DUST THOU ART TO DUST RETURNETH WAS NOT SPOKEN OF THE SOUL - BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD !!!

Greetings from the sunny south!!!  We arrived back safely in Haiti. Enjoyed three weeks in the states with family and friends. Our oldest daughter Kendra and her family from OR, even flew in a half hour ahead of us. They  spent ten days with us.  Then our second daughter, Ashley received a call from Ethiopia to meet their little Niles. So Jack & Ashley flew to Ethiopia to spend a week with Niles. They hope to go back in twelve weeks to bring him home. Guess what we did? We enjoyed a special time grand-parenting  for their three other children.  Such special times and crazy business -IN to OH to IN to OH to IN. The leaves were still very beautiful and then God sent a snow one morning for us to enjoy. It got very chilly too, 23 degrees. We were very Blessed from our church family, friends and of course our dear families.
  While we were in the states our dear Julyne died, on  Friday before we returned on Tuesday. We wished we could've been there, but God had a reason for this. It was so good to see Gario and Stanley when we arrived home. They had the garden hoed and the house all clean. We arrived home on Tuesday and the rest of the week  I was busy in laundry. We helped Stanley gather things for the funeral on Saturday. Friday found Philip prepping the floor upstairs to seal. So I drove with Gario to go to IFM to pick up Pat's for the funeral. They drove down the mountain on their new gator. A very dusty trip.  When we got to the house, Philip wasn't done with the floors yet and Stanley needed us to help him. So Pat drove and we picked up Stanley. Then we proceeded to pick up items, pop, water bags, meat pies,  and white jackets and skirts for all the sisters. Funerals are black and white usually.  As we picked up the pop more people arrived to ride with us, stepbrother, several sisters. The truck was getting full. Pat got us all safely back in the dark , minus his glasses  at Stanleys house.  Philip met us there and brought us something to eat. Many people were at Stanleys singing and just hanging out.
 Julyne's poppa called earlier in the week to tell Stanley he'd help with the funeral. He said he'd call back in a few days. He lives in Miami and is illegal so he couldn't come to Haiti. On Friday morning after Stanley had paid for everything the poppa called  and said he had $700.00 for him. Stanley said I don't need it everything is taken care of, which made poppa mad. Stanley said give to the family if they want to buy something. He's done  this sort of thing before, waiting to the last minute.  It seems he finds fault with everything Stanley has done for Julyne.  There is an older stepbrother that Stanley never let come to our house when Julyne was alive because he didn't trust him. Thank you, Stanley! Many people thought Stanley didn't do enough for Julyne. Mainly taking her to a Voodoo priest where she would've been healed.Poor Stanley has so much on his shoulders and then dealing with grief . Stanley took Philip  to the funeral home to show Philip the casket. Philip said it had to be one of the nicest ones- all white with a rectangle piece of glass on top where Julyne's face would be. He had always did the best for Julyne - so much love they had for each other. This was the last thing he could do for her.
  The viewing was on Saturday morning around 6:00 before the funeral at 7:00. We were running late then several neighbors wanted to ride and so we waited  and waited. The funeral had started the time we arrived. The church was very full with people standing outside. It was a church with just a roof.  There was singing and preaching, Judith a sister talked and Stanley gave a little talk too. Several of the sisters were wailing and had to be carried out. Some several times. Wailings at funerals isn't uncommon but it sure is different for us. Stanley had asked several people to leave early with Philip to go get the water, pop and meat pies to take to the burial. it was 2/12/ hours away.They didn't want to leave with Philip , so it bungled everything up. Myron & Marge Hostetler came from OR to be at the funeral. They worked at Cam and have done a lot for Stanley & Julyne. They left the church to go to Stanley's house and found a big turmoil was going on. Philip came back to pick me up after finally going with Stanley and people to get the supplies. We started back to Stanley's, Myron's stopped us (they had left the house) and said be careful they have guns and weapons and want to kill Stanley. Philip looked over at me and said I feel like I'm in the movies. He decided to back up to the house in case we needed to make a fast get away, we were a long way from the house yet. Here came Stanley down the road with people hanging onto him and many people following him. he climbed into the truck and one nice stepbrother, Yveto leaned in the window and was pleading with Stanley. Wasn't sure what all was happening. Stanley wasn't going to the burial, he was planning on staying  at his house but because of the turmoil he climbed into Myron's truck. They brought him to our house, so he'd be safe.
  We took off trying to keep up with the van full of siblings and was trying to figure out where the vehicle was with the body. We had a truck full of people, the meat pies and drinks. They made some calls and we finally caught up with the body in the Toyota. Meanwhile the van decided it needed gas, and there was 2 more big buses, not sure where they were. We took off again in a hurry, it wasn't long till we stopped again. One of the family members wanted to check the casket and make sure the body wasn't stolen. This is just a little different then we are familiar with. Is this a movie or what- stolen body- stepsisters- Cinderella ??? People wanting to kill Stanley???  The road was very busy, so it took us longer to arrive. We actually went by our first project in 2005 Haiti. Julyne had told me she had grew up close to there. Arrived at her old home area and there sat the 2 big buses. We drove slowly by the area. We drove a little farther to the cemetery. They had to carry the casket quite a little piece to the vault. Their vaults are built on top of the ground. The family carried the casket and some carried the flowers. They were singing as we proceeded to the vault. I thought how much Julyne would've liked the singing as we walked.     

 

band playing as the casket was loaded in the Toyota

Carrying the casket to the vault

 As we walked up to the vault, they had cement ready to cement the vault shut. The pastor had a short service and prayer. he was holding a wet cement trowel, dug up some dirt  and sprinkled it over the casket. Dust thou art and Dust thou returnest ??  When they took the flowers off the top of the casket, Philip asked the pastor if I could look. He said no we couldn't open the casket because the poppa wasn't there. Philip asked again if I could just look through the glass, but he still didn't understand. I leaned way out and got a glimpse of part of Julyne's face. They took big rocks and beat up the casket. Yes, they do have grave robberies that would steal a new casket - use it or resale it. We walked back to the truck and the siblings handed out drinks and meat pies. Our truck was loaded with people wasn't sure where they wanted to go but I guess just back to where Julyne grew up. The sisters went over and talked to an old lady, maybe an aunt of Julynes.  We finally left and had several extra riders, they said they'd let us know where they wanted out. We stopped at

An uncle of Julyne's cemented the vault shut

our project in 2005, no one was around but was fun to reminisce. They had painted the school pink. Looked real nice! :) We finally started for home, one last extra rider. He got out in the next village, he was the uncle that sealed the vault. When we got back to Stanley's house the other stepbrother apologized to Philip for being so mad. They thought Stanley had stole the casket when they couldn't find the Toyota or the body. So against Stanley's nature,  he's a very compassionate person. We got to our house, loaded up Pat's to take them back to IFM. Stanley rode along to get out and to talk with Philip on the way back. Such a sad ending today with the family, but we know Julyne is singing Praises to the KING of KINGS!!!
  Sunday morning we took Stanley to his church 

Almost finished !!!

he hadn't been in over a year, because of caring for Julyne. On the way there he received a call from an old student of his that was a Christian. She asked, " Stanley did you accept  the money from the poppa?" "No," he said. She said, "Good because it was money to buy your soul." Thank you Jezi, for not allowing Stanley to accept this money. Stanley continues to inspire us with his non-resistance life. It seems as though many people want to kill him or put an evil curse on him. His stepbrother-in-law seems to be behind most of it with the influence & encouragement from Julyne's poppa.  It stems from a very revengeful attitude
because they didn't seek the power of the Voodoo Priest for her healing. It is ironic that these step- siblings who seem so revengeful never paid hardly attention or even helped while she was sick. Stanley has had such a hard week, beside grieving for his wife and Julyne's siblings turned away from him. They were by Stanley & Julyne's  helping and caring for her all this last year. I can't comprehend how they can hate so much!!!!! The devil is still

Tired feet

going about as a ROARING LION SEEKING WHO HE CAN DEVOUR!!!!  The family saw how much Stanley cared and would do anything for her. I'm glad Julyne can't witness this, it would break her heart.
 Stanley and Julyne's house was built on poppas land, which means he lost everything, including the contents. He takes it all in stride, he knew this could happen. Stanley doesn't fear for his life, but he won't go there for he could get into trouble. He sent Philip there for his laptop, backpack, passport and bank book. Philip found them and the family  seemed glad to see him. Stanley met Julyne's sister Enous

Eating and drinking for a little refreshment   

to give her a copy of the death certificate in town on Thursday. She was to bring his driver's license. When they met, she said she forgot the license. Philip was going on Friday morning to the house to get the license and a few other things. he talked to CK Hardware and they encouraged him to stay home, as there was many protests going on in town. Stanley came home in the afternoon and really wanted Philip to go get his things. So, Gario and Philip left and arrived at his house without mishap. The family was very COOL towards Philip and said they couldn't find any of Stanley's things. One of the friendly stepbrothers was looking out at Philip when he glanced towards the house. The family also took all of Stanley's pictures. The immediate siblings must be caving in to poppas false accusations. Our hearts are bleeding for Stanley. Please continue to hold him up in PRAYER!
  Many protests going on in Haiti. Wanting to get rid of the President. The Dominican Republic is ousting Haitians that have lived there for years. They are tearing up their identity papers and killing them. We know the Lord knows and we know there is troubles everywhere. Let us all keep our faith and continue to TRUST IN HIM!!!
  We enjoyed some company the other weekend Clint Bowers and Jesses Filbruns came for 2 nights. Clint, Meususk and two of Jesse's boys  went up to Pats to work on  Mesousk  house  on Saturday. Jesse helped Philip fix lights, put up some switch plates and finish plumbing the upstairs bathroom.  Us girls went to market, Tonya found some fabric and some gifts for their family Christmas the next weekend.  She  even bought Brenda and I some fabric. Mesi anpil, Tonya. They fixed us hamburgers from Sunset Meats in Piqua on Saturday night. Yummy- just like an outdoor American barbeque.  Sunday we all went to BRIC for church.

The many mattresses, we lay our tired bodies on

What a hot job - the added fan in the container sure helped!

   On Monday, Gario, Stanley, Philip and I went out to CAM to inventory the GB projects container. Gario and Stanley set up tents and put poles and stakes with the right tents. It was a big day and we closed up the container at dark.  We wouldn't have finished without Gario and Stanley. Thank You !!
  Tuesday was very busy, Philip went to rent the floor polisher and I WAS GOING TO FINISH MY BLOG!!!! Philip arrived back with the polisher. He walked in the room and said Clint had called , Mesouk had called him and said Pat was in a bad accident, and maybe was dead- Clint hated to pass that on. We gathered up our things , told Gario what happened and headed out. As we were driving Aaron Lavy called and  confirmed Pat had died. We met the ambulance halfway to IFM - yes they said the body was back at IFM. We all waited for Cheryl to arrive on the 4 -wheeler with Mike Martin. I can't explain that painful wait. Yes, she arrived safely and we all gathered her in our arms.
 Simeon Shankster came in a started making phone calls. Many decisions had to be made and many papers had to be filled out in Haitian style- slow and tedious. Thank you everyone that stepped in and helped - phone calls, paper work, food, hugs, running to and fro. I will close this for now- as each of you  serve the Lord where you are.  Thank you for your love - prayers - hugs - support - Love in Jezi! Philip & Bethany

preparing the garden for sweet potatoes