Update

OK... too tough to respond to all the messages on facebook and e-mail asking what we have been up to and how things are going, so I am going to try to put it all here.

Tuesday I arrived.  After lunch with Redgi and his father we went to visit his mother and to see Sparky (and the rest of the family).  It was wonderful to see Madame Josee'.  She looks great and her hair is just beginning to grow back! We will take her to Mirebalais on Wed. of next week (Monday is a holiday so they rescheduled the chemo for another day) and I hope to be able to talk to the doctors or nurses then to see how she is progressing.  Her breast is softer now and she can no longer feel the lumps under her arms or in her neck.  A repeat of the CT scan (abdominal) and chest X-ray need to be done before deciding on treatment.  We are praying she is now a candidate for surgery but time will tell!
     We left the Alvarez residence and came to the base where I cleaned my room, handed out gifts and other things to Redgi/James (that they bought from me for either themselves or friends) and then we relaxed around the house and just caught up on the past two months apart.  Both Redgi and James had much to share!  They have been very busy in my absence.

Wed. was a "base day"- the three of us had meetings all day (and some breaks from English/Creole too) but we got most of the planning done for the December trip, most of the plan for the rest of my stay, receipts balanced (money accounted for), etc...  Pastor Guy (the owner of the lot next door) stopped by so I got to have a meeting with him about using the lot.  Please pray with us about that one- not sure how it will develop.  He is a shrewd businessman who has been to the USA many times so he knows how to "work a deal".   In the afternoon James got a call from Jean Bernard's brother that they had located him (see story below) so in the evening we got to have Jean Bernard over for a while at the base.  We also bought gas for the stove and did some other errands.

Thursday (yesterday) we spent a large part of the day at the hospital with Amondine. (one of the children at Madame Esther's orphanage).  Before I left for Haiti a friend gave me some money and said, "This is for Madame Esther.  Meet with her and find out what her greatest need is".  Then, yesterday Redgi's phone rang.  Madame Esther didn't know I was in town but she told him that Amondine was very sick and in the hospital.  We went to see her, paid her hospital bill (from that money my friend sent- we have $100 left to cover her new expenses).  We met with the doctor and he said she is extremely anemic which makes her hemoglobin very low (that carries oxygen throughout her system).  So, she is receiving oxygen and blood transfusions.  When asked the cause of the anemia he said he feels it is a "chronic problem" rather than acute (meaning she doesn't have any bleeding or anything making her lose blood SO it is most likely due to malnutrition).  Madame Esther has been telling us for a while that the children do not have enough to eat but this really brought her situation to light.  We have been taking her food monthly and vitamins when we can, but she is in a very desperate situation.  We got to spend some time in prayer together and I got to hear more about her needs.  She really loves the children- no doubt there and we were blessed to be used  by God to show her that HE loves them too!  (by sending us with the money when he did- the hospital was refusing to do any more treatment until the bill was paid)
     We also saw Dr. Carl and paid a bill we had there (he had seen Peterson last week because Peterson was sick) and bought worm medicine for the children at Life is Wealth.  We hope to go there today because it is the day their leadership classes are held.  We will photograph and video tape the class and even participate.  We also hope today to buy the mattresses with funds that were donated for that specific purpose.

It may not sound like much is being done, but God is at work for sure and we are quickly checking items off the "to do" list.  Keep the prayers coming and we will try to update more as the trip progresses.  God bless! His servant-  Crystal

Amondine in her hospital bed.... Bless this little one.  She was so cute when I laid hands on her and prayed - she was like a little angel and sooooo grateful afterward. Both our eyes were filled with a few tears!  I think she is very scared so I pray this comforted her a bit.