure they didn't get sticky. Stopped in Bric on the way home and the team had to get in a little volleyball, before we came home. Sunday, we went to Cam for church, enjoyed a meal there, then headed to the ocean again , one last time before team left. Then we stopped back in at Cam on the way home,  had to play a little volleyball again :) and had a wiener roast too. What fun and the energy they had. Monday had us taking them to airport and telling them goodby, maybe never to see again but we sure enjoyed them. Th Haitians started krepi outside & inside of the house. One late night, with a full moon, Philip and I climbed on the top roof , sprayed a sealer- to seal and cure the cement. Was glad Philip didn't forget and step off (tends to be accident prone :) ). On Saturday the 20th of July found us going with  Simeon, Melanie, Watson & Solomon to a wedding in the mountains- Cum John. We had built a church there in 2008.  One of the young couples we knew were getting married. Here it was a double wedding, the church was so full we couldn't even get inside so we didn't know till after the wedding- I know its hard for you to figure that one - but lots of ministers preaching, choirs singing, 3 look -like brides- one was a God mother to one of them, just different culture then we know. The food was all ready and setting on the table when we arrived at 2:00 and they didn't eat till maybe 7:00. Of course, it was dark by then in the room where the food was. People kept coming in to fill their plates but no one seemed to leave, so it become impassable. Enjoyed an early church service the next morning around 7:00 a.m. and then we ate a little and headed home around noon. Stopped in Clint Bowers to and from the wedding and had a quick visit. Got to BRIC around 8:30, ate a bit and headed to our house. Gario our Haitian helper, stayed  there all weekend to watch things while we was away. Enjoyed  SLM Mission Bible Study for all the Anabaptist missions last Saturday. we always come home renewed and built up.
  Well, the Bosses thought they needed to take out the jacks in the main room upstairs and Philip had told them to krepi the beams to help with the support, and the jacks shouldn't come out yet. Oh! They thought it was all OK.  So out came the jacks. Hum___ Pat's stopped in about then.  Philip & Pat  climbed on the roof and noticed a crack down the ridge of the roof. They stretched a line and found the roof was sagging about an 1" over the dining & living room area.  Oh! Philip was sick. We had hoped to let boys sleep on top if they wanted too. We do have to get a sealer for the crack on the roof - to seal out water. Not sure at this time about the strength of the roof on the one side. We do have up & down days but God is Good. Twice last week we tried to go to an electrical store - too late the first time they were closing the store- so we tried the next day and got in a traffic jam- market day - couldn't turn on a side street and if we tried to turn around it was just as bad the oncoming traffic- guess what --store had just closed when we got to it again :(  I told Philip there's a reason for all this we can't forget that. So we might try on Monday...
 On Thursday, Pat's came to spend the night and then we took them to airport on Friday to go to the states for 5weeks. We picked up our mail and we enjoyed all the little cards and messages from our sweet Fall Creek Children. Also, we really appreciate the money you gave to us. We love you and thank you for your love for Jesus. We left Pat's off and went to a truck dealer to look at vehicle we need, as we're still using the GB truck. We hate to buy new one because of the image it gives the people but a used one is usually, really used  here in Haiti. :) :)  The vehicles here are European made and parts are available. If we have one shipped down from the states, they aren't as heavy made and parts not available. The dealer has a friend who has a used truck for sale that has a new engine in it. The dealer put in the engine so its guaranteed. Might be just what we need.  Also a new truck might have a BIG  dent in a week.  Like last week, I drove to a little grocery on my way to BRIC.  As I walking in front of the truck it started rocking, someone was pulling in (the guard was helping direct the driver) and he ran right into the back of the truck- it didn't hurt our truck but it put out some of his headlights.  Philip was glad I wasn't in the truck or they might've said I was backing out ??? That reminds me of another incident. Philip was backed into a store to load up boards, I was sitting inside with the window down, a truck of rebar  hanging out the back was backing in, the next thing I knew ,  the rebar was hitting the mirror and starting to come on in the cab- ouch- the guy had turned a little sharp. The helper started to yell and the driver stopped but, he wouldn't look at me. Scared me a little bit!!! 
After we left the dealer we drove up to Kenscoff to see Micah,Josie, Islande & Mario, little trouble finding them, bad phone service and a wrong number once too. Whew- we found them about 4:00 and asked them if they wanted to go to The Lodge for supper. Yes, they had been there all day hanging out. Islande was starting to get her hair braided, but we decided we'd better go and they could braid in the morning. Josie, Mario & I rode in the back, till he got a little scared. He and Islande traded places, a rough ride, no not near as bad as some roads and it was a  beautiful drive. I thought we were in CO it was so much green and high steep/ rocky mountains. The Lodge was so beautiful , great food and overnight accommodations.  Come down we'll have a mountain retreat..

Enjoying our quick evening with Micah's our Prayers go with them as they head back to States with their new little ones and Henry waiting patiently>>>

The lodge

The Flowers  were beautiful

One of the stairways

Our week's go by quickly and sometimes we accomplish a lot and some weeks we wonder where the week went. Today Arron Lavys stopped by with Nathan Rapps, they were on the way to the airport to get Daisy's brother. Nathan is helping preach at a VBS where he had helped IFM  build some houses a couple years ago.  Today we saw our Creole Teacher, Stanley and his wife Juilene. Her cancer is starting to take its toll on her, her belly keeps swelling and now her legs are retaining fluid more. Please remember them in your prayers. It seems harder for Stanley then for her. Looking forward to Gary & Marilyn coming in on Tuesday. Hope we can show them a pleasant week and not make them work to hard.  Blessings to all of you -your love and support to us- until then... Bethany