a visit from PA

This group came to visit us the second week of February, and they brought with them many, many memories ... It was one year ago that I first set foot in Haiti, with a group just like this, from the Ephrata Community Church. And now, one year later, I am living here!


We went out for ice cream one night at Jeffel Bar & Resto, a restaurant and ice cream shop owned by the father of one of my little students, Valens. We ate upstairs in the 'Love Room' - and here you can see Jonathan and Richard enjoying some time with their 'white mom,' Marsha Petery. It was a real treat to have her with us for the week, because she was with me on my first trip here to Haiti, and has quickly become a good friend of mine. Oh, she also brought along a lot of goodies from home ... including a new pillow (not bed-bug infested), my running shoes (so I can run farther and faster every morning, and not trip so much over the rocks and wandering goats and chickens), and some homemade chocolate chip cookies. Thank you, Marsha!


Some of the women from the team brought greetings to me from my old school - Lititz Area Mennonite - where their grandchildren attend. It was special to connect with them and to hear how their grandchildren are doing. It is weird to think of life going on as usual without me back home ... but it does. And in 100 days, I will be part of it again! My, how time flies...


One of the young men on the team was a huge blessing to us during their week-long stay on the base - Brandon Kepple. He was injured in a car accident when he was 11 years old, and now at 23, he is still full of life and energy and one of the best senses of humor I've ever encountered. He touched people's lives everywhere he went - from hanging out with kids at the Sunday evening church service (as you can see here in the picture), to making us laugh at mealtimes on the base, from teaching sign language to our students during a morning assembly, to sharing his story and joi de viv with people from the 5th section. Thanks for visiting us Brandon! We will never forget you.


By the end of the week, Marvin had challenged nearly everyone to an arm-wrestling match - and won! He is one strong man ...



The team also got busy rerouting our road here on the base, right outside our classrooms! At lunchtime, they were apologizing for making so much noise, and we were all in shock. There is always noise around on the base, making it very hard to teach at times, but we've never been apologized to before! It was kind of nice =)


Another big project that this team tackled was repainting the cafeteria. In was in sore need of some attention ... Marsha and Ingvild coordinated all the painters, and by the end of the week, it looked like a new place!


Eli and Lizzie even got recruited when school was over to help with some of the special blue accenting on the windows. Looking good!


And this was Marsha's masterpiece - the stairway leading up to the guys and girls dorms. It looks beautiful!!! And every day it makes us think of you, Marsha =)


And this was the fruit of their labors on the new school. Roof complete. Walls yet to be built. And about $16,000 from our goal of completion. Keep lifting this dream up in your prayers! I can't wait to see it become a reality ... the new Liberty Academy =)


Lilly and April enjoying one of their first long walks to the new school. Notice the dust on the road ... this was a result of two months with little to no rain. Praise God, we had two rainstorms just this past week. The parched ground soaked it right up ...

Terry and Ingvild, looking very work-weary and happy at the end of a long week's work.


Lindsay and Brandon rode the bus together back in the day, so she enjoyed introducing him to our students at the Liberty Academy.


And he enjoyed teaching us how to speak in sign language. The kids didn't want him to leave at the end of the week. They still talk about him.


And here are some of his new friends on the base. From the looks on these faces, I'd say he definitely brought a lot of joy to our lives =)



Marsha posing with the young women of the base - just so she doesn't forget us! ;)


Driving away in the old white bus ... goodbye, PA! See you in June! =)