want to keep this update short and at the same time really give you guys a good feel of things in Haiti now.

I still really appreciate the emails and updates I get from each of you. I might not be able to write much but please know you are very appreciated.

Last time I wrote to you I asked you to pray about an orphan situation....I literally stopped writing an update to check out what was going on. I do not want to kick anyone when they are down but it involved the lady who has been on the news for child trafficking. Long story short we gave her some advice for about 3 days. I want the people (children) who need help to get it but there are correct paths that people must follow. I am glad for the wisdom God gave me and some others here at the school. I am saddened because the parents and workers who have followed the correct procedures now have a tougher road. I still know that God loves each orphan and cares for each one personally. I would ask you to continue to pray that each child gets the love and care (while still following the appropriate steps) they deserve.

I just returned from a 4 day medical trip to Jeremie Haiti. Jeremie is a remote town on the far west of the southern peninsula. It is a city of about 80,000 and has had 20,000 more people move there since the quake. Many are taking a tough 12 hour truck ride and others are going by overcrowded boats. The team of doctors were able to see many cases that would not have gotten care. There were a few "life-saving" operations as well. One lady had a compound femur fracture in her right leg and fractures in her left tibia and fibula. She had gotten to Jeremie on a board in the back of a truck. The doctors were able to set her bones correctly and give her the hope of walking correctly again.

One of the growing needs in Haiti is going to be getting needed medical attention where the people are. While there I was able to visit 4 other small hospitals with Miquette. There are many people in those regions that need care as well but are staying at home. The hospitals are just not able to give much care. We are working now to figure out ways to get aid and supplies to the necessary locations.

The trip was productive in meeting doctors and the main hospital in Jeremie for future trips.

God continues to be at work here. There are so many questions that have no answers but I know He is here. I can see Him at work in so many ways each day. One of the most humbling things has been the Haitian people continuing to praise God each night. I am not a singer. Each night in both Port-au-Prince and Jeremie people join together to sing and praise God...people who lost their homes, their jobs and possibly loved ones. It is such a lesson to me that these people have not allowed their current surroundings to change their passion and love for God.

Here are a few prayer requests/concerns I want to share:

1) Nurses are needed. If you know of nurse teams or individuals interested in coming please let me know. Most operations, etc have been done....good follow up care is needed to help the people heal.

2) Please pray for the many people without homes. Tent cities have been set up. The rainy season is coming and there will be other health concerns as the rain comes.

3) Good organization of the aid and supplies coming. I know so many people in the States want to help in many ways and all want that help to get where it needs to go.

Thanks again for your prayers, support and all sorts of emails that make me smile.

Art

A Note to Don 3 days post earthquake

Today has been crazy and I still don’t have all the pictures ready to go up. So, go to ND and do a great job. I’ll try to get them in order so you can get them up sometime this weekend. I may have a couple first hand experiences also.

I’m working on hopefully getting a trauma surgical team from Methodist in but I’m afraid Dr. P may step in and screw up that also.

We’re Seeing lots of dead around. When the Montana went down it took an entire family, one of which was one of Jodie’s student two years ago.

The pressure, although we think we are riding it out well, is slowly climbing. It just seems to be sneaking in and grabbing on tight. Please keep us in your prayers.

And so it Goes!

John

We have an annual insurance that we have to purchase for each vehicle that we have. Actually we simply view it as more of a tax for driving than anything like insurance. If and when I have had an accident in the past and would report it to the insurance office they were nice enough to look at the damage to my car, told me they would be in contact with me but I never heard from them. I guess I never expected to hear from them. You see, it is simply a tax.

The main problem with this little tax isn't having to pay the tax but rather the time and hassle it takes to get it done. First of all you have to find a place to park and take your papers into the building and give the car ID and old insurance papers to someone there who will then give you a paper in return. It has questions all about the car that is to be filled out by the inspector downstairs.

So the next move is to drive the car into a line and then into the basement of the building that I had just walked out of. After a long wait in line you (I) was to raise the hood so the workers filled out the papers with all the numbers, colors, license plate numbers, and number of rocks in the tire tread. Finally after this fun was completed you again try to find a parking place and take the "golden" paper into the building and wait the decision to see if we would be allowed to pay the costs. In my case they came out and advised me that the color was wrong. How could the color be wrong? Their own inspectors filled it out! They pointed out that the color written on the paper was beige. Well that is the color of the car! No, it's Champagne. For cryin stinkin out loud! So I again went downstairs and luckily the inspector wasn't at lunch so he changed the color to Champagne and all was now legal.

I did go in for the inspection a couple years ago and since the engine had a little dirt on it's numbers the inspector took this dirty, ugly rag from the ground and proceeded to dip it in my brake fluid well so he could wipe the mud off. I wanted to kill him. (This is my Christian missionary side coming out at this time. Actually the Christian part was that I didn't.

And so, after this fun I waited about 45 more minutes and paid about $150 to people who never had the right change and left. End of story. There are just days like this.

I know, it's my fault. I chose to live here.

And so it goes.

Delmas from our front porch.

Delmas is the area of Port-au-Prince where we spent the first eight years in Haiti. It isn't all that bad as long as you like heat,mosquitoes, and lots of noise. As you can see we don't live there any longer But Jodie's school is there and I spend most of my days in that area. We haven't lived there for 15 years. Not only does the altitude mean that our temperatures are usually lower, we also have the privilege of looking down on this beautiful site almost every night unless we're socked in with clouds. Delmas is beautiful, From a distance.

And so it Goes

John