Hi everyone,

We hope your new year is off to a good start. Terry began the year with a respiratory infection for several days, and ended the month with another one, after feeling very good for several days. February 6th is the two-year mark since the stem cell transplant. We are aware many people don’t make it to this point, so we feel very blessed. We feel much of her good result is because she has so many praying for her. The next round of blood tests is March 2nd and then she sees the doctor about the implant on the 3rd.

Haiti finally has a President, and the man we felt was the best suited for the job. But, like here, there are people who feel he has no business running the country. He has no experience in government but has been a successful business man. (Sound familiar?) Our people in Haiti think since he has created a lot of jobs, maybe he can bring those skills into play on a country wide level.

The problem in Haiti is the pay the worker receives in any of the imported jobs that are there. There are several garment factories throughout the country, especially in Port Au Prince and the north. But they pay very little (what amounts to $4 to $5 a day) and they usually work six days a week, twelve hours a day. And it’s piece work so if you don’t hit your “quota” you are out of a job. All the jobs the new president has created has been from his businesses in Haiti, so maybe his jobs will be different.

All our programs are running just as they should be. For the time being the country is quiet, with spots of protest concerning the president (the picture is one of those protests). Hopefully, after he is sworn in that will die down, as it has in the past.

Thank you for helping us this far in our “journey” and for helping our friends in Haiti. Terry and I appreciate all you do and have done for us and the prayers you continue to offer for her. There is no doubt those you help in Haiti appreciate you as well.

Steve and Terry