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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Miracle

Do we serve an awesome God or what!!!!! Do you really REALLY believe in a God of miracles?

A few days ago I wrote about how tiYoldy can see (maybe it was on facebook, not here). She was scheduled for eye surgery on the 18th. What I didn't know till today was that while getting ready to go to the hospital, she told big Yoldy (who's taking care of her) that she could see. When she held two fingers tightly against her good eye, she could see her fingers. She went in anyway, and the doctors couldn't believe it!!! They said it could only have been a miracle!!! tiYoldy told people "we prayed!" And people there have been asking about Canaan... So yes, she's able to see, but she's not had a surgery yet! I guess God knew we didn't have all the money yet! I don't know the exact story - whether she'll still need the lens change, whether she can see well or not, but this is a miracle!

So today (Friday) was an interesting day. There are pastors in Citi Soleil that have been wanting S. Gladys to come visit them. So today she, P. Henri and I went to see where the churches were and if it's really as bad as they say. Citi Soleil is like a suburb of Port au Prince, considered the most dangerous area, though presently it's not so bad or dangerous. It's a place where the kidnappers would
 hide out, poverty is rampant, and it smells like a pigpen (seriously and literally). There's trash and kids everywhere. I think that place produces children by bulk (hope that's not too crude:) - and they all have huge bellies, but they're so cute even dirty. Imagine a baby just crawling naked in the dust. His whole bottom, front and back and legs, are covered in dust. And the mom is just standing there. The houses are set so close together, and sometimes not bigger than the inside of a truck. They're made of sticks, or wood or blocks (broken and otherwise) and sometimes have a roof, although most of the tin was red from rust and broken, and sometimes the roof was missing. Some place had houses that looked a little better - small houses made by USAID or some group like that. They're concrete, about 6X10 maybe, with two to one building.                                                 
Houses are side by side

There are so many children everywhere!


It smells like the pigs everywhere, even where there are none. 

And flies galore!



The walls were broken out during the 3 year uprising because this is where the bad guys were hiding.

Water is scarce - one church had two bio-sand filters, which are really heavy, but he had to chain them up so they wouldn't steal them. A rare and special commodity!! 
Several of the churches try having schools - some actually had adult chairs for the kids to sit on. Others spread things on the floor for them.
Now my minds racing, wondering how I can manage a clinic there. If nothing else, to give worm medicine to all the kids!!! It's amazing how big some of those bellies were! There's got to be so many diseases! I'll admit I was surprised to not see so many really malnourished kids, but we're finding families will often keep those out of sight because of embarrassment.
From there we stopped in to see P. Henri's mom, and you see the total opposite. She's 'bujwa' (the rich, elite class), not a christian. She has a beautiful house, lots of trees and plants, maids, white leather furniture... OK, something a lot of you probably have, but here it just feels so very elegant! What a difference in lifestyles here!!!!

OK, I better let you go, but here's a few pictures from kids here at Canaan. Internet actually allowed me to upload them!!! 

This fellow below is our Navedson. He's about 18 months, and has been at Canaan since July. He's the little fellow that was left on my clinic steps. What a difference since then!! He was dehydrated and malnourished. Now he's learning it's faster to walk than crawl. With eyes like his, he wins people over with no problem!



Rolancia is 2 months younger than Navedson, but was quicker to walk. She has a peaceful disposition and everybody loves her, even our construction workers!


For Thanksgiving, some of the kids prepared some skits. Here you have King and Queen Nebuchadnezzar


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Canaan

I've been getting comments that I haven't been writing much, so I'll see if I can write something before the kids come back from devotions.

First, I'm all better. Thanks for praying!! Wether it was a non-falciporum type of malaria or just the Influenza, guess I'll never know. Symptoms are similar. Feels good to have energy again. 
Which I needed today, because I got 73 boxes of medicines and other assortments from CAM. They had some extra stuff, like a standing scale!!!! I am so happy for that one, but now I have the daunting task of teaching my staff to use it (yea, it's not automatic that you know that)

My latest "YUCK" has been lying awake listening to a rat in my wastebasket. I know it's there because I saw it run under my bed yesterday morning. The problem at night is there's no light so I don't want to get off the bed! One of the missionary guys here had one run over his chest twice in one night. So now I'm trying the Rat Zapper. We have one of those here and it's going the rounds of the houses. Do you know those things cost $52.00 on ebay??? And here I had hoped to order me one for my house.

A blessing this sunday was - we had 3 fans set up in church. Only those that have been here can understand that blessing fully. It was connected to an inverter/battery system. YES!

I'm still doing French lessons. Need to start using it more though. It's an interesting language - such a mixture of Creole and Spanish. 

OK, this blog hasn't been sent yet and it's already the 19th. I'm over at Leslie's so am even trying to put up a few photos. (Nope, not working!)

So Yoldy's eye surgery was for today. Hopefully everything is going OK.

God bless you, till next time!
Elsie




Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Yoldy

GOOD NEWS about Yoldy!! 

The doctor says the retina looks intact!! If that's injured, they can't really repair the eye. He has high hopes that her eye can be fixed. She has something like a cataract which has to be removed, and the lens has to be changed. However they have to wait 3 to 4 weeks for her cornea to heal.

Now the bad news!
This is going to cost a pretty penny!!! Doctor estimates at least $10-11,000.00. Are there enough of us out there willing to share some of what we have to give a little girl her vision back? Her other eye isn't too good either, so she needs this one also.

If you can give some money, please send it to Chris Hlavacek and designate it for Yoldy's surgery. 

www.canaanorphanage.org
Chris Hlavacek 
1034 Thornrose Way 
Wake Forest, NC 27587 
(417) 263-2240 


 Thank you so much!!!
Praise the Lord!