I know many of you have been wanting to know how the bench project has been going. Well I am currently writing this post in shock. We currently have enough funds for TEN Benches!!!! And there is money for two more being sent in. That puts us at our goal of twelve benches. :)
Thank you to all of those who have donated to and who have been praying for this project. I greatly appreciate it.
The Kendall Family
(back) Katherine, Christopher, Ann, Dwight, Tim (front) Jonathan, Krislena, Karl
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday PM
Well we are back from our trip to the North.
It was relatively uneventful. On our way home, almost off the mountain road but on a good spot, we had a flat tire. The spare had a slow leak but it got us in to the next big town where we bought a tube and had it installed.
Lexius traveled extremely well, even though it took us 11 1/2 hours
I am very tired but glad this is over. Thank you all for your prayers though out this.
It was relatively uneventful. On our way home, almost off the mountain road but on a good spot, we had a flat tire. The spare had a slow leak but it got us in to the next big town where we bought a tube and had it installed.
Lexius traveled extremely well, even though it took us 11 1/2 hours
I am very tired but glad this is over. Thank you all for your prayers though out this.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday Morning Update
Thank you all for your prayers. I stayed fever free all day Friday and am feeling ready for my trip north. Kevin Bruns and Christopher will be traveling with me. Pray with me that the next two days will be uneventful.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saint Louis De Nord Haiti Road Trip Pixs
So my dad asked my to post some pictures from our trip up north. Here are some of them.
The new road. We traveled on this for about an hour. It is really nice.
Lexis Louie
The Cabaret Market
The Cabaret Market
We got stuck at the one and only stop light on National 1
A market half an hour north of Saint Marc.
Houses in the lake just outside of Gonieves
Rice Patties
As Shocking as it is. Its a speed limit sign.
Gonaives
Washing Day
Just a bumpy road, with a ton of dips.
One of several rivers we went through.
Donkeys!!!
A couple of stretches of concrete in the middle of a terrible road
A boat that ran aground in an odd way.
A group of Ships tied together near shore.
Saint Louis de Nord, which by the way is probably the cleanest city in Haiti.
Trip Update
Thank you all for your prayers.
Our trip to the Northern part of Haiti went uneventfully, that is what we like. In our 2 days of traveling we covered 299 miles, and it only took us 18 hours. Yes that averages out at just over 16.5 miles per hour. Our first 86 miles was covered at a rate of 23 mph while our last 57 miles at a blistering 12 mph. We forded 4 different rivers or streams, one of them twice.
We lost track of how many times we stopped for directions trying to find our way through the narrow streets of various towns. When we finally arrived at the gates of Northwest Haiti Mission in St. Louie de Nord we were met by Grant. He was so helpful in getting Lexius hooked up with the medical staff, then showing Dwight, Joesph and I where the men's dorm and dining room were.
The next morning we were greeted by rain. It had rained and stormed most of the night. We discovered that the remnants of Tropical Storm Henri, which had disintegrated several days prior, was skirting the north coast of Haiti and dumping rain as it went. Rain falling in the mountains is not generally conducive to crossing rivers. After talking to Ann and having her check the weather satellite it appeared to only be skirting the coast and not pushing inland very far. I then had a peace about heading out since our first "river" crossing was well inland. We did have to ford a stream that now had more water than the day before but not more than could be crossed safely. By the time we reached the rivers they were the same height as we had crossed the day before.
The doctors were anticipating doing Lexius' surgery on Tuesday. After his first couple of days of recovery the medical staff will try and project a lease date. Then I will begin making plans to go back up and pick him up.
Dwight took several pictures and we plan to get them posted on the blog later today.
Our trip to the Northern part of Haiti went uneventfully, that is what we like. In our 2 days of traveling we covered 299 miles, and it only took us 18 hours. Yes that averages out at just over 16.5 miles per hour. Our first 86 miles was covered at a rate of 23 mph while our last 57 miles at a blistering 12 mph. We forded 4 different rivers or streams, one of them twice.
We lost track of how many times we stopped for directions trying to find our way through the narrow streets of various towns. When we finally arrived at the gates of Northwest Haiti Mission in St. Louie de Nord we were met by Grant. He was so helpful in getting Lexius hooked up with the medical staff, then showing Dwight, Joesph and I where the men's dorm and dining room were.
The next morning we were greeted by rain. It had rained and stormed most of the night. We discovered that the remnants of Tropical Storm Henri, which had disintegrated several days prior, was skirting the north coast of Haiti and dumping rain as it went. Rain falling in the mountains is not generally conducive to crossing rivers. After talking to Ann and having her check the weather satellite it appeared to only be skirting the coast and not pushing inland very far. I then had a peace about heading out since our first "river" crossing was well inland. We did have to ford a stream that now had more water than the day before but not more than could be crossed safely. By the time we reached the rivers they were the same height as we had crossed the day before.
The doctors were anticipating doing Lexius' surgery on Tuesday. After his first couple of days of recovery the medical staff will try and project a lease date. Then I will begin making plans to go back up and pick him up.
Dwight took several pictures and we plan to get them posted on the blog later today.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Road Trip
Lexius Louie, one of the gentlemen in our old peoples feeding program broke his femur a couple of months ago. It was not a simple break. It broke just below the ball of the hip joint. It is not going to be a matter of just reseting the bone, they are going to have to replace the top part of the bone. With the help of a missionary doctor we have found a visiting surgeon that is willing to do the surgery. The surgeon is arriving on Saturday as part of a medical work team. He is bring the donated supplies to repair Lexius' leg. The surgery is scheduled for Monday morning. Lexius needs to be at the hospital on Sunday morning to begin his pre-surgery testing. The only bump in this project is that the hospital is up on the north coast of Haiti. They tell me that it will only take 8 hours to drive up there. So we will leave here on Saturday morning at 6:00am, that should give us plenty of time to get up there and get him settled. Then I will return on Sunday morning.
- Pray for safe travels
- Pray for the surgical staff as they prepare for the surgery
- Pray that Lexius will adjust quickly to his new hip
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day in the life of..
Under the title of providing for 5 children on the field, we purchase things in large quantities. Under the title of sharing info to newbies.. I asked Susan if she would like to split case goods with our family for their family of 4 kiddo's.
Ie, cases of chicken leg quarters, and Turkey Drum sticks. You'd be surprised at how many recipes can be made from these US rejects. Not that the meat is good, but you'll not find a speck of white meat to be found.
Yesterday was the day to divide up the cases of poultry. Plastic zip baggies in hand, Susan and I headed to the Conference Center freezer to conquer and divide. HAH... solid cases its what I knew was in store, I always forget what a challenge it is to break apart 40 lbs of solid frozen meat.
As Susan is new to Haiti, and this being her first experience, I was trying to break them apart in the usual fashion of dropping them on the cement floor, yet trying to get them to stay in the box top. No luck. Susan dropped them, I dropped them, Susan dropped them.. You get the picture
The turkey legs relented and let us break them apart, we decided they weren't turkey legs at all but prehistoric dinosaur legs, these are some of the biggest turkey legs I've ever seen.
Ah but the smaller more gentler bird. These legs were entwined with each other before they were frozen. So we called a helper over. Mme N, one of the littlest women you'll ever meet. She also has hands of iron. She came over and started throwing the chicken on the floor, where ever they landed. (not in the box top) I broke out into laughter, thinking oh well .. so much for sanitary. Susan swooped in to pick them up, all the while trying not to get her toes smashed in her flip flops from the violent "throw down". Sorry Bobby Flay.. our is much better type of throw down.
I've seen this done a lot, but wanted to attempt some US sanitary environment.. It was such a riot. The frozen legs went skittering across the floor.. We all cracked up laughing.. "catch them, catch them, Susan" I squealed. Susan was unfazed at the dancing chicken legs. Susan commented.."well, we are going to cook them before we eat them aren't we?" I smiled and said "yes, of course we are!" Susan is going to do just fine in Haiti. I will never eat chicken again with out thinking of the "chicken dance" Haiti style
Ie, cases of chicken leg quarters, and Turkey Drum sticks. You'd be surprised at how many recipes can be made from these US rejects. Not that the meat is good, but you'll not find a speck of white meat to be found.
Yesterday was the day to divide up the cases of poultry. Plastic zip baggies in hand, Susan and I headed to the Conference Center freezer to conquer and divide. HAH... solid cases its what I knew was in store, I always forget what a challenge it is to break apart 40 lbs of solid frozen meat.
As Susan is new to Haiti, and this being her first experience, I was trying to break them apart in the usual fashion of dropping them on the cement floor, yet trying to get them to stay in the box top. No luck. Susan dropped them, I dropped them, Susan dropped them.. You get the picture
The turkey legs relented and let us break them apart, we decided they weren't turkey legs at all but prehistoric dinosaur legs, these are some of the biggest turkey legs I've ever seen.
Ah but the smaller more gentler bird. These legs were entwined with each other before they were frozen. So we called a helper over. Mme N, one of the littlest women you'll ever meet. She also has hands of iron. She came over and started throwing the chicken on the floor, where ever they landed. (not in the box top) I broke out into laughter, thinking oh well .. so much for sanitary. Susan swooped in to pick them up, all the while trying not to get her toes smashed in her flip flops from the violent "throw down". Sorry Bobby Flay.. our is much better type of throw down.
I've seen this done a lot, but wanted to attempt some US sanitary environment.. It was such a riot. The frozen legs went skittering across the floor.. We all cracked up laughing.. "catch them, catch them, Susan" I squealed. Susan was unfazed at the dancing chicken legs. Susan commented.."well, we are going to cook them before we eat them aren't we?" I smiled and said "yes, of course we are!" Susan is going to do just fine in Haiti. I will never eat chicken again with out thinking of the "chicken dance" Haiti style
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