Gauvreau en Haiti

“The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.” 
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Friday, September 6, 2013

For the ones who know me, I do not like wasps. Here, I must face them because they like my clothesline post. What I like about them is that they do not turn around my head to get me nervous. The ones I have here stay on the post and sometimes they go around my clothes and leave.

I will be going to Montreal, Quebec on September 25 to October 30. I am looking forward to see my grand-son, my two sons and my daughter-in-law.

    Our grand-son and daughter-in-law

Wednesday, November 6

I have not written for quite a while. We have been on vacation in the Province of Quebec and that was a wonderful trip. For my part, I have stayed five weeks, and two of them I stayed at my youngest son with my grand-son. I must not forget my daughter-in-law that I love a lot. With my oldest son, I went shopping and we had a great time together. 

We have now returned at the orphanage in Haiti. We still have a lot of work, but once in a while with the orphanage staff. It is well like this.

The three Haitian girls are back to school and it is more and more expensive to send them to university. But it is their last year and we are praying that they will find a good work after all these studies.

  Kathiana, Yanick et Losita

  Pam and Dyane have helped me do the Christmas stockings.

Friday, November 22

This week, I have worked with two volunteers, ladies in my age, who have helped me a lot to get the items ready for the Christmas stocking for the Haitian staff. Each year, they get a food bag and another bag with hygiene and house items. Especially the ladies have a great time looking in their bags. Often, they will exchange items, that way everyone is happy.

At the moment I would love to get rid of my cough. I have it since I am back on October 30. I am exhausted and the concentration is hard. Fortunately, most of the night, I can sleep well and with few cough. 

There is a new law on adoption in Haiti. The Social Services is processing all the application done before the adoption of the law, so we have a lot of adoptive parents who are coming to get their child. For the ones working in the office, it is a lot of work, but they are happy that the children are joining their adoptive family.

December, 2013

Making the Christmas cookies

We received a container, just before Christmas, and the majority of our personal were on vacation. But we found some guys to help us and we emptied the two containers quite fast. 

We went to a wedding on December 27. This service was a little strange for us at this little church. Probably, it is not weird for God, but for us it was strange. Finally, Yanick is married with Barthelemy and we are very happy.

   Yanick at the Beauty Salon before the wedding

   Yanick and her spouse

January, 2014

  Team from Ontario, Canada, who did a great job.

After three series of antibiotics, I am back to normal. I had two bronchitis, an ears infection and a sinus infection. Now, I can walk without being out of breath; here, at Fort-Jacques, I must go up and down the hills.

Our friends, Mimi and Marco, came in Haiti and we went to see them on the sea side. We had a good time.

February, 2014

There is a non-profit organization, James Funds in United States, who raises funds to build the orphanage. Wednesday, February 5, at Fort-Jacques, we had the ground breaking for the main orphanage and neo-natal unit. It was very moving and for us it is an encouragement that one day, we will see all the buildings on the GLA ground. They raised $280,000 + for the start of these constructions.

  Dixie and John, GLA Directors

   Dennis Tyson (James Fund) and John Bickel (GLA)

   Supper at the fire pit after the ground breaking 

Last week-end, we went for supper in a UN (in Haiti called MINUSTA) restaurant. We were with Louise Lafond and Francine Pagé. We had a lot of fun and we laugh a lot. It has been a long time since I laughed that much. The food is varied and very good. 

At this time, we have a men construction team, from Edmonton, Canada. They are doing a super work for constructing the second story of the other couple’s house who lived at Fort-Jacques. Among the team, there are two electricians who have redone the electric box of that house. We are wondering who had done it to begin with on this stone house.

Tonight, February 14, we have a St. Valentin supper.

This is the end word:

“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”
― Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place 

Cordially,

Jocelyne and Georges