Dorothy's update

I thought i would paste Dorothy's email updates that she sends out on here so that you can all hear things through her eyes sometimes. She is such an ecouragement and example to me. I am blessed to be living with her and all these beautiful haitian children.

"January has been an incredibly busy month. Here is a brief outline.

January 2, 2008, my first grandchild was born in Washington, D.C. Cole John Valcourt Pearce was 6 lbs. 15 oz, 20.25 inches long. His father, my son, is deaf. His mother is hard-of-hearing. We weren’t dismayed when he failed his first hearing test but were glad that he passed the second one. Courtesy of my son’s mother-in-law, I was able to fly north and spend 2 weeks with the new family. All are doing well. Thank you, LORD!

As much as I loved cuddling my beautiful new grandson, I missed my Haitian babies and was glad to return to Haiti January 19th. Thanks to Nancy Brickell’s excellent care, all of our children were in great shape when I returned.

Remember JJ, the 15 month old boy from Gonaives who was 9 lbs., 25 inches long, and had kwashiorkor malnutrition when he came to live with us on December 22? He is now 14 lbs. 4 oz and 26 ½ inches long, up from 9 lbs. and 25 inches on December 22.

January 23, 2008. Natasha Rae Taylor (“Tasha”) came to live with us for 6 months to help with the children. She is a joy! A sweet spirit, cheerful, energetic, organized, loving, helpful, ... That doesn’t quite describe her but it gives you a good idea. Thank you, Lord, for Tasha!

Good guests often bring gifts when they come. Tasha has great manners and brought very special gift: a baby girl! She was abandoned somewhere near Cabaret, up the coast from Port au Prince. The police, a judge, and UN soldiers brought the baby to the JBA orphanage. They asked us to keep her here for a while because we specialize in malnourished infants. She will return to the JBA orphanage when she is stronger. She is negative for HIV, TB and syphilis.

They named the baby Emily Marie Francois. If she were an American baby we would guess her age at 7 months. With a Haitian child abandoned out in the countryside it’s anybody’s guess. I doubt that she is more than 12 months and probably not that. She ‘talks’ to us, tries to take away the spoon to feed herself, and ‘dances’ to music. She cannot sit up without help and can only turn from stomach to back. Her thin, wispy orange hair and her hemoglobin of 8.1 confirm long term malnutrition. She weighs 7 lbs 10 oz. and is 22 ½ inches long. Tasha has fallen in love with her and is her primary caregiver.

January 26th. Jovani Zaricklimeau Fava, 18 month old boy, was brought by his mother. He is almost as big as his name, 15 ½ lbs. and 31 inches long. He cannot hold up his head, possibly has cerebral palsy. His mother cannot work and care for him. They are homeless. She could not afford the neck brace recommended by doctors, or physical therapy. We are allowing mother and child to stay here fulltime temporarily. Nancy will drive them to the rehabilitation doctor today to see what can be done for him. In return for food, housing and medical care, mom is helping the nannies care for our growing family.

January 27. Nephthalie, a 2 month old baby girl, was brought in from the countryside just as we were leaving for church. Nephthalie’s mother died in December. Her family has been feeding the baby whatever they can find. Sr. Lucien, one of our night nannies, heard about her plight and recommended the family bring her to us. She is negative for HIV, TB and syphilis, is slightly anemic, and has scabies and a bacterial infection. Her measurements: 7 lbs 3 oz, 20 ¾ inches long.

January 29 Karen brought a mother and 6 week old baby boy, Jamson Lundy. Jamson is the 5th child of a family living in Cite Soleil, one of Port au Prince’s most notorious neighborhoods for poverty and crime. Mother has no breast milk to feed the baby, probably due to her own malnutrition. We will care for him until he can eat table foods. He appears healthy but we are suspicious of mother’s cough and will watch for tuberculosis.

So! In one week we have added 4 babies, a long term American helper, and have hired 2 additional Haitian staff members. We have been very busy! Praise God for providing help for these babies. In the eyes of the world they mean nothing but God deems them important enough to give them His personal attention.

We now have car insurance and can legally drive around town. (It wasn’t fun getting it. It took 7 men 1 ½ hours to verify that the number on the motor matches the number on the registration.) Thank the Lord! (and Nancy for driving!) The car has already taken two of the babies for blood tests and will take the others soon. Today it took Poutchino and Jovani to Healing Hands to be evaluated for physical therapy. Poutchino got a walker!!!!!! He will go twice a week for physical therapy. (Thanks to the Episcopal Sisters of Charity for sponsoring Poutchino’s therapy and seizure medicine.) Jovani will see the doctor once a week for two months. Then he will be fitted for a neck brace and re-evaluated.

In December I mentioned that we had been having a hard time financially. Thank you all very much for your donations (cash and goods) and prayers. We are now current on payroll and medical care and are able to care for additional children. A team from Crusades for Christ visited this week and brought formula, oatmeal, powdered milk, diapers, clothes, and much more. Mary Dekoter took me shopping at Megamart to buy baby supplies and food on behalf of Hope Christian Reformed Church in Ontario. We are SO blessed!

I have to share with you that even when we had nothing in the bank and not enough food in the cabinets, God always provided. On occasion we skimped but we never missed a meal or any crucial care the children needed. He never promised us that we would always be rich or would never have hard times. He did promise to always meet our needs and that He did! I love Him with all my heart. How could I not! I pray that you know the extent of His love for you.

Love and blessings,
Dorothy Pearce"

babies, babies, babies

I have only been with Dorothy a week and we have already had 4 babies come, including my precious Emarie. Plus Dorothy has haded 2 new nannies to her staff and one of the babies we recieved came with the mother. they are homeless and so Dorothy worked out a deal with her that temporailly they could live here fulltime with meals, but that she will help the other nannies. she is a beautiful haitian woman that really cares about her son...you can tell.

thanks for the advice about the downloading. i think mama cheryl's was the best...'remember you're living in Haiti now' it's true things just plain and simple take longer.

thanks...slowly, but surly i am getting pics up.
tash

Grrrr...

so i have been trying to get photos on here, but its not working. i want you all too see my roomie, emarie, the other babies, kev (the 9 yrs old boy), and where i'm staying...but its not working. so anyone that has some tricks up their sleeve let me know okay.

love love love

Officially at Dorothy's!

I am now in Port-Au-Prince(PAP). I finally got to Dorothy's on Wednesday and I got to bring a gift with me. A little baby girl that I named (with help from friends)Emily Marie Francois. I am calling her Emarie (em-ory)though. The second and last week i was in Bercy the team that was there had a medical clinic and in the process the police, UN and judge brought a baby to the orphanage. She was abandoned on a porch, severely malnourished, she weighed around 5-6lbs. Her is the really heartbreaking part she has two teeth and from what the nurses could estimate she is somewhere between 7-11 months old. She was dropped off in bercy last Saturday and has been with me since. I have loved on her,held her down while a nurse tried to put an IV in her precious tiny, tiny veins, helped give her meds, bathed her and she has come with me to Dorothy's. we have started calling her "my baby"...i love her!!! she's beautiful. she weighed around 6 lbs in bercy and now she's up to almost 8lbs now! she is very attentive, makes noises and in the since being at Dorothy's she has taken to a bottle. she is eating very well...and she loves to praise the lord...(in Haiti that means raising of the hand and sayin a lil 'ALLELUIA')!!!

Dorothy has a large circle of missionary friends here and she wants to expose me to a lot of different ministries so I am really excited for that. In fact I have already gone with a couple nurses to the ravine. I was sort of sick and dehydrated so i didn't experience it being myself...I'm going to do it again. However it was still an experience. The ravine is where the poorest of the poor live. it is heartbreaking to see all the trash and sickness and quality of live. but it never fails that their smiles still light up the world that they are dealt and my heart couldn't be more happy to serve them with.

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL. i miss you too. nrt

ps...i am in the process of having an address really soon and as soon as i do I'll put it on here...so feel free to start writing ;)

Words of Wisdom

A Verse that has been on my heart since I've been in Haiti...

"If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places- firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry." (Isaiah 58:10-11, The Message)


Happy Sunday Praising the LORD!

Still In Bercy...

So it looks like i wont be leaving Bercy until Wednesday, that's the tentative plan as of now considering everything in Haiti needs a little flexibility. It is really exciting because it means that i get to be with the people that i have seen grow and develop for 2 weeks instead of one. i thought i would only be here a few more days, but Dorothy cant come get me tomorrow to go to PAP because she doesn't have insurance on her car yet and getting stopped here is a bit more of a hassle than in the US.

The group from Florida is leaving Tuesday and I might get to PAP then, but Rusty thought it would be more fun to be able to have Cheryl and their daughter come with and get to spend some time with Dorothy, maybe even get a burger at this place called epi-odr. LOL...funny name, but when you don't get burgers often they say it good!

I am learning creole a tiny bit and its fun, but i have to admit it has been a struggle and i ha vent even been here two weeks yet. for some reason i put all this pressure on me to learn it, but PRAISE to God Mama Cheryl reminded me that I am not here to learn a language and if i never learn it is okay. I'm here to serve my LORD & KING and the beautiful children of Haiti. I am so humbled and blessed to be here. I need to remember I'm called here to love as Christ loved all of us and bring justice to those that too often are forgotten.

Today my sponsored child, Mrytha accepted Jesus in to her heart and i was able to be there, a huge blessing. she is up against so much, a story in itself for another day. we went to the Mountain community Terre Noir, my third time going up there since I've been here. God is so great too, because when we left to start walking i was exhausted and didn't think i could do it...then on the way down i was laughing and running and having so much fun...the whole way i was praising and feeling right at home. Surrounded by the banana leaves, dirt, thorns, sun, clouds and Sarah the daughter of the missionaries, Wilguens who is fickle in his love, but he has stolen my heart, and Wilfred a strong Christian man who all the Haitian women want ;). it was just a wonderful day.

i wish you could all be here when i look out and see God's glory in his creation of the sun and sky, the mountains and the ocean, and the smiles of all these children and Haitians that just melt my heart.

i miss you all, thank you for the prayers, the letters in my scrapbook, and being a part in this journey God has me on.

LOVE LOVE LOVE
tasha rae

Wireless...what?!

So I am in Bercy...and there is wireless...its so crazy. i swear every time i have come down in the last 6 years (this is my 4th time) so much improvement happens. PRAISE GOD for that. Its so exciting. it is so great to be here. i have already thought a couple of times...6 months that's too short, of course that is mainly when I'm thinking about trying to learn creole. i am so thankful for all your prayers and support and cant wait to be with Dorothy, but i really am glad to be here in Bercy for now. The children are beyond beautiful...you cant really explain for real what it is like, but one day maybe i will be a fabulous writer and express it through my words. today we went up to a village called tierre noir. its probably 2-3 miles away from the orphanage compound and they have to walk to the well to get water by the compound. its so bare up there...they truly do not have much at all. we had the opportunity to help build a church consisting of corigated medal, nails and wood. we also had the opportunity to go visit and pray with the people in the village. it was amazing. there is a man, pastor nathan...he came with and he has such a heart for the LORD and passion for his community and improving Haiti. it's a blessing to meet him. well i really should go...but hopefully i will be able to post something soon again. the team i came with leaves on tuesday and then its me with the missionaries and another group then off to PAP with Dorothy.

love to all. miss you all. blessings. t

this is it!

So tonight is my last night in the states before i begin my journey. you know its funny because this whole past month i was suppose to be preparing and all that stuff, but i feel like not really until Sunday did i realize that I'm really going. that i really have to say bye to the community i love so dearly. it was really hard for me to say bye to Jacobs well. its one of the biggest blessings in my life. the community and life that is lived by so many there, what God is doing through the body there never ceases to amaze me. my cup runneth over so much and i will truly miss going every Sunday. They had a prayer pop corn pow-wow sorta thing in the chapel and it was beautiful. to be with Sarah Beth who is coming on the mission trip the first week and with Tim & Mimi, Philip, ed & ansie, Marcel, Garth, Kate, Bea...so many. you know it is truly a blessing to have people pray for you. its SO humbling and a truly honoring gift to receive.

anyway..i had dinner with Bea tonight...funny i was craving a salad and then forgot to order one...then felt high maintenance b/c i changed my order...anyway. from tomorrow on its gonna be mainly rice and beans i think...oh and Pb&j! so when you eat these things think of me. i don't know when I'll get the Internet again...but know that i am ready for my journey. for the Lord has gone before me and i am so excited to join Him and many more of His servants who are already working to make a difference in Haiti. thanks for all your prayers. see you in 6 months, but talk to you soon, very soon.

LOVE LOVE LOVE
Tasha Rae

ps. i jus realized a quick way to edit this mug...so maybe there will be better puncuation for all you english major...gotta be proper people ;)