Hello!

Sorry... got you all hooked on regular updates then left you hanging! Darcy's team left last Sunday evening & another team arrived (including my parents!!!) arrived Sunday morning.... needless to say, it's been busy here :)

Darcy's team never got to Jacmel... the container arrived minutes before we were planning to head out & the team worked around the clock to get it unloaded & the main structure of the playground in the ground before their plane took off. Part of their team will be coming back in a few weeks/months to finish setting it up.

Here are some picture of the container arriving & being unpacked.















Here's a couple of the playground going up... it's farther along than this but the new team is keeping me too busy to dig my camera out again. I'll post some pictures of it next week.





The new team, John's team, has had an incredibly busy week!!! They've fed the hospital patients in Grande Goave, built & raced wooden cars with the kids, taken the kids to the beach and something quite remarkable... organized 26 local pastors to work together to distribute food & aid to the most needy in Grande Goave. This is the first time they have been united & they are eager to do it again!!

My parents have been involved with most of the team's activities but they've also been distributing items collected by my mom's school, Parkland Elementary. Each kid has received a new outfit (a very stylish outfit!) & the depot has been restocked with sheets, toys & medical supplies. On top of the items that were donated, money was sent to purchase kitchen supplies,
shoes for the kids, bug screens, curtains, table cloths (for 15 large picnic tables in the kid's dining room) and new soccer nets. The stuff donated & purchased was outstanding - thank you Parkland!!!!!! I'll post pictures of that next week too.

My parents are headed to the airport tomorrow & John's team (with me) is headed to Bouva to spend a few nights.

Here's a couple pictures of my parents getting to know my friends...





And I can't end this blog without giving you another update about Wilkenson.... he's back home!!!! They kept him for a few days of "physio" & sent him on his way. He's doing great!!! He doesn't have a cast & can move his arm with relative ease. He still can't straighten it completely & has some pain making a tight fist but it really is a miracle that it has healed so quickly & he even played/swam today with the rest of the kids.

Nothing but Good news!

- The container was released today & it on it's way to Grand Goave!

- Had a great experience with Shelove at the hospital in Leogane & her infections is clearing up very quickly!

- Wilkenson was scheduled to have the operation today but the Doctor did another x-ray & was amazed to discover surgery wasn't needed!!!!! He said the bone is well on it's way to healing & is in the proper place!!!! Praise God - this is truly a miracle. He'll be staying at the hospital for another week for physio but is in good spirits knowing there will be no operation!

- 3 more sleeps before my parents come!

Darcy's team will start unpacking the container tomorrow night so we are headed to Jacmel tomorrow for a relaxing morning... the calm before the storm!

Another child, another hospital... same story??

I hope not!!! Wilkenson is still in the PauP Hospital & hasn't had surgery. They got the last of the needed blood on Saturday, everything closes on Sundays & surgery was supposed to happen today. The doctor saw him this morning & said everything is set for the surgery... just need to put the blood in a different fridge over night!!! Can you believe that??? So the blood is "chilling" overnight & the surgery will likely take place tomorrow.

In the meantime we have another child, Shelove, who has got a nasty skin infection in some very painful areas! I am headed to the hospital in Leogane tomorrow morning & I'm praying it will be a very different experience than Port-au-Prince.

Here's a picture of Shelove:



On a more positive note, Darcy's team is hopeful their container will arrive in the next few days. If all goes well it will be released from customs tomorrow & arrive in Grand Goave Wednesday evening. Here's a couple of pictures of what they've been up to...

Renel, Greg & Manno... after a long work day!



Gary, Clive, Terry & Daniel... digging the holes for the playground



Here's one of the holes up close...



Clive after digging his last hole for today...



Darcy teaching Louson how to fix a generator...



Coconut break!!!



Little Enock getting his share of the coconut...



The kids pretending to be scared of Clive's sparks...



Fritzon's not much of an actor :)



And it would be impossible for 5 guys to clean the grounds without building a big fire!



Darcy's team has only been here for 1 week & barely touched the work they were expecting to do (b/c the container has been delayed) but they've already been a huge blessing!!! I know some of their family are following this blog this week so THANK YOU for sharing your boys with us... and be prepared for them to come home very tired!!

A quick update

It’s late & I’m exhausted so please bear with the spelling mistakes & bluntness ☺ Here’s an update on Darcy’s team & my little buddy….

Wilkenson still hasn’t gotten his operation. We sent 4 older boys into Port-au-Prince to give blood but one of them was too young (Wilkenson’s older brother who really wanted to help). The person taking the blood said they got enough blood from the other 3 so we didn’t have to worry about finding another person. We expected the operation to happen yesterday afternoon but got a call in the afternoon saying it wasn’t going to happen until this morning. I’m so far beyond frustration, now I’m just sad. They called at 10am this morning & said the Doctor (another new one) said he refused to do the surgery until another person came to give blood & because today is Friday they don’t accept blood after noon so the person will have to come in the morning. Sigh. So I can’t give you an accurate update on Wilkenson because I really have no idea!! Another group of people are going to the hospital tomorrow morning – we’re sending lots in case they have a problem giving blood. Hopefully they’ll be able to do the surgery in the afternoon. Wilkenson has been sleeping at the hospital for the last 2 nights & I’ve talked to him a couple times each day. He’s doing well but anxious to come home. Please keep praying for him & for a fire to be lite under the Doctors. His arm was broken last Sunday so a full week has almost passed.

As for Darcy’s team, they are still working incredibly hard & getting redder every day!! The ground is almost ready of the playground & they’ve dug a new drainage system for the school water fountain – yeah, no more mud puddles to jump!! The port in Cap Haitien is giving them troubles getting the container out of customs so one of the team members (Lyle) flew there yesterday as the shipping documents are in his name. They’re still hoping to get the container out in the next few days but they’re starting to consider a plan B… maybe my wish list of maintenance jobs will get finished after all!!!

The good & the bad

You always start with the bad, right?

Wilkenson still hasn't had his operation!!!!!! We dropped Wilkenson off at the hospital (2 people stayed with him) on our way to the airport to pick up a missionary team. I was so frustrated with the hospital that I didn't want to leave him without knowing he was actually going to see a doctor. I'm not proud of it but for the first time since living in Haiti (intentionally anyways) I took advantage of being "blan". I left the gang outside, cut to the front of the line & went into the hospital to find a doctor. I went into the doctor's change room (yes I was that frustrated!) and found a doctor that had just arrived & was putting on his scrubs. I explained the situation & asked him to make sure Wilkenson could get into see the doctor so they could determine if surgery was necessary or if they could put on a proper cast. He immediately said yes (praise the Lord!!) and walked us through administration & picked up the x-ray pictures they'd already taken. When we left for the airport I was feeling confident that we could pick up Wilkenson on our way back. Well the doctor I found kept his promise & made sure Wilkenson got to see the Doctor but that was the only thing that went smoothly. They had to take x-rays again & they were just as rough as the first time. They said immediately that surgery was needed but another doctor wanted to try setting it first. So they gave him a shot of something (no idea what) & started pulling before the shot had time to sink in. Part of me wishes I was there to support Wilkenson but the bigger part of me was glad I didn't have to sit helpless while watching him suffer again. The people who stayed with Wilkenson phoned to tell me that surgery was necessary but they didn't have bed for him overnight so he had to return in the morning. He came home a few hours later too drugged up to talk or walk & slept right through the night.

Despite is good night sleep for both us (gotta love drugs!!) walking him up this morning to head back to the hospital was not easy. He was determined not to go! I finally convinced him to get ready by promising him that is wasn't going to be the same... no more x-rays & he'll sleep through the entire thing. He said ok, but then quickly added; "only if you come". With a team here it's not feasible for me to go for 2 or 3 days so I had to say no... the crying broke my heart. It wasn't until he saw one of the guys pass my room that he stopped crying. I forced him to shower, dress & sit in the truck.

This afternoon I called the people who went with him to see how the surgery was & it didn't happen!! The doctor (a different one of course) now says they need to have 4 people to come to PauP to give blood before they'll do the operation!!! Four of the older boys are leaving early to meet them at the hospital so please pray that it will go smoothly & they'll be able to do the operation tomorrow. I know everything happens in God's time but it hard to see him suffer in the meantime.

Ok, now for the good....

Darcy & his team arrived here yesterday - safe & sound! They are a group of 5 from Alberta who will be putting a new playground in the H2H school as well as some smaller projects. They wasted no time getting started!! The ground where the playground will go has already been cleaned, trees moved (replanted of course!) and the major parts of the playground have been marked out. The playground equipment arrived in a container Monday & we are currently in the process of getting it released. Here are some pictures of the guys working.







Darcy's team will be here for 2 weeks so pray for their health & for energy to get all the work done. Today was hot & most of them are already burnt!

A reminder of why I’m here

I’m not sure how well I can put into words all of what has happened in the last few days but I know 2 things for sure; ask & it shall be given and I will never be the same.

A few blog entries ago I talked about some of the struggles I’ve been having as this “adventure” turns into something much larger. Thank you for the feedback – it was all great & helped me a lot! I’ve been praying these last few weeks for clarity on how I can serve here effectively & yesterday I received a huge reminder of why I’m here. Unfortunately for Wilkenson, it was his pain that gave me this reminder.

Yesterday morning Wilkenson was standing on his top bunk, reaching for some clothes, and he fell. He landed on the bottom bunk of the bed next to his & broke his arm just above the elbow. It’s a bad break. Ever seen the Harry Potter movie where he breaks his arm & his teacher uses the wrong spell to heal it? Instead of fixing the broken bone he removed all the bones in his arm. Well it wasn’t exactly like that (obviously) but it hangs the same way. Within minutes of the fall we were in the truck with Enock (our chauffeur & all-round “superman”) & headed to find a hospital… finding an open hospital in Haiti is not all that easy, especially on a Sunday. We went to 7 hospitals before finding one in Port-au-Prince that would let us in. It was Doctors without Borders – they were great but unfortunately, after seeing the x-ray, they sent us to the General Hospital in PauP. This is the hard part to explain & I don’t want to be too harsh because this was my first time there so maybe it was just a bad day... I’m sure there are many lives saved there & many doctors that have a passion to helping people. But, for us, it was a horrific experience. They were so rough with Wilkenson when they examined him & took more x-rays… flopping his arm on the table & yelling at him to stop crying, And walking through the patient area (one huge room) was overwhelming… the smells, the screaming, the blood, the chaos… it felt like I was in a war movie. Being the token white person had some advantages (cut a few lines ☺) but being surrounded by people grabbing & begging for money and seeing the legitimacy of their need was not easy. Here’s where the “Ask & it shall be given” part comes in… I was so overwhelmed by the need & felt like a hypocrite walking by those that were asking. I prayed for calmness & for clarity... within minutes a lady walked towards me & said her little girl was very ill. She didn’t have to say anymore, I know God had sent her my way & I emptied my pockets. It wasn’t much but I have a feeling it was exactly what she needed.

It was an experience I will never forget. It’s amazing that there are so many complaints about the healthcare in Canada & the US when there are places like Haiti that barely have healthcare.

We left the hospital with a temporary cast & an appointment to return the next day so they can determine whether surgery is necessary. After the way they moved his arm the bumpy ride back to Grande Goave was a long one for Wilkenson, and it was an even longer night for him. He slept in my bed with me & between his “scratch here, move this, I need to pee again” and the tarantula that visited us (first time ever for me to see one inside!!!!!) it was a long night for me too ☺

Today we returned to Port-au-Prince only to be told we missed our appointment so we’ll have to come back tomorrow! So, as I write this, Wilkenson is sleeping beside me… much more peacefully tonight… and we will head back to PauP in the morning.

So, how did this accident remind me why I’m here?

All of the children here are special to me but Wilkenson was one of the first I connected with & if you’ve been following my blog since the beginning you may remember that Wilkenson was a big part of my decision to come to Haiti last year to learn Kreyol. He’s been given the nickname; “premye pitit mwen” which means my first child. Wilkenson’s mom died giving birth to his younger sister (who is also at our Children’s Home) and his dad is heavy into voodoo & hasn’t seen him since his mom died. I know this because I have visited his dad’s house in Bouva several times. Wilkenson has not let me leave his side since yesterday morning & if helping him over the next few weeks is the only thing I “accomplish” in Haiti it will all be worth it.

Here are some pictures of Wilkenson.

This was taken on my second trip to Haiti:



This was taken yesterday afternoon, after returning from Port-au-Prince:




We have a team arriving tomorrow & then several teams back-to-back. In addition to praying for Wilkenson, please pray for safety for the teams & for my stamina… I haven’t yet mastered the art of balancing my day-to-day activities while hosting teams so they tend wear me out. Hopefully these next 5 weeks will give me the practice I need to master that skill ☺

Thanks again for the prayers & the encouragement.

Addition to the blog entry below

Here's another great way to keep the kids busy & clean the balcony!!

This is the first time I've posted a video, so hopefully it works.

Play date in the garden

If you were me, how would you occupy what seems like a million kids when they don't have school? Last week they had a few days off school so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to spend some quality time "playing" with them.

Here is some of what we did...

Homemade bubbles





Soccer "camp", taught by the experts, of course!



Good old fashion coloring!!!



And the most fun I've had in Haiti so far - spring cleaning in the garden!!













Before I sign off, I have some VERY EXCITING NEWS - my parents are coming to visit!! They'll be here during spring break (March 16 - 22). They've never been to Haiti so I'm excited for them to meet the kids & see H2H Valley. My mom is a teacher at Parkland Elementary School & they are gathering clothes & other needed items to send with my parents - thank you so much to all of you who are participating!

lost contact

Hello all!

I'm at a cyber cafe in town at the moment - it's allowing me to access Blogger but not my emails. We've had a bad wind storm since last week & our internet satellite is still not giving a connection... most of the other satellites in town are having the same problem. I haven't been able to access emails since last week so please give me a call if you're waiting for a response on something. My cell # is 011-509-661-4161.

By the way... I had a GREAT birthday yesterday, and to those younglings out there... turning 30 really isn't that scary :)

Rebecca

Today's deep thoughts

Ok, this is not going to be the bright & sunny blog you’re used to reading (but I promise to make the next one cheery)... I’ve decided if I can expand my comfort zone to include the entire church praying for my diarrhea, why can’t it include some soul sharing too?

The 3 weeks I spent in Canada were so great. I was able to catch up with friends & family and enjoy the comforts of home. But somehow it seemed to change me. Or maybe, & more likely, I changed before going home & the downtime let the change move from my head to my heart. I was able to share with friends & family my thoughts on serving with H2H long term. It’s really what I feel God is calling me to do & He is constantly re-enforcing that by stretching & molding me in ways I can’t deny that He’s leading me, following me & walking along side me. If I’m so confident in this calling then why, upon my return, am I feeling completely exhausted & constantly battling the desire to retreat to my room, crawl into my beautiful bed, turn on some “real” music & hide? Thinking long term seems to have hampered my ability to live in the moment – I’m too focused on what needs to be changed, rather than what’s unique and already working great! This is not a feeling I’m used to, nor one I want to get used to! Am I really cut out for this? Can I survive the constant draw on my heart?

I know the answer is simple… God never gives you what you cannot handle… Satan tempts you more when he sees you following God’s calling… God will always give you the skills, gifts & resources you need to accomplish your task… Don’t wait until your cup is empty, allow God to fill it up so that’s it’s always overflowing.

The problem is how do you take these answers & make them reality in a place like Haiti? How do I allow my support network (you) connect with me in a way that minimizes the loneliness & isolation? How do I stay within God’s presence?

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I have had people share their soul with me after reading one of my blog entries & the connection we’ve had through their willingness to open up has made me realize the power of communication & the danger of being alone. I am blessed to be serving at H2H in Haiti and I am blessed to have the support network I have back in Canada. My hope is that after you read this you will pray for me… and then be able to speak into my life. Am I normal? Have I gotten to much sun?? Has the diet of rice & spaghetti poisoned me?? Ok, maybe I’m going over the edge a bit now ☺

I have another prayer request. Little Junior has typhoid fever. He has been sick for the past few days & today the Doctor confirmed it is typhoid. He is on medication & is already feeling better but it’s tough to see someone so little fight something so big. Please pray for strength for him & for wisdom as we help him.

H2H Valley is now online!

I knew there would be a buzz of excitement once the satellite was installed but I wasn't expecting the magnitude of the buzz! We're still working on the H2H website & I'll post a link once it's done. Thank you to all who helped make this happen! We're still looking for a sponsor to help cover the monthly costs ($79.00).

Here's Pastor Luc sending his first email:



And for those regular blog watchers... I am very pleased to announce that I am no longer a "Happy Haitian" ;)

A very Happy Haitian

Have you ever done something & known instantly that you made the wrong decision? I hope many of you are saying yes… if not, just nod your head in agreement so I don’t feel so isolated. Thank you.

Well, a few days ago I went into Port-au-Prince and on the way home we stopped at a road-side “food fair” for some nourishment. After all, what is tastier than a plastic cup filled with lanbi (the little guys that live inside a conch shell) basted with home-made hot sauce so secret they make it under a sheet? Nothing, of course!

Those of you who only nodded in agreement to be polite are probably now shaking your head in amazement… ‘Eating shellfish off the street in a third-world country?!?’ I agree with you completely! And I’ve had plenty of time to ponder over my folly as I have been chained to the toilet for the past 2 days ☺

Making mistakes is not such a bad thing though… there are always lessons that can be learned. Today for example, one of the Pastors in church asked the congregation to pray for me & my diarrhea… what a great lesson in humility ☺

Diarrhea is a pretty common ailment for team members when they come to Haiti & to make light of the situation we have labeled the ailment as “Haitian Happiness”. I think it is safe to say that I am the Happiest Haitian around!

The joy of giving

Each time I’ve come to Haiti I’ve been able to deliver gifts from sponsors to their sponsor children. I feel guilty that I get to do this. A sponsor makes sacrifices to include this child in their life & goes to the effort of putting together a gift and all I have to do is throw… opps, I mean gently place… the gift in my bags. It doesn’t seem right that I’m the one who gets to experience the excitement of the child opening what may be the first gift they’ve ever received or even better, a gift from someone they consider their friend. Seeing the interaction between sponsor & their sponsor child is such a unique experience.

I have many pictures of these exchanges – here are just a few...

Junior:



Louson:



Samantha:



Sonson:

Made it!

The second half of the trip went just as smoothly as the first half & I'm now in Grande Goave, Haiti. I got here in the early afternoon & I've spent most of my time playing with the kids. It feels like I never left here... I even fell up the stairs carrying my luggage... not just a little stumble either, I dropped everything & just barely saved my face from some unwanted cosmetic surgery! Maybe it's the playing, or maybe it's the time-change, but I'm exhausted. It will definitely be an early night tonight. Speaking of bedtime... I decided while I was home to make a quilt to bring back with me. I know what you must be thinking... you've been living in Haiti for the past 6 months, can't you think of something more exciting to do? Don't you have friends & family to visit? And, why would you need a quilt in Haiti anyways?!? All good points but in my defense, it really only took 1 day (although I only slept for a few hours that day) & I've had this "great idea" to quilt the Haitian flag since I first saw it. Anyways, in typical Larkin fashion, I ended up not just making the quilt, I outfitted the entire bed :) I don't get much down time so I'm hoping by making my room a bit homier it will increase the quality of the down time I get.



It's a new leaf - 2 blogs in 2 days!!! Don't miss the one below :)

"Pappa's House" will always be home

Speaking like the unbiased aunt I am... my neice Courtney is still my favorite kid!! Her first 3 words were; Mom, Dad & Bob... apparently Rebecca isn't a suitable name for her favorite aunt (remember, I'm completely unbiased here). Here Courtney is "bobbing" in the hottub with "her Bob"... yes, she came up with that one on her own!



Well I'm writing this blog curled up in a hotel room bed (king sized bed even!!) in Miami & I fly to Haiti tomorrow morning. It was a GREAT 3 weeks in Vancouver!! I haven't lived with my parents for a long time but I think their house will always feel like home. It was a busier trip then anticipated but I feel very rested & I'm excited to see the kids tomorrow morning. I couldn't help but to call them every few days but talking on the phone just isn't the same :)

My flights today went smoothly but I have a packing tip for you... those little sacs of tuna (I bought them at Walmart) are really tasty but when you put 25+ sacs in your carry-on bag they are well over the liquid allowance!! However, never underestimate the power of any sentence that starts with; "I'm on my way to an orphanage in Haiti..."

Thank you so much for making the time to see me while I was home & for sending me back with full suitcases. And a special thankyou to all of you who started sponsoring a child while I was home. I hope this will be the beginning of a relationship that is just as rewarding for you as it is for your new child.

I have talked to so many people about the amazing Christmas I had with the kids but I don't want the rest of you to miss out so here's the official update on CHRISTMAS IN HAITI 2007.

My mom sent 3 bins of Christmas presents for ALL the kids at H2H valley - that's almost 100 gifts!!! And we're not just talking about a little trinket, each child received socks/underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a "main" present, several "smaller" presents, hair stuff, school supplies, candy, etc, etc. The older boys even got a knitted hat courtesy of Grandma Rose! I gave out the presents in the early afternoon & then we had our Christmas Feast! I'll skip right to the pictures....

Some of the presents ready to be handed out:



Some VERY happy kids (Albert, Marilyn, Rosmita, Samuel, Junior & Jason showing off his new underwear!):











And, of course, you can't have a Christmas Feast without food, decorations & the Christmas tree!!







We even had the UN stop by a few days before Christmas with some treats:



Probably not sustainable to do every year but man was it fun!!! Thanks to all who contributed!!