Cory's trip north.

I don't reccomend this "garage"

The trip to Port Margot to get plants went well overall.

The first stage was going to Port au Prince to a mechanic to try to get a front wheel shake fixed that has been a problem even after all the wheels were rotated and later balanced last winter.

A long term mission employee set up an appointment with a mechanic for about 7am. We were on the road at 4:00am and arrived at 7:20.

Bananas Cory introduced damaged by wind but producing well

The mechanic shop turned out to be the open air parking lot at the small airline part of the airport, where we used to go for MAF flights to LaGonave.

 The mechanic was confident that the steering rods were too loose so those and a steering shock absorber were beat on with a big hammer to dissassemble them and sent with the employee to be replaced.

He returned about 12:30 with rod ends “rebuilt" and a new shock. Assembly wasn’t done until 1pm so it was a later start for Port Margot than we wanted.

Cacao die-back but recovering

The shake wasn’t improved so I set up a mechanic we know at Port Margot to look at the truck the next day.

We were limited to under about 45mph on the trip to avoid shaking and arrived at 9pm after traveling through rain in the northern mountains which also slowed the travel.

Kids' Club and literacy class are still going well.

We took a morning look around campus and a visit to the 3 other gardens.

Great tasting starfruit

The drought wasn’t as bad as I expected but there was significant damage to the cacao, breadfruit and some other local trees.

 The avocados and even some of the mango fruit were smaller than normal.

Bananas and cacao were making good recoveries due to recent rains.

Several of the peach palm planted in ‘15 were producing in the small garden.

Dry part of garden

Also a seedling star fruit we planted is probably the best I have ever tried.

In the afternoon we selected trees from the nursery for Delice, the village, Extollo, and a university near the Dominican Republic.

The mechanic came and checked out the steering and wheels, found one of the links hadn’t been tightened enough and lock pins missing so those things were corrected.

Some of the harvest: jack fruit, velvet apple, mango, egg fruit, star fruit

The shake at higher speeds was gone, just some very slight vibration but it may be from slightly loose universal joints in the steering shaft.

At least we could go about 55mph the next day with a smooth ride.

We left Port Margot at about 4:15 and at 10 met a couple from the University to give them their trees for the agriculture program.

 We bought some supplies at market and headed up the mountain at noon.

We arrived at Delice at about 2:30 and just had the truck unloaded and the trees in the nursery before rain started.

Selected trees

Glad to have left early and a dry drive up the mountain.

 There were some gullies and other bad spots in the road that would not have been fun in the rain.

Kris: Fritz and I did fine while Cory was gone focusing on school and Konsey editing.

One storm had me mopping up but thankfully not buckets and I could keep up with the three locations.

We were thankful he got back as fast as he did! Thank you for the prayers.

Eli's adjusting to his new job and Anna's preparing to return to Calvin for her second year.

Fauche Fruit Update by Cory

Dried up cacao tree, September

When we returned to Haiti last September we flew into Cap Haitian and spent a day at Fauche.  I also made a trip the last week of January but we didn't blog about those visits.

North Haiti had the worst drought last summer that the people there can remember.

Some of the spring crops like peanut were lost and gardens lay fallow until fall.

 Normally winter is very rainy but this year the drought continues, with no rain for the past 6 weeks or more.

Cacao starting to produce again, January

Cacao was the most popular tree to plant in north central Haiti for the past few years, with some nurseries being helped by a USAID program.

 World chocolate prices are good and it is profitable to grow but unfortunately it is one of the most drought sensitive trees.

Most of the cacao trees near the mission are making a good recovery and starting to produce again.

 Some died and most had large branch dieback.

Peach palm planted in '15

The peach palms are doing well.

Production was less due to the drought but a few of the trees from Costa Rica are starting to produce.

I still think they are one of the best trees to plant for quantity and quality of food produced while protecting the environment.

The fruit is rich in calories, vitamins, high quality protein and oil.

Haitians like the flavor, which is a mix of the popular flavors of sweet potato, squash and corn.

Filling, nutritious, good flavor fruit, the floating oil is from the fruit

February 2015

Same garden January 2019. The owner of this rented garden was allowed to farm it normally the first 3 years, then he left it fallow to graze during the drought, the forage peanut we planted next to many

of the palms grew into excellent pasture.

I did NOT challenge to hug the spiny peach palm. I expect the spineless type to be more popular than the spiny.

First fruit (not full grown) from seed brought from Costa Rica in '14

Rambutan seedling, also from Costa Rica

Trees and from Fauche to Delice

Please pray for Gener (below) and his family. His wife and newborn premature daughter have been in the hospital for several days.

Acai, a unique flavored fruit good for juice and ice cream, popular in Brazil.

 Peach palm, acai and cupuassu flavors bring back memories of my time in Brazil. (I think Santarem had a better market for jungle fruits than Manaus and Belem)

 I can't taste the acai in some of the products like acai chocolates sold in the USA.


Champedak, related to jack fruit, has very smelly peel (bad), but pulp has sweet fruity flavor, I think the seeds are the best part at least from the tree we have.

If boiled they are like boiled cashew nuts, which are popular in sauces/stews in Haiti.

Cupuasu [brown and fuzzy] in background, is an excellent fruit for juice and jelly, related to chocolate but it takes longer to start producing.

The fruit on the jar is custard apple. (January photo)

Cory's Haiti Trip..Part 2

Monday I headed back to Delice / Blessing after getting some pvc pipe and supplies in Port au Prince.

Hard cement layer over soft, rough cement floor

Resurfacing the floor is about half done, will take a few more days this fall to finish.

 Plumbing is mostly done and now a toilet works.

Planting macadamia trees

A few fruit trees, macadamias, potatoes, yacon and ornamentals are planted.

Pepino dulce/sweet cucumber has produced well the past year, along with some tomatoes that sprouted in the neighbor's yard and produced well on their own.

Plumbing challenge

Pepino dulce or "sweet cucumber"

Macadamia trees

Jackfruit at Fauche

The next Monday I returned to Fauche.

Peach palms from Costa Rica 3 years after planting & good grazing

We checked out all the gardens and most are growing well.

We spent part of two mornings weeding and trimming the tree nursery. 

Malay apple tree

On the way to the airport Friday, we stopped at Deep River Mission to deliver a few fruit trees, coconuts and see how the trees we provided a year or two ago are growing.

Many have grown fast and should start fruiting soon. 

Starfruit is already producing and had good flavor.

Quick Trip North

After painting the water cistern last week we loaded up and drove north.

We experienced our first ever ice delay in Haiti.

An ice truck blew out a tire, tipped over, and mostly blocked the highway.

Not sure if they were selling the ice or just giving it away.

We enjoyed a few days of friends and family time and then headed to Fauche.

Sunday we worshiped with our Fauche church family and Cory visited Kid's Club in the afternoon.

We enjoyed connecting with our friends again; Anna enjoyed playing some volleyball!

Monday he, the guys, and Anna visited the gardens over the river and in the afternoon we went as a family to visit some folks in Ti Bouk.

We enjoyed some peach palms, breadnuts, peach palm heart, mango, dragon fruit, some enjoyed papaya....coconut candy, good Haitian bread.

Tuesday Cory checked out the gardens on campus while I packed and cleaned.

Cows damaged 8 or 9 peach palms in the rental garden but mostly the garden's look good.

2 bunches of fruit, at least 8 still on the tree (below, before harvest)

Most of the peach palms in the rental garden are too tall now for livestock to damage. They grow back but it wastes time and production.

We brough some of the peach palm fruit back to Délice to share with the people here.

Wednesday we headed back, about 9 hours with a few stops, back up the mountain to Délice.

Thursday we checked on the house site and driveway work.




Anna did a bit of school but picked up a cold on the trip so lots of resting as well.

Cory plans to head to Port-au-Prince on Monday for a major shopping day for building supplies and food.

We will try to get back into a school routine.

During the trip we stopped at the Ortlip Center for a break and saw Berman, who is promoting and selling our Konsey books.

He has sold over 600 and requested 5,000 of the Konsey II books when they arrive.

 He does radio talks with material from the books and visits many churches to share what he has learned.

We are very thankfull for his help and pray for some good promoters for the books that go to Port au Prince later this month.

Donations to cover the cost for Konsey books that are given to pastors, teachers, medical workers and families in churches.  Tap for link.

Youth Service

Yesterday we sat outside church and enjoyed the young people’s special church service that finished up a week of revival services. 

The church decorations of palm leaves, paper streamers and flowers brightened up the area and every one dressed up for the occasion. 

We not only sat outside because the church was very crowded but because the music, while good, was very loud.

The normal service contained some special music and a special guest speaker who’s sermon condensed into the equation "Read + meditate + apply [the Word] = success".

After the sermon the second part of the service started with 4-5 groups singing special music and then a special offering. 

Generally they let folks know what the offering will be used for but not this time. 

We think it will go into the general fund for youth activities.

This week could be critical in keeping Haiti calm throughout the presidential transition...please continue to pray for peace.

A small reflection:

Without a war on caterpillars there would be no hope for crocus and amaryllis flowers in the weeks to come (our crocus bloom after good rain any time of year).

So a few times a day, I began to hunt for the black, insecticide resistant, eating machines on my lilies by the walk.

In a few days I found no more...battle one done!

Then they returned and battle two started...and just when I thought I had won again, Cory pointed out a lily not along the path but standing alone amongst other flowers being consumed by caterpillars.

Once again I attacked and this time looked around for the other lilies near the stairs and front table...the battle front covered more locations than I had originally thought.

Isn’t that like life?

 We focus on one problem area or attitude and just when we’re feeling good about controlling the consuming bad ‘bugs’ in our life the Lord points out another area, or two or three that need work!

Thankfully He fights with us and for us.

He will give us strength and wisdom and help in the battle if we ask. 

And if we remain faithful, someday the flowers will bloom.


[Since I wrote this blog in the morning. This afternoon,  I weeded some by Cory's plant/tree nursery only to find on a clump of huge, waist-high spider lilies a whole new group of caterpillars. I will not be able to reach most of these therefore they win at this site...sigh.]

Celebrating Eli, Haitian style.

Eli's celebration turned out great!

The ladies and Cory worked hard to get the food ready and then rushed home to change for the service.

Many of our friends made time in their afternoon to come to celebrate.

While we started a bit late, [not by Haitian standards] and the video didn't work to show pictures, the service turned out special.


Many representatives gave short words of encouragement to Eli and let him know they would continue to pray.

He received a pretty plaque with a picture of Haiti's Citadel and a nice wooden bowl.

Many thanked him for his library project and hope it will continue.

Anna will be taking on the library project.

Our French teacher, Alerte shared a short devotional about choosing to follow Jesus; He is all we need.

To finish up our French class, Eli, Anna and I joined our teacher [playing the keyboard] in singing a French hymn!

It surprised many in the group, both that we sang, and that we sang in French.

By Eli's request, Anna on harmonica, joined Alert for a song sung by everyone.

However, with a saxophone also in the group you couldn't really hear her.


Cory and Eli said a few words. The cooks also sang special music for Eli.

Following the celebration everyone invited walked up to the guest house for a meal.

We did show a few pictures of Eli on the computer to those who wanted to see them.

Many people signed Eli's Oh, the Places You'll go!  book as well.


Very grateful for all the prayers.

Thankful the Lord answered the prayers for a full time school teacher for most of the years of Eli's life by letting me teach him.

During the early years I did not realize what a gift it would be to spend those extra hours with Eli and Anna learning along with them.

I calculate that in just the last seven years of schooling we've spent over 7,500 hours together that we would have missed.

That works out to more than 1.5 years [if you take 12 hours a day of being awake] 'extra' time! Thank you Lord!