Renald Update

The Medika Mamba Marathon Sponsorships have dropped off a bit.

It is July, I know people are busy enjoying summer - I get it. But- I am asking you to please re-post the information on your blogs, facebook and myspace as well as talking to friends, churches, and groups about this life-changing product. PLEASE consider sponsoring this cause if you have not already done so, we really need and appreciate your help.

You all remember Renald. He came to the Rescue Center on June 3rd. Renald was unable to gain weight up until June 18 because he had so many worms to get rid of and was quite ill. Most of the food he ate the first two weeks came right back out.

Once he improved enough to keep the Mamba down, Renald has been receiving Medika Mamba multiple times a day. June 26 (about 20 days ago) was the offical date that he really started to get a few tablespoons each day. On July 14 he weighed 18 pounds even. (He started at 13 and a half pounds.) He has not yet reached goal weight for his age but his progress is astounding. We think by the end of August he will be to his goal weight and then some.

Before on the left & mid-treatment on the right:
I cannot wait to see his graduation photos, he is already a new kid after less than one month!
Please get involved and help other kids be healed, renewed, restored, and changed!

New Music

Our friend, fellow adoptive parent from Haiti, and talented musician Aaron Ivey has recently released a new album. It includes fresh renditions of beautiful hymns, stirring corporate worship songs, and some beautiful reflections on adoption and missions.

I bought mine before he offered to give me one if I put this on the blog, so it's a legit recommendation. ;) If you would like to preview a sample of his amazing musical stylings live at the Livesay house, click here. Seriously though, it's a great album.

From aaronivey.com:

The new full-length album centers around God’s faithfulness and beauty, and the church's response to injustice, poverty, and orphans. The 10 song album reflects a heart for the Kingdom of God here and now, between the beauty and the chaos.

With the current release of “between the beauty & chaos,” Aaron and bandmates explore the reality of living in a world that contains both beauty and chaos. Released in June of 2009, the new full-length album contains songs centered around God’s faithfulness and beauty, as well as songs dealing with justice, poverty, and adoption. Songs like “Pieces” and “Amos Story” have surfaced through Aaron’s experience with adopting two children from Haiti (Amos and Story). Other songs, such as “Let Your Kingdom Come” and “The Name” have been an extension of the band’s ministry inside the local church. Since late 2008, Aaron has served as one of the worship leaders at The Austin Stone in Austin, Texas.

Anderson Cooper 360 Blog
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Weekly Review

• This past week a collaboration of players launched what is now known as the "Ebenezer Discipleship Training Center" in Petit Goave, Haiti. Ebenezer is a group project including Canaan ministries, World Wide Village, Lighthouse Church of Allendale, MI and a church of native Haitians living in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. The center opened last week, beginning the first phase of the vision to empower and disciple Haitian nationals to build up the church and advance God's Kingdom in Haiti. Phase one is literacy training for pastors from rural areas. The ultimate goal is to train pastors and raise up native missionaries that will be able to spread the gospel and take ownership of the spiritual advancement of Haiti and her people. Later phases of Ebenezer will include a residential discipleship and training program for existing pastors and a program to identify and call out church leaders from future generations. More information is available here on the WWV website.
  
  
• World Wide Village now operates a guest house in the Tabarre/airport area. It will mainly be used for groups/teams. It is a really nice house but you still get the oppressive heat and disease-ridden bugs to make you feel like you're on an exotic mission.
  

• Two people moved off our property this week. They were both hired as employees of the guesthouse and live there now. That brought the numbers down to a manageable even dozen for the next couple weeks. It is close to our home and we'll all work together to get things done at both properties.
  

• Jeronne's daughter Jenny is visiting for the month of July. She is 10 and very soft-spoken and sweet. She has lived with her paternal grandmother most of her life. Jeronne believes this is the best arrangement for Jenny. It is very uncommon for a mother to raise all of her own children in this culture. (But Jeronne only has one child.) It seems terrible to many of us but it is the norm here. Some days I want to embrace the culture and send one or two of mine to their grandparents to be raised.
  

• Jeronne likes to spoil the kids. The other day she brought home a bunch of bottles of King Cola. There is no liquid product with as much sugar as King Cola. I am sure of it. Noah already has one tooth rotting out of his skull so I try to limit his sugar food, especially in the evening. Troy was splitting a King Cola for the boys one evening when Jeronne walked in and said, "Oh, Noah can drink a whole one by himself, that is what I give him. He does not need to share." Troy explained he was not so much splitting it because they boys were not capable of drinking an entire soda -- but because drinking an entire soda makes them insane. And, it makes their teeth ugly. Jeronne thinks we might be breaking their spirits with our strict and terribly oppressive ways.

• Updates on the Women I wrote about last week- The 63 year old does not have an absorbed fetus from 18 years ago. But she might have cancer. For the majority of the population Cancer means death. Not a lot of Chemo being offered in the sprawling corrogated tin communities. In better news, the sick baby looked great on Tuesday and Mom seemed to have a whole new outlook on him and on being his Mom.

• Teen Challenge Haiti has hired an executive director. He is a great guy, Troy and I both think he and his wife are incredibly capable and have enjoyed our brief meetings with them. The next phase of planting the ministry is going to happen at the end of July when a couple of the Board Members travel from the Twin Cities. Please be praying for this ministry and its leaders. World Wide Village and MN Teen Challenge are working together to get this much needed recovery ministry off the ground in Port au Prince in the coming months.

• Not much to say about last weeks running. I logged the miles. I did all four runs in my neighborhood following a 6/10th of a mile loop around and around. One guy says something to me every.single.time.I.pass.him. Some days that is like 13 times. I may just need to ask him to save the conversation for a time that I am not dripping wet with music in my ears. Two runs were average. One was really hard and one was really great. C'est la vie. For cross training I tried Yoga. I would never let anyone see even a tiny glimpse of that hour of my life. Even the guy on the dvd seemed to be laughing. Downward dog? This week my training calls for 3 - 6- 3 & 12 mile runs. Only the 12 makes me gulp, but I have finally given in and realize that I cannot just wake up at 5:30 on long run days. I need to be to my running location and in motion by shortly after 5am ... if I would not lard-out when the alarm goes off - I could (in theory) get 5 miles in before the sun was even up.
  

• The plan then is this --- don't be a lard on Friday morning. Get. Up. and. Go.

Photo from Cazale, Haiti ~ RHFH Rescue Center

Our Favorite Texans

Paige is visiting her MARRIED sister for the first time ever. I asked her yesterday if it was weird, she said "not too weird". Isaac is a little ticked that he was not invited on the trip. I told him "When you get older you will get to go visit Chris and Britt during the summer too." He said, "Mom, it seems like older never comes. I have been 7 for so long."

More later ... time for church.

The plan for July

Since we started writing in late 2005 I have always really enjoyed blogging. It has proven to be a great way to preserve memories, communicate with friends, family and strangers and vent and process some of the odd and difficult things. It if fun to share the silly kid things and it helps to process the rest in writing.

When I click on an old post from '06 or even '08 I am amazed at how faded the memories have become already. We're very thankful to have this written record for ourselves and our kids to look back on someday. Blogging is also free therapy and we don't want to lose our therapist. :)

Having said all of that I still often wonder if my ego is in check. I want to be sure blogging is not something I do for the wrong reasons. I *never* want it to be - look at me, I am kind of a big deal . We don't believe that or want to come across that way. I pray we do not.

Sometimes the encouragement provided is hugely important but I wonder if it would be better to not rely on the internet for encouragement. I am unsure. I only know that I don't ever want this outlet to be what defines us or builds us up. It is always a little odd to us to hear that our blog is liked - We're humbled and thankful that you find something worth reading here.

For the next three weeks we've decided to dial back our time on the internet. While it is the single source of outside entertainment at night, and the main way we communicate with loved ones, we still feel the need to re-group and spend a bit less time on it. The work, the running, the kids ... they all seem to be demanding more right now. Less writing, less reading, and time better spent.

The plan for now is to go to one written post a week (not sure which day) possibly with a few photos as filler in between the weekly written updates. The reasons above are key, but also important ...

Paige took on a special project a few weeks ago. She left earlier today for three weeks with family in Texas and Minnesota. We want to take over her incredibly worthy project while she is away. I am so in love with Paige's heart and have seen some big things in her life this year. She is brave and strong. She has touched and inspired us (and others) with the love and commitment she has shown and we want to continue her work for her. It's a full-time gig that requires much attention and we want to be fully engaged with it. To do that we need to write less often and reduce our time on-line.

(And right now the internet is so spotty and slow, it's very convenient timing!)

Thanks again for following along, supporting with prayer and encouragement, and caring for Haiti. We hope you're enjoying a fabulous summer.

Tara & Troy and Tribe


A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 15:30-33

Children of Haiti

Children are our most valuable natural resource.
-Herbert Hoover

When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments;
tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become.
-Louis Pasteur

It's all in the past

Last week was the week of odd and sad situations ... highlighting just a few of them...

• A first-time mother came to Beth and the OB Doc on Monday. She had been coming to class at Heartline for about 6 weeks. Up until Monday everything had been progressing normally with her pregnancy. But on Monday she was a clear case of pre-eclampsia. Heart tones on baby were good but Mom's bloodpressure was through the roof. In the USA you'd be admitted to a hospital and they would try to save your baby. Most times they would succeed. This Mom was given the best that could be done for her here (which is not a lot) and on Thursday her sister informed us that the baby had been born dead on Wednesday. She said it was a good sized baby girl. We asked where the baby was and the sister said they had thrown it in the ravine. We sent for the sick mom and had her carried in. She was despondant and obviously in emotional pain. The exam was necessary and some membranes were removed and she was put on heavy anti-biotics. We drove her back home and someone came to carry her back into her house. It was very, very sad.

• On Friday a Mom came to the one-day clinic we did with the Texas team and had a 9 pound 9 month old. He was burning up with fever. She seemed unable to comprehend how much danger her son was in. The Docs were able to diagnose pnemonia and get the little boy, JeanPeter, started on injectible and oral antibiotics. He was listless and very sick, Mom and baby should return Monday for a follow-up. We are all hoping he is okay.

• My favorite lady of the week was a 63 year old woman who insists that she is pregnant. Upon further questioning we came to understand that her husband died 18 years ago and that the baby has been there all this time. She mentioned that her last-born child was in his early 30s and that it has been 23 years since she reached menapause ... all that math did not work well with the baby in her womb for 18 years but she was so certain no one knew quite what to say. She says she has an ultrasound picture to bring us and that she will be back on Monday or Tuesday with it. She wants surgery to remove the baby. A hospital here told her that is what she needs. She was so adorable and you cannot help but feel total respect sitting with a woman who has lived 63 years in Haiti.

• Paige had a riding lesson Wednesday. I got into it with the French instructor. He was being king of the world and got to the point where he was being so mean and condescending that I found it intolerable and I asked him why he had to be so rude, why can't he teach without bringing his student to tears. I cannot stand what a big deal he thinks he is. We've officially asked to work with only the other teacher, a very kind Haitian man who never brings tears or frustration. At the end of the lesson the French guy said "Your mother does not like me - but it does not matter - *I* am the instructor!!!" Uh. Wrong. It does matter dude. I don't give a crap about your title or heritage. You're fired.
  

• I am over 85 miles in total training miles. July is bringing its own special love to the training game. And by "special love", I mean hell. Friday's run - Wow. It was 95 degrees less than 4 miles in, before 8am. I could feel the humidity smothering the life out of me. I managed to keep my feet moving for the full 10 miles, although there was a huge and ugly war in my head during miles 5 through 8.5. You can see from the graph that I slowly but surely died - and then got inspired to finish strong. Continuing to train - one run at a time.

• The two birthmoms both had appointments at the Embassy. Phoebe and her Birthmom had DNA ordered. Phoebe's mom said she was born in 2007, when in fact she was born late in 2006. I find it highly annoying that birth parents are supposed to know things that very few people in this culture keep track of - ever! Why would a person struggling to survive who does not pay attention to the date of their *own* birth ever pay attention to the birth-dates of 8 children? I could ask 10 people when one of their children was born and 9 of them would shrug and give me their best guess. "I don't know, I remember it was hot." At least the questions they ask at the Embassy make no sense, and therefore we were assured it was indeed a government agent we were dealing with and not some evil imposter.

• There are now 14 people living here, plus our friend Megan (photo below with Paige) is here overnight just for a night. Two were supposed to have left by now - but - no - they have not yet done that ... don't ask. A guy on the Texas team said "Wow this is a spacious house!" pause. "But I guess with 13 people living here it is not quite as impressive." Either way, I truly hope to bring the numbers down soon.
  
• On the 4th of July I asked Troy to get a bunch of pics of the kids ... obnoxious quantities were posted to please the grandparents - the rest of you will need to find it in your heart to forgive us.
  

little girls rule this roost

lydia 21 months

(she can be all four seasons in one day)

annie 19 months
(mischievous times infinity)

Phoebe 32 months
(all that and a bag o' chips)

little men

Three's Company

isaac 7.75 ~ hope 7.5 ~ noah 5.25

I

July 4th Quote

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.
~Quaker saying

Carrefour

Haitian Proverb:
Pito ou travay pase ou mande.
(Better to work than to beg.)

(Thanks to Amie Sexton for the photo)

"If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

- Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s

rice and beans taste better in the nude

(and right after a bath)

It is a proven and indisputable fact.