Haiti Verte

Yesterday we celebrated Haiti's version of Earth Day.  The government announced the planting of 1,200,000 trees in an effort to reduce the deforestation problem-- a good beginning that has to be sustained if we don't want all the good topsoil of Haiti running down the mountains into the sea.

Here's a shot of our young boys and girls carrying their seedlings which were planted in a nearby field.

This is Rivaldo proudly planting his cherry tree.

We marked the day with several agricultural activities including planting 100 cherry trees on our property.  It was a concerted effort, young and old side by side, digging holes, planting the seedlings, watering...

This is a photo of our tree farm in Demion which is about a half hour from here on a motorcycle.  These trees (mahogany and cedar) are five years old.  Our plan is to harvest a percentage of these trees every year to be used in our carpenters' shop and, of course, replant new trees.  It's a small project in the grand scheme of things here but it is a step in the right direction.  Hope your Earth Day was as much fun!

Birthday

Happy Birthday, Matante

And here she is receiving a token of our love and appreciation as we celebrated her 74th birthday.  Matante is the matriarch of the ESPWA family and has been an inspiration to us all.

May God bless you, Matante, with health and happiness. 

Good News

The abducted boy is back with his relieved and happy mother.  The police called last night at 12:30 and wanted the mother to go pick up her son at the police station.  The boy is fine and was not really aware of the situation.
At least four people have been arrested.  It is a sad and horrific story that ended well.  Your prayers and support were instrumental and we are grateful.
Today is Matante's birthday and she said that God could not have given her a more precious gift than this child's safe return home.

Abduction Update

The police have made some headway in the abduction case of the child of one of our employees.  Don't want to divulge too much but have to say that the police and the UN folks assisting them have been working this case hard.  They are optimistic that things will be resolved very soon.  The mother has been through the gamut of emotions as you can imagine but has received lots of local support.  Your prayers are very much appreciated.  

Georgia

We have visitors from Georgia with us this week.  Some are helping in the clinic and others with small jobs around the place.  Here's a shot from this afternoon of some of them playing soccer with our little guys.  Fun was had by all.

URGENT REQUEST

Please pray for the son of one of our employees who was abducted this afternoon.  The kidnapper called the mother with a demand for an exaggerated amount of money which she simply does not have.  Please, please ask all your family and friends to pray for a peaceful solution.  This is unbelievably difficult for the mom and, I'm sure, for the boy.  The staff and children here are shocked and need prayers, too.

Evenson

Here's Evenson receiving physical therapy on the leg which was severely damaged in the motorcycle accident.  The doctors had to cut his thigh (he'll have a long scar to remind him of this time) to release the accumulated blood or he could have lost his leg.  Amy and Gemma (above) are ER nurses from PA and they are here helping us this week.  What a Godsend!

Tough economic times

Here's a photo of Anne Netty, our Human Resources Director, speaking to a gathering of our employees.  We met with them to announce the negative impact of the worldwide economic crisis and what this means for us.  Because our revenues from donations are down we have to eliminate jobs, cut back on services and focus exclusively on the care of the children.  Employees are scared as most are the single providers for their families.  This is a tough time for us and we appreciate your support and prayers.