Tree Planting Trip

Earlier this week, we  loaded up the truck with an assortment of trees, plants, and cuttings.

Then we bumped our way two hours east, out to The Children of the Promise Campus where we introduced my folks to friends and made some new friends.

Cory looked over the campus to decide where the different trees could be placed depending on the size of the tree and how much flooding it may need to tolerate.

Wednesday morning we played with some of the children, talked to various house parents/staff about the types of fruits or trees they preferred around the homes, and Cory placed the potted trees/plants around the grounds.

Following lunch, Cory directed the planting and watering of the trees, including: egg fruit, malay apple, mango, mulberry, starfruit, face roselle, chaya, edible hibiscus, aloe, miracle fruit, bilimbi, biriba, black sapote, jack fruit, dragon fruit, and Barbados cherry.

Ma'afala breadfruit in background to the right of the gentleman.

Cory, Dad, and a staff member also made a delivery to a local Pastor of some trees and plants. Because they happened to be leaving the COTP campus at shift change, they also gave a ride to some of the staff going their direction.

The church/school yard had a good size breadfruit that Cory brought a few years ago and people are asking for more to plant.

The photo is a 4 acre field that the pastor bought to plant and help the community. the former owner had planted one of the new breadfruit and a few local fruit trees. It is good to see the new varieties growing well and starting to produce.

Back at COTP we enjoyed our time learning about the staff and ministry.

After a few more chats and planting on Thursday morning we packed up and headed further east to see the Trou de Nord Wesleyan church and drop off the remaining fruit trees.

Since the phase-one dedication that my family attended a couple of years ago, the church building continues with most of the windows containing nice iron work.

Additional buildings in the church yard include the start of a parsonage and completed bathroom. The banana plants and garden on the property look productive.

Although Pastor Rigo could not meet with us, he reported that the church family now includes 200 new families in need of Konsey books.

Brother Eli met with us and told us that between 600-700 people attend weekly services and occasionally the church is full.

Turning the truck back west to head home, we did stop for one more agricultural visit at Helping Haitian Angels.

Parsonage under construction

Cory and the guys planted some trees at their location almost a year ago and this Wednesday received an email about giving some advice about planting a large garden including fruit trees.

So we stopped in to see how the first trees fared and talk a bit about the new plans. Last year's trees suffered during the dry season due to staff leaving but many of the trees were recovering from the past few months of abundant rain.

 Cory will continue to advise by emails and phone calls and hopefully get them some additional trees to bless the children and families.

We enjoyed some hamburgers and hot dogs in Cap Haitian on our ride back home.

We pray that the trees and plants will grow big and strong and be a blessing to many people as they produce fruit, and seeds for planting.

Another conference week?!

On Monday many of us on campus learned of a teaching conference scheduled to occur on campus this week!

One never quite knows what a day or week holds in store.

Over 200 teachers from our area and northern Haiti came to campus to sharpen their French language skills.

Cooks and other's scrambled to make sure that there was water, food, electric and other items needed for the training.

Cory planted seeds of three new varieties of Jackfruit this week.

Cory's guys worked in one of the rental gardens, got loads of dirt for the nursery, and worked on weeding.

Tuesday I worked to transplant some Aloe barbadensis baby plants into pots so they can grow better.

The gel works the same as Aloe vera to treat skin conditions as well as joint pain. It grows slower but blooms more and a the gel is not bitter.

Problem finally narrowed down to 6 feet of wire...

Cory spent some of the last two afternoons discussing different trees and plants in the nursery with teachers interested in purchasing them as well as a few just interested in pestering for handouts.

Cory's personality does better than mine with aggressive askers!

Cory started the morning at 6:30 by chasing (following) a cow off campus. He was told by the employee helping him that they couldn't do anything else legally after it ran off the campus, it looks like the one owned by the same homeless villain that wanders the region letting his cows eat gardens) Later he worked to hunt down the reason that the bigger guest house did not enjoy electricity last night [did help our batteries make it through the night].

After much looking he finally found the break in the wire just before it goes into the guest house.  Electric goes from the guest house to the school where 3 of the 4 teacher training classes are being held and using some video projectors.



Anna is working on school and playing volleyball in the afternoons.

Two days this week folks didn't have any health questions and weren't interested in chatting so I read some of my medical journals to finish up my required medical education hours for 2016.

Cory's smile comes from nearing the end of his electrical job, not because he enjoys playing electrician!

This weekend Eli's class travels to Heidelberg, Koblenz, and Köln. Please pray as Wednesday afternoon they will take their Germany final.

Another prayer request is for Eli as he makes plans for his last week in Germany 'free time' to travel and site-see.

Another day....Mom.

Today I again helped Anna with school in the morning...we had a good morning and I really enjoy spending the time with our granddaughter.  We share moments of reading and interesting book, just finishing My Heart Lies South.

This books was an interesting look at life in Mexico from the perspective of a young American bride who had just become a part of a Mexican family.

The differences in culture, often lead Anna and I into interesting discussions of the differences between Haiti and the USA.

Another time I especially enjoy is sharing in Anna and Eli’s devotional Bible time.  Larry spent the morning finishing his last screen and transplanting Aloe. They planted 30-40 plants from 5 mother plants.

[Kris: shocked to find that a couple of our staff do NOT grow aloe plants in their yards! Both went home with a plant today]

In the afternoon, after pizza for lunch, enjoyment was not a word high on my list.  Larry had brought in a new kitchen faust to replace the old one that was leaking.

Trying to screw and unscrew plumbing fittings resulted in both Cory and Larry working on the project and Anna offering advice.

A small project took more than twice the time it normally would have, but in the end the men had success.  Enjoyment was not how they would describe the experience.  I was working on a sewing project.

Now, anyone who knows me well, knows that I am “sewing impaired.”  Sewing has NEVER been my gift.  My daughter knows this full well.

Yet, on this trip, it seemed there were sewing projects.  My sewing gifted sister left me with a couple of unfinished curtain projects..I did complete them with much gnashing of teeth. [Character building Mom!!]

 THEN, my daughter asked for a covering for the back of her rocking chair.  Nothing easy here...a covering of a masonite board cut to enforce the back in the shape of rectangular oval.  Finished it and then it was decided that one needed a pillow on the back to be comfy.

Check!  Then the pillow would flop over when a person got out of the chair...needed ties to hold it in place..again Check!  THEN this afternoon, my beloved daughter who I had birthed in much agony..decided that her slipcovers of the couch, chair and love-seat needed to have holes fixed.

Once off the furniture, the covers became a confusing mass of material with seams converging in three corner pockets..it was a nightmare.
FINALLY FINISHED, the sewing machine is put away and I am recovering.

People often ask what we do here.  I smile, because it is always something different and sometimes a challenge.  Guess for us, the fact that the God Lord sent us here and a willingness to do even unlikable jobs is all part of the experience.  I know He blesses our efforts and stretches us in the process.  Another day in Haiti

[One of the biggest challenges when my folks visit for a month is keeping them busy....and healthy!]

Thankful for them doing odd jobs for me, Cory gets more garden time, they get to keep busy and work on their flexibility skills and everyone is happy, happy, happy.

This afternoon Cory joined the folks in tackling frustrating jobs. Our next newsletter moved from editing stage to printing today and getting the computer to talk to the printer took some time.

Plan to keep the folks busy a bit with stuffing and preparing envelopes!

New Aloe Project!

How much do you know about Aloe?

Collecting the baby plants.

Likely you know it is good for mild burns like sunburns but did you know that the gel from the leaves of the Aloe plan also contains anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral properties.

The gel absorbs quickly through the skin, into the joints to help alleviate the pain of joint strains and arthritis.

For swollen eyes due to conjunctivitis placing a cut leave on the eye will help.

Potting the baby aloes.

Drinking the gel can help regulate one's immune system. Although mostly consisting of water the gel also contains vitamin B12, other vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and more.

For folks with stomach problems like ulcers drinking the gel can help. While I cannot talk myself into drinking the slimy gel, by adding it to a banana smoothy I can enjoy the health benefits without any taste or texture.

Cory transplanted 5 plants near the house last fall, offspring from an original plant. Yesterday the Moringa Mountain Project 'branched' out into a new area learning how to care for the baby plants.

Ready to grow and multiple.

Now Eli and Anna will be in charge of aloe care and transplantation.

A great family project: medical, agricultural and sustainable assistance for the Haitian people.

Cory showed the kids how to: gently pull up the baby plants, replant and taught them how to care for the plants in order to maximize growth and proliferation.

The original row, now thinned out.

While they transplanted the baby plants [34 new pots] I read a school book aloud. A home-school perk, being able to complete school work while working on projects.

Our goal: to be able to provide Aloe plants to any delegate who wants one, attending this summer's conferences on campus. [At least for the women's conference which over 100 women will attend.]

 A handout [part of the next Creole book] will be available sharing the many benefits of aloe, how to prepare and use the leaves, and plant care.

Plant people may note that our plants are Aloe barbadensis not the more commonly known Aloe vera.

Aloe plants we hope may someday grow next to every Haitian home.

A mother plant, replanted horizontally to encourage lots of baby plants.