Gauvreau en Haiti

Tuesday, October 12

Last week we were very busy. We went three times to Fort-Jacques to get clothing and blankets to distribute in the ravines. We move a girl, Yannick, to her aunt’s house and a few days later we decided to take her home, because she was sleeping on a cement floor.

We had peoples who offered to sponsor the girls for all of their years at university. It is a blessing from God. It is also walk of faith because we have three girls to feed. There is a third one, Cathiana, who will go to university also, she lives at her brother at the moment, but she must eat well to be able to study. These three girls have been together since their childhood, they are like sisters. We went to the university to get all the information for the fees and tuitions and what they need to do for the inscription. The process is complicated and very long. They need a medical exam with and x-ray for tuberculosis and a blood test for AIDS. Also they need three pictures, birth certificate, copies of all their schooling (primary and secondary), motivation letter and the payment for all the inscription fees and various fees. Two of them must wear uniforms, so this is more money to pay.

Finally, we have taken Cathiana home because she could not sleep and she was crying. We are adapting to the situation.

Last Sunday, we were invited by Simon, a Haitian who sells souvenirs at the Baptist Mission, to go to his house at Fermathe. We had a good time and his house is modest but comfortable with three bedrooms. We met one of his sons and his daughter, his wife is in the USA for two months. We will go back and we will invite them at our house.

Also last Sunday, Locita’s uncle died at the hospital. She helps her mother with the decisions taken with the rest of the family. And once again for the service and the burying it is a long process, especially if they do not have the money. The expenditures are great. They must pay for the service and burial; provide drinks and some food during the watch and before the service. After the service it is the same thing. So, it is a lot of money for people who have nothing.

Monday, Georges went with the girls to do all the researches and the demands so they can do their registration Thursday. It is not well organized. They must travel between the top and the bottom of the city; sometimes they must do three different hospitals to do the tests.

Today, Georges went with the girls to finish their medical. After, they will go to Fort-Jacques to get more clothing, blankets and tarps for the distribution in the ravines and one of the tent cities. Actually we have helped more than 125 persons because of GLA who gives us the things they received by containers from Canada and USA. André and Sylvie Drisdelle received blankets, sheets, towels and facecloths, clothing and shoes, baby playpen, diapers, wet ones, baby food and cream and Tylenol.

 This on the land of the orphanage GLA, there is Locita, Kathiana et Yannick with the dog.

Also, I just received a request from my cleaning lady to know if I could pay to send her children to school. This breaks my heart to see so many children who want to go to school and do not have the means. And me in this situation, I pray and cry out to God to give us wisdom and discernment in all this. Because my emotions are high, I weep and cry out again to God. I feel so helpless and without resources. But our Father in heaven is the one who possesses everything and He is the one who will provide for all our needs and more. Yannick prays that we will be blessed more and more so we can continue to bless others around us. It is a big charge, but God is faithful and he will renew us each days.

Nadine, my cleaning lady, would love to send her children to school. I finally wrote to one of my friends in the USA and she answered right back and said yes, that she is sponsoring them. God is faithful! May God bless her richly!

Thursday, October 14

Today, I do my washing. I started with two loads and I finished up with four. I am very happy to have my washing machine with a spinner side by side, it saves me a lot of hand scrubbing and the wash dries a lot faster. Finally, it works on the inverter of the house, brilliant!

Georges did a tour of the city to register four students at their appropriate school. It is so complicated here that you must go from one place to another to have the same paper stamped and analysed.

Thursday, October 21

The girls went to school on Monday, October 18. They told them that they must come back on November 8. The management wanted to give them the rules of the University L’Unasmoh and to number the students that were there in the building. (see photos End October)

Georges and I went to Fort-Jacques, at the orphanage. (see photos End October)  Here, there is always something to do especially for the ones who work on the construction. They installed shelves in the warehouse, it looks great. They build benches for Pastor Brandon’s new church. They will make about 20 wooden benches and will varnish them. It is a new church that he is starting at Thomassin 32.

I like very much this area of the mountain, it is so quiet. Sometimes, you hear children at the school beside the land. I like to hear the children talk loudly, it seems so joyous compare to what we see elsewhere.

I have tried many times to take a picture of a man who sells pills on the street. (see photos End October) I have two for now; the first one someone walked in front of him and the second one, the person is eating breakfast. It is from them that the poor people buy their pills. I think that they must not always have the right pill or the right dosage.

This following saying is found in the book « Purpose Driven Life » from Rick Warren. I recommend this book to all. “The wisdom is to know what to forget, what should be ignore and on what we should give a particular attention.” – Rick Warren

Friday, October 22

Today, we are finishing the fabrication, the sanding and the varnishing of the benches for Pastor Brandon’s church. (see photos End October) We must finish them by 5:00 pm so we can move them tomorrow morning at the church. I hope that they will not get too dented during the move. Here the roads are so bad and full of pots holes that it is hard to circulate without being shaken.

At lunch time, Patrick made very good doughnuts. It has been many years since I have eaten one. It was hard to resist to fresh made doughnuts and they were still warm. Good job Patrick!

Monday, October 25

This morning it is a beautiful day and there is a light breeze. It is just great when you cannot use the fans because of no power. Georges forgot to fill the gallons of gas to fill the generator. It has been four days without electric power. It is very frustrating at times. It does not bother me if they cut the power for part of the day, but for 48 hours and more...

Last Saturday, we invited the parents of one of the girls. Even if they talk only Creole, it went very well. I can understand her mother quite well. They are very nice people and they are happy that their girl can go to school.

I have discover a new hobby, ant’s chasing. It is so exciting and fascinating. Ha! Ha! I finally found that they have made tunnels under the tiles in my kitchen counter. I do not know how to get rid of them, even if hundreds have already died. I have a product that I squeeze in the wholes where they are coming out, but they made another somewhere else. Help!

Tuesday, October 26

You will notice in the photos that we have two pictures showing a tornado, this one did not touch the ground. They were taken from our balcony on October 7, 2010. (see photos End October)Also, there is pictures of the road during the rain, a tire repair shop on the side of the road, of our house church where we go each Sunday, and a place where there used to be a building and now is circled with a wall of metal sheet on which there is posters of the election glued all over it.

Friday, October 29

We have been 8 days without electricity from the power company; we should have it back by next Sunday. They had a huge problem to fix.

Tonight, Georges is having a Bible study with young adults. You should have been here to hear them sing. It was so beautiful and the voices mixed very well together. Glory be to God!

The following is a prayer that I say quite often these days!

“Heavenly Father, I release to you the burdens that I have been carrying, burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast all my cares upon You-all my worries, all my fears.”

Much love!

Jocelyne and Georges