The Under Two Crew

I feel the need to document this crazy time of life with three little ladies under one roof. They feel the need to makes sure I never document a single moment of three smiling/happy girls. I have tried and tried - to no avail. Here are four attempts from yesterday. They play together well for brief periods, then they all want the same dangerous toy (such as the plastic bag in Phoebe's hand or maybe a pencil or similarily sharp item) and that ends the fun. Fighting over pencils never turns out well.



Noah takes on a BIG brother role during the day when he is the oldest in the house. He is a great helper.
Mr. Seven

Birthday Today

Mr. Seven
Isaac continues to age well. He turned Seven at midnight. We’ll party with him after school today. Pizza and Cake are on the menu. Gifts procured in Michigan will be handed out. Jealousy of siblings will abound. We will do our annual birthday interview and let you know what he has to say about the coming year. Photos to come. We talked this morning about the one birthday of his that we missed. He said, "Yeah I remember that." We asked him what he remembered and he said, "Uh. Uh. Hhmmmm. Nothing really." We're SO SO SO thankful that God saw fit to place this joyful and wonderful little boy in our family. We're the lucky ones!

Pierre Update
Troy has Pierre at Healing Hands today. We need to bring him back at a certain time to have someone else read the X-ray we had done. Hopefully it is not something serious. They were supposed to be able to make his mold. Now we’re hearing they still don’t have the materials for making his mold. This would not be quite so frustrating if the poor one-legged guy did not just come from a mountain top and travel over three hours to get into town. Haiti requires three P’s
~Patience
~Persistence
~Perseverance

Being Real
In my former role I would get into a lot of trouble for using the word “crap” when I wrote on my blog. Some found it to be highly crude and offensive that I did not constantly blow sunshine and rainbows at the readers. They wanted only happy happy joy joy to be reported. They preferred we not say that Haiti can be frustrating, that things get stolen, that we feel SO unequal to the work a lot of the time. We're bad at faking ... so that did not work out so well for us.
Well … I laughed at the way things have changed when John McHoul introduced me to the Heartline Board Treasurer by saying, “This is Tara – she is the one who says crap all the time.” Some people desire fake and perfect – others prefer to know the truth and keep things real. I think we’re in the right spot!

Morale is a bit low due to:

72+ hours without EDH … equaling no power at 3am and no sleep for anyone. Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Well, we say “Fatigue makes crabby jerks of us all.” There is no calling to complain, no asking a service man to come out – this is just the way it is. We learned from others in the neighborhood that it has not been out for this long in five months. Bug. (Hi Marcia!)

The Internet is not coming. No promise of it coming. We paid for installation five days before we ever moved to town. That would be about 30 days ago. Installation was to take place in late August. How stupid are we to think that a promise made is a promise kept? Stupid. Very stupid. Double Bug.

The rain. Every night the rain. And then the whole cause and effect thing … rain causes Mosquitoes. Bug - literally.

Schedule

In spite of the lower morale we’re starting to have a real pattern and schedule to our days. A typical weekday looks like this:

6am
Put feet on floor, wake up three school kids get them going on breakfast and getting dressed/ready.
6:30
All three babies wake up. Attempt to appear terribly busy with older kids in order to escape at least one or two poopy diapers.
7:00
Depart for school (Troy does the morning run to school then heads to the office or to do whatever needs to be done that day.)
7:00
Run with Beth or run on treadmill or sit on couch and think about running
8:30 Sleepy Noah wakes up and begins his daily whine about "missing his daddy"
Start laundry (if there is EDH) Fold laundry and move laundry
Take the four non-school kids and play with them so Jeronne can get some cleaning done w/out worrying about any of them
11:00
lunch and three baby girls go down for nap - Engage Noah in some productive activity
Noon On Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon Jeronne escapes the house for school while I take kids and Tuesday and Thursday afternoon I (Tara) escapes the house for Women’s Program at Heartline ~ It is good to escape – for both of us. (Troy is gone doing his thing most of the time.)

By 3:30 Jeronne/Tara comes back home and whoever is picking up the school kids heads to get the school kids.
4:30
School kids get home – we do homework and start making dinner
5:45
Dinner
6:30
Clean up and baths for everyone - Read a book or watch a DVD
7:45
Lights out for all children 7 and under (6 of 7 accounted for and down for the count in one fell swoop) 7:46 - Party and celebrate the quiet. Speak to one another and HEAR one another.
9:00 -Troy, Tara, Paige, Jeronne and Tipap all go to bed too

We're very blessed to have your support and love. Please know that even when we get into a bit of a "Debbie Downer" rut -- we still feel so loved and cared for. We appreciate the way you encourage us with your time, words, friendship and by just reading about life here.

The Garbage Truck

We were not sure what to expect when we moved into town. Some of what has changed has been easier, and some more difficult. In the past we burned all our own garbage (very green of us - I know) and we had a large pit to do the burning in. We learned that at our new house the Garbage man would come once a week and at the end of the month he would want $100 Haitian dollars (what amounts to about $12 or $13 U.S.) for the month. We were surprised when he showed up the first time. He comes on foot, with only a wheelbarrow and his work ethic. He walks the garbage about two miles away and returns to do the next house. Amazing, isn't it?
Troy and Paige doing Math homework.
It rains so hard Noah wears a life-jacket to play in the rain.
Lydie B, Annie G, and Phoebe Joy last night ...

Jeronne did well in her first class, Sheila snapped this photo of her when she stood to answer a question.

We lost power in the night. When that happens there are instantly two children awake (Noah and Lydie) and within a half hour the whole house wakes. Our sleep is very dependent upon the fans. The fans also help keep mosquitoes off of us (at least a little). It was 3:55 and we laid debating if we should tick off the neighbors and start the generator or deal with a house full of awake kids. Noah and Lydie woke up instantly as expected. We decided to tick off the neighbors and start the generator. We're hoping to find a way to get along with them on this issue but they think our generator is too loud and we should not run it after 7pm. We think we paid a lot for a generator and the point is to use it when you need it. We'll need to figure out a compromise if they stay annoyed with us.

Today Troy is off doing adoption paperwork for Heartline and we have womens program at noon. Tonight Lori and Charles (from Real Hope for Haiti) --- (as opposed to the FAKE Hope for Haiti option) ;) get in and we'll pick them up and try to get them to Cazale in the morning.

Tess (super nanny of yesterday) asked about our pool. It is a very TIH pool. You literally cannot sit poolside - they put a fence around it so close that a chair won't fit. It is in the front of the house and is covered by an awning. It is odd looking and incredibly deep ... but it holds water and cools off hot children.

Thanks to all the voters in the poll ... your voice has been heard. :)

Gotta go - no time for proof reading or spell check. Have a great Tuesday!

Pierre Eugene of Petit Bwa, Haiti

We met Pierre on August 17^th. Our home church from MN was visiting and we stopped by his home. As is often the case in Haiti, we got the wrong story the first day we met.

After spending last Thursday with Pierre we now think we have a little better handle on the story. It is important to remain open to an evolving story, culturally we are on the outside and may not get the whole picture for a time. We do know that God placed Pierre on our hearts so we’re moving forward to see what we can do and why that is the case.

Pierre is 24 years old. He is 1 of 9 children in his family. He is the seventh born child. His family had four boys and five girls. He is a very soft spoken and mellow young man. His brother in law attends the appointments and is helping navigate things for Pierre.

In July of 2007 Pierre was in Arcahaie, Haiti – a larger town almost half way between Port au Prince and St. Marc – when a Tap-Tap (the public transportation system) backed up and crushed his left leg. Pierre had a lot of pain and swelling but was able to walk on it. He did not think it was bad enough to see a Doctor and he went about life and dealt with the pain. The pain lessened and he even says that he did not have trouble with it at all for a time. In January of 2008 the pain became very bad. By April of 2008 Pierre could not bear weight on the leg therefore he quit walking at that point. His family took him to Hinche to a hospital there. That hospital referred him to the Partners in Health facility in Cange. They sent him back to Hinche where by May ‘08 a Doctor determined the leg should be amputated. The reason given was “cancer”. The leg was amputated and Pierre spent 13 days in the hospital healing. He said the pain was incredible after the surgery.

He has been using crutches and is very good at getting around on them. His home is on top of a mountain. He gets up and down the mountain on a donkey.

On Thursday we took him to Healing Hands for Haiti. This ministry specializes in rehabilitation, physical therapy, and prosthetics. We were so happy to run into a guy working in the rehab room who had a full prosthetic leg. He took time to talk to Pierre about it and said that his leg was fairly new but he was happy with his own progress. The visiting Doc from Utah at Healing Hands last week had a concern about a calcium deposit at the site of the amputation and sent us for X-Rays. We will return the x Rays on Thursday. We’re hoping that the x ray shows that it is nothing serious. They will take measurements and a mold to fit Pierre with a new leg.
We’ll keep you updated as we move through the process with Pierre at Healing Hands.

Weekend Report written Sunday Night

After the fun Saturday at school we came home and started working on the pool. Thank you to Rusty and Cheryl from the Bercy Orphanage for bringing down the pump and parts we needed to start getting things figured out. We really hope this will help our boys (and girls) burn some energy. We’ve missed our wide open spaces but this might be our ticket to using excess spazziness up in a healthy and fun way. We’ve never been pool people so we have no stinkin idea what we’re doing … but as long as we avoid chemical burns we figure it can be called a success. Hopefully by a week from now the pool will be open for business. Paige and Isaac and Noah insisted upon jumping in today sans chemical treatment – here are a few photos of the inaugural swim.

We had the pleasure of meeting two cool ladies headed to Les Cayes. We picked them up from the big airport, brought them to church, had lunch, then deposited them for their flight south to Les Cayes. They work with a ministry called HUT Outreach. They were headed down to check out storm damage. I neglected to mention that the south portion of the island has also suffered damage and loss. Heidi and Amy are pictured below. It was fun meeting them! We kidded them that we would put up some super holy sounding report about our time together … try to out-missionary other missionary bloggers … but we just cannot make ourselves do it. We're bad at missionary language.

This afternoon we (by we I mean I) painted the area where snotty nosed kids rub their hands on the walls and make them look horrid on their way upstairs. It looks super funky and we like it.

Jeronne is nervous for literacy class and says that she “hopes God will help her” because she has “a hard head”. We assured her that her head is no harder than the rest of us. She will attend class M – W – F for two hours for the next three months. We’re anxious for her to have some confidence and we know that reading and writing are the first step. (As I am posting this she is down in her first class now!)

Isaac and Annie’s birth family is going through a tough time and called for help. If you have been reading for long you will recall that we adopted from Haiti to avoid being involved with a birth family. Isn’t God hilarious? We have been convicted otherwise on this issue and personally believe that if we have the ability to help them, we should. We’ve been blessed to know them – in spite of some difficult things it has turned out to be a very good thing for Isaac, for us, and for them. For those of you adopting, we strongly urge you to consider meeting your birth family – and if you are uncomfortable with that please be gracious and allow them photos of their children. Sorry to editorialize about this fairly “personal” decision - but I have seen so much hurt - and feel strongly that a birth-mother deserves to know what her child looks like and be assured they are well! I know if we all put ourselves in their shoes we might find more compassion for their difficult lives and the very hard decisions they had to make.

John McHoul is a bad influence and is rallying his people to vote yes on the motorcycle. When I got to church late today I leaned over and told him that I was sorry to be late but I had killed a motorcycle driver on the way to church. That is a sick kind of funny, but it made John snort – so I guess he likes that kind of funny. Say “No!” to young fathers and motorcycles – right!?!?!? Yes, thank you. To get serious for a moment -- I fear losing my husband. I love him. I want him around. I like NOT raising kids alone. I fear motorcycles. I do not want him to ever ride one as a regular form of transportation -- especially not here and especially not now. :(

We don’t want to get all big headed and cocky – but let us just go out on a limb and say that THIS is the week we will get Internet.More when the Internet guy shows up! Have a great week.

A friend of ours is trying to get his huge vision off the ground. He shares his vision better than I ever could so please go to his sites. The short version is that he is planning a media school in Haiti -- he is a talented story teller and a media wizard and he wants to help in Haiti. He filmed some of this trailer in our area and if you look closely you'll see a flash of Tipap B. and Hope Livesay too! His name is Luke Renner and you can check him out in two places:

http://rennerfamilyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
http://www.ageofthestoryteller.com/

Random & Unrelated

Once again, pressed for time ... so will keep it short.

We want to thank you for asking about Gonaives and Cazale and Cabaret. We hope you'll continue to lift these people up in prayer as they have very little to start with and now need to rebuild their lives. We hope the next group of storms cut a wide path around Haiti.

We went to a barbeque /family day at the kids' school today; it was a lot of fun. I laughed when Hope handed me the information and said, "I think there will be wine there too!" I have no idea where she got that. It was a morning event and I guess whoever told Hope there would be wine was misinformed. :) When Isaac came home he said, "Mom! Dad! There is Barbancourt at school tomorrow!" (He meant barbeque.) Those of you who have been here know that Barbancourt is the name of both the nationally produced Rum and then the name of a few villages. We found it odd that both our six year olds seem to be focused on alcohol. What is that???? Must be Troy's influence.

Troy wants to solve the dilemma we are in with Hope/Kindergarten and work/ministry and trouble being two places at once with one vehicle by buying a motorcycle of some variety. I happened to be named after an uncle (Terry) that died on one -- so I am against this idea. I am taking a poll. Should a father of 7 (plus a little Annie girl for now) be risking an accident on a motorcycle? Answer the poll on the left side of the blog. The poll will close if it looks like it is not going my way. ;)

(ACK. I spelled it wrong on my poll. :( It won't let me edit it because someone voted already.)

Britt and Chris are entering week four of this semester at Baylor and are securing employment and seem to be doing great. We all had a "we miss Britt" day today so we were excited to see this photo. I have never thought of being in Haiti as a "sacrifice". I struggle with that whole concept because I don't think it is at all -- if you want to be where you feel God has called you, I don't think it can be considered a sacrifice --- but I digress. I do think there are costs ... and one cost is missing out on some normal college stuff with our oldest. We wish we could be there and be involved - sometimes it hurts to know we're missing big things in her life. The people in our family count that cost as they miss us too. We really need internet so we can instant message and reconnect with her and the rest of the fam soon.

It has been mighty toasty this week. (News flash) I know I sound like a broken record. SORRY! I just gotta gripe once in a while, you know!??! This was shirt one of Thursday -- about an hour into my day. Blech. As soon as a sweat outline of your undergarments is in fashion --- I will be SO set.

Road Trip Report ...

I am currently sitting outside of Healing Hands for Haiti stealing someones unsecured wireless ... yay for that!

Yesterday was an adventure. There was some mud, some getting stuck, (see Troy - 40 minutes in mud ...two tries at towing ... and we were on our way again) some climbing steep hills ... but all of that is nothing compared to what Licia and her neighbors are doing.

The village went under water, everyone has wrecked stuff. I am putting up some photos we took.

Where I am standing in the last photo is where the road drops off and you need to walk up the hill and back down to get to the next piece of road (you can see where the road restarts behind me.) The road is gone in three places from Cabaret to Cazale.

In the first spot they have found a new way around, but in this spot (in the photo)that is about 1.25 mile from Cazale it will be very difficult to repair it. Based on the situation here, we're certain it will be a long time before it can be fixed. We felt overwhelmed as we considered the separation the Zacharys (Betor/Moise) will face - to get supplies and get home is now a very difficult thing for them.

Please consider adding the entire Zachary Family to your daily prayer list. Licia reports that Lori and her husband Charles will return to Haiti next week. They have lost all of their belongings and will need to help their neighbors face loss too. THANK YOU to those of you who contacted Jamie and/or donated. At this very moment it is honestly so overwhelming for Licia that they are trying to determine WHICH needs to tackle first. The water was a big one and they have filters now so they can filter the dirty water and make it safe to drink. The water was so powerful it destroyed roads, moved vehicles and bridges and entire homes.

Someone asked me to post a video. I don't have the internet connection to allow upload of video. I apologize.

Pierre (the man we met about three weeks ago in Petit Bwa who lost a leg in July)is inside Healing Hands with Troy having his first consult appointment. We are so excited for him! It will be a long process but when we showed him another man with a prosthetic leg he grinned and said "pi bon" - which means "that is better"!

We dropped Jeronne and Tipap in LaDigue this morning to visit their families. We will drive back out to LaDigue tonight to get Pierre on his way home and then pick him up again next week to be measured and have the plaster made for his new leg. It could take quite a long time for everything to happen, but it feels great to have at least started the process. We will share his entire story (how he lost his leg, the prognosis, etc.) later this week.

Thanks for checking in and for responding to the need in Cazale!

Tara

Update - Pressing Needs

We’ve heard from many that you feel helpless and wish you could do something about some of the areas that were hardest hit by the recent storms. We agree that it feels difficult to know how to help.

Today we were sent photos from the area of Cabaret that were incredibly horrible and graphic. I won't post them here but I will say that they are literally pulling dead babies and children out of muddy river beds and stacking the bodies in trucks. People have lost their children, their mothers, their brothers and friends. All because of some rain. It breaks our hearts.

For those concerned about the Zachary family and the Real Hope for Haiti mission and the people of the Cazale and the surrounding areas - please keep them in your prayers.

Many were swept away in the water and lost loved ones and homes and possessions. State Farm Insurance is not cutting checks in two weeks, two months or ever. These losses are huge. They will have long-lasting effects on these areas.

Licia is holding down the fort while her Dad and sister are away in Indiana but reports that things have been more than grim there. She needs tons of encouragement and strength that only God can give to get through these next days and weeks.

Tomorrow we’re renting a truck and filling it with what we can and praying for the best, we hope to meet some of her people and get the stuff across an area where the road has washed away. They need clean water. Pray that water and filters will get there tomorrow.

If you wish to support this family and their ministry efforts please don’t email them (they’re so busy) or me (we have limited access right now) - any information you might need about what they do in Cazale and their work can be found on their blogs.

Also you might consider contacting Jamie Ivey at jamie@aaronivey.com and she will give you multiple ways to donate money to the Real Hope for Haiti ministry. If a deduction is important to you, please know that RHFH is a registered 501C3 and you will be receipted for your gift. You can do it on line, or you can do it the old fashioned way. Jamie can provide you with testimonials and references if you need to hear more before you give.

Our testimonial:
Troy and I have watched this family and their work for three years and we can tell you that they give sacrificially to the area they serve and that they are “the real deal”. There is nothing easy about what they do. We believe that their ministry is an amazing and gritty and hard-core way of being the hands and feet of Jesus to a lost and hurting world. We leave after a few hours exhausted by what we’ve seen – they live it - Every. Single. Day. They humble us, they impress us ... they need us to return some love right now.

When given an offer to be picked up/helped out (by the US gov't) and taken out of the area - Licia refused … They are committed to the people they serve and the best way WE ALL can SERVE THEM is by prayers – prayers and more prayers along with generous financial gifts.

We hope you’ll get on board.

They are filtering muddy river water through towels for drinking -- they cannot get anywhere due to roads washing away – they are being brought bodies lost in the storm - and this is on top of caring for multiple sick people and 75+ children in a rescue center. The pressure of the need is crushing.

If every person reading sent what it would cost to go out to eat, or approximately $30 - not only would it free them up to make some decisions about how to help in their community, but it would encourage them and it would be confirmation for them that they are not alone. If 700 readers sent $30 – the ministry would have 21K to work with in the next few weeks. The greatest effect we could all have – would be to donate the money immediately. Not tomorrow, not when you think of it this weekend – right now. PLEASE do it today. It is rally time.

Thank you. Your money will directly help victims of the storms in Haiti. I promise you that.

Thursday has its own plans developing … But we’ve learned in Haiti – it is best to take it just one day at a time.

May God cover us all tomorrow and may His people in Cazale, Haiti feel loved and encouraged and may relief come to them all soon.

Amen.

N’ap pale avek ou demen – si bondye vle.

Relevant Article-
Miami Herald
(We live very near the airport and have seen a huge increase in helicopter traffic, hopefully those helicopters are getting where they are most needed.)

Update - The less serious

• Still no Internet installed at home, it seems small in light of what is going on in Haiti this week. We'll keep finding internet every few days as time allows.
• Troy got home from "Mich-i-Can, Ame-wica" (Noah) yesterday - we were all very happy about that. His trip went well.
• I got to participate in the Women's Program today ... It was humbling and overwhelming and pretty amazing. I don't have time to get into the specifics right now. Tuesdays are the day that the moms who have already had their babies come. We taught about breast feeding. I am hoping the photos of demonstrating latching on properly on a plastic bag filled with milk never show up on any internet site ever. ;)
• Jeronne will start literacy class on Monday. Please pray for her. Shame has a way of holding people down and back and we really hope she won't allow that in her life.
• Troy and I both have falled way behind in email coorespondance. We want to apologize and tell you that we will catch back up with you and answer your questions once we have Internet at our home ... our time is limited now and we've just not had time to get caught up. We are not ignoring you! Thanks for your patience.
• The bigger kids had Monday off of school, they returned today and had a great day. We're so thankful for this great option for them and that they're able to connect with other kids who "get" them. The car-pool ride is so crazy and fun, the way the kids bond with other MK's and really truly work as one big family is so cool to observe.

Photos:
Tipap and his not-so-secret admirer Phoebe ... Troy and his THRILLED (to have Daddy home) son ... Paige and her soccer buddies in the "front yard" tonight.

We love you - we miss you - we're thankful for you!

Sara Groves Quote

Sara on her Spiritual Buffalo...

"There is a scene in the movie Dances with Wolves where the Sioux are on a much anticipated buffalo hunt. As they come up over a hill, they are shocked to see a field full of buffalo carcasses. The tragedy of that moment is that where the Sioux use every piece of the buffalo—the bladder holds water, the bone makes a tool, the skin is a covering for a tent- whoever has done this has taken the best part of the buffalo for himself and has left everything else to waste. There is no way to make good use of all that is lying in this field.

I was so convicted when I went to Africa that I am not using all of my spiritual buffalo. I have developed this one side of my personal relationship with God. I go to church, I have incredible worship, and I listen to incredible speakers. I have money to buy devotionals, and leisure time to do those devotionals. I have spent a lifetime grooming a personal faith in Christ, but have I been taking the best piece of the buffalo for myself?

There has been a joy in discovering the good use of my life. There is a reciprocal redemption that happens when we enter into stories of helping our neighbor—not just around the world, but in our own communities. When I came home from Africa, instead of feeling guilty for my life, I began to hear God in a very clear way say, ‘that thing carries water, that thing makes a tool, that is covering for a tent.’ There is a beauty to the good use of a life, and to the acknowledgment that everything you have and do has a Kingdom purpose."

Excerpt ... Something Worth Considering

Taken from Greg Boyd's blog and website ... (See his Sept 6th blog for full entry)

We live in a scary, painful world and people need hope. We feel helpless and long for a savior. It’s hard-wired into us. It’s what fuels religion and politics. In fact, after watching both national conventions the last two weeks, I’m beginning to think these are not two distinct things. Both conventions seemed a whole lot like religious revivals. With religious zeal, people were given hope and the promise of salvation. And just as in religion, the insiders who know the truth and really care rallied against those who are deceived and who merely claim to care. Devotees of the candidates and parties responded to sermons and music with passionate religious zeal bordering on worship — just as true believers of religions and political systems have done throughout history.

We do need hope and we do need a savior. Yet, when this natural longing for hope and salvation is directed toward anything or anyone other than God, the Bible calls it idolatry. Our hope is not to be placed in the eloquence of Obama or the heroism of McCain but in the loving self-sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. We’re never to put “Country First” but are rather to “seek first the Kingdom of God.”

I encourage you to be a true believer, but not in the religion of politics, nor in America, nor in Obama or McCain, nor any political party nor (what is close to the same thing) any religion. Be a true believer in Jesus and the small mustard seed revolution he inaugurated into the world. Join with others in passionately living a Jesus-looking lifestyle, sacrificing your time and resources for others on a daily basis. Invest all your hope and confidence in the foolish weakness of the cross rather than in the wise power of Caesar’s empire.

This is where the true “last, best hope of the world” lies.

Another rainy day in Haiti ...

More Lydie and her weird teeth. (The last one is there, it is just late in appearing.)
Rain Update:

It rained and rained and rained last night. The thunder was amazing and non stop from 11pm until 4am. The kids all slept through it. My cell rang at 11pm and I figured Troy was calling ... Instead it was Tipap calling from the backyard (where there are two rooms and a bathroom that Tipap and Jeronne live in) and he said "You okay?" I told him I was fine and all the kids were sleeping through the thunder. He is very protective of us all.

Our plan today was to go to LaDigue and visit. Tipap and Jeronne and Paige are all worrying about the rain and damage there and wanted to surprise everyone with a visit. We got in the car and tried, but Route nef had more water on it than we felt safe driving through - About 1/4 mile into the high water I chickened out and we turned around. (Annie and Jeronne this morning.)Now we're at Visa Lodge (thus the Internet connection) trying to enjoy an outing since our plans to visit LaDigue are not going to happen. The road to the Maranatha Childrens' homes had poles down this morning. It had stopped for a while but is raining hard again now. We hope Troy can still come home tomorrow afternoon!

After my last post - where I tried to describe why it seems that living here, things feel amplified ... life happened and I have two other examples.

I was driving to grab lettuce and tomatoes at a nearby market ... When I headed back toward home I happened upon a disagreement and sat trapped in traffic with a front row seat. (see photo) The man on foot was yelling at the man in the van to move. I could tell he was quite angry but I sat trying to hold still and not draw attention.

I could not back up, go forward, go right or left. After about a minute of screaming the man pulled a gun out of his belt. My heart raced and I told Noah (the only one with me) to lie down. I watched for about another 90 seconds as the men argued. The guy in the van was totally unmoved by the gun being waved in his face ... crazy!!! I guess he was calling the other guy's bluff??? The guy with the gun turned and made eye contact with me. I was the closest car to him. Thoughts raced through my head wondering what might become of the heated situation. I prayed, told Noah to lie down and prayed some more. About two minutes into the exchange a cop walked up (and I snapped a photo while the gun guy was not looking) and told the man with the gun to get back in his car. The man did. That was it. Over. Everyone drove off on their merry way. Amplified. Everything is amplified. There is no rule against pulling a gun on someone???? TIH.

(God protects in ways we often take for granted. Thanks God!)

The other weird thing that happened ... I spoke with a reporter from the BBC. She wrote and asked if she could call me. She was asking questions about the weather here. I told her that I was not maybe the best one to ask since I am not doing relief work -- but simply that in this country a storm that would be bad in a developed nation ... is bad - times ten.

Between the lack of warning, the erosion and runoff, inadequate shelter/housing/roads/bridges, the lack of systems for rescue ... heavy rain is devastating.

She said someone was going to call to put me on the air live. I instantly wished I had not taken her call --- too much pressure!! I would be tempted to say something British sounding, maybe give them a "oh bloody hell" or something...And what if I did not understand their accents and messed up!?!?!? But thankfully no one called ... or when they did call they got the French recording telling them that Digicel is less than a perfect cellular provider and to try back later. :) Phew!

Have a good Sunday.

Tara and the kids

Intersection (and You can kiss now)

Over the last many weeks Noah has taken to the idea that he can dictate when his Mom and Dad may kiss. It started as a game only, but has since turned into a habit of his.

This morning on the way to the airport Troy was telling me how much he would miss us and we were all wishing aloud that he could stay here with us … and from the back seat came, “You can kiss now!”

Troy made it out of PAP without much trouble. One day this week Hurricane Hanna cancelled flights, which means three days of playing catch-up at the airport, but he was on his plane and turning the phone off 15 minutes before the scheduled departure so at least one flight was on track today.

None of us are quite “at-home” or comfortable enough in our new house to be 110% ready for the timing of this trip, but we know that Troy has important things to share and that the conference will be a time of encouragement and rejuvenation for him as well as those he’ll meet. We were excited when they invited him. Sometimes the very things you're not feeling prepared or feeling able to do - are the things that God has planned for you! If you want information on a radio broadcast that is happening or the conference please contact Brenda at telltheworld5@gmail.com - it is taking place this weekend in the Grand Rapids, MI area.

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We’ve heard from our friends in LaDigue that the rainwater has caused a lot of trouble. For those of you who have visited the dam, they are reporting that the water is up to the thin green bridge that you walk across. That is an insane amount of water. We need about 20 days without any rain for things to dry up. As I type it is beginning to pour again. Sigh. Everyone here is soooo very tired of rain.

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I’ve been frustrated with myself for feeling a bit down and unsettled. I think I just expected to immediately feel at home in Port au Prince. But in thinking about it further I realize that I have never been a city girl – Troy and I lived in two outlying areas and I have never lived in an truly urban environment … it feels a little squashed to me … or cloistered or cementish (a new word) or something. Right now it feels like I am only trying to figure out how to get the kids to and from school and I’ve questioned my purpose if that is all I am doing here – I want to do something besides coordinate rides and schedules. On the bright side, Paige told me last night that she loves being at QCS and she would not trade it for anything. Apparently the two weeks I have allowed to feel totally at home is not enough time ... It’s that whole patience issue again.

We’re REALLY hoping to end the Internet disconnect soon! The provider is missing a key part. Like a dish - TIH. We’re realizing that without TV and Internet we have no idea what is happening in the world – an odd feeling – makes us wonder again how anybody lived far from loved ones decades ago when cell phones and email were not an option. Those people were nuts.

We have one bathroom that does not drain, making a lovely nesting spot for mosquitoes ... the washing maching runs through two cycles in a row if you don’t catch it after the first one and our new oven won’t light … but the rest of the household things seem to be falling into place now. Like the microwave - it works great!! :) The EDH (the sometimes city power) angle is a new one for us and we’re learning to jump out of bed at midnight to start a load of laundry. We already hear the rooster farm next door less – that is not to say that we don’t hear them at all – it is just to say that we’re beginning to notice it less. Noah told me today that the "nay-b0h-z have an ugly house" - upon clarification he thinks the chickens/roosters have an ugly house. :)

My friend Beth pointed out that doing life here is often heavy – or amplified in a sense.

It’s like life on steroids – there is always an edge and always one extra thing to consider. On one hand everything takes longer to accomplish; groceries or simple errands are often a three or four hour event. Going anywhere is complicated. While you feel like you do a lot of standing around waiting on things and people – you also feel like you rarely have down time. It is the only environment where you can get almost nothing tangible completed yet fall into bed exhausted from it. I know that will make no sense to anyone who has not had the privilege of visiting.

We heard from some missionaries that left after 20 years to retire in the States. They said they did not even realize how increased their daily stress level was until they were removed from this environment. All of this is not to complain – trust me – it is just to attempt to explain it a bit better.

One example that hit this week especially, sick kids cause much greater stress. If one of my kids is sick in the USA I never automatically wonder if they have a deadly disease (Malaria) or jump to wondering if not taking them to the doctor for another day (the wait and see approach) could result in serious consequence. Annie ran a fever on and off all week and it put me on edge wondering if there was something I should be doing that I was not - and if waiting and seeing was going to cause her unnecessary pain.

With Troy gone I feel extra nervous about accidents or car troubles. It is one thing to get a flat tire on the road in suburban Minneapolis where there are people everywhere who will call for help for you and the worst thing that might happen is you’ll wait 5 minutes for the police to show up. Here, it means trying to communicate in a language that I stink at while trying to use a cruddy cell phone system to call everyone I know to come help me and hoping no one hassles me while I stand in mud and try to locate someone that might be 30 to 40 minutes away. It causes me to pause when I leave the house with a couple of the little ones in tow, that’s for sure.

The people we live near and run into all have their own amazing stories to tell. A friend of the Heartline ministry stopped in to see Beth and John this week and had aged 20 years in just 6 or 8 months. I was told that she barely resembled her prior self. She is HIV positive. A lump rises in your throat as you see the devastation it has caused in her life. A man in our neighborhood has no eyes and is missing some fingers. He ran with the wrong crowd in previous years and has the scars to show for it. Both the variables and the consequences are just bigger here.

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Thanks for reading about our odd little life in this odd little country. It amazes us that you do. While we have faced some discouragement and “down” times of late – we simultaneously feel very, very blessed to be here. We’re lucky to live life on steroids; we’re lucky to call Haiti home. We want to remain open to experience what God has planned for each of us as we seek to discern how and where to invest the bulk of our time, energy and resources. As we continue to find our groove in the big city, we both need and appreciate your prayers.

In the coming week we also plan to go get Pierre from Petit Bwa and get him into town to begin examining the possibility of a new leg. We’ll keep you posted as his story develops. Our certainty that we need to try to see why God has laid him so heavily on our hearts is related directly to this quote:

"Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you."

-Augustine of Hippo

In our roles with Heartline Ministries, (John and Beth McHoul) Tara will be working with Beth, Sheila and Shelley in the Women’s Program that currently serves about 80 women. Among many other things, we’ll specifically be trying to develop a program for the teen moms --recognizing that their challenges and needs are different than the more mature single mom. Together T & T will work on getting the Heartline website updated and rolling out some new options for those of you who love and support this worthy ministry. Troy will be working the US side of adoptions and has already enjoyed learning from John on a trip downtown this week; there is no underestimating what a guy who has lived here 20 years knows. Troy is hoping to absorb some of that moxie and wisdom. (But hopefully not the accent or the John sense of fashion.) We thank God for bringing the McHouls into our lives in 2005.

As Troy prepared for his weekend missions conference we had an opportunity to review all of the “God sized” moments that have occurred since we first started down the path to Haiti in July of 2005.(Or even 2002 when we first located Haiti on a map.) It is easy to get distracted or discouraged and forget what God has done and is doing. We've been guilty of that I think.

We’ve met such amazing people both in Haiti and all over the world during our time here. Our lives have intersected in ways we would never trade. It was great to bring those things to mind again. We’re certain that God ordained many of the intersections of the last three years … some of those intersections resulted in miracles and answered prayers and some resulted in the beginning of life long friendships.

As we move forward we’re hyperaware that any intersection might just be - of the God variety.

This post from two years ago was a reminder for me today.

Still Trying,

tara for all of us

Kid Update

The grandmas and aunts in the bunch hate this no Internet thing ... they need a kid fix ... I tossed together a few random stories for you guys.

• In true Noah form, we already have walls with color crayon on them … not even two weeks into residing here. :( Bye-bye damage deposit. That Noah is one tough nut to crack … no matter how you look at it. He did say that he did it because he was angry with us for taking Hope and not him when we ran an errand. At least he can identify why he acts like a butt. Is it odd to be encouraged by that?
• Hope wanted to know what it means if something is Eppropriate. I said, “what do you mean?” She said, “Mrs. Ackerman told the boys that they were not being very Eppropriate today.” At first I thought it was new-fangled high-tech terminology --- but nope … just Hope being hard of hearing.
  
• Isaac asked Dad and I, “Does Jesus live even further than outer space away from here?” I punched Dad to indicate it was his question … and Dad said, “Well, Jesus lives in your heart Isaac.” The response was pure unbelief … “WHAT – ARE YOU SAYING THERE ARE TWO JESUS’????? I never heard that before!” After much explaining that did not meet Isaac’s approval, Isaac shrugged and said, “I just cannot believe there are two of Jesus Grandpa.” (Dad does not know the rule of answering Isaac questions. The rule is – be sure your answer will not create loop holes for confusion.) The answer should have been – “Jesus could be far or he could be close – depending on your perspective.”
  
• Paige finds ways to make a white shirt and navy bottom into a fashion statement each day. Reading the names of her classmates is like reading the members of NATO … talk about a diverse group! I don’t think her international school experience will ever be topped. The life-stories of her classmates are all so interesting.


• Phoebe is now going by the name “Madame Tipap.” From the moment she wakes until the moment she is asleep for the night she wanders around calling for Tipap. She is totally enamored with him and he never tires of saying “Phoebe” (in a shrill high mocking voice) right back to her every Tipap.


• Lydie B. has only three top teeth. It looks very hillbilly and very odd.


• Annie had a rough week but seems to be on the mend now.
  
• Peanut misses her wide open spaces for chasing chickens and goats. We’re working through the steps of the grief process with her. Right now we're working the denial step.


• Stateside kids: Britt (and Chris) started classes at Baylor last week and report that things are going well in Texas. They are full on wedding planning for their January nuptials and now have added a March Cap Hatian mission trip to their list of travels.

quickly...

we doubt the internet is coming to our house any time soon - the rain has been crazy at times - please pray for people here - homes are being damaged and lost - we're hoping ike (the next one after hannah) misses us - troy is supposed to travel tomorrow for the weekend in michigan ... stories, photos and real updates to come ...

stay dry-
tara

posting a few random photos from a remote location...

Moving the generator in ...

Annie and Lydie crawl racing ... Lydie kicks her butt every time. (Sorry Matt.)

The toothless wonderboy.

A fun place to ride bikes. At some point in the distant future we might put water in it and try that option out too. Experts in the crowd ... speak up. We have no clue.

Poor sad little Lydie - aka bug bait.

The three baby girls - dressed up in their new matching gear and refusing to cooperate with my photo taking plans. :( Boo!
Annie 9 months, Lydie 11 months, Phoebe 22 months