Late but long....

Sorry for the delay of blogs...a long week of clinics the last which we finished early afternoon on Saturday, likely fewer people because it was carnival weekend.

We traveled to four different locations to run clinics connected to the Lutheran churches.

So thankful to see a cooler of water purchased for the team.

This pastor told me that he gave up carbonated drinks, takes a day of rest once a week, and the Lord is blessing him.

A blessing to me when the Lord uses me to educate people to make better life choices and to hear how their lives have improved.

 No pop or fake syrupy fruit punch for lunch.

Pharmacy run this year by a real pharmacy team!

Most cases were opportunities for education on simple to moderate health issues. Others were very sad: an emaciated lady with diabetes who suffered without medications for two years!

I generally enjoy doing the consultations for the pregnant moms. This year made much easier by the use of a donated obstetric doppler--one that I got to bring home with me along with a new otoscope!

   There was also a young baby unable to hold up his head or do much of anything.

The same day we headed to Cap to join the Holy Cross Lutheran team for the first time we were contacted about a possible adoption referral, Oct. 24th, 2013----now we wait for a passport and visa.

Cory checked on some of the trees and plants that he shared on earlier trips.

Sunday, we headed out early from the hotel to avoid any carnival activities in addition to wanting to make it to Fauche for church.

Great to see the church full, in part due to visiting young people here for a weekend retreat. Sadly most of Anna's friends traveled to a different location for retreat.

They add a lot of energy to the campus as they stayed here for a few days of spiritual retreat instead of being in the cities where the carnival events are held.

Anna did get to play a bit of volleyball and let her friends know about her decision to enter college this fall.

Most of the last couple of days we've spent packing up the house. We're hoping to get the interior walls of our new house finished by the end of February.

Cory did squeeze in a visit to the gardens across the river.

The land cruiser is loaded for tomorrow's return trip to Délice.

Packing up a house to move always stirs up memories like a hurricane and this time is also tainted with the knowledge that we have started the 'last times' with Anna....her last time translating for the  medical team.

Finding bits and pieces of Eli and Anna's homework from years gone by highlight how far they progressed in their education and knowledge.

Looking at the marks made to help us keep track of how much they had grown physically makes me think of how much each of us grew and changed: mentally, emotionally, and in our faith during our time at Fauche.

Packing up lots of school books and thoroughly enjoyed books of all kinds is hard when you know they all have to be transported up the mountain and yet, to enjoy them with Fritz as we did with Eli and Anna, they need to come.

So many people come to mind as we go through items donated by folks and people on teams, some items came our way via our grandparents or belongings of theirs after their passing.

Some pieces of furniture we acquired on LaGonave and will make yet another trip to their third location while others we dare not try to take because of the years of wood-loving bugs nibbling away on them.

One special lamp, my parents shipped to Haiti in the mid 1970's, and then to LaGonave when I was a child will make the journey. Praying that the glass globes make it whole.

Anna enjoyed burning some old school books, as well as leaving behind an old duster and her old mattress. None of us will miss the lumpy, bumpy couch.

The larger items, mahogany boards, and many boxes of books [currently there are 9 years of school books here and 5 being used or in storage elsewhere] will be shipped at some point in a bigger truck.

A smaller pile stands separate and will wait until our next trip north to travel with us up the mountain.

We plan to return this spring for a bit of a 'senior trip' for Anna: hoping to spend a bit of time with some of her fellow missionary kid friends; visit Children of the Promise; maybe a new fort or waterfalls; and have a party at Fauche.

Flat Stacy accompanied us on this trip as well. She's learning a lot about Haiti and will then return to Michigan to share the story of her trip.