Gauvreau en Haiti

Wednesday, June 8 2011

Today, the sun is trying to come out from the clouds and we have a nice wind, which helps drying the cloths and all the tents that are soaking wet inside and outside.

Monday, we had heavy rain during the evening and part of the night. Georges went out that night and he got caught by a flash flood. The car was 4 feet in the water and the motor stopped, but Georges was able to start the motor again but the alternator did not like to be swimming in the water. So the day after, the car did not want to start. The mechanic will come to replace it tonight with a used alternator.

For us it is not too bad, but for many in the ravines they lost everything. Many houses collapsed, there are about 20 deaths and many houses have damage caused by water, mud and rocks. Here is an Internet site, from a Haitian newspaper, where you can view the inundation in Tabarre (a district of Port-au-Prince). http://www.lenouvelliste.com/  This site is in French but you can still view the video.

Yesterday evening, we went to see our friend Dee at the Drisdelle’s house. We had good time together, but it was not long enough, I would have loved to talk a little longer. She gave me a brand new video-camera with a memory card to replace the one that was stolen. Thank you God! After our visit with Dee, we went upstairs to the Drisdelle’s apartment. We talked about all the damages caused by the flash flood of Monday evening to the second house they rent. The house is supposed to be used for an orphanage and to host teams. They have a lot of damages.

At Fort Jacques, a team of carpenters are building the frame for the roof of our future house and started to build the frame for the walls. Thank you so much team.

Friday, June 24

This morning at 9:30 am, I felt a light earthquake. It was a funny feeling to feel all the things move. First I thought it was an illusion, but it was real. It was not very strong because it was under 4 on the Ritcher Scale.

Molly, Director of the Toddlers’ House, has finally sent the pictures of the little girls of the orphanage with the dresses that some ladies at Greenfield Park Baptist Church had made. Thank you so much dear ladies, the girls are very happy to get new dresses. (See Photos July)

Thursday, July 7

I did not write a lot on the blog. I took some time off because I was sick with gastroenteritis twice in two weeks. The first time it was E. Coli and the second time a virus and both happened two weeks apart.

Another aspect of life in Haiti, when we are stranger living in a country sometimes there is other strangers who have problems and asked for help. At times, we find ourselves in difficult situation and that’s what happened in June. This takes all our energy and we need rest after that. One of the pastors in our church in Quebec, Pastor Denis Morissette came in Haiti and we were able to meet with him, it was a miracle from God. He came just at the right time when we needed him the most because of a difficult situation with a stranger. He gave us good advice to how we should react with her. We followed his advice and we have resolved the situation.

Now we are doing a lot better and our pastor in Haiti, Joel Trimble, lent us his house in the mountain, while in the US, so we can rest. It is wonderful to rest for 17 days. We have nothing to pay and we have a very nice servant who cleans the house and do the dishes, and also a nice gardener who washes Georges’ car almost every morning. I love it. We really needed some time off by ourselves, but we still work at Fort Jacques and we travel for only 15 minutes instead of one to one and half hour. (See Photos July)

We will move at the orphanage on July 30. We are looking forward to this. We will not have to travel as we will be living on the compound.

The three girls who live with us have found a little house near the ravines, their school and closed to their family. We will still take care of these beautiful and nice girls and they could keep going to university.

Thursday, July 19

Last week, we lost a dog at the orphanage, a car rolled over Gus the dachshund. Everyone loved Gus and he was like a baby to John and Dixie, orphanage Directors. He was also best friend to our dog Billy. (See Photos July)

Lately, we had two teams of volunteers who came to help at the house at Fort Jacques. With them the work is very well advance. One team is from Colorado Springs CO and the other from Monticello IL. The men and as well as the women have worked very hard on the house so it can be ready for us at the end of July. There was one lady who has muscular dystrophy who worked on the roof. And the one who did the cupboards came back with his assistant early on Monday morning, the day of their departure, to finish the cupboards for the house. We really appreciate the teams who come to serve others. May God bless them abundantly! We have pictures of the two teams and the house. (See Photos July)

Friday, July 22

Presently, what cause me much sorrow is to see the poverty to be side by side with riches. There is almost no middle class as in Canada or the States. Here the rich have all the rights and you must cede them the road and even in store and even we must give them the way sometimes. This is coming from the time of slavery when black slaves, especially if their skin was paler, were chosen to reign over the other slaves and to punish and mistreat them. They were well seen in the eyes of their white masters.

So, I think this is why the Lord took me to Haiti, to break my heart with what breaks the heart of God. The injustice, favoritism on the color of the skin (paler the better), the widows and orphans and children who are abused in all kind of manners. God created each one of us and He loves each one of us, so why being so hard, insensitive and cold hearted towards the ones who are different from us? It is not easy to love and serve them, but it is only with the Love and Grace of God that we can help them and this is one person at a time.

“Your greatest fulfillment in life will come when you will discover your gifts and your matchless abilities and use them to edify others and glorify God.” From Neil Anderson

We wish you a wonderful day!

Cordially,

Jocelyne and Georges