SUSTAIN Haiti

2012-01-28T09:04:00.001-05:00

We made it Nicaragua just fine. Chris gave his BlackBerry so I have internet again. The digicel network seems to work fine here for internet. Nicaragua looks like haiti should - there are trees and birds. I can't decide exactly how that makes me feel...

Nicaragua

2012-01-26T08:49:00.001-05:00

There has been so much going on I haven't had time to write and I really can't remember what I have updated lately. But the news of the moment is that I am off to Nicaragua for 10 days. All of the CVM fieldworkers from the Caribbean and South America are going to meet in Nicaragua for training and retreat (they did something last year for the Africa folks). Also the new people who are coming on board are going to be doing a training of trainers. I know it will be a great time and I will be blessed. The thing is I really don't want to go. I have so many things I need to catch up on and HSI has a huge training here and Rosie is worried about doing it alone. It will be good for me to rest and good for Rosie and crew to know they can do it on their own.

I got things straightened out for my drivers license, just need to get it. It will take a couple of trips downtown but that's the norm.

There is a little guy in Merger they call shelove - I met him when I first started going to Merger. He is dezod - a little bad boy. He is so cute though and wanted to be my friend. One day when I first started going to Merger he gave me a nut that goes on a bolt. It was the first present someone had given me from Haiti that was for just because. I wore it on my chain for a long time and then kept it safe - it got lost in the earthquake. Anyway I told everyone he was my boyfriend and that when he grew up we were going to get married (he's 14 now). He has been in trouble in the village for stealing and is just now in the 3rd grade. What is so cool is that he has started hanging around with the guys in the GKK project, especially Franso who works in the forage garden. He always is there helping and last Sunday I saw him in church. He is in the 3rd grade so not eligible for GKK yet but he has worked so hard and is changing so much so I got hi a pregnant goat - it is a good thing :)

oh and we had a big meeting with all the GKK kid in Merger (and their parents) some have been slow in giving back their second offspring. It was decided among the group that we would try it with the first offspring with the new group and the ones who haven't given back yet would give their first offspring. We'll see how it works. The trainers seem to think it will make the children breed their goats back faster and there is this assumption that the first time a goat is pregnant they have one baby and the second time 2 (so they think the project will be getting extra goats). We all know this is true but this is a cultural thing they are going to have to see for themselves. I love this project that the people are taking ownership and making it work to fit their needs. The other thing is that if we see a goat loose we get to confiscate it and they have to pay 125goudes to get it back.

ok I'm off to do business emails before it's time to go to the airport. Not sure about the net there...

the story

2012-01-23T16:04:00.001-05:00

Ok so I can be done with this here is the story....

Pastor Johnny was preaching at another church. They called me out of church to go pick him up because he had an accident. The reason he had the accident was because he was hurrying to pick up someone who had a nail fly and rupture their eye to get them to the hospital. A big produce truck pulled out in front of him and crunch. The truck only had chipped paint the white pickup (the one I had when I was in Les Cayes) got all scrunched on the left side. But not so bad it couldn't be fixed or be driven. We got the police and the truck to a garage and pastor Johnny dropped off. One of the church elders was with me so I had to take him back to Merger. Church was over and I sent my crew home on motorcycles with borrowed money because I wasn't sure how long I would be. Anyway to get back to Merger from where we were downtown the quickest easiest route was through another bad section of town. It has been fairly quiet recently so... 6 guys barred the road, 4 with guns. I would have had to run them over. I found out later that 20 minutes earlier one of my friends had passed the same way. There were just 4 guys and they didn't stop - they shot at them 10 or 12 times (thankfully they weren't hit). So i guess they recruited the extra guys to make us stop. They jerked open the doors and put the guns in our faces and started asking for money. some time in all of it I got hit with the gun i = in the hand and the ribs (i think when I didn't open the glovebox fast enough and when I was trying to talk the one guy into giving me my phone back or at least the sim card). Anyway they told us to leave - we started going and about 100yds up the road I saw a MINUSTA truck (United Nations) and stopped. There was one guy in it and he was asleep in the backseat. He was from Bangledesh and spoke no English, Creole or French...a second one came up he had been across the street in a chair. The whole time I was trying to talk to them I was watching in my rearview mirror them rob the second vehicle. Finally after a minute or so I left and went on down the road when I found another MINUSTA group there was someone from Nigeria who spoke some English and a Haitian cop. Then we got some action but the thieves were gone by then. What burns me up about all of it was my friends said they saw the first MINUSTA vehicle but were afraid to stop because it was so close and they were just out of range of the guns. How could they not be on alert when 10 or 12 gunshots had been fired 20 minutes before...

Items lost not so important that I have my life and truck very important! Life goes on... I already miss my blackberry no more quick updates.

2012-01-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

The advantage to working in Merger so close to Cite and the gangs, some of the people I know know some of the gang people too. I have seen 10 things that were in my wallet, unfortunately not my licenses. I had time to cancel my cc (Vicky a new one is coming soon). The worst thing I lost were all the receipts for 3 months to finish up my end of the year reports...

Had a good meeting with the goat project. We are going to do some changing around. They want to give the first baby instead of the second - it's their project so we will do it their way :).

I'm going home and going to bed it's been a long day. Tomorrow I'll try and get a new phone. I have all the paperwork so I can keep the same number.

2012-01-22T15:28:00.001-05:00

well the day has been interesting to say the least. I was sitting in church and they came and got me to tell me Pastor Johnny had an accident, he was preaching at another church. He is fine and the truck can be fixed but it was crunched pretty bad. Cant show you the photos cause I was robbed on the way home from dropping him off and have no phone, money, license, credit card etc any more. They didn't take the truck or shoot us, just hit me a couple of times so that is a very good thing. Then on my way home from that I hit a goat and it ripped part of the fender off of my truck. I really want a do over today. Off to a meeting for the GKK project :)

2012-01-20T16:42:00.001-05:00

The reality of life smacks you harder than others some days. I just helped a lady out a ditch I watched her fall in. When she came to it turns out she fell because she hadn't eaten since yesterday and was 1/3 of the way on her 10 mile walk home from trying to get some food to cook for her family. Her husband had a good job and was killed in the earthquake. Her house fell she and her 4 kids are living in. A tent where the house was. She had been selling stuff from her tent to make a living and New Years Eve thieves broken in and stole everything. Since then she has been borrowing and living off of the generosity of others. We got her some gatorade and a small bowl of rice and she drank the juice and ate about 4 bites of rice and asked for a bag to take the rest home to her kids. Needless to say I am getting her some food to take home and giving her a lift. Probably will invest a bit in helping her get set back up in business.
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2012-01-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

There is good and bad in every day. The good of today was that I pick up 5 goats from the children of Merger. These are the second babies and will go to other children in the future. Its so exciting to see the progress in the GKK program. But just like all projects where there are multiple people involved some are more keen than others to learn and change. When I picked up the babies I found 3 momma goats running loose. One of the fundamental things we are trying to change in the GKK project is not to let the goats run loose - they get stolen too easily if they are loose. All of the children know this and some just don't want to follow the rules. So today I was the bad guy and "kidnapped" the goats that were loose. The children have to come with their parents to a meeting on Sunday to talk with myself, Pastor Johnny and the trainers in order to get their goats back. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call to everyone that we mean business when we say the goats have to be kept tied up.
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2012-01-18T20:35:00.001-05:00

One of the important things in life is learning to let go of things and even those we love. Seems like I've been getting well educated in that subject lately. First with Judeline leaving. She is doing ok by the way - she is going to live in Les Cayes, not with her biological family but with a friend. Please keep praying for her and me for that matter. I love her and miss her but my life is definitely much more peaceful. I still have a lot of work to do in the forgiveness department - its easy to say and easy to do on the surface but not so easy in the depths of my heart. So things need to stay the way they are for now.

The lesson on letting go of things came today when I got home Wilna asked me if the computer in Abolina's room was good - I said what computer. Seems Ronald went in my room got my laptop and opened it - renamed the hard drive, made some excel spreadsheets and ripped of 9 of the keypad covers. Mad wouldn't begin to describe how I felt. I ranted for about 5 minutes and then shed a couple of tears and then decided it is just a piece of equipment and was prepared to start retrying to create everything I have done since my last backup in November. But God is good and everything works and nothing is lost (I did a new backup too). 2 year olds! Wonder what will be next???

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2012-01-14T14:21:00.001-05:00

I just finished shopping for food for a retreat we are hosting next week. I'm waiting on the others to finish with there part. I have this one guy who always helps me. He gets cabbage leaves for the rabbits and carries my bags. I have given him a bucket and often we have a coke together. Today he started telling me about his family. He was so proud of his brother who had finished high school and one other who is almost finished. He told me all about how his mom sells on Delma. Sometimes she comes down here to the big market and he helps here carry her stuff. He also got to telling me how his third brother taught him how to write his name in 1995 and he hasn't forgotten it. He is probably in his early 40's. He wanted my phone number so he could call me to go visit his mom. I told him no but that one day when I wasn't busy I would come get him and we would go visit his mom. His name is
Placide

He really touched me. I don't know what I want to say about this story but it makes my heart happy and sad at the same time and I wanted to share with you.

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2012-01-12T21:13:00.001-05:00

Its been two years... Still everyday there is some little thing that makes me think of that day and those after. To say I am thankful to be here is an understatement. I had no tears today like last year just lots of memories.

We have a team here and today we did a training for some pastors in a goat project. The thing is it was for the same group that I did the training for 2 years ago today with some of the same people. It was very surreal.

On our way home for the training the presidential helicopter was in the road and I realized right away they were at the mass grave. We went to see it and the ceremony. It was very nice but I didn't like the fact that they built the box for dignitaries to sit in over some of the space where people are buried. They had speeches from all the heads of the recognized religions here in Haiti. They had singing, speeches etc. President Clinton was here. We saw President Martelly, Jean Claude Duvalier and his wife. I didn't get good photos but one of the team members did. I will try to post them over the weekend after the team is gone.

Tomorrow is day 2 of the training and I need to get some sleep.

2012-01-10T11:46:00.000-05:00

These are 2 day-old babies. They are the second pregnancy of Jedline's goat in the GKK project. In about 8 months they will be given to new children!

2012-01-05T18:12:00.001-05:00

I so love having people come to visit - it is a lot of work but the rewards far outweigh the work. The fellowship, exchange of ideas/skills, seeing new places and seeing old ones with new eyes is so great!

We saw some really sick horses today. The wounds from their saddles rubbing are bad enough to make them have systemic infections. I have some of the vet agents going to try some new ways to keep the load off their spines. Working with these horses has always been on my mind from the first time I came to Haiti. The one vet agent told me they have already had one die because of its saddle sores that is beyond horrific.

I am also very grateful for people who care about me. I put a post on Facebook yesterday that said Suicide sucks! Boy did that spark a wave of activity - a couple of phone calls and several private emails to see if I was ok. That is so nice. I so wish that it was so easy to see for those who are in that dark place that there are people who care. I wish I could tell the whole world that dying is not worth it. My friend Lynne said something in response to my post that is one of the best things I have ever heard - Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Please everyone tell someone you know that!

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2012-01-04T19:10:00.001-05:00

We are in Pignon doing clinics. I have a 4th year vet student and a vet from Chicago with me(he was here visiting another missionary friend and came along). I love to come to the countryside - the people are so down to earth but they have so many superstitions and beliefs that aren't true about their animals. We got to have a discussion with a witch doctor and hear how he came to be one. He said the spirits came to him in the garden while he was working(actual people but with yellow skin) and told him if he didn't serve them they would put his eyes out. And before the day was over he was blind and couldn't get home from the garden. He was blind for 10 months before he decided to serve them and wasn't blind anymore....

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2011-12-27T11:27:00.000-05:00

Goats on the table - NOT ALLOWED!

2011-12-26T07:42:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We had a nice day. The wedding went well on Christmas eve and everyone got to bed late. We had Christmas dinner at the center. Jan and I cooked. We had a traditional Christmas meal along with rice and beans. There were 25 of us. Keith, Jan and I and our Haitian friends and families. Keith went and picked up Solange the girl from Pax Villa I sewed up so she was there too. A good day.
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Trees from the WFP project - 6 months old

2011-12-23T06:58:00.000-05:00

2011-12-23T06:57:00.001-05:00

We come to plant seeds and that is all we are to expect but it is sure a blessing that encourages you and makes all the frustrating days worthwhile when you get to see the fruit. First I got to know what happened to the girl in Pax Villa after the earthquake. Then yesterday I went to the valley and got to see the mom and baby that I took to the hospital when she was hemorrhaging after delivering. They are doing great. Also I got to see the trees that we planted with the World Food Program. It is such a blessing.

The best part of yesterday though was that I took 2 boys with me from Merger. The one boy has never been farther than the training center. I don't think he said more than 10 words the whole trip - he was just soaking it all in. The other guy has been a couple of places but never to the valley and he kept saying oh this is the place in our geography book. It was better than bringing Haitians to the US for the first time.

Tomorrow starts the Christmas festivities. In the morning the church is having a clean up day in Merger from 7-11 then at 4 one of the trainers in the GKK program is getting married. I am hoping it starts on time because Miquel and Anya are getting married at 5. Its going to be wild. Then on Christmas day we are having dinner for about 30. Keith, Jan and I and our Haitian families and friends.

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Our 2 temporary visitors

2011-12-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

Our 2 little bucks

2011-12-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

Lots Going On

2011-12-21T11:07:00.001-05:00

Today is a special day - it is my 4th life anniversary! God loves me so much and wanted to keep me around to harass everyone for a few more years:) maybe some reflections later.

Before that the coolest thing happened this morning. Keith called this morning and met a girl named Solange. Keith talks to everyone about everything and it turns out she was the girl who was scalped that I sewed up after the earthquake. I always wondered what happened to her. She left the camp after 2 days and I never saw her again. I have her phone number but haven't gotten through yet. I have thought about her and prayed for her so often since the earthquake. Out of 4 million people Keith runs into her. I'm very happy. Yet sad at the same time. Because of her injuries and being laid up she didn't get a free house. She and her father are paying rent on a temporary wooden house that someone else got for free and they had another place to live. That is criminal. I hate that people take advantage of other people like that. Those who are without are still suffering and others are getting rich off them.

We have 4 baby goats that we are bottle feeding. 2 just for a day or so. They are soooo cute!
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2011-12-18T21:34:00.000-05:00

I always remember the stories of having to walk to school 2 miles uphill in the snow or something like that when an adult is trying to make a point to a child. These days I am watching the reality of that long walk played out before my very eyes. The president is building a new housing project for those in tents still. Because it is for a lot of families and all the available land in the city is covered by tents it is being built on land at the edge of the mountains. The last regular tap-tap stop is about 4 miles from the construction sight... So you get to walk 8 miles a day plus work in the hot sun all day. I don't really have a point to this other than to say that we don't realize how mightily we are blessed. These guys are thankful to walk that 8 miles a day because it means they have work. Every day when I go past I give whoever I pass a ride to the construction site. The smiles and thank yous are huge and I am reminded over and over again how blessed I am. I have a vehicle. Actually I am double blessed in that department because I am driving thanks to the Flanagan's generosity and yours as well for helping me get a new truck (which I was assured would arrive before the first of the year - not holding my breath waiting). I have always been grateful for my vehicle but the past week or so has made me appreciate it all the more.

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Meet Bella

2011-12-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to me! This is Bella. Being a vet is great first a goat and now a dog. I need to go get my goat - it cost me a dog spay :)

Busy Days

2011-12-13T07:04:00.001-05:00

I haven't written much because I've been busy. I decided to paint the bedrooms and that turned into the inside of the whole house. Its bigger than it looks :) but we are finally done. It looks so nice. I want to tie Ronald's hands together so he won't touch the walls (there was a line about 2ft high where he passes and I'm sure there will be again soon - 2 year olds :D)

Sad news one of the goats in the project died. She aborted a few days ago and got septic and died. Some times I just don't understand. We have excellent care available for the goats. The children have learned all the signs of sickness, the trainers are trained to handle most things and I am a 20 minute drive away. All it would have taken is a phone call a few days earlier to save her. This is a decision for the committee to decide if the child will get another goat. My answer would be no because there was no reason for her to die. This is one of those times when I have to breathe deep and accept that everyone doesn't place the same value on the goats that I do. It is hard to accept that people don't take to heart and put in practice what they have been taught. There are so many positive things that have come from GKK and so many good changes in so many I know I can't expect everyone to embrace the project with total enthusiasm but...

Anyway enough ranting! Today holds new adventures so I should get in gear and see what the are.

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Christmas is in the air!

2011-12-07T17:25:00.000-05:00

2011-12-05T14:29:00.001-05:00

Its been a few days...On the good news front, finally we are getting someplace on vehicles. We took Keith's in to. The shop for the second time - it is a bearing. So hopefully it will be fixed in the morning. My truck is finally out of finance and moved on to customs. Hopefully just a few more days... The rest of the week was just kind of a blur. I think Judeline has got the last of her stuff and things are finished. It still breaks my heart but thats life and she made her choices. You can't force someone to live the way you want them to. Relationships are two way streets. The house is definitely quieter. We are starting to get a routine figured out but it's going to have to change again when January comes and we have people in. Please pray for someone who wants to watch Ronald and Abolina during the day for me. It's hard to find someone who is trustworthy, relaible,and able to deal with the unique challenges Abolina presents.I wish I had some great story to tell you about everything that is going on, but to be honest this week has just been about me keeping my head above water. The situation with Judeline brings back all my thoughts of worthlessness and that I don't deserve a family. I KNOW they are lies but I still have to grieve a little and fight them back. This week is going to be better.Actually there is one thing. We harvested corn from the forage garden. The young men who tend it asked if they could plant some corn and i. Said yes. They called me to come and get my share. I told them to keep it because they had done all the hard work and I know how little they have. This little bit of corn will be a big boost for their families. But no Franso reminded me that God told us to share and I must come and get mine. They gave me about 10 small ears. It's field corn so it's really tough. We boiled it last might with salt and garlic -it was SO good! I sent the guys a text message to tell them how good it was and they beeped me to call them. You should have heard they pride and joy in their voices that they could give me a gift that they grew and I enjoyed. I can tell you it is better than any store bought gift I will get for Christmas :)

Difficult Days

2011-12-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

Where to start...the story isn't that important but the results are heartbreaking. Everyone knows that Judeline and I have had our ups and downs the past 2 years. Yesterday was the day I have prayed would never happen but it did. She left. I have spoken with her family and she is with a trustworthy person but she didn't leave in good circumstances and my heart is hurting. I know God will look after her and I have peace in my heart that I did the best I possibly could to help her grow up to be a responsible woman of God. I am not sent here to see the fruit just plant the seeds but its not easy when the heart is involved. Because of the circumstances I had to ask the other girls to leave as well. Please pray for all involved there is a lot of hurt, healing, grieving and forgiveness that needs to be done.

God always provides and knows what he is doing. I was kind of upset about not having a team in December but now I have the time I need to find a sitter for Ronald and Abolina and have some time to adjust to the loss of one I love in my life.

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Nothing Wasted

2011-11-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

They are clearing land to put up more temporary housing (a government project). The bulldozers clear the scrub trees. People come behind and pick up the branches and dig up the stumps to make charcoal. Then others come behind and pick up the rocks and load them in a dump truck to sell for house foundations. They are building a walled compound for the materials for the houses. One enterprising woman has set up a 'restaurant' - four poles covered by a tarp, in front of the compound where the workers are working. I wonder how she gets all of her stuff there as the tap taps don't run regularly yet. The road (Rt Nat'l 3 to goat mtn) is full if people walking to and fro. Some carrying water to drink others just plodding along - its close to nowhere.

There is all kinds of activity going on out there. It is going to change the climate of the area so much. We call the area the 'rage' -the wilds- and animals roam free - horses, donkeys. cattle, goats and sheep- I wonder what will happen to them now? They run free but have owners. What is going to happen to these folks who will no longer have a place to graze their animals?

Progress???

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World Summit on Leadership

2011-11-26T07:47:00.001-05:00

What an amazing two days. It was worth missing turkey on the proper day! We heard 10 speakers in 8 different sessions. It has been a long time since I have been impacted as much. The talks had applications on all levels for me - how I deal with people personally, professionally and in ministry. I am going to revisit my notes and share with you how they impacted me. If you have a chance to attend a Global leadership Summit I would encourage you to do so.

Keith's truck has been making a horrible noise. We left it at the garage yesterday and they fixed some things but the noise is still there :(. At least we know its not something huge like the drive shaft and it has new a new U-joint and Master Cylinder so I guess I am going to drive it some. I didn't go to Merger all last week - I miss them and need to get some work done in the garden.

I've been writing year end reports and proposals - its hard work and not so much fun but it is very helpful in helping you see what has been done, what's next and what could be done in the future. I am eternally grateful to the Pilgrim Foundation for believing in the dream of the Give A Kid A Kid project and helping it get off the ground. Individually donors have donated enough to buy the goats for the children but not enough for all the rest - paying the trainers, the travel, the garden and all the other little things. Funding from The Pilgrim Foundation and The Stewardship Foundation has allowed GKK to continuing giving goats (3 classes now in Merger) and expand to the second village.

If you still need a Christmas gift for someone consider giving a goat or paying a month salary for a trainer - it is a life changing gift that never stops giving. You can do this through the CVM website or gift guide or my facebook cause.

I'm off to get going on the day!

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Jan and Rhoda Haiti World Summit on Leadership

2011-11-24T15:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:52:00.001-05:00

I hope you are surviving your food comas :)

Seriously though Happy Thanksgiving.

We have decided to forego turkey today in order to attend a world leadership summit. It is very interesting thus far. Lots of great speakers - Andy Stanely, Rick Warren, Henry Cloud, Bill Hybels and more. It is a teleconference. There are about 300 people here. They translated it into French and we are using headsets to hear the english.

Thankful for each of you!

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It works!

2011-11-23T13:47:00.001-05:00

So when I hit send the light on my phone immediately showed a message and just like magic my post was there!

It reminds me of sending a fax and then calling to see if they really got it:)

I promise this it with the testing and such - but these things do amaze me...

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2011-11-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

I am trying to keep up with technology! It seems that blogger won't allow me to send my blog to more than 10 people. via email and I want to. So the solution is a google group - Sustain Haiti - My journey serving the Haitian people. that way when I post on vetmissions blogger will send one email with the post contents to the group address and everyone in the group receives it. It saves a step, meaning its in your inbox and you can decided whether to open it or not. For me something like this is valuable because sometimes the net is SO slow that it takes forever to load a webpage but emails come up much easier. I don't pretend to understand it just grateful it seems to work :). i don't know what happens with photos, we'll have to see. Technology can't live with out it these days. What did we do before all this stuff was available? I remember when mobile phones came out and when I was overseas the only way to communicate quickly was via telegram. We are so blessed to be able to communicate so easily.

Thankful

2011-11-22T21:15:00.001-05:00

You know sometimes I bear my soul in my blog and tonight is one of those times - not what's happening but how I am feeling and why.

Lately I have been feeling very agitated inside and finally tonight I put my finger on why.

I have been really bad about communicating with people this year to thank them (you) for all your support and now the holidays are here. I'm working on Christmas cards and feeling like I have let everyone down and that everyone is disappointed in me.

Now the THANKFUL part comes in I recognize this as lies satan is using to play off of my insecurities and that is such an amazing thing. I know that I am valued by all of you and by God and that I can fall short in something and that does not mean I am a failure and you will think I am a horrible person. Praise God for His love and yours and that I can know its true and receive it!

Its almost the 4th anniversary of my suicide and I have never been more grateful than I am right now. You cannot imagine how wonderful it is to recognize the lies when they come! I am a daughter of the King and nothing can change that fact!

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2011-11-22T10:11:00.001-05:00

The holidays are going to be different this year. Agape sent us our donated Thanksgiving which is always such a blessing. There is a big leadership conference on Thurs and Fri so Keith, Jan, Rhoda and I have decided to go. I can't remember the name right now but lots of big name speakers. That means Thanksgiving another day. The Haitians think it has something to do with a lot of birds...

Christmas is going to be here in Haiti too. Mickel and Anya (they work at the training center) are getting married and so is Yvon on of the GKK trainers on the 24th. And I think both at 4PM. It will work out somehow as weddings here are rarely on time. Then one of my students from Les Cayes is getting married on the 29th.

I guess maybe I should think about a Christmas tree. I have only ever had one of my own one year and that was like in 1983. I am always someplace else for Christmas so decorating was never high on my list. I do have one strand of lights. That will probably suffice ;). They do have fake trees you can buy but I bet they are expensive. Christmas isn't about the decorations anyway...

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2011-11-21T09:40:00.001-05:00

Drove 400+km yesterday to take some goats and meds to Les Cayes it was a long day there and back. Judeline and Wilna went with me so they got to see Acky and everyone went swimming in the river and I found 2 very nice bucks to buy for the GKK project so it was worth it. There is always a down side and that is because this bus decided that he just had to cut in front of me in the middle of a traffic jam mind you and plowed into the windshield with his mirror. Uggh! I am getting ready to go find out where to get it fixed. Just haven't quite got the energy up yet. I SURE DO WISH I HAD MY TRUCK!!!!! 5 months is a long time but still not worth the extra 10K (I have to remind myself of this sometimes). Keith's truck has something wrong with it. I had to go out to the valley to put a horse down and on the way back it started making a horrible noise. Jean Claude (mechanic) is out in the countryside working on motorcycles. Now the windshield in the big truck. I think I have a jinx on me. Vehicles and I aren't seeming to get along these days. There is going to be a CVM retreat for all the South American, Caribbean and new fieldworkers in Nicaragua at the end of January - looking at plane tickets - exciting. CVM did one for all the folks in Africa last year. Looking forward to it.

2011-11-16T21:45:00.001-05:00

Ronald found "K" today he called me Kelly and not Ali :) Ali is nice too though :)

Just got back from the valley had to put a horse down for a missionary friend - he broke his leg,only hanging on by the skin.
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2011-11-11T09:33:00.001-05:00

It's so nice when there are people here to visit. HSI has had several people in doing spay neuter clinics for the past month. It is more work for me but it is fun to be able to share what I love about Haiti with them and see their eyes opened and their hearts changed. This week has been all about doing paperwork. I am determined to get ahead start on the end of the year stuff before the end of the year. It's slow going but I'm plugging away. Guerriot and Acky applied for visa so we could go to the ECHO conference this year and were both refused. I don't understand the process at all. Guerriot has been before and came home and Acky had great letters of recommendation and all of the other requirements they ask for. It is such a frustrating process. So I cancelled our reservations and I'm not going. I was going to go to take them. I would get something out of it as well but I'll save the money for something else. That means no more travel this year. I really enjoyed all my short visits to the States but it is tiring and I always have so much stuff to bring back I am kind of starting to dread airports. I am fine once I get my bags checked and I have learned the secret - go early and be really, really nice and they are usually great. I don't think I would want to work at an airline check in counter now with all the changes and charges they have. People get SO upset, if they would just check with the airline or the website everything they need to know is listed there. I got a letter from CVM for a five year service award. It's amazing that as of June 16 I have been with CVM 5 years. Where does the time go. It seems like just yesterday I was thinking about coming to Haiti. Someone asked how long I would be here and I can't answer that - other than that as long as the Lord wants me here. I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and really cant imagine working anyplace else right now. Making trips back to the States makes me miss things but it also makes me appreciate things here as well.Haiti has spoiled me! One of the nicest things about Haiti is that you really never need to leave your vehicle if you don't want to. If you want a coke there are vendors on the street and they are also there for just about any and evreything you can think of. If you need directions just ask someone on the road will point the way or offer to lead you there. In the US no one is on the street if you need directions you have to pull in, park your car, go in a store, find someone who knows something about where you are going and then go get back on the road - a minimum of 15 minutes - such a waste of time :). Like I said I am spoiled :).Tomorrow I am going back to do some more training for the trainers in Pernier - this time on drug dosages. Its such a hard concept to grasp, but I"m sure we will figure it out. Ok I need to go get some work done :)

Earthquakes

2011-11-06T02:06:00.001-05:00

Wow, earthquakes in OK and KS, last summer VA! What's going on here are there more than usual or am I just aware of them since the earthquake here? I get a little lurch in my stomach every time I hear about one any where in the world. I only have one frame of reference so I imagine horrible destruction and I know that's not the case in most places but still it always give me pause.

I don't think about earthquakes daily anymore. I still have 'earthquake' dreams sometimes. But when I hear about earthquakes 2 days in a row in OK it gets me to wondering when the next one is coming and that just kind of makes a knot that was dissolved in the pit of my stomach come back. Yuk!

Today I did a training of trainers for the trainers in Pernier. We talked about classes of drugs and then did a hands on with dystocias. It is always great to see them light up when they figure out how to get a malpositioned 'baby' out. I have my pregnant uterus (rice sack with a sacrificed small goat in it) and vaginal tract (metal stand) that they have to reach in and manipulate the baby until they get it in correct position. Its fun they want to peek in or put both hands in and that doesn't work in real life or in practice. Nothing beats hands on experience for making a point stick.

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Painting

2011-11-02T17:41:00.001-04:00

I am very tired of dirty walls and no matter how hard we try they won't stay clean with the light yellow color. So I decided to go back and revive sponge painting. Then maybe the hand prints will blend in :). Also one wall that no one can keep their hands off of we painted chocolate brown. It is really pretty since it is dry. The girls hate it but I love it and I win!

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Stairwell

2011-11-02T17:37:00.001-04:00

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Kitchen Walls

2011-11-02T17:36:00.001-04:00

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2011-11-01T22:36:00.001-04:00

Life with 2 troubled teens is never dull, sometimes I wonder what I've gotten myself into and then a night like tonight will happen and then it is all so clear and worthwhile. Just an hour of time sharing together makes all the other days of attitude and defiance go away - well almost :) Judeline finally knows Christ and she was asking some great questions. What an honor and privilege it is to be a part in this piece of God's plan!

Today and tomorrow are national holidays celebrating the dead and the voodou spirit Gede. They drums and singing will go on all night. This year is the first time I remember seeing celebrations during the day. In one of the cemeteries they had a huge altar set up and were dancing.

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2011-10-31T21:55:00.001-04:00

Well I never got back to my first post but I have something else to share. I need lots of prayer for Abolina. Day before yesterday she had another spiritual attack. It was similar but more violent than the demon that manifested itself in church several months ago. She doesn't remember anything of what happens. We took care of it with prayer but it is troublesome to think that it can keep coming back - because I don't think she fully grasps the concept of salvation. When it takes over she says she is doing Gods work - but its definitely not! Today we talked a whole bunch and she says when she was little someone put it on her back and showed her things about it but that person is dead (so from what she has said in the past I would think it was mom or grandma). I prayed again for her today very specifically against those things and she said it was 'calmed' and she felt better. But I wonder how long before it comes back? Please join me in being intentional about specifically praying for her spiritual and even possibly physical protection. She has such a kind sweet soul and really is a joy in my life it troubles me deeply to see her being used by evil like this.

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2011-10-31T12:24:00.001-04:00

Arrggg! I just wrote a post on the computer and it won't publish :( maybe later. I hope it auto saved

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2011-10-30T18:30:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the double posting, sometimes its hard on my blackberry :). I'll fix it tomorrow :)

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One bucket to water their goat, another for the family

2011-10-30T18:25:00.001-04:00

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Goats for Pernier

2011-10-30T18:24:00.001-04:00

14 children in the village of Pernier got goats from GKK today. It is very exciting. Many of these children are 'city kids' and have never taken care of a goat before. Pernier is on the 'edge' of town so it will be much different for these children than those in Merger because they won't have the large open grazing land that the kids in Merger do. Please pray for these 14 and their 4 trainers. Thanks so much for supporting this project it truly is changing lives for the better.

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Goats for Pernier

2011-10-30T18:20:00.001-04:00

Today 14 children in Pernier got goats from GKK. It was so exciting. This is the first time children in this area have had an opportunity like this. Many of them are 'city' kids and are not used to looking after animals. Pernier is on the 'edge' of town so to speak. It is going to be a lot different for these kids to look after their goats because the don't have the open grazing land that Merger does. Please pray for these 14 children and their 4 trainers!

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Waiting to get their goats

2011-10-30T18:19:00.001-04:00

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Drawing numbers to see which goat they would receive

2011-10-30T18:18:00.001-04:00

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Receiving their goats

2011-10-30T18:17:00.001-04:00

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Going home from the school with their new goats

2011-10-30T18:16:00.000-04:00

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2011-10-29T20:01:00.000-04:00

I have been feeling yucky, with a bout of diarrhea but am much better now. Tomorrow is goat giving day! One of the most rewarding times you can ever imagine. 14 children's lives will be changed, it is so exciting to be a part of empowering the youth. I will take some pictures and tell you all about it.

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2011-10-26T19:37:00.001-04:00

Today was an excellent day! Nothing super exciting, maybe that's what made it good. I am grateful to be where I am and have the people around me that I do. The Flanagans are the best and so are the people in my house. We all have our faults but God uses each one of us in His special way. What a blessing it is to be able to participate in this tiny part of His grand plan. My prayer is that we would all appreciate who, where and what we have in our lives. Let go of the little things and focus on relationship and marveling in the awesome wonder of our lives.

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Ronald got a hat and loves it!

2011-10-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

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2011-10-24T13:06:00.000-04:00

I'm back safely in Port au Prince, praise the Lord! I'm sorry for not writing but I deceided that I was going to take a break from lots of computer time when I was in the States. I spent 5 days at the National Dairy Goat Association Meeting in Grand Rapids, MI. It was great to meet new people and catch up with a few old friends. I really enjoy talking about the goat project so it was a cool trip. I also got a chance to go to Pfizer in Kalamazoo and present to their veterinary division. That was a huge blessing to share there as well and they also donated lots of medicine to Haiti. It was like an act of congress to get all the paperwork done but thanks to a few very dedicated people at Pfizer it all went through and I made it home with 60+ pounds of much needed medications. Friday, Saturday and Sunday I spent in Miami with Lizzy, Billy and Mary. It is so good to see them. Lizzy is such a good mother and she is going to school and doing well. I am so proud of her, she has grown up to be a fine woman. We went sailing with some of Mary's old friends on Saturday - it was really nice. I will try and put some pictures up.I was VERY ready to come home. I missed all my kiddos very much. Ronald is taking a nap so I haven't seen him yet. Wilna and Abolina are good and Judeline is still at school. I was hoping I would come home to a new truck, but no such luck.... the Minister of Finance isn't happy with one letter we sent in and we have to redo it. Unfortunately the person who needs to sign it won't be in until Friday, so that means at least another 2 weeks. Still 3+ months of waiting is worth $10K in savings. Now it's time to jump back into the swing of things. Tomorrow or Wednesday I will go and pick up 14 goats for the children in Pernier, the 2nd village in the goat project. Saturday I will do a special training with the trainers on how to deworm and some work on how to deal with a dystocia. Sunday is goat delivery day. In merger I have to buy some females for some of the boys. They are ready to sell their young bucks and get more females. It is very exciting and also I have to get books made for the 3rd class in Merger. This goat stuff is getting to be a full-time job :)OK, time to go unpack the suitcases :(

2011-10-11T09:13:00.001-04:00

Rain, rain, rain. Lots of rain. Flooding in the South. And the roads to Grand Danse are impassable because of the rivers being so high. Yuk!I am getting ready to go to the States on Thursday to the Nat'l Dairy Goat Association meeting. go figure :) first AVMA, then world rabies day. And now goats. I'm not complaining I like free trips to the States. I will try to let you know a phone number, I am still without a US cell phone and not sure if I. Will have time to go shopping.Today I get to take a vet tech I met in IN in the summer around with me today, I'm. Not sure of how much. Vet work but I'm sure there will be some adventure. I have a little guy in Merger tha Thad a huge abcess on his butt, the MD did nothing for it so I am taking of it ronald has a sore in his mouth tha t is making him miserable, not much. Sleep last night. Judeline started school, she a little fish in. A big pond now since she started high school (7th grade). Wilna is tKing private lessons every morning so we can. Try and get her up to speed. She is reading now and tha t is really cool to see. When. She gets a little farther along she wants to go to cosmetology school, I'm ok with that. Ok best get my rear I. Gear and get something done - i have to go to the market = mud = yuk!

2011-10-08T15:10:00.001-04:00

The weekend is here and I'm not sure where the week went. It is so beautiful this morning a cool breeze is blowing and its as close to a hint of fall that Haiti can have. Its not really though as I'm sure that tomorrow will be as hot as it has been all week. It seems like the middle of July, stifling. Of course all week we had no electricity. Well ok, 2 nights from midnight to 5AM. Yesterday I finally had a chance to go and get new batteries for the inverter so now we can have more electricity - it is very exciting! The little things do make the difference, like a glass of cold water and lights without the generator roaring in your ears.

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2011-09-30T18:03:00.000-04:00

It's been raining, and raining and raining. It is that time of year but still hard for so many in tents. Good for the garden though. We planted over a 100 mooring trees this week (well I didn't actually count them maybe more like 75) but still a lot. We will keep them short so they will branch out and we can cut forage from them regularly. Tomorrow I take Acky back to school, it will be sad not to have him around, he is such a joy. He is hopefully going to get to go the the ECHO conference this year. We filled out the application for his Visa appointment - it's not until Nov. 7 so time will tell. Please pray that it goes well, the conference is such a good experience. Guerriot says he's going too, so it will be fun. His Visa appointment is sometime in October.

School starts on Monday. Judeline will be starting high school. I think she is going to be in for a shock - not being the big fish... The rest of the kids are still going to the same school. I still haven't heard about Markenlove, I offered to help but so far I haven't heard anything. Wilna is going to still do private tutoring and try and get her up to speed. She can read some now, it's great. She wants to go to beauty school, so as soon as she is able to read well enough the Restavek Foundation will send her to cosmotolgy school. Maybe not the best business but it can be profitable if she just won't do everyone she knows hair and nails for free.

I wrote yesterday and the post went to cyberspace so I am going to hit publish and see if I can at least get something posted before the net goes out with the bad weather. Yeah it didn't work I think it's the new blogger page, but I can't make it change back, yeah for the mobile!

Planting Moringa Trees

2011-09-29T07:33:00.000-04:00

This the last week Acky is here before his school starts. Lots to get done. I will be sad to see him go.
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2011-09-25T09:12:00.004-04:00

I don't like not writing more often but it just seems to happen...So I am writing from Ames, Iowa....In July I got a call from Melissa Ciprich, a vet at Iowa State who happens to be a great friend. She was a technician in Naples when I worked down there. She invited me to be the person to present her white coat to her when she was in vet school...so you get the picture, she is very dear to me. Anyway she was heading up the organization of the World Rabies Day Celebration put on by Iowa State for the Global Alliance for Rabies in conjunction with Merial. She invited me to come and present on the situation of rabies in Haiti. It has been a whirlwind trip - I left Haiti on Thursday and was scheduled to leave this morning (more on that in a minute). Friday I finished my presentation and went to the speaker function. Yesterday was the symposium. It was amazing. I got to speak first which was perfect for me. I didn't have to sit all day and worry about what I was going to say :). We heard from amazing speakers - all the world leaders on rabies prevention and little old me. What an honor. I guess I didn't realize it but it was a big deal. 200 people were invited and 500 online via video conference. I didn't have time to get nervous thinking about all the people online. I made lots of great contacts and am excited to see what might happen in the future. So I am still here because I have a tooth abcess. It is the same tooth that had a problem in Feb., actually the same problem, an apical tooth root abcess. There are 2 ways to fix it. The first one was to clean it out and retrofit the root canal, I guess that didn't work so now I am going to have the root tip obliterated in Des Moines in the morning. Then get on a plane to head back to Haiti. I will overnight in Chicago instead of Miami and be home on Tuesday. Someone told me to get Paul Farmer's new book - Haiti after the Earthquake. I am trying to read it, it makes me cry. Our brains are such fickle things - mine likes to block out things that greatly affect me. Reading the book makes me remember but I am finding that my mind it blocking out the details and that makes me sad. I need to not forget. PSTD has lots of forms. I'm glad I don't have flashbacks etc but I also don't want to forget...Time for some phone calls to Paul at Link Care. Oh and not to worry, I got my meds and things are fine.

Twins born this morning!

2011-09-18T20:51:00.000-04:00

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Twins delivered this past Wed to a boy in GKK - next year this time he will have at a minimum 6 goats!

2011-09-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

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Goat delivery day! 9 very happy children (and yes she is in the 4th grade)

2011-09-18T20:47:00.000-04:00

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2011-09-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

Please pray for me, I'm struggling a bit right now. Last month when I was in the States my doctor messed up and didn't call the refill on my meds in until after I left. To get them via mail takes almost a month. So I only had 2 weeks of meds left and thought no big deal cause I'm going back to the States in 3 1/2 weeks.. I am going to the States next week so I will get my refills and I have been taking one or the other every day so I am not totally without but I can see a huge difference in the way I feel amount myself, the way I am dealing with anger and frustration and it makes me very sad to think that I am so dependent on medication to have a successful life. I know if I was diabetic and off my insulin I would be sick and so if I my neurotransmitters are out of whack it makes since that if I don't take meds to control them I won't be on an even keel. But it still bothers me that I am so dependent on meds. With all the work I have done and the amount of growth I have had the past 3 years it seems like it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I told myself that taking meds for the rest of my life is ok, but when you don't have them its hard to accept the fact.
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2011-09-16T21:46:00.001-04:00

Blogger is "updating" things and it isn't working.... I love technology and hate it at the same time :)Today we were experimenting with crops from the forage garden (photos below). We have dried some of the leaves already but this is our first attempt at sialage. I don't know if it will work or if it's worth it, but it's fun to try new things. It's very labor intensive, but then again that is one thing we aren't short on :). achy said they have a mill at SEED in the south, I want to find out what kind, he says it chops stalks really well. Today was appropriate technology day as well (wasn't in the plan, just turned out that way). Mickel, who works at the training center is working on taking the charcoal dust from the markets and mixing it with old paper, clay, sawdust and other things to make it hold together so it can be used to cook with. It's fun to see how it is all coming about. Also met a girl who is making glass jewelry and showed her where there are pickup loads of broken bottles that the bottling company just dumps. It's so fun to be able to use things that others don't want or can't use. I have lots of things that need doing and I'm just playing on the computer. My prayer letter is 2 days late and I have a presentation on rabies to have done before Thursday. I am getting to be quite the expert at procrastinating :). I guess I should go get to work.

Small Bag Silage

2011-09-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

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Chopping the Stalks to Make Silage and Drying the Leaves to Make Hay

2011-09-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

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Taking A Break From Cutting Pitimi (millet stalks)

2011-09-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

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2011-09-12T16:20:00.001-04:00

Last week was a busy week. We had a team in from a group called Churches helping Churches. They are partnering with Pastor Johnny's church. It is a really neat thing. They were nine folks. They built benches for the church, taught French class, taught Guitar class, taught health class and taught leadership classes. Everyone got a whole bunch out of it. It was the way a short term team should be - investing in the lives of others. It was amazing to see how little the teenagers new about their bodies, especially about sex and their reproductive systems. the second day of health class they asked to talk about marriage - who, when, and why. Good stuff. Then the next day was friendship - again a very different view - they thought it was ok to be romantic with your friend as long as you didn't actually have sex. The other thing that happened last week was that we found a little baby in Merger who was starving to death. He was 2 months old and had nursed for less than a month because mom's milk dried up. She was feeding him some formula and baby food and regular food but his little system couldn't handle it and he had bad diarrhea. We took him to my friend's infant rescue and she going to look after him until he is able to eat all kinds of foods etc. Then today I was going to get goats for the goat project and thought I would stop and see how the trees were doing. SOme are really growing well. Anyway a guy came up and asked if I could take his daughter to the hospital because she was having trouble having her baby. I said sure and by the time I got the truck to her place she had delivered the baby but ripped her self and was bleeding really bad. We made it to the hospital and they got her fixed up. I just got back with the goats and called she is doing better. It is amazing how God puts you where you need to be. I really had no plan to go see the trees it was just passing thought when I drove by to turn in. I sure am glad I did. Last Friday Acky got baptized. Being baptized here is a big deal, most folks don't do it until they are "grown up". So I was happy that Acky decided to go ahead and do it. This week we are going to give out 9 goats to kids in the goat project. It will be a fun time. One of the people from the Stewardship Foundation is coming to see the project (they donated money) on Wed. so we will do it then. On the 22 I am going to go to Iowa for 3 days to speak at a conference on rabies. World Rabies Day is coming up and the girl in charge of it is an old tech of mine and when one of their speakers cancelled last minute she called me. It will be a quick trip but very fun. Please pray for the kids I helped this week and last. Also for Judeline. She is struggling right now, I guess I am too. She just can't seem to participate in life at the house. She is being a typical teenager - defiant and stubborn. It just makes things so hard when you have had a busy day to go home and know that there will be a fight. I am working on letting it go, but it's hard. I have tried everything I know to do and she just doesn't want to change. Ronald, Abolina, and Wilna are doing well. I guess that's it for now. I will try to write more often. Love to all of you

2011-08-30T17:45:00.003-04:00

Well I'm back in Haiti. I am sorry for the lost week. It was an amazing week of learning, sharing and fellowship. The week started off with disaster training. In the US now you have to be certified to go work in a disaster now. I have 3 of the basic exams done. Then we had a great time at short course - it started at 7AM and finished at 9PM without a break other than meals and no one was tired of it. After that I went to Ed Epp's house and spoke at his church and then went to my cousin Sara's in Wichita and spent the night. Great surprise I got to see my Uncle Gordon and Aunt Shirley. IT was a good week.

Sorry about no phone calls or emails. My computer and US phone both died. I feel really bad, but at the short course the reception was terrible and then it was late or early and when I was at Ed's well it was busy. I had to do the Wal-Mart run and then spoke at both services Sunday. There was one bit of relaxation though. On Saturday evening we went to a lake near their house and I got to go tubing - it's been a LONG TIME! IT WAS SUPER FUN!

I made it back to Haiti this morning safe and sound. Before I left the airport I had a phone call from Betina about one of the goats in the goat project who had been attacked by a dog while they were trying to tie it out this morning. I have tried but she's not going to make it. I guess they will eat well tomorrow :( and I'm going to set live traps for some wild dogs!
Everyone at home was fine, no fights, no problems - AMAZING!

Please don't think I didn't think about you while I was there. In a lot of ways it is super hard to come to the States because there are so many people to talk to and then I am busy and somehow it never all gets done. I do love you and think about each and everyone of you often.

I will be coming to the States again toward the end of September. ISU is hosting a global rabies conference and has asked me to come and speak. It will be a super quick trip. Thursday to Sunday. I will try and call then. I messed up and let my skype number expire because my computer wasn't working. I will get it up and going again in the next few days and let you know what it is.

2011-08-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

Made it to Kansas City! The plane was very late getting into Wichita and I only got 3 hours sleep. Had agood nap this afternoon and a great meeting the Seattle Staff. This evening was the start of the disaster training. The hoops the government makes us jump through... They are necessary but oh how boring are the classes :). Had a great short visit with Sara and family. I am going to stay with her on Sunday night since she is off work on Monday. I wanna play with her kids :). The hurricane missed us and FL - thanks God. I was so scared to leave. Off to bed as I'm still not quite caught up on sleep.
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2011-08-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

Well my talks are done as they can be for now. I leave in the morning. It is a good thing and a bad thing because of Irene. I will get out but I won't be here and that scares me. I have great people at the house with the kids but I won't be here. If something happens I won't be here. I know I can't do anything different but I would rather be here. It is silly I know but...
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2011-08-20T18:23:00.000-04:00

Where do the days go....

I didn't make it to the bank on the 16th by the way. This week we have had a camp for Keith's Godsons, all 11 of them :). I didn't do much just go to meetings so Keith could spend some time teaching them some vet stuff. They had a ball. I have been trying to get ready for Short Course in KC. Somehow I let the time get away from me or didn't realize exactly how much I had to get ready to speak. So I have been working away for the past couple of days. I will post my devotion after I give it and the Keynote talk on Lessons Learned from Katrina and the Haiti earthquake, well you'll just have to corner me one day for the powerpoint. On Sunday next week I am speaking at both services in Ed Epp's church in Independence, KS. That will be easier...

The talk has been really hard to put together. There is a lot to rehash and it's a good thing but not so pleasant. Anyway...

2011-08-16T12:46:00.000-04:00

I'm at the insurance place again, ughhhh!!!! The big trucks insurance is due. I think there are only around 46 people in front of me... At least I am sitting in the shade. I need to go to the bank too. Its gonna be a long day. Trying to be positive:)
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2011-08-15T18:38:00.000-04:00

We've had a bit of rain. I know leaky tents aren't nice but I think people are also VERY tired of all the dust. Just the right amount of rain.

On Saturday I took the whole crew from my house and the training center to the beach for the day! It was VERY nice. We all needed a break from 2 weeks of back to back camp. We still have one more to go this weekend but it will be a small one for just a couple of days.

I am finally sitting down to start working on my talks for the Short-Course. I am doing devotions one morning, the 3rd evening Keynote talk on lessons learned from Katrina and the Haiti earthquake. Then I am on a disaster panel discussion and have to do something with the long term mission track. It will be a crazy couple of days. It's next week by the way. I fly out on Monday. I am going to do a CE credit course on Disaster response and then start talking. Saturday will be free then I am speaking at a church in Independence, KS. Never a dull moment.

I need to start getting goats for the second village, they say they are ready. Please pray for me that they really are. I don't have a peaceful heart about this.

2011-08-12T14:32:00.000-04:00

Its been awhile I know. There is always lots going on and sometimes its hard to sit and write. I want the internet back at my house so I can have a regular keyboard and can write when I want. Of course that can't happen until I get the inverter fixed. That along with the fridge and stove are going to be priorities for next week.

We have had 30 ladies here from Merger for a retreat. I have just kept them organized not done much with them. I am going to talk some this afternoon about spousal abuse, it is a huge problem here.

Got a free cow yesterday ...a calf actually, she had been hit by a truck. I helped her out of her suffering and now she is feeding us some very nice beef :). There is enough beef for the camp group this week and the one coming next week, plus some for several families. The Haitian law says that whoever hits the animal has dibs on it. I didn't hit it but I couldn't leave it lying on the side of the road in 100 degree heat to die a long painful death - it had a fractured pelvis just like all the donkeys do plus an open compound femoral fracture. I hate that road there is always at least one dead animal on it every week, sometimes more. But in this case it has been a blessing of feeding many.
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Emily

2011-08-04T10:15:00.001-04:00

So far its just windy here. The South where I used to live is getting a lot of rain. Overall not near as bad as it could be so far. We are good.

We got the kids for camp home yesterday and today we are doing a spay/neuter day because we can do that inside

Still no fridge at home or inverter - it sucks I have to work on that next week when the team is gone. Spent $580 this week on a new water pump for the center because the generator is acting up and it burned up. Half the time we have no power at the center too. Such is life in Haiti - if its not one thing its another.
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2011-08-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

Well it looks like things are going to be a bit wet for the next couple of days since Tropical Storm Emily is going to go right over us. She sure did pop up quick. It will be good for the crops to have the rain but not for those still in tents, such a mixed blessing.

Camp is going FANTASTIC! Yesterday we did hay making and record keeping, today worms and tomorrow is necropsy and reproduction. We changed the schedule because of the weather and took the afternoon off and went to a local spring and went swimming. The water was VERY cold but so nice. I even enjoyed it. This has been the best camp ever. Not only are the kids learning stuff but for most of them this is the first time they have ever left the village and it is so fun to be a part of that experience. It's really beyond description, it's pretty wonderful and it's all thanks to you who help make the Give a Kid a Kid project a reality.

I have two great students here one from Nebraska and one from Tuskegee, they are doing a great job with the kids.

2011-07-29T10:10:00.001-04:00

Ok so I haven't gotten time to set at the computer but I'm waiting for Rosie at the market so I can write a bit.

Got the fridge fixed kind of - the freezer is working but the bottom isn't too cool.

My trip was an amazing blessing. I so enjoyed spending time with old friends, meeting new ones and playing with kids. I was glad to come home though.

Right before I left I sent Mann, Abolina and Ronald out to the countryside for a couple of weeks so they could have a vacation. When they came back lots of stuff had gone on. Now I need to backtrack a bit to make this all make sense.

When Mann came to work she said she was away from God but trying to get back. We talked and she wanted to go to church etc. Everything was ok then she started talking about the spirits in her dreams who could tell her if something was going to happen bad to her. We had a long serious talk and I asked her if she could say Jesus was her savior. She said no she was a servant of God. We had numerous discussions about this and she wouldn't budge. I left it alone and kept praying for her and having people at church talk to her. When they werre out in the countryside she took Ronald and Abolina to a church that is a "protestant church" but they don't worship the same God that I know. They have spirits that direct them and things that are not of Jesus. This upset me and her family talked to her as well as Pastor Johnny trying to show her how these spirits are evil. She seemed ok when I left to go to the States and agreed to spend some time with Pastor Johnny sorting this out. Then on Sunday before I came home she got mad and was threatening everyone in the house with a knife and when Pastor Johnny came she pretended to be asleep so she didn't have to talk to him. I had to let her go I couldn't have her in the house like that. It is very hard for me because she loves Ronald and he loves her. But I can't be at home all the time to guard against both spiritual and physical attacks. She is staying with a friend right now please pray for her to see how wrong this is. It is very upsetting to me - please pray for us to figure this all out.
We are having the first annual Give a Kid a Kid camp. There are 2 vet students coming tomorrow and 50 children for 3 days it should be a blast!
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Home

2011-07-27T09:30:00.001-04:00

It is so good to see my kiddos, I missed them. They are good! It isn't as hot here as in the States, well at least not as much humidity. The rest of the home comming well... No electricity still, water in the kitchen not working, inverter still broke, fridge broke, Mann flipping out and pulling a knife on everyone. Fixed - water in the kitchen, situation with Mann (more about that later as well as my trip). The garden is coming along and I'm off to get some stuff for that and pay for my truck and get ready for all the kids for camp this weekend
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2011-07-26T04:29:00.002-04:00

Made it to Miami. Great 10 days will write in a bit. Sorry if I didn't call the phone didn't work in Miami so well. I'll be back home in Haiti this morning. Love you

2011-07-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

I'm not lost, I promise.

I've been at the American Veterinary Medical Association meeting in St. Louis. I spoke at the CVM breakfast and then in the International Section on Preventative Medicine. It went really well. Spending 4 days in a hotel alone was such a treat. You are never alone in Haiti. I went to the conference and then back to the hotel and slept! Watched a movie or two and just was a hermit. Then I went to see a friend who came to Haiti in 2005 with me who lives near Chicago. Spent the night with her and her husband. Then today I am in Ft. Wayne IN where I stayed with the Coolman's last night (great family - 8 wonderful kids), today I am off to OH to see some other friends. These folks are helping me expand my support base - they hosted people from their offices, churches etc and let me share about Haiti. It is very cool that they are willing to do this. But the biggest thing it has done has let me step back and actually see all that God has been acomplishing in Haiti through me and others, SUCH A BLESSING. Sometimes when you are in the thick of things it you don't see everything. So it is nice to rest and be blessed.

It is VERY HOT here in the midwest - hotter than Haiti with the heat index. The humidity is Horrible! I need to go home to Haiti to cool off :)!

2011-07-16T21:20:00.002-04:00

Made it to St. Louis with no problems. Got in really late, got up and went and registered. Checked in with Kit, got some food, had a nap and now working on my talks. Tomorrow AM and Monday AM. Will write more when I'm done :)

Life Goes On

2011-07-10T17:33:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I went to Pax Villa to visit a friend, her husband is in kidney failure and just got out of the hospital. He has been on dialysis since January, he has to go every 3 days. The price just went up to $15/visit. She has no idea how she is going to pay it. They had saved a little and were going to repair their home and then he got sick I- so they stay in the tent city. He looks terrible despite 2 weeks in the hospital. I think if he misses a treatment or doesn't take his medicine (the stuff from the doctor not just remed fey - leaf medicine) I don't think he will be with us much longer. I looked around while I was sitting there and the little ones I sewed up are becoming teenagers and the babies don't remember me and are running around yelling "blan". There are new babies, the tents are being refurbished as the tarps wear out and life goes on...

Remember Rose and Ticant the family I helped. She had moved out with the kids in January,she has come back "home". They still are without but they are richer because they are working it out. I often have problems with them because they are always crying for something and other than my friendship I have nothing left to give. Maybe they are finally realizing that because today was the first time they haven't asked me for something, it was a good feeling.

Its funny too its been 16months sine the earthquake and people are just really starting to share about what happened to them. I guess the have adjusted to life as it is and now its time to remember.

I miss Ronald and Abolina they will be coming home on Tuesday.
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2011-07-08T20:06:00.000-04:00

Today was a day of much needed good news. I got the ok to get a truck - it will be a couple months coming but it coming. And I finished with the private insurance. I can't tell you what a relief it is. And God has proved himself faithful yet again in people sending just the amount of money that will be needed. I am blessed beyond words.
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Judeline and Wilna

2011-07-07T09:25:00.001-04:00

These are the pillowcase shirts Wilna made when the last team was here.
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The hay field

2011-07-07T09:21:00.001-04:00

This is great it actually worked, now I can send more pictures. But you are forewarned my typing on the phone os way worse than on the keyboard :)
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The hay field

2011-07-07T09:20:00.001-04:00

This is great it actually worked, now I can send more pictures. But you are forewarned my typing on the phone os way worse than on the keyboard :)
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Test and photo

2011-07-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

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2011-07-07T09:07:00.000-04:00

We've been baling hay! What a hoot. I need to figure out how to get photos from my phone to the computer so I can upload them. We cut the grass with machetes (well not me since I can't bend over yet, I did help one day by sitting and cutting with scissors - not too productive as you can imagine). Then we load it on tarps to carry it to the truck. Take it to the center and spread it on the concrete to dry. Then we cut strings and put them in an ice chest and then pack it full of grass, stomp on it some and tie it up and out comes baby bales of hay - they kind of look like giant ice cubes (rounded on sides and then flat on the tied side). People think I am crazy carrying around all this cut grass in my truck but hey it works. They are also amazed that we can store it for a long time. We aren't going to have tons but it is defineitely a fun adventure. So far we have 8 little bales but I think if we can get it all cut - that's the limiting factor. We could have at least 30. And the first bit we cut is already starting to grow again, if we had some rain we could do this full time :). We brought enough yesterday to make another 8 or 10. We have also been cutting the millet stocks. We have been looking at making small bags of silage but I don't know, maybe when I get back from AVMA, for now we are just going to dry it and bale it as well.

Still don't have things finished with the insurance company. They told me to come back yesterday and I spent the whole day downtown again and still no money. Hopefully today... There are 2 possibilities for a truck and a decisison has to be made today or I have to wait until September when the next shipment comes in. This all just really sucks! Anyway that's life sometimes and I am blessed because I am here and not really injured. Perserverance is the word of the day right!?!? Some days it's kind of hard to see God in the middle of it all but he's there and that's a comfort.

2011-07-02T21:43:00.000-04:00

Everyday my ribs are a bit better but I sure will be glad when they are well. On Tuesday Gary and Patty left - no more teams until the end of July. On Wednesday Keith and Jan left, I also sent Mann, Mackenlove, Abolina and Ronald to the countryside for a week. It is quiet around the house. On Wednesday as well the girls (Judeline and Wilna - more about Wilna below)decided they would go with me. First we dropped off the group for the bus then we went downtown to the insurance place to get a signature so that we could have permission to remove the truck from impound. That took until almost 1:00 (mind you we got there at 9 when they opened, we just had to wait for the person responsible to show up to work). Then we went to the other insurance company to give them the paper. After that we started on the errands for the day - buying diesel, food, propane etc. I got them home by 4PM and they were worn out. About 2 they started asking are we finished yet. I told Judeline now you see why I am tired when I get home :).

The cow adn baby from the C-section are doing well.

On Thursday I had a few errands to run and we were going to go to the beach for 2 days - so I could chill out after my month of not having a day off at all. We finally did manage to get there by about 6PM (instead of noon like I had planned) and we came back this morning. It was great, just not long enough. I slept all afternoon once we got home. The beach is such a great thing for the soul (especially when there aren't tons of people around).

Wilna is a lovely young lady I met in January. She had been living in a Restavek situation and was taken out of that by the Restavek Freedom Foundation. They have done amazing things with so many restaveks, look them up on the web. Anyway Wilna and I have a special bond because I prayed for her and helped her get rid of a demon. She is so much like Judeline, very brave yet scared to death and not sure how to deal with people, new situations, authority (that is not beating her) and lacking in self esteem. Wilna had a bit of a problem at the group home where she was living and I offered to see if I could help out and see if a little bit more one and one might make a difference - some people just don't do well in group settings. You may think this is a crazy idea but I don't think so at all. It is not costing me in terms of money and while it does cost in time the benefits out weigh the cost.

AT this point I think it is Judeline who I see the most change in. Wilna is still figuring out where she belongs and how she fits in but she is eager and energetic and isn't bothered if Judeline decides to be pouty. They are a lot like sisters - little spats but they also have a bond, not blood but their pasts that make them truly sisters. I saw a change in Judeline when Alexandra spent a week with us and I see another change in her now that Wilna is here. She is much more tolerant, works harder, shares (they are about the same size and it seems like they have swapped all their clothes) and is just more pleasant to be around. Wilna is great too at telling Judeline things she has learned from the group home. The other day she told Judeline - you have to pray before you eat. Judeline didn't say a word. But I asked her to pray for our meal yesterday and she did - outloud! First time since I have known her (since 2006), and this morning at breakfast she stepped up and prayed quick before we could ask someone - that was because she was hungry but still...

We are going to get Wilna a tutor for the summer and see if she can't do third grade in 2.5 months so she can start in 4th in the fall. She is 15 and just finished the second grade...

I sent out an email about raising money for a new truck. I have gotten about $1,000.00 that is so amazing to me that people are willing to do this for me. I am going to check on Monday and see about the options available. Pray there is a way.

I can't believe it is July. I have to get ready for the AVMA - yikes it's in 2 weeks and I haven't started a talk. I have to prepare 3 different presentations. One on the veterinary services in Haiti, one on CVM work in Haiti and one on my more personal stuff. They all need to be about 45minutes long. The CVM ones won't be so hard :).

2011-06-27T10:46:00.000-04:00

Today we are going to spend the day doing goat things. We are moving some of the kids from the Give a Kid to a Kid project. The children have to give back to the project the baby from their goats second pregnancy. So we have several that are starting to return them, so cool! We are going to castrate and take them to a farm that needs some grass eaten and then we will sell them when they are a bit older to help pay the trainers for next year and/or buy goats for next year. We are on the way to becoming sustainable -- YEAH!!!!! Then this afternoon Gary and Patty are going to visit with the children. They leave tomorrow :(.

Yesterday one of the Haitian vets and I did a C-section on a cow. We got a live calf and mom is fine. It was so fun to see the expression on the vet's face when he saw that the calf was alive. I mostly did directing as I can't really can't lift anything.

Tomorrow back to try and finish up with truck stuff so I can hopefully get aninsurance check and see what's going to happen next. I think it is going to be time to start "a truck fund-raiser" I really can't function without a vehicle.

2011-06-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

Today was judegement day for the accident. They decided it was the other guys fault. Which is good, but they said his tire blowing out caused the accident but I don't think it did, maybe it was so he could save face....
It was quite a day...I still have to go back but the majority of it is finished (I hope)

Now comes the fun part of trying to get a new truck. The cheapest model of any make is $35,000.00. My private insurance is going to pay $16,800.00 and CVM says I have $10,000.00 that can be used for vehicle purchase. So that means I have $26,800.00. I will also need another $2500-3000 for insurance, steel bumpers and associated fees with getting a tag. So basically I am short about $10,000.00.

There is a possibility (I won't know for a couple of weeks yet it is even possible) I can buy a vehicle for around $29,000 but it will take a minimum of 3 months to get it (depending on when they are shipped from the manufacturer). I am blessed to have access to Keith's vehicle for the month of July when he will be out of the country but after that things will get a bit tricky and without a truck I am basically stranded. Please pray with me as I work out what is the best way to proceed and how to raise the extra money.

It was a crazy day of up and down emotions and I am worn out. I don't know what the best way to proceed now is. I need a truck to function but the difference in money is significant. I want to be a good steward of CVM and my donors money and at the same be a good steward in my work. It's a catch 22 in my eyes.

Tomorrow we are going to the valley to work on some horses and then the first of the week we will be working with the Give a Kid a Kid project. Then a couple of weeks of getting ready for AVMA. The time is just going by so fast. The World Food Program has ok'ed us to work for another 4 months. It is very cool and will be over $500,000.00USD for the people in the valley but oh the headaches associated with it. The Lord is using this to teach me patience :).

2011-06-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

I'm doing good, the soreness is only there when I breathe :). Seriously things could be much worse and I don't feel that bad. I have been kind of taking it easy. I let Guerriot drive me around all weekend and yesterday I wasn't so good, but today I am just sitting in front of the computer doing some work.

Big news - FINALLY got the management of the WFP money so I can pay the agronom and others who weren't covered by the salary. Because of my wereck the people didn't get paid, but hopefully this week. Then the WFP have contacted us and asked us to rewrite the project and extend it for 4 months. I am trying to work on the budget - it's crazy. They want us to handle the payroll this time. I think it will be a HUGE headache but if we are going to do the project I think it will be worth it because then we can pay as we need to and not wait on a bunch of intermediate people to hang us up.

The last team is here. Keith has gone to the countryside with Gary Gordon and Andy to do some training and drop off some equipment. Mary his former Pastor's wife is here as well she is doing a sewing class with some of the girls we know. They are making pillowcase dresses and tops. Very cute. It's great fun some are just learning to sew.

We have a new friend visiting us for a bit, her name is Wilna. She is a friend of mine through Joan at the Restavek Freedom Foundation. She is the same age as Judeline. So far they are hitting it off great. Wilna has learned a lot of great things from the RFF and is sharing them with Judeline and that is a GOOD THING!. They are sharing clothes and dreams, doing each others hair and nails. It's pretty fun.

Today Judeline started her National Exams so she can go to high school. It is a 2 day test. She will do fine but still pray for her please.

I just got off the phone with the insurance company they are only going to give me $16,400 for my truck. Not even half the price of a new one. I sent an email to CVM to see what we are going to do. There are several options so I am not going to panic just yet. I am so blessed to have Keith and Jan here, I don't know what I would do without them.

2011-06-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

Got a bit sidetracked on Thursday morning...
I was taking Acky to the bust station very early so I could get back to be with the group and a mini van (taptap) decided to come over on my side of the road at the last second and hit me head on. I don't know if he drifted off (it was 4:45AM) or his tire blew (back right was blown after the accident) or what happened. I just remember that I knew he was going to hit us, I didn't have time to brake, turn or warn Acky. I remember my head going back and then the UN guys trying to make me talk and I couldn't breath very well, those airbags knock the breath right out of you. I am sure grateful for my steel bumpers (defenses) and airbags, otherwise it would have been a lot worse. Acky had a small cut on his head and bruised his shoulder and broke his computer screen. I have lots of bruises and abrasions on my arms and legs and a broken rib on the right. There were 5 or 6 other people in the tap tap. They all were cut up a bit, nothing gushing blood. The driver was pinned for a bit but they ripped the door off and got him out. He had a broken wrist and banged his head on the windshield but was alert and knew who he was. It was all very surreal. It happened right in front of the entrance to the UN so there are guards who helped us and witnesses. It took two hours to get the pictures for man from the state insurance to come and get pictures and get the vehicles moved out of the road. I had to make them take the people to the hospital. I said I would go if I started vomiting (I was very nauseous for a bit) or had trouble breathing but I wasn't going to leave until Keith got there and by then I knew I was ok. I did go to the doctor on Friday morning and confirmed the broken rib but not much you can do for a non displaced fracture.

The stupid thing about all of this is the way they handle accidents in Haiti. The insurance inspector came and took pictures of the accident and had me write a statement. Then told me to go to the insurance company the next morning at 10AM. I got there at 10:30 and the other guy showed up at 11:30. He hadn't written his statement yet because he was gone to the hospital. The guy's father-in-law was talking to Keith at the police station when they were trying to find out where the vehicles were and said that I had been inside the UN and turned left into the guy. So while we were waiting before they made their statement he was asking me all about where I worked and I told him no I didn't work at the UN. Then he jumped up and ran out to make a quick phone call and then the written story changed from me turning left into him to just me coming on his side. So after he recorded his story we go for judgement. There are our statements and the inspectors photos and we tell our sides and this other guy is supposed to decide who's fault it is. He can't decide so we have to go back in 8 days. I am going to go to the UN on Monday and make them have the guards make a statement to what happened because I don't trust them to do it.

Ford estimators totaled the truck this morning so they will send it to my private insurance company Monday and the process of getting a new truck will begin. There are no Toyotas in Haiti period because of the quake in Japan. The Ford's have gone up $4K since I bought mine in Sept. 09. It will be interesting to see how it all works out, but I know it will. In the meantime I am driving Keith's toyota (well not really me - only sometimes like going to the insurance co and the doctor). I am just thankful that no one was hurt badly.

2011-06-15T06:07:00.000-04:00

I'm not lost! The internet hasn't been working and we have a team here so it has been busy. A great team 3 vets who havebeen to Haiti before and 4 of their teenage children (13-20). It has been very cool. Lots of work, lots of fun, lots of laughter, lots of God moments. We are off to the valley today to work on some animals for the missionary community there. We just finished a 3 day training with the vets and the best work part was that we went to Pax Villa camp. It is surprising the number of animals they had living in tents. Lots and lots of cats. They wouldn't let us spay the females but there were tons to neuter and vaccinate. We did over 50 animals with vaccines and neuters. It was very nice to be able to do something for them. There is nothing left to "give away" but our profession is something we can share. The 4 children had a blast with the kids. More soon

2011-06-03T08:15:00.001-04:00

I feel like I am in Seattle - it's been gray and rainy for 2 days now. It's even cold (I have a long sleeve shirt on). I so love having teams come and it is always sad when it's time for them to leave. The WSU girls leave in the AM. Each team is unique and God shows himself in unique ways with every team. This team has grown in confidence and self assurance in their work skills. It has been a busy work team and I wonder if we had enough "god time" but I think everyone got something out of it. God always makes sure that everyone gets what they need when they need it and I have to trust that. I know they have been good for me. THey made me laugh, they made me remember to focus, slow down and pay attention to the details (it has been awhile since I have had a team of folks with no clinical experience). Clinics can be a bit overwhelming with all the people and noise - I am used to it, but when you are trying to learn a new skill in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar people it can be a bit much. I am so proud of how well they did.

The bad weather has made the roads really bad and the first part of the trip home yesterday was quite an adventure. I don't know what I would do without my truck. It is the mainstay of what I do, without a way to get around easily it would be impossible to work the way we do. It isn't just the vehicle it is the quality as well. On the way home yesterday we passed one jeep stuck in the river and one other SUV type who couldn't get up a hill. She is starting to get a bit banged up but I take care of her and appearances don't matter right? :). Someone ran into me the day before the team came and bent my steel bumper in the back (said they would fix it, now I just have to find the time to take it in). Both mirrors have come off multiple times and are held on with JB Weld and epoxy (new ones cost $515US so it will have to be - I'm not going to buy new ones and have someone knock them off at that price). What keeps her going strong is taking good care of her. She may not be pretty but as long as the oil is changed and the filters changed, the mud washed off and tires in good shape I think we are good. There are always other things like the differential that still is making the most horrible noise but they assure me I can drive it so I have. This weekend I need to get the front bushings replaced and she has new brakes so I think we are good to go for a bit. I never ever take my truck for granted. Not for a second.

I told you about going back to Pax Villa. I took the team last night. We worked on a dog here at the clinic and they actually had money to pay. So I took that money and bought 12 poles for a tent house. There was a little girl last week who grabbed me by the hand and said come with me. She said my house is horrible come and see. She led me inside her tent and showed me where the water came pouring in every night and explained how wet they got. It is made with scraps of poles tied together and nothing is the same size or straight and barely tall enough to stand in. She is 10 years old. She lives there with her father, grandmother and 3 other siblings. I told her I couldn't get poles for her because I just can't help everyone and once you start everyone asks for help and it's just too hard, but she really touched me and all week I couldn't get her out of my head. Yesterday driving home I decided to ask my neighbor who sells poles for some and we would deliver them in the night so no one would know who gave them to the little girl. I didn't know how I would pay for them but then lo and behold while we were unloading truck someone called with a dog that needed to be seen. The money they paid was just enough to buy the poles. I love how God always works things out.

TOday was supposed to be beach day and rest because I have worked the team hard (and beach days are good for me too) but it is not to be because of all the rain. We are going to go downtown and to Merger for them to see the people there one more time.

2011-06-01T20:01:00.001-04:00

Last day of clinics - it was a good day. It is so great to see the confidence of the students increase. They are amamzing. I would let them work on my animals ;) Tomorrow back to Port, there is a "move tan" - cloudy rainy weather but hopefully the first part of the road won't be too bad. It really hasn't rained just threatened to.
Ok I don't know how this will look as I am having issues typing on the tiny keypad ;). Someone died in the house across from where we are stsaying tonight is thw wake - it could be a long night - they have a lot of. Benches and speakers set up. Ok I am going to have a bath I got pretty dirty today ;)

2011-05-27T21:03:00.000-04:00

The past two days have been full that's for sure. Yesterday the team learned all about vaccinating pigs and goats. Castrating them as well. The team is 1 first year undergrad student, and 3 vet students (1 just finishing first year and 2 just finishing 2nd year). Lots of fun times. It has been hot as the dickens and lots of sunburn as well. We are done with clinics for right now. Tomorrow they are going to the valley with Keith and I am going to do some other paperwork. Then Sunday we have church and Monday we go to the North to do more clinics. It will be a full 10 days. I love having student teams. It is so fun to see them catch on and gain in their confidence in their technical skills and how they grow closer to one another and to God.

I'm tired and smell kind of like a pig so I'll say goodnight and go take a shower :)