Catch up

The last few weeks have been busy.  Work in the clinic is good, a few weeks ago I had a patient who had suffered from a stroke. She was completely paralysed down her right side and I couldn't believe she had come to the clinic on the back of a motorbike! I can't even imagine how difficult that would be.  I haven't treated a stroke patient for a long time so I was a little nervous that I wouldn't remember what to do!!  After this week's treatment she was up walking with just a little bit of help, which is great progress.

Tuesday was Sam's birthday and all he wanted for his birthday was a minion, a cake and a plate.  So he was pretty pleased to see he got more than that!!  Vedane and the four kids came on Tuesday with a present and we had pancakes and birthday cake. On Friday night we had a wee party for him with the other families here and his Grandma and Grandpa who arrived on Friday for a week.

Joel is as happy as ever.  His only problem is he doesn't know how to sleep in past 5am!!He loves going out visiting people and he is dying to get outside and play with all the other kids.

The rain has finally stopped (mostly!) the days are sunny and dry.  However there is still a lot of mud on the roads from all the rain.  We have been feeling a lot cooler over the last month or so.  Sam has been asking for long PJ's and socks in bed and Joel has actually started wearing clothes without sweating!

 Bill has been working flat out the last month or two, working every Saturday and some evenings marking papers, preparing for class and writing final exams. Final exams finished on Friday and all the students have left for Christmas break.  So this week Bill will be finishing up marking exams and papers and then he will be off!

This was Bill's first year of teaching and he wasn't too sure how he was doing but he had a few encouraging words this week from students which confirmed he should be doing what he is doing.

 ' When you first started teaching I felt stressed out but once I got used to your teaching now I really like it so thank you.'

'Thank you for teaching us, we think you have more wisdom than Solomon!'  (that is my favourite one!!)

'I like how Bill doesn't just tell us the answers but makes us think for ourselves'

On Friday the first and second year students threw a surprise party for the teachers to say thank you for all they do for them.  This has never happened before at EBS.  The students had a little program all prepared and had something to say about all the teachers.  Then they had a time of worship and prayer for the staff at Emmaus.


Saturday afternoon was the EBS staff Christmas party at Matt & Stacey's house.  We started off with a time of sharing.  What really struck me was how the staff feel about EBS.   Its not just the place they come to work, for a few its their home, its where they sleep and eat on weekdays.  The people they work with are not just their co workers but their family.   We're still getting to know everyone but it was really great to see how the staff work together and feel like a family, right from the ladies who wash the clothes to the teachers who have masters degrees.  After that we had some games which were hilarious then we had food, then each staff member received an EBS t-shirt as their gift.

This week we will be showing Bill's parents the sights of Haiti!

Heavy week.....

This week was heavy to say the least. We see a lot of suffering in Haiti but sometimes it just all comes at once and to people you know. On Monday morning I took Sam to school and went to Vedane's house. Vedane was telling me she wasn't feeling good and when I asked her why she said A friend had passed away last night at just about 9 months pregnant. On asking more I found out the friend was called Angeline the wife of a guy I know who lives in Vaudrieul. They have only be married a little while and this was their first baby. The whole community is in mourning and it is all everyone can talk about and think about. Angeline's mum worked in the clinic in 2010 when I was there and since then has moved to Florida. She was due to come to Haiti expecting to meet her grandchild and on Wednesday she arrived in very different circumstances.

I was at the clinic on Tuesday and came home to Michilene and the boys,  Michilene's mother in law had died in Michilene's house on Sunday night. She has a sore stomach that evening and by 2am she was dead.  Michilene's husband is in Brazil looking for work and has been for 2 years, she is on her own with 5 kids and has now lost her mother in law who lived with her. My heart was heavy for Michilene on Tuesday.

On Thursday I had a patient, an older lady who was fine until 2 months ago. Then something happened, they are not sure what and after that episode she cannot see and she cannot walk very well. She was referred to me because of her walking. After I assessed her I really couldn't see anything that physiotherapy could do , it seemed she wasn't walking well because she was scared. Everything is now in darkness and she is scared to walk because she thinks she will fall, or bang into someone or something. There was really nothing I could do. Her family had taken her to the doctor, they had taken her to the eye doctor, they had come to Bethesda today hoping to find answers and something help only to go home with nothing.

After that a young friend of mine came to visit, Phaly. In my time at the clinic before I had about 4 or 5 little boys who always used to come to my room to visit. They are all teenagers now and Phaly comes every few weeks to say hi.  He is a typical teenage boy and doesn't talk too much but when I asked him how everything was going he started talking.  He told me things aren't good because his older sister is sick and has been for 4 months. Has she not been to the doctor? I asked. 'Its not something you can go to the doctor for' he replied. 'She has an evil spirit.... he continued, 'sometimes it causes her to talk a lot, one time she looked like she was dead, she can't go anywhere or do anything. My father has taken her to a witch doctor but that didn't do anything and anyway I don't believe in that.'

I don't even know what to say to him, imagine having to deal with that at the age of 15. The only thing and the best thing I can do is pray for her.

Claudin is on staff here at Emmaus, his wife was pregnant, she had some bleeding last week and they took her back in hospital on Tuesday because she was leaking amniotic fluid. On Wednesday night she went into labour and delivered a little girl, Daniella at 28 weeks.   Not old enough to be able to survive. I talked with Claudin today who came to work, he is so grateful that his wife is ok. He told me 'if it had have been God's will for us to have this baby we would have, we trust in him because he knows.' What faith they have.  

These situations, people and circumstances are on our minds a lot we are trying to do something or say something that will help.  But we are so grateful that we serve a God who is bigger than all of these circumstances, who can comfort those who are mourning, who is more powerful than Satan and who can provide strength for those who need it.  

Rain rain and more rain

We keep waiting for the rain to stop and it just doesn't.  It has been raining almost everyday since the beginning of November as even I sit here tonight the rain is falling steadily outside. November is usually wet but never this wet, so everyone tells me.

Last Thursday the rain came down in buckets and we heard reports of flooding in lots of areas.  Almost everyone I talk to has some sort of flooding inside their house.  All of their clothes are wet and they are sleeping on wet beds.  One of our nurses in the clinic lives in Plaine du Nord and the water was as high as her dining table inside the house.  Everything was covered in muddy water and the rain washed some of her things away.  We heard of other houses in that area that the rain was as high as the door with people losing everything they have inside.

Yesterday in the clinic Dr Rodney was talking about the flooding asking our staff how things are where they live.  He said that people can come to work, they look well, they look happy, they are talking & laughing but we can never know what is going on at home.  Some of our staff have some water inside their homes and others are completely flooded.  Dr Rodney went on to say 'God has enabled Haitian people to live in a way which we can't understand, in a way that doesn't seem possible.....that is called a miracle.'


Monday was dry and sunny so everyone spent the whole day washing clothes and sheets and putting them out to dry.  I left Sam to school and went to visit a friend in Vaudrieul.  Varesca showed me where the rain has been coming into her house and explained there was a leak onto her bed so she had to sleep with a little bowl on the bed to catch the water.

Oh Haiti always has something that is making life more difficult.  As if life is not difficult enough already.

Please continue to pray for Haiti and her people.  Pray for this election results.  Pray for a good president who is going to do something for Haiti.

Pray for so many who have been affected by the rain.

On a more positive note we got to meet baby Victorieux, baby brother to Victoria, Victory and Victor.  Lucner is a teacher here at the seminary and his wife Luna is a student. The baby wasn't due until December  but decided to come a few weeks early and thankfully all went well.

A faithful follower

On Thursday I had a new patient at the clinic, her name was Henrietta.  When she came in it was obvious she had had a stroke so I was expecting the subjective assessment to be quick and easy.  When I asked her what the problem was, she started with ' Since I was born......'  My first thought was 'oh no this is going to take forever and none of it will be relevant as to why she is here today for physiotherapy!!'

It turns out none of it was relevant but it was great and encouraging for me.  This is her story.....

Since I was born God chose me to serve him.  As I grew up I believed in what God had done for me and I have spent my life serving him. I did not get married or have children because I was serving God.  I was born in Cap but heard God calling me to Port au Prince as a missionary to tell people about what he has done.  My life had been difficult but we should expect to go through suffering when we are serving God.

I was in an car accident in 2014 and hit my head and was paralysed all down one side. I was in hospital for 2 months.  My family have abandoned me because I am a christian, I don't have a home and I just sleep in the church that I belong to.  When I find a little money I eat, I have gone 10 days or so with no food but I know that I am suffering for Jesus. the life of a servant of God is not easy.

I tried to encourage her and tell her the bible tells us we will suffer but we know our hope is in heaven and when we get there, there will be no more suffering.  Her face literally lit up with the thought of heaven.  I don't think I have ever seen anyone's face light up like that.  She agreed and sung a song about it! I can't say that has ever happened when treating a patient before.

I asked her how she knew we had physio here in Bethesda?  She told me a few nights ago she had a dream where two ladies told her she should go to Bethesda because there would be someone there to help her.  Anyway we continued to talk as I treated her, every now and again she would say   ' Thank you in advance Jesus for healing me.'

It was encouraging for me to see someone following the Lord so faithfully in the midst of such suffering.  Some days I think we are suffering by moving here.  There are many things we miss from home such as family,  friends, being able to take the boys to the park, going for walks, nipping out to the shop to get what we need,  church, our home culture (although Bill isn't quite sure what his home culture is anymore!!) It would definitely be easier for us to live in Northern Ireland.

Other days when I see how people are suffering here I think we are not suffering at all.  God has given us so many things to be thankful for.  We have a lovely house to live in,  we can eat everyday, we have clothes, shoes, toys, books,  our OMS missionary family, good internet (mostly) to keep in touch with family at home, friends here and many many more things.

However with or without the material possessions Heneritta and I have one major thing in common we both believe and trust in the same God. We are both thankful that even though we will have suffering in this life, it is only temporary. And when we are going through times of suffering we have a God who is able to help us, who will strengthen us and who will give us the grace we need for each and every situation.

Romans 5 v 3-6

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,

 because we know that suffering produces perseverance,

 perseverance character; 

and character hope.  And hope does not put us to shame.

1 Peter 5 v 10 

And the God of all grace, 

who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, 

after you have suffered a little while, 

will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

We're back!!

After over a week of no internet were back online and here is an update I wrote last week....

We literally went from one world to another. The boys and I (poor Bill had to stay in Haiti to work) spent a week in Florida with my mum, dad and sister. It has been 5 months since the boys saw their Granny and Bampa in person and not over facetime! Sam was a little overwhelmed and shy when we met them in Miami airport but he didn't take too long to come round. Joel was his usual smiley self for them.

We had a great week together, Sam had been looking forward to the trip to the zoo for months so he really enjoyed it. In his own words he ' actually fed a giraffe!!' We went to the beach, the pool, the park, had ice cream, ate strawberries & blueberries, went on a boat trip, saw dolphins and even stroked a baby alligator!! It was funny for me to watch the boys and their reaction to America. Joel eyes were wide open the whole time taking everything in. Sam had definitely forgotten about somethings from home. In the airport he was asking me was the escalator was and was scared when we got in the lift which was strange because he used to love going in the lift!

After a week Leah had to fly home as she was starting work again and my mum & dad flew back into Haiti with us for a week.

It was raining when we arrived and has hardly stopped all week. Bill told us it had rained really heavily on the Saturday night. When he was driving to come and pick us up the road was covered in mud which had come down off the mountain. By the time we arrived it started raining again.

Mud which has run down off the mountain onto the main road

It has rained and rained and rained all week and now Cap Haitian and surrounding areas are flooded. We have heard reports that 9 people have died in the flooding. Almost everyone I talk to has water inside their house and everything is wet. Some people have lost their homes and many of the few possessions which they have. The roads are terrible, schools have been closed for the week and once again Haitian people are suffering.

With no infrastructure to cope with the amount of rain that is falling is causing a lot of problems. Often it feels like Haiti has so many problems its impossible to know where to start even trying to fix things.

The traffic on the way to the airport, it took us over 2 hours a journey which normally taked 40 mins. 

The election is supposed to take place on 20^th November, this is the same election which was supposed to take place last October as in 2015. It has been postponed many times with the most recent one being just after hurricane Matthew hit.

So one week we were taking a boat trip around one of the richest cities in the USA where the houses cost millions upon millions and are just holiday homes for people to use for 2 weeks a year and just a few days later we were driving through a flooded city where people are losing their possessions, their homes and for some their lives because of something as simple as rain. It is quite a difference and hard to get your head around.

Maybe your tired hearing about Haiti's problems, it seems like the people never get a break, as if life isn't difficult enough Haiti gets hit again and again and again. We ask you again to pray. Pray for the rain to stop and the sun to come out. Pray for the election, Haiti needs a good president, a good government who are going to work to improve Haiti. Pray for those suffering from the rain, who don't have any dry clothes to put on or who are getting into a wet bed every night. Pray for wisdom for us, there is so much suffering and so much need all around us that we would know who and how to help.

****Thankfully the rain has stopped, the clean up is happening and the roads are still terrible but its dry.  In other news Sam had his first day in school on Monday, he is going to Cowman School the OMS school here in Haiti on Mondays and Wednesday's at the minute.  He was excited to go and a little nervous when we went in but he seemed to like it.  

Meanwhile Joel has discovered oreos.......

Student Evangelism

I was going to write about this but Stacey already has so here is her post....

God at work

They were ready to go, a dear invested brother jumped in and covered the trip (12 people, 4 days and nights, food, water, borrowed sound system, generator, fuel, Bibles, transportation and tent materials...$247 USD) and that's how a part of the Emmaus body spent last weekend.  

My very favorite part about these trips is when they get back.

Leading up to this weekend, 3 or 4 students have been sharing the Gospel in Difou 2-3 times a week. Unlike other places they have visited where they've had little or no interest in the Gospel, no person of peace, and have had to "brush the dust off their sandals", they were touched from the start by the number of people in Difou (the community right past Fev) who were incredibly interested...who seemed to never have heard It...who were anxious to hear more.

And this weekend gave them the opportunity to do just that!  Emmaus can now say with confidence that every single person in this village has heard the Gospel, and continued to hear the Gospel unpacked throughout the weekend.  On Sunday morning, EBS built these small tents, and when they asked if anyone was interested in giving their lives to this God they have been hearing of, forty people (FORTY PEOPLE) said they were all in.  Dozens more said they want to hear more.  Hundreds (HUNDREDS) came for morning worship.

Leme couldn't believe how little Difou knew of "traditional" Christianity.  He said no one knew the hymns they were singing, no one knew how Sunday morning worship worked, no one had horror stories of crooked pastors or divided congregations or denominational disputes or unkind Christians...there is literally no church, no Christ, in the history of Difou.

That will never be the case again.  

The one thing each student and staff member has repeated to me over and over again is how interested everyone is...how anxious to hear and learn more, how great their desire to know Him and be pleasing to Him.  This is rare in ANY culture, and we're all just in awe of how God has prepared their hearts and how soft Difou is...

What an awesome opportunity to give the true Jesus, deep and wide and free.

I wish I had more pictures (always) but I'm just thankful that Leme grabbed a few on his phone the morning they put the "church" together.

(Me heading into a zone like this as a foreigner to take pictures of everyone is the opposite of the indigenous, culturally relevant evangelization and genuine conversions and spiritual growth we are praying for!  No matter how hard I try, as a foreigner I am seen as being in a position of power...and trying to lead people into a true relationship with the Lord from a position of power rarely works)

I'm also incredibly excited to see evangelism happening in Difou, in culturally relevant ways, in the heart language of the people, by men and women living right down the road, and with DISCIPLESHIP following right after...continued.

This isn't a "40 conversions!" statistic and on with life.  This is the planting of seeds of Truth and Hope and Redemption in people's lives, by His power, and then all of the watering and sunshine and TLC that must follow.

Though right now Phida and Leme cant 't stay behind, as begged, can't leave some of the students to live among them...Difou is nowhere near abandoned.  This week, several of the same staff and students went from 1-3, as always.  With so many zones even further than Difou who may have also never heard the full-Gospel, no one is anxious to abandon the road, either.

So, Leme and Phida are praying with the students about which of them God is calling to care for and grow all these new brothers and sisters in Difou (ideally, two of them will stay in Difou, going on weekends and 3 times a week) and the rest of the students will keep moving on.  

I know this is no captivating marketing campaign. I know this is not a complicated or impressive strategy.

But I love how much this sounds like the Bible.

May that always be our strategy.  

Add Difou to your prayers!  Pray for growth, pray for more to follow, pray for our staff, our students, pray for sensitivity and humility and wisdom and great enduring love.

 Keep on helping us do THIS.

thank you