This is a Lovely, Ripe, Red tomato harvested from a volunteer tomato plant growing out of a crack in the concrete! YES, God can do anything! He can make things grow, flourish, and bear fruit even when it looks nigh to impossible.
I actually picked eight tomatoes off that plant this morning! Amazing? Yes! Some of them were small… but still… wonderful.
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE: BE THANKFUL UNTO HIM, AND BLESS HIS NAME.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.
How time flies…
Please accept my apologies for not updating this blog on a regular basis. I know it’s been almost 2 1/2 months… and 2 1/2 months is a long time not to be in touch….However, I certainly hope that you have not forgotten to pray for our family. Thanks to those of you who took the time to let us know that you have been praying. I most certainly believe in prayer and know that your prayers make a difference!
AND…Since the last blog, I was able to ship ten bottles of vanilla to the states ;) Thanks for letting me “twist your arm”.. ;) And thanks to Carol Myer for her willingness to stuff them into her “check in” suit case after her visit with Little Miss Karlee Jo.
First and update on Big Red:
I haven’t been keeping track how many trips, but I know he has made many trips up the mountain since the last time I wrote. His '”health” has been good aside from a few minor aches and pains! Don replaced several broken springs just recently..
Today in preparation for the “labou season” (mud season) Don had two new tires put on the front wheels of Big Red. Talk about expensive rubber shoes!! If Big Red wouldn’t have needed “shoes” , with that money I could have bought 20 new pair of $45. shoes for myself. Actually.. come to think of it… I could have bought flip flops to last a life time! Oh well.. I am happy that Big Red has new tires because that “famous” mountain road gets awfully muddy some places and mud can be as dangerous as a foot of slippery ice and snow (at least that’s how it looks and feels to this lady!) and I do want him to make the trips safely!
Secondly.. an update on our shop/house:
The end of January we welcomed a team from South Dakota and Iowa. They came to help us with some concrete work, frame the second floor and put on the roof. Most of the team we had never met before…once again proving to us that God will provide!
I have not taken a recent picture of the building.. and since this picture the walls are “parged” (I don’t know if that is the correct spelling)
Don has been working at welding the metal bars that belong to the large openings on the right of the building. This job has proved to be a very time consuming job! But I am quite sure it will be a job well done.. :) knowing my husband! :) I will be happy to show you the picture of the finished product once it is installed! So keep watching!..
Oh yes, I want to inform you that we had some VERY SPECIAL visitors in March!!
Two of Don’s brothers and their sweet wives made the trip to Haiti to see us and help us out! God Bless Them! :)
We did manage to make a trip up the mountain during their short stay. And they were able to work on the “house” a little.
Thirdly.. an update on our little ones:
Sharina is still a VERY sweet little munchkin! Her bottle is dearly loved and by the looks of things the milk is doing it’s job! It is hard to believe that this sweet little one is now 5 months old. She rolls over very easily and is beginning to scoot around as well. I am happy to tell you that this little bundle of joy brings many happy moments into all of our lives.
Our “twins” William Claudsie and Karlee have celebrated their third birthdays since the last time I did a blog. They both talk very well and can easily express their wants and desires! Like typical siblings, they squabble and pick one moment and the next they play together like best of friends.
Random bits in closing:
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One of the next projects on our list is painting. Anyone out there that would like to help? :)
Another thing on the list is purchasing and installing a wind turbine with the hope of generating a large percentage of our electricity.
We hope to move to the mountain by fall but God only knows. Projects seem to take so much more time in Haiti.. especially when you have to tote everything up the mountain.
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CAM is starting an agricultural program here in Haiti with Clint Bowers heading it up. Clint is planning to raise some potatoes and onions up in the mountains on *our land this year. Yesterday we were privileged to help plant a “ton” of onions.
Pray that God would bless this work…
God bless all His children all across the face of the earth!
Our lives for His glory~ Madam Don
* When I refer to “our land” I really consider it to be the Lord’s. We believe that our investment in Haiti is an eternal investment..This beautiful piece of land is dedicated to the Lord and His work. And in the future we wish it to be passed along to those who will use it to further the Lord’s kingdom…
