HALLELUJAH!

Well, God is faithful and TODAY while at lunch with my daughter I got a call from Haiti (Pastor Robby himself) saying that the needed money was received today to satisfy the owner of the land where the church is located!  So..... THEY GET TO STAY on that lot and are actually paid up for a little bit into the future with payments  on the property.  Yes, there is still a large balance that will be due as time goes by, but for now this is where God has shown that He wants the church to continue to meet.  Pastor Robby personally asked me to thank each one of you who prayed and/or contributed to meet this need.  He was very humbled to know just how many were praying for them and concerned for his church congregation.  He said that he hopes each of you can come some day to join them for worship to celebrate ALL that God has done so far in this young church body.

Hebrews 10:24-25   :)    -Crystal

This is a photo of the church on the "new" lot in Carrefour (not by the beach any more but this is a wonderful lot/location).

Reflections/Updates

Ok.... I am finally back in Pennsylvania.  Got home yesterday at 3 am. -doctor appointment at 10:30 am. for Chikungunya (I thought I should be tested just for CDC to have accurate info. on where it is located and how it is spreading) and caught up on sleep off and on all day but time to get back into the swing of things and FINALLY update you all on some stuff going on in Haiti.

MADAME JOSEE'-  We were blessed to go as a team (with my Haitian pastor) to pray with her on Thurs, May 15th and she looked much better.  She still has horrible pain/stiffness in her pelvis/low back where the cancer is in the bones now, but once she gets up and moving she feels a little less pain.  Sleeping is difficult for her so pray she can rest.  The family is prepared for what the future most likely holds but they are praying God will give them a miracle and heal her.  We had a great visit and I will cherish that day for sure (as I know she will).  She even shared her scan with me to put on my computer and also with the nursing students.  Here's a photo of us praying with her- one of the most beautiful moments I have witnessed between mother and son was when Redgi held her as she kneeled for prayer from Pastor Robby!

it's blurry, but James took this photo of us while we were praying

BUS UPDATE:  The bus is STILL sitting in Florida.  Pastor Dave has been checking while I was in Haiti, but the latest news is that they PLAN to put it on the next boat being loaded on Tuesday.  We are to call then to see if it made it onto the boat.  Then, the prayers are really needed cause it will take 2-3 days to get to Haiti and a lot of prayer/coordination/patience/and, of course money to get it out of port/customs and into our possession.  Keep praying please!  We will continue to update.

our bus is sitting in Florida waiting to get on a boat to Haiti (hopefully this next week)

PASTOR ROBBY's CHURCH:  I know I had mentioned that they needed $10,000 a few weeks ago to give to the owner of the land.  The owner has had some financial issues of his own and needed the money sooner than the agreed upon deadline schedule, HOWEVER, the church was also behind on payments- not having given the owner money since January.  The lot that the church "purchased" cost $150,000 initially and they have put about $40,000 into it so far.  They went to court while we were in Haiti and the judge ordered the church to pay AT LEAST $25,000 in past due payments but they are hoping to raise $35,000 which would get them to the halfway point.  According to the judge the owner then can not do anything to them to force them for more money for a while (not sure when the next payments would be due if they get 1/2 of the lot paid).  They still need to pour a concrete floor and get better tarps (or tin) on the roof among other things, but for now, this issue with the current owner of the lot is most important.  Keep praying- the deadline to have the money is THIS WEDNESDAY (two weeks after court).

a photo of the medical clinic we did inside Pastor Robby's church at their new location (the lot involved in the financial dispute)- it's a great location!

CHIKUNGUNYA:  This is the new virus sweeping Haiti.  I know that people have been worried about it- especially those coming to Haiti  summer.  I have had it and so have Redgi and James.  Yes, it is miserable for a few days (fever, joint pain/aches and rash) but it is nothing serious.  It is only spread by mosquitos and the symptoms only last about a week (joint pain is reported to last longer in some cases) and once you have had it, you are immune for life.  Our encouragement to you would be that you pray before coming and take all precautions possible to avoid contracting the virus but if God is truly calling you to Haiti, do not let it scare you away.  Please check with your doctor or read literature if you are still concerned.  Contact us if you would like to discuss this more.

TEAM & AFTER:  I know we didn't post much the last few days so here are a few photos of highlights from the trip.  After the team left I spent some time healing from the virus, then went to visit the girls and their families in Mirebalais.  We gave them money for food and tried to see the baby goats (YES!  The second momma goat had babies- two as well) but they were tied way up the mountain to eat fresh grass so we didn't see them.  We did have a good visit with the girls though and got to spend a lot of time with the family this visit.  We would like to help them get a better roof on their house (it is currently leaking) made from tin and are trying to figure out how to do this best.

the group (in the water) at the beach while I sat and watched the stuff.

Haylee at the orphanage

Going to the dining room for the party!  

PARTY!  Complete with sodas/drinks, rice/beans, chicken, pasta salad and sauce!  YUM

On the way to Mirebalais- this is mango season!  The trees are so heavy with mangos.  :)  

Marie-Joline after school in Mirebalais.

Two little piglets at the house in Mirebalais.  

Redgi has a chick at his house (named Ki-Keet) that they are raising from an egg.

Redgi and Adam at the pediatric ward at the general hospital- holding the abandoned babies.  

A close-up of the same baby (abandoned since birth).  She is so cute!

It rained four times in one day and the roads were COVERED in mud!  It took us over three hours to go what usually takes 20-30 min.  

Redgi buying mangos for the orphanage before I left (while we had a car- even though they weren't due until the 25th)

Flying home over some beautiful islands.  

Trip ending/life lessons will continue

Though this trip is over (sorry we haven't had power to update) the lessons learned on this trip will continue to impact MANY.  I truly believe that of this group.  As they drove off this morning to the airport I was sad, but I am blessed because I can really see Jesus in each of the four who were here and I know God used them in mighty ways here in Haiti.  They were able to take their nursing "theory" and put it into practice knowing that God was with them and though the situation and circumstances were new and unfamiliar, they were equipped for the tasks at hand.  It was such a blessing to watch them grow and lean on Him for strength, guidance and direction.  So, now as I sit here listening to the church next door playing it's worship music I reflect on all that God led us to this week and the mighty ways He was at work.  My prayer is that the lessons learned here about Him and His character will remain until we see Him face to face.  Thanks for sharing your time with us, team!  You WILL be missed!!

the group on the way to the airport this morning- they arrived safely and should be stateside soon

Day 7 The Mount

     Today we started off by really great team time and discussion about God and everything He has been doing on this trip. In the team time we talked about how God provides us with everything we need through His perfect love. This included the scripture I (Adam) shared from my morning devotion this morning that is "All scripture is God breathed and is used for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training so that every man (and woman) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16-17. There were other significant things the others shared as well, which spoke to what was on our hearts from yesterday to return to the mountain where we hiked yesterday to pray with a family who lost a member.  The great part about this day was talking, sharing, and praying God's love with the wife of the husband who had passed away. James, one of our translators was able to share and witness to this lady and though she did not accept Christ today, she was most definitely close to making that decision. It was amazing to be able to pray Haitian style over this woman and feel the Holy Spirit move through this something so significant.
     The afternoon was just as amazing because we met Redgi's mom who is an amazing woman of faith. She was able to share her testimony with Pastor Robbie and what God had been doing in her life.  Something that is so significant about this afternoon is though we are faced with hard times and trials, God knows and is in control of any and every situation and we grow even stronger in our faith because of those times.  It is like a tree growing and continuing to have its roots go deeper and deeper.  This will help us remain strong in whatever we face.  As we also had the time to pray with Redgi's mom, we also had the opportunity to return to the pediatric wing of the general hospital we spent Saturday at and noticed that a girl who had been left at the hospital for the purpose of providing care to for a short while was picked up by her father which was a great moment knowing family was once again reunited. All in all I (Adam) have definitely grown much stronger and have been blessed by the people I have met on this trip and cannot thank them or God for as much as I have furthered my faith because of these people.

~Adam Simmers~

Photos from Wed.

The overlook (this was a church that "broke" in the earthquake)

The team on top of the old church

God in the Highs and the Lows

Bonjou! Haylee and I (Christie) will tell you about our crazy day on Wednesday in the countryside! In the morning our team (me, Haylee, Thomas, Adam, Redgi, and Astreede) hiked up the mountain to an old church that the foundation still stood after the earthquake. It was long, steep trek up, but when we got there it was absolutely breathtaking! The church overlooked the entire valley and the bay. It was so beautiful! We simply sat on the roof for awhile and pondered God's splendor and His awe-inspiring creation! We then hiked back down and stopped to talk and do blood pressure checks on some of the villagers. If they had hypertension, we would teach them ways to decrease it without medications. Several people stated that they had the fever (Chikungunya) and body pains so we distributed Acetaminophen that we had brought along. We then continued further down the mountain and stopped to do more blood pressure checks with another group of people. As we were standing there, a man came up and told our translators that he needed help. He said that there was a man up in a hut that had passed out from the fever. So our group split up. Thomas and Adam stayed with Astreede to do blood pressures on the crowd of people that had gathered. Haylee and I went with Redgi. We followed the man up to the hut, weaving through other huts, climbing up further and further. Finally, we came to a hut where a lot of people were gathered outside and also packed inside. They parted, and we walked into the near pitch-black room. We could only see the form of a man laying on his wooden bed. Haylee got her phone out to use as a light, and Redgi held it so we could see. I checked his pulses, and I felt nothing. Haylee checked his breathing, and she felt and heard nothing. We felt so unprepared for this moment. We have always had an instructor with us, giving us advice or telling us what to do. Now here we were on our own. So we put gloves on and began CPR. She started doing continuous compression, and I prayed. Then we would switch. Our training simply kicked in. We could feel God there guiding our hands. We became very emotional, knowing that there was absolutely nothing we could do for him anymore. The people that were crowded around us had that look of hope in their eyes. We cried knowing that he was gone. We still continued doing compressions and praying, not wanting to give up. We were drenched in sweat and tears. We kept checking his pulses and breathing, hoping against hope for a miracle. We had Redgi also check for pulses, because all we could feel was our own pulses. However, he also felt nothing. After that, we didn't know what to do, so we asked Redgi what's next. He said, "We leave." We felt like we had to do more, but he said that they would be thankful that we simply came and we tried to help him. We walked back down the mountain, and Redgi went to get the other team members still doing blood pressures. By this time, we were overcome with emotion. The man that had come to get us was very kind. He hugged us and kept thanking us and brought us chairs to sit on. The rest of the team came, and we started our silent walk back to the base. Through all of that, we still can see the beauty of the Lord and His power in the situation. In a span of 24 hours, we saw a beautiful new baby brought into the world and then the coldness of death. But in both places, we still felt the presence of the Lord. We know God had been preparing us for that moment. Haylee and I have always had clinicals together. We just recently had a refresher class on CPR and had been partners. We worked together so well. In addition, God had prepared us with Haylee randomly reading that day's devotional from 'Jesus Calling.' It goes like this: "I am a MIGHTY GOD. Nothing is too difficult for Me. I have chosen to use weak ones like you to accomplish My purposes. Your weakness is designed to open you up to My Power. Therefore, do not fear your limitations or measure the day's demands against your strength. What I require of you is to stay connected to Me, living in trusting dependence on My limitless resources. When you face unexpected demands, there is no need to panic. Remember that I am with you. Talk with Me, and listen while I talk you through each challenging situation. I am not a careless God. When I allow difficulties to come into your life, I equip you fully to handle them. Relax in My Presence, trusting in My Strength." Luke 1:37; 2 Corinthians 12:9
Please continue to pray for our team! Bondye beni'w!
-Christie

WOW- what a day!

Yesterday was quite a day but it was truly a time to show, confirm and solidify the depth of the faith of this group.  This team is composed of four very solid Christians who love/follow the Lord each day- especially down here away from familiar surroundings/situations and that faith was really increased yesterday as we sat in the evening marveling at how God is so intimately involved in each one of our lives and how He was obviously guiding and directing our day.  The Christian life is not all "roses and fluff".  Some days are just tougher than others.  Let's be honest and admit that.  BUT we serve and love a God who never calls us to complacency.  He calls us to be involved in His Kingdom work and when we are involved there are bound to be times when we are challenged, hurt, frustrated, or whatever.  We rest in the knowledge that He is with us and He already knew what situations/challenges we would face.  He has equipped us for His work and He will be there sustaining us through all we encounter.  To me, personally, that is such a comfort.  To watch others grow/learn that is such a blessing.  God is good and God is faithful.  His Word says as much and He can not contradict that or He wouldn't be God.  So, no matter what trials we face here in Haiti or whatever you face wherever you are, know and be assured that He is there!  He loves you.  And He will get you through it.  He may even (and most likely will) use your growth/experience to teach others if you allow that.

I will let the group blog about the day, but it was just a jumble of emotions and experiences - one on top of another.  A series of highs and lows emotionally for each of us.  But it was also a great time of God speaking to the group and to us individually.  Everyone is fine and our time of debrief/praise at the end of the night was just beautiful!  I am in tears typing this because these are the moments in life that we cherish- the ones that build us into the men/women we were meant to be in Christ!  I pray the life lessons of today will impact many.  I know they will change those of us on this trip!

(Note:  Parents and family members reading this- know that you have some STRONG young men/women and that God is using them in mighty ways here.  Being a mom I know I would worry after reading the above words, but please do not.  The things I wrote are not meant to worry anyone, but to encourage. God is so faithful and everyone here is fine!)

Photos Monday & Tuesday

Sorry, but electricity has been limited (none right now) so we haven't been updating as much as we would like, but you can get a feel for the ministry.  Our days have been PACKED with different ministries but we have seen God move in mighty ways already- in the team and through them!  Here are a few more photos from the medical clinic on Monday and the hospital on Tuesday.  We realized no one took photos of the English classes which was sad cause that was a highlight for sure.

WARNING!  Some of the photos below are kind of "graphic" if you do not like to see medical images.

The girls did triage and intake info. while some from the church prayed with patients (we also had an education station, the doctor, and a pharmacy area)

These people are patiently waiting to be seen by the group.  It was very calm and relaxed and everyone was seen.

Another photo of the triage station.  Everyone got their blood pressure done, blood sugar checked and a general assessment (weight, age, chief complaint, etc...)

This is the woman who came in so sick!  After some acetaminophen, prayer and rest she walked out like new!

Adam and Dr. Carl cleaned this wound (sorry to those of you who don't like this stuff, but it was very interesting)  He had cut it a few weeks ago when laying tile and it had been stitched but was infected so we had to irrigate it.  This is honestly not as bad as it looks- it's the peroxide foaming and mixed with some betadine (and infection).  

This little girl cut open her head and needed to be cleaned up and dressed.  Haylee held her and she actually went to sleep while Adam worked.  

More of cleaning/dressing the wound on the little girl.  

The whole team that helped clean the wound.  GREAT teamwork!  

Tuesday day 4 (Maternity Adventures)

          Today our team went to the local Maternity hospital in Carrefour.  When we arrived the administrator of the hospital took us up to the labor and delivery ward. We were taken back to where there was a Haitian woman in active labor.  The labor room was very different than a hospital in the U.S. There are not separate rooms for the mothers, but rather one room with partitions between the beds.  Since there is no such thing as HIPPA here in Haiti, there were about 25 people at the end of the bed watching.  The nurse in charge was very commanding and efficient in her care to get the woman to cooperate and comply.  The woman denied any pain medication, and within minutes she gave birth to a baby girl.  It was a huge blessing to be able to have the opportunity to witness the birth of new life in Haiti!  The baby was laid on the mother while the nurse cut the umbilical cord, then they whisked the baby off to be assessed at the neonatal ward.  The mother was then put into a room to be monitored and cared for.  After seeing the delivery we went through the rest of the ward and talked to the new and impending mothers.  The hospital also had a urgent care center where we went to next.  It was very slow at first, they did not have any patients but just as we prepped to help them roll gauze a woman came in with her child who fell and hit her head and was bleeding.  The Haitians in the urgent care immediately started handing materials to Adam and told him to care for her.  Adam jumped right in and looked at the child's head, because the area was full with hair the area needed to be shaved.  Having only a scalpel to shave with Adam let Redgi shave the little girls head around the wound.  We then cleaned the would with Hydrogen peroxide and Betadine, and bandaged it up.  The mother was handed a prescription and they where on their way.
           After lunch we headed to a school where Hearts United with Haiti give English lessons.  Today was their first day of classes for this term and the students of varying ages and degrees of understanding; where expecting the normal orientation day, ended up with the chance to practice their English with us.   We split them up into four groups with both advanced and beginner students in each.  We were able to sit and converse with them for a little over a hour and learn more about each other but most importantly so that they were able to practice actually using the English they had learned.

Being His Hands and Feet,
Thomas Kublin

Monday

Today we had a clinic, where we saw over 60 patients at Pastor Robbie's Church. There were stations set up, which included a pharmacy and a pharmacist (Crystal), a prayer station where ones from Pastor Robbie's church were praying over ones before they saw Dr. Carl, an in patient station and education about blood pressure maintenance and diabetes.
Over the course of the day I (Adam) floated between education and filling other needs with Redgie. We were able to help dress an infected wound with the assistance of Dr. Carl, helping treat a lady who had the Chikungunya, and eventually patient chief complaints. As we were helping the lady with Chikungunya, Pastor Robbie and others from the congregation set up a place where she could rest and be prayed over for God to place His hands on her and heal her.  The awesome thing about the prayer we had is that everyone was praying out loud at the same time over the lady with Chikungunya. Eventually after prayer and treatment, she walked out of the church and clinic feeling better than when she arrived.
Today was a blessing because of the ways each person were a part of a bigger purpose, God's purpose and plan. We were able to fill in various needs of the people sharing the love of God with everyone at the clinic. Whether it was prayer, patient care, or education, each one of us were there to serve God and His overall plan. - Adam
PS- Pastor Robby DOES give the best hugs ever!  lol

SUNDAY!!

We went to pastor Robbie's church only a few streets away from the mission base. We were brought up to the front of the church to be introduced to the congregation. Christie and I (Haylee) tried out our Creole in front of the whole church, and got a few laughs. They were very welcoming and excited that we were there. Pastor Robbie was especially welcoming to us, he gives the BEST hugs ever!!!!! The service was very energetic and interesting to be part of even though we could not understand what was being said, we could feel that God was moving and encountering many in the church. While we were sitting there was a mama chicken and her two little chicks ambling through the aisles looking for bits of food. Later we found out that the mama chicken was given as a tithe offering and then it was multiplied with two little chicks. We ate our PB&J sandwiches and then made our way out into the community. Originally we were going to go to Grace Village which was a tent city that has been around since the earthquake, but the occupants have left mostly so that the hospital can be rebuilt. (The land that the people set up tent city on was originally where the hospital had been.) Instead of going there we went towards the houses close to the coast line. We first talked with a group sitting under an almond tree and invited them to come to the clinic that we would be having the following morning. They asked if we could take their blood pressure then, so we started taking blood pressures. It is a common belief here that almond leaves are very useful in treating hypertension. They put them in their shoes or sit under the trees to lower their blood pressure. It was very curious to find out that none of them while sitting under the almond tree had high blood pressure. It seemed like people would never stop coming to see what their blood pressure was, it was like watching musical chairs. We continued on towards the coast, we saw several families giving their children their afternoon baths. There was one house where when you first said hi to one child and then more and more kept pouring out, so many little kids! :) At the coast, which was beautiful, we began taking blood pressures. At first people were a bit standoffish, but then when they found why we were there they all began gathering. The little kids were so excited to see is and to get our attention. There was a man with a wound that we encouraged to come to the clinic tomorrow to get it changed. After a while we made our way back to the base to clean the medical closet and bag up medications for our clinic tomorrow. We were all worn out by the end of the day, today was the hottest it has been yet!

Blessings to all!!

photos - Sunday

Here are some photos from yesterday.  We went to church in the morning (and the group had to introduce themselves) and then walked around and checked people's blood pressure and invited them to our medical clinic to be held today at Pastor Robby's church.  Then, in the afternoon, the team organized the medical closet and took inventory of the supplies we have.  We packed up baggies of meds to give out if needed.  Today is a medical clinic so I am sure there will be LOTS of stories to share.  So far we have really seen God at work in the team.  :)

introductions in church- a bit scary, but well received!  (look at that smile from Pastor Robby in the back)

checking blood pressure in the community after church

teaching Redgi how to check blood pressure on Adam

this lovely family had JUST finished bathing the twin boys- they let us take a photo which I will print and take back in June for them to have a "family photo"  

We couldn't walk so close to the beach without going over by the edge for a photo.  Yes, there is a lot of trash there.  It floats in from the ocean because this was very near the river and people throw it into the river to wash out to sea (or back onto the shore).  The people who lived here (mostly fishermen) were very nice!  

blood pressures on the people who live by the beach.  We pray they will come to our education classes today on "how to control high blood pressure/diabetes without medication" (or at least to reduce your risk factors)

Hello everyone! Greetings from Carrefour, Haiti! Haylee and I(Christie) are excited for our second full day in Haiti. Yesterday, on Saturday we went to the General Hospital where we spent time in the pediatric buildings. Haylee, I, and Redgi (our translator) were a team. The ward is just one big room, open air, no curtains, or private rooms:). We moved around the room getting to know some of the patients and their families. They were all very open and happy to talk to us, very excited that we would pray for them and their little babies. Several were their because of anemia, fevers, heart problems. Many had to simply wait here in the hospital until they had enough money for the next dose of medications. There were two little abandoned babies there for malnutrition and dehydration. The one child we really connected with. She was 18 months and had the largest brown eyes that seemed to stare straight into your soul. Such a precious little one! She LOVED our stethoscopes and the little white bunny we gave her. We met the nurse who takes care of only the abandoned babies. You could tell she was very attached, protective, and loving to the little ones. God knew what He was doing when He placed her there for those little children!
We then loaded up the tap-tap and headed towards the orphanage on the hill. We delivered food to the girls. We got there and handed out mangos to the children. It got a little crazy because we gave out two! We ate lunch, then went back down to play with the children. We also changed the one girl's wound dressing which was infected and has been trying to heal for almost a year. The girls took a little bit to warm up to us, but after that there was no rest for our team. We swung them and danced and played handgames and played jump rope. By the end of an hour we were exhausted and just sat against the stone wall cuddling with the little ones. The older girls took my camera and loved to take photos of each other. My camera now has over 300 pictures! Haha Although we were exhausted, it was very fulfilling. It was heartbreaking to let go of their hands so we could leave. They are wonderful girls, happy girls, and we hope we can go back! :)
On to another day!
P.S. Today might have been the first time I contemplated killing an animal- the neighbor's rooster that likes to crow every 10 seconds!
God bless!

First full day: Pediatrics/Orphanage

The first full day the team was here and we have sure done a LOT!  I will let them update with stories/feelings, but basically the morning was spent at the pediatric wing of the general (free) hospital in Port au Prince meeting and praying with patients.  The group sure met a lot of families/little ones and brought much encouragement and joy!  Then, in the afternoon we bought the fruit/milk and food for the orphanage and delivered all!  Handing out mangoes was an experience and quite the introduction to the orphans.  Each child got two mangoes and they were so excited! Then, the team played games with some of the children, evaluated some medical issues and gave advice to others, etc...

Sorry there have been no updates yet but mine.  It has stormed both nights the team is here and we lost internet service due to the cloud cover and winds.  In the morning I am the only one crazy enough to get up this early to blog! (though yesterday due to a watch malfunction they were an hour ahead of schedule)

Thanks for the prayers and if you can pass along this link (and the facebook page too) to the families of the participants if you know them, it would be MUCH appreciated.  If not, they will probably e-mail home.  For some reason that information didn't get passed along and they would like their families to follow the trip and be part too!

(no Madame Josee update but we will get one asap for you)

Adam with Robinson-  how good it is for them to have positive male interaction!  :)  

The group on the balcony overlooking the city.  I wish you could see the blue color of the ocean in the background but those smiles say a LOT!  We had a great time with the children.  

Group has arrived (and Madame Josee' update)!

This is to let you all know that the group of four nursing students from Malone University has arrived and we are all excited about what God has in store for all of us.  They had no trouble finding us at the airport (amid the usual chaos), had a "tap-tap" ride home and even got to take public "tap tap's" out to the local restaurant where we all had a great dinner of rice/beans/chicken.

Last night was a great time of getting to know one another on the porch of the base watching a CRAZY storm blow in.  And I do mean BLOW in!!  The winds were so fierce, but we did not receive any rain.  (the night before we had tons of rain, but no wind- oh, Haiti!)  Today we plan to go to the Pediatric wing of the general hospital and visit with/pray with families and patients and then off to Life is Wealth Orphanage to see the children there and take the fruit/milk that we take every month.  Prayers appreciated as always.

I was blessed to get to visit Madame Josee' on the way to the airport and even more blessed that Redgi was out getting his hair cut so I really got to spend time in prayer and honest talking with her (his brother and James translated what I couldn't say, though I managed most of it).  She looks GREAT and her spirits/faith always astound me.  She is very weak and was laying down but that smile...... well, if you know her, you will understand.  And such calm peace surrounds her.  Emanuella (her niece) and her sister, Ruth (whom I had never met before yesterday) were with her.  She delighted in watching videos I had taken on the way to Haiti of my granddaughter, hearing stories of Redgi's visit to the USA (things a boy wouldn't share with his mom), and we laughed/cried and just had an overall amazing time together.  Both of us needed a distraction I am sure and I really needed that time of fellowship with my sister.  Here are two photos of her (one with me).  Keep praying- they need it!  I took her women's vitamins (thanks Kelley and crew) and gave them some money I had with me (thanks to those who have donated a bit).  They will use some of the money for food and medicine and some to pay transportation for her other sister, Carol (many of you know her too- she helps cook) to come from Cap Haitian if/when Madame Josee' gets worse so they can have a visit.