A Discouraging Month

I (Sandy) had promised myself when I starting this blogging process that I wasn't going to write blogs full of complaints. That they would be uplifting, encouraging and happy stories of our life here in Haiti. I suppose that is why I haven't written in over 3 weeks. It has been a discouraging month.

It started with an illness that kept me in bed for almost 3 weeks and left me with debilitating back pain that took another 2 weeks to overcome. Anyone who has suffered long-term illness or chronic pain knows how it can affect you physically and emotionally. I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and taking one day at a time.

The other big discouragement has been the final decision in the last couple of days that there are no funds to run the ambulance. We are very close to having the final paperwork done by the government although we still do not know the final total of the customs "tax" that they will decide to charge us. The cost to run the ambulance will be $2000 a month. The mission is severly underfunded at the moment and there is no space to start anything new above and beyond the projects that are already running so it looks like, for now, the ambulance will be parked next to the partially built hospital and we will wait. If you feel led to help in any way with this cause, please click on the "help fund the ambulance" button on the right.

So, we face our first big hurdles. I guess it's hard after having so many things come together so quickly for us to get here to Haiti. I think we must have been getting used to this being the way everything was supposed to go. Now, we feel like the momentum has stalled and we must WAIT. Not an easy thing for anyone. Please pray for these issues as we await God's leading and direction.

For those of you who have been asking, the kids are doing great. We are gearing up for Christmas in the heat. We have decorated our home and put up our inflatable Christmas tree (thanks Lori!). My Dad brought a suitcase full of Christmas presents for the kids recently so we are all set (and I didn't have to do any Christmas shopping!).

Michelle and Sammy have started guitar lessons every Monday afternoon and are loving it! I will post a picture soon. Sadrac works here at the mission as an interpreter and also sings/plays with the worship team at church. He is a shy, quiet young man but his love of music and love of God shines through in all he does. He comes up to our house after working in the clinic with Grant all morning and then spends his afternoon working with the girls on their guitar. It is so nice to hear the worship songs coming from the family room as he plays along on the keyboard as the girls learn.

We hope to have some good news to post soon and I will include more pictures next time as I have many requests that people want to "see" what is going on not just read about it. I will do my best.