Daily “Facebook” notes written while in Haiti:

 Tues.  19th

            We made it to Haiti just fine, but I didn't sleep from Sun am til Monday pm. When we went to bed a tropical storm hit. When your bedroom has no windows a tropical storm drives the rain all the way to the opposite walls. Worked in Cite Soleil today, the poverty is unimaginable, but the people are so lovely and happy. The temps the past few days are in the low 100s. We are all well and God is blessing.

             Tomorrow, Wed, we will be doing a medical clinic in Cite Soleil. I will be doing evangelism and praying with the long lines of people waiting to be seen. We expect many hundreds.

             I did see some of the kids that I had gotten to know 10 years ago. I remembered them and they remembered me. Amazing!

Wed.,  20^th

            A few photos from yesterday...taking gravel and sifting it down to get sand for mortar. Today we did a medical clinic. In some ways it was harder. Hundreds came, but we could only treat 150. The suffering, sickness and injuries were overwhelming.

            I was a little foolish and set myself up for a fall. All of the kids that I had seen from ten years ago were doing well, so I didn't think right away about those who might not be doing well. I found someone who knew the little girl that NJ and I sponsored through school and they found her and brought her to me. I was expecting another happy reunion. When she came she was skin and bones and was starving to death. My heart literally broke.

She had a baby, her father died in the quake & her mother is dying. Her baby had orange hair ( the last stage of malnutrition before death ). I was able to give her a little money for some food, but fought back tears all day. It was a good day all in all.

            I met a boy who had gone to the school we built and was now a Christian and was doing interpretation for us. Baptized and growing in Christ. he had come to Christ at the school. Now all of his family is saved except his father, which is amazing because his father is a VooDoo priest. I was so blessed to hear his story and I promised that I would continue to pray with him for his father.

            We're eating well, but I have had to make two new holes in my belt.

 Thurs.,  21^st

            We all want to kill and cook the rooster. He starts at about 3:30 am.

            Today was another interesting day. The headmaster thought that we were having med. clinic for 2 more days so he gave out tickets for 2 days, but the people found out tha...t we were having it only one more day and they all showed up. There were 10 of us doing clinic. 2 on crowd control, 2 on registration, 3 on diagnosis and 3 dispensing drugs. We saw 336 patients. Started 8:30, finished 5pm.

            The voodoo priest’s son translated while I did the Evangecube and one woman prayed with me to receive Christ. I was also able to get my friend Christella and her baby into the clinic to get some formula for the baby, treat the baby’s illne...ss and also some help for Christella.

            While we were working, less than 100 yards away a man was shot and killed, They stopped his car in the middle of the street, robbed him and killed him.

            We were told that we have earned a day off and tomorrow we are going to the beach. Way, waayyyyy up the beach, far away from Port Au Prince. On Saturday we are headed for one of the tent cities outside of town to distribute food and I’ll get a chance to preach again. Please pray

 Fri.,  22^nd

            Spent the day at the beach today. It was clean and pleasant, but nothing too fancy. It was nice to have a day off and see a cleaner part of the country.

            Some of you may have heard on the news about the cholera epidemic in Haiti. It is in ...northern Haiti, quite a ways from us. Please pray for the people there. The last that I heard over 1500 have already died.

I only get a few minutes a day to go to the internet cafe down the street. Sorry, can't respond yet.

 Sat., 23^rd

            We went up to the Baptist mission and stopped at this look-out. Its about 3-4 miles away to Cite Soleil and Franceli's house where we are staying, but I got some good photos.

            Tomorrow we go to the local church and then to the orphanage to do some work. The Sunday services here are between 3 to 5 hours long.

 Sun.,  24^th

             I have met a number of people that I knew 10 years ago. Many of them are also dead now. It’s been a wonderful and difficult few days. Joe, Rachel and Carl are all doing very well, but they are very, very tired.  But, also very happy and blessed.

 NJ .... Thanks for the cards. I opened day #7 today. Love you too.  I miss you and love you and am thinking about and praying for you. We are all doing well. My back has not bothered me even a little. I have not taken any pain meds, not even an Ibuprophen. I love and miss you. Give my love to everyone.... Love, ...Bill

             The boy that I am holding is Moice. ( mo-eece ) He attached himself to me and would not let go. When children die the poor families throw them in the dump. There they are eaten by the pigs. Sometimes, if the child is very sick and expected to die, the mother will throw them in the dump. By God’s grace they got to Moice before the pigs did. He was 18 months then and is 5 years old now.

Today we went to church at the international church. Afterward we went out to see where the new orphanage will be built. They now have the land. ( About an acre ) The next step is to build a wall around it. The old orphanage was dest...royed in the quake and the kids are living in a temporary rented unit for now.

 Tue., 26^th

            It's Tues. night and we are returning in the morning. The time has gone fast.
I didn't write yesterday because we worked so long and I was so tired that I went to bed right after supper. We saw 268 patients and I preached 3 times. As near as I can figure either 5 or 6 prayed to receive Christ.

             Today we went to a tent city to distribute food, but we were forced to leave. The mob became so great and desperate and unruly that we were afraid of being surrounded with no way out. So we left. We ended up giving the food away in the neighbor hood near where we are staying. WE traveled through downtown and the destruction is still very obvious.  Things are beginning to get worse. The cholera epidemic is driving up the prices for water, fresh vegetables and other things. The cost of water may triple. We are tired and anxious to get home, but we will miss the friends that we have made here.