Communiqué #072
TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY
to the PEOPLE of HAITI
 January 23-24, 2010

Today, I had an extra good time getting to know the children at the Refugee Camp.  There was a group of 4 little girls that were especially interested in hanging out with me today.  Their names are Flore, Angela, Barbara and Levalencia!   They took over like little mother hens.  I guess I must have been a mess because they smoothed my hair into place.  They picked lint out of my hair.  They used their little fingers to clean out my ears and told me that I had something in the corner of my eye.  They giggled when I taught them some English words.  They sang for me.  I sang for them.  We sang together.

Angela told me that she and her papa had come to LesCayes from Port-au-Prince, where her home and her school had been destroyed.  When her papa came by to introduce himself, he told me that they would be leaving for Jeremie in the morning.  I asked if he had family there.  "No!" was his reply.  Perhaps he is going there in search of a job or just a fresh start.  The journey of 50 miles over very, very rough roads will take him and his daughter five hours or more.  I was saddened that today Angela is my friend.  Tomorrow I will most likely never see her again!   On Sunday morning, Angela joined me for my walk.  We talked about Jesus.  I told her that after she was gone, I would remember to pray for her.  I told her that I would not forget her.  She told me that when she said her night time prayers, she would pray for me too.  How precious!

Little seven year old Levalencia especially stole my heart.  She told me that she was going to get me something to eat.  When I told her that I was not hungry, she said, "Mommy Nora, I have never seen you eat anything!"  Imagine such a little one being so concerned about MY wellbeing!   I asked her about the last couple of days.  She told me that her papa had died in their crushed house and that she had cried!  She told me that her school had been destroyed and that her mama has four children, but that she had come to LesCayes only with her mama and her 3 year old little sister, Dariana.  She told me I was her mama too!  Later in the day, she brought her mother and little sister to meet me.  Levalencia always wants to be right next to me or sitting on my lap.  Many times she will gently shove the other children aside so that she can have her "rightful" place by my side.  I am sure that bright and early tomorrow morning she will be calling out my name at the door of my tent!   What a little sweetheart!   When Sunday did arrive, Levalencia said she wanted to go to church with me.  She entered the church with the only dress that I have seen her wear and a pair of shoes that are at least three sizes too large for her.  She looked around and noticed that her dress was not as beautiful as the other little girls' dresses.  She politely excused herself and returned with a dress fitting for Sunday worship, according to the Haitian tradition of dressing in your most beautiful clothes to honor God.  I'm not sure where she got the dress.  My hunch is that she borrowed it from someone else.

Today, airplanes are starting to fill the air.  The US Military has arrived in LesCayes.  I just saw a US Navy plane fly over, followed shortly thereafter by another.  On the ground military visited the camp this afternoon distributing American Red Cross Solar/Crank Radios.  We have been receiving little individual bags of water.   Community leaders have banned together to provide trash receptacles, diapers, snacks for the kids and hot food for the families.  Faces of doctors, that have just arrived in Haiti, are showing up at the Camp Medical Tent.  It is a good sign that help is here now!

I have the feeling that the "this is not fun anymore" stage is arriving.  Can you imagine not having an actual chair to sit in for all the time you have been at the camp?  When there are more mosquitoes inside your tent than in "all of the great outdoors", reality sets in that this arrangement is not a weekend campout!

As you can imagine, I have received hundreds of emails!  It strikes me as odd, when I receive emails where subject line reads "REMODEL YOUR KITCHEN TODAY" or "MAKE $10,000 IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME."   My kitchen? What kitchen?  Make $10,000 from my tent in the Camp? The outside world just keeps marching on, going about everyday business, some seeming oblivious to the pain Haiti is suffering!

One of the pains Haiti is now suffering is in the area of education.  Prior to Earthquake 2010, only those who had enough money to go to school were able to attend.  Now, even those thousands of children are unable to attend because all schools are closed.  For some it is because the school building is gone.  For some it is because the building is unsafe. For others it is because they have moved and there will not be room for new students to be enrolled at already overcrowded schools.

It is uncertain when classes will resume.  Possibly they will resume in September 2010 or even later.  The school buildings need to be inspected to determine if they are safe!  Some of those buildings will need to be repaired or torn down.  For the collapsed schools, a totally new school will need to be erected.  This means most children will not receive an education possibly for months or even years.  Teachers will lose their jobs and source of income.  In communities that do not conduct inspections of their schools, their children will be at risk of a collapse while they are attending classes.  It will become a huge challenge to fill the children's minds and time with constructive activities.  Many are already asking if they can go to the states to resume their education.  For those who do not have visas, this is a dream that most likely will never see reality.   This challenge ALONE is monumental.  Multiply this challenge by the numerous other challenges facing the Haitian people and you will start to see the magnitude of the situation.  PRAY, PRAY, PRAY .... as we know God can find a way!

God is using this time to bring people to Him.  Last night, Lèon and I were up late taking advantage of the city power to get internet work done.  Many children and other camp residents were gathered around.  Quietly sitting next to Lèon was a young lady who lives with her mom in the tent next to ours.  She told Lèon her story.  When the earthquake happened, she stayed inside her house in Port-au-Prince.  She watched as neighbors rushed out into the street and were hit by panicked drivers of oncoming cars.  All the homes collapsed, except the one that she was in.  She continued talking and she explained that her whole family are voodoo worshipers.  On Sunday morning, while I attended church, Lèon remained in the camp to keep an eye on things.  This same young lady approached him and told him that she wanted to follow Jesus.  Church had just let out and so Lèon summoned the President of the congregation and some other young people from the church to come over to where this young lady was sitting.  They sang a hymn and offered a prayer, while this young lady took Jesus into her life!   It doesn't get better that!  Thank Jesus for a new soul that is now bound for Heaven!

TO DONATE

Send your tax-deductible checks to
CARIBBEAN CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
1303 Forest Park Road
Muskegon MI   49441.4638

OR

Donate online (where a fee will be deducted from your donation)
at
www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org

Nora Léon
Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                    Until next time. God willing ............

Nora Léon  -  Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic

BLOG            www.norainhaiti.spaces.live.com/
WEBSITE      www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org
ADDRESS     Caribbean Children's Foundation    1303 Forest Park Road     Muskegon MI 49441.4638
VOICEMAIL   517.518.6583
HAITI CELL    011.509.3.485.6267

"Praying to touch the lives of poor & orphaned children!"

Communiqué #071
TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY
to the PEOPLE of HAITI
January 21-22, 2010

It is evening and I am sitting at my "command center" (a computer at a card table with a LONG extension cord to electricity) under the stars of Haiti.  In the daytime, I sit in any shade that is available where the extension cord reaches.  From the command center, I am able to access the internet a few hours a day.  I must say that I prefer the evening times over the hot temperatures of the day.

As I write this, a large bus has arrived at the Refugee Camp with another load full of people coming to us from Port-au-Prince.   Once again, this will change the flavor of the camp.  I was just getting acquainted with the little ones here and now I will have more names of children to try to remember and pronounce correctly.  The children are starting to call me Mommy Nora, rather than the usual "blan!" (white!) greeting!

A visitor to the camp yesterday asked me if I realized that Les Cayes is the fastest growing city in the world.  I hadn't thought about that, but indeed it is!   I am somewhat saddened that the "small town" feel will no longer be here.  I am anticipating a change in the level of crime and that too saddens me.  I will walk the streets with much more caution than in the past.

A young boy has been fascinated while watching me work on the computer.  He came to me with a piece of paper with a line or two of handwritten Creole words on it.  I was surprised to learn that he was writing down his feelings about the day the earthquake happened and the days that have followed.  We talked about the importance of getting those feelings out, instead of storing them inside one's gut.  I encouraged him to write a long, long paper.    He assured me that he would!  I told him that what he was doing was very important and that one day he would be able to share his story with his grandchildren.

It has surprised me how casually people speak about the loved ones they have lost in the earthquake.  They tell me that their house is flat.  They tell me that their father is dead, their brother is dead, or their friend is dead as if they are reporting the weather to me.  Can it be that the Haitian people are so accustomed to untimely deaths that it is just like a passing rain storm???

I have been asked if I am suffering any post-traumatic stress.  I have to say that to some extent, I am.  When I re-enter the room that I have called home for the past five years, I think that I feel it swaying.  When I close my eyes at night, I think I feel the earth moving!  How much more horrible it must be for those who watched their houses crumble and were unable to save those trapped under the rubble.

Last night was filled with new noises.  There was much more talking.  There were hacking coughs and cries from the additional babies that had arrived.  The influx of the newest people to the Refugee Camp has brought another period of adjustment.  The newcomers are filled with anticipation and struggling to find their place in their "new world".  To aide in the adjustment, a "comedian" entertained the crowd for an hour.  It was good to hear the laughter, in midst of the pain.

This morning, I noticed a large number of teenaged boys.  They must have arrived with the group during the previous night.  Where there are boys, there is a soccer game! A small corner of the soccer field is now being used for just such a purpose.

I have been trying to build up my strength by walking around the perimeter of the field early each morning.  Bright yellow flowers were blooming in one corner of the field, totally oblivious to the changing world around them.  As I passed by, it was so uplifting to hear singing coming from two adjacent tents.  In the privacy of their own "home", the occupants were praising their God, but to the whole camp they were being a witness of God's grace!

Everyday activities bring some normalcy to life here.  Water is being carried to plastic tubs from which baths will be taken.  Clothes are being hand washed in buckets, teeth are being brushed, children are being disciplined and friendships are being made.

Another day has passed in the Refugee Camp!  Yet another bus has arrived!   Sigh!

TO DONATE

Send your tax-deductible checks to
CARIBBEAN CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
1303 Forest Park Road
Muskegon MI   49441.4638

OR

Donate online (where a fee will be deducted from your donation)
at
www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org

Nora Léon
Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                    Until next time. God willing ............

Nora Léon  -  Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic

BLOG            www.norainhaiti.spaces.live.com/
WEBSITE      www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org
ADDRESS     Caribbean Children's Foundation    1303 Forest Park Road     Muskegon MI 49441.4638
VOICEMAIL   517.518.6583
HAITI CELL    011.509.3.485.6267

"Praying to touch the lives of poor & orphaned children!"

In 2008 I was on a show called Americas Favorite Mom. 15 Mothers and I were nominated. These ladies and I have kept communication going for the past few years. Nora, was one of the 15 women meant. She lived and worked in Haiti. All of us have been holding our breath and praying she would be ok. I just received this letter from her. To give you all a back ground she gave up her life here in the states to help the children of Haiti. She encompasses all of what it takes to be a mother to all gods' children. Please read and pray for Nora and her children.

 Don't know how long I will have internet, so will address issues on my mind and then, if time permits, answer individual emails!  SATURDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 16!   If you are trying to call, keep trying.  Service is intermittent at 011.509.3.485.6267!   Love ya all!

Communiqué #068
TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY
to the PEOPLE of HAITI
 January 13 & 14, 2010

Another disaster continues to prove what a resilient people the Haitian people are!  Haiti has seen riots, coups, political unrest, food shortages, gas shortages, kidnappings, hurricanes, mudslides, and now the earthquake (tranblemandtè) of Tuesday, January 12, 2010!

On Monday, January 11, when I arrived back in Haiti, friends greeted me with "Bonne Anne!" ("Happy New Year!")   Little did we know that, in mere hours, life in Haiti would change dramatically.  In just one day, a terrible scar was left on Haiti.

Léon and I returned from the United States and traveled the road from Port-au-Prince to LesCayes with an incoming team from the state of New York.  Partially because there were many team members coming to Haiti for the first time, our driver took us to see and take photos of the Presidential Palace.  Those photos would quickly become some of the last photos taken of the Palace before its collapse during the rumbling of the earth beneath it!

In the midst of all the chaos, I clearly saw God's mighty hand.  During the morning hours of Tuesday, I had walked the team to view downtown LesCayes and to visit the people's market.  Upon our return, the overwhelming fatigue that I have experienced following my illness reared its ugly head.  I pulled the team leaders aside and through tears explained to them my struggle of having to "cop" out on my liaison role to sleep off my weariness and the mental confusion that had set in.  I slept for over 3 hours and woke up feeling much better.  I started unpacking my luggage that was still strewn all over my room.  I was putting something away, when I lost my balance.  At first, I thought it was dizziness.  Then, I looked around and saw the building swaying and listened as students, attending classes in our building, started screaming and shuffling through the courtyard rocks as they scurried out of the building.  I thought that perhaps they had gotten rowdy and had made the building vibrate from their excitement and jumping.  But, all too quickly, I realized this was an earthquake and everyone needed to be out of the building.   I herded as many of the students and mission team members as I could, out of the school courtyard and into the open lot next to the church.  The school court yard was too dangerous of a place to stand, as buildings surround it on all four sides.  Out in the open, we starting making a head count of the team members and the children of the orphanage.  It was then that the first aftershock materialized.  We could visually see the big ole yellow school bus dancing in the church lot.  The wave of movement started and ended quickly.

In the rush of students leaving the school, it appeared that one student had hurt herself.  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as this young woman was helped to a sitting position on a spare tire laying in the yard.  Assisting her was our deaconess intern, Allysa.  Since so many things were happening at once and it appeared that Allysa was handling the problem, I chose to place my attentions elsewhere.  Because many of the team members and orphans were unaccounted for, I placed my efforts there.  Everyone was relieved to learn that the remainder of the "missing" were in the soccer field on the opposite side of the church compound. Knowing that the boys of the orphanage may be in danger, two team members walked down to the boys' orphanage to bring the boys and their caregivers to the church compound where everyone could be together.  Once we were certain that everyone was safe, the team members in the church yard decided it was best for everyone to be together in the soccer field.

For some reason, I felt I needed to stay with the students in the church yard.  A short while later, the Pastor came over and asked if I had an aspirin as a young lady was having a heart attack.  Léon and I gingerly made our way into the pharmacy, locating aspirin and sanitary wipes.  We made our way back through the crowd and found Allysa still sitting with the young lady that I had seen her with earlier.  The student was terrified and was hyperventilating.  We tried to work with her by having her slow down her breathing.  But in her panicked state she would not listen.  After several unsuccessful attempts to have her slow her breathing down, she passed out.  I asked for several people to lay her down on the uncomfortable ground of rocks and gravel.  No other more comfortable choice was in sight.  The young lady was no longer breathing, her eyes were rolling back in her head and she went limp, with no heart beat.  Allysa and I teamed up to do CPR.  Although we both had taken CPR training in the past, neither of us had ever had to use it, until this day!  Later, I named the two of us "CPR Sisters".  Allysa took the breathing part and I took the compression part.   We asked the surrounding crowd to pray.  I prayed that God would spare someone so young!  After several thrusts, her heartbeat resumed with a strong rhythm.  It took several tries to get her breathing again.  Although we may not have used the most perfect technique, she came back.  Of the dozens of people gathered around us, I am certain there were many who did not even know what CPR was.  Some gasped as they watched what we did.  If nothing else, this was going to be a demonstration that CPR can make a difference.   We knelt in the rocks for a long time, giving her breaths each time she stopped breathing on her own.  The first impulse was to call 9-1-1!  But, there is no 9-1-1 here.  We asked Pastor to call for his car, which was in the shop being repaired.  After some time, the car arrived, spinning rocks under its tires in the hurry to get this young woman to the hospital.  Several people carried her to the car and placed her on the ridged floor bed in the back of the suburban.  As we raced to the hospital, we careened over speed bumps and through the crowded streets.  Upon arrival, it was instantly evident that the General Hospital already had more people than it could handle.  We turned around and headed to a hospital up in the mountains.  We called ahead for someone to notify the hospital that we were on the way!    Once again, we sped down the road with the horn honking the whole way.  We encountered many obstacles....throngs of people in the streets, car accidents, traffic jams, and detours.  We took an alternative route to the hospital.  Our patient was lying on the hard metal floor bed, as her sister held her hand and prayed. Allysa knelt beside her and I continued to monitor her heart beat.  The pavement ended and we took a flying journey over the bumpy, rutted dirt roads that lead to the hospital.  We were actually happy to hear our patient cry out in pain as her body bounced on the floor bed of our vehicle.  At one point, we had to stop the vehicle to give her respirations.  And then the speed mode resumed until we arrived at the hospital, where doctors were waiting!

The staff searched for a paper bag for the young lady to breathe into.  At first they had to use a gauze sheet for a make-shift bag.  Finally, someone was successful in locating a paper bag.  An IV was started and anxiety medications were administered.  It was then when we felt like she was going to make it.  The doctor stated that more than likely we had saved her life.

I could not help but know that God's hand was in all of this.  In my fatigued state of the morning hours, I would not have had the strength to perform CPR.  God had provided me the rest I needed to perform the work that God later would need me to do for Him!  I had recalled my CPR training, even though it had been years since I last took the class.  It was just like learning to ride a bicycle all over again ... it all came back to me quickly.  I believe God brought me back to Haiti to be here during the earthquake, just so He could use me to save this woman's life!   It was by the Grace of God that I was able to do so.  Thus, it seems so appropriate that this young lady's name is Graciana!

Upon returning to the church compound, I learned that the UN had asked people to sleep outside, away from the compromised building structures.  It was feared that another earthquake would strike during the night time hours. During the next several hours, I lost track of the number of aftershocks.  There were at least six.

All of the mission team members, the Izidor family, the orphanage staff and children and some community members slept on the rocks in the church yard.  Haitians are used to sleeping almost anywhere.  They took sleeping on the rocks in stride.  God provided a light breeze and a sky clear and bright with a multitude of stars.  There was no rain.

The following afternoon, we returned to the building, still on guard for any swaying of the floor beneath our feet.  We were able to get some news from television and radio.  Phone service was not available for many hours.  As of this writing, internet service is still not available.

We learned of the extent of the damage in Port-au-Prince and Jacmel.  As more news unfolded, we soon realized that soon we will be facing power outages, food shortages, gasoline shortages, money shortages and chaotic business operations.  Desperation for medical care and supplies has already sparked clashes among people vying for what is available.

The aftermath of the earthquake will continue to have long term effects.  Your prayers are cherished now more than ever!  THANK YOU for caring about the people of Haiti!

 ............

Nora Léon  -  Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic

BLOG            www.norainhaiti.spaces.live.com/
WEBSITE      www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org
ADDRESS     Caribbean Children's Foundation    1303 Forest Park Road     Muskegon MI 49441.4638
VOICEMAIL   517.518.6583
HAITI CELL    011.509.3.485.6267

"Praying to touch the lives of poor & orphaned children!"

Cami is still sick and has a temp. I am hoping she makes it to school on Friday. The flu is being passed on to Lilli now. She is missing school today as well. I sanitized all the toothbrushes hoping to get rid of the bug. Who am I kidding you will see everyone's names by the end of the week.

Now for my post Aniston is going through a really difficult stage. She decided yesterday to cut her hair off on the left side. She looks like a throw back from the 80's. When I asked her why she did this she just cried and said "i hate long hair" I told her I could take her to the beauty shop and get it all cut off but she wasn't hip on that. Then I came around the corner when she was getting ready to brush her teeth. She was trying to get her toothbrush wet with toilet water. When I asked her why she was doing that she had nothing to say except don't throw my toothbrush away. It didn't stop there she went into the bathroom and I guess there was no tp so she grab the shower curtain and wiped herself with it.

Every day I think god gives me only what I can handle. But this mama is ready for a good vacation.