Kompliman!
The rain has arrived… and lots of it. We’ve been experiencing a lot of flooding lately, so much so that part of the new ocean wall was washed into the ocean. David was so surprised but then when he looked next door and saw that the Mormon complex wall, that was three feet wide, also fell into the ocean. He’s now working at re-routing the water flow to slow it down before it hits the wall. The campground property changes elevation quite a bit from the road to the ocean. The water moves very fast when it’s raining hard. The “shed” has flooded a few times this past week so the “floor” is really clean now (after sweeping the mud away).
There are a number of dogs on the campground and one has always been my favorite. Not sure what her name is but this week she decided to bestow the honor on us of birthing her puppies “under” the shed. I kept hearing this scratching noise and thought “Oh no, we have rats”! I looked at the back of the shed and thought, we have VERY BIG rats. Big hole dug under the shed… Couldn’t figure it out until David tried to plug the hole with two cement blocks. We were laying in bed and heard this barking and loud clawing noise and went outside to find she had moved the blocks and was going under the shed. The light bulb went off and I realized she was getting ready to give birth. I laid in bed that night and listened to her have her puppies. The next day she walked right in the shed, looked at me and then led me back to the hole. I see two or three little black puppies with white markings. So cute, she now walks in everyday for “lunch” and then back to the hole to take care of “ti chens” (puppies).
The school David is working on is really moving along well. It’s scheduled to be finished November 15th. There are thirty Haitians working on the construction crew and they are great guys. David comes home at night with such funny stories. The men (and women) here are so strong, the guys are trying to teach David how to do handstands which they do for entertainment on their lunch breaks. I have never seen so many “six-packs” (stomach muscles) in my life. I made 40 peanut butter sandwiches for David to take to the guys for lunch today. He likes to treat them once in awhile and they are so appreciative.
I’m working hard on learning Creole and only slightly frustrated. The only language I’ve tried to learn that one word has MANY meanings. For instance, “mache” can mean walk, market, crawl or succeed. It can be very confusing but I’m sure I’ll get it. Thony (our project director) was explaining that it’s due to French influence… people walk to the market.. hence walk and market and maybe even crawl but what about succeed? I’m working on becoming bolder and trying to speak more but obviously my voice inflection is in need of more work It seems to provide entertainment wherever I go and try to speak, everyone laughs and tries to help me. I can go to the market and shop for all the vegetables by name now!
What a treat to have time to just watch the world around me… While stuck in traffic the other day saw a woman washing her feet and then using a rock, as a pumice stone, to get the rough edges off. I so enjoy going to the market and observing the people with each other. They are always laughing and smiling, two people next to each other can be selling the same thing and actually help each other with their sales. The few times we’ve been out at night there is so much to see, all the street vendors have candles lit (look like luminaries) displaying their wares. Little makeshift restaurants on the roadside with roughly constructed tables and seats and wonderful smelling food emanating from huge cast iron cauldrons. The first session of school is dismissed at noon and I enjoy watching the kids walking home. Each school has its’ own uniforms so they all have different colors and styles. The preschool kids are the cutest, they have little aprons over their shirt and short pants with their names embroidered on. The socks and hair ribbons usually always match. Our friend Jacqueline is raising Julie (a earthquake orphan) and she just started school. We went over there for her first day and she was all dressed in her uniform, bows in her hair and the biggest smile on her face.
David, of course, knows almost everyone in Petit Goave. Everywhere we go I hear shouts of “Da-vid” and now “Madam Da-vid”. It still amazes me… before we followed Gods’ call to Zambia, David was so quiet and rather shy. He didn’t speak to people he didn’t know and was very introverted. God has opened him up and now he’s Mr. Congeniality! We visit Percin and all the kids and adults come running to “Da-vid”. I love watching him talk to people on the street, workers or team members about what Jesus did for him and can do for others who seek him.
We are experiencing a major increase in population this month. Lots of what I call “earthquake” babies. As humans, many times we respond to calamity and trauma by reaching out to one another for comfort. The intimacy between husband and wife is very apparent, so we see many tiny babies and women due to deliver any day. Saw a young girl leaving the clinic with a newborn the other day and she hopped on a motorcycle to get a ride home. Such a different picture from home where one of the clinic staff would say “Where is the car seat?, you can’t take the baby without a car seat”. Most little ones have ridden on a motorcycle by the time they are a week old…
Please remember, no matter where you are, you can help Haiti! By praying, financially supporting the work, being part of a team or continuing to keep Haiti and its’ needs in the forefront of your church and your sphere of friends. It’s been over nine months and many have come and gone but now the need is greater than ever. Clean up and rebuilding has begun, we even saw a stone crushing machine the other day! It’s exciting! I was doing my devotions the other morning and came across this reading “Approach each new day with desire to find Me. Before you get out of bed, I have already been working to prepare the path that will get you through this day. There are hidden treasures strategically placed along the way. Some of them are trials, designed to shake you free from earthly-shackles. Others are blessings that reveal My presence: sunshine, flowers, birds, friendships, answered prayer. I have not abandoned this sin-wracked world; I am still richly present in it.” Looking around Haiti, my first impressions were devastation, death and hopelessness. Now I realize.. that’s not what Haiti presented, that’s what I saw. After living here, I see joy, happiness, resilience, peace and boundless hope and I see God working everywhere here! Between now and the end of November I ask you to pray daily for the election of the new president. The front runner is the son-in-law of the current president, he’s wealthy and has not proved to be generous with any of his wealth. Pray that the Haitian people are not swayed by the wealth of the candidate but by their words and deeds.
We have a great new way for anyone to donate on line, a direct link to our account! Just follow this link https://giving.wesupport.org/gift2/designation.php?GUID=0A797C5B-2B8A-4686-AB22-A52383315A6B&id=7327
You don’t need to enter our account number and our name will be displayed so you know you are in the right place! Thank you again for your continued prayer/financial support. We are excited to get home in November and begin visiting many of our friends and partners. (Not to mention our beautiful granddaughter, Mia and our sons) It will be a busy time and we trust that if God wishes us to continue his work in Haiti, he will provide the people necessary to cover us in prayer and support us financially. If you’d like us to visit your church or small group, please contact me as soon as possible. We only have a few openings available.
Blessings,
David and Beth
PS Ok, I’m desperate, anyone have any idea how to become unattractive to ants??? They don’t care much for David but me……. I have a new fragrance,” eu de insecticide”… David doesn’t care much for it
PPS Missing and praying for our dear friends in Zambia, we love you!
PPPS Check out our blog www.thewattersfamily.blogspot.com or facebook for current pictures…
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