The Stroud Crowd

2011-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

I took the kids out to Battlefield Park today to replace those hideous school pictures. The overpriced, cheesy pictures were the inspiration behind getting my Nikon D5000. I also love pictures and view them as art... something you can keep forever. I hope I continue this romance and my pictures only get better. It's like making time stand still, and you can grab and hold a moment of life and beauty. Here are a few of my favorites.

photo love

2011-03-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm still in love with photography.. that makes several months in a row, and for those of you who know me, that is a LONG time! I am learning more and more about composition, lighting, aperture, ISO settings and white balance. It all sounds very technical and impressive, I know, but it's really simple. I also love all the new actions I purchased through MPActions and Florabella. Here are some of my new faves. I still have yet to master the vast caverns of Photoshop, but I'm trying! I even take little tutorials on youtube... and they actually help!
Enjoy....

The forgotten ones....

2011-01-23T18:08:00.000-08:00

My first visit to Haiti awakened me. I had never seen such pain, suffering, poverty, and joy all rolled into one. I finally realized my calling in life... to serve these beautiful people who need only basic things to stay well and happy. Joel and I will devote our latter years (that means when the kids get older) to serving however we can. Please consider how $30 a month can feed and educate a child... who knows, one day a sponsored may be president.

His expression speaks volumes to me... he looks so miserable. I wonder what he was thinking??

These sweeties were playing at the local river. They drink, bathe, and wash clothes there.

I gave him a new shirt, and he was more than thrilled.... what a blessing it was to me!

We weren't able to stay and have clinic because of the condition of the roads. This woman was outside my bus window asking me for help. All I had were a few dollars. I gave them to her and she broke out into song and rejoicing. She was praising God for His provision... I felt so inadequate that I could not to more, and so humbled at her thankfulness.

local vendor at the Baptist Mission.

Two orphans from the Ryan Epps Home for Children. They are very sweet and well looked after.

As we were leaving clinic one day, this mother brought in her baby who was only hours away from death. There was nothing the doctors could do... The mother was also pregnant. It was devastating to witness.

Going to take a shower has a whole new meaning over there!

This is my sponsored family right before we met them. The mother was near death from stomach ulcers which killed her husband just one year before. Her children were all malnourished. Sponsorship has saved this family's lives. I know it's not the first time sponsorship has been someone's salvation.

We stopped at an orphanage and found the children living in filth. The feeling of helplessness and sadness is indescribable.

The same orphans... I have no words to describe how hard it was to drive away that day.

This little one was so sweet. She couldn't read, but wanted a pamphlet that told the story of Jesus.

While mama was getting medical treatment, Joel held her baby and she fell asleep... one of my favorite pictures!

a picture that represents eternity

2011-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

You may be going through your life and wonder if you'll ever really make a difference. Maybe you've considered going on a short term mission trip but talked yourself out of it saying, "could I really make that much of a difference?" The answer is YES! The God of all wisdom can take our shortcomings and produce miracles. This picture is of a young Haitian man named Alain. He is praying the prayer of salvation. His life was forever changed! Then two years later, he was killed in the Haitian earthquake. God took him home.

One week long trip can change the course of a life for all eternity....

photo entry

2011-01-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hey,
I'm wanting to enter some photo contests to learn, and to have professionals really put me in my place. Then once I stop crying, maybe I will have learned something. Here are some recent edits... please tell me what you think! I'll be posting a few of the same to see which one gets the best response.

This is Whitlyn. She was about two and her leg was badly injured by the earthquake in 2010. She died a few hours later from shock. We were trying to comfort her while the doctors tried to save her life.

This little guy's face says it all. A life of poverty, intestinal parasites, hunger, filth, and boredom.

Thanks, yo....

Photog obsession

2011-01-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

This summer my hubby got me a Nikon D5000, and since then I'm the constant tourist just waiting for a photo -op. I want to learn everything there is to know about taking "money" shots! I'm thinking about entering some contests and feel like testing the waters. Feel free to leave feedback and give me some tips. Here we go!!

My sweet Daddy!

This little girl had just lost her mother in the earthquake. She was so numb and wanted comfort from anyone.. even a stranger.

My sweetie nephew, Matthew. I caught him in his natural expression.... solemn and wondering what you're doing.

My sister, Shannon and her hubby, Brian. This was taken on the steps of Old Main.

Haiti earthquake.. part two

2010-01-31T05:41:00.000-08:00

After running into the arms of my friend, Giraud, who had come to camp just to see me, I sobbed over the task I had just performed. I had never seen death firsthand, and to see it in two small children made it even more difficult. Giraud kept repeating, "Don't cry.. Don't cry.." He has been my friend since last January. He was a translator for us last year, but couldn't make it this year.. along with a few others: Andre, Sedot, and Alain. Giraud, (whom I call Ro-Ro) had stopped by the camp to visit me for our return trip from clinic, when the earthquake hit. I am so thankful he was in our compound, because everyone in our compound was spared. Here he is, hugging me and comforting me, and he doesn't even know if his own family is alive yet.

I pulled myself together, and asked about his family's welfare. He said he didn't know, and then proceeded to stay at camp for a short while to help us translate. He has been starting his ministry as a pastor this past year. He truly has a servant's heart. He is 21 years old. He hugged me again before he left, and promised to come back the next day to see me again.

For the next several hours, the wounded came pouring in. Family members and loved ones would carry in their wounded, and set them on the ground in front of us. At our inner gate, our Haitian workers had the heartbreaking task of keeping scared people out, and letting wounded people in. As the night waned on, and our medical supplies dwindled, their tasks would be even harder. They would have to pick and choose which wounded could be treated, and who we couldn't help.

People came in with severe cuts and scrapes. Dentists, hygenists, and nobodies like me became nurses. There were so many injured people, that if it was "only" a scrape or a cut, we tended to them ourselves after a doctor's approval.

One man came in with his face covered entirely with blood. Half his eyelid had been ripped off, and a 6 inch gash laid the back of his scalp open. As Dr. Bryan and I cleaned him up, he never made a sound.
We had no suture kits left at this point. The best we could do was pick the gravel out, wash it with tap water and iodine, and put antibiotic ointment on it. Our bandages had been resorted to: bedsheets torn into strips and rolled, bedsheets cut into squares as 4x4 gauze, and duct tape.

Throughout the night, there were many crush injuries to limbs, and more broken bones than I can count. A young man brought in either his girlfriend or wife, and her foot was literally hanging onto her leg by a few muscles and tendons. The construction men had rolled out the rubber roofing material we had at camp for the patients to lay on, and when they laid her down, her foot was pointing the wrong direction. Dr. Bryan came over to assess her leg. The only thing we could do for her at that moment was give her something for pain, and wrap her leg in bedsheet rolls with boards on either sides for splinting. I know it had to have been killing Bryan not to have an operating room to give these people better care, but we all made do with the situation we were given.

I honestly cannot recall every injury I helped in treating. There were many patients that I never even saw because of how many we had. I've looked back at pictures of myself helping someone, and truly not recalling who it was. The crying and wailing was all over camp and stretched beyond our gates. It was the cry of those in extreme amounts of pain, and those at the gates desperately wanting to get in. I began to block it out. I didn't have the luxury of breaking down, there was just too much to do. God's hand of protection surrounded me, and I continued on. Several times I wanted to stop. It was after midnight now, and we were all exhausted, but I told myself that I would go to bed when the doctors went to bed. Besides, there was no way I could just walk away from that scene 15 feet from my dorm, and sleep.
I kept thinking that at any moment, the wounded will stop coming... they had to! I was praying silently that the city wasn't as bad as it seemed.. maybe these were just local buildings that had collapsed. My thoughts were interrupted by the screams of a young child. I followed the sound over to our two doctors and two of the nurses holding down a child with a severely injured leg. I took one look at her wound, and gasped out loud. It looked like a shark had ripped a huge bite out of her lower right leg. Her bone was exposed, and the entire wound was covered in gravel. The nurses had put a towel over her arms to keep her from flailing. I knew there was nothing I could do to help, so I laid down on my stomach on the ground and held her head in my hands. I stroked her face, spoke softly to her, and sang to her. She would cease her screaming and look at me.. a bit puzzled that she couldn't understand me, but I believe she was comforted by the loving tone of a mother. Her silence would be broken by a new round of screams, and the comforting process would begin again.

Pain meds were given to her, and during the treatment process, she became very quiet. Here eyes were half open. I would gently pat her face to stimulate her as the nurses listened to her heartbeat. "She's not doing very well." they would say. She needed IV fluids, and an operation, but could receive neither. After they bandaged and splinted her, all we could do was put a towel under her head and leave her there. Some relatives had brought her in, and had left to go find her mother. After about an hour, her mother arrived.

Through a translator, I told her that her daughter's injury was very serious. She began to cry and say there was no way she could keep her now; that she would have to give her to her sister. Daphne, our translator, was telling the mother that her baby was still good, and she needed her mom. I asked the baby's name.. "Whitlyn". I left the scene, but noticed that the mother stayed and held Whitlyn in her arms. About an hour later, the familiar wail of grief resounded through the camp. Whitlyn had died. Her little body just gave out. In a strange way I felt relieved. I understood the suffering that child would endure before she got well... if she got well. The mother covered her face and rocked her and sang a haunting, mourning song. I couldn't stand and watch... I couldn't even cry with her... I had to keep going.
As hard as theses stories are for me to tell, the hardest ones yet are still to come.... continue to pray for the Haitian people.

Haiti- Day one

2010-01-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

As I packed my suitcase, preparing for my trip to Port au Prince, Haiti, I pondered each and every item that went in.

"Do I need to pack a head-lamp? I have two.. why not just bring both?" I thought to myself. I remembered sweating constantly from the trip I had taken the year before, so into my bag went two hand towels as well. I'm thinking that this stuff is just silly and I'll probably never even use it. I had also been gathering outfits outgrown by my children the whole year. I bagged and labeled each one as I stuffed them in.

"Do I really need THREE pillows?" I asked myself. So I used Spacebags to make sure I had my luxury items with me. By this time my bags were so heavy, that I pondered not even taking my laptop.. but the American in me said.. I HAVE to have it!

I crammed about 100 packs of peanut-butter crackers into a giant ziplock bag. Joel and I kept weighing the bags over and over. I knew I would have to pay a hefty fee if my luggage was too heavy. For a minute or two, I thought about leaving the snacks behind. "They're just treats for the kids there... what difference would one snack really make?" Ultimately, I decided to pack them anyway.

I filled my travel Tylenol bottle thinking I would need them for my minor aches and pains. I had tons of childrens' clothing, toys, and snacks. When realizing how much I would have to pay the airline for my overweight bags, I reconsidered all the items. In the end, I hoped that God would bless me with financial relief to cover it. We got them zipped (somehow) and I headed off for what I thought would be a medical mission trip just like the January before.

On a normal medical mission trip, we spend the first evening sorting, counting, and dividing pills for clinic the next day. We put all into ziplock bags and label them. It's tedious but entirely necessary for our traveling clinics. Medication for acid reflux, minor pains, infections, and intestinal worms make up the bulk of our stock. We pack everything up and turn in for the night. We rise early the next morning, have breakfast, pack the bus, and head out to our clinic destination. The bus ride is hot, bumpy, and dusty, but we always find fun in joking around with our translators. After arriving at the villiage, we get dirty and sweaty unloading the bus and seeing patients all day long. The people are kind and thankful to see us, and after a full day, we reload the bus and head back to camp. Usually, this is the time we unwind, take our cold showers (since there isn't hot water) and make friends with the local Haitians. Mission trips for the past 30 years have happened this way with no major interruption. Our plans were to have four days of clinic, and three days of Haiti relief. (handing out food, clothes, and shoes) My, how our plans mean nothing when God's plans come into play!

After arriving back at camp from our first day of clinic, our bus driver, Pastor Brucely, turned off the engine, and we felt what we thought was the sputtering of our repainted old school bus that had seen too many years of use. The small vibrations very quickly turned into a violent rocking. Someone on the bus yelled, "EARTHQUAKE!". I looked to my left, and the mango tree we were parked under was shifting from side to side while the fruit and leaves fell like rain. I did not feel afraid, I was just confused. As I'm watching the tree flailing about, our director's wife, Anne, flew down the stairs and out into the open yard. When I saw the look on her face I realized, "This is bad." She had spent time in Haiti for 30 years, and if she looked scared, we were in real trouble.

As soon as the violent shaking stopped, I remembered that our construction crew had been on the roof of the medical building on our grounds.
"The guys are on the roof!" I yelled. Every man in that bus scrambled to get over there to check on our men. Miraculously, no one was hurt. No one even fell off the scaffolding they were standing on! Since our buildings and team members were all in tact, I still was not grasping the gravity of what had just happened.

I heard commotion to my left, and a woman covered in white dirt came running in wailing and screaming. My translator, Giraldo, told me she couldn't find her children. As I was trying to get an answer from this hysterical mother, I realized that part of our outer compound's concrete wall had crumbled. I made my way over there to see Tina, Dale, and some others already on the other side running into camp with gravel-covered children. Haitian's came from out of nowhere, running into our camp screaming and crying. I leapt over the wall, minding the razor wire, and came upon a toddler covered in debris in the arms of one of our men. He handed me the child and I took off toward camp. As I was headed back, I glanced to my left, I noticed a concrete house that had been standing five minutes before. The roof had fallen all the way onto the floor, and was totally flat. It was at that moment I realized, "people are dead". While gripping the child for dear life, I ran back over the collapsed wall and into camp. I began to cry and hyperventilate while trying to relay what I had just seen. With no time to break down, I rushed the child over to a table to asses her needs. She was scared, covered in dirt, but not injured. I bathed her off, and her father showed up to claim her. Right beside me, our orthopedic surgeon Bryan Den Hartog and his neice Alissa, an RN, were attempting to treat a three year old boy who's big toe was nearly severed. All the while, people are running into camp panicked and screaming. A woman who had lived just outside the inner camp was carried in with a broken leg. Her husband was frantic. The doctors began attending to her right away. I heard more screaming, so I put on a pair of gloves and followed my teammates to the commotion just outside the inner camp's iron bars.

I came upon a scene I will never forget. I saw Haitians and Americans alike pushing concrete chunks aside, speaking rapidly, and pounding giant slabs of a fallen wall with sledgehammers. In short order, the digging revealed a two year old child trapped and motionless underneath a huge section of wall. When the wall was broken enough to move, our team pulled her out and placed her on a piece of plywood. She was ferried over to the side and assesed by two of our nurses. I saw them with stethoscopes, listening for hope. The child's father, who was the husband of the woman with the broken leg, left his wife's side, and when seeing what was taking place, began screaming. His cries were so loud that the nurses had to silence him so they could determine the fate of his crushed child. I watched as they talked in hushed tones, shook their heads, and covered the child's motionless body. The father's cries turned into hollers, shallow screaming, and mindless chanting. His body rocked back and forth over his baby's body.

I then heard someone say that we had to find the other one. My stomach turned over inside my body. "There's ANOTHER one under these walls?!" I carefully crossed the debris to where two Haitian men were pounding on a slab with their sledgehammers. When the slab cracked and broke in half, six people counted to three and tried to lift it... it was still too heavy. The pounding resumed on the smaller half, and as soon as it broke, the team lifted it up to reveal a totally flattened baby, about one year old. Steve, an RN, pulled her up quickly and ran her over beside her sister's body. They laid her out on a board and the hopeful listening resumed again. When I saw Steve's shoulders slump, I knew that she was gone as well. The father then went into absolute hysterics.

Tina and I were instructed to strip them of their clothes and wash them off for their parents. All we had available was a bucket with two rags, full of filthy water. I had never experienced death first hand. I began working on the little one. My hands were shaking and I found I couldn't bring myself to just douse her with that cold water, even though I knew she couldn't feel it. I began to cry... Tina kept saying to me,
"Molly, they're not here. It's okay, they're with Jesus... they're not here."
I was shaking so badly that Tina came over and stripped off the child's clothes for me. I bathed her crushed little body. When I came to clean her face and head, I turned her head to the other side and nearly shrieked in horror as I saw the entire side of her head and face were flat.
"Her little head is flat!" I cried. My tears turned into sobs as I finished and covered her.

I came back into the camp and noticed that four men were having to hold down the father to sedate him. He had gone into complete hysterics and was in danger of hurting himself or someone else from his violent flailing and rolling around on the ground. I just stood there sobbing, not even knowing how to process what I'd just seen and done. I can't even remember if anyone hugged me or spoke to me. I was shocked and stunned. Every fiber of my being wanted to cry and never stop, but I kept hearing this voice in my head saying, "Go on... just go on." So I changed my gloves and moved on to the next patient.

That is the first small chapter of the day that forever changed my life. I will write the next chapter very soon. God bless those broken parents, and I look forward to seeing those tiny angels, whole and happy in Glory.

This is the video of their recovery from
the rubble...

WARNING: GRAPHIC AND HARD TO WATCH!

2010-01-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Many of you may already know that I was in Haiti when the earthquake struck on January 13. I went as part of a medical mission team. Joel and I both went last year, and it was a wonderful experience. He didn't go with me this year, but I was accompanied by three other members of my church: Jim Myshka, Jean Greene, and Dale Gupton. I have known Jean and Dale most of my life, and had not gotten to know Jim very well before this trip. Our plan was to have four days of medical clinics at local villages, and three days of handing out food and clothing. I have learned that our plans mean absolutely NOTHING! God's sovereign plan is mysterious and wonderful, even in the midst of heartbreak.

I will be starting my story from the very beginning and will take you all the way to our miraculous homecoming. I have to write in small sections because the wounds are fresh, and I am praying for God to bring every detail of His work to my mind. I pray as you follow along that God does a work in your own heart, for I am writing this to give Him ALL the glory!

I will be adding pictures as I go, and just to warn you, some are difficult to look at. This is not meant to scare or offend anyone. It's just to let you catch a glimse of what we all endured.

May God bless this story

And now...on to Mayo

2009-06-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my appointment with the infectious disease specialist. He had run a panel of tests three weeks ago, and I went in for the results. I had a lupus test that came back negative. Whew! What a relief and a praise to God! I did have some abnormal cells he could not quite explain, but he felt certain they would go away on their own. After he looked at all the evidence, he concluded that he still didn't know what to diagnose me with. He recommended further testing, but I declined in order to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to search for an answer there. He approved whole-heartedly and is willing to help me in any way. I was so relieved to have such a supportive doctor!

The Lord has been guiding me through the whole "Mayo" process. I had originally talked with my insurance co. about which Mayo clinic they covered. The first time I called, they said they would ONLY cover the one in Jacksonville, FL. I was perparing to make the call for an appt. when "mysteriously" I received a message from a friend of mine. I had not spoken to this friend in over a year. She reported that she had to go to the Mayo in Rochester, MN, and that she loved it and highly recommended it. In a sidenote she commented that she had the same insurance I did. I had this nagging thought in the back of my mind that Jacksonville was not the right choice for me. I decided to call my insurance again and double check for coverage in Minnesota. After only a few minutes they confirmed that I was indeed covered there! I felt relief and made my appointment for June 15th. During my visit today, after I told Dr. Hennigan of my plans for Rochester, and he said, "Good! I'm glad you're not going to Jacksonville because I've had many patients experience problems there." That was when I knew right away that The Lord had been quietly guiding me along.

I am so thankful for all the wonderful friends who have been praying for Joel and I! My sister, Shannon, gave me the book by Corrie Ten Boom called, "The Hiding Place". It is such a powerful testimony about God's grace and love for us. He is speaking all the time. It is us who must listen and give thanks in EVERY situation!! It has truly opened my eyes to God's gentle hand. I can plainly see how He is with me EVERY MINUTE! I fear not any diagnosis, or lack of one. I know that perfect health is not a requirement to serve Him. All I need to be is willing.

This next chapter in our lives will bring more of the unknown. But, I am ready to meet it with wide eyes and an open heart. For I have confidence that God is my Hiding Place, He is the Rock cleft for me, and He will give to me what I need to be refined and made ready for His work.

Have I mentioned how much I love Wild Olive's tees???

2009-05-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just another quick note to remind everyone that my sweetie-pie sister's business, Wild Olive, has the best christian tee shirts around! I own five, and all of them are super comfy, and modern. I love to wear tees, so having these cool, comfortable, Jesus lovin' shirts really hits the spot for me! There is a charity shirt on sale right now to help benefit an adorable family with a sick child. And I must say, that the shirt is the best one yet!! Come check it out: http://www.wildolivetees.com/

2009-05-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well, my surgery was unsuccessful. I'm all healed up now, and the pain is even worse than it was before! I was feeling optomistic for a time, but then I plummeted into a dark valley. The feelings of doubt that I'll ever be well again are hovering over me like a rain cloud.

I am having to fight through the pain to try to bring some normalcy back to the kids' lives. This morning I'm taking them to school. It's probably been three months since I've done that. Last night I put them all to bed. I don't even remember the last time I did that. Joel is encouraging me to treat this as if it's never going to get well. He wants me to make small efforts here and there for the kids' sake. I have to say that it's really hard. I want to be myself again, and be the mother I was, but my muscles and energy have deteriorated, so now any minor task is a huge task. I'm always on pain pills, so my mind is not always clear. Sometimes no amount of pain pills I have can overcome my discomfort, and yet I have to push on.

I don't know why the Lord is asking this of me. I know He has a reason. I must bathe myself in His Word for comfort and regeneration. I trust Him and His wisdom, so I will do my best to keep going when it hurts. Thank you all for the prayers...I have needed them, and will continue to need them.

Could this be the end?

2009-04-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Visited with my doctor today, and we've scheduled what I hope is my final surgery. He believes that I may have some adhesions from my hysterectomy in November. It's sort of an exploratory surgery, but if it's more serious than they originally thought, then it will turn into a BIG surgery. I'm nervous that they won't find anything and I will return empty-handed. I'm so afraid that it won't reveal anything, just like my cystoscopy, and my family will continue to suffer. I'm being constantly reminded to wait on the Lord, and trust Him in all situations. So, I guess if I'm worrying, I haven't released it to God. Please continue to pray for peace and strength for Joel and my family. Surgery date is next Wednesday. I fear to hope.

2009-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

I AM MARRIED TO THE KING OF SURPRISES RUINED!! Buying gifts for Joel is actually a hard task. Although he's generally very easy to please, most times he somehow figures

out what gift he's getting from me. He has either requested it,

or it's something he desperately needs...like clothes or shoes.

This year for his birthday (May 5) I came up with the perfect gift that he would NEVER guess! The moms and I went in together and bought him a flying lesson! He actually gets to fly the plane himself (with a pilot present, of course ). This is something he's wanted to do for years.

So, the man who's NEVER home during the day, just happened to be home today. He walked out, got the mail, and guess what was in it? A white envelope with MY name on it. He thought to himself, "this is probably another bill for Molly's medical stuff." So, in a flash he opened it. He came into the bedroom with a sheepish smile on his face and handed me the opened envelope. I scolded him something fierce, slapped his arm, and cried just like any hormonal woman in America. He truly didn't mean to ruin his own birthday surprise, but somehow it turned out just like every other gift giving occasion. I guess I'll just have to accept this unfortunate phenomenon about our relationship, and not take it personally.

Men....can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em.

2009-04-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

I am privelaged enough to be the sister to Colleen, one of the founders of Wild Olive. I own two shirts, and am building up toward the whole collection. The shirts are comfy, cute and modern, and most of all they share the gospel and invoke questions from those who see you wear it! I have always been proud of my sister, but this has been such a blessing in my life. She's already my hero, a wonderful mom, sister, and Christian woman.

2009-04-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

My health issues persist, and right now we're waiting on biopsy results from my bladder procedure. My family and I have grown so weary of this past year of sicknesses. Please pray that a solution and treatment will be found.

2009-03-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here's Haiti from above. As Joel and I would say, it's beautiful land surrounded by garbage. There were thousands of beautiful mountains, and mounds and mounds of garbage.

2009-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I worked on the dental team with the Haitian doctor, Renald Pierre. He did not practice sanitary dentistry. He didn't change his gloves very often, and had little to no compassion for his patients. It was a disturbing and eye opening experience. I prayed for the patients each time they sat in the chair. The health of their teeth is deplorable, and I pity them for the pain they go through each day.

2009-03-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

My wonderful contractor man helped build the roof on the medical clinic on the Mission to Haiti campgrounds. They worked really hard and completed it in six days. They also built all the trusses for a church in a neighboring town that was completed in March. He said he loved being with these great Christian men, working outside, and no cell phone!

2009-03-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Joel worked with a team of Americans and a few Haitians. This one is Markenson. He is twenty-one and has a wife and little baby. The baby has a medical need that could be fixed with simple over-the-counter medication. We are working on getting that for her.

2009-03-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

We visited a local orphanage run by a man who was an orphan in the streets. He became a sponsored child through Mission to Haiti and was able to go to school and have a home. His American sponsors brought him over to attend seminary. He then returned to Haiti to start an orphanage to give other children the same chance he had. Currently he has 10 children. Here are a couple of the girls. The facility is very clean and well run. It was such a blessing to see!

2009-03-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Alain Desarmes was my favorite medical translator. He taught himself to speak, read, and write in English. He is extremely gifted in art. He has found a new family since joining the Mission to Haiti translator team. His biological family is scattered all over the world, but he came to know the Lord last year through a man on the mission team, and has life-long friends through several Americans who visit. During the ten days we were in Haiti, Jean and I saw him go from solemn and emotional, to relaxed and happy. He just needed a break from his tough life, and real friends. I pray for him all the time!

2009-03-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

This sad story is Madamme Dorlean. She has five children and her husband died last year of stomach ulcers. She is slowly dying of the same condition. She came to the clinic to get viamins and protein for her and her children. She was also able to receive medicine for her ulcers.

The happy ending is that Joel and I, and another couple from church have sponsored all the children. That means they can all attend school and receive at least one meal per day. My good friend Jean was able to receive antibiotics donated by a local doctor for the mother's ulcers. She returns in April to give them to her. I pray that she is still alive.

2009-03-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

This sweetheart is Medjina. She lost her mother last year, and her father cannot support her and her siblings, so they stay here and there with people who use them as slaves. Thankfully they are able to attend school. Medjina came to the camp covered in staph infection. You can see that her eye is swollen and she has an angry sore on her arm. The second picture is three days later after being on some very inexpensive antibiotics. If she had not been treated, she would have died. I'm so thankful the Lord worked this out for her!

2009-03-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't this adorable?? Joel was holding her for a patient while she was having her tooth pulled. This is my favorite picture.

2008-11-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

It seems my health crisis may be resolving! My mom and I went together to speak with my obgyn yesterday. We talked for quite a while about all the options and risks of what to do about me. I had been praying that God would give me peace when the right answer was presented. He did, of course, and I now feel peaceful about having a hysterectomy. I'm going back in on Monday to have a blood test read, and to discuss a surgery date. Mom, Joel and I feel that this is an answer to prayer, and will get me back on my feet. I haven't been myself since May, and for a while, it seemed as though I would never be normal again. Dr. Bradford has assured me that I will feel much better after it's over. I'm so THANKFUL!!!! I appreciate all those who've been praying! God is faithful to those who trust Him......

2008-11-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I greatly appreciate all the prayers. God is so amazing!!! Today I had a "coincidental" chat with a doctor, who suggested a new supplement that could possibly resolve all my problems!!! I was able to start on it today, and am hoping for quick results. If this is my answer from God, then I thank Him for such immediate confirmation. If it is not, then I will be still and wait. I am SO thankful for faithful friends who offer me encouragement!

2008-11-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

We need your prayers right now!

I am having health issues and we aren't sure how to resolve them. I suffer from migraine headaches, and cysts that grow on my right ovary. I lost my left ovary to the same problem last year. I am currently taking medication for the cyst, but it appears that it hasn't helped. The "hysterectomy talk" is coming soon, I fear. The whole thing is very nerve-wracking because I don't want to live in pain, but I want to avoid all the nasty side effects of going through instant menopause. I am praying for my obgyn to be knowledgeable and willing to check into bioidentical hormone therapy.
My mom has long believed that my migraines are related to my hormones, so I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone, here. My health is really affecting my life as a wife and mother. Sometimes it is very discouraging
since it's been going on since May.
Thanks for listening!
My prayer is to be well enough to go to Haiti in January. I firmly believe that the Lord paved the way for us to go, and so now it's up to me to stand firm in my faith that He'll answer my health concerns.

2008-11-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween! The kids dressed up, as usual, and set about trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. They did pretty well, since they were the ONLY treaters in our whole subdivision!! I dressed up, too so I could greet the treaters at our house, but only had four little people.....Anna, Julia, Olivia, and Will! Ha! We still had a blast and are now looking forward to our favorite upcoming holidays.

2008-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Joel and I have exciting news!
We have been accepted into the mission trip to Haiti! We will spend ten days in a camp that offers medical care to the impoverished people. Joel will be part of the construction team, that will literally be
building the roof over our heads.
The conditions these people live in is beyond comprehension. Most have little to no clothing, no clean water, and no food. The staple of their diet is flour, mixed with water and dirt. They call them "dirt cakes". They have no homes, and some don't even have a shack or a lean-to to sleep in. Their land was devastated by the hurricanes earlier this year. This makes their already desperate situation even worse. Many die from minor illnesses or injuries, and all are infested with internal parasites.
Joel and I are preparing our fund-raising efforts.
If anyone feels led to give, we would GREATLY appreciate it. We would also appreciate your prayers as we strive to be vessels for God's work, and are going into a situation we've never been in before. We feel so blessed to have been chosen for this mission!

2008-10-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Devil's Den this Sunday. Chad and Leslie Fett, our good friends, brought their three girls, Paige, Ryan, and Blaire. We hiked a nice trail that took us by a small waterfall, and we saw several caves and crevises. The kids, and Indy, had fun climbing on the rocks. We had a few trip and falls, but overall it was a good time!

2008-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

2008-10-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

All done, and all tuckered out!

2008-10-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well, a new adventure is on it's way for Joel and I. We have applied for a ten day mission trip to Haiti, with the organization, Mission to Haiti. I will be working on the medical team, and Joel will be building, literally, the roof over my head. We know that the devistation from the hurricanes is overwhelming, especially considering it was already one of the most empoverished countries in the world. We'll be keeping you posted about our plans. We're still waiting to see if we got a spot in the camp. I'm praying it isn't already full. The dates we're hoping to be gone for are, January 19-28. Keep us in your prayers!

2008-10-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Julia had her birthday party this Friday, Oct. 10. She got a Nintendo DS from us and both sets of g-parents. She's been playing it non-stop!

Papaw had fun playing with Indy, as usual!

2008-10-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Joel and Indy's wrestling match. This is a daily occurance since Indy needs the exercise, and Joel loves to play with him.

2008-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Julia and Anna stopped for a quick picture just before they went to Battlefield Park for their squaredancing. Indy went with us, of course, and was a big hit! Everyone stopped to pet him and asked lots of questions about where he came from. He loved all the attention!

2008-10-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

We gained a new family member this August. His name is Indy, and he is wonderful! He was rescued by an organization called BoxAR. He has thrived in our home, and we are so in love with him! He still has a few more things to learn, but he has become comfortable and secure with us. We are so blessed to have him!

2008-10-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Joel and Indy have such fun times playing and wrestling. As soon as Indy sees him, he's ready to rumble!

2008-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Nana wanted to show everyone how tall Indy is! (actually it's not a very good way to judge, since she's really short! Ha!

2008-10-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Julia is enjoying some quiet time with Indy.

2008-10-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Will and Indy are best buddies. They wrestle and play all the time. He's been a good friend for Will, who gets lonely when the girls are at school.