Joyeux Noel

We have had such a busy and interesting week with the team from UCLA.  They all left this afternoon and will spend a few days away for the holidays and return on Sunday.  We have learned so much this week from them and are looking forward to three more days with them this coming week.  I wanted to write a short post before I go to bed tonight.   

 

First of all we want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas!  We pray that each of you will get to spend time with your families and be reminded of our Savior on this special day.  

 

Second, we want to thank all of you that have given a donation to RHFH in the past week.  God again has been faithful to provide.  Did you doubt that He would?   

 

Third, we ask for your prayers for these coming weeks.  The clinic staff is on vacation.  This means that all clinic duties rest upon Lori.  She will be doing dressing changes for many patients within the next few days.  In case you thought they did, the sick do not take a break for Christmas.  We will take some time tomorrow to open a few gifts with the boys and celebrate as best we can.  There are a lot of sick kids in the Rescue Center.  There are currently 4 children on IV fluids and two with feeding tubes down to help them eat.  They all need your prayers.  

 

On this Christmas Eve we have already had one child pass away,  another will not live through the night.  Tomorrow life will continue here and we will have to bury two children.  These things can be so hard at times and we so appreciate your prayers for us.  We also appreciate you emails and kind words of encouragement.  They help us to get through the long days.   

 

Again we thank each of you and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!    

 

Luke 2:10-11 (The Message)

An Event for Everyone

 ^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.” 

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The clinic normally closes down for two weeks during the holiday season.  We are opened for dressing changes, emergencies, and people who are really sick.  But for the general consults we are closed.  This year it is going to be different.  We have a team of doctors coming in from UCLA for the two weeks.  We are more than excited about this.  They will be seeing some hard cases for us.  They will be teaching and performing tests for women in the area.  They will be doing test for all kinds of STD’s.  They will be doing classes for young men and women, pregnant women, and parents of malnourished children.  This will be such a blessing for so many in the area.  We are gearing up their arrival tomorrow.  Please pray for us and the clinic staff as there will be a lot going on during the usual vacation time.  We are so thankful to each of you that have been praying for us.  We greatly appreciate it and need it!  We feel your prayer, and we know so many are out there lifting us up.  So many of you came through last month with donations for RHFH.  We are so very thankful to each of you!  God provided.  We knew that He would.  Now as we are winding down here at the end of December we are feeling the crunch again.  Each year we pay our staff a bonus in December (it is required by law) they get double pay for the month of December.  So we are again low on funds to cover this end of the year bonus.  We know that we know that we know that HE will provide.  Our normal payroll is around $7,o00 for the month.  So you can see the amount that we need in just a few weeks to cover our cost for December.  Every little bit helps and we are so very thankful for each amount.   I wish that so many of you could be on my end of things just for a while to see all the things that go on here.  All the blessing that God has provided for us and the kids here at RHFH.  He does it over and over again.  He never quits.  He provides our ever need.  Every month He has done it for the last 15 years that I have been here.   I  am so thankful to be apart of this work here in Haiti.  I count it such a privilege that HE choose me to do what I do.  I believe that He has called us all to do something.  We just have to be willing to do it!  1 Peter 4:10-12 (The Message)

 ^7-11Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Glory Just Around the Corner

 ^12-13Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

More than Conquerors

Romans 8:37 (NIV)

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

This is what God desires of each of His children.  He wants us to be “more than conquerors,” turning storm clouds into chariots of victory.  It is obvious when an army becomes “more than conquerors,”  for drives its enemies from the battlefield and confiscates their food and supplies.  This is exactly what this Scripture passage means.  There are spoils to be taken!

Dear believers, after experiencing the terrible valley of suffering, did you depart with the spoils?  When you were struck with an injury and you thought you had lost everything, did you trust in God to the point that you came out richer than you were before?  Being “more than [a] conqueror: means taking the spoils from the enemy and appropriating them for yourself.  What your enemy had planned to use for your defeat, you can confiscate for your own use.

part of the daily devotion (Dec 18th) from Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

New kids this week..

We saw a lot of people this week in clinic.  Lots of sick kids.  Lots of malnourished kids.  We took in 9 children.  One died last night.  We are counting on the medika mamba to kick in and get these kids gaining weight.  Many of them are in critical condition, several are near death.

This is Djoudna.  She is 9 months old and weighs 12 pounds.  Her mother left her with her papa and she left with someone else.  He has not seen her for 4 months.  He has been following in the clinic for those 4 months.  He loves his daughter and is scared that she is not going to live.This is Erline.  She is 14 months old and weighs 15 pounds.  This is her second time with kwashiorkor.  This is Elande.  She is 27 months old  and weighs 17.8 pounds.  This is her second time with kwashiorkor.Files Andre is 6 years old and weighs 26.5 pounds.  He has kwashiorkor and a high fever.This is James Love.  He is 2 years old and weighs 25.6 pounds.  He is so swollen from the kwashiorkor.  He skin is breaking down and he is raw all in his diaper area.   His feet have several holes in them.  He is in bad shape.  This is Julson.  He is 9 months old and weighs 16 pounds.  His parents have had 3 other children die from kwashiorkor.  He was admitted on Wednesday and died last Thursday night.  He got this way in 2 months.  His mom took him off the breast and left him with her mother to go find work.  The grandmother could not provide enough foods for him and he went down hill fast.  It is so difficult for babies to recover from kwashiorkor. Robenson is 10 months old and weighs 12 pounds.  This is his first time with kwashiorkor.  His grandmother found him on her porch.  Her daughter left him there 3 months ago and no one has seen her since.This is Welno.  He was burn several months ago and was being treated at a clinic close to his home.  They were transfered into general hospital and said they could not pay to go there so they came to us.  He is staying in the RC to get dailing dressing changes.

This is Chimene.  She is 9 months old and weighs 10 pounds 14 ounces.  She has 5 other siblings at home and has had 2 others die of kwashiorkor. 

Psalm 147:7-11 (The Message)

 ^7-11 Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn,
      play music on your instruments to God,
   Who fills the sky with clouds,
      preparing rain for the earth,
   Then turning the mountains green with grass,
      feeding both cattle and crows.
   He’s not impressed with horsepower;
      the size of our muscles means little to him.
   Those who fear God get God’s attention;
      they can depend on his strength

Trust and rest when all around you, Put your faith to stringent test;

Let no fear or foe confound you, Wait for God and trust and rest.

Trust and rest with heart abiding, Like a birdling in its nest,

Underneath His feathers hiding, Fold your wings and trust and rest.

Soup Joumou

Haitian Recipes: Soup Joumou – Haitian Pumpkin Soup Recipe

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb corned beef or beef stew meat (you can use chicken or goat as well)
• water
• 1 1/2 lbs pumpkin, peeled & diced
• 2 turnips, diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup rice, washed (uncooked, not instant)
• salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2-4 teaspoons butter

Instructions:

In a saucepan, cover beef generously with water and boil over medium low heat, partially covered for 1 hour.
Drain and chop beef into bite-sized pieces.
In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add pumpkin, turnips, beef, onions, parsley, thyme, and 2 cloves garlic.
Simmer until pumpkin is tender (15 minutes).
Discard parsley and thyme.
Transfer pumpkin to food processor with 1/4 cup stock and puree.
Return to saucepan and heat through.
Add milk, nutmeg, butter, and rice; cook until rice is tender (15-20 minutes).
Season with salt and pepper, and mix in remaining garlic.
Serve hot with a little butter in each bowl.

Serving Size: 4

comments:

Haitian Soup Joumou is more than just soup. This is their independence day soup, this is what haitians drink all day on New Year’s day, January 1st, the day they celebrate their independence day. Haitian Pumpkin soup/soup joumou is tradition.

God’s Children

I am freed to know that my God is huge, and my God is able.  So I know if I don’t get what I asked from Him, if I’ll cooperate, I’ll get something bigger.  I’ll know that a great “yes” is in progress.

For we are His creation-created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them  Ephesians 2:10People can play it safe if they want, but I like living out on a limb with God.  I’ve put all my hopes and my faith in Him.  I have absolutely nothing else to hang on to.I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  Galatians 2:20Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!  I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.  Lamentations 3:22-24

Yves and Frank’s wedding part #2

This is right after they kissed, love this picture

Most haitians do not enjoy smiling in pictures. It does not mean they are not happy or they are mad.  They think we are weird because we are always showing everyone our teeth.   But everyone was happy and we all had a wonderful day.

Yves and Frank’s wedding part #1

Yves and Frank have been working for RHFH for almost 9 and 7 years.  Yves travels with dad everywhere he goes.  Frank stays here at the RC and clinic.   They both do every job you can imagine.  Paint, gate patrol, security, go buy things, transport kids, carry boxes, help clean, change light bulbs, watch everything, just everything you can imagine.  They are here every day of the week.  The are the first ones that come in and the last ones to leave.  They work hard and we car about them. We trust them 100% and appreciate all they do to make RHFH run well.  Here they are waiting for the wives to finish getting ready.

Waiting to go in the church.  Dad and Jeremy (a friend visiting from the US) were in the wedding party.The bride and groom sit in the bigger chair in the front.  The other wedding party members sit behind them.Lori, Anna and I iced cakes from 9am until about 2pm.

No we did not run out of icing bags and use and IV bag, that would be just crazy.

They both had two tables with food.  One was the regular food table.The other table is the table with everything sweet on it.

More picture coming soon.

Going Home

 Chrislene went home this week.  She is  a graduate of the medika mamba program.  

Desir has been with us since Nov 2008.  He had a severe burn on the inside of both of his legs.  He took over a year for them to heal.     

Miloudia going home this week at 22 pounds-she is a graduate of the medika mamba program.     

This is Elna’s 2nd time in the RC.  She went from 26.5 (lowest weight) to 31 pounds

 Sodney went from 34 pounds (lowest weight) to 40 pounds in 1 month.  He is a graduate of the medika mamba program. 

Wilgens went from 20.5 pounds to 25 1/4 pounds.  He is also a graduate of the medika mamba program. 

Wisly was here for several months she gained 4 pounds and went home this week with her happy papa. 

  

Andre Jean started at 35.5 pounds –he got down to 29 pounds after losing his water weight from the kwashiorkor.  He went home this week at 35 pounds.  He is also a proud graduate of the medika mamba program.   

We have an average of 30 children on the Medika Mamba program now.  We added Dayclef today.  He is drinking it mixed with infant formula.  He is still alive.  I love the medika mamba so much and it is great for the kids.  It works so well and has great results.  It is saving lives.  It is healing kids with kwashiorkor.  It is helping adults that are malnourished.  Thanks to all of you that  have made it possible for these kids to recover quickly and return home to their families.  We are so grateful to World Wide Village and the Livesay family for their continued support of this program.  All of us together are changing lives through a simply product that is produced right here in Haiti.  That makes me love the product even more.  I wish you could all come and see with your eyes the change that happens with these kids.  How quickly they begin to transform, how their smile returns, how they begin to play, how they begin to walk, how they begin to run and jump.  I love  when their families comes to visit them they are shocked  to see the change in their child.  Most raise their hands and say “Merci Jezi”  (Thank you Jesus) and “Bondye ap fe travay li” (God is doing His work).  Sometimes you do not even have to tell someone with your words about Jesus, they feel Him and see Him through the actions that you do.  They believe that God has healed their child and they want more of Him.  We see it over and over and over again.  

1 Peter 2:10-12 (The Message)

 ^9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.  ^11-12Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.