NOVEMBER 14, 2008

THREE POUND STEVENCIA

We are battling for the life of three pound Stevencia, born on October 8, 2008.  We had her admitted to the hospital last week after it appeared that she could die.  Now several days later, after she was released, she has lost ground and is again seemingly not far from death.  We now have her mother bringing her to the crèche from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm where we have  a nanny giving her one on one attention. 
Please pray for Stevencia and her mother who does not at this time seem able to care for her properly.

BOOKS I’VE JUST READ:

·         CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Chan

·         EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE by Brian D. McLaren

STUFF HAPPENING WITH THE WOMEN

Before we moved to Haiti I began asking the Lord for creative ideas and people who would partner with us, sharing the vision we had for the women and children of Haiti. 
It was on my recent trip to the States that I began to see the Lord's hand opening doors and showing me what He is putting together on the State's side. 
 
Here in Haiti so many visitors bring suitcases and tubs full of everything we need to make the program work on the Haiti side.  I have found such hope for the ladies, and loved seeing how gracious everyone has been, and how much everyone wants to help make the lives of our ladies so much better.  
 
As visitors come and go we always talk about different ideas and how we can take the program to the next level.  The first idea is always the internet, but we needed to have something that was not going to be a marketing nightmare on this end.  We kept coming back to the same questions: How do we keep up with shipping, inventory and all the details that come with selling to what could be thousands of people?
 
When Robert Rice was here to get Joseph, we again began talking about the pros and cons of marketing and such.  When Robert got home his wife Tammy said, "Hey, I can do a purse party!"   The response to the bags the ladies are making has been so wonderful here, but I honestly had no idea we would sell seventy-four bags in one weekend at our first party.  It seemed like the program began to have a life of its own overnight, literally.  Tammy asked some friends over explaining it was for a purse party to support the woman of Haiti, served appetizers and showed the new video we have explaining the program.  It was that easy.  The doors are now opening all over the place with others who want to do purse parties.
 
I love the idea of a purse party because we are building a network of people who know and care about Haiti already.  We start with a family who has adopted a child from us, someone who has done a nanny training seminar, someone who has done a clinic or maybe someone who came to do English Camp.  The bags have formed a link, putting a group of ladies together in the States who will love and support what we are doing here.  Some people can't come to Haiti but they want to help.   It is a perfect way to allow so many more people to share the vision we have and change a life here in Haiti.  When you purchase a bag, fifty percent of the purchase price will go back to the woman who made the purse so she can provide for her family.
 
Sheila Lynch 

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BETH JUST CALLED FROM THE DOMINICAN BOADER, SHE IS ON THE BUS AND WILL BE HERE IN ABOUT ONE HOUR.  I AM GLAD THAT SHE IS COMING AS AFTER ABOUT ONE WEEK OF HER BEING AWAY I GO INTO CAVEMAN MODE.  EVEN THE DOGS ARE SAD WHEN BETH IS GONE.

I BETTER GO AND QUICKLY BUY SOME FOOD AND TOILET PAPER AND PICK MY CLOTHES UP AND CHECK UNDER THE BED FOR MOLDY PLATES OF FOOD.

John McHoul

NOVEMBER 11, 2008   

Monday I spent just under twelve hours in the office.  I did not leave the property as my day was spent in meetings, in giving direction and answering questions.  Several hours were spent in putting together two adoption dossiers to be submitted to the consulate tomorrow.

Our office is a busy place from which we do adoption work, work for the Women’s Program which includes: SEWING SCHOOL, THE LITERACY CLASS, AND THE PRE-NATAL AND HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLASSES.  We as well do work for our church, Port-au-Prince Fellowship in the office.  It is also a busy place as sometimes it seems like Grand Central Station with people in and out.

Leaving the office at about 5:30 pm, I decided to go to a local market to buy some diet Haitian colas. All of us that live in this area understand that this is not a good time to go because it is the busiest time and the lines are long.  This time they were the longest that I have seen in this store, but I decided to get in one of the line anyway.

Now I had just come from about twelve hours of nonstop work in the office, but without questions the 10 to 15 minutes that I spent in the line were more strenuous and tiring.  A Haitian line is anything but straight and the idea of being in single file is rarely observed.  Also cutting in line is fairly common, so trying to keep your place and not find yourself moving backward instead of forward does take some effort.

So those of us in line were standing rather close to each other so that no one could cut in line.  The lady behind me kept hitting my legs with her basket, but I couldn’t say anything because I was hitting the legs of the person in front of me with my basket.   Any one that gets close to the line is immediately suspected of being a line cutter; so we are all on high alert.

Yet the whole time I am in the line not willing to surrender my spot to a line cutter, I wonder how Jesus would handle this situation.  I read in scripture about putting others before ourselves and all of that and I wonder how to apply Jesus’ word to being in line and watching out for line cutters.  I mean if Jesus were in line and someone cut in front of Him, I just can’t imagine him getting all that upset and calling the line cutter names.  I’m not sure he would say anything about the line cutting.  I don’t know.

I finally made it to the cashier without having anyone cut in line in front of me.  But as I was picking up my bags after paying in, like a bullet, came someone who slid past me and stood in front of the person who had been in front of me.  He essentially came in through the back door.  It was a smooth move and I felt bad for the person behind me.  But as I got in the truck and drove home I’m not so sure that I felt much better as a lot of negative effort went into keeping out the line cutter who I perhaps should give preference to and let cut in line. 

Sometimes it is difficult to figure out in the everyday things of our lives how to live according to the words of Christ.  There is so much to be learned while waiting in a Haitian line.  I’m glad that I have the privilege of being in Haitian Line School.  It is a good place to be.

John McHoul

OCTOBER 29, 2008

WOW have we ever been busy and so it has been difficult to get my head around writing a blog.  But here I am trying to write about stuff that matters and not just fill up space and waste time.

WORTH THINKING ABOUT

Recently I read these words written by Brian D. McLaren that have me thinking about what it means to be in Christian service: “Really, all Christian spiritual practices are practices of one thing: love.  Love for God.  Love for others-the neighbor, the enemy, the last, the least, the lost.  So our basic practice is to love each other.”

WHAT LANGUAGE ARE WE SPEAKING?

Recently we had several dozen of the tilapia die and still are not certain why they died.  So when we first had some floaters, we gave them to the cook to clean and to add to the evening meal of rice, beans, vegetables.  But as the day wore on, we saw that we had more and more floaters.  Since we were not positive about what killed them I told the cook to throw away all the food and I gave money to buy more food.  Well she had already sent some of the food to one of the other houses, so I called over and asked the American who does not speak Creole to tell the workers not to eat the food, since we did not know what killed the fish.  The next morning I arrived at the house and found one of the workers waiting for me.  I ask him if he was told not to eat the fish and he said that the American told him a bunch of stuff but since he doesn’t know English he didn’t understand and so he just ate the fish.  Fortunately, he was alive to tell me the story.   These guys do not speak the same language and so they couldn’t communicate.  It looks as if the fish died from a lack of oxygen in the water as we had no electricity for about two days.

I got thinking about this and I began to wonder if the language that we speak as Christians can be understood by those who are not Christians.  I notice in scripture that Jesus spoke to the hearts of people and much of what he had to say had to do with their day to day lives.    I will be preaching this Sunday at our church Port-au-Prince and I will be telling the church that perhaps we can speak too much about praying, reading the Bible and not enough about how because of these things we should be better people, citizens, husbands, wives, workers, employers, and so on.  This, I believe, is the language that the world needs to hear and will understand.

I recently read these words spoken by the African Archbishop Desmond Tutu:  “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land.  They said, ‘Let us pray.’  We closed our eyes.  When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.

John McHoul

OCTOBER 9, 2008    

Sometimes when God does stuff I don’t know how to react.  Should I be surprised for example if I have been diligently praying for let’s say a physical healing and God does it?  If I walk around saying, “God healed me, I can’t believe it,” then I probably hadn’t been praying in faith as faith would have expected the healing to come.  Maybe sometimes we pray in hope with some faith.

There is a time near the end of the adoption process when if the child has a biological parent still alive, then that parent must be interviewed at the American Consulate.  This is done to verify that the person claiming to be the birth parent, is indeed actually the birth parent and to verify that the child has willingly been relinquished for adoption.  If there is doubt due to insufficient documentation or if the person being interviewed does not know the answers to questions such as:

·         What is the birth name of the child?

·         When and where was the child born?

·         What are the names of your mother and father?

·         When and where were you born?

the Consulate can then require that a DNA test be run on the child and the person claiming to be the birth parent.  We have only had to do two DNA tests in our nineteen years in Haiti.  I didn’t like it.

We try to keep tabs on the biological parents because we need them several times in the adoption process.  We need them to sign various documents, to be interviewed on the Haitian side to verify that the parent in fact is without coercion relinquishing the child and to verify documents like birth certificates, death certificates etc.

But over the years there have been a few times when we have lost touch of the birth parent and have prayerfully had to go looking for him/her.  This is what happened this week.

We had an appointment on Wednesday, October 8^th for the birth parent to be interviewed at the consulate; but we were not able to locate this parent.  We for over a month had been trying to find her but with no success.  And then we heard that she was probably in the Dominican Republic, at a town near the border.  So last Monday Junior and I headed for the Dominican Republic, the country which shares two thirds of the island of Hispaniola.  Haiti takes up the other third.  We went in the little Suzuki since my truck was not working.  We arrived a few miles from the border after having gone through stretches where water, left over from last month’s storms, was covering the road.  We were able to make it through the first two but clearly we were not going to make it through the third stretch that we came to.  So we turned around and planned on coming back on Tuesday.  Remember the appointment was for Wednesday, the next day. 

So the next day we headed out again, but this time in my truck which still wasn’t fixed and was shaking big time.  We headed out with no visa to enter the Dominican Republic and with only a couple of photos of the birth mom that we were trying to locate.  We passed through ten sections where water was covering the road.  Several of the sections were quite deep and we actually turned around once thinking that we couldn’t make it even in the pickup truck.  I suppose that these were the cautious thoughts of someone who has submerged a car, Beth’s car, in a river.    But as we were heading back to Port-au-Prince, a pickup much like mine passed us heading for the border.  So we turned back toward the border following the pickup.  We passed through ten sections where the water was covering the road (The photo left is not a river, but it is the road covered with water).  And at four of them we were holding our breath and praying hoping not to  stall the truck.  But we made it to the border.

Now here we were with no visa to get across the border and so as we do often do we go into talking mode.  In Haiti there are times when we have to do a lot of talking to get things done and give a little money as well.  In about ten minutes we passed the Haitian border and now we faced the Dominican border, where we had to contend with the racketeers who could see that we were not sure what we were doing.   But living in Haiti has equipped us to deal with such situations and so after about thirty minutes and about $10.00 we were in the Dominican Republic and heading toward the border town where we heard that the birth parent is living.  We, equipped with the photos, drove around for about showing the pictures and asking if anyone recognized the picture and could take us to where this parent lived.   After about ten minutes we found someone who said that he recognized her and would take us to her house.  About thirty minutes later we parked in front of the house where we found out she used to live.  She now lived about eight hours away in the capital.

We were able to get a phone number and after only about one hour of being in the Dominican Republic, we were able to talk with her.  She said that she would borrow money and come Thursday, but I told her that we needed her for an appointment on Wednesday and to make a long story shorter let me tell you that on Wednesday morning at 10:00 she was in our office.  We prepped her for the interview and arrived at the Consulate at 11:20 and left at about 1:30.  She did great and now wait for the date for the visa appointment.

This kind of stuff has happened before and as I said, I have mixed emotions.  It is pretty amazing that we could find her and have her here the next day.  Yet really I am not surprised as there were so many praying and even her birth daughter who will soon be traveling to her new adoptive home.   She said to her mama, I prayed real hard that John would find you.  GOD ANSWERED HER PRAYER.

John McHoul

Maguire is the dog that "is".  Maguire is the biggest of all of mastiffs and is by far the most well behaved and self assured.  His size takes care of everything.  He does not need to bark, doesn't bother with chasing lizards, rats or people.  He enjoys life by watching it go by.    He barely shows emotion other than delight when we come home after being gone.  Then he almost knocks us down with happiness.  He lives to please and feels most secure when by our side. 
People are amazed by Maguire's size.  We can't be exact due to the impossiblity of getting him on a scale but we are sure he is well over 200 pounds.  He is apricot brindle and has the elegance of a lion.  His tongue is so long is doesn't fit in his mouth but we assume it keeps him cool with his panting.  His quiet presence keeps our visitors staring.  Our Haitian friends find him especially interesting.
His partner and leader of this twosome is Marley.  Not quite as big as Maguire but he makes up for it in aggression.  He goes after strangers, rats, lost chickens, lizards and people that for some reason unknown to us he finds undesirable.  He has trapped a guy in the bathroom and wouldn't let him out.  He barks at any strange sounds and flies through the screen door at record speed if something is in the yard.
Not Maguire.  His peace is never disturbed by chickens, rats or people.  He is content.  He must know he is big and strong but never seems to need to prove anything.  His size says it all.  His inner calm speaks for him.  He loves life, loves his masters and needs to prove nothing.  He is regal.
There is something to envy in this giant dog who enjoys being rather than doing.  He just "is".  There is something very spiritual about all this.  I admire people who have the ability to "be".  I envy those who know who they are, stay calm and rest in the joy of being loved by their master.  Like Maguire, their strength comes from within and they have nothing to prove.  The proof is in their calm.
Someday I hope to be more like my dog.  I hope to "be" and enjoy who I am and hang out by the master.  Around here, the giant dog is worth modeling your life after.  He is after all the most photographed dog in all of Haiti.  Come meet him!

Beth McHoul

He wrote, “CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A MATTER OF PERSUASIVE WORDS.  IT IS A MATTER OF TRUE GREATNESS AS LONG AS IT IS HATED BY THE WORLD.”

I wonder why Jesus didn’t try to attract more followers by telling them things that were not so offensive?  I wonder when the gospel becomes popular, if it is in fact the gospel that is being preached?

John McHoul

The girls were playing kitchen the other day with their play food and dishes.  They often make French Toast and spaghetti and other yummy imaginary foods and serve it to whoever is around.  The tiny coffee cups are my favorite.
Jeffy, the token male, held up two strainers and said, "these are for straining bugs".  I laughed.   Not for straining spaghetti, not for rinsing food but for getting bugs out of food.  And he's right!
Last week we had an infestation of ants at our house.  They came in droves and got into our food and our dog food.  Judi White, who rightly decided my cabinets needed reorganization, declared that ants had invaded our trail mix.  "No problem", I exclaimed and popped the bag into the freezer to kill the ants.  The freezer happened to be working at the time.  Throw something away due to an ant infestation - are you kidding?
We live differently in Haiti.
We value electricity and spend a lot of time dwelling on it, talking about it and waiting for it.  We get up in the middle of the night when we hear the pump come on and plug in the freezer and refrigerator and water cooler.  We can wake up from a dead sleep because we hear the pump. 
Offering a guest ice all depends on how much current we have had.  Moods can change due to the availability of fans.  Freezers double as fridges and fridges double as bread boxes.  It's all in your perspective.
The other night we went to the the girl's home during black out.  The inverter had run out and the girls were laughing and playing in the pitch black.  No one missed a beat.  They were delighted when John turned on the generator but were happy without it.  Afraid of the dark?  Not these kids.
We had visitors once who showed they clearly did not know John well.  They actually complained to him that the peanut butter had ants in it.  He took the jar, stirred the ants in and handed it back to them and walked away. 
So, if you visit us in Haiti remember this:  bring a flash light and zip lock bags and don't expect ice.  Ice is a gift and ants are protein.  

Beth McHoul

SEPTEMBER 8, 2008

The storms continue to buffet Haiti.  We in our almost twenty years here have not seen such a prolonged time of inclement weather.  It is difficult to complain about the rain and the really minuscule impact that it has had on us, when I consider the thousands who have lost their small homes and possessions and now the count is over 500 of those who have lost their lives.  There is much difficulty in getting relief supplies to those so impacted because the roads and bridges have been washed out. 

Our church, Port au Prince Fellowship, will be giving funds to one of the missionaries in our church who has an active ministry in one of the most severely impacted areas.  He then will add the funds to money collected and purchase what we call the BIG THREE: FOOD, WATER, and CLOTHING and look for a way to get the supplies into the area where he works.  I talked with him yesterday morning and he told me that  Saturday’s storm took out the remaining bridge into this particular area.   

Saturday night it rained all through the night in our area.  We have cancelled church twice in our ten years at Port-au-Prince Fellowship.  Once was due to a severe storm, the second was due to a military coup and yesterday came close to being the third time.  One of the problems we have is that we have no effective way to communicate with the majority of those that come to church and so I figured that some people would come no matter what as the rain had let up.  So we had church with about 100 people there and not the usual 300 plus.  God was there and I must admit that it was nice not being cramped in like sardines.

Later in the morning the rain resumed with force and all last night the wind was blowing strongly.

Yesterday morning as I was going to the crèche to check on everyone before we headed off to church, I turned onto the road and saw that two telephone poles had fallen and they took with them the electrical wires and so even though throughout the night the area had electricity, the houses of the children and the other houses on the street had no electricity.  So I parked the truck and walked under and around the poles to check on the children.  There is a back way to get to the crèches and so that is the route that people used until late in the afternoon when the electric company came and spent a few hours putting the poles back up and stringing the wire.  I must confess that I was surprised how quickly they got it done.

Yesterday before service, the worship team gathers together outside for prayer.  I asked one of the missionaries to pray and so he did, the prayer was a tad long and it started raining while he was praying; but he kept on praying.  The Haitians don’t do rain as well as say the Americans as they put more effort into their dress and appearance and hair and so while he was praying on I looked up and saw all the Haitians with looks of HURRY UP AND SAY AMEN.

It reminded me of when Beth and I were in Bible College in Canada.  Beth trying to be a matchmaker invited her cousin to visit us and a man that was a close friend of ours. We live in a two room apartment and to say it mildly, the match making attempt was a complete failure.  In fact during the several days that they were with us the tension between them was quite easily seen and felt.  Finally the day of departure arrived and Beth’s cousin was going to leave on a bus back for the States.  So at the bus station, we stood in the parking lot to hold hands and pray together as we needed to pray especially due to the failed matchmaking attempts.  So with hands held and heads bowed while we were praying I heard that sound of the bus leaving the station without Beth’s cousin on it.  ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS ANOTHER DAY OF THE FOUR OF US LIVING IN THE TINY APARTMENT.

We survived until the next day when she boarded another bus and this time we didn’t pray before she boarded the bus.

John McHoul   

SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

EFFECTS OF RECENT STORMS

The two recent storms that drenched Haiti with days of rain have caused tremendous destruction throughout parts of the country.  The reports from some of these areas tell of isolation as roads and bridges are washed out.  Many displaced can not get out and rescuers and aid workers can’t get in.  Some are being air lifted out, but that is just a few compared to the tens of thousands stranded.

I received a call from a missionary that attends our church and he told me of a man that he works with somehow has found his way out with twelve children, ages three to six, and that they are coming into Port-au-Prince.  We here at HEARTLINE will be gathering supplies and looking to see how we can join with others to help.  WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS AS WE ENDEAVOR TO BE THE HANDS OF CHRIST HERE IN HAITI.

JOHN KELLEY

We as well are working to save the leg of a seventeen old boy named John Kelley.  In the year 2000 he was found waiting at a clinic being held by missionaries out in a village area.  He had broken his leg perhaps a couple of years earlier and now it was badly infected and it had actually burst due to the untreated infection.  God placed this young man on the heart of Sheila Lynch who was on that group and who now with her husband work with us here at HEARTLINE. They brought him back to Port-au-Prince where he has since lived in an orphanage. She over the years has helped John Kelley and in 2003 she raised the funds for him to have surgery here in Haiti.  They with this surgery opened his leg from the ankle to the knee; they scraped the bone and put in a new canal to promote new bone marrow growth. 

His leg has never returned to normal but he has been able to walk, run, go to school but he could not play like the other kids.  Two days ago Sheila received a call from some of the kids in the orphanage telling her that John Kelley was not doing well.  His leg had grown worse and since he is not one to complain, they were calling on his behalf. 

He, Wednesday, came to the Women’s Center where we got a look at his leg and while we are not doctors, although sometimes we think that we are, we could see that stuff was going on inside his leg and that his leg was becoming further misshapen.   We through email consulted with a doctor in the States who after seeing the recent picture said that he needs more than antibiotic as  infection has roared back like a wild beast.  And yesterday a doctor was seen, x-rays were taken, and today blood work was done.  We are gearing up to try and save the leg of this boy.  A U.S. doctor told Sheila that if she sent him to the States, that he probably would have his leg amputated.  Well, we are doing what we can to get him medical help here, and we will know better where we stand next Friday after the blood work comes back. 

WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU PRAY FOR JOHN KELLEY.  PERHAPS YOU CAN GATHER YOUR FAMILY TOGETHER AND PRAY FOR HIM AND FOR US AS WE WORK TO SAVE HIS LEG.

John McHoul

SEPTEMBER 4, 2008

• It again rained throughout the night in our area but that was about it.  We have not experienced strong winds and massive flooding that other areas of Haiti have experienced.  We are praying for those that have experienced the brunt of these two recent storms.

• I was at Troy Livesay’s house this morning to give to him a box to be mailed in the States.  Troy is leaving this morning for a few days to attend and speak at a mission’s conference in the States.  It is rare that anyone can leave without being given mail and or packages to be mailed in the States.  While at Troy’s the kids were getting ready for school and being kids.  It brought back memories of getting our kids ready for school.  Morgan would always be early to the car and sitting inside with me as we waited for Sam. 

While I was in the driveway saying good-bye to Troy, three of his children: Isaac, Hope and Noah all came up to him and starting talking to him at the same time.   Watching this and listening to the children talk to their papa, I thought about God.  I wondered if it is somewhat similar except God may have millions of people talking to Him at the same time.  Yet when I talk to Him and pray, I do not feel like I am competing for his attention.  IT IS PRETTY AMAZING.

• If you have done any driving in Port-au-Prince, you know that people use their horns often.  The other day I was at a place on Delmas that doubles as a dirt road and as an outdoor market.  The road is narrow and there are thousands of people selling their wares and tens of thousands of people looking and buying.  In places like this the horn is used often as the sellers scramble to move their basket of wares out of the way and as the crowd allows for no more that seeming a path for the vehicle to pass on by.  The real challenge is when a vehicle or truck is coming the other way and does it ever become interesting.  There is a lot of shouting by the sellers and buyers as they get pushed further back by the two vehicles trying to pass each other, which they do with barely an inch to spare.  It is a part of Haiti that visitors should see and experienced; although it may not be good for those that may be claustrophobic as the vehicle is swallowed by a crowd of thousands as it passes on by. 

When driving in Haiti the horn is used to warn those (and there are a lot) that are people walking on the street and on the sidewalks and to get the attention of a vehicle that may be heading right at you.  Sometimes it is used to get the person in the vehicle in front of you to move along after the driver has stopped in the middle of the road to have a prolonged chat with the driver of another vehicle coming in the opposite direction. 

I have decided to try to be more patient in using my horn to get the vehicle in front of me to get moving.  I also am trying to drive so I don’t come close to hitting people walking along the streets or on the sidewalks. 

I guess that I should fess up that I have made these decisions before my horn has not worked for several days.  It is amazing how much more patient I can be when the power to move the guy along with a prolonged blast of the horn is no longer there.  But before I go back to the narrow market road, I will be sure to have the horn fixed.

John McHoul

SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN

For the past two days it has rained, rained and rained.  I talked to a guy who lives several miles away up the mountain above Port-au-Prince.  He told me that at his house they were experiencing very strong winds that had knocked down all the banana trees in his yard, blown off the tin roofs of some of the nearby house and blown off the roof water tank of a nearby house. 

In areas a few hours north of Port-au-Prince the water has reached up to the second story of some houses.  Untold homes have been destroyed. 

Yesterday two ladies in our Women’s Program came and said that they now are homeless, due to the houses that they were living in were destroyed by the wind and rushing water.  We will see how we can help them. 

Although it is only 1:25 in the afternoon, it has somewhat quickly become dark as the wind is blowing and the storm clouds are moving in. 

I have just spoken to some friends that I had seen while I buying some supplies at the market.  They told me that they have heard several reports from the UN on how bad the flooding and destruction is in several areas of the country.

We here are in no of danger of flooding.  We do very much appreciate your e-mails of concern.

We appreciate your prayers and support as we endeavor to be the hand of Christ here in Haiti.

John McHoul

SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

Beth is in Massachusetts with our children, grandchildren, her mother and Beth’s siblings and children.  They are enjoying their last Labor Day at the lighthouse where Beth’s mother has lived for the past twenty years. And, of course, I must admit to being somewhat of a snob when it comes to fish.  In my mind nothing beats fresh New England seafood which is part of Labor Day on the ocean.

While Beth has been away, I have been enjoying my normal while Beth is away eating routine.  Today, for example, I have enjoyed several cups of coffee, a few diet cokes, a Skor candy bar, two bags of Doritos, and Mexican food from a can.  In my mind this is good eating.

Our son Sam left Haiti about nine years ago.  Yet yesterday and today I have had people on the street call me “Papa Sam.”   Sam is a chef but for the life of me I can’t figure out how he ended up as a chef.  It is possible that all the canned food that we ate while Beth was traveling did some good.  He cooks delicious food but I can’t ever remember the names of the stuff that he cooks. It all seems kind of fancy to me.

About 25 young people sang a song in church Sunday morning.  They did a great job and could do a great job because they were there, in church.  I am encouraged by the many young people that we have in church.

We in preparation to do rooftop gardening have started composting.  I think that we will have to start the rooftop gardening with dirt that we have to buy.  There is just something about buying dirt that irritates me.

It has been raining all night and a good section of the street leading to the office is flooded.  As I drove to the office this morning, I found three of our workers on the side of the road, hoping that I would drive by as they could not walk through the flooded area unless they removed their shoes and then waded through the muddy, trash strewn water.  So they hopped in the truck and I drove them right to the crèche. 

Our prayers are with the Haitians that have much more to deal with than flooded streets.  Some will lose their homes due to the flooding and sadly some their lives.

Our prayers, as well, are with those in the States that are experiencing flooding due to the storm Gustav.

John  McHoul

AUGUST 30, 2008

I am not one to startle easily, but yesterday while in the office I had a moment when I was taken by surprise.  I was waiting for a bio mother of one of the children to come and see me to prepare her for an appointment that we would be having at the American Consulate.  This is the appointment where the bio parent is interviewed to see if in fact she understands that the child will be adopted and will leave Haiti for a new home in the States.  It as well is a time where the Consulate verifies that the person claiming to be the bio parent is in fact the parent. 

Generally, I will spend about an hour with the parent making sure that she knows the answers to some basic questions, such as: date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, name of child, date of birth of child, place of birth of child and so on.  Have you willingly release your child for adoption?  Why are you not able to care for your child?  I know that it may seem crazy to ask such questions, but quite often the bio parents are not certain about such details

While in the office I could hear Junior, my assistant, coming up the stairs with the mother that I was waiting to see.  In walked Junior and then in walked a lady that I had to strain to see if this was really the birth mother, because she did not look like the young woman that first came to us a couple of years ago.  She was quite thin, gaunt, and seemingly had aged decades in just one year.  Speaking to her, she told me that she had given birth to a baby four months ago and that she has been sick since that time.  I asked her a lot of questions, such as, “What did the doctor say that she had?” and “Is she seeing a doctor regularly”? and “What medicine is she taking?”

As I was talking to her, Sheila came into the office and pulling her aside, I asked her if we had anymore quickie HIV tests.  We use the ones where we swab the mouth with a little applicator and in about twenty minutes we get the results.  She said that we had one left (IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THESE TESTS WE COULD USE SOME) and so Sheila using the quickie test swabbed her mouth and twenty minutes later, she came up to the office and simply nodded to me and I knew.  This young lady, that has changed so much in appearance tested HIV positive.  My heart sank; although I suspected that she could be HIV positive.

As I type this blog, it is 9:06 Saturday morning.  This twenty-two year old mother is sitting here in the office.  I have given her a sandwich and a drink and she is sitting with her head drooped down upon her chest.  Junior brought her to the church today at 7:30 to meet me and then she came with me to the office.  Today, yes on Saturday, we have an appointment at the American consulate for this mother to be interviewed.

We will leave at 10:30 for the consulate as I wait for more bio parents to come for another appointment that we have today.

I do not know if this young woman knows that she is HIV positive.  Some of the doctor’s here are not always forthright and she may not have been told and even tested.  I am waiting until after today’s appointment and then I will have her go to a clinic that specializes in working with those that are HIV positive.  She will be tested and then  she will be able to enter the program and receive counseling and free medication.

We also will become a family to her.  We will be a place where she can be supported and   where she can encounter the power and love of God through people that are endeavoring to love God and to love people.

WE VALUE YOUR PRAYERS AS WE LIVE AND MINISTER IN HAITI!

John McHoul

AUGUST 29, 2008

Yesterday ranks right up there as one of the worst days of my life!  I got to the airport by 6:30 AM and knew I was in trouble when the line wound down the street.  When I finally got close to the entrance things got crazy and people were getting nasty and we were crushed like sardines.  At one point I wanted to leave but couldn't since the crowd was too thick waiting to get inside.  Finally (after a few hours) a police man saw that I was crying and grabbed me and pulled me inside. 
Once inside it got worse.  The normal line was only for folks who had tickets for today.  People with tickets from yesterday and the day before had to go in the stand-by line which had hundreds of people in it.  The ticket agent told me to get in that line.  After several hours I find out they are calling people for stand-by who got their tickets put on stand-by at the office.  I stood crushed against mobs of people for six hours only to find out I wouldn't get on.  Very large women with huge suitcases seemed to rule the day and push their way ahead.  Those of us under 200 pounds with carry-ons were helpless.  People were fighting and yelling.  Even the police could not get them to form a line.  They just mobbed the ticket counter. I had to crawl over people to get out.    I left frustrated and disappointed. 
I called AA when I got home (at 2:30) to find that there are no spots until a week from Saturday.  But, never lose hope he said, keep calling back.  They may add in extra flights to make up for the hundreds of people stuck.
I called Tara and told her I didn't get on.  I told Sheila I didn't get on.  They both expressed disappointment since Noah, Tara's son, had been praying for me and Sheila had the entire pre-natal group praying for me.  I was moved.  A little guy and a room full of pregnant ladies praying for me!  Women who would never go on an airplane cared to pray for me to go home for Labor Day weekend to see my children, grand children, mom and siblings.  My mom lives at a lighthouse on the east coast and this is her last holiday there.  We are all spending it together.  My mother is too elderly to keep up such a place and we are saying goodbye to our family get together spot.  It was important for me to get there. 
After a day like this at the airport I was almost ready to give up.  We decided to keep trying on line (safer than the airport) and by SKYPE.  No flights, no flights, no flights! I called one more time last night and the agent said, "We have an opening via NY for you!".  I thanked her profusely and was in tears!  She had no idea what I went through and how good those words felt! 
So, I'm headed to the airport EARLY with fear and trepidation of large ladies with big suitcases standing in my way.  I've run marathons that seemed easier than yesterday.  Today I have a confirmed ticket.  A hard copy piece of paper that allows me into the confirmed line and  onto the flight. 
We learn a lot about ourselves and other people while sandwiched closer to them than is comfortable.  Nastiness comes out but kindness also surfaces.  I saw people screaming, scratching and fighting.  I also had fellow mobsters look after me (I must appear lost and vulnerable) and show interest and helpfulness.  We helped each other up when the crush of the mob pushed a fellow sufferer over.  We listened to each other in sympathy over how the delayed flights were inconveniencing each others lives.
I watched in humor as a very big woman with a tee shirt that read "Got Jesus, its hell without Him" pushed her way through the crowd.  She was not acting very Christ like.  I was tempted to tell her so but thought better of it.  She was a lot bigger and angrier than me.
Got Jesus?  Better to grab His robe in the crowd than be part of an angry mob.  I pray I can remember those words as I head to the airport now.  And come out in Boston alive!

Beth McHoul

UPDATE: BETH RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TODAY AT 9:30 AM.  SHE CALLED AT 2:30 AND SAID THAT SHE HAD HER TICKET IN HAND AND THAT SHE WAS WAITING FOR THE PLANE AT THE GATE.

AUGUST 28, 2008

This is the first time in three days, due to the storm Gustav, that we have seen the sun.  It has been there it’s just that we couldn’t see it.  It can be that way with God sometimes.  He is there but sometimes the storms of life keep us from seeing Him. 

Sheila Lynch sent me this little tidbit.  

I think this guy must have started his journey in Haiti.....the longer I am here the more I find myself saying "I don't know anything about that"!  Sheila


A Hermit advised, “If someone speaks to you about a controversy, do not argue with him. If what he says makes sense, say, ‘Yes.’ If his comments are misguided, say, ‘I don’t know anything about that.’ If you refuse to dispute with his ideas, your mind will be at peace.

For years I knew a man who was a very wise Christian. For most of those years I failed to recognize the wisdom and thought his simplicity came from lack of learning, training, or unfamiliarity with the many books I had read.

I was aware that in discussions of prayer we would quickly come to disagreements and he would say, “Well, I don’t know anything about that.”

It was commonplace that I would argue with him about his understanding of Providence (he had uttered and complete trust in it). I would make very good points and he would say, “I don’t know anything about that.”

I knew that even in the years before he retired he would rise early to go to his Church to simply walk about and pray. He did this at least as regularly as he ate breakfast. He had many other times and places for prayer - but “I don’t know anything about that.”

He passed away several years ago, as faithfully and joyously as he had always lived. I used to argue with him about his attitude of giving thanks to God for all things. I remember many those arguments, like others, ending with his, “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

I now know his understanding to have been true wisdom - the wisdom which comes from knowing God and keeping His commandments. Some years before his death I came to agree with him about thanksgiving for all things. After that, our conversations were largely confined to discussions of the goodness of God. About this we could find no disagreement.

John McHoul

AUGUST 27, 2008 

THE WALK

As a runner I know that the best way to experience Haiti is on foot.  Haiti can remain distant, not real, and impersonal if experienced by an air conditioned vehicle.  Thousands of people line the streets of Haiti selling things, walking places, living life.  To really feel this you have to be among them.
As a person who lives in the city I jumped at the chance to hike over the mountain from Furcy to Jacmel with a group of about 30 people.    Kids and adults, Haitians and Americans gathered together at 5:00 am to start the trek.  Although it was dark Haitians were already starting their day, going places, setting up their wares.  There is no getting up earlier than a Haitian.  Their lives are hard and their day starts early.
The entire 8 hour walk was bumpy, rock filled and steep up and down.  For the novice it would not be an easy day.  When tempted to complain all you would have to do is look around you and feel silenced.  Women and girls trekked past us with giant bundles on their heads.  They navigated the route, over the rocks they went, never missing a step.  Little girls carried bundles that looked heavier than they were.  It was enough to silence any complainer.  Your feet hurt - I passed an old lady with a huge pack on her head and no shoes on her feet.   Her feet  were large and wide from years of such barefoot living.
Any long road that is filled with obstacles can become spiritual.  Pushing through pain, discomfort and the desire to stop all relates to who we are as Christians.  Knowing this is only a day in my life humbles me as I pass mountain folks who live up here in small huts and walk these roads daily.
The beauty was unsurpassed.  The mountains were glorious.  The children were adorable beyond compare.  The aged faces of the women had a hard won beauty that a hard life gives.  Like everywhere, the country folk have a sweetness that city folk don't have.  One of my walking friends, early in the walk, said Beth, "You have said Bon Jour 65 times already."  He had been counting. 
If you didn't watch your step you could easily slip and fall.  That would not have been good since much of the walk is a foot path made for walkers and not vehicles.  No help, no 911, no ride home.
We don't get a ride home in Christianity until the walk is done.  No easy way out, no free ride, no giving up.  Complaining is useless, crying doesn't get you a ride.  You gotta finish the race.  Like Paul, it's more to our benefit to end well.  Though tired and sore finishing is like getting a gold medal.  If you limp your medal is all the more meaningful.

Beth McHoul

AUGUST 25, 2008

Today Junior and I visited an orphanage outside of the city.  The man who runs or I should say funds the orphanage lives and works in the States and comes to Haiti every few months to spend several days at the orphanage.

He visited with us last week and he kept saying that his place wasn’t as nice and I kept telling him that it was ok.

So today we visited and he was right it is not as nice as our place.  But he had no reason to apologize.  He is making a difference in the lives of several dozen kids and in the surrounding village.  In some respects I was wishing that I could do as much as he.

Sometimes we judge success by the size of something, such as a church or ministry.  I’m not sure that is how God sees things.  When is the last time you read a book about successfully pastoring by a guy that has a church of fifty people.  Why do such books have to come from the mega church guys? 

Success, I believe, is being faithful to what or where God calls us.  Success for someone may be working at a low paying job where he/she is impacting others for Christ.  For others it may mean a job that pays very well and where he/she is impacting lives for Christ.  Is one more important or successful than the other?  No, success isn’t measured in what you have or make; it is measured in obedience to God’s call.

John McHoul

AUGUST 23, 2008

Beth left at 4:10 this morning to go with others to do a several hour mountain walk.  I stayed home to work at the office, to drink coffee and diet coke and to eat junk food.  Beth has given me the responsibility of making the milk for the children for the noon and supper meals.  She gave me careful instructions and even made them so I could understand them.  In the little note she left me she wrote, “One gallon for each house for lunch and one gallon for each house for supper.”  So just in case I couldn’t do the math, she in parenthesis writes, “4 total.”

I just came from making the lunch time milk and when I entered the girls’ house, they had a bit of a problem with my name.  First they said, “Hello mama Beth.”  Then they said, “Hello papa Beth.”  And then finally they said, ‘Hello John.”

Clearly Beth at this time is the most significant person in their lives as she loves them to life.  This will change when they get to their new homes and bond to their families; but money could not buy what Beth puts into the kids.  SHE IS GOD’S GIFT TO THEM.

John McHoul

AUGUST 22, 2008

UPDATES:

·        The lady that we wrote of that had been kidnapped was release unharmed physically after six days of being held by the kidnappers.

·        Joseph has made the football team after never having played American football in his life.

  ****************************************         

I was privileged this week to spend a clinic day with a group from Michigan.  It was exciting, being part of a fresh and optimistic team wanting to make a difference in Haiti.  One of the differences was made in me.  It was a learning day for me.

Dr. Dree, an OBGYN, and I spent the day doing exams on women screening them for birth control.  The statistics are staggering.   Woman after woman had multiple pregnancies, babies who had died and the women are in poor health themselves.  Many women had high blood pressure and a list of ailments. 

I learned from these women how to better help the women in our program.  The “hands on” is invaluable.  Dr. Dree is no sissy, we worked all day, forgot lunch, had a sip or two of water and kept going until it was time to drop her at the airport, dressed in scrubs no less.  This is a doctor who cares about the women in Haiti.

Only 1% of women in Haiti breast feed exclusively until a child is 6 months old.  They sabotage their child’s health by not giving the breast.   They rob other family members of food by feeding a small baby.  I’m like a broken record trying to talk moms into breast feeding.  Cultural misinformation is like a strong- hold in their lives.  They are also so poorly nourished themselves and drink so little water that they often don’t have the milk supply they could have.  They give up and feed the babies fillers like flour and water, sugar water or pudding that has very little milk.  If the dish, spoon, or bottle and nipple aren’t clean and if the water isn’t boiled along with that food comes germs that give sickness, diarrhea and death. 

Each time I work with women I learn about their lives, I met one who had been pregnant 11 times, had 9 living children and wasn’t so sure about birth control.  She looked undernourished and unhealthy.  So often women with several children die in childbirth leaving orphans to enter the overcrowded, under-helped orphan society in Haiti. 

Our goal is to have living moms with children they can feed, educate and care for.  Our goal is to provide information, access to health care and encouragement for these women.  Getting beyond the cultural beliefs in a respectful way is a challenge.  Some beliefs are just culture and that’s OK.  Other beliefs are harmful and deadly.  We want life for our women!  And life abundant!  The life that Christ gives and the life that each woman should have – the ability to make good choices, feed and care for her children and know Christ as Savior. 

Beth McHoul

AUGUST 21, 2008

I can tell that it is avocado season because every day I see ladies on the streets carrying big baskets of avocados to sell.  And every other day a lady that we called the banana lady comes to our gate with a large basket of bananas for the crèches and now with several good size avocados. Wow, do the kids ever love avocados. On the way to the office this morning at 5:20 AM I passed a lady with a basket of large avocados on her head as she was walking to secure her selling spot on the street.  Visitors often talk about the avocados here and how big and good they are compared to the ones that they buy at home, where they pay perhaps one dollar for a tiny avocado. I KNOW THAT IT IS AVOCADO SEASON BECAUSE I SEE THEM ON THE STREETS NOT BECAUSE I SEE THEM IN THE GROCERY STORES.

People often ask questions such as:

• WHEN IS THE RAINY SEASON?
• WHEN IS MANGO SEASON?
• WHEN IS AVOCADO SEASON?

I tell them that I am not sure but I know when I see that it is raining, or I see mangos and avocados on the street or on the trees.

I once read, in a Christian magazine, an article about revival in Africa. An African pastor said that, “Revivals must be agonized through prayer and intercession and not organized by committees.” 

I think that true revival will be shown by what happens in a community and not what necessarily is happening inside a church.  Just as I know it is avocado season when I see avocados on the streets, the fruit of revival will be seen outside the church and not just in the church or necessarily proven by the size of a church.

John McHoul

AUGUST 16, 2008

• Friday while we were at the graduation for the Sewing School, Junior, my assistant, received a call telling him that a young lady that he knows, a friend, had been kidnapped.   She before she was married used to come to church now and then.  Now she is in the hands of kidnappers.  Negotiations are underway for her release.

Here we were at a graduation.  A time of joy and at the same time we hear the news of a kidnapping.  At the graduation there was clapping and cheering, smiles and celebration.  At the home of the one kidnapped there is sorrow and tears and fear and disbelief.  PLEASE PRAY FOR THE YOUNG LADY WHO HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND FOR THE KIDNAPPERS.

• It has been raining here due to a tropical storm passing over the island on its way to Cuba.  The rain and clouds causes problems with our internet as we connect with a satellite dish.  It seems that the rain and clouds block the satellite and the dish from communicating and so our internet during these times will not work. 

I wonder if that is kind of what happened to Peter when he walking on the water, allowed the storm tossed sea to block out the call of Jesus to come to Him on the water.

I wonder if that is kind of what happens to us when we allow trials and difficulties, and worries to keep us from connecting to God’s love and power and promises.

• Beth will be the messenger at church tomorrow.  I am looking forward to hearing what God has for us

. 

• Think about these words of Neil Cole, “The measure of the Church’s influence is found in society-on the streets, not in the pews.”

John McHoul

AUGUST 14, 2008

I should know better to mess around with something that isn’t broken.  The 98 hens (sistas) had been eating, pooping and giving around ninety eggs a day.  But it seemed to me that they were eating too much and so we gave them less food.  And then while at an outdoor market I saw some stuff that looked like the type of food that hamsters or rabbits eat.  The lady also told me that people give it to their dogs.  She said that there was meat in it and so on.  So I bought a sack of it and added some other filler stuff so the chickens would gets filled up and not eat so much.

Well the chickens have paid back my efforts by giving only about 40 eggs a day.  So it took about a week, but it is clear that the sistas have outsmarted me and now we are giving them as much food as they would like.  And it is back to the good stuff.  No more outdoor market food.

So now I have decided that the tilapias are eating too well and I have started to give to them the outdoor market food with filler.  I hope that they don’t repay me by becoming floaters.

John (outsmarted by the sistas) McHoul

NO LONGER SAM’S ROOM

Our son Sam left Haiti about nine years ago, but Beth still called the middle bedroom, “Sam’s” bedroom.  So she would tell visitors that they will be sleeping in Sam’s room.  Well Joseph, the fourteen year old who left for the States this week, stayed with us for two years and he stayed in Sam’s room.  Last night we had a visitor that spent the night with us and Beth was deciding if he should sleep in “Joseph’s” room or “Morgan’s” room, our daughter who left Haiti about three years ago. 

So it only took nine years but Sam has lost his room.  It is now Joseph’s room probably for years to come. and Morgan still seems to be holding onto her room probably for years to come as well.

John McHoul

AUGUST 13, 2008

• Just received an e-mail from Robert, the adoptive father of fourteen year old Joseph who left us for his new home on Sunday August 10^th.  He told me that Joseph after being tested at school will enter the 8^th grade, which is where he should be.  It appears that all the tutoring that he received from Dina at our crèche has paid off.

• Yesterday morning, the cook for the crèche came to see with a 1000 gourde Haitian bill in her hand.  This is equivalent to about $25.00 USD.  Daily I give her money to purchase the food that will be cooked for the workers and for the children’s evening meal.  She said that when she went to pay for the food that the seller said that the 1000 gourde bill was fake and she wouldn’t accept it.  Byron, Junior and I looked at the bill more closely and yes it was fake.  It, from a distance, or with just a cursory look appeared to be genuine but it was not.

While looking at the bill, I starting thinking about how David prayed, “SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART; TEST ME AND KNOW MY THOUGHTS.  POINT OUT ANYTHING THAT OFFENDS YOU, AND LEAD ME ALONG THE PATH OF EVERLASTING LIFE.” PSALM 139:23, 24

This is a good way for us to determine that we are genuine and not being fake.  Spending time not just reading God’s Word but being IN God’s Word will help us to see areas in our lives that need to come into focus with God’s will.

I have a friend who, when he gets fake money or really ugly, dirty, and torn money, will put it in the church offering plate.  I’m sure that I won’t do this.

            We everyday have opportunities, as we interact with others, to respond with what seems like the right thing to do, but upon closer examination or consideration we see that it is not the biblical way that we should respond.

***When wronged do we forgive?

***When mistreated do we respond by mistreating?

***Do we exhibit grace and mercy even though it has not been shown to us?

            O Lord, help us to be sensitive to you and may we abide in Your Word that we may have Your thoughts as we live the gift of each day.

John McHoul

AUGUST 12, 2008

Joseph,  pictured left with Beth,  left us and Haiti for his new home in Missouri on Sunday Augusts 10th, 2008.  Joseph's story could have been so much different if not for people that God brought into his life to love and care for him.
Joseph at the age of six was in his two room house when gunmen entered and shot dead his father and mother and a visitor.  Several of the children were wounded in the shooting but Joseph escaped without any physical damage.  Joseph spent some time staying with family and was then put into an orphanage but returned to his extended family after the orphanage he was in imploded.  He eventually found himself in an orphanage run by dear friends Bill and Susette Manassero.  There he found a place where he was loved and shown the love of Christ. 
God had also brought into Joseph's life the Rice family from Missouri.  This family loved him from afar and supported him to go to school and help with his care.   Eventually Robert Rice, who would visit Joseph every several months, spoke to us about wanting to adopt Joseph and Joseph moved into our home as he, we felt, was too old to be in the creche.  And so Joseph lived with us for the past two years as we worked on his adoption.  He became a part of our lives and he with his winsome personalty ingrained himself into the lives of so many.
It took three going away parties to get the cross section of people together that Joseph had touched.  He will be missed; but we are thrilled that we can live here so Joseph can now live with his new family.
I told Joseph to be sure to get Robert to take him to Burger King after they arrived in Miami.  Well, we got a call last night and it was from Robert and Joseph.  They were in Burger King in the Miami airport as their flight left Haiti two hours late and they missed their next flight.  So Joseph's first meal in the States was a whopper.
Praise God for a new beginning for a young man who with the help  of others has overcome tremendous odds.

John McHoul

AUGUST 9, 2008

AIRPORT BLOG

The airport in Port-au-Prince, coming or going, is always an adventure.  Even standing in line minding your own business can turn into an occasion for laughter or tears.  Yesterday I needed to return to the airport to give Katie Manassaro a document.  She was leaving, much to my sadness, and was already inside.  I joined the line of about 100 travelers outside.  I wasn't thinking about other people except that I kept an eye out for line cutters.  A major offense unless I'm the one doing it.
I'm enjoying the wait (as John says) being quiet, thinking about Katie leaving (which made me very sad) and thinking about my day.  The lady behind me puts her large suitcase down on the ground, opens it and I just happened to notice that it is full of pumpkins.  Yeah, those squash looking vegetables we use in Haiti for pumpkin soup.  There among her clothes are several pumpkins.  I can't help myself.  I get involved.  I'm a busy body and I inform her in Creole that pumpkins from Haiti are not allowed in your luggage into the United States.  She doesn't believe me.  I tell her they have dogs that sniff out pumpkins and scary looking officers that will stop her at the luggage carousel if she brings her pumpkins into the US.  I tell her she is wasting her luggage space and that, trust me, she can buy pumpkins in the States.  She's a little suspicious of me and tells me the pumpkins are not really in her luggage, she is going to give them to someone here.  Okay.  Message sent - I wonder if in Miami she wished she listened to me. 
My good deed done, my advice given, I turn ahead in line looking forward to my good bye moments with Katie who has been our summer intern.   A teenage girl in front of me who probably figured out I was the mother busy body type turns to me and says "do I need money to check my luggage?"  Being a seasoned traveler I ask her what airline she is on.  Spirit.  Yes, you need to pay for your luggage on Spirit.  The tears come.  Here I am inching forward in this endless line, finished up with the pumpkin lady and now I have a crying teen with no money in front of me.  She clutches her suitcase.  It is big.  Not carry on size.  It's full of teen age clothes and things important to young girls.  I have no US money with me I tell her - that only makes more tears come.  What shall she do?  She decides I should take her suitcase to her uncle somewhere in the parking lot while she stuffs her precious items into a carry on duffel type bag.  It takes her a long time to make the decision of what to fly with and what to trust me with.  I hope I can find the uncle.  He has a stripped, no plaid, shirt on she says.  Anything for a crying teen ager.  I'm a mom.
I finally make my way to Katie.  She's waiting, I'm still negotiating with the teen about what clothes are important to her. 
Then my tears fall.  I say good bye to a girl I have loved.  A girl who put her hand print on the kids of our home.  A girl who shines Jesus.  I'll miss Katie.
Found the uncle, made my way home and started my day.  It wasn't even 7:30 AM!

AUGUST 7, 2008

A SHOPPING SPREE

 Haitians live one day at a time!  They have to, they don't have resources to do more.  Unfortunately this becomes a mindset, a way of life, a prison.  The trees are gone because Haitians need charcoal for today.  Money cannot be saved because there are needs  today.
In our women's program we try to teach principles and the ability to make good choices.  We just had classes on food buying.  We have taught about protein and nutrition and good habits over and over and over.  The ladies had a test.  We put lots of food on a table and gave each women ten Haitian dollars to spend.  We had a table displayed with eggs, avocados, canned milk, bananas, cookies, crackers, infant cereal, corn flakes and corn meal.  Each lady could pick what they wanted to feed a toddler for the day. 
Only one lady picked a bag of oatmeal that would last for more than one meal.  Most made a few good choices like eggs and avocados but also chose cookies and crackers.  Only a few stayed with only the protein, nutritious foods.  Small packages of crackers and cookies are part of Haitian life and although they have no nutrition the ladies could not help but buy them.  They cost the same amount as a boiled egg, or a banana, or an avocado but won the competition.  The other disappointing choice was almost every lady chose to buy a small can of milk even though they are breast feeding the child they were buying for. 
Culture is strong.  Only one lady bought for tomorrow.  Only one lady had vision beyond one day.
The good thing is it only takes one to start changes.  One lady got the message.  The others are learning, growing and next time may make better choices.  Cookies may have won today but tomorrow avocados may win.  We teach for today and hope for tomorrow!
Beth McHoul

AUGUST 1, 2008

I am looking at the July 2008 issue of FIELD & STREAM magazine. I am not really a field & stream type of guy, but I did fish for several years when I was a kid. And, of course, being from New England I have done some deep sea fishing. Beth and I went on a deep sea fishing charter during our honey moon. I liked it but Beth got sea sick.

Well, back to the cover of FIELD & STREAM. One of the articles is entitled NEVER MISS AGAIN-How to hit your deer at any range. Well I got thinking about the three words NEVER MISS AGAIN and I began to substitute words for the word “MISS.” Here are some of the phrases that I have come up with and that I wish could be true. I’m sure that you can add to this list.

NEVER MISS AGAIN

NEVER SIN AGAIN
NEVER FAIL AGAIN
NEVER FALL AGAIN
NEVER SPEAK OUT OF TURN AGAIN
NEVER JUDGE AGAIN
NEVER BE UNGRACIOUS AGAIN
NEVER BE IMPATIENT AGAIN
NEVER BE NEGLIGENT AGAIN
NEVER BE CARELESS AGAIN
NEVER BE SHORT SIGHTED AGAIN

I asked Dan and Sheila Lynch, and Junior to add to the list and here in their contribution:

Junior:

NEVER HATE AGAIN
NEVER BOAST AGAIN
NEVER LIE AGAIN
NEVER CHEAT AGAIN
NEVER BE UNGTRAEFUL AGAIN
NEVER LOSE FAITH AGAIN
NEVER LOSE VISION AGAIN
NEVER DISOBEY GOD AGAIN

Sheila:

NEVER EAT SPAM AGAIN
NEVER SET MY EXPECTATIONS LOW AGAIN
NEVER LOSE HOPE AGAIN
NEVER SAY SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO OPOLOGIZE FOR AGAIN
NEVER THIINK SMALL OF MYSELF AGAIN


Dan:

NEVER HUNGER AGAIN
NEVER HURT AGAIN
NEVER FEAR AGAIN


You:



John McHoul

JULY 31, 2008

FROM OUR JULY 30th, 2008 E LETTER

Greetings from Haiti
I have been reading a little book by Arthur Burt entitled How To be Ordinary. He writes, "But the revelation of God is that He didn't choose me because I was extraordinary. While we were yet sinners, so ordinary, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). So ordinary. I have nothing to boast in. So ordinary. I have nothing to boast in! So ordinary. He passed by and He chose me. I'm just an ordinary sinner."

Nothing in my hand I bring.
Simply to Thy cross I cling...
Rock of Ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

(Rock of Ages, Augustus M. Toplady, 1776)

As I sit here today in Port-au-Prince Haiti I am very thankful that God mines from our lives that which can be of value to Him and to others. There are times when that mining process is difficult and God often digs deep and chips much away until the useful is found. It may, at times, seem to us that He is chipping away and discarding that which we may even see as positive, or strengths, or assets. Yet God may see these things as not having value to His kingdom.
May the words of the Psalmist reflect our heartfelt desire.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23,24 NLT

John McHoul

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HOSPITAL TOURS

One thing that God and Haiti have in common is that you never know what to expect. We have been visiting hospitals and programs available across the city looking for programs where our ladies might be able to deliver their babies. There are free programs and the key is getting them hooked in and finding out how long the wait is, how crowded the program is and how quality the care is.
I visited a hospital about 20 minutes away and they were rather snotty that I didn’t speak French, it was off the main road and up and hill. When a lady is in labor having a hospital on the public transportation route is important.
Most of our women deliver at home without a skilled attendant because they cannot afford hospital care and don’t have the resources/ability/knowhow to get into the free programs. About 75% of all Haitian women deliver without a skilled attendant. Moms die, babies die, both too often and needlessly.
One purpose of our prenatal program is to prepare our women for their delivery. We get them as healthy as possible, screen them for diseases, and check them for all the important issues. Then they are on their own.
In our attempt to do more we are searching out hospitals. Our dream of a birthing clinic is still in the dream form.
After visiting one hospital I went on to a pharmacy to check out prices. On my way I happened to notice a birthing hospital I’d never seen before. I stopped. I felt what I thought could be the nudging of the Holy Spirit. I went in and asked to talk to the director. He turned out to be a large, friendly man who kept insisting to me that he and his partners run a Christian organization. There are 18 beds and I would be most welcome to check it out, visit and volunteer.
Volunteering is important because I need more practical experience in midwifery. We chatted for a while, I told him about our program and he invited me back the next day for a tour of the 18 bed birthing hospital. I was busy the next day but made time to pop in for my tour. He had been so gracious and welcoming I thought I would follow up on this.
The following day I popped in and asked to see him. He was on his way to a cesarean section and invited me to observe. The next thing I knew I had scrubs and a mask on and there I was in the OR watching a c-section. A first for me. I attended many births in my schooling so far but never a c-section. The entire staff was friendly to me, explained things to me and welcomed me. They made sure I was standing in a spot where I could see everything. I could sense the entire time that God had opened this opportunity for me.
I stepped out when I felt the nudging of God and received a gift. What will come of this I’m not sure but a relationship has begun.
But this I know is true, God cares about our women and will lead us as we reach out to Him for their lives and for direction in this ministry. An unexpected gift.

Beth McHoul

JULY 28, 2008

LESSONS LEARNED THIS PAST WEEK

1, Don’t wear a NEW YORK YANKEES shirt when RED SOX fans from New Hampshire come for a visit. This past week a group from New Hampshire came and spent the week working at ENGLISH CAMP 2008. When I went to say hello to the group, my Yankees shirt was instantly noticed and commented on, especially by one of the guys who had a RED SOX NATION shirt on.
2, Don’t climb a ladder placed on slick cement without having someone hold the foot of the ladder.
3, Don’t wear flip flops when climbing a ladder placed on slick cement when no one is holding the foot of the ladder.
4, When the ladder slides back when placed on the slick cement and falls off the roof, pray quickly.

On Saturday afternoon, Beth was having problem connecting to the internet and so I put a ladder up to the roof of the pump house where we have a satellite dish for the internet. It isn’t all that high, just about 12 feet. Well just as I was almost to the top of the roof, the ladder gave way and slid back on the slick cement. I as well slid back and then the ladder fell and I, riding it down, had my feet on the rungs when the ladder hit the ground. The flip flops did not offer much support and so my feet took the brunt of the fall. Sitting on the ground, my feet were bleeding and hurt but it didn’t seem that they were broken. One of my flip flops broke, but I will glue it back together today. I sat on the ground for a few minutes and got back up and asked our worker to hold the ladder as I went back up there and I trimmed back branches that were blocking the satellite dish. Limping into the house, Beth had me soak my feet in ice water and she gave me Advil that expired in 2004.

It is now Monday morning, I have two socks on my right foot and four on my left and sneakers on that I have laced really tight. I suspect that my feet will stop hurting after a few more days and then I will probably forget the lessons that I learned.


BOOKS

Just read two interesting books:

1, THE WAL-MART EFFECT by Charles Fishman
2, A MIGHTY HEART by Marianne Pearl. This is about the kidnapping and beheading of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal journalist in Pakistan.

John McHoul

JULY 26, 2008

I like visiting the kids in the children’s home after they have had their evening baths and when they are kind of winding down for the evening before bed time. This week I gathered up a few of them and we went to the store to buy a bunch of junk food for a before bed snack. The kids are so good in remembering the kids that didn’t come and the nannies and they make sure that enough junk food is bought for everyone to enjoy.
I have promised them that on Monday evening that I will buy a bunch of ice cream and we will all get our spoons and enjoy.
In orphanage life, the kids are hungry when told that they are hungry. There is no going to the fridge and checking out what is in it. Oh, we feed them plenty and they get their snacks, but sometimes it is a good thing to just pour it on and let the kids enjoy some out of schedule excitement.
Last night when I got to the girl’s home, Katie was giving the kids spoons full of peanut butter, so looking in the cabinet, I found some cheerios and dumped them in the peanut butter, Katie stirred it well and the kids had a blast eating our own version of chunky peanut butter.
Beth told me that recently she brought some of the kids to the store and she let them each pick out a snack. Little Jeffrey picked out his snack and he ate it while in the store. When they reached the checkout, he told Beth that he had changed his mind and that he didn’t want the snack that he had just eaten and that he wanted to choose another snack. Beth wasn’t persuaded.
When Beth told the kids that they could only select one item, little Ally choose one whole box of 36 candy bars. Once again, Beth wasn’t persuaded.
These kids are so creative and happy. They love life and seem excited to embrace each day. We are thrilled to be a part of their lives for this brief period. GOD IS GOOD!

John McHoul

JULY 23, 2008

Robert Rice from Missouri is here for some appointments at the US consulate as we are close to having Joseph, the boy that the Rice’s are adopting travel home. He as usual brought a lot of supplies and for me he brought a five pound bag of candy and a DVD of some of the old, old westerns; and he brought a two set DVD of the Three Stooges. We are talking Moe, Larry and Curly; not the ones with Shemp or Joe. It is scary that after about forty years since I have watched the Three Stooges that I can still remember the episodes. Last night I watched two episodes and just couldn’t help laughing at their antics.

Marjorie, who is here helping with ENGLISH CAMP 2008, and who left us about 14 years ago for her adoptive family will be traveling with the Lynches to try to find her biological family in a village area about 10-12 hours from Port au Prince. We, today, nailed down the details of the trip and Marjorie who is usually quite reserved and quiet actually seemed pretty excited. They will leave early Friday morning on their quest to find the bio family.

It is wonderful to see some of the ladies in the sewing program really grab hold of the potential that they have to provide for their families. One of the ladies has made over $800.00 in the few months that she has been sewing. Before this she was making a few dollars a week selling used clothing on the street. The average wage here is a little over $2.00 a day. She is making much more than that and is now able to provide for her family.
Yesterday we had a few people from the UN visiting the Women’s Center. One of them, Ashley, was so excited to purchase a pocketbook type bag, that she kept saying over and over again, “I love this bag, I have to have this bag, I am going to buy this bag.” And she did. It sold for $20.00 and $13.66 went to the woman that had made the bag. THE SEWING PROGRAM IS A WINNER.

Beth and I have just had our 34th wedding anniversary.

John McHoul

JULY 21, 2008

Wedding Tale for the Blog:

Last Saturday the older girls, Kesline, Jenny, and Ali had the opportunity to attend a wedding for the first time. It happened to be the wedding of one of their nannies, so that made it even more special. The elaborate decorations, romantic dresses, and choreographed dances made for a fairy tale representation of “every girl’s dream.” And how do children process a significant event in their lives? Through play of course. It was not a few days later that the driveway at the girls’ home was transformed into an isle for a bridal party and a nearby bush was plucked by 6 pairs of little hands for a bouquet of flowers.


Kesline claimed the role of bride, and as the only boy present at the girls’ home in the evenings, Jeffrey was recruited to be the groom. He was a bit more concerned with getting gas in the getaway car than getting married, but was still a willing participant. He waited up at the “alter,” a.k.a. a broken stool, while each of the little girls, first Evelyn (whose visiting us this month), than Nyomi and Ashley, then Yvie marched down the isle to an improvised wedding tune, spreading their flower petals as they went. They weren’t quite sure what was going on, but they participated nonetheless and were adorable to watch. Then came Ali, then came Jenny bearing the wedding band (a ring that already belonged to Kesline), which she passed off to Jeffrey at the front and joined the other girls lined up next the altar. I can’t say the bridal party line of restless little bodies stayed in tact for the duration of the ceremony, brief as it was, but Jeffrey and Kesline were at last pronounced husband and wife.

And what’s wedding without a following celebration? We consumed an invisible feast, during which the groom stayed busy serving water to each of the guests and his bride. Then iTunes and a band made up of kids’ instruments accompanied a short-lived dance party. The guests and newlyweds then dispersed to trade their gowns in for PJ’s and retire for their evening movie after party.

Katie Manassero
 

JULY 19, 2008

I am in Beth’s vehicle today because the front seat in my pickup has kind of lost its support and because of the way I sink down into the seat, I get a backache. So I guess I groaned and grunted a few too many times and Beth suggested that I take her vehicle. I, of course, had to bring my own music as I can never be sure what she has in her cd player.

When I arrived at the crèche today, Kesline gave me a letter in an envelope that she made out of construction paper.
On the envelope is written my name JONN

Inside is a folded line paper on which she wrote LOVE, JOY, PEACE (She is learning about the fruit of the Spirit at ENGLISH CAMP 2008)

And here is the body of the letter:

JONN WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH. WE LOVE TO GO TO THE SORE SO MUCH. CAN WE GO TO THE SORE? JESUS LOVES US SO MUCH. TO JONN FROM KESLINE
And then in a heart on the bottom of the page she writes: JESUS LOVES YOU SO MUCH.

I think after such a beautiful letter that I will take her and some others to the sore.

John McHoul (JONN)

JULY 17, 2008

The group from New Mexico left yesterday and as so often is the case there were tears and faces of sadness on some of the group and on some of those here in Haiti that they have touched.
Tuesday night we had about forty people at our house as a parting meal for the New Mexico group and for a time of worship and fellowship. We ate, did some singing, Dan Lynch gave a message from God’s word and we prayed, and then ate dessert. WE THANK THE NEW MEXICO GROUP FOR BEING TO US THE HANDS OF JESUS.

And now we have more visitors that will be coming in the next several days. There as well are visitors coming in to help at ENGLISH CAMP 2008. We honestly would find it difficult to do what we do here in Haiti without the help of groups and visitors.

This past week I got my six month haircut. Someone told me that it was actually a seven month haircut this time. And so now several times a day, people tell me how nice I look; which I take to mean that I didn’t look so good before. In the past I have, at times, tried to maintain this “good looking image” by getting a haircut every month or so; but I have not been able to do it. Maybe this time; but I hope not.

A SAD DAY

I see clothes and shoes and sneakers as companions that journey with me. This is one of the reasons that I do not throw away clothes that have holes and stains and shoes that have holes and may seem worn out. So while I have a closet full of clothes as people for some reason seem to think that I need more clothes, I actually only wear a few things. I have no problem going into the laundry and fishing out what I want to wear even it has not yet been washed.
I have these sneakers that Mark from Connecticut left last year. He said that they were worn out and that he would not take them back home with him. So I took them and although they had holes and were dirty and ugly, I wore them and liked them. Well this past week I made a grave error and left them on the bedroom floor, which is not a good thing with our two mastiff puppies. A few nights ago, I heard a noise in the bedroom and looked to see that one of the cherub puppies was chewing on one of the sneakers. I hopped up quickly and snatched the sneaker out of the dog’s mouth and put both sneakers in the closet. Well this morning I finally decided to look at the mangled sneaker and see if I could wear it. I regret that the one sneaker and been mangled beyond repair and in the early morning hours I today stood over the waste basket and bids these sneaker friend a sad farewell. I usually have Beth attend such ceremonies which she will usually do just to get me to leave her alone. But I have discovered that she does not like to be woken up to attend these farewells. So today, I stood alone.
I put on new sneakers that I have had in the closet for about three years and then hopped on the motorcycle to come to the office. I have put the sneakers in the corner and am walking around in bare feet. I will eventually warm up to them, but I think that I am still in mourning.

John McHoul

JULY 15, 2008

I'm in the kitchen and I hear a peeping sound coming from the other room. It's loud and insistent so I go to check it out. A chicken is in the house!!! Poor misdirected thing had no idea that four mastiffs live in this house. Unfortunately for the chicken, two large dogs and two puppies also hear the sound. With Marley in the lead the chase is on. The chick tries to take refuge in our office. It's a small, messy, crowded office and stuff starts flying everywhere. The standing fan gets tipped over, papers are flying and the dogs are barking in delight. They see chicken dinner, I see the mess. The chicken sees that her life is almost over!
There is no way to contain four hungry mastiffs and rescue a chicken. Somehow she flies over the dogs and into the living room. Not good. We have a glass table. I can see it now - glass everywhere, bloody dogs, bloody chicken. It doesn't happen. Somehow the chick escapes and goes silent. Is she in the house or did she get by the dogs and get back outside? I can't find her and the dogs settle down and go back to dog food rather than chicken delight. Crisis has been averted.
Let's hope she escaped and is not hiding behind the couch or under a table. I might come home to the remains of war.
Being a dog in Haiti has its rewards. Occasional misdirected chickens get in the house, lizards to chase are everywhere, rats are huge and great fun to catch (love those Rabies vaccines!), and people take their pictures all the time. Our mastiff Maguire who is over 200 pounds has to be the most photographed dog in history. His extra long tongue just adds to his bigness.
It may be hot and they may sleep a lot but all in all - it's a dog’s life! Gotta go - the mastiff puppy is drinking from the toilet!!!!!

Beth McHoul

UPDATE:

It was quiet for a while and then the peeping started up again coming from the living room. Marley was on it. He heard the sound and was off!
He came out victor with two chicken feet hanging from his mouth. He went into the yard to savor his prize and kept letting it go for a few feet and then grabbing it again. Our Haitian worker came after Marley with a broom so he laid down on top of the chicken. No way was he giving up his prize to a woman with a broom poking at him.
The other dogs are behind him, cheering, wishing it was them with the prize. Marley, is of course, the Alpha male so none of the other canines are crazy enough to challenge him for the chicken.
It is his prize!
This story might continue if a neighbor shows up looking for a chicken that was his favorite chicken worth lots of money.

Beth McHoul

JULY 14, 2008

The group from New Mexico is still here and are they ever being a great help. Even as I type Dan Cooley and Jothum are using the hammer drill to drill into the cement blocks to put up shelves in the office.

Dan Cooley, the pastor from Cottonwood Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, preached yesterday at church and there were quite few complaints after he finished his message. The major complaint was that the sermon was too short. The next complaint was that the message has stayed with people causing them to evaluate their walk with God. I WOULDN’T MIND SUCH COMPLAINTS WHEN I PREACH!

WOW is the New Mexico food ever good and hot and spicy. I am not sure what it is all called but it is wicked good with its red and green peppers and salsa. Rochelle invited me to come to New Mexico but first, she said, I would have to learn the proper way to eat the food.

I have won another ice cream bet as the wedding that we had last Saturday started about 40 minutes late. It was kind of long and ended about an hour after I thought that it would.

I have been thinking quite a bit about the Gentile woman found in Matthew 15. Her love for her child caused her to not accept Jesus’ refusal to help her and her persistence seemed to cause Him to respond to her heartfelt cry for her daughter. We read in verse 28: “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”
This portion of scripture (Matthew 15: 21-28) raises so many questions and this week I am spending time looking at this scripture in different translation and in meditation and prayer. If I don’t have a lot of answers, I do hope that I will have more questions.

I like this little quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

John McHoul

JULY 11, 2008

I tomorrow am officiating at the wedding of one of our children’s home supervisors. The older girls in the home have been invited and yesterday Kesline informed me that she is coming to my wedding. The girls are very excited about getting dressed up all pretty and going to this wedding.

The group from New Mexico is doing just great. They are helping at the children’s homes, spending time with the kids and they have put on the walls some type of busy box thingies that the kids play with. They have helped at the women’s center and they are making repairs, putting up shelves, and installing fans. AND WOW DID THEY EVER BRING IN A TON OF SUPPLIES.
Here in Haiti, there do not seem to be laws about seatbelts and riding in the back of vehicles but we can’t be sure about that. Often there are many laws and they don’t matter until someone decides that they matter. I once got a ticket for driving while having shorts on; and I have a friend that was stopped because he was eating a banana while driving. Well he had forgotten his driver’s license and so he was put in jail until he was able to show his license. While in jail, he kept yelling his phone number out the window and asked people to call his wife to bring his license. I not sure how much time he spent in jail but eventually his wife showed up with his license and he paid his fine and was released.
So many of our visitors love riding in the back of the pickup. It is definitely a way to experience the sights, sounds and smells of Haiti and well as a good way to experience street grime and a good suntan or sun burn.

I was stopped not too long ago by a policeman who said I had too many people in and on the truck. I was a bit surprised as there were only twenty-five people in and on the truck. He was gracious and didn’t give me a ticket but told me to be careful. I assured him that I would and now I try not to put more than 24 people in and on the pickup.

Beth sent to me a good quote by the deceased runner Steve Prefontaine:
"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else."

John McHoul

JULY 9, 2008

Read a good quote from C.S. Lewis: “Die before you die. There is no chance after.”


Been thinking about how God is always with us and how it doesn’t make sense to me when someone asks God to be with him as they for example travel to go somewhere. It seems to me that God is with you when you leave and with you as you go and there when you arrive.

Yesterday I was putting a flashlight in a file cabinet draw and as I was shutting the drawer I noticed that the flashlight was still on. I immediately thought of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5: 15: Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.

Beth and I are watching the epic series ROOTS. While the acting is a bit dated, the horror of slavery makes me feel sick inside.
Some years ago we had a group with us from a black church in Indianapolis. This group was made up of doctor, nurses, and business people. We were in a village doing a medical clinic where we saw over three hundred people a day for the several day clinic. After one of the clinic we were sitting and chatting and one of the doctors said that if the slave carrying ship of his ancestors had stopped several hundred miles sooner that it was possible that he would be Haitian and would most likely have not had the opportunities that he has had in life. The group remained quiet for a few minutes as they contemplated his words.

Today a group from New Mexico arrives to spend several days here in Haiti. I am always thankful as I know the effort that it takes to get here and that it involves many more than those that actually set foot on Haitian soil. There are spouses, friends and family that are praying and have given to help purchase supplies. There are churches that stand behind their short termers in prayer and support. There as well are parents who are at home praying and trying not to worry.

It is 7:30 in the morning; I have been in the office since 5:30 spending time in prayer, meditation and in God’s word. Since I have been here two people have come to the gate with “urgent” needs and one has come looking for money for various reasons. By the end of this day, I suspect that I will interact with dozens that have needs in their live and no resources to meet those needs. While I can’t help all that come, I do believe that the Holy Spirit gives direction and there are times when He clearly leads me to help the person that has come. I regularly pray for wisdom and discernment.

Starting next week four of us: Ted, Dave, Junior and I will meet together weekly to discuss the Larry Crabb book: BECOMING A TRUE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY.

I like these words by Henri Nouwen: “Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go.”

John McHoul

JULY 5, 2008

This past week I got a phone bill for $1500 for our phone that has not worked for three years. So now comes the negotiations. I will offer to pay it if they will fix the phone and they will offer to fix it if I pay the bill. We will see what happens.

A guy from church called me yesterday and asked how I was and then he said that was all. I was encouraged as usually people who call me want something or need something. And then Lisa Hojara called me as well, but I missed the call. So last night at worship practice I asked her what she wanted and that I was glad that she called me. She told me that it must have been a mistake because she didn’t intend on calling me. But I am still encouraged even if it was a mistake call.

Katie is a young 20ish girl who is interning with us for a month. She is staying at the apartment at one of the homes. She invited the older girls to spend the night with her and Beth suggested that she make popcorn. So Beth gave Katie some kernels, oil, and a pot to make the popcorn in. Katie looking at what Beth had given her did not get it, so Beth carefully explained how to make popcorn the old fashioned way. TALK ABOUT FEELING OLD.

It is pineapple season and I don’t think we have yet had one that has not been candy sweet. It is also avocado season and are they ever good.

Last Thursday we had our Thursday night Bible study over for barbeque chicken. I am so blessed and encouraged to be with these forty people. For some, it was their first visit to our house and they have never seen such large dogs before. They usually eat with one eye on the food and one eye on the dogs.

Beth was at the airport the other day waiting to pick up a visitor. While waiting a man asked her if she was the lady who runs almost every day. She told him that she was and he said that he wanted to shake her hand, which he did.

I am looking forward to church tomorrow.

I will be doing a Haitian wedding next Saturday which I always find interesting. I won the last bet on the starting time which was about 45 minutes late, but I have not yet seen the ice cream that I won.

This is definitely the group season and we have a group coming in next week from New Mexico. I am looking forward to having them.

Ruth Post, our Stateside adoption rep, has been visiting us for several days with two of her adopted children, one of whom left Haiti twelve years ago.  As Beth and Ruth were looking at pictures of Ruth when she twelve years ago picked up Jocello one of her children.  Beth looked at the picture and looked at the shirt Ruth had on and it was the same shirt being worn twelve years later.  Ruth simplyb said that she puts her money into education and travel.  She is one of my heros.

Read these words by Larry Crabb, “The broken people I know seem more aware of their inadequacies than their strengths, but not with a “poor me, take-care-of-me” attitude. They feel their neediness. We feel their strength.

John McHoul

JULY 2, 2008

We continue to be busy here with our regular activities, ENGLISH CAMP 2008 and with visitors. We still have Ruth Post here, from Alaska, who came with two of her adopted children, Jocello and Wilkes, to see if we could find their bio families.

This morning Ruth, Junior my assistant, and Wilkes left at about 6:00 AM for a three hour village trip to see if they can find Wilkes bio papa before they leave back for Alaska on Thursday. This is their second trip out there, as last week we traveled there but were not able to find the papa.

Yesterday, Jocello was able to meet with his bio mom and with oodles of relatives. This is the first time that they have seen each other since he left Haiti about 13 years ago. It, as you can imagine, was a joyous reunion.

It is such a blessing to see adopted kids come back and after a day or two of being here, embrace their birth country and their birth family. As our kids get older, more and more are coming back to see their bio families and Haiti. IT IS A JOY TO BE A PART OF SUCH REUNIONS.

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Yesterday, Beth told me that we had a visitor coming in on the first American Airlines’ flight at about 8:30 in the morning. The flight was delayed and actually arrived in Haiti at 11:10 AM. So I went to the airport to pick up our visitor and waited and waited and waited as hundreds of passengers exited the airport. But I did not see our visitor. So after waiting about 2 and half hours, I retuned to the office.

It seems that she is actually coming in today and so yesterday was a time of waiting. I have discovered that there are times when I must be forced to wait and sometimes even if I am very busy that waiting is a good thing. Normally, I bring a book with me but not yesterday, and so I was blessed to watch and wait and pray as I waited. I LEARNED YEARS AGO THAT GOD IS IN THE WAIT and that IT IS IMPORTANT TO WAIT WELL.

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I just read an article about people in North Dakota that are now becoming millionaires due to oil being found on their property. Some of these people have for decades been scratching out a living as farmers. I like the quote of one of these named Lorne who is in his eighties. He says, "We got enough now to buy new stuff," Lorene said, "but we like our old stuff."
Makes sense to me.

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I have been reading the Old Testament Minor Prophets. This for sure is good reading.

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I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT the words of Larry Crabb in the book: BECOMING A TRUE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY. He first quotes James 4:1, 2: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.

Crabb goes on and writes, “CONFICTS ARISE WHEN PEOPLE HAVE OPPOSING AGENDAS, COMPETING AGENDAS WHERE SOMETHING DEEPLY PERSONAL IS AT STAKE.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I like the interaction between Amos the Old Testament prophet and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel.

AMAZIAH: “Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: “Get out of here, you seer! Go on back to the land of Judah and do your preaching there! Don’t bother us here in Bethel with your prophecies, especially not here where the royal sanctuary is.” Amos 7: 12, 13

AMOS: “But Amos replies, “I am not one of your professional prophets. I certainly never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, “Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.” Amos 7: 14, 15

God will choose, but I wonder if He chooses those who choose Him.

John McHoul

JUNE 28, 2008

~~~I am looking forward to church tomorrow. Yes, it is true that I am preaching tomorrow but I am looking forward to church for other reasons.
I am looking forward to gathering together with others in corporate worship and praise. We have lots of musicians at our church but tomorrow we will worship with only the bongos and a couple of shaker type things. Instead of the stage being filled with musicians and singers, we will have only four people up there. Last night we had a practice time and WOW was it ever powerful. The presence of the Holy Spirit was quite evident.

~~~Here are a couple of quotes that I have been thinking about over the past couple of days.

• Oh, my soul, be prepared to meet Him who knows how to ask questions.

T.S. Elliot

• Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.

Paul Tournier

~~~WE ARE HAVING SOME STRUGGLES in getting children to their new homes. The adoption process has become quite difficult and lengthy. It can be discouraging sometimes. This week we have had four children who left us some years back return to Haiti for a visit with one staying several weeks to work at ENGLISH CAMP 2008. Looking at these kids, I can’t help but see that giving up is not an option. We value your prayer support.

~~~Have just read two interesting books: THE VELET ELVIS and THE SHACK. We have lots of books and lots of cds and for several years I have found it a challenge to, for example, find music or books that do not sound or read like everything else out there.


~~~Someone once told me that frustration can be a good thing if it moves us to make positive changes. Sometimes the changes will not be easy and it is often easier to remain as we are. It is usually easier to go with the flow, to swim down stream, to move with the current than to go against the status quo.

~~~I wonder if God, at times, puts within us a deep hunger and thirst for Him beyond what we normally experience. I wonder if there are times when He holds out the privilege of going deeper and further in Him; but this will mean that significant changes must take place in our lives, priorities must be changed. I wonder if this in part is what Isaiah 55:6 could mean: SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND; CALL UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR.

I do know that this hunger or dissatisfaction or sense of emptiness and frustration will not last and that it must be acted on while it is with us. It would be wise for us believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:6 BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED.

John McHoul

 JUNE 24, 2008

I am feeling that something must be wrong but I can’t see it. Twice now in the past week, two people have said that I look refreshed and relaxed. I’m going to have to do something about that.

As I was typing this blog, Sheila Lynch came up to the office and said that she would pay me if I would help her. You see her propane tank ran out of propane while she was cooking a cake. So I have been trying to get Mexican food out of her and so she agreed to make it tomorrow night and so I agreed to put in the reserve propane tank. This tank is hidden away underneath the counter top in a dark, spider living corner. So under I went to change the tank. I had on a white shirt which was already stained with today’s coffee, canned ravioli and battery acid and so now it had on it some under the counter slime and dirt.
Here in Haiti we turn in our empty tanks and get full ones. So maybe you can start out with nice looking tanks but after the first change you then can have ugly tanks. You can drive to refill your nice looking tanks but it is usually the Felix Unger types that do this. Well as went inside the cavern to change the tank I saw that Dan Lynch still had his pretty tank and that he had like a cover or blanket on it. It could have been a shirt made by the women in the sewing school. This is a first for me.
So the new tank is in place and Sheila wanted to relight the oven but I suggested that she wait for the propane to dissipate before she lights the oven. I mentioned the young girl that we know who a few weeks back got burned by an exploding oven. She looked at me and said that she remembered and then told me to light the stove. Some people will do anything to get me to have shorter hair.

Speaking of Sheila, last week I asked her and her friend Hillary to come with me to check out a house for the Livesay family, who will be joining us in August. I had found a place but for sure I was not fully trusted and so a second and third opinion was needed.
As we walked into the house Sheila and Hillary started to make happy noises because they thought that it would be a great house for the Livesays. So here we are, I am trying to negotiate a much lower price than the asking price and these two ladies are making happy noises. I turned around and looked at them with a stern face and whispered, “No happy noises.”

And then a few days later I take Tara Livesay to look at the house and she somehow considered a room not much bigger than a closet to be a bedroom and so when counting up the bedrooms, she had one more than the owner of the house. NOT GOOD WHEN NEGOTIATING FOR A LOWER PRICE.

We ended up getting the house for a good price in spite of the added bedroom and all the happy noises.

John McHoul

JUNE 22, 2008

Last night at worship practice, there were ten people on the stage and five of them were teenagers. WOW, what a blessing to have young people in church on a Friday night. Let’s look for ways to encourage our young people.

THEY MADE BETH CRY: Three of our visitors, Angela, Pam and Georgia all from Missouri, did such a bang up job in arranging and organizing Beth’s office, that when she saw it she started crying. Praise God, for such visitors that make Beth cry.

There were about 25 caregivers that took the 40 hour NANNY TRAINING class this past week. Beth last night told me  that the man who cleans around the house and yard wanted to know if he would get a certificate of completion because he saw most of the seminar by looking in the window. I wonder who was doing his regular work.

It is early Sunday morning and I am in the office just kind of getting ready for church. I often leave church feeling that shouldn’t more happen when God’s people gather together especially if God is there. I think that feeling dissatisfied can be a good thing maybe.

John McHoul

JUNE 19, 2008

We have about 16 people who have come to help out at the NANNY TRAINING WEEK. As I sit here in the office Police Chief Mike Healy is teaching the ladies about self defense and later he will teach on CPR. Those that have come have just been super and we couldn’t have had this seminar without them.
As I have said before, I like seeing Haiti through the eyes of our visitors; although I am thinking of putting up a sign that says, “THE THREE QUESTIONS NOT TO ASK ME.”

1, WHERE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE GOING?
2, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY UNFINISHED BUILDINGS?
3, WHO OWNS THE PIGS, COWS, GOATS, CHICKENS, ROOSTERS, and DONKEYS that just seem to walk around.

I have lived in Haiti for almost 19 years and do not yet know the answers to these questions.

There are other questions that Beth and I do not usually give the same answers to, such as:

1, Can I drink from the tap? I say, “Sure” and Beth say, “No way.”

2, Is the street food safe for visitors? I say, “Sure’ and Beth says, “No.”

3, Is your house always this hot? I say, “It’s not hot” and Beth says, “No it gets even hotter.”

AND THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS SUCH AS:

1, Did you hear that rooster, that wouldn’t shut up last night? “No.”

2, Why were all those dogs barking? “What dogs.”

3, Why were there so many mosquitoes in my room last night? “They love visitors.”

4, Can you take us to the beach? “No.”

5, Why do the people dress so much better than you? “I don’t know.”

6, You do adoptions, why have you not adopted? “I had a teenage daughter.”



Perhaps I could do a FAQ paper that I could give to all visitors.

John McHoul

JUNE 18, 2008

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

We are near the end of the Haitian side of the adoption process with two of our children. We are waiting for passports which we should have received on June 12th. But it seems that the printer and the computer are not communicating so the passports can’t be printed and we then can’t begin the visa process.
There are people at Haitian Immigration who are making lots of noise as they wait for their passports. Some already had purchased their tickets in anticipation of receiving their passports. Some have visa appointments which they now can’t keep.
It is a German company that installed the system and so now we wait for it to be fixed, so that our children can travel to their waiting families.

We need a government official to sign a document in a city several hours out of Port au Prince. We need this document to be signed or we can’t move on with this particular case. The problem is that the official who was there is now no longer there as he has left and now there is no one there to take his place to sign the document and we do not know when someone who can sign will be there.

We have been waiting for a psychological report on one of the children. It seems that the psychologist was typing it and had almost finished it when he had a blackout and lost the report. He is redoing it and this time I hope periodically saving his work.

VISITORS

Our house is full of visitors who have come to help out at the NANNY TRAINING WEEK. And we have still more staying at the two crèches. It is always good for me to see Haiti through their eyes as they experience the sights, sound, and smells of Haiti.

Tonight twenty-five of us will gather together at the home of a Haitian family for a genuine Haitian meal of rice, beans, Creole chicken and several Haitian type side dishes. This family in an effort to be culturally sensitive usually adds a bit of genuine American cuisine as well such as canned peas. I would settle for a whopper with no onions.

John McHoul

JUNE 16, 2008

People die, some way too young, others after having lived a full life and then others having lived beyond what we may consider a normal life span. On average 155, 000 people in the world die per day.
I don’t think that I knew anyone that died this past week. But I did read that Tim Russert, the well known political commentator, died at the age of 58 and Charlie Jones the well known sportscaster died at the age of 77. I read that there will be a memorial service to honor his life and that he has stipulated in his will that men can not wear ties to the service.

Sunday morning several members of a popular Haitian group died in an auto accident.  Sometimes the young die. 
One thing that I have learned in life is that it is easier to go through difficulties or hardships or tragedies or pain or heartache or struggles because I am not the only one and that millions or perhaps billions have had similar experiences.

You may be walking through a midnight hour that seems to have no end in sight. There is comfort in knowing that you are not traveling alone but rather endeavor to find strength in and with those who are also on that road and with those who have already travelled the same road that you are now traveling.

A few years ago I heard a woman say that she did not know what she would do if her elderly mothers died; she couldn’t live without her. I thought to myself that she would do what billions of others have done: Grieve and then continue to live and honor her mother’s life by endeavoring to live well.

Yesterday after church, we had a cookout for the worship, sound, setup people in an effort to let them know how much we appreciate them. These people are committed to Christ and to our church. It is such an honor to be a part of their lives.

Today is the start of Nanny Training Week. This would not be possible without the support of others. People are praying, giving and some have come to help out for the week. We have people here from California, Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana who have come to teach and to care for the children while the nannies are at the seminar.

We are so thankful for your love, care and support.

John

JUNE 14, 2008

Have you ever said something and then it gets back to you what it is said that you said, and it is nothing like what you said. I wonder if this is what happens to God, especially on Sunday. I am speaking tomorrow at church out of Jeremiah 1:4-9, which is about God calling Jeremiah to speak to the people and then God puts His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. In theory, preaching or giving a message is not all that difficult. You spend time with God and He speaks to you and you tell His message to others.
I wonder how much of what will be said Sunday morning in churches across the world will be messages from God. I wonder what God thinks about what it is said that He said.

Our security guard starts at 6:00 pm and finishes at 6:00 am. This guard is the one that I just had come here a few days ago after our other guard didn’t hear a car smash through our cement wall into the yard. Well I just went out to get from this new guard the two way radio, flashlight, mosquito spray and the gun, as it is time for him to leave. Looking at the gun magazine I noticed that it just didn’t look right and looking a bit closer, I saw that he put all the bullets in backwards. I don’t know much about guns, but I suspect that he would have a hard time shooting the thing with the bullets in backwards.

We between now and the end of the summer will have several dozen visitors that are coming in to help at the NANNY TRAINING WEEK and at ENGLISH CAMP 2008 and others to bring adoptive children back to visit their bio families and still others to spend time helping out during the summer months.
They come to touch lives and to demonstrate the love of Christ. I always pray that not only will they make a difference but, as well, a difference will be made in their lives that will set a course for the rest of their lives.

I just read this sentence written by Bob Ryan, a sports columnist for the Boston Globe. He writing about coach Doc Rivers, of the Boston Celtics, who are up three games to one over the LA Lakers in the championship series, and who is very careful not to guarantee a victory, writes, “He is looking both ways before crossing any verbal street.” I have never quite heard it said that that before but I think that I will remember it as looking both ways can save a lot of hurt.

John McHoul

JUNE 12, 2008

THINGS I’VE BEEEN THINKING ABOUT

• Ezekiel, the Old Testament prophet, mustn’t have had many friends. I think that if I lived backed then, and I saw him coming, I would go hide somewhere.

• Legalism is a joy stealer

• Why is it, that it is often the novices that do the nursing home services? It seems to me that it should be the most experienced and anointed speakers that stand there in front of those who are near the end of their lives

• It is good to filter some things that we allow to enter our minds or hearts.

We have a coffee maker with one of those mesh type filters that can be removed and cleaned out and then put back in for another pot of coffee. Twice now, I have cleaned out the filter and placed it in the dish strainer instead of back in the coffee maker. In the morning I put the coffee grinds in the coffee maker and turned it on and came back to find that the coffee did not make it into the waiting carafe because the filter was still in the dish strainer where I had placed it and not in the coffee maker. And so the unfiltered coffee clogged up the maker and the coffee instead of going into the carafe overflowed onto the counter.

Filtering is good because it can keep the bad stuff out but still lets the good stuff through.

• It is pretty amazing how hens can make eggs. Our sistas are putting out about 90 eggs a day.

• I’ve been thinking about these words of Henri Nouwen:

“I had been received with open arms, given all the attention and affection I could ever hope for, and offered a safe and loving place to grow spiritually as well as emotionally. Everything seemed ideal. But precisely at that time, I fell apart – as if I needed a safe place to hit bottom.”

John McHoul

JUNE 11, 2008


FOLLOW UP TO THE SECURITY GUARD THAT DID NOT HEAR A CAR SMASH THROUGH OUR CEMENT WALL

I considered firing the guard but have instead placed him at the Women’s Center where the wall is stronger.


GREEN

We are trying to do our part in not abusing the earth resources and in not adding more trash to a country that already has an abundance of trash that often flows onto the streets.

1, We reuse plastic grocery bags with the women making from then purses and small bags. One of the ladies even made me a hat which I can’t yet wear because my head is kind of big, and add to the kind of big head, hair which hasn’t been cut for almost six months, and the hat won’t fit.
2, We reuse empty rice, beans, chicken feed and laundry detergent sacks with the women using them to make bags.
3, We reuse the our egg cartons
4, We, in the office, shred paper which we give to a friend that has a casket making factory. He uses it as filler to cushion the inside of the casket.
5, We, of course, use energy efficient light bulbs.
6, We power the apartment with wind and solar power.
7, We buy remanufactured cartridges for our printers and copiers.  We have tried to refill the cartridges but can't seem to get them to work well after the refill.


YES THIS STUFF HAPPENS SOMEWHAT REGULARLY

Junior called me from the office and wanted to know if we had any Elmer’s glue. I told him where it was and asked why he needed it. He told me that he is working on getting a couple of adoption documents and regular letter size paper is too short so legal size paper is needed. But the government office where the documents are being generated does not have legal size paper. So he was giving them the glue so that they could glue on an extension piece of paper so that all the information could fit on the paper.
Junior carries in his bag: tape, pens, a stapler and staples, paperclips, and wite-out as we know what it is not to be able to get papers because there is no pen to sign or a correction is needed but the official doesn’t have any wite-out.

We, at times, have  left empty handed without the documents we need because:
• There is no ink cartridge for the printer and hasn’t been for days
• There is no city electricity and so the office equipment can’t work.
• No pen to sign
• No film to take the official type pictures that we at times need.
• No passport books to make passports
• The only person that can sign the document is away for a month and no one else can sign.
• No gas to get to work so the workers don’t come.
• No fuel for the generator
• Once because all the people that had a key to a locked office door had lost their keys, so they broke into the office and Junior bought them a new lock.


I’m not sure that they teach this stuff at business schools in the States.

John McHoul

JUNE 10, 2008

The power being on past 7:00 AM was a great start to the day. Laundry done and I even got to use the treadmill. Business as usual I started out to pick up Agathe for our women's program. Agathe, our interpreter, friend and huge help to the women's program lives about 15 minutes away.
Right as I turned into Agathe's road there was a dead guy lying across the street so I couldn't pass. People were starting to gather so I put the car in reverse and took a short cut that I know and have taken before. It was blocked by guys fixing their car in the middle of the road. No way were they moving for me. So, into reverse I go again. Turning around is not simple on narrow dirt roads full of housing and children. I back up hoping to find another route. It turns into a dead end with lots of children, ladies doing wash and crowded housing. Now what do I do. The kids knew I should give all of them money as they crowded around my car. How do I get turned around without hitting one of the several kids or running over a stooped washer woman or crashing into a small hut? This was not easy. I was breaking a sweat. By this time I was thinking I should have run over the dead guy. Only kidding.
About 20 5-10 year olds were yelling to me giving me instructions on how to get my car turned around. They were continuing to yell for money. They practiced their English while I practiced my 3 point turn ability.
Finally I got turned around and wound my way back to the dead guy and headed in the other direction. Found another route around to Agathe's house, beeped the horn and she came out smiling. "Good Morning, Beth" - she greets me like nothing has happened. Then off we go like nothing has happened. It's just another Haiti day!

Beth McHoul

JUNE 9, 2008

OUR SECURITY GUY

Last night at about 9:00 I heard a kind of muffled sound that seemed in the distance but it was not enough to get me to leave the bedroom and look around and see what it was. At about 10:30 I went out to shut off the generator as we had been on blackout and the batteries that we run off of during blackouts had lost power. We have an armed security guard that works from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am; and so before I at night go into the yard I talked to him with a two way radio. This is to let him know that I am coming so I don’t startle him in case he may be sleeping and maybe shoot me.

So last night I called him before I went out to shut off the generator and he called back. When I went out the front door, I saw a bright light off to the right and I thought that I couldn’t remember his flashlight being so bright. And then the light got brighter. As I looked closer I could see a hole in our wall measuring about 4 feet by 7 feet. I called the security guy over and asked him what happened and he said that he didn’t hear a thing. And, of course, I'm looking at him like I can’t believe that he said that. He was sitting or sleeping only about 100 feet from the hole. He told me that the wall just fell apart. I, of course, was not going for that as the cement blocks were smashed into small pieces. I told him that a car must have smashed into the wall and he said that he didn’t think so, that is until I pulled a side view mirror and car body trim out of the rubble of smashed blocks. And so now I am wondering how it is that he could not have heard a vehicle smashing into and through the wall.

So last night at 11:00, I called the mason and asked him to come early which he did at about 5:30 this morning. He is now out buying blocks and cement to fill in the hole.
And now I am wondering why I have this guy as a security guard and what to do about him. And now I am wondering what God would have me to do in this situation. My inclination is to fire the guy, but is this what God wants. I have learned that it is not wise to make such decisions before bringing it before the Lord.

John McHoul

JUNE 8, 2008

STUFF AND THINGS I HAVE BEEN THIKING ABOUT

• We now have our water pump working after a couple of weeks. It was being repaired after catching on fire for the third time; and we now have city power from about midnight to about 6:30 in the morning. A couple of days ago I heard the noise of the pump, which makes a grinding noise when running, at about 5:00 am. It ran for several minutes which is not normal and which generally means that there is a problem somewhere. So going out to the back yard, I saw that the two cherub mastiff puppies had torn the curtain of the outside shower down and had broken the pipe to the shower, so that the water just flowed onto the ground. These are same the puppies that are now working on eating the cement wall in our bedroom.

• I am going on a diet because I, in several places, have read that the airlines may charge more money for your ticket if you are fat or overweight, or larger that they think that you should be. I wonder if they will set a good example by giving a discount on your ticket, if the ticket agent or the baggage handler is overweight. Maybe if you are ten pounds over the acceptable weight, you can equal it out by having ten less pounds in your suitcase. I suspect that if this goes into effect that there will be a lot of people in the bathrooms before they get in the ticket lines. I also suspect that the food places in the main terminals will lose business as people will buy their food after they get their tickets. If the acceptable weight is determined by height, I wonder if people will buy elevated shoes to make them taller or put several layers of socks on or in my case, the length or actually height of my hair could this be part of my height?


• Last night I was at church with about 15 others that were involved in practicing the songs for Sunday’s service. Sitting there as I watched and listened to these people, I could not help but feel blessed to be among such a group that gives of their time and talents so that others can be ministered to. While the team was practicing, a mother of one of the young ladies that sing came in and waited for her daughter; I sat thinking, I wonder what she is thinking. Is she seeing herself at that age? Is she thinking of decisions that she had made and roads that she had chosen that have brought her to the place she is now at? Is she thanking God that on a Friday night, her daughter is in church? These are things that I think about when I am with my children and grandchildren.

• I have been looking at some pictures recently taken of adoptive parents that have come to visit their children. I see in their faces a joy that reflects their love for these children. A love that, I believe, has been given to them by God.

• I have been reading THE GREAT BRIDGE which is a book about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. In 1872 the workers were paid about $2.00 per day for their labor. It is 136 years later and that is about the average wage of a worker in Haiti.

• Blackouts are a part of our life here in Haiti. Lately we have been getting city power for about six hours a day and the rest of the day we are on blackout. People generally just go with the flow during a blackout. If in a restaurant and there is a blackout, the conversation doesn’t stop as people just keep on talking until candles come out or the generator is started. Last night at worship practice, we had a blackout while they were practicing a song. The electric instruments stopped but the singers just kept on singing.

Some years back we were at a church for the Thursday night prayer time. The keyboard player was playing and people were kneeling and praying and then came a blackout. The inside of the church was pitch dark but the keyboard player did not miss a key as she just kept on playing and people just kept on praying.

It makes me think about Psalm 139 and how to God darkness does not make a difference. And then as believers, even in darkness we are to be lights and walk in the light.

Psalms

139:7
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
139:8
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
139:9
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
139:10
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
139:11
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
139:12
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

John McHoul

JUNE 6, 2008

All days are busy, but some are busier than others; and yesterday was one of those days.
Appointments, buying supplies, lots of people in and out of the office, the women’s program going on, looking in on the children, nannies, hens, and tilapia and making time to tell a lady in the program that she and the father of their yet to be born child are both HIV positive. And to be sure that they are faithful in going to the free clinic for checkups and medicines. And then there was the Thursday night Bible study, where about thirty people sang, prayed and studied God’s word. By the time I got home, I was tired, but it was a good type of tired.
Life all in all is pretty short and it is a sad thing when one wastes his life or allows opportunities to pass on by. Today, I was waiting outside of an orphanage as I was trying to get in to see the director. It was at about 2:00 in the afternoon and as I was waiting, there was a man who walked by with a beer bottle in his hand and he it seemed drunk as he staggered along the road, struggling not to fall down. Looking at him, I grieved, as I thought this is his one life; don’t waste it.
As I sit here doing some two finger typing I am thinking of that quote: “ONLY ONE LIFE WILL SOON BE PAST AND ONLY WHAT’S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST.”

It is a privilege to be active and busy in making a difference in the lives of others. It is important to understand that our time is limited, so  we should be diligent to seize the day and not waste even one precious day that God's allows us.

John McHoul

JUNE 5, 2008

Yesterday I bought windshield wipers for my truck. It is the rainy season and one of the wipers was completely broken and I would have to pull it up vertically so the metal thingy wouldn’t keep making that screeching noise of metal against the windshield. It kind of looked like an upside down golf swing. I bought the wipers from one of the street vendors that you barter with for the price. I discovered that it is easier to get a good price, when it isn’t already raining. My negotiating powers were greatly limited as the rain steadily hit my windshield. The wiper seller didn’t say anything about it and neither did I, but we both knew. But he knew better than me.

Yesterday we had the veterinarian come for the sistas. He came in regular type clothes; you know dungarees (also called jeans by you upscale types) and a regular pull over shirt. We talked for a few minutes and then he went to see the sistas, but before he went through the gate to get to the coop, he stopped and put on a green scrub type shirt that the hospital people wear. When I saw him do that I wondered if his bill would be cheaper if he checked out the hens without his green scrub type shirt. I thought as well that it will cost more greens because of he wore his official type shirt. Next time I hope that he forgets his green scrub type shirt.

Yesterday I was on my way to the airport but decided, with about ten other people, to make a u turn as the traffic was bad and I didn’t want to be late. After I made the u turn there was a policeman there, who told me to pull over and he took my license. He told me that I had blocked traffic with my u turn. I said that it seemed that the traffic was already blocked. He looked at me and laughed and I laughed and he gave me back my license as about ten other u turners passed on by, and I went on my way.

I t will be interesting to see what today brings.

John McHoul

JUNE 4, 2008

I recently was told that my towel should not be dirty with dirt after I take a shower. Beth, as usual, told me that I shouldn’t have dirt on me if I have showered and rinsed off properly, (like she does) and that the towel is for drying the body that has been cleaned. I once again explained to her that by not rinsing off all the soap that I am actually bathing while I am sweating and so although she says I don’t bathe much, I actually bathe much more than she does because this is a country of much sweating. But, as usual, she can’t seem to understand the obvious. The soap mixes with the dirt and it becomes like an all natural bath. I mean I think that some people actually pay to bathe in mud. I guess I could be called Mr. Clean even if it seems that I am not.

READING

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. Beth and I are both readers, although we don’t often read the same books.
I have recently read: THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD by David McCullough and LEFT TO TELL by Immaculée Ilibagiza. This is book about her experience during the Rwandan holocaust and how it drew her close to God.

I am presently reading: THE GREAT BRIDGE by David McCullough which is about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I today started BECOMING A TRUE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY by Larry Crabb and next will read THE VELVET ELVIS by Rob Bell.

The love of reading is one of those things that I caught from others as I saw the positive impact that it had on their lives.

Recently I was in the States and had the privilege of attending our granddaughter’s kindergarten graduation. She is a reader and she asked if I wanted her to read a book to me. I said, “Sure” and she ran into her room and came back with about thirty, four page booklets that she made while in kindergarten. She ended up reading about ten of them to me and I was thrilled to see that she is growing up to be a reader.

RAINY SEASON

It is the rainy season and it is sure refreshing when the rains come and cool things down. Most Haitian homes have a cement or tin roof. Our house has an asphalt shingle roof which leaks in several places when it rains. I have been on the roof several times to fix the leaks but still they leak. It reminds me of when we actually had working telephone land lines which would stop working when it rained. We couldn’t get the phone company to come because they didn’t want to work in the rain. When it wasn’t raining they wouldn’t come, because the phones were working. This is no longer an issue since our land lines have not worked for years whether it is raining or not.


The rain does help with the heat which is a good thing. Beth says that our house is hot but I will never admit that. One day during the summer we were out for most of the day and when we returned the two candles on the table which had not been lit had simply folded over with their wicks touching the table. Beth said that clearly proves that the house is hot if the candles which weren’t lit melted. I, of course, simply recognized that we had purchased defective candles and in the future will be more careful in buying such shoddily made candles.

John McHoul


 JUNE 3, 2008

HEY FRED or WHERE’S JOSEPH

Joseph is a fourteen old boy that lives with us until his adoption will be completed. He is a good kid, never overtly disobedient or disrespectful. But he for sure can be the invisible man. He is the kind of kid, that when I give him a job or chore to do and if I turn my back, he disappears. You know, like when in school and he goes to sharpen his pencil he can be gone for about an hour. Joseph, on weekends, puts the sistas in the coop and makes sure that there is water and food for them. This can take him up to two hours sometimes. I figured that he had to chase them around to get them to go in the coop for the evening and chasing one hundred sistas can’t be easy. That is until I went down there to do it one day when he was at the youth group and discovered that they all go in by themselves, so when I arrived at 6:00 they were already in the coop.  Didn't have to chase even one. 
When I tell him, he needs to be home at a certain time; he usually arrives about two hours late.  When I ask him where he has been and he will say something like he had to tie his shoe.
Well, he has been on a bit of denial of privileges punishment due to a series of coming home late and me having to drive around looking for him. I always go to the children’s homes first and check the mango trees as he often is up a tree. So he has been on restriction for the past month.
Yesterday he asked if he could play soccer after church with some friends. I told him that he could but he had to be home before six and that I had to see his face before six. If I didn’t do it that way, then he could tell me that he went directly to put the sistas away and then that could mean that I wouldn’t see him until 8:00. Well at 5:40 this young man was in my house. He looked like Joseph and had that Joseph-like boy smell and even sounded like him. Not sure if it was really Joseph so I started calling him Fred and asking if he knew where Joseph was. He told me that he was Joseph but I was not convinced, but now I think that maybe he is actually Joseph.
Joseph became the man of the house while I was in the States and Beth tells me that he did his job well or was it Fred.

John McHoul

JUNE 2, 2008

The week is over and John is back. A week ago at this time I had no power and no water. I still have no water. Where is the pump guy? Hauling buckets and fighting with the baby's house laundry lady for the washing machine has lost its appeal. My car smells from spilled water and dirty laundry. My house smells from puppies learning (or not) to pee outside. You would think big mastiffs show little mastiffs bathroom procedure. I think the big guys are delighting in our lack of success. Keeps them on the receiving end of "good dog".
This week was complicated. Vaccinations are scheduled for the puppies. Joseph (this week's man of the house) and I go up to the vet about 30 minutes away. We arrive later than what I wanted and have to wait a considerable amount of time. We watch dogs come and go in various stages of illness into the vets office. We hear yelping and out comes a young girl crying. I know those tears - been there.
We wait and wait. Not a problem - I read a midwifery book for school and Joseph plays with his cell phone. The puppies take a nap. After quite a while the vet surfaces from behind the closed door, sees me, and says "Oh, hello, I have no vaccinations." He has to pick them up at customs at the airport. Not a problem he says, he'll come to our house. Off we go. Puppy registers her feelings toward the whole adventure and poops in my car. The other one pees. Adds to the odors my car already has from water and dirty laundry.
The vet keeps his word and shows up later (much later and leaves me waiting at my house for him) and vaccinates the newcomers. We learned long ago that nothing in Haiti happens in a timely fashion and if you want to get through it sane bring a book wherever you go. A big book. We are well read.
Puppies, books and Star Trek are part of the plan to keep ones wits about them in a place like Haiti. John and I are a team. He has strengths that I do not have. Like calm in a crisis. The bigger the crisis the more calm he is. I'm not so good at calm. It is really good for Sheila and I that John's office is right behind the women's center. We watch Star Trek at night because real life is more like "The Twilight Zone" or "Outer Limits". Out of 20 prenatal women we have 3 HIV+, two syphilis cases, one Hep B and about 19 anemic gals. We teach about eating your greens and getting your protein and they respond with "we have no money for food" and they are not exaggerating. We set up appointments at HIV clinics and getting all 3 ladies to show at once is not an easy thing. Life is not simple.
Too many times this week we needed John's wisdom. We have collectively decided that he cannot travel to the US again any time soon. He saw the granddaughters and the children. He got his whopper and Chinese Buffet. Good thing he likes it here because we have good mind to steal his passport. It doesn't have too many exit stamps anyway.
Haiti has his heart and people that want to see him will have to come here. And when you come - bring him a whopper, no onions.

Beth McHoul

MAY 26, 2008

JUNIOR, MY ASSISTANT, AND I ARE IN FLORIDA FOR SIX DAYS.  THIS BLOG HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY BETH AND PERHAPS EXPLAINS SOME OF OUR DAILY LIFE IN HAITI, AND, AS WELL, EXPLAINS WHY I RARELY TRAVEL AND IN OUR ALMOST NINETEEN YEARS IN HAITI HAVE LEFT BETH ALONE IN HAITI FOR MAYBE THREE TIMES.

THIS MORNING AT 6:00 AS I WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT YARD OF CHRIS AND BEV PLOURDE WHERE WE ARE STAYING IN FLORIDA, I WAS READING A BOOK, LISTENING TO THE BIRDS AND THE ROAR OF THE QUIETNESS AND THINKING IF I WAS IN HAITI, BY THIS TIME I WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE OFFICE AFTER TALKING WITH THE THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE AT OUR GATE EARLY.  I AS WELL WOULD HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIX THE PUMPS AND THE GENERATOR AND FACING THE SMASH MOUTH THINGS THAT COME BARRELING AT US EACH DAY.

John does not leave Haiti often - it's a good thing that he doesn't. As his plane was taking off the disasters started to happen. I can do this, staying alone is not a big deal to me. Staying alone without water, a sick generator, a sick dog and mud from the rain is a big deal but I can do it.
I got home from church and decided it was a good time to have the girls from the girl's home over for lunch, puppy time and a movie. Half way through the movie the inverter dies (so we have no lectricity). No big deal - we have a generator. We have diesel - we are good.
The generator starts blowing it circuit breakers whenever I plug something in. The girls want to finish their movie and I want to make ice cubes. No go. What would John do I think? I have no idea. My generator skills stop at how to turn it off and on. I can do this even in pitch black dead of night. I've lived here a long time - we can do things in the dark. Popping on and off is new. So, before John even lands in Fort Lauderdale he gets a desperate email from me on how to fix the generator.
Our water pump has been broken all week (third time that it has cought on fire in the past several weeks). The pump guy came and took it away and has not been back. It has poured rain and the puppies love to run through the house all muddy. They are also not totally trained so the mop is frequently used. A mop and mud require water. We have none.
So, I go down to the girl's home looking for water to put in large buckets to bring home. They have no water. Something is up with their pump as well. Not to worry - we have the boy's home. Over I go to the boy's home and start filling the buckets. Natacha mentions that the washing machine won't fill. With 12 boys and 12 sets of dirty diapers several times daily we need the washing machine to work. We'll call Byron to fix the washer/pump/electricity at that house. While filling the buckets the yard man mentions our mastiff Lily seems to have a hurt foot. I pick up her foot and her pad is eaten away in infection and there are maggots. John has only been gone how many hours? A sick mastiff requires a strong person to hold it down while we do doggie clean out the foot. Joseph rises to the occasion, since John is gone he is man of the house, and he holds Lily down while I clean out her foot, get her on antibiotics and bandage her up. We have seen this before, but John is usually here to clean out a wound, so I know what to do but don't like it. Maggots you say? Yes, a fly can land on a wound and 12 hours later there are maggots. It's sickening but the wound has to be cleaned. Is this neglect? If you know me you know I'm a tad obsessive about the canines in my life. I sneak them eggs (don't tell John) and pay them well for their service of security. But, this is the third world and these things happen, especially in this climate. When our vet sees me coming he rolls his eyes - that gives you a clue.
John calls - walks me through fixing the generator, Lily is resting comfortably (eggs are on the stove boiling for her) and we are settled in for night number one without John. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.
The day will start tomorrow  with an HIV psoitive,  uncooperative mom with baby in the hospital. We are daily giving her money and supplies. She is scheduled to be at the women's center at 7:00 AM. When we don't know what to do with her we call John.
I'm afraid we will be calling him a lot in the next few days. I hope between bites of whoppers he can walk us through the next crisis.
And this is only the first day. No wonder he rarely leaves.

(The HIV positive baby died this morning at the hospital)

Beth

MAY 24, 2008

Unless something BIG happens I, after today, will not say much more about the hens as it seems that not everyone has the same concern for the sistas as I do.
For example Sam from Georgia wants to know if he can come down for some fried chicken. And Donna from Arkansas writes, “Tell John that if he doesn't cook his chicken so long, she'd be great with a headstone of mashed potatoes and gravy!!! In Arkansas we like ours cooked to a golden brown.”

Now I guess what really got to me were the words of Carine, our office secretary, when I gave to her the money which the workers gave (up to almost $3.50) to buy a headstone for the dearly departed sista, She took the money and said, “Is this the dead chicken money.” I was SHOCKED at her callousness. I asked if I were to die today and as she attended my funeral, would she tell people, “Hey I used to work for that dead guy over there.” WOW.

YESTERDAY

• While reading the book of Jeremiah I see that it is chock full of good stuff relevant to us today.
• While downtown in heavy traffic a guy pulled out halfway onto the road and blocked the rest of us from moving. He couldn’t move because we couldn’t move. He could have moved back about 10 feet and that would have let the rest of us pass by; but he wouldn’t, in spite of lots of horn blowing and yelling. I do not understand why it can for some be so difficult to back up or back down.
• While downtown buying supplies I was talking to a couple of gang type guys. One said to me, “John, we know you in the ghetto, you’re ok.” I usually slip these guys a few dollars as either kidnapping protection or at least a down payment on the ransom demand.
• I as well was in a store buying supplies for the crèches. It was the busiest that I have ever seen this store as it seemed to be a field day for the UN and there were at least 10 big UN trucks there that carry soldiers and the store was loaded with UN guys from Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka. The checkout lines were long and it seems that the credit card transaction approval thingy was not working well. I stood in line for about 30 minutes and watched as others stood in lines at the several checkout places. I didn’t hear any complaining or sighing or angry words from those waiting. Some lines waited quietly and others made it a social event with talking and laughing. WAITING WELL IS A GOOD THING. GOD IS IN THE WAIT.
• I, the other day, was at a place near us which is endeavoring to make a difference in the area by providing education, job training, and other such things. I was sitting in an English class which was taking place outside under a mango tree. One of the students asked the teacher if the States is a safer place than Haiti; and the teacher told him that Haiti is actually much safer than the States. I have been thinking about the teacher’s words as I pass place after place with high cement walls and with barb wire or broken bottles on the tops of the walls. And as I daily see hundreds of UN guys driving around with big guns.
• And then yesterday afternoon I was on the motorcycle and couple of guys pulled up next to me as I was at a light (YES WE NOW HAVE STREET LIGHTS). We nodded to each other and greeted one another and the passenger (NOTICE THAT I SAID PASSENGER AND NOT PASSENGERS. THE OTHER DAY I SAW SIX PEOPLE ON A SMALL MOTORCYCLE. THERE WERE TWO ADULTS AND FOUR CHILDREN) started speaking to me in English. He asked me if a liked Haiti and I told him that I do most of the time. He then told me that Haiti is the best country in the world. I was glad he said that and I thought about why he said that for the several more minutes that I was on the motorcycle.

John McHoul

MAY 22, 2008

The workers continue to amaze me with their generosity in giving toward a headstone for our dearly departed sister hen that passed away earlier this week. They have now given $3.29 which is almost enough to get the headstone.
I think perhaps I should not put away the donation basket as yesterday we almost had several sistas go to the great coop in the sky.
Beth for reasons that elude me decided to put the two dogs at the boys’ home over to the girls’ home and the three dogs at the girls’ home over to the boys’ home. Since her car is broken, the two dogs at the boys’ house were loaded into the back seat of my pickup and I drove them to the girls’ house and Beth walked the three mastiffs at the girls’ over to the boys’ house.
The three mastiffs excitedly ran around checking out their new abode. It seems that the sistas who are or used to be safe behind a chain link fence sensed something was up and they were making lots of noise. So I walked to the back yard and opened the gate and one of the mastiffs slipped in and started chasing the sistas around the yard. I quickly darted off to grab the dog and then the other mastiff started chasing the sistas around. Somehow we were able to get a hold of both dogs before they got a hold of some of the sistas. But it was a close call.

UPDATE:

Out water pump is still broken at our house so we are bringing containers of water over from the children’s home. Junior, this morning hot wired Beth’s car and even as I type he is downtown trying to get it fixed.

Last night we took the graduating seniors of our church and their parents out to eat at a cloth napkin restaurant. While there it started to rain and Beth asked for my phone so she could call someone to go and see if the new puppies were getting wet. Now I don’t mean to be mean but it does seem that the puppies should have enough sense to get out of the rain if they wanted to. When we arrived back home at about 9:30 the puppies were dry and happy to see us. I guess they figured out how to stay out of the rain.

For the past several weeks we have been getting city electricity at about 12:30 am and we lose it at about 6:30 am. The rest of the time we are running off of the battery bank and the inverter. We have been running the generator at night for about two hours to charge up the batteries so we can have current until the city power comes on at 12:30 am. Last night, I shut the generator off at 11:45 pm and immediately the house was pitch black. The inverter which should have worked did not kick in and so there we were with a broken pump, a broken car and now a broken inverter. I do believe that I heard Beth saying something about that as we were engulfed in the darkness, heat and easy prey for the attacking mosquitoes as we now had no fans to keep them away. But I pretended not to hear.

I waited until 12:30 for the city power to come on as I thought that perhaps it would then be ok. Well it did come on and it was still not ok. I checked all the usual stuff but still could not get it going so that power would come into the house. After about an hour I noticed that some electrical connections were sparking and so hoping that I had found the culprit, I tightened them up with my toy size pliers and boom, on came the power. Walking back into the house, I thought that Beth would say something like, “Good job” or something like that. But I think that she must have been passed out by the blanket like heat.

Now some of my so called friends have given me a problem. I have mentioned before in this blog that a few years ago, Beth bought me a hammock as a birthday gift. Well I immediately put it in the back of the closet as I for sure do not want to be lounging around in a hammock. Even though it has been in the back of the closet, I still, on occasion could hear it call my name. IT WANTED ME. But I have resisted, the same way I resist going to the beach. BUT a few weeks ago some of my so called friends got the hammock out of the closet and hung it between two trees in the yard. But I have been strong and resisted its allure.
Last night as I was hot and waiting for the electricity to come on I thought of the hammock. So I went out to the yard and standing at a distance shined the flashlight on it. IT WAS STILL THERE. I then went back into the house as the stifling heat seemed a better option than the comfortable hammock in the not as hot as in the house nighttime air.

John McHoul

MAY 20, 2008

As I opened the gate at 5:30 am to leave for the office, there were already two people waiting to see me. One was a blind man who regularly comes to see me and who needed some money for food. The other was a young girl who standing next to a suitcase told me that she has been kicked out of where she was staying and that she now needed a place to stay. People who really want to see me know that if they are not there at the gate between 5-6 am that it is quite likely that they will not find me as I head down to the office to be alone for a bit of time before the busyness of the day begins.
The Bible talks about Jesus often slipping away to the quiet place, the desert, or the mountain to be alone to pray; and this is what the office is to me. It is, at least in the early morning hours, a quiet place where I can pray, read God’s word, meditate, and go over the day which the Lord has given.
Most of my day was spent in the office. I worked on getting the newsletter out to be printed. I had several meeting and appointments and at one point the quiet office seemed more like downtown Port-au Prince.
The women’s center which is in the same yard as the office is quite busy during the day with women in sewing school, with the prenatal classes going on, and with the literacy classes as well. The thing I like about the sewing school being here is that I can bring my clothes that have holes in them to be sewed by the ladies. They usually tell me that they don’t want to waste the thread on my sorry looking clothes but eventually they will sew them. I know that they wonder why I wear such sorry looking clothes.
The women’s activities were over and it was about 3:00 o’clock when Beth left for the crèches. About five minutes after she walked out the gate, I heard her calling me and saying that she couldn’t start her car. The key would go in the ignition but she couldn’t turn the key so the car would start. Dan looked at it and was not able to get it to work. I looked at it with the same results. And so we called Junior (the Haitian MacGyver) to look at it. He spent about 30 minutes with it and could not get the key to turn in the ignition. In the meantime Beth took my truck and I stayed with the car to see if we could get it going. Well Junior got out his screw driver and ending up hot wiring the car so that I could drive it home. And there it sits until we can look at it later today.

I have been trying to find some time to play tennis and so after I drove Beth’s hotwired car home, I hopped on the motorcycle to go and play tennis. I planned on playing from 5-6 but only got to play until 5:50 as at about that time several of the guys that hang out at the tennis courts got into a major fight. There was a lot of yelling and hitting and of course rock throwing. The Haitian rocks, which are grown here and not imported, are amazing. They are used as hammers and other tools to bang on motors or car batteries. They as well are used for brakes when parking on a hill and of course we use them as door bells to bang on gates. And they are also used as weapons to throw and as clubs to hit people with. Well the rocks started flying and people started running around.

Although I hadn’t noticed it seems that a couple of guys ran to get the police at the station only a couple minutes away from the tennis courts. So soon, there were 4 police men and 1 police women on the tennis courts. And then the yelling started as the aggrieved parties shouted out their positions. It was at that point that I left and when I play tennis again on Saturday morning, I will find out what ended up happening.

The rest of the night was uneventful and I woke up this morning at about 4:00 am and smelled the familiar smell of the burned windings on the water pump that is only a few months old but has now caught on fire three times. So I shut off the current to the pump and decided not to tell Beth as she was still sleeping when I left at 4:45 for the office. She will find soon enough when she sees that we again have no water.

I must confess that on a previous blog, I may have indicated that the workers would not give money for the head stone for our departed sista hen.  Well, I was mistaken the 20 plus workers have given about $1.97 in memory of our sista.  I feel greatly encouraged.

John McHoul

MAY 19, 2008

DEATH NOTICE
SISTA HEN
DOB: UNKNOWN
FATHER: UNKNOWN
MOTHER: UNKNOWN
SIBLINGS: UNKNOWN
DATE OF DEATH: MAY 18, 2008 or MAY 19, 2008
DATE OF BURIAL SERVICE: MAY 19, 2008

Yesterday evening, I was checking on the sistas and the man who was giving them feed before he left for the evening told me that one of the sistas could not stand up. I asked him to bring her to me which he did and then I asked him to put her on the ground which he did and I could see that she couldn’t stand up. So I asked him to put her in our ICU cage and then tomorrow morning we could check on the dear sista.
The next morning as I was meeting with Byron and Junior, I shared my concern for the sista and we walked over from the women’s center to see her. When we arrived the man who was cleaning the coop told me that when he arrived he found the sister dead in the ICU cage. Well I of course wanted to see the body and he took me to the front yard where sitting in a shallow hole were her ashes. I was aghast that he cremated her without me first seeing her earthly body and without first having a little service.
So I called the workers together to stand around the ashes in the hole. We sang a song in French and then each worker said something nice about our dear departed sista. They all kind of said the same thing, “Good bye” and that was it. Although unprepared for such a moment I was able to muster a few kind words of appreciation to our sister for her faithful service.
I am trying to get some money out of each worker for a little grave marker but so far I have had no success.
John McHoul

MAY 17, 2008

There is really nothing new to write about the new puppies. Whatever I could write almost anyone who has a puppy could write.
The two big mastiffs that we have had for several years still have not extended a bone of friendship to the two new mastiff puppies. They are still keeping their distance and letting the puppies know with a growl or upraised lip that they are not wanted around here.
The puppies are still peeing and pooping in the house but they also go outside. So they are getting there.
They have chewed on shoes, sandals, electrical wires, a cd case, magazines, furniture, cushions and so on. The female loves to put her paw in the water dish and sweep out the water onto the floor and of course tip over the food dishes.
They are really cute puppies and their puppy like behavior will not last all that long. It has forced us to tidy things up a bit so that the puppies so that the puppies can’t chew on some of our things.
I’m sure that we will have some funny puppy stories to tell over the next few months and not so funny stories as well.
John McHoul

MAY 14, 2008

Well our adventure has begun with the new puppies. The older Mastiffs are not being very helpful in welcoming the newcomers and in fact they are being a tad rude to them.
The new puppies have begun being trained by first going pee and poop around the house. I suppose sometimes we learn what we should do by first learning what we shouldn’t do. So we are trying to teach them what not to do. It is interesting in watching the older dogs especially when the puppies are doing something that the older dogs know is wrong. Stuff like tearing up magazines and chewing on sneakers and so on. The older dogs sit or lie down at a distance and then watch and wait for the puppies to get in trouble. They certainly distance themselves from the puppies during this time.
Our workers can be that way sometimes, if not often. There are certain ways that Beth likes things done, especially in the area of child care. When new workers come, it is not unusual to have the workers that have been there for some time watch while the new workers are doing it incorrectly and then watch while the new workers are corrected.

BREAKING PUPPY NEWS: Beth just called to say that the female puppy rolled around and played in a mud puddle and covered with mud, then ran through out the house. Beth is leaving for the airport to pick up visitors and will deal with the muddy puppy when she returns.

Some years ago I had hired a new worker. It was during a time that I was meeting with all of our nannies and talking to them about helping them go to school to pursue an education and or profession. I met with each nanny individually and asked what profession they would like to pursue. Some of the professions they chose were: DOCTOR, LAWYER, TEACHER, and so on. So I asked each one to go to the school where they wanted to attend and to bring me some information about the school.
Well the only one to actually bring me information was the new lady that I had just hired. So I agreed to arrange her schedule so that she could go to school. It was a few days later when one of the workers came to my gate in the early evening and said that ALL the workers wanted to talk to me. I could tell that they weren’t calling for me to let me know how much they valued me.
When I arrived, they were all waiting for me in one of the rooms and they one by one and sometimes two by two and then eventually all together told me that they were not happy that I was sending the brand new worker to school and not sending them. I explained that not one of them brought me any information from the schools where they wanted to attend, even though I had asked for it several times, but this point was not welled received.
Eventually the ring leader of the nanny rebellion told me that if I insisted in sending the new nanny to school, then they would all leave. Upon hearing this it took me about three seconds to open the door so that they could all leave. That is all but one of the nannies. After the others had left, leaving us with about twelve children to care for, I asked this worker why she didn’t leave and I will never forget her answer. She said, “I did not come with them and I will not leave with them.” It took several days before we could find new nannies to care for the children.
A few weeks later some of the workers returned and asked for their jobs back. I told them that if they left me, I could understand that, but it was the children that they left and I couldn’t accept that. And that their jobs, which they left because a new worker was being sent to school, were now taken by others.
They didn’t seem to understand. I do know this that it is not wise to follow someone too closely as you may not always be certain of his agenda.

John McHoul

MAY 13, 2008
Beth’s plane was about five hours late and she, as she can do, got the plane captain to twice go into the belly of the plane to check on the puppies and to give them water while in Miami. He was very gracious about it, she said. When she finally did arrive here in Port au Prince, the baggage handler guys tipped one of the cages upside down as he flung it on the carousel. Beth, she tells me, was not so gracious over this incident.
The cute, of course, puppies arrived just fine and they were greeted somewhat reservedly by the two resident Mastiffs. Beth told me that since the puppies were new to us that she would give them filtered water. While she was telling me this, I was watching one of the puppies drink out of a mud puddle in the yard. I didn’t say anything.
The puppies tentatively started to examine the house and the yard. The two resident Mastiffs were not thrilled to have these invaders in their home. Marley, the dominant one, would give the raised lip thing when one of the puppies got near him; and, of course, he this morning did the growl thing when one of them tried to eat out of a bowl, next to his bowl. It seems that Marley thinks that all the bowls of food belong to him.
I have been thinking about where we will put the newcomers after their time of feeling acclimated (I understand that this may be for an extended time) but I know that this is not the time to ask Beth that question.
I am sure that there will be several more blogs about the newcomers over the next few months as they become a part of our family.

John McHoul

MAY 11, 2008

Well tomorrow our lives will get a bit more interesting as Beth returns from Vermont with two Mastiff puppies. We generally name the dogs after singers. Beth does the secular singers (figures) and I do the Christian singers. The female is already named Annie, so we will keep that name in honor of Annie Herring the Christian singer. The male was named Bentley. Now that is a good name but we are not Bentley type dog owners. So we will name him Larry after the late Christian rock singer Larry Norman.
Sometimes when it comes to the dogs, I feel kind of God like, especially when I know stuff that will happen to them before it happens. Stuff that they don’t know as they go about their day of eating, sleeping, playing, chasing lizards, barking, running, showing and asking for affection and other dog day stuff. For example if they have to see the vet, I tell them that but I don’t think that they really get it until they see the vet or his office. When I tell them that lots of people are coming for dinner and that there will be a bunch of scraps, I don’t think that they understand. I have been telling them that Beth will be coming back today but I don’t think that they understand.
Now I have been warning them that two new puppies will be coming but I don’t think that it has registered but in a few hours it will and their lives will be different. Marley (Beth named him after Bob Marley, figures) is the older and dominant of the two. Maguire (I named him after the Christian singer Barry Maguire) is quite passive. But when we recently had a puppy visit with us, it was the passive one that got all upset and actually growled. We didn’t know that he could growl. In fact it wasn’t until about a year ago that we knew that this 200 pound dog could even bark. It seemed that the dominant one would do the barking for him.
Sometimes I, as well, feel like one of the dogs. I just go about my day and am not aware of what surprises may come my way. I think that God sometimes tries to tell me but I don’t seem to understand. The comfort that I have in this is that God is a good God and whatever He allows is filtered through His loving caring heart. GOD IS GOOD!
I remember some years ago being with a Canadian pastor here in Haiti. We were in his office when he received a phone call telling him that his father, in Canada, had a heart attack and that he was in the intensive care unit in the hospital. No other information was available at that time. The pastor and I prayed together and while leaving his office I said, “God is good.” And he responded, “All the time.” I have never forgotten that as this pastor would say that then when he was unaware of the physical condition of his father.

John McHoul

 MAY 9, 2008

Yesterday we added twenty more hens (sistas) to our congregation and so soon I expect that we will get about 96 eggs a day that come from these 100 sistas. WOW, that is a bunch of eggs. People have been coming by to see our little program and leaving with words like, “This is a good program” or “We can do this” or “This can really help the people in our village.” One of the reasons that we exist here in Haiti is to share with others and so to make a difference by multiplying programs and ideas and outreaches that work.
Generally when people come to see the sistas they want to know how many years they can expect the sistas to daily give and eggs. And then they get talking about what they would do after the sistas slows down in giving eggs or stop. Usually they say things like that they would sell them or right in front of my face they will tell me that they would kill them and eat them. I try not to show my shock at such words show but I don’t always succeed.
Maybe we should start a home for the sistas that no longer give eggs. I have been thinking about some names and maybe you have some as well.

Possible Names:

OLD HEN HOME
HEN HAVEN
LAYERLESS MANOR
COOPERSTOWN
SENIOR SISTAS SANCTUARY
EGGLESS MEADOWS

Here they could live out their lives in peace and tranquility as a reward for their years of faithful service. And then I have been thinking of what to do when they get sick and when they pass away. I suppose that we will have to build a HEN HOSPITAL for the infirmed ones and then probably a HEAVENLY HEN FUNERAL HOME and then we will have to have a cemetery that we perhaps could call RESTFUL ROOSTINGS.

WOW, having the sistas is complicated.

John McHoul

MAY 7, 2008

Last night Beth was giving me how to take care of the dogs instructions while she is away for five days. One of the dogs has some type of open sore on his paw. So Beth is telling me to put medicine stuff on the cut and to give the dog some pills twice a day. She said to give him one pill in the morning and two at night. She was a bit annoyed since I wouldn’t pay attention to how I should give the dogs the pills. But, I mean, how hard can it be. Put the pill in some food and put the pill down into the dog’s throat. Well this morning she again gave me instructions but this time she said that I should give one pill in the morning and one at night. I could tell that it was a test and I responded that last night she had told me one in the morning and two at night. She told me that she wanted to make it simpler for me and so she said one and one. I guess maybe she thinks that I can’t count to three.

I have started to play tennis again and I have never understood the satisfaction guarantee with clarification written on the tennis can. Now there are three tennis balls in the can and the guarantee says that I can return the can with the unused tennis balls if not happy with the tennis balls. But what if the first two tennis balls are good and the third one is not. So I have hit all three of the balls and now what can I do since there will be no unused tennis balls. Kind of like the Limited Life Time Warranty on stuff that you buy. What does that mean?

Today I dropped Beth off at the airport and since my truck is again broken, I used her vehicle. After taking her to the airport I drove to the children’s home to meet someone. When I pulled in front of the gate, I beeped so that someone would come and open the gate. When I got out of the car, I could hear the kids saying, “Mama Beth is here, Mama Beth is here.” They do love her and she loves them; but I thought that what we think or assume especially with God is not always the case. They could tell it was Beth’s because of the sound of the horn but it was not Beth who came through the gate. The lesson here is not to make assumptions when trying to understand what God is saying or doing. What makes sense to you may not be what God is doing or wanting or asking.

John McHoul

May 5, 2008

A HAITIBLOG UPDATE

• We now have the water pump fixed so we now have running water in the house. It was broken for about ten days but now it is fixed.
• One of the hens (sistas) that we had to separate due to the other sisters picking on her is now laying eggs. And to think that some suggested that we serve her up as dinner. Sometimes sticking with someone or something will make a difference.
• This morning I started to write that my truck has been fixed but then I had to go downtown and when I got back I heard that old familiar sound of hot water spraying out of the radiator. So tomorrow morning it goes back to be fixed.
• Beth is again traveling. This time she will be going to Vermont to speak at a church and she will come back with two mastiff puppies. No more leaving clothes and shoes and food on the floor for a while.
• We have a couple of visitors with us who will be here for one day after Beth leaves. I assured them that I would take care of them and tonight will buy a few cans of the spaghetti in a can with the saw dust meatballs. They didn’t seem all that excited.

Today in the office Junior gave the Lynches chocolate lab pappy one of those little hotdogs in a can. It took the puppy several minutes to realize that it was food as he seemed to think that it was a play toy. Maybe the dog isn’t all that smart as I can tell that it is food and that they are tasty with a lot of hot sauce. I for year have traveled with hot sauce in my car so when I am out in the village and am served something like goat head soup or chicken’s feet I can eat it more easily. I vividly remember the first time that I had goat head soup. It was quite tasty until I scooped up part of the jaw and some teeth in the large spoon that I was using to eat with. It was at that time that I wished that I had some hot sauce.

A couple of nights ago I was checking in at the boys’ house and the girls’ house. Little Jeffery was visiting his sister Jenny in the girls’ house and as I was walking over to the boys’ house, the nannies asked if I would take Jeffery back. I agreed and walked out the door to the front yard that was unlit. Turning around I saw Jeffery running after me and before we got to the gate to go outside I felt his little hand slip into my hand. I began to pray that Jeffery and Jenny would soon be home with their waiting family and that soon it would be their father’s hands that Jeffery and Jenny would take a hold of.

John McHoul

 MAY 1, 2008

Well Beth has been back for a few days and I am glad that she is back. Usually when she travels she waits until the day after her return to start discovering stuff; but this time it was right away.
1, Our water pump is still broken and so the house has no water. That seemed to bother her but it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.
2, I had no propane for the oven as it had run out but since I eat food out of cans I forgot that Beth doesn’t do that.
3, We have an ice machine that makes these cute little ice cubes but since I don’t care if I have ice, I never use it and the water in the little reservoir gets green. Beth doesn’t like that.
4, And then there are the dogs. It seems that each has an open sore on one of their front paws. I didn’t notice it but it was obvious when Beth got home as both dogs were limping. I think that they  started limping when they saw her. And now they both have these bandages of their left front paws which Beth finishes off with duct tape. 

And now we have other issues. She has taken the clothes that I had left lying around and has put them in the hamper to be washed at one of the children’s homes since we still do not have water. So now I have to go into the hamper and take out the clothes that I want to wear. Beth doesn’t understand this since I have an overflowing closet full of clothes. But it, to me, makes perfect sense. Why wear new stuff, when the old stuff is still good. There may be some holes and stains but those are to be valued and not reasons to discard the clothes. And to make it worse, she bought me two new pairs of shorts and couldn’t understand why I went into the hamper to pull out the damp, hamper smelly shorts that I wanted to wear. WOW, it is so clear, I still have brand new shorts from several years ago that I haven’t yet worn and so how could I put these new ones before the old new ones. YIKES!

I am always amazed that what is so clear to me is not so clear to other. Perhaps some day.

John McHoul

APRIL 28, 2008

Sunday is usually a busy day as we have our regular responsibilities as well as church activities. Here is what my activities today looked like.

5:00 Up and out of bed, drank coffee and read
6:00 Go to the office to shower as our water pump is still broken and did some computer work
6:45 Started picking people up for church
7:30 Arrived at church and did some setup for the service and listened to the worship team practice.
8:30 Taught my membership Sunday school class
9:15 Sunday school ended and spent several minutes praying with the worship team
9:30 to 11:30 Church started and today I am not preaching but opening the service, doing announcements and offering and closing the service with prayer time at the altar.
12:00 to 2:30 Had a meal with the membership class people and taught them stuff about what our church believes and spent time in prayer
3:00 Helped set up for the teachers fellowship that the committee I oversee puts on at the Christian School.
3:30 to 4:15 Played whiffle ball with the teachers and families and actually got a grass stain as I dived for a missed ball which slowly passed by near me.
4:15 to 5:15 Enjoyed worship and a devotional at the fellowship and then we ate together at a covered dish dinner (I am too legalistic to all it a pot luck dinner).
6:00 Arrived to the office and spent an hour doing some work and talking with some friends
7:15 Arrived home and did some internet stuff and plopped in a DVD of Combat, the old series about WW2.
9:00 Got a call from friends that I saw in church and who I saw when I was back at the office. They at about 8:30 were the victims of a kidnapping attempt. Their vehicle was rammed and sustained considerable damage as the men with big guns tried to disable their vehicle. They were able to stay in the vehicle and drive it in spite of the damage. The police came and chased the kidnappers but they got away.
10:00 Went with Dan Lynch to pick up this family so that they could sleep at the Lynches and then return to their house in the morning. They clearly saw God’s hand of deliverance as it was raining and so they drove the several blocks from their house to check on the orphanage. Normally they would have walked and then would have been quite vulnerable.
11:00 Arrived home and watched a little more Combat and then slept under God’s watchful eye.

John McHoul

APRIL 26, 2008

I arrived back in Haiti to discover that along with my truck which is having an over haul, Beth’s vehicle was broken and to top it off our water pump is broken again. IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME.

THINGS I THOUGHT ABOUT WHILE IN THE STATES FOR FOUR DAYS

• I went to a mall with Beth and her sister and it was painful as almost all the stores were places that I would never think of entering and it didn’t seem like there were many people in these stores. I did have a hamburger at the food court, so that was a good thing. Beth had a SOY BURGER, YIKES!
• I would NEVER think of buying bottled water. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! So while in a store I saw something called VITAMIN WATER which kind of amazed me and which I would NEVER, EVER, buy. YUCK!
• I am glad that Burger King in the Miami airport is open 7/24. Since I got in about midnight and my flight for Haiti would not leave until 7:00 AM, a Whopper with no onions, fries and a diet coke really hit the spot.
• The States is a big place
• Beth is pretty amazing
• Haiti was a good place to rear our children.
• I never sleep well without my thin, torn pillows. One for under my head and one under my stomach.
• I remember back when I became a believer and entered the church culture which was so foreign to me. I remember that most of the older folks, folks that looked so very different than me, and who have been in the church for years were so accepting of me and the dozens that we brought into church. They did not try to change us or put their stuff on us. They understood that God could effect change if change was needed. Now that I am one of the older ones I am so careful to remember that God can effect change if needed and that how I live or look or what I think should not necessarily be the standard for others.
• Our children are a blessing to us.
• The American system may have deficits must it works amazingly well. There is much that we can learn from reading about the founding fathers and mothers.
• Drugs will not release people easily and freedom from drugs can be a long, hard road.
• Haiti is home

John McHoul

APRIL 24, 2008

I left Haiti on Sunday afternoon after church to fly to Boston to see Beth run in the Boston Marathon. I have only been to one of her marathons and never even saw her run as I got to the finish line after she had already finished. Arriving in Miami on time I made my way to the gate for the Boston flight which was late leaving and so I arrived in Boston at about 12:45 AM, where I was picked up by our daughter Morgan and her cousin.
I was told that Morgan and I would be working the water stop at the foot of the famed heartbreak hill with about sixty amazing volunteers from the Boston Calvary Chapel. This involved getting there about 8:00 AM and setting up the water stations where thousands of cups of water and Gatorade were handed to runners as they ran by.
It was amazing to be there as the front runners in the categories passed on by and then as the crowd of thousands followed. The crowd was amazing as it cheered on the runners and the Calvary Chapel folks were just great. I was also amazed at how thankful the runners were as most breathed out words of thanks and appreciation.
I was thrilled to see the front runners but ecstatic to see Beth run up to the water stop. She stopped for just a minute to get a drink, to receive hugs and words of encouragement and prayer and off she ran to finish the last six miles.
Morgan and I left the water stop to take the underground train to downtown Boston so we could be at the finish line to see Beth finish. Well it didn’t work out that way as the train which was FULL of people standing and sitting who had left the Red Sox game crept along between stops and sat for up to ten minutes between some of the stops and the crowd got a bit testy as the air conditioning stopped working and as the train conductor kept announcing that he apologized for the delay but there was backed up traffic ahead of us.
Now the Boston folks showed great patience and it wasn't until about the tenth time that he made the announcement that they threaten to beat him. I imagine that if the Sox lost then maybe they would have threatened him after the third announcement.
By the time that Morgan and I arrived near the finish line Beth had already finished and we found her at the family waiting center wearing the silver cape thing that they give at Marathons.
She did amazing and are we ever proud of her and the example that she sets for us.

During the marathon as the runners would pass by and as the crowds would cheer (the only exception was when a guy ran with a New York Yankees uniform on) and encourage them on and as runners would help one another, I kept asking myself if this is not how Christians should be with and to one another. I truly felt this to be a spiritual experience and something that God had planned to give me determination and commitment to be an encourager of others.

I leave back for Haiti tomorrow night. I will arrive in Miami about midnight and enjoy some floor time until my flight leaves at 7:00 AM for Port au Prince. I am so glad to be here and to be a support to Beth.

John McHoul