Category: News (Page 61 of 100)

Friends of Haiti,

It seems we have a truce in Haiti. The two political parties agreed on a long time politician to act as interim president until an election can be held the 24th of April. We felt that if he is good enough as an interim president, why shouldn’t he be president? He will oversee setting up the elections, their process and installing the new president by the middle of May. The outgoing president would have been forced out had he not stepped down the 7th of February. It’s odd in a way, because prior to becoming president, he was a well-known entertainer, a political “outsider” who said it would take his know-how to get things done (this sounds a little too familiar). The fact is, by the time his term was up, they were ready for him to go. As with all the other politicians over the past 20+ years, very little has changed.

The one thing that has helped, in a way, is the cell phone. They are very cheap in Haiti and they make them that way so everyone except the very poor can come up with what amounts to $10-$15 US. They run specials on holidays, and sell cards very cheaply to load time into them. In the minutes after the earthquake, before service went down, everyone who had one used it to call family, Steve included. It also makes it easier when sending money for the schools or other programs; we send it on line through Western Union, and text Beaubrun the transfer number. Within an hour or so, he texts back saying it has been picked up, and the money is on its way to its intended use. When we first started going, we had to wait to go and at one point we could mail it, but that took two weeks, sometimes even longer. Cell phones have not changed lives but they have made it easier.

What does change lives is the schools. Vitamin programs. Feeding programs. The churches and all the work that goes into any of these. Those of you who support one of these programs or offer prayer for them do just that: change a life.

Medical update: All of the tests on Terry show no myeloma proteins, so for now we can say there is no cancer. Since there is no cure for myeloma, she still has to go back every three months for more tests. Since the chemo destroyed her immune system, she has to retake every vaccination needed from birth to now. They started her with five vaccinations and in a few weeks she gets five more.

Thank you for all you do for our friends in Haiti and thank you for everything you do for us.

Friends of Haiti,

As usual, nothing is in the news about Haiti unless there has been a “natural” disaster such as a tropical storm, hurricane … or an earthquake. You would have to look deep to know there is a “political” disaster in the works now with the presidential election — or the lack of one. On February 7, the current president is constitutionally mandated to hand over power to the incoming president … but there isn’t one. Instead, Haiti will be ruled by an interim government until they can come to some sort of an agreement between the two parties involved. As it is, there are violent protests every day which have shut the country down. The people this hurts are, naturally, the poor, or those who can make some sort of living selling what they have, or those who sell for someone else in the market areas. Even those who drive the tap-taps have to stay at home. It also hurts the schools, because no one is willing to send their children to school as these things are happening. When a strike is called, everything is expected to close and there are consequences if you don’t.

Steve was to have gone there on the third weekend of January to meet with everyone, but the American embassy advised him to not make the trip right now. Hopefully after the 7th, things will get to the point he can go. Until this happened everything was running smoothly as far as ministry affairs go. All the schools were back in session after a long Christmas break and kids there (just like here) were looking forward to spring break. In Haiti it comes during the Easter period so if some, like Beaubrun and his family, want to travel they have time before school resumes.

February 6th marks the one year point since Terry had the stem cell transplant and on the 4th she will have a full body scan and extensive blood testing to check for cancer cells. She is still having a lot of leg and foot pain, and it has also started in her hands and back as well. Since it has been so cold, she has to wear gloves most of the time because her hands are cold … even when inside. So we hope everyone will keep her and that date in mind and prayer.

Thank you for everything you do to help make our friends’ lives easier in Haiti and for supporting the schools and feeding programs. We don’t know what they or we would do without your help and prayers.

Serving HIM together,

Steve and Terry