Category: News (Page 55 of 100)

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

Hi everyone,

Terry and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a good holiday season. We did, but with some of our family several miles away we can only thank Apple for Facetime and being able to see them that way.

This time of the year our thoughts are always on Steve’s first trip to Haiti, since he was gone during the holiday season. That was 22 years ago (hard to believe). At the time, we were not considering anything like we have been doing in the time since.  We would like to think we have another 22 years, but we feel it’s best to take it one year at a time; we certainly are looking forward to our 23rd.

On a personal note, all the blood tests done on Terry during December were good to fair; fair being in the normal but low normal range. The most important tests show there are still no detectable cancer cells. We are almost at the 2-year mark since the transplant, so that is very good news. These tests will be redone in March.

In March, she may have an implant placed in her lower back, attached to the nerves in her spine that will help or stop the pain she has in her legs and feet. If that works, she will be “weaned” off all the medicine, including pain medicine, which will help in several different areas. The pills are also affecting her memory, so we are looking forward to not having to take them.

On Haiti, Lutheran World Relief published their 2017 Early Warning Forecast,  a paper on some of the countries facing a crisis during 2017. Haiti is number 6 on their list, with Syria and Northern Iraq being first for the obvious reason. Word for word on Haiti from the report:

Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti on October 4, 2016, killing hundreds, DESTROYING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMES and ruining life-sustaining crops. It was a tragic setback for a country that was still recovering from the January 2010 earthquake. As the rebuilding commences, the international humanitarian community faces an opportunity to make lasting progress in building resilience and reducing poverty. Failure to do so will reinforce a tragic pattern in Haiti: when disaster hits, aid pours in, but provides largely unsustainable, short-term relief. In the coming months, cholera will continue to be a threat. The loss of crops and livestock may lead to food shortages or a spike in prices, and a hunger crisis is a looming possibility. People who already lived in abject poverty have been left with little to no food to eat, because their minimal stocks and seed sources were destroyed.

So, our work is cut out for us. As in years past, we know God will provide through those who help us, to help them. Terry and I thank you for that help and for all your prayers during the past 22 years and especially this last year. Our prayer is that 2017 will be very good to all of you.

Steve and Terry