Intense Week

Ok, ok, so it’s not as bad here as it is say in Port-au-Prince where co-workers are dealing with a refugee camp of 4000 people sleeping in their front yard.

Yet we’ve had a hectic week. I even told dad over the phone that I’d like to re-join him on the truck (just kidding; dad has now been cleared by the doctor and is back to work).

Last Sunday night I spoke on post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS). I had good eye contact with the 60-plus people, mostly Haitian university students. I think that they were really paying attention, and I'm hoping that what I shared will help them.

Judy spoke about her brother committing suicide years ago. She admitted that since she didn't properly deal with it by stuffing her emotions and pretending that everything was ok, she became depressed about 3 years after his death. The PTSS doc stated that rejecting the emotions, and refusing to deal with the event head-on at some point results in a loss of emotions and feelings which leads to a depression.

God used His Word to lift Judy out of her depression. This all happened before I met her in Haiti.

Orly, the La Yaguita Children's center posterchild had to evacuate his home last Saturday night. His 16-year old uncle stabbed a guy after a drug deal. The victim's family retaliated by destroying Orly's house and all its possessions although the house was leaning on a neighbor's house for support. Orly and Lenny escaped the carnage by only a few minutes. Orly's aunt took them to another aunt's house where they are now sleeping.

Pastor Ramon Jorge continues to house and feed the boys during the day; the last time I was there, I pitched softball with Orly and became his donkey—I took him on my back and walked him around.

After I told dad all that, he said, “Be sure to take care of those little boys.”

Judy continues to help our pastor’s terminally ill father-in-law even though she was fighting a cold this week.

Oh, and did we mention that the plumber had to come this week to fix a leak in a couple pipes. He had to break the floor in the hall to discover the four leaks that were getting through to the downstairs’ neighbors ceiling.

Yet that gave me the opportunity to share Christ with two of the guys who were working here.

Thanks again for praying for us.