(photo after three days in Airports I think it describes about how we where feeling :]) As most of you know Annelies and I left July 8th from Los Angelas on our way to Haiti. Getting to Haiti is always an adventure. No two trips are the same and our trip last Tuesday was no exception. The first sign of trouble was when we reached the check in counter for Spirit Airlines. The ticketing Agent looked rather frazzled and she informed us that due to weather our flight would be delayed 45 minutes and that we would miss our connecting flight to Port Au Prince. She recommended that we accept a refund for our tickets and try to get another flight. After much deliberation and a quick check of fares online we determined that doing so would cost us about $1,500 USD. So we decided that was not an option. So we took our delayed flight and as soon as we got off our plane the final boarding call came over the PA for our next flight. We ran to the gate which fortunately was very nearby. We talked to the Spirit people at the Gate who assured us that our bags would make it on the flight and not to worry about it. We ran down the gate and made it, they closed the door behind us and we were on our way. Our luggage did not make it… We decided to wait in Port Au Prince overnight since it would cost us a $170 to send our luggage without ourselves. It ended up that everyone waiting for the small plane to Port de Paix had to spend the night. There was strong winds in Port de Paix, the pilots tried to land the plane three times but couldn’t because of the cross wind. So we found a safe place to stay overnight in Port au Prince. Words can not describe the small air terminal for getting on the little plane. Just imagine 200 people and their luggage packed into a room with a max capacity of 150 all trying to get onto a plane that caries 19 passengers. There are no such things as lines. To make a long story short we left Tuesday night from LAX and arrived at our home Thursday night. We still have no bags but we know where they are and thanks to a very helpful guy in the Spirit Air Lost luggage department in Fort Lauderdale we are going to get our bags back.

I am now back in our village and it is nice to be home. I really feel that this is where I should be. The first day Annelies helped out a guy who lost 60 percent of his skin on his left leg in a motorcycle accident. By 60 percent of his skin I mean you can see muscle and bone tissue on 60 percent of his leg. The guy fell into a ditch in the city when he had his accident (think raw sewage ditch) and the hospital that treated him did not clean the wound well enough before stitching it so a massive infection took over. Anyway it is pretty gnarly. Annelies is changing the bandage right now.
I spent the first day working on Rob’s solar electric system, it powers the lights in his house and the satellite system that connects us to the internet.

Our village has not received much rain and all the crops are dying. When the crops die the people here go hungry. Please be praying for rain. Also be praying for Annelies. The doctor is gone on a family emergency and Annelies will be running the clinic with the other nurses.
Next week I will be finishing up the rafters for the hospital shop so we can put some of the sheet metal up. I also have some work to do on Rob’s power system. The picture to the left is Anne-Rose playing in the river near our village.

Thank you Aunt Joan, Rick and Judy, Jason and Krystal for getting and shipping the medical supplies and infant formula. Thank you to all of you who are supporting us financially as well. Thank you Bethany Baptist!