Ups and Downs

We were finally able to get our damaged-beyond-repair buildings demolished, an important step in the rebuilding process. As is so often is the case, while we were struggling to make this happen, God had it all worked out! We had been pestering the Canadian military, Samaritan’s Purse and the Korean military to come and do some demo for us. We were getting worried they weren’t going to be able to fit us into their schedule.

Then one day, Community Housing Foundation just showed up on our doorstep and said they had a break in their schedule and did we need their services? I can’t tell you how many times God has literally sent someone right to our front door offering food, shelter and now demo services!

They had everything knocked down and the rubble hauled away in a week. We can now begin the process of rebuilding our high school, kindergarten, med clinic and eye clinic.

Now we are in the process of getting estimates for building open-air classrooms. School is already back in session, meeting in tents. I think it’s good for the kids to get back to a normal routine since so much in their lives has been turned upside down.

Our calendar is rapidly filling up with short term teams coming from the US to help us with construction. It will be exciting to see Christianville being rebuilt and fully operational!

We went back to the US at the end of March for our annual board meeting in Florida. Then we flew north to visit family and friends. We had a great time until our last day at my sister’s place at Rehobeth Beach. I knelt on the bed to reach over and close a window, heard a loud “POP” and felt a sharp pain in my knee. When I was unable to put weight on my right leg, I realized something serious was going on. We spent the next couple of days seeing doctors and having tests. Ed had to go back to Haiti on April 12 and I stayed in the States. Turns out I had torn my meniscus and damaged my MCL (a ligament). In addition, the x-rays showed some fairly significant osteoarthritis (which I knew I had). So on April 22, I had arthroscopic surgery. Since this requires only two small incisions, I was in and out of the hospital on the same day.

I returned to Haiti on May 4 and I’m getting around pretty well, although I do knee to wear a knee brace if I do a lot of walking on uneven surfaces (which pretty much describes the entire nation of Haiti!)

Our 36th wedding anniversary was on April 20. I spent the day feeling sorry for myself because Ed & I weren’t together. But my wonderful husband surprised me by showing up that night and staying for a few days to see me through my surgery. It was great!
God has been so faithful to us, especially in the last several months. Sometimes we get weary and want to give up, but He continues to give us strength. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ALL THE TIME HE IS GOOD!