Canaan

Hello,
You can say it - it's been awhile. I think I'm slacking. But if you knew the speed of our internet, maybe you'd be more compassionate.

Having said that, though, I apologize for the long silence. It's not that things haven't been happening - maybe too much is happening. The last while I've been trying to make an online inventory list, so it can only be done in the evenings, and honestly, it's not conducive to work, being online here. Between the slowest internet ever, and kids, it's taking me forever. And now I'm afraid I've messed it all up and it's too slow to go back quickly and check. So not to go crazy waiting to see if I wasted so many evenings, I came here instead.

Stephanie, the nurse replacing me is coming in tonight. I'm excited - both to see her (we clicked well the week+ that she was here last July) and because it means I leave day after tomorrow. It feels kind of unreal. You get so into a routine of things, it's strange to think of it being different. However, since so many days of my 3 weeks off are already planned, I'll be back in no time.


Plans are: Bobi is meeting me in Miami. We're renting a car for one night, and hitting the town! (Gotta make the most of one evening and night in the US!) Her family is there in their mobile trailer so we're staying with them. We'll see what else we do - shopping, eating out, maybe a movie.....


then Friday morning Bobi and I fly to Costa Rica. She's spending a week there with me. The first weekend we're heading to the northern part of the country, to a volcano, zipline, .. we'll see what else. Two nights, relaxing... it will give her a chance to see quite a bit of the country.


The next weekend my whole family will be together - we haven't been since 4 years ago, so really looking forward to that. The last weekend (4 days), some of us have plans to go to a nice beach. Somewhere in between that, I want to 'just me home'! And do all my business. ... Yea, it's going to be too short.



Now for some Canaan news...

This next weekend (all of which I'll miss) is Carnaval week. This is a rough, demonic Haitian holiday week, and a lot of churches plan camping time to get out of the cities. So, many of them knowing Canaan, they've asked to come camp here. We're expecting 300 young people at least. God has put a wonderful vision upon S. Gladys' heart - why not open this time and start something new? So we're inviting young people around here also and we'll have like a crusade - times for preaching, worship, etc, but also times of games, where they'll compete - soccer, basketball, sack races, singing, Bible trivia, etc, etc. There'll be prizes and trophies. What a time to reach out to the Haitian youth!!!



Please pray this weekend. This is huge! This may become a yearly thing. Together with that, please continue praying for the neighborhood of Sou Boy, that I mentioned in the last blog. Spanish classes have started as well as some others. For many things they want to do, we still need instructors.



Clinic's still picking up. Yesterday we had over 50 patients, which is more than ever (without doctors being here). I have two girls from the World Race team helping me these days, which is really nice, since Bobi's gone. Continue praying for me please. I still get overwhelmed sometimes by what I'm doing here (after a year, you'd think I'd be used to it, right?). Then a young boy comes in with a motorcycle burn injury of a couple weeks ago, and it has become a crater almost an inch deep and wide, and looking ugly. I took it upon myself to put in some anesthesia and debride it. I'm worried because he didn't come back when I told him to.

On the upside, they're working on the new clinic building - for now the foundation, but it's encouraging.

By the way, if weather dictates when you come visit, always make it Febuary. We're having wonderful, windy weather. Makes you forget about all the hot weather of the summer.


OK, there's lots calling to me today yet, so till another time....



Elsie