A Birthday, Depression, and a Prayer Request

This is a challenging post to write simply because I’m having a hard time expressing my thoughts. It’s been a challenging and a bit daunting of a week. I’ve actually not been terribly busy this week, which has given me extra time to think and process through some recent events.

Last week Roger celebrated another birthday. I am so very, very thankful for this man who is my husband and best friend. We didn’t have any big plans as Roger worked on his birthday, and it was on a Friday, which means hot lunch, chapel, piano playing, and all the other Friday events. We did have a small celebration with our family, but no cake. The kids were fine with skipping the cake as long as we had ice cream!

On Saturday, I attended the funeral of my dear friend who passed away recently. Roger was unable to attend as he was working, and I left the kids at home. The funeral was at a local church and very close to our house. I was thankful that I had friends that were also attending the funeral, so I had someone to sit with during the service. The church building was packed, and it was just another affirmation that she was so very loved. The service was a beautiful one to honor her life and her testimony for Jesus Christ. One thing I know is that when I die I want the people who come to the funeral to know that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I also know that I want lots of music, and I’d definitely prefer no organ music. I mean, not that I will care, but still!

Sunday presented me with the opportunity to led our Childrens choir practice, led in handbell practice, teach Sunday school, play the piano for worship service, and teach Children’s church. I’m glad its not like that every week, but every once in a while, I surely don’t mind. God certainly knew that playing the piano would be like a balm to my weary soul. I chose to play “It is Well with my Soul” for the offeratory. As I reflected on the words while playing the song, I can truly say that yes, it is well with my soul. That’s not to say that I don’t struggle or fail in my walk with Christ, but I also know that He is not done working on me yet. The last verse states, “And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The Lord shall descend, and the trump shall resound, even so, It is Well with my soul.” Oh, how I look forward to that day! I love to play that song declaring that the Lord will descend. What a promise!

Emma barely made it until Roger came home from work

On Sunday afternoon, the boys were invited to our Pastors house to play with their son. The boys always enjoy spending time with Austin, out in the woods, being wild, getting dirty, and just being boys. They came back to church a bit muddy, but oh so happy! Roger, Emma and I had lunch at McDonald’s before heading home, and we enjoyed some fellowship with some older folks from our church. The pastor and his family also stopped in to get hamburgers to feed all those boys. And yes, McDonald’s is about the only fast food place around here!

Also this week, we watched the movie, “Facing the Giants” with our family. If you haven’t seen it, I
highly recommend it. It’s such a great family movie with a powerful message about how God does the impossible. It was a good timely reminder that we serve the God of the impossible. As we look to wrapping up another school year, and we prepare for the next one, I am praying for my God to show
Himself strong to our little Christian school. I am specifically praying for 90 students to be enrolled in our school. Think this is impossible? Oh, yes, it is! It’s asking for above and beyond all that we could ask or hope, but that’s the amazing part- God can do it! We’ve already started praying as a family for this request. Could God choose to not answer our request? Oh, He surely could. However, how often do we as Christians sell God short because we simply do not ask?! I often think we don’t
see God work in miraculous ways because we simply do not ask. I think we often have to settle for  something other than God’s absolute best because we didn’t take the time, energy or effort to implore Him to answer our requests.


In addition to everything else, I’ve struggled with depression this week. There- I said it! It’s a big, ugly word that lots of people don’t seem to want to discuss, talk about or address. But the truth is, its a real thing! I’m not in the throws of despair or anything like that, but this week has been a struggle. I
find myself weary, short on patience, lacking grace with my children, lacking energy, and just a desire to do nothing, which is so not me! However, I know that God desires that I fellowship with Him, that I find my joy in Him, and allow Him to give me rest. It’s a daily battle sometimes. I don’t struggle with depression all the time, but every once in a while, it creeps upon me. I know its partially in part because I want spring weather to be here! I want to get outside and walk again and feel the sun rays. I’m a bit bogged down by trying to help four kids prepare for an academic fair. They are doing a great job, don’t get me wrong, but I often wish they could ask someone else how to spell something for the
four hundredth time! (We try to have the projects put away by the time Roger comes home.) I’m also adjusting to finding myself being more of a single parent than I would like sometimes as we are entering back into longer days for Roger. I’m not complaining as Roger has a wonderful boss and a great job. I need to adjust not Roger! I find myself being emotional, which has our poor children completely baffled! Emma tends to be a bit sympathetic, but the boys just tend to disappear! However, the truth of the matter is that God is still on the throne. He knows my name, He knows my heart, and He loves me. (I would certainly be appreciative of a few extra prayers also)

The snow is melting...slowly! The boys are anxious to get out on the roads and start collecting cans and bottles again. We are slowly building up our family vacation fund, and if we all work super hard at it this summer, we might succeed!

A great song that I’ve listened to often this week: https://youtu.be/jdDIjbiVkA4

Joy and Sadness

My parents are safely back in Wisconsin, and our lives continue to move by at a rapid pace! We are now entering what I refer to as M.M.M. or the Magnificent Mayhem Mud season! Although the nights have been chilly, the daytime temperatures have been reaching into the upper 30s. This has created lots of mud and slop! We still have quite a bit of snow that has not melted yet, so more mud is coming!

In other news, our parent group at school hosted a birthday party for Maine last Friday night. Maine turned 199 years old on March 15, and it seemed like a good time of year to have a family fun event! The event was well attended by our school families, and it was a good opportunity for fellowship and enjoying Maine food (whoopie pies, blueberry muffins, Moxie, and pink hotdogs). Roger missed it as he was working. Since we’ve “sprung” forward in the time, it means the start of longer days for Roger. The boys and Emma enjoyed the “Maine” event, and I’m thankful for those parents that helped in the event as well as those families that attended.

Emma is finishing up her last few days of her antibiotic for Lyme. The medicine is affecting her stomach though, so we’ve been trying to encourage lots of yogurt and probiotics! She seems to tire more easily as of late, and Roger asked if it was “just him or does she seem more emotional”!? We are thankful that she takes the medicine without complaining or whining, and she’s good at pretending that the flavor changes every time she takes it. She pretends it’s cherry, strawberry, blueberry or a variety of other flavors. Travis asked if the flavor really changes or is she using her imagination! Its her imagination, buddy!

We are coming down the homestretch in working on these academic fair reports and projects. I do
not think that there is another event that can show the differences in each of our children’s
personalities  more clearly! Wyatt is working on “The Green Mountian Boys”. He has most of his report done, the resource page completed, and he’s been brainstorming about his project. Travis is completely overwhelmed by the entire thing, and I think he’d like to crawl under the table and ignore everything! Chandler works independently, and he only asks for help if he can’t manage something on his own. Garett is in no hurry or rush, and seems to think that the deadline is ages away...he will think that right up until the day it’s due, if we allow that! The bright spot is that once the academic fair is over, we have spring break! While I do enjoy breaks from school, I do wish that the school year would get done a little sooner around here. But since we already have the week off, we might as well enjoy it!

I’ve been working with our school music classes on preparing for a Patriotic program in May. Some classes are working on poems, or handbells, or Bible verses. And they are all working on various patriotic songs. It is so important that we encourage the next generation to love Jesus, serve God, and
 love their country. So many brave women and men sacrificed so much for this great country, and yet so many people take these liberties and freedoms for granted. We cannot be slack in encouraging and training the next generation!

Also this week, I bought Garett his first pair of pants from the men’s department. Where did time go?! He’s been growing so much and change is happening. I was looking back over pictures from years ago when it was just the four boys...in four years. Those were some long moments, but wow did time ever fly! I am constantly reminded of the changes that are happening as the children grow older and face challenges far deeper than the struggles of years ago. I beg for wisdom on a daily, moment by moment basis. If our children grow up to love Jesus and serve Him, it will be in spite of their mama not because of their mama! I’m just reminded often to keep short accounts with them; to ask their forgiveness as needed; to pray intercessory prayers for them; to love them fervently, and to always point them to Jesus.


In other news this week we had a friend unexpectedly pass away.  In the very first church we visited in Maine, we met a dear pastor and his dear wife. She welcomed me and our children with open arms. Although we didn’t stay at the church where he pastored, we remained friends with them. We attended the church we are now involved with due to their suggestion and the fact that Pastor Welch had been the pastor there years ago. For the past three years, Mrs. Welch has loved on our children, remembered their birthdays, provided a listening ear for me, and has always opened the door to her home with a hug for me. This past Thursday, Mrs. Welch went to be with Jesus. She died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest. I feel like I’ve lost the very first friend I met when we moved to Maine. God knew that I needed an older lady to love our children and to help me through some of those first very long and very lonely months in Maine. We will miss her. Emma cried when I explained that “Grandma” Welch had gone to be with Jesus. She said, “But Mom, you were going to
call her and we were going to go visit.” Yes, the last few weeks have just been a bit crazy with coming back from Haiti, school, my parents visting, and our vacation. I struggle with the fact that I didn’t make time for one more visit. But as Roger so gently told me, “Honey, you can’t  possibly do everything. God knows your heart. And He knows that you can only stretch yourself so thin, and you can only put so many things on your to-do list.” True, but my heart still hurts. I also realized anew that salvation is something that only God can bring about. Emma had a very difficult time understanding how Mrs. Welch’s heart stopped working;  but yet, because she trusted Jesus and asked him into her heart, she is in heaven with Jesus.  I know that God is working in Emma’s heart too as she has asked many questions about heaven as a result of the events of the past week. Please pray that Emma would come to know Jesus as her personal Savior.

Today I had a much needed date with my friend, Allison. For a change we didn’t need to shop for 500
things for the the school, but could instead just spend some time together. Emma was with us too, but Emma is the only one of our children that doesn’t mind shopping. I had a return I needed to make, and Allison was such good company for the day. I am truly blessed by her friendship, our laughter, the memories, and her encouragement to me. God blessed me when He placed Allison in my life. I am blessed.

All that to say...God is still on the throne, where He was when Daniel was in the Lions den, when Paul and Silas prayed in jail at midnight. He’s on His throne, and He giveth songs in the night.

Love,
Sarah

Vacation and Emma’s Test Results!

I’ve been a bit absent from blogging for the past two weeks as we’ve been soaking up some much needed time away for Roger and I. My parents have also been visting for the past two weeks, and we have treasured our time together. Of course, time went by all too quickly, but we are thankful for the opportunity to spend time with them.

My parents arrived about two weeks ago, shortly after our adventure to the E.R. With Emma. Our kids had winter break for the first week my parents were here, so we spent lots of time ice skating, visting, enjoying the outdoors together, and making memories. Also during that week, I called the doctors office to find out about Emma’s bloodwork. Imagine my surprise when our doctor reported that no Lyme testing had been run! I was not a happy mama, and now we had to return to the lab to have Emma’s blood redrawn! Emma did much better this time around, but it still wasn’t very fun. I knew it would take a few days to see what the results were, but I definitely feel like the E.R. Department dropped the ball on doing that test with the first round of her blood!

Roger and I had plans to leave on Friday afternoon for a few days away together. 396 days ago we had saved enough money to book a cruise! Cruising is something we both enjoy, and we find it a very affordable vacation if you’re willing to be flexible! My parents agreed to watch our children while Roger and I went on a cruise. It’s been four years since our last cruise and time away together for longer than two days. As we strive to preserve, protect, strengthen and encourage our marriage, I firmly believe that time away together is a necessity!

Roger and I left on Friday afternoon to head down to Newark, New Jersey. Our cruise was departing from Cape Liberty on Saturday afternoon. Roger was able to get a good deal on a car rental for 24   hours through his work, so we drove down to Newark, dropped off the car, and headed to our hotel   for the evening. On Saturday morning, we met up with some dear friends from Wisconsin. We headed to our cruise ship, and we savored every moment of our time. It was truly a wonderful week!

Our first port stop was in Orlando, Florida. Roger and I did not go with our friends on their excursion to NASA, but instead did some walking and talking around town. The Lord’s hand was in it all, as the doctors office called me on Tuesday. Roger and I did not have cell reception or an internet package on board the ship, but since we were in Orlando on Tuesday, I was able to get in touch with the doctors office. Emma’s bloodwork results had come back. The tests confirmed that Emma does indeed have Lymes. The doctor had called in an antibiotic prescription to the pharmacy. I was able to get ahold of my parents so that Emma can get started on her treatment. It’s not wonderful news, but we rejoice in knowing that God knows all things. I’m thankful that the bloodwork did confirm the Lyme, and that this is probably what caused Emma’s ankle to swell. It was a blessing to be able to talk to the doctors office, and get ahold of my parents on Tuesday. God knew that we needed that day  
 in Orlando.


The weather was beautiful in the Bahamas! We enjoyed the sandy beaches, the water, the friendships, the sun and the soaking up of memories. We went on this cruise with some friends from our church in Wisconsin. Some we knew really well, and one couple was someone we knew but not really well. We enjoyed our time with all of them! We spent many hours in conversations and laughter as well as conversations about the deeper and more painful experiences that life can bring. We are truly blessed.

I’m thankful that my parents held down the fort at home, helped our kids with school work and chores, encouraged them in their walk with Jesus, and loved on them. While our kids were thrilled to see us, they had a great week with Nana and Papa.

It was good for Roger and I to get away and spend some much needed time together. It’s not often that we have the opportunities to discuss everything under the sun without ears in the cornfield ...if you know what I mean! Roger’s job in Maine is a wonderful blessing, but the hours are long. It was good to reconnect as a couple, talk through our dream and desires for our children, pray together, and savor the memories.

Happy Valentines Day...and a visit to the E.R.!

Valentines Day! It was spent in a way that would not have been my first choice, but God brought us through it all. Because Wednesday was a snow day, I needed to teach music classes on Thursday. The kids and I were happy to have a snow day though as we spent the day making treats for the teachers,  valentines for their classmates and playing outside.

On Thursday morning, Emma woke up complaining that her ankle was hurting. I looked at it, but I didn’t see anything that looked like it would cause her pain. However, she didn’t want to put on her shoes. I was a bit annoyed by this, but because we needed to get to school to prepare for music classes, I just carried her to and from the car. When we were at school passing out the treats to the teachers, Emma started crying that her foot was really hurting. As a mom to five kids, I’m not always the most sympathetic to pain as someone is always getting hurt. However, I set Emma in the chair in the music room, and she did very well while I taught music classes. By the time we arrived home after teaching, Emma was dragging her foot behind her trying to put as little weight as possible on it. I gave her some tyhnol, but still didn’t see anything unusual.

After picking up the boys from school, Emma decided that she wanted to go outside with the boys. I said she would have to wear her boots. She tried to get the boot on and just kept crying. I tried to get it on and that was worse! I took off her sock and looked at her ankle again. She had a lump on her ankle...where did that come from?! I called Roger to tell him that maybe Emma’s ankle really was a source of pain for her. Then I called the pediatrician and they scheduled us for a 7:30pm appointment...right at bedtime!

We headed for the appointment and we checked in. Emma was now running a low grade fever and
 definitely not acting like herself! The doctor examined her, and told Roger and I that we should take
  Emma down to the emergency room for more testing. He was concerned about the possibility of an infection in her ankle. Although we were all ready for bed, we headed to the hospital instead. Emma told us that she just wanted to go to bed.

Although the doctor had called to say that we were coming in, we still had a bit to wait. Apparently 8:30pm., is a time when everyone wanted to come to the emergency room! It was well afte nine before we were put in a room, but thankfully the doctor came to see us shortly. He said the first thing to do was to take an X-ray. He didn’t think it was broken, but we needed to rule out the simplest thing first. I was really, really hoping that was the problem. However, when Roger came back from going with Emma, he said that he certainly didn’t notice any problems on the X-ray. Sure enough, the doctor came back in and said that her ankle was fine. So...now we needed to draw blood, insert and iv (in case she would need antibiotics), and get some blood to the lab. Emma was about asleep, but as soon as that nurse wheeled in her cart and started getting ready, Emma about came unglued! She was  practically crawling over the top of me in her haste to get away from the needles. The nurse was very good, but Emma can scream like no ones business! Roger had to hold her hands and arm, I had her leg, and the nurse did the poking. Emma has good veins, praise the Lord, but it was still traumatic! They need to use orthopedic glass to help her arm stay straight with the iv in it. Emma calmed down after they were done with all of that. While Roger was holding her down for the nurse to draw the blood, Emma kept on crying, “I just want my boys!” “I just want my boys and I want to go home!” It was pretty pitiful and definitely tugged on my heart strings.

By now it was approaching 10:30pm. The blood was sent to the lab, but the doctor said that he felt like they should try to draw some fluid off of her ankle. Great! More needles and poking! The doctor recommended that Emma get a little bit of sedative in her iv, just to help her be a bit more calm. The nurse put the numbing medication on Emma’s ankle, and about thirty minutes later (as soon as Emma was sleeping again) the doctor came back to draw fluid out of her ankle.  This was not a fun moment!
 Emma was very upset, even with the bit of sedative. I don’t do needles well, and I could feel the room spinning as I watched the doctor try to draw out fluid. He did get some fluid off of her ankle, and I was about on the floor. If I hadn’t been sitting down, I would’ve been by the time he was done! Roger said he had never seen me so white before! After that was sent to the lab, then we had to wait...and wait.

Emma was quite funny once her “happy juice” in her iv. Kicked in! She sat up and announced that the floor was lave! (A game that she and Travis like to play where you can’t touch the floor). Then she laid back down and talked to Roger who was leaning over the side of her bed. “Daddy, you have beautiful blue eyes!” “Daddy, your nose is a little big and your teeth are a little yellow, but your eyes are beautiful!” I about fell off the chair from chuckling. Then Emma snuggled down in the bed. It was now after 11:30pm, and the doctor came in to tell us that he was going off duty. We were still waiting  for lab results, and they would let us know. I ended up climbing into the bed with Emma, as I was so
tired. She was happy to snuggle next to mama, and she slept a bit peacefully. Roger only was able to catch a snooze in an uncomfortable chair, but we survived. Emma did wake up around 1:00am., as,I get when we were going home, and that her ankle still hurt. The nurse brought her some tyhnol, and she drifted back to sleep.

Around two am., the doctor came in to tell us that Emma’s blood test didn’t really show anything out of the ordinary too much. She had some elevated white blood cell count, but nothing that was drastic. The bottom line was that no one really knew or knows what the problem was/is. They did send away to get her blood tested for Lyme and juvenile arthritis, but those results will take a few days. We finally left the hospital around 2:30am, and not really knowing a whole lot more than when we had started! We were exhausted, as was Emma. She announced that she was hungry on the drive home, and came home to happily eat a container of blackberries. As she sat at the table eating berries with  Roger, she announced, “We were at the hospital for a very long time, and my ankle still hurts!”


We were all happy to catch a few hours of sleep. Roger had to be at work by six, so his sleep was more like a nap! I had messaged the school to let them know that I wouldn’t be able to play the piano for chapel. I woke up around 6:30, as I heard the boys downstairs. I went to tell them to quiet down and to tell them that we wouldn’t be going to school right away. Wyatt told me that Emma had ruined his perfect attendance record...but he would forgive her anyways! I sent them outside for a couple of hours while I gathered my thoughts and prepped for hot lunch. We were at school a little later than I had planned as we didn’t arrive until ten. Emma really wanted to go to school as today was her Valentines Day party. Once we arrived, she said she thought she wanted to go home. I told her that if she wasn’t feeling well, I would come get her. I set her in a chair in her classroom, and she seeemd just fine. She had a good morning, and the swelling in her ankle has been going down.

Emma’s ankle has been improving every day, and she has a follow up visit on Monday. One of my concerns is that while the swelling in her ankle has gone down, her knee is a bit swollen! I am praying that we will get some answers when we return for a follow up visit.

Garett is twelve and 1/2 years old and Emma is five. The boys have survived jumping out of trees using garbage bags for parachutes!  Emma is our first child to visit the Emergency Room, and I’m sure that her brothers will never let her live it down!

Update: Yesterday was Presidents Day, so we did not get into the doctor office. However, Emma is not running a fever, all the swelling is gone, and she can wear shoes again. I called the doctor to see about her test results. There is nothing that is out of the ordinary. We are still waiting on a Lyme Disease test, but other than a slightly elevated white blood count, nothing is abnormal. That’s good and bad news. The problem seems to have solved itself, however, we don’t know what the originally problem was nor if the problem will resurface. However, we serve a God Who knows it all! We will continue to trust Him and that Emma is in His care. Thank you for your love and prayers,
Sarah

Haiti Journal (Day 7 & 8) Rest day? And Home!

I’m going to finish up our journal about our Haiti trip. It's taken me longer than I would have liked, but getting back into the swing of things at home as also been taking up my time!

 

Friday, January 25, 2019
Rest day consisted of a lot of walking, which I don’t mind at all. It als consisted of being away from the hotel a large part of the day, but such is life. Haitian time is it’s own special time and nothing is rushed or hurried.

We started off the day with breakfast around 8:30 am. Then we decided to take the dump truck to the hospital to check on our patients that had come down the mountian to be seen for additional help. 

All seven girls (myself, Tara, Moriah, Beca, Lauren, Lydia and Krissy) are sharing a room with 2 queen beds. Marcus and Kacie both brought along sleeping mats, so we’ve been able to use those too. We could’ve gotten an additional room, but this way we can save money, and its only for two nights. However the air conditioner doesn’t work in our room and its a bit like a sauna. We decided to change rooms, but then discovered that the air conditioner wasn’t working in the room we were going to move to either! Oh well! 

When we arrived at the hospital we discovered that a few more patients had come down the mountain. Yesterday we had brought down a little boy who’s foreskin won’t retract and he needs to be circumcised. We also brought down a lady that had broken a bone and the bone had not healed properly. The old man with congestive heart failure is here, and he looks worse than he did before. He did tell Pastor Kevin that he was ready to see Jesus. Perhaps the hospital can at least give him something to manage the pain. Two of the pregnant ladies with very, very hig blood pressure were at the hospital as well as the lady who thinks she is five months pregnant. Remember the one that we couldn’t get a positive pregnancy test on? Hannah, Tara, Kacie and Pastor Kevin talked with the doctor for a bit, but since nothing is done quickly, we decided to go see the progress on the Faulde’s house.They are building a house in Cay Jocmel that will be there home as well as a place to provide lodging for the mission teams that come through. 

It was certainly a warm walk from the hospital to the Fauldes house, but I enjoyed the opportunity to walk with Moriah, Garett and Josiah. Their house project has made tremendous strides in a year, but it still has a ways to go. Its going to be a beautiful home when it is finished. 

I was ready to head back to the hotel after seeing the house, but remember we are on Haitian time. I had not expected to have lunch today since the hotel gave us a big breakfast. Pastor Kevin had arranged for us to go to someone’s house for lunch. She was making spaghetti, which is a fast meal-if you are in the States. She bought the spaghetti, stopped to pick up chicken and came home to cook lunch. It was over an hour and one-half before lunch was ready. Garett played soccer with some Haitian kids for most of the time. I actually think she was able to get lunch together fairly quickly considering that she had to boil the water in a pot over the stove, cut up and cook the chicken , and make the juice by juicing the oranges-and not with a powered juicer! The Haitians eat their spaghetti with hot dogs and chicken in it. Its an interesting way to eat it, but Nadine is a great cook. Her food is always yummy. Each plate was piled high with food...way more than I would have chosen to eat! Eating all those carbs and sugar without a lot of protein can make you tired in a hurry. As we finished up our huge lunch, Pastor Kevin announced that one of the staff at the hospital had made us coffee and rolls to eat before heading to the hotel! So back to the hospital we walked to eat more food and drink coffee! I don’t really care for Haitian coffee too much, and I knew if I drank that I would probably lose all my lunch. Instead I sat quietly at a table with Tara and Grandpa. Pastor Kevin told Hannah that he thought the hospital was getting ready to close down for the weekend (yes, that happens)and that she should go check on some of the patients to make sure they were getting their medicine. Hannah, Kacie and Pastor Kevin went to go check on them, but a few minutes later Tara and I decided that we wanted to go too. I told Tara that the hospital isn’t that big, and that we could probably find Hannah. Sure enough I heard Hannah laughing, and we found them! 2 of the pregnant ladies were waiting for some kind of shot and then they would be sent home with high blood pressure medication. They would need to come back in two weeks for a follow up visit. The one mama is at least eight months pregnant,so she could be having the baby any day, especially after a bumpy ride back up the mountain to home. The other lady (the one who told us that she was five months pregnant) is not pregnant. What she has instead is a belly full of worms! She isn’t feeling her baby move, but she is feeling worms in there! Ugh! I cant even imagine! So she will be sent home with worm medication and blood pressure medication. She did not look at all sad to not be having a baby, and she will probably be feeling much better soon! 

We arrived back at the hotel around 5pm. Since we had such a late and big lunch we decided that we didn’t need supper. Garett, Josiah Beca and Krissy got in the pool even though its not full of water. I sat on the edge of the pool with Moriah, Lydia, and Lauren. We had some good conversations about some of the deeper things in life. I sure have come to love and appreciate these girls this week. I will miss them when I go home. It’s good to know how to pray a bit more specifically for them. 

Since we are leaving for the airport tomorrow at 3am, I am going to bed soon even though its only like 8pm. 

It was a busy and full rest day. I’m thankful for deep conversations, friends to love and pray with, and that God is at work in each of our lives. 

Tonight Garett gave the extra money we was given for this trip to Pastor Kevin. It will either go towards the cost of the meals for the clinics that we held, or for hospital bills or whatever the needs may be. Garett also had been given some money that he was told that he could spend however he liked. He decided to give $20.00 to each of the Faulde kids for whatever their needs might be. I’m so thankful for his generous spirit and his desire to help others. I’m praying that he will continue to grow and mature into the man that God wants him to be. 


 January  26, 2019 Saturday Day 8

Today we are heading home! We woke up at 3:00am as the driver was supposed to be here at 3:30am.  To take us to the airport. Well, by 4:00am there was still no sign of the driver! Pastor Kevin called him and the driver said that the van was currently stuck on a sand pile! Apparently the wheels were spinning,  and the van was not moving. Since there is nothing we can do about that, we decided to go back to bed, or at least lie down on the bed. At about 4:45, the driver called to say that he was on his way. He came racing down the road at 5;00am and all the bags were quickly thrown in. Krissy had a flight leaving at 9:45am so we needed to get going! As the bags were being thrown on, one of the ropes to tie them down breaks completely! However, those bungee cords were still in the truck so we were able to solve the problem quickly. Finally, we were on the road for the airport. Our driver drove like a crazy person! He was determined to get us to the airport on time. 

By the time we arrived at the airport, I think we were all feeling a big car sick. However, Krissy did mange to make her flight! Garett and I manage to pack all of our stuff to come home into 2 carryons, so we didn’t have to pay for any checked bags. Josh asked at the Delta counter about our missing bags. The ticket agent said that the bags had made it to Port-au- Prince. We would need to walk to the cargo office to get our missing bags. We knew that if we left Haiti without our bags there was a good possibility that we would never see them again. It was a bit of a hike down to the cargo office, and we never would have found it except that God brought along someone to led us there. When we finally found the cargo office, there sat our missing bags! Who knows how longs they’ve been here, but I do plan to have a talk with Delta about our missing bags. I’m hoping that Delta will work with us on the inconvenience of missing our bags all week. We did survive without them that is for sure! Howeve, the majority of the stuff in my suitcase was to leave with the Haitian people! I don’t really want to take all that stuff back home again! And I definitely don’t want to pay to take it home! Thankfully the ticket agent was kind to us. He waived the baggage fee for our bags. We might’ve walked a mile to get our bags, but now we have them back. 

Since our flight didn’t leave until 1:45pm, we had enough time to chase down our bags. Maybe Ill be able to save the stuff for next year if the Lord allows me to return to Haiti again. 

Another year is wrapped up! God is so, so good to us! Garett smiled the whole week. He told me that he loved playing with the kids, and working on the roof with the guys. I’m thankful for those who helped take care of our kids, gave to us financially, and prayed for us. We are so blessed by the generosity and love others have bestowed upon us. Roger is a good, good man to hold down the fort, encourage me to go, and work his job this week. 

I’m thankful for a home to return to, and a bed to sleep in, a warm shower, and toilet paper by the toliet! I’m thankful for a variety of foods we are blessed to have in the States. I’m thankful for the grace of God that sustains us every step of the way. 

Haiti Journal Day #6 (Down the Mountain)

January 24, Thursday

A day to come down the mountain! We didn’t have a medical clinic today, which was probably for the best as some of our med supply is running low. We’ve seen well over 1000 people in the clinics in the past three days-God is good!

It was actually a bit of a restful morning as we didn’t have to race to get ready for a clinic. The Haitian boys woke up around 5am and started talking loudly. Even though they are down the hall, and our door is shut, we could still hear them! Apparently it’s never to early to speak loudly to someone or to bring out a battery-operated boombox! Its a different culture here and there is no shame in speaking loudly when everyone else is clearly sleeping. 

We were all up fairly early , and our cook made us a big meal of cabbage, goat, potatoes and some type of dumpling. My stomach hasn’t been feeling all that great, and I couldn’t bring myself to eat breakfast. I think I hurt our cooks feelings though, and I certainly didn’t mean to do that! I guess if I was the cook in a land full of starving people, I would want these white Americans to eat and be happy too! 

After breakfast we started packing up and cleaning to head down the mountain. I helped Hannah for a while with the counting and resorting of medical supplies until Hannah was called away to look at a boys arm. Yesterday Hannah had seen a bod that had fallen out of a tree and fractured his wrist. Hannah told the mom that she should bring the boy to the mission house so that Hannah could wrap his arm. Hannah and Kacie worked on that while the rest of us pretty much watched. Hannah is very creative at coming up with alternative solutions for medical problems.

Later in the morning, Moriah and I cleaned the bathrooms in the mission house. That is no small feat in a land that doesn’t have much for cleaning supplies and hot water! The boys bathroom was positively disgusting, and Moriah says that she is pretty sure that she earned an extra crown in Heaven over that job! The Garett and Josiah tell us that someone peed in the shower since someone was using the toilet! I don’t think the bathrooms are extremely clean, but they are way cleaner than before!

We started down the mountain after a lunch of white rice and sauce. We were all pretty excited about white rice! We got on the road at about 1:30pm. Af first it seemed like it would be a fairly comfortable ride down the mountain, but then we picked up two Haitian ladies and a toddler headed to the hospital. So we ended up with 17 people on the back of the dump truck and all the luggage. The bungee cords that had been in Garetts bag came in handy to help secure the luggage. Grandpa had the idea to use the laundry clothesline to help secure the sides of the dump truck. I’m not sure how secure we were, but God kept us safe. I’m pretty sure that most of us have quite a few bruises from banging against the sides of the dump truck. I certainly would not want Pastor Kevins job of trying to safely get the truck down the mountains-how stressful! 

We arrived down the mountain about 4:30pm, and we were all very thankful to get off of the truck! Garett, Josiah and Grandpa are sharing a room, and the seven of us girls are in a room. We had the option to get another hotel room, but hey, we can save money this way. I certainly don’t mind. The hotel that we stay at when we come off the mountain is clean, and its very warm. The air conditioner is not working in our room, so it is very, very warm! The hotel has a pool, but it is currently dirty and doesn’t have water in it. Garett and Josiah are working on getting it filled up. 

We did go get pizza tonight at the pizzeria in Jocmel. It was a very tasty dinner, but wow, does my stomach hurt! I’m not sure why, but it does!

Tomorrow will be a bit of a rest and repack day, as we prepare to head home on Saturday. Its been a good trip, but I’m ready to see the rest of my family. Garett has been a really, really good trooper. He never complained coming down the mouantin, and he’s found things to do. And he’s kept smiling! 

I’m thankful for the safety coming down the mountain today. I’m thankful for tiredness and the rest that the LORD gives. I’m thankful for a bed to sleep in and clothes to wear. I am so blessed! 

Haiti Journal Day#5 (Medical Clinic Adventures!)

January 23, 2019 Wednesday


Already Wednesday! Today we are headed to Baie d’Orange to have the clinic. We are going to take the dump truck since we are taking so much medicine and a lot of people. However, we may end up having to take motorcycles. 

Today I’m praying that Garett will be able to find things to do to keep busy. Sometimes that can be harder to do when we are away from the mission house. He’s still smiling though and having a great time!

I forgot to write yesterday that Tara rechecked on her pregnant lady in the afternoon and the lady had stopped progressing. This was a great thing as we didn’t want to deliver a baby that isn’t ready to safely come into the world. Dehydration as well as an infection and a bumpy motorcycle ride are the things that probably started her labor pains.  

As we get tired its easy to have a little less patience and grace with each other, so I’m also asking God for an extra measure of that today.   

In Chota, Hannah treated a man who started asking questions about Jesus. Hannah sent him to talk to Pastor Kevin and the pastor of the church in Chota. Pastor Kevin said that the man understood what he needed to do, but kept saying that he couldn’t get saved yet because he had already promised the devil that he would do certain things. The power of witchcraft is a real and huge thing here as 
people grow up in a culture surrounded by fear and superstition. But I read in Colossians 1:12-14    
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints         of light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through is blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Oh praise his HOLY NAME! I don’t have to live in darkness! 

Looking forward to what the day will bring as  we see the people and God at work among us.   


Evening:
We were on the road to clinic by about 6:20am. Pastor Kevin drove the Parakaleo dump truck with 16 people on the back, and 3 in the cab. The road is hardly a road, more of a trail, but nevertheless,  
on we went! We did have to stop to get a rock out from between the two back wheels. Marcus and    
Josh were able to get it out, which was necessary as the rock rubs on the tires. However we did arrive by about 7:30am. The pastor preached the Gospel message to the crowd that was already there and growing by the minute!  


Clinic was held in the same building that the guys had come to work on Sunday afternoon. When they were there on Sunday, the floor was only about 1/3 of the way done. In two days the men from the church had made, mixed, poured, and smoothed out the floor and it had dried! Those were some intentional workers! The people were very glad to see us come to have clinic in their building. This is the largest building, and we had the most space for clinic...it was great! Pastor Kevin says that in Haiti if you build the building, the people will come. That certainly proved to be true today! 

 Hannah’s 1st patients of the morning were two pregnant ladies. Both mamas had extremely high blood pressure. And they both appeared to be pregnant, but only one of the ladies tested positive in   
  the urnine pregnancy test. The other mama we tested four times with four different pregnancy tests,  and   we never did get a postive test! Hannah is worried about both of them and their babies, so she wants  
them to come down the mountain with us tomorrow to go to the hospital. Hannah had purchased a Doppler for this trip, but guess what? It is in the missing bag! We have this thing that helps you hear the heartbeat, but its like a home thing, so its accuracy might not be fantastic.  Kacie had an older man that came into be seen, and he is not long for this world. His oxygen is failing, and his extremities are very swollen. We paid to have him sent down to the hospital as soon as possible. He probably feels like he is drowning with all those fluids. Kacie also saw patient that had a catheter put in...like three months ago! He was supposed to go have it changed or removed after two weeks, but he didn’t return to the hospital, so now he has a nasty infection! 

We had a lot of people working in the clinic today, so Emelie and I had time for some serious  conversations. Life isn’t all roses, and sometimes life experiences are painful. At one point we were both hiding under the table looking for tissues and trying to hide our tears. Hannah asked what we were doing, and Garett pipes up “They’re talking and then crying! I don’t know what’s wrong with them!” I’m thankful for laughter and joy, but also for deep and meaningful conversations.  

We ran out of baggies to put the pills into this afternoon. We are probably quickly approaching 1000 people seen. Hannah brought plenty of baggies...but guess what? They are in the missing bag! We have extra medicine cups, and I had a roll of duct tape in my backpack. We took the medicine cups, put the pills in, and duct tape across the top! Its not beautiful, but it works! 

We did have a quick lunch break of rice and beans (no surprise there!) plaintains, potatoes, and chicken legs. They also made us some special juice and it was delicious. I have no idea what was in it, but Garett and I both liked it! Having lunch made everyone feel a bit tired, I think! However, the people kept coming! We finally had to tell the people that we had to leave. The nurses were rushing around trying to see everyone that they could while we packed up the stuff from the clinic. Those last few moments were pretty crazy! 

We needed to get back to the mission house before the sun set as the road is so rough! On the way back to the mission house, the welding started to come apart on the back of the truck. We actually had to stop the truck, and everyone had to sit down in the bed of the truck as the sides were so loose. We passed by a man making caskets, and I made the remark that the man was building caskets.  Josiah leaned over and told me, “He might have a lot of business today if this truck breaks!” We laughed together, as the truth is we don’t know when we will die. But I’m not fearful of death...I know that my Redeemer lives, and I have a home in Heaven! 

Shortly after we arrived back at the mission house, the mama with the baby with the burns came to be seen. The baby had kicked off the dressings and the skin was exposed. Hannah carefully redressed the wounds, and gave the mom some very specific instructions for care of the burns. We have no way of providing follow up care. All we can do is help the child, give instructions, and pray for God to heal these wounds. 

It was another long, exhausting day, but I do think that God was glorfied through it all. I cant imagine how tired Hannah, Kacie, Tara and Grandpa must be as they talked to so many people today. Grandpa translated for almost the entire day. I know he must be getting tired of these long days, but  yet his love and dedication for the people is apparent. I know he is getting older, but I pray that God will allow him too come on these trips for years to come.  

The church people wanted to make lunch special for our team. The people that came to clinic were fed rice and beans. However, they wanted for make lunch special for us. Shortly after the clinic started this morning, the pastor came to get Kevin. He walked Kevin down to his house where we would eat lunch later. He wanted Kevin to taste the juice that they had made. Kevin assured him that whatever was made for lunch, we would eat. They wanted the team to know that they appreaciated the medical team coming. 

Pastor Kevin said that the pastor’s father-in-law lives with them, but he has Alzheimer’s. When the pastor and his family need to leave, they lock the old man in the house. The pastor says that otherwise his father in law would wander away and could be lost. The old man doesn’t mind being locked in the house apparently, as he sings to himself the whole time. It’s intersting that they have figured out how to keep him safe, but it’s not at all what we would do in the States. 

In our three days of clinics, I have never seen so many pregnant women! Seguin, Chota, Baie d’Orange...there are a lot of babies and pregnant mamas! The rate of death is also fairly high as we saw a lot of children that are being raised by a family member, as the mom had died. The toddler years seem to be especially high for mortality rate as by the time the child is 2 or 3 the mama often has another baby. The toddler is expected to be “able to fend for himself” which only works out if the child is strong and healthy. 

Hannah had to go make a house call during clinic today. She had seen the mom and the mom wanted Hannah to come and check on her daughter. Apparently the daughter was nine years old and had stopped walking when she was six. They don’t keep track of dates here, so its hard to know. Garett asked to go with Hannah on the house call, and that was pretty special for him. Hannah said that the girl is mentally handicapped, but she is actually fairly healthy for her condition out here. 

God kept us safe today over all the bumps and rocks. He provided a church building that was big and had plenty of space for clinic. During todays message, we had about 6 kids raise their hands for salvation. The pastor of the church took them aside to talk and to pray with them. We praise the Lrod for each salvation decision made this week and we pray that discipleship will follow as these pastors interact with the people. 

Tomorrow we will head down the mountain in the afternoon. We will have a full load going down the mountain as well as any sick people that need a ride down to the hospital.

Prayer requests:
1) a good nights rest for all
2) the baby with the burns to heal quickly
3) a safe trip tomorrow

Praises:
1) safety 
2) salvation descisons made
3) Gods grace