God's provision. Piper, my first vehicle.

 Heading into medical school and knowing that following the first two years in Lansing at Michigan State College of Human Medicine I would need a 4-wheel drive for the remaining time training in the Upper Peninsula I started to pray about a vehicle.

Now let it be known that about the only shopping I look forward to includes: books, antiques, and second hand stores. Car shopping was a daunting thought.

Dad and I would look around some of the dealer car lots after hours so not to interact with any sale's people as well as look though the free car sale's flyers that Mom kept brining home.

Dad soon remarked that I would need to 'take some initiative', words that he would be reminded of later. 

Then we saw it, a promising ad with a location that Mom kind of knew how to drive to [this is before GPS].

Dad couldn't go with us so as we started the drive we talked about how we would know if this was the truck for me. We decided on a couple of items based on my Mom's upbringing that would be positive signs. 1] Regular oil changes 2] my grandpa always covered the floor of his new cars to protect the original carpet. 3] mine not a deal breaker but a good radio would be a plus. 

Later that day we arrived home and as soon as we saw my Dad, he asked how the trip turned out.

Well we bought the truck. "Did you test drive it?" "No we didn't have to because the carpet was protected and the oil regularly changed."

We had managed to surprise him by 'taking initiative'. 

The nice lady who showed us the Dodge Ram Charger explained that it had been her husband's 'baby' and the only reason he was selling it was because he had upgraded. 

Piper,  named after the author of the most influential book of my childhood 'The Little Engine that Could' was pretty blue colors and could surround one with wonderfully clear music from the Pioneer radio/cassette player.

As Mom was writing out the check, the lady answered the phone responding to the caller with the information that the truck had been sold. Our family mechanic confirmed that Piper was a good deal.

Other than sliding into a ditch from black ice once and freezing the doors shut in the UP winter, Piper served me well. 

I loved the feel of being surrounded by that big truck, pulling myself up into the driver's seat came with a feeling of power. Piper felt a bit too big after sliding on the driver's side into the ditch on the ice when I realized even with standing on the window and reaching over my head I couldn't open the passenger door and pull myself up and out. Thankfully a good samaritan rapidly stopped and helped me out. Being only a few miles from home my folks picked me up shortly after I phoned them. 

A big truck I could use to move myself to the UP. I rarely filled up the 25 gallon gas tank due to the cost but Dad and Mom blessed me occasionally by doing so.

Driving Piper and the memories remind me of the Lord's provision and His promise to provide what we need. He's never surprised. He's faithful. 

Sadly I don't have any pictures of myself and Piper..

Life Update.

Small corn sheller in background.

Looking back I realize that for those not following the Thede Seed over on Epistle I'm tardy writing this update. I hope you've enjoyed the last posts on how the Lord led and provided for us. 

So since mid-May the harvest has been completed and all the project corn shelled in one day by a hired machine. 

Weeds were more of a problem this year due to the good rains. Oxen were too slow getting many fields planted, so the weeds were too tall to be covered during plowing and planting and kept growing. Next year we look forward to using our own oxen instead of waiting for the neighbors to have free time for hire.

Winnowing soybean after beating piles of the plants
 with a stick. Sacks of corn on the cob can be beaten
 to shell it and then winnowed the same way.

The soybeans required extra hired help to weed and the weeds still caused reduced yield. The sunflower crop was damaged by cattle so it mostly failed. To avoid the neighbors livestock problem next year, production will be shifted to fields closer to the mission and the farther fields will be rented. The cattle problem was not anticipated to be so serious, also damaging the corn and soybeans. The reason is the offending families are all related so enforcement by the local headman has been hindered and the families even complain about cattle damage from eachother. 

Nam Doc Mai, one of our new mango varieties
blooming. Still small to allow fruiting but providing budwood.

The students harvested the small soybean yield from the orchard. It mostly failed due to using old seed, dry weather after planting, bird pests, some rabbit damage and weeds. Each problem magnified the next.  

The fruit trees are doing great with irrigation, many growing vigorously even now in our cool dry winter.

Fritz and I finished up 9th grade and took a few days break before slowly starting on our 10th grade work.

Pummelo, like a thick peel, non-bitter grapefruit.

July 18, we celebrated with Jembo Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College their 59th graduation sending out seven married couples and six single men into full time service. That same week the Jembo Wesleyan Church celebrated Pastor Paul's serving Jembo nearly 7 years. We join the church in praying for a new pastor as Pastor Paul is now serving in Kalomo.

Dry season means few clouds, more dust, and at the start cooler temperatures. As we head into August the temperatures are already climbing. The orchards are benefitting this year from the sunny days and irrigation project allowing continued growth and healing from the grafting that Cory did at the end of rainy season.

Mango still growing well with
beautiful new leaves in winter.

Anna moved from California back to Michigan in mid-June by driving across the country with Cory's dad who flew out to accompany her. She's studying for the Universal Bar exam that she will take July 28 and 29. We join her in praying for the Lord's direction for her next steps in applying for a new job.

Kris' mom continues to recover after having her left shoulder replaced in June. We are very thankful that both Eli and now Anna help her out when needed.

A puppy joined the agricultural project two weeks ago. At this time Teeg is putting on weight, learning the campus and barks at strangers and cattle on the campus. Hopefully in time he will also chase any monkeys that wander into the orchards.

African Weslean University

We enjoyed a weekend in Livingstone in early June. On the way we stopped at the new African Wesleyan University College and Dr. Smith gave us a tour. We were joined by a GP friend and together visited the rhinos at the national park, a couple restaurants, then went shopping before taking her to the airport. 

A sad note to add concerns the unexpected death of our niece Mical in July. Thankfully Eli and Anna represented the family but it was/is a hard time to be away from family. Such losses remind us to appreciate every day as a precious gift from God. Don't delay or put off telling people you love them: connecting, forgiving, confessing, apologizing, or encouraging. Make a difference today. Point folks to Jesus and let them know you care. 

Recent Haiti Photos

Kids Clubs are doing well. Jean Pierre recieved a welcome celebration this spring for his return to Fauche.

Limbe Kids Club

Delice, The house is full with teachers.

Native pine

Lychee

Macadamia

Mango

Avocado

Mountain Vehicle..

 After the first couple of trips up the very bumpy, curvy road the benefits of a different vehicle started to come to mind. 

Our truck worked OK in the north and if we needed larger loads it was not to hard to hire a truck to make the relatively short drive from Limbeé to deliver to the Fauche Campus.

Now the 16 miles off paved Route National One took 3+ hours with 4-wheel drive. 

In time Cory would make shopping trips to Port-au-Prince only once every 4-6 weeks. 

Having an enclosed, larger vehicle would be very helpful for supply runs, visitors, and team visits.

Personally a reminder occurred every time, multiple times throughout every trip when my head would hit the truck roof after a large bump taken a bit too fast. 

The inclosed back would provide more security during rains or for supplies when parked in town. 

On a trip to visit Fritz, still living at Children of the Promise at that time I suggested that Cory, Anna, and I make a 'wish/prayer' list.

Cory wanted a diesel and white vehicle. Anna's requests was for a hammock in the back for sleeping during long trips. I wanted a Land Cruiser complete with snorkel for crossing rivers-mostly because it looked cool and adventurous. 

We enjoyed our time with Fritz and as soon as we reached the house in Fauche I opened up the computer to check e-mails and connect.

On Facebook I rapidly noted a friend's post, a missionary family also in northern Haiti who were returning to the USA and selling their Land Cruiser. 

It completed everything on our list and in addition we knew and trusted the current owners. 

Not only did it come with a colorful hammock, a way already set up for hanging in the back...but also a fan and camping chair being set up for overnights. 

Within a few minutes we contacted the family and shortly after the Lord blessed us with the Land Cruiser.

Safely up and down the mountain we traveled over the next few years. 

A few teams squeezed in for the trip.

We kept the other 'mission' truck for those times when having an open back helped to move and haul things around the mountain.

Where are they now you ask? The pickup went to the Haitian Wesleyan Church to use and for mutual benefit Director Lukenson uses the Land Cruiser on the mountain to keep it in running order and being useful. 

The Lord does provide our needs! 

? How to build a house on a remote Haitian mountain.

 So in the last post I noted that we had many questions about how we'd move to the Delicé property. This discussion became very frequent especially after Anna proposed moving in 8 months rather than a couple of years.

In December we headed to the USA to see our college student, Eli and to spend the holidays with family.  We continued to discuss the move with our family and friends. 

HOW? We prayed and prayed. 

All our previous moves in Haiti had been to an established mission compound. The young missionary couple, the B's, we'd met who lived on the other side of the fort had done it. 

They lived in a tent while building their house as well as a couple of smaller homes across a small gully for 14 children from a children's home along the coast.  

Being older, and apparently not as adventurous, this did not appeal to us. The mountain could be cool and damp in the clouds. 

We talked about living at the foot of the mountain and heading up to work on the house...the 2+ hours one way did not make that sound very practical. 

On our second trip with a couple of our Global Partners teammates and Anna, one noted 'You guys are a whole different level of crazy!' 

With the new project approved January 17, we started to fundraise to build the house and to prepare the work at Fauche to continue under the supervision of Cory's workers. 

During a trip to Delicé in March we talked with Stephen B about the location of the house, how to put in a driveway, and other helpful information about building on the mountain. 

We decided we could use a similar frame as the children's home and maybe some of the same workers.

 The inside walls could be different as there was a place in Port-au-Prince who sold the supplies for styrofoam walls that you then plaster. 

 Maybe the small, very basic guest houses being built for the neighbors to host teams could be rented for a place to stay for the three of us.

No clear answers came as we continued to pray.  

We don't remember specifically but one day in the spring we received a call from Steven.

 His wife had a medical issue which would mean being in the USA for months and would we consider 'house sitting' and helping out with maintenance issues.

We started to make more trips to Delice starting with a trip in May brining up plants, tools and a few other items.

The B's lived in a big house built to host teams as well as their family [4 children when we met them], along with teachers for the children's home. 

Stephen would come on trips to prepare and host teams that were already planning to come.

So we made trips back and forth for a while between Fauche and Delicé. 

Anna roomed with a couple of the school teachers, one Haitian and one from the USA. Cory and I took single beds in their boy's bedroom and another American teacher had her own room. 

We shared house cleaning, cooking, shopping trips down the mountain. This allowed the building of our home which was a 15 minute walk around the base of the fort to the other side.

First things were getting a 'access' road and driveway in place and building a water cistern because all water came from rain so needed to be captured and stored during rainy season. 

I used a program on the iPad to plan the inside of the house.

By summer we were spending most of our time at Delicé. 

Fritz joined us in October. By late spring 2018 the house was livable. We moved the last of our stuff right before heading to the USA for the summer.  

Fritz's adoption had been completed and we needed to be in the States for him to become a citizen,  for the paperwork to be processed,  his new American passport issued, and to transition Anna to college.

On our return that fall we moved into our new home.