This past week we have enjoyed the rains. Here you can see the waterlogged soccer field. The drain was plugged with the leaves from the trees and the field flooded. It rarely rains during the day, which we greatly enjoy. It ususally rains during the evening and night. :-) The rains were welcomed since these rains also supply the school with the much needed water. We have been rationing our water by having short showers, catching the water from the showers in a tub and using this to flush the toilet. Even the dish water and rinse water was saved and poured in a pail to flush the toilet!! The school purchases their drinking water for the students. Mary and I also buy our drinking water from Culligan.

This past Sunday, we had our first staff/board fellowship Sunday afternoon - a time for praise and prayer, food and fellowship. The Personnel Committee will be hosting this on the last Sunday of each month. It is good that God's people come together to praise Him, but as part of His people, we also need to encourage one another in our service to our Master. The families here have one another to help them on their way, but the singles also need to have that lifting hand in their times of joy or sorrow and when they are lonely. We need to be there for one another.

Here I am seated with my laptop, displaying the songs on the screen via the projector. We sang together on our fellowship Sunday. The Galloways - dad on the guitar and mom on the drums aided our songs of praise. Approximately 50 people were present for this time of fellowship. Since we need each other in our ministry, we will continue this monthly event. would you believe, the wife of the chair of the Personnel Committee volunteered to bring all the food, which was delicious. Visit his ministry at www.heartlinehaiti.org

This is the bulletin board in the Middle School hallway. It was part of the grade 8 class assignment - 'I have a dream' - for Haiti. It is always interesting to get into the minds of children and see what they think about the present situation here and how they would like things to be. Reading their comments, the future of Haiti, is an encouragement. Mary and I are glad that we are part of this Christian enterprise - putting God in their lives so that He will direct their paths, their journey of learning in His 'Sonshine'.

This past week the three children, representatives from the grade four class came to see me with the books they wrote. I requested the staff not only to send the children who were to be disciplined to the office, but also those who did good work. I had to stay up late to read these stories :-) The students also read their booklets to the pre-kindergarten class. I was impressed by the quality of work :-)


Each time there are visitors in Haiti, we get together for a meal. Three Calvin students and a dad from two of the students spent their March Break in Haiti. The dad works for International Aid in Michigan. Mary and I enjoy the pot-luck suppers we have with the guests that visit Haiti. This past Friday we had supper together at the Van Dam's home with the guests. It is great that we can meet together and encourage on another in our task.

This is my most favourite activity, NOT! Mary and I went to the paint store, which is within walking distance. We ordered the paint, which is a story in itself. The tint was not the colour we desired and so Mary mixed in the gallon of white to make the colour light enough. Now we just have to return and order another gallon of white paint for the doors and the trim :-) The kitchen living room is now a nice light yellow. It looks great.

The students of the Middle School and the High School have chapel each Wednesday morning. Steve Galloway is in charge of the chapel each Wednesday and he recruits other teachers such as Rod Meadth from Australia to help lead the students to sing and praise and honour our Lord. I appreciate the talents of the various staff members to lead the students to praise and worship our Creator God each Wednesday, together in unison. God is good.

We are truly blessed. Our electricity is provided by EDH which may come on at any time of the day or night. Usually at night. Even Mary and I shout Hooray when the EDH - the local electricity comes on. These are the school's generators which make our lives much easier during school hours and for four hours on the weekends. The blue is the back up for the grey.

Although the picture is dark, it shows the alternative lighting I have in my classroom when the power goes out. No longer do I have to take the class outside for learning, but the two flourescent lights on the inverter make my life a lot easier during power outages. These lights provide enough light for the students to continue in their of the lesson planned, making the life of the teacher much easier :-)

It is still the dry season here, although we have had a few good rains during this season. That was unusual according to the oldtimers here. We are glad when there is a breeze. God's hand in the creation is also seen on the campus during this dry spell - just look at His creative work of this hybrid vine climbing the tree beside our art/music building. The dust is blowing in the breeze and yet His presence is seen with the vegetation around us. Oh, Lord, the earth is filled with your glory. Give me the eyes that see Your presence always.

This is another vine which keeps the campus green during the dry spell. This tree and vine are just in front of the chapel building seen in the background where the students meet each Wednesday morning. This vine reaches to the upper most branches of this majestic tree. We praise God for the trees on the campus providing shade throughout the day, especially the outdoor lunchroom. It hasn't rained once yet during our lunch time all year :-) When it rains, it is usually in the late afternoon.

This is the start of a small project started months ago - suprplus concrete patio stones being put to a good use. I thought it would be nice to have a place to sit outside in the cooler weather. So far, no cool weather. I use five gallon pails to gather the gravel to try to make the surface level and carry the concrete blocks from the far side of the campus, two at a time :-) It gives me a good workout. Completion date is yet to be determined :-)

Each Saturday we walk to the Agape Flight mail services office, which is about a five minute walk from the school compound. We check our mail weekly and we also need to serve as volunteers in the building periodically as members of this service. Our mailing address is in Florida and then this mail service brings it to Haiti via a small airplane. This picture and the next two show what we experience on our walk. This manhole has the covering missing. I always yell 'hole', when we get near it. Sometimes the hole is filed right up with garbage and other times it is 7 or 8 feet deep. It is close to the Agape mail service building. It would be tragic if we fell into it by accident.

I'm the guy on the left with the shopping bag walking with a few groceries from the 'Eagle' supermarket. This supermarket is a few minutes up the hill past the Agape office. The wall is an enclosure of the supermarket. Most buildings here have an enclosure with a metal gate for an entry way. In the distance you can see the garbage building up. There are no public garbage disposal areas, so the people just pile the garbage on the sidewalks wherever they want or along the side of the road. Then, periodically, the garbage truck comes along and cleans up the garbage, until the next time. If you throw garbage down, many others will add to it, wherever the pile begins!

This is just another garbage pile which is on the other side of the wall of the school compound where we live. In about a week's time, (or two) the garbage truck will come along and scoop it all away and then the process will start all over again. The sign in the background says "Don't throw trash here". Many of the people here can't read or write, so they have no idea what the sign says. They just see the garbage and add to it!

This week we bought some paint. Mary is my interior decorator and also my painter, since painting is not my cup of tea. Yes, the kitchen will be painted a pale yellow colour. It is also our living room. Above the door you can see the many strands of wheat tied together. We are reminded daily of the many people supporting us through prayer, emails and letters. We received this bundle of straw from Ivan DeJong of Port Perry. Ivan used the concept of many strands of straw in a children's message. A bundle is much stronger than a single piece of straw. This idea represented the people in Port Perry church. Many people from Hope church in Port Perry are supporting us and praying for us. We thank God daily for all His blessings.