Finishing up our Spring 2014 Haiti trip

One of our responsibilities in Haiti this trip was to welcome and host the teams that had come to work through the Wesleyan church and other agencies.  This was a pleasure!

The first group came to LaGonave from our neck of the woods.  The Vintage Church team hailed from Randalman, NC and included its pastor Matt Smith and a group of 11 who soon meshed and bonded into a powerhouse group, only in the ways a short term mission team with service on their hearts and love for the Lord Jesus, can.

They worked HARD each morning, overseen and enabled by Larry  - attacking the punch list at the new hospital, demolishing and building up, painting ( and painting some more ) - in the stifling heat with nary a complaint!  In fact, more likely a song and dance!

In the afternoons, Larry and I introduced them to Anse-a-Galets - 

the new Children's Village,

the market,

the saline,

to name just a few of the outings which offered an "up close and personal" look at the town.

After saying good-bye to this great team, we rolled up our sleeves and did some renovating work ourselves -

               cleaning and lining the kitchen drawers, shelves and cupboards 

cleaning and lining the bathroom drawers and shelves

replacing the bathroom window screen, cleaning and repainting the window sill and 

surrounding wall

repairing a leak under the kitchen sink -

all in the apartment where visiting professors for the Nursing School will live.

Last Sunday, we returned to the Ortlip Ministry Center to welcome the final team, getting them acclimated for the week of service they would spend on the island.  

And, then, a day of travel and we were loving being with kids and grands overnight in Charlotte.  An uneventful trip home the next day morphed into a very eventful Wednesday - with the mosquito-borne 

Chikungunya virus full blown in Larry.  Wasn't long before he was down and out with raging temps and extreme join pain.  We knew the CDC treatment protocol - and a quick call to the doc confirmed we were spot on.  But, unlike those in Haiti contending with this sickness, we had the ibuprofen and tylenol, blankets to cope with chills, cool air to cope with fever, a doc at the other end of the phone confirming, educating and encouraging.  He is in the throws of it right now, but fever gone (praise the Lord!) and the rest of the symptoms are peaking and hopefully, will soon dissipate.  Not at all fun, but expecting a full recovery.  

We are thinking about our Haitian friends and others going through this vicious sickness.  We know better how to be praying for them now.

An interesting souvenir from this trip - but one that provides immunity, so Larry won't likely have to go through this again!

Closing this Haiti chapter with thankful hearts 

and new prayer petitions for the people of Haiti.