Education still needed

A talk with one of the nurses who helps to run the pharmacy on the Fauche campus stressed the need for good health education.

Her health issues include: high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritic pain, and itchy skin. She shared with us the burden of buying her own blood sugar monitor, the test strips, insulin, and broccoli.

She tried to follow her Haitian doctor's instructions-checking her blood sugars every day, wearing shoes, eating broccoli...but soon ran out of strips, and unable to refrigerate the expensive broccoli, it spoiled.

Reminds me of professors talking in medical school about asking patients about barriers to care..in this case..money.  Being able to afford to see the doctor and buy some of the items I think made her forget to check the Konsey books for advice.

Better to spread the test strips out to once every 2-3 days to avoid running out, or at least have a few left to check one's blood sugar when not feeling well than follow a well-meaning doctor's advice to check daily.

Better to use one's money to raise or purchase locally grown vegetables, fruits or tree leaves than to pay expensive prices for an imported vegetable you don't know how to use.

Even better-plant the chaya bush starts from Cory and grow your own green veggies.

Better to try some home remedies for itchy skin that persists despite medical treatment than suffer doing nothing.

Better to learn to use aloe gel and massage to ease the pain than to suffer with only occasional relief when pain medications can be purchased.

Better to learn how to reduce stress, make better nutritional choices, improve resistance to illnesses, and prevent sores/illness than to have to go for expensive tests and treatments.

So we chatted a while about practical ways she can help to manage her problems and she received chaya starts that same day.

A few days later I headed down and talked to the doctor who was very understanding. But I felt I needed to do more and so this week I've started walking down to clinic and chatting with the patients waiting to be seen.

Both days so far I've enjoyed connecting with people and talking about ways to improve and protect their health. The first day a few people arrived after I'd discussed helpful information for acid reflux, so I asked a young teen who already heard my talk to give some advice.

His detailed answer showed how well he listened.  The young doctor walked by yesterday on his way to see patients and enthusiastically noted how helpful my talking to patients could be for their health.

I'd gotten discouraged in the last few years trying to connect with a couple different groups of people but I think this could really work!

Health issues already motivated these people to spend money on health care and they really don't have anything better to do while waiting... a motivated, captive audience! They return home with new, practical information that can treat their problems and help them avoid other problems. Win, win.

Konsey Books

The 4th edition Konsey health books arrived in Haiti last week.

Cory and John Pierre made arrangements for the delivery yesterday.

When the truck arrived the adult literacy class helped to unload it.

54 books per box X 289 boxes =15,606.

Cory noted that the stacking suffered a bit due to the enthusiastic speed of the unloading crew.

With a few too many hands he found himself stepping back, until the stacks of book boxes made it hard for shorter people to reach and then he helped out.

Some of the books will go to the churches in the North District that still have not received one book per family. Most can go to LaGonave and Port au Prince.

Getting the books distributed in those areas is more of a challenge because of the distance.

Dondon clinic.

Tuesday afternoon we packed up the truck and headed to Cap Haitian to meet up with the Holy Cross Lutheran team.

This will be the third time we join the team from Ohio since we returned to Haiti in September 2013, but this time we will be focused on a couple of towns to the South.

Yesterday morning after a beautiful sunrise over the sea and a tasty breakfast of omletes we waited a bit for Pastor who unfortanaly experienced car trouble.

After a late start we headed out with our truck and his to Dondon, about 1.5 hours away.

Once we arrived I spoke to the waiting people while the rest of the team set up stations in the small church.

We ended up with one location for check-in and vital signs [Eli]. Three locations for seeing patients, (one for me) and Cory translated for one of the nurses. The last location consisted of the pharmacy area where Anna helped out.

Cory also spoke about nutrition to the waiting folks and a few impressed folks bought a total of 6 of the Konsey books.

Did not hear a final count but think it was close to 60 patients seen.

Today we return to the same location.

Eventful day.

School on campus remains closed due to Carnival week but at our house we continue to learn.

Started to watch a history channel movie on the Inquisition.

Sad what men do to other men.

Worked on a letter of referral for a hopeful medical student from the USA. As overwhelming as it may feel to review a vast amount of medical knowledge I'm very grateful to be on this end and not just starting.

Praying for IBESR as next week will make 2 months waiting for a referral.

Hear that they will call a big 3 day meeting this month with the crèche directors and then start parent interviews.

Remember to check our second blog for updates, at the top of this page just click on Grafting Treasures.

Cory's new, enlarged, improved rooting shed continues to take shape in it's new location.

The folks who bent the guardrails near Limbèe and welded them together to block the road and protest the lack of electricity and the road conditions could not keep the road shut today.

The new improved Creole health books made it to campus! Thank you to everyone who helped and supported this project. Now need to try to get some of the boxes of 7,500 books down to Port-au-Prince, LaGonave and to National conference the end of this month in Bainet.

My dear husband also did office work this week including the bookkeeping and found time today to put varnish on the kitchen counter. Thank you.

Yesterday he blessed me with 'S' hooks so I can now swing gently in my hammock in our bedroom while studying in front of the fan.

The downer and stressful parts of the day started this morning with Gener letting us know that the brother to Anna's dog Hershey returned to campus with a serious injury to his spine.

We discussed the situation and decided that as he settled in a remote, secluded part of the yard to let him be as he did not take kindly to anyone coming near.

This afternoon, after Red passed away, we told the kids. Hershey, who often takes several-day trips, remains away since Tuesday.

New spine color, art and some new content.

Home in Fauche

Very thankful to be sitting on my own bed, in our home, with the day ahead of me to get back into school, study and working on the second book!

 I'll share more about our week on LaGonave next week but wanted to touch base today as I know a few of you like to follow faithfully and appreciate regular blogs.

Sorry about neglecting to post right before we left last Friday morning for the trip but we pushed until late Thursday night to complete the editing of the Creole health book and managed [by staying up late] to finish it before the trip. Hurray!

Waiting to hear back from Wesleyan Publishing when we can sent in the book.

The trip to Irvine's to catch the boat did find us sitting at the side of the road because of a tracker trailer across the road at a mountain switchback. Thankfully the truck managed to get straightened out in less than an hour.

Going to LaGonave is always a time of mixed emotions. Good to see friends and connect with the rest of the Global Partners team [we managed to see every missionary family currently in-country on this trip] but at the same time one misses folks who moved on or were not there.

Also mixed emotions when the someone almost daily asks when we will be moving back or tells us we need to move back. While thankful that we worked together well enough that they would want us back we know that we need to be where God wants us.

A couple late nights and long days scrubbing in on 4 major surgical cases in addition to the home visits up the mountain quickly remind me of the price my family paid when we lived next door to the hospital and the struggle to balance work and family life.

Thankfully when we prepared to move north the Lord provided a great Biblical example that allows me to respond to the questions in a light hearted manner diffusing the situation. I look at the person and explain that as I really don't like the idea of being swallowed by a giant fish we need to live where God tells us. And sometimes I add that they can pray for our family, that we hear clearly the voice of the Lord and follow His direction.

After our tasks, jobs and school today we plan to spend our family night finally decorating for Christmas. Cory and Anna's legs healed nicely. Eli picked up a slight head cold during the trip but we'll decorate and enjoy some family time tonight. Thank you for the prayers.

Three pillars, faster road, art and banana seeds?

Life continues running in parallel with the women's conference with little interactions throughout the day.

A request for plants, to unlock the guest house after the key was left in, borrow the truck, the generator to pump water, what about some bananas and star fruit, mind if we take some flowers, [they didn't ask but did harvest the moringa by the house], could you drive us to town on Monday......

Meanwhile continuing is school, volleyball, library, work on the books, winding up plans for the USA.

After 7 or more requests for Eli or Anna to pump up volleyballs and soccer balls yesterday we sent down an inflation needle for John Pierre's ball pump.

For fun Cory grew a large ornamental, black plantain [not really a banana I know]. While it did turn out to be edible the fruit contains a lot of seeds and the bunch turned out small!

After a quick trip to the Limbèe bank [Cory actually made it there before the bank opened thanks to the newly graded road!] Cory and the men continued on the arbor project by pouring the third pillar.

No unexpected problems now that they learned how to properly pour pillars and have a system.

We asked three young men to work on illustrations for the reprint of the Konsey health book.

Today Anna, Eli and I also tried to draw a few.

Will be a whole new look and I also added several new topics into the main body of the book.

Cory and Fre. Alert are working hard on final proofreading, while Andy works on the devotionals for the second book.

Mid-April Today

April's half way point is today. So far this year's schedule remains nicely spaced and not to busy. Just busy enough for us to remain productive without being overloaded without margin.


Cory worked on firming up plans for the trip to LaGonave tomorrow. He plans to leave early with Scott and Genner in order to drop off plants in St. Marc with our friends, Chris and Leslie at Clean Water For Haiti Clean water for Haiti. Friends for a few years by E-mails/ Facebook now to met in real life.

We pray the trees will do well and think they will because:
1. goat free property 2. people who like tropical fruits and trees 3. water to irrigate!

In addition by spreading out some of the rarer fruit trees we reduce the chances of them all being injured in a storm or local insect invasion or being stolen. The more folks who benefit the better!

Then the guys will drop off the truck and 500 books heading to LaGonave at the Irvines and head to catch the ferry. The books will head over when a Wesleyan boat trip occurs. They plan to head back on Thursday.

Anna, Eli and I completed a good school day. Two lessons of French missed so we continue to study on our own. Well Anna and Eli work on Rosette Stone but these days I find I need my translation skills to work on the Konsey book revisions and additions.

Scott's fitting in well as Anna noted today: He likes plants [Cory], medicine [Kris], animals [Anna] and lego's [Eli].

Stopped down at clinic this morning to ask the students to take a look at the book and give me suggestions for additions. I think there were over 20 students, nursing and lab technicians for the four patients!

Mme Fanny's son remains in prison while most of the other people returned to their homes. Mme Rosemary didn't know the details of why but had to do with money.

Cory learned that some of the homes that received damage during last week's protests are owned by people that were not involved in any way.

UN helicopter flew over head today but the road remained open and Port Margot's schools re-opened.

We pray that the protests will not return. Over the next few weeks Cory has trips out to do and some visitors plan to come to visit.

Bamboo, English and Konsey Updates

Tuesday turned out warm like yesterday reaching the low 90's added by the nights not cooling off as much as earlier in the month.

Late last week Cory only gave the new timber bamboo a 60% chance of living after the trip North as both plants lost most of their leaves. 

Today at noon in full sun neither plant's leaves drooped and both plants pushed out new leaves this week!

So unless something eats them both should survive their move to the North. 

Cory and guys continue to prepare the yard for the team. Cory repotted some plants as we prepare for the warmer, drier weather. 

Anna continues to practice volleyball with the school team.

Eli started a new ministry today by taking some time after school to help Dr. Winick, our local dentist to practice his English pronunciation.

This will be a mutually beneficial relationship as Dr. Winick helps Eli with his French and Creole.

Our French professor showed up yesterday for the first time after the Warsaw team. I'd assumed he did not come on the 13th or other days because the local school is on vacation.

He'd assumed we would call and confirm.

He completed editing the Konsey book so I gave him a few new topics I plan to add to the next edition.

We plan to have French tomorrow afternoon and then restart following the KCC team's visit next week. 

Surprise visitors.

A sunny warmist Saturday afternoon. The truck driven by Pastor Denord just returned from an overnight trip to The Ortlip Center for meetings.

We enjoyed a few minute visit from some visiting Episcopalians from Maine.

The older smiling gentleman lived in our house 70 years ago as a child!

 Back then the compound was linked with natural rubber plantations with SHADA, a Haitian Corporation which worked with rubber and sisal production.

We gifted a Konsey book to both him and their Haitian driver.

Wonder if 50 or more years from now Eli or Anna will visit LaGonave or Fauche and point out the house they used to live in for a time?

The House of Hope stands clean with 7 beds made up with clean sheets and towels waiting for Monday's planned arrival of the Warsaw team.

The draft copy of the Book Herder's family library card needs to be proofed for mistakes before making 100 cards.

'Bankock Large guava', several times larger than the local guava's but picked green to beat the worms and children pickers.

Sweet center with mild taste.

6 Days Pre-Warsaw Team

Looks like today will be a sunny day. Heard that a small earthquake frightened the people who felt it last night in Port-au-Prince but thankfully no damage. 

Last weekend we enjoyed family time while thinking ahead to this week in which the big goal consists of preparing for the Warsaw/ Michigan team who plan to arrive next Monday. 

Cory found some good paint in Cap Haitian so one of their projects will be painting school rooms.

By request they will also be holding some fun Bible classes with the children. 

This will be a new project never before attempted by any of our teams and we look forward to seeing how it all works. 

I also hope we can make some return home visits for updates on the families that Warsaw church partners in prayer. 

We started week 12 of our school year yesterday, which continues to go well. 

Our French teacher stayed after class for 40 minutes to go over more than 30 pages of editing. 

He's helping us clarify the Konsey health book before we publish again. 

We exchange copies so I can work on making the changes on the computer while he continues to identify problem words and areas.

 After a slow start we passed the 1/2 way point this week.

Cory's guys continue to work on the yard, fixing weak areas in the fence and yesterday potting up lots of breadfruit cuttings.

Rooted ones on right, new on left.

A bucket of cuttings waited overnight for them to prepare additional pots. 

While not dry yet a light rain would be nice for  newly transplanted trees and plants. 

Sakay's Story-guest post.

After our trip to LaGonave I asked Lowell Adams for the details of a story we had heard. Lowell and Robyn, Global Partner's missionaries

In our pilot village of Fontina, where God has been changing lives and making a healthier community, lives a godly man named Sekay.  He is a leader in his community and has taken every lesson taught and embraced it for his family and the needs of his people.  Village Health Haiti would not be moving around the island like it is without the help of this man.  God worked a life saving miracle for him by sending our team to Fontina.  When we agree to work in an area, each family receives the health book that was written by our own Dr Kris Theade; she has been a missionary in Haiti for many years.  

Northern Mountains. 

 Sekay was using his machete in the field and it slipped and hit him in the leg; where he lives in the mountains is over an hour away from our Wesleyan Hospital and with the amount of blood being lost he would surely bleed to death before reaching it.  Sekay remembered reading about how to stop bleeding in the health book, after hurrying to make a tourniquet he was able to travel to the hospital and receive stitches.  


Sekay says that the health book saved his life.  He wanted us to thank Dr Kris and each one who is making Village health possible.  We also thank you for saving the life of a great leader in the mountains of La Gonave.  

Adams' Blog

Toilet project.

January 8th

The afternoon showers continue into early evening but not as cold as a few days ago. We did see the sun a few times earlier today. Church pews held as many as they could and some still needed to stand. Love the Haitian praise time of singing!

I confirmed this week that our permission to translate the book, Natural Medicine in the Tropics into creole. We own both the English and French versions so will work with Andy, a agricultural college student to translate parts of the book into simple Creole. I'm to met with him this week therefore I reread the first 2/3 of the book highlighting the parts I feel are important and in a second color the parts I feel we can leave out.

As Andy starts to translate from French to Creole I'll continue to collect additional information we'd like to put into the book and simplify and put it together into English and perhaps use the computer to translate the additional information into French as we did parts of the health book. I'm praying Andy writes clearly.

Heard from a friend that about 350 women met weekly for a women's training program and one of the books used for the training? Konesy Pou Viv Pi Byen! So neat to see how the Lord continues to use this Creole health book to improve people's lives.

Rejoicing with Todd and Beth as Beth celebrates her birthday tomorrow. Praise the Lord she continues to make progress recovering from her final chemotherapy treatment she received December 27th. Happy Birthday Beth!

Just consulted LaGonave on the phone about a sick team member. Please pray for his recovery as well as the health of the missionaries in Haiti and team members. Robyn, a career missionary to Haiti with Global Partners will be having back surgery on Tuesday, Dec. 10th in the USA. Please pray for her and the family as well.

Nov. 14th

Monday the 14th.
     Dad went home from the hospital after doing well this weekend.
     Eli and Anna started new year of curriculum.
     Beth to receive her 4th dose of chemotherapy, tomorrow.

For the first time in a long time I saw 6 patients in clinic. If enough patients come to clinic I put in a couple hours seeing new patients and then return in the early afternoon to give patients who needed laboratory testing their results and treatments.

Today about 20 nursing students joined the crowd as they received orientation to the clinic and hospital. I do not know how long they will be with us but during my introduction by Pastor Rigo he mentioned the Creole health book. One of the students responded that she had the book and thought it was helpful. The other students will be able to purchase a book at the pharmacy if they wish.

I wrote the patient names, dates and a few medications on the prescriptions and prayed with some of the patients. I anticipated that the time in the afternoon between seeing the patiences for a second time and French class would be short. I arrived 10 minutes late to class.

Knowing that I was going to be late for class caused me to hurry with my last patient. I ended up rushing a bit and made an error. I explaned that because her pregnancy measurement looked to be one month smaller than expected she should get an ultrasound. She did not understand me so a student nurse explaning a second time what I wanted her to do.

 I thought I would check the dates again and got myself confused and thought that my error occured with the first calcuations. So I appologised and let her go...but that small voice in my head would not be quiet so later I recalculated twice and I was right the first time. Unfortantaly by the time I did this she had left for home. While it is  very doubtful that she would of gotten the ultrasound anyway I feel badly for the mistake. [She waited until 32 weeks to come for her first visit.] And I also know that if the baby is very small for dates there is little that could be done here to help but still I feel badly. [Or she could be mistaken on her dates and everything is fine.]

French class went well. School went OK. Anna put up Thanksgiving decorations while I read some of today's school books to her. I graded a couple things as well. A full day! I'm looking forward to going to bed.

Thank you for your prayers.

The sun brightens the many different shades of green that surround our lives here. A slight breeze starts up about 10:30 a.m. and generally builds to the afternoon when thunder may or may not herald an afternoon thunderstorm.

Emperor Jacques I-wikipedia.

I'm not sure why but the quiet strongly suggests that no school, other than my two students, occurred on campus today. Oh, yes the cook reminded us that it is a Haiti holiday today, Dessalines Day. Jean-Jacques Dessalines lead during the Haitian Revolution and became the first rule of an independent Haiti in 1801. He declared himself Emperor in 1804 and ruled until his assassination in 1806.

In the House of Hope the pastors of the Northern district discuss the various items on the agenda for their meeting. Cory hopes to offer each pastor some of the Creole health books to take back to their church making the books more accessible to the church members not in Cap Haitian near the book store.

I visited with an older lady with high blood pressure problems, the adult daughter who accompanied her as well as a young mother with a cute, chubby 5 month old who lost a big patch of hair when another child picked at his case of cradle cap. Before returning up to continue school with Eli and Anna, I prayed with each of the 7 patients in the cholera area. The staff thanked me for praying for their protection as well.

Cory's gardener on LaGonave called yesterday to let us know that his grandmother died from Cholera. The seven current patients include: one child, one teen, four elderly men and one old lady. Because of the rapid speed that this disease can cause one to become critically ill, the number of patients can jump rapidly. Please keep praying!

Yesterday we watched a DVD about the life of Mother Teresa. I too want to 'be the Lord's pencil' letting Him use me as He wishes. May I learn to see every one and treat everyone as I would the Lord. How easy it is for me to forget that each person contains the image of God because that is how we were created, in His image.

Thankful: Freedom of sharing the love of God publicly. Medical staff and supplies helping others.
Prayer: Cholera patients. Impact of the health books. Leadership.

May 10

Enjoyed American Mother's day with cards and good food. While we miss being able to see our Moms we greatly appreaciate our upbringings and the continued support of both our mothers.

I finally made it down to clinic again [no bad ankle, no rain] only to find our Intern with only 2 charts on his desk. So I chatted a bit with the staff about patient packets and Health books.

I noticed a friend [Mme. Fanny on the left] sitting there who works for us 2 days a week-she admitted that she'd been 'negligent' and run out of blood pressure medications. I reminded her that the Lord gave us minds for a reason and that she needs to take care of herself.

Returning to the house I asked our other cook [Mme. Rosemary on the right] if she'd received

one of the health books...nope. Oops fixed that oversight right away. Maybe the part about blood pressure can motivate them both to take better care of themselves.

After a full day of school work Eli, Anna and I returned to the House of Hope for our last job with the patient packages [other than taking pictures] While I read they labeled the packets and we sorted them into groups: Kid's club, pastor visits and hospital.

Noticed yesterday that the brick walls on the new church building started to go up. Do not know when the church will be completed but it is nice to see progress.

7 May Books Arrived & Patient Packs Ready

A nice Saturday morning during which we tackled the project of putting Creole Health Books in each of the patient packets that the kids and I stored this week. Cory helped too. We have almost 400 patient packets that will be divided between hospital patients, Kid's club members and pastors [to share on visits to the sick].

Cory asked John Pierre yesterday to stop in Cap Haitian and ask about the arrival of the Creole health books as he knew that 10,000+ books takes up a lot of space. John Pierre called Cory late morning to ask if he could come to Cap as the books were to clear customs that day and later they learned that the warehouse is full.

So Cory and 2 guys went into Cap. Thankfully the one mission who ordered 2,000 books could come get their boxes of books. Most of the books are being stored in a warehouse just outside of Cap while Cory brought a truck load to Fauche.

Each box holds 52 books. Cory now plans to deliver a truck load of books for LaGonave and Port the week after next. The books look great-almost identical to the first ones we had printed but cheaper so that we can sell the books here for $1 each.

Join us in prayer that these books can reach the farthest corners of Haiti, touching people with the Lord's love. We pray that the books can help to lift some of the physical suffering so prevalent in Haiti and maybe prevent at least a few deaths.

Special thank you to Wesleyan Publishing House, Wesleyan Women International, a family from the River Church, Shunem Ministries and others for helping make the second printing happen.

Thank you to ECHO's bookstore for carrying the health book for folks in the USA who want a copy or two.

[The freezer to the right is a merchant's business location while the books made a barrier in the side street. The crowding in Cap Haitian is amazing]

8 April Open House Details-Mark your calendars.

A cloudy afternoon with a mild breeze. Cory working on his annual WISH report, Eli's playing scientist while Anna struggles with her French pronunciation and obviously I'm blogging.

My ankle continues to heal slowly as I start to walk more..interesting the top left 1/2 of the foot is a light blue, a dark horizontal line of purple rests just above the sole on the outside of the foot while from ankle to mid calf a nice yellow/green color dominates.

We settled on our Open House details so mark your calendars: Saturday July 9th. 1-5 p.m. [will be there a bit later cleaning up if you need to be a tad late] at the Allegan Wesleyan Church in Allegan Michigan. We generally try to answer questions after a short update about 3 p.m. Food provided.

E-mail newsletters should arrive on computers today. Please let us know if you did not receive one or if you could not open it. Snail mail newsletters will go to the USA on Tuesday--we hope on the MFI plane.

Committed to three more church visits while in the States. Check here to see if we will be visiting your area. http://www.wesleyan.org/gp/mschedule2/WM04-0276/2010-12

A brochure for the Creole Health book needs one more change before being ready to print. Thank you Joy for the suggestion. Thinking that a brochure for the Agricultural ministry could be very helpful as well. Have a good weekend..touch someone's life with encouragement.

Post on Wesleyan Church Dept. of Communications

Missionaries Write Book to Benefit Haitians’ Health

Nov. 15, 2010

The Cholera epidemic hit Haiti near the end of October. Around that same time, Dr. Kris and Cory Thede, Global Partners missionaries with The Wesleyan Church, self-published a book with hopes to educate Haitians in various ways.

Konsey Pou Viv Pi Byen (Creole for Advice for Living Better) offers agricultural, medical, and spiritual education to its readers.

“Through spiritual, medical, and agricultural education we feel we can assist the Haitian Christians to better reach their own people and others with the love of God,” says Dr. Thede, who has served in Haiti with her husband and two children for 12 years. “The [January 12] earthquake reminded me as a first responder on how little the average Haitian knows about health and first aid.”

The book explains medical advice such as emergency care, prevention of injury and sickness, home remedies, signs and symptoms of life-threatening diseases, and ways to live a healthier life via water treatment, nutrition, and gardening tips. According to Dr. Thede, “each book contains the potential for a big impact in the home, community, and church as folks learn how to improve their health.” This is highly important since many Haitian houses “generally have eight or more people living in it.”

While medical advice is comparable to gold in a poor country like Haiti, the Thedes realize that spiritual health is ultimately most important. One section of the book outlines the plan of salvation and also offers Scripture about good health. Hundreds of copies have already been printed for Haitians.

Yet, good spiritual and physical health also benefit the other.

“We pray this book will assist the Haitian people to live healthy spiritual and physical lives,” says Kris. “Healthier people work better for the kingdom of God.”

A children’s version of the book has also been produced. This 40-page book includes first aid information, healthy living tips, and care for sick children.

Nov. 3 Storm, voting, book & Prayers

Continue to pray that Tomas remains only a storm, continues to weaken and doesn't make landfall.

In Haiti even 'normal' thunderstorms can cause hard enough rains to kill folks in mudslides and flooding. There is not place for people to go for safety and the majority of the homes [if privileged enough to have a home and not just a deteriorating tarp or tent] don't have the strength to protect people from high winds and torrential rains.

Hard rains could also speed up the rate of the Cholera.

Voted yesterday as did many of you. So easy. No violent protests. No road blocks. No threats or physical fights. Please remember to pray about the upcoming Haitian elections.

Konsey Pou Viv Pi Byen [Advice for Living Better] arrived yesterday. Most of the books shipped to Haiti but we sent some here so we can show people who work in Haiti and bring some to the ECHO conference in Florida.

The book looks good therefore soon we will be publishing the children's version. The Lord enlarged the idea of a booklet into 2 books. We plan to contact the folks we know who work in Haiti and once we have an idea on how many books are wanted will reprint and ship to Cap Haitian. The price will be kept as low as possible only covering printing and shipping so that as many people as possible can receive one.

The book includes:

Plan of Salvation & verses concerning health

Emergency Care

Simple home remedies

How to care for a sick person

Prevention of certain injuries and illnesses

Healthy Habits- nutrition, clean water, exercise,

gardening tips.

Serious signs and symptoms listed for life threatening diseases

so that immediate care can be sought-malaria, typhoid,

cholera or pregnancy complications.

Oct 1st

Book update. Think we have a working title. Tonight I asked if the new title made sense to my main translator helper-not only did he say yes, he asked for the final copy to read again and if needed correct more.

I have asked so much of this family in the last month that I would not of dared to ask again but I know that there is more to correct as both Cory and I picked up errors that didn't get fixed on the last copy.

So while I organized and pack tonight and tomorrow the book will just be getting better. Will be able to work on the changes on the trip to Michigan. We are praying and looking on line at different self publishers vs. a copy place so any advice would be helpful.

While the cover is bright the inside is black and white. Will be 100 pages or full size. The title in English is 'Advice for Better Living.'

School mostly done and desks mostly clean. Rooms on the way to being picked up and suitcases will be packed tomorrow. Had a lovely meal this afternoon with 4 pastors from the Northern District. We are so fortunate to work with these generous, grateful men of God.

I keep thinking about in the Lord of the Rings when Frodo tells Sam-"Your time may come. Don't be to sad, Sam. You cannot always be torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do."

Loving folks in two places is so hard. It is like being torn in two. I'm thankful that some day our time WILL come. No more good byes. We will be One and Whole forever, with so much to enjoy, and to be and to do.